NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – The Mount Saint Mary College women's basketball team dropped its season opener at New Paltz Friday night.
 
The Basics
Score: Mount Saint Mary College 44, New Paltz 67
Records: Mount Saint Mary College (0-1, 0-0 Skyline) | New Paltz (1-0, 0-0)
 
Rapid Recap
Mount Saint Mary is coming off a Skyline Championship with hopes of going back-to-back this season with a roster overhaul that includes 8 new players, 7 of them being freshmen. The Knights had their work cut out for them this evening as they traveled just down the road to play SUNY New Paltz. The Hawks would open up the scoring, taking a quick 6-0 lead before reigning Skyline Tournament MVP Brianna Guglielmo got the Mount on the board with a made layup. Angelina Donato scored the next 4 points to tie things up, but New Paltz took the lead right back. Sara Cashin nailed a three-pointer to continue the scoring for the Knights. As a team, they struggled not only from just the three-point line at 20.0% but from the field as well at 25.8%.

The Mount entered the second quarter down 18-11, and the Hawks began to open up their lead, scoring the first 7 points of the quarter. Reese Mayer scored the first points of her career as a Knight on back-to-back possessions to keep them in it. A Brianna Guglielmo three followed by 2 made free throws from Angelina Donato cut the Knights' deficit to just single digits, 32-23. Although Mount Saint Mary forced 8 turnovers, they turned the ball over 10 times themselves, a big reason for them being down 39-25 at the half. 

The Knights were not only going to have to protect the ball better, but also start to string together some good offensive possessions to get back into the game. Sara Cashin got the Mount on the board to start the second half, though this would be their only points till a Keira Frias made three at the 4:09 mark in the third quarter. The Knights would only score 9 points in the third quarter as they had a big hill to climb down 52-34 entering the fourth.

Mount Saint Mary held New Paltz to just one made basket in the first 5 minutes of play to start the fourth quarter, but were unable to take advantage offensively. Freshman Jaelynn Walker scored her first career points as a Knight off an assist from Angelina Donato. A couple of other new faces for the Mount would get their first points as freshman Grace Christie banged a three and junior transfer Darcy DeBenedittis scored on a reverse layup after a Gabby Ziegenbalg steal. The Knights would eventually be defeated by the Hawks 67-44 in their season opener.

Notes and Numbers        

• Brianna Guglielmo: 12 points, 9 rebounds
• Sara Cashin: 10 points, 7 rebounds