Mount Saint Mary Uses Big Second Half to Pull Away From Women's Basketball

NEWBURGH, N.Y. — The St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) women's basketball team lost pace in the second half and was unable to gain ground in the Skyline Conference standings, falling 81-53 at Mount Saint Mary College on Tuesday night.

The Basics

• Final Score: Mount Saint Mary 81, St. Joseph's 53
• Records: Mount Saint Mary (8-10, 6-5 Skyline), St. Joseph's (5-14, 4-6 Skyline)
• Date: January 26, 2016
• Location: Newburgh, N.Y.
• Arena: Kaplan Center
• Starters:
  • St. Joseph's: Eddy (G), Marino (G), Simon (G), Porcasi (G), Candelaria (F)
  • Mount Saint Mary: Kerutis (G), Graham (G), Kelly (G), Rini (F), Cleare (C)

Turning Point

• Destiny Marino's free throw at the 7:27 mark of the third period made it 44-33 as St. Joseph's fought to keep the Knights within striking distance. But Mount Saint Mary scored the next eight points to claim a comfortable 19-point advantage late in the third, dashing any hopes of a Lady Bear comeback.

How it Happened

• Mount Saint Mary scored the first 10 points of the contest to put the Lady Bears in an early hole. Destiny Marino's layup finally got St. Joseph's on the board at the 5:32 mark of the first quarter.
• The Lady Bears soon brought the deficit to within five, but Mount Saint Mary ended the first leading 18-11, with Marino scoring eight of the team's points in the period.
• The Knights used an 8-0 run in the middle portion of the second quarter to move up 31-17, regaining their double-digit advantage and claiming their largest lead thus far. St. Joseph's cut slightly into to the deficit, entering the break trailing 38-28.
• Mount Saint Mary gradually extended their lead and Elizabeth Limonta's basket with 1:02 left in the third quarter made it 60-39 to give the Knights their first 20-plus point advantage.
• MSMC tallied the final nine points of the third to enter the final stanza in full control up 65-39.

For the Lady Bears

• Sophomore Destiny Marino led the Lady Bears with a 16-point effort, adding three rebounds and three assists.
• Senior Erica Eddy finished with 15 points, draining 4-of-8 from behind-the-arc and grabbed three boards.
• Junior Samantha Simon chipped in eight points and a team-best five rebounds.
• Freshman Victoria Porcasi also added eight points with three rebounds.

For the Knights

• Kayla Cleare tallied a double-double with game highs in points (25) and rebounds (12).
• Bridget Kelly made 4-of-5 from the field and 8-of-9 from the line, finishing with 16 points and seven boards.
• Elizabeth Limonta secured a double-double as well with a 10-point, 10-rebound effort.

Inside the Box Score

• Mount Saint Mary led from start to finish, shooting 48.5 percent (32-66) from the field while holding the Lady Bears to just 25 percent (18-71).
• Playing catchup most of the contest, the Lady Bears attempted a season-high 39 three-pointers, reaching double-digits treys for the fourth time this season with 10.
• The Knights were dominant under the rim, compiling a massive 54-12 scoring advantage within the paint and out-rebounding St. Joseph's 56-36.

The Bear Facts

• St. Joseph's drop their third consecutive Skyline Conference meeting, falling to 4-6 in league play, but remain in sixth in the standings.
• With the victory, the Knights even the short all-time series at 1-1.
• The sides will meet again on February 11 at The Hill Center on Senior Night for the Lady Bears' final home regular season contest.

Next up for the Lady Bears

St. Joseph's welcomes Purchase College to The Hill Center for a Skyline Conference clash on Saturday, January 30. The Bears and Lady Bears will host a Play 4Kay doubleheader in addition to Alumni Hoops Day.

The alumni games begin at 1 p.m. followed by women's game at 4:00 p.m. and the men's game at 6 p.m. with live stats and video available on SJCBears.com. All fans are encouraged to join the teams in wearing pink.