1/27/2006 - (Riverdale, NY) – If ever an argument existed that the Skyline Men’s Basketball Conference should change scheduling formats so that each team plays each other twice per season, Friday night’s contest between Mount Saint Vincent and Maritime College will almost certainly lend credibility to the cause. It was 40 minutes that featured everything expected of a conference game late in the season – end-to-end action in front of a packed gymnasium, a thrilling comeback, career-best performances, and an intensity that can only be described as playoff-like. Despite one of their worst starts to a game of the 2005-06 season, Mount Saint Vincent chipped away at a 17-point first half deficit and overcame Maritime College, 85-79, to win in dramatic fashion for the second straight game. The win was also the Mount’s fifth during their last seven games. After one of their exciting games of the season for the Dolphins, the only downer was that despite being located only minutes apart, the two teams will not have a regular season rematch.

Senior Greg Casey scored a career-high 32 points as the Mount Saint Vincent Men's Basketball team rallied for an 85-79 win over Maritime on Friday night. Mount Saint Vincent has won two straight games and five of their last seven.

The beginning had all of the makings of a Privateer blowout as Maritime (3-14, 0-8 Skyline Conference) scored the game’s first eight points en route to a 19-3 lead with 13:15 remaining in the first half, and a 24-7 advantage three minutes later. However, a 9-0 Mount Saint Vincent run brought the Dolphins back into the game, and by halftime they trailed 46-38. Maritime shot an incredible 54% from the floor during the first half of play as center Robert Benton (Montgomery, Ala./G.W. Carver HS) scored 15 of his 25 points during the first 20 minutes, and fellow senior Gerard Danzy (Monroeville, Ala./Hillcrest HS) chipped in 14 of his team-high 27 points during the first half of play. The duo was a combined 12 for 20 during the first half, and teamed to grab 12 rebounds as well.

Danzy would ultimately fall just short of a triple-double as he added 12 rebounds and six assists to his 27 points.

Things changed almost immediately during the second half. After Danzy extended the lead to nine with his fifth three-pointer of the game, the Dolphins went on an 11-0 run and took a 51-49 lead with 12:39 remaining in the game. From there, the teams engaged in a tug of war, with both teams holding leads during the final 10 minutes of play. Down 73-67 with five minutes to play, the Mount’s senior duo of Greg Casey (Mount Vernon, NY/Blessed Sacrament) and James Mooney (Bronx, NY/Iona Prep) took over and led the Dolphins to victory. Casey’s three-pointer with 4:48 to play brought the Mount within three points, and after a Maritime turnover, he scored again to make it a one-point game.

Maritime then wasted an opportunity as a possession of nearly a minute that included two offensive rebounds did not yield any points, and a Derek Charlton (Yonkers, NY/St. Raymond’s) rebound with 3:05 remaining gave the Dolphins a chance to take the lead. Mount Saint Vincent took full advantage when Mooney connected for a three-pointer with 2:55 left to put the home team ahead, 75-73. Off a turnover, Casey made it 77-73 with 2:07 remaining, and the lead was stretched to six when Mooney’s lay-up made it 79-73 40 seconds later. From there, the Dolphins converted four of their five free throw attempts during the final 90 seconds of play to clinch the game, and improve to 8-11 overall and 4-6 in the Skyline Conference.

Casey turned in the finest performance of his career, scoring a career-high 32 points (on 13 for 18 shooting) and adding eight rebounds during 38 minutes of play. Mooney had another solid evening with 20 points and four assists, and during the second half became the third Men’s Basketball player in Mount Saint Vincent history to score 1,600 points in his career. While Charlton scored only four points after notching two double-doubles last week, his six rebounds (five during the second half) and outstanding defense were crucial to the Mount’s comeback. The Dolphins were also led by Charles Hernandez (Bronx, NY/Msgr. Scanlan), who chipped in 13 points, five rebounds and five assists.

The difference during the second half was simply shooting as Maritime’s success from the floor during the opening half turned into a 38% shooting effort during the second half, while Mount Saint Vincent improved from a 44% success rate during the first half (including 1 for 6 to start the game) to shoot 50% during the final 20 minutes, and outscore Maritime 47-33 during that stretch. Otherwise, the teams were nearly dead-even statistically with the Mount holding a 41-38 rebounding advantage, and the Dolphins turned the ball over 15 times compared to Maritime’s 16.

Mount Saint Vincent continues the home stretch of the 2005-06 season on Wednesday, Feb. 1 when they travel to meet Skyline Conference leader Mount Saint Mary at 7:00 p.m. Mount Saint Mary earned a 115-89 win at Mount Saint Vincent on Jan. 14.