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Pat Panetta netted a |
The Dolphins did not trail in the first half on Friday and opened the tilt on a 24-9 run to build a 15 point lead over the first 7:24 of the game. The Bears chipped away at their deficit and got to within seven points after a Lew Monaco triple with just over six minutes before halftime.
Mount Saint Vincent got its lead back to double-figures quickly after a Panetta bucket with 4:03 left in the period and scored 10 of the final 12 points before the break to carry a 47-33 lead into the intermission.
The Dolphins were solid on both ends of the floor in the opening 20 minutes, holding the Bears to just 30.2-percent shooting and converting a blistering 60-percent of their opportunities. Carson Miller (New Oxford, Pa.) and Panetta led all scorers at the break with 14 points each.
The second half was a turn of the tables on Friday, as the Bears came out and hit three pointers on each of their first three possessions to slice their deficit to just five points 1:50 into the second. Jon Matzelle canned the first two treys and Justin Gist added the third to force a Mount Saint Vincent timeout.
The Mount would build its lead back to nine points after back-to-back hoops from George Naldjieff (Miami, Fla.), but would not be able to pull away from St. Joseph’s. Following the second basket from Naldjieff the Bears went on a 17-8 run, capped by a Lew Monaco triple to tie the score at 59-59 with 11:08 left in regulation.
St. Joseph’s would take their first lead of the night on the following possession when Antoine Forehand nailed a jumper to give the visitors a two point advantage at the 10:41 mark.
That would be the Mount’s only deficit of the evening, as rookie Steven Oliver (Brooklyn, N.Y.) quickly gave the Mount the lead back with a big three point basket with 9:25 left in regulation push the Dolphins back in front 62-61.
The Bears would tie the score two more times in the contest, but would not be able to regain the lead. A quick 6-0 spurt after the score was tied at 72-72, keyed by baskets from Cody Gauvard (Rockaway Park, N.Y.), Shaquille Cunningham (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Panetta would give the Mount the cushion they needed to hold on. The Dolphins went on to hit eight free-throws over the final 2:14 to secure the win.
After shooting an even 60-percent from the floor in the opening half, the Mount shot just 39.5-percent in the second half, while the Bears shot 60.6-percent overall and 60-percent from behind the arc. Gist netted 18 of his game-high 25 points after halftime for the Bears and made half of their six triples in the second half.
The Dolphins finished the night shooting 49.3-percent from the floor, with Panetta going 9-for-12 overall, including a triple in the first half. He also grabbed seven rebounds, handed out a pair of assists and swiped two steals.
Gauvard scored in double-figures for the eighth straight game after posting 15 on Friday. Miller finished up with 14 to go along with six boards and five blocked shots. Cunningham netted double-figures for the second time in four games with 10 points.
Oliver made his first start for the Dolphins and scored seven points, including the big triple to push the Mount in front midway through the second half. He also grabbed two boards, handed out a pair of assists and swiped two steals.
The win is Mount Saint Vincent’ second in the last three games and improves it to 9-13 overall on the season. The Dolphins will return to league play on Sunday when they travel to NYU-POLY. Tip-off with the Blue Jays is set for 1:00 p.m.
