Riverdale, N.Y. – Senior Lauren Percodani (Staten Island, N.Y.) scored a career-high 26 points as the College of Mount Saint Vincent Women’s Basketball team advanced to the Skyline Conference
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Lauren Percodani guided the |
After NYU-POLY jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the opening minutes and extended its advantage to as many as 11 points after a Margaux Pickell basket at the 13:52 mark of the first half, Mount Saint Vincent ran off a 13-2 run to tie the score at 18-18 with 11:25 left before the break.
Ciara Clarke (Warwick, N.Y.) capped the run with a triple, while Percodani knocked in back-to-back treys over that stretch. The Blue Jays would regain a four point lead, but the Mount the used a 15-0 spurt to pull in front for good.
Heesemann gave the Mount its first lead of the tilt on a fast break hoop and sophomore Ashley Ruiz (Carmel, N.Y.) capped the run with a three pointer to move the Dolphins in front 33-22 with 5:23 left in the stanza. The Mount defense held the Blue Jays without a point for over five minutes while it extended the lead.
The Dolphins would push their lead to a half-high 12 points following two Heesemann free-throws in the final half minute, but a Consuelo Aranda triple in the final seconds of the half got the Blue Jays to within 43-34 heading to the locker room.
Mount Saint Vincent shot an impressive 45.5-percent from the floor in the opening period, with Percodani leading all scorers with 16 of her 26 points. She was a perfect 4-for-4 from behind the arc in the half. Heesemann chipped in 15 for the Dolphins on 5-for-10 shooting.
NYU-POLY (12-14) would come out and slice the Mount lead to just four points following a three from Kristen Leitheuser and a bucket from Megan Bosi. From that point the Mount Saint Vincent lead would get no larger then eight points, until a Ruiz lay-in gave the Mount an 11 point advantage with just under 12 minutes to play.
Another Leithheuser triple with 9:31 left in regulation got NYU-POLY to within seven points, but that would be the closest it would get the rest of the evening. The Dolphins would open a game-high16 point lead after and Andree DeLeon (Flushing, N.Y.) basket with 3:27 left to secure the win.
Overall the game was tightly contested as Mount Saint Vincent made just one more field goal, shooting 28-for-63 in the contest and the Blue Jays finishing up 27-for-65. The Dolphins did make three more three pointers in the contest and outscored the Blue Jays 14-7 at the free-throw line.
Perocodani broke her career-high in scoring for the second time in the team’s last five games after going 8-for-12 from the floor and a perfect 4-for-4 from long range. She was also perfect at the free-throw line, going 6-for-6 as the Mount finished the night 14-for-18 from the line. She also handed out five assists on the night.
Heesemann posted her 12th double-double of the season with her 20 points and a game-high 15 rebounds. DeLeon and Ruiz also finished in double-figures with 10 points apiece.
The win moves Mount Saint Vincent to 18-8 overall on the season and sends it to the Skyline Conference Semifinal round for the fourth straight season. The Dolphins will now travel to second seeded Mount Saint Mary on Thursday night. Tip-off with the Blue Knights will be 7:00 p.m.
