(Old Westbury, NY) – It was simply a tale of two halves as the Mount Saint Vincent Men's Basketball team played one of its best and most balanced halves to open their Skyline Conference game at Old Westbury on Thursday night, only to play their worst half of the season during the final 20 minutes. As a result, a 35-32 halftime lead quickly erased, and the Dolphins fell to 1-1 in the Conference with an 86-62 loss to the Panthers. The setback drops Mount Saint Vincent to 3-4 overall as they face their toughest stretch of games during the 2005-06 season.
The game had all of the makings of major upset win early for the Mount as they went toe-to-toe with an athletic Panther squad. Senior Greg Casey (Mount Vernon, NY/Blessed Sacrament) scored 11 first half points, and junior Jarrett Herche (Bronx, NY/Cardinal Spellman HS) added nine points and five rebounds during the first 20 minutes, and the Dolphins outrebounded Old Westbury, 18-17, allowing for the three-point halftime advantage.
After extending the lead to five early in the second half, the bottom fell out for the Dolphins as Old Westbury (3-2, 1-1 Skyline Conference) turned up the intensity and physical play. The Panthers enjoyed runs of 13-2, and 21-4 during the second half to blow the game wide open. The difference in the second half was on the boards as Old Westbury outrebounded the Mount, 23-10, including an 11-3 advantage in offensive rebounds during the final 20 minutes of play, allowing the Panthers a 24-8 edge in second chance points during that span. For the game, Old Westbury enjoyed a 41-27 edge on the boards, and also forced 21 Mount Saint Vincent turnovers, while committing only 12.
Mount Saint Vincent was led by senior James Mooney (Bronx, NY/Iona Prep), who scored 21 points – marking the sixth straight game he has scored 20 points or more. Herche also had a big game with a season-high 11 points on 5 for 5 shooting, and six rebounds.
Mount Saint Vincent returns to action on Monday, Dec. 12 when they host NJAC powerhouse, Rutgers-Newark at 7:00 p.m.
