(Riverdale, NY) - If there is one thing Head Coach Ed Ryder has learned during his second season at the Mount Saint Vincent helm, it is that in the world of Skyline Conference basketball, depth is a crucial determinant of success. On Wednesday night, the point was proven more than ever before as with his top-two scorers on the bench having fouled out of the Mount's conference tilt with Centenary, the rest of the team had to provide a spark during a game that saw the Mount up by two points with less than two minutes to play. The young Dolphins responded as freshman Karissa Koerner (Bay Shore, NY/Brentwood HS) scored a career-high 21 points - six of which came during the final two minutes of play - and junior Edeana Martinez (Bronx, NY/St. Catherine's) pulled down a game-high and career-high 19 rebounds as the Mount held off a pesky Centenary College team, 82-74 to improve to 4-1 overall and 2-0 in Skyline Conference play.

It was a sloppy, physical affair as the two teams combined for 54 personal fouls and 77 total turnovers, and a total of five players fouled out of the game. Centenary (4-1, 0-1 Skyline Conference) opened a nine-point lead midway through the first half, but a 20-4 run late in the opening stanza led to a 38-32 halftime lead. Koerner scored 14 of her points during the first half on 5 for 8 shooting.

The second half was all Mount Saint Vincent for a while as the Dolphins opened a lead as large as nine points with 10:49 remaining, but the Cyclones came storming back and gradually chipped away. The Dolphins led 76-74 with 1:44 remaining but Koerner and Lauren Percodani (Staten Island, NY/St. Joseph by the Sea) combined to hit five free throws, and Martinez hit a crucial lay-up off of an offensive rebound with 16 seconds remaining to ice the game.

Percodani had an incredible game for the Mount. Despite playing most of the game in foul trouble, and being denied the ball and double-teamed for the entire game, the freshman finished with 12 points, five rebounds, a team-high three assists, two blocked shots, and two steals for a solid overall game. However, it was her performance against the Centenary full-court press that was particularly noteworthy as she turned the ball over only twice in the second half and displayed poise and composure against some very adverse circimstances.

Also having a big game for the Mount were freshmen Courtney Heesemann (New Hyde Park, NY/New Hyde Park HS), who scored 13 points and added 10 rebounds for her third straight double-double, and junior Kaitlin Burud (Red Hook, NY/Red Hook HS) added 13 points, six rebounds, and six steals. However, both Burud and Heesemann fouled out, allowing Martinez, Koerner, and Percodani to step up and play the hero's role.

For Centenary, junior Jessa Jones (South Plainfield, NJ/South Plainfield HS) notched a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds, and freshman Kristen Panariello (Staten Island, NY/St. Joseph by the Sea) and junior Laura Feigus (Colt's Neck, NJ/St. Rose) each scored 14 points.

Mount Saint Vincent returns to action on Saturday, Dec. 9 when they travel to face Skyline Conference powerhouse Farmingdale State for their biggest test of the season at 1:00 p.m. The Dolphins do not return home for more than a month as they play at Mount Saint Vincent again on Jan. 13, 2007 when they host Saint Elizabeth at 1:00 p.m.