(Purchase, NY) – It was a back and forth game that featured the grit, intensity, and energy that is Skyline Conference basketball, and it even required an extra session. However, despite an incredible effort to force overtime, the Mount Saint Vincent Women's Basketball team ultimately lost their sixth straight game, 77-68 to Manhattanville in a game played at Manhattanville College. With the loss, Mount Saint Vincent is now 2-8 overall and 1-4 in the Skyline Conference.
The early going certainly didn't seem like it would be an overtime thriller. After Andrea DiNizo (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Masters) opened the scoring with a jump shot at 19:15, Mount Saint Vincent surrendered an 11-1 run and it appeared as if the Valiants would pull away. However, the Dolphins responded with an 11-0 run of their own during a six-minute span to take a 14-11 lead. From that point, both teams engaged in a slugfest with the lead changing a total of 17 times and neither team held a lead of more than five points. The game was so intense that after freshman Drew Gomes (Thomaston, CT/Thomaston HS) hit a lay-up to tie the score at 63 with nearly three minutes remaining, neither team scored again during regulation.
The overtime was dominated by Manhattanville as the Valiants' Jessica Delagrange hit two clutch three-point shots to put the game out of reach. After Delagrange's heroics, the hosts converted eight of their 10 free throw attempts to secure the win, while Mount Saint Vincent converted only one of their seven field goal attempts during overtime. After a nine-game losing streak to open the season, Manhattanville is now 2-9 overall and 2-2 in the Skyline Conference.
Mount Saint Vincent was led by the outstanding play of sophomore Kaitlin Burud (Red Hook, NY/Red Hook HS), who scored in double-digits for the third straight game. Burud scored a team and season-high 15 points, including a 7 for 8 performance from the free throw line, while adding 8 rebounds. Fellow sophomore Edeana Martinez (Bronx, NY/St. Catherine) had one of the finest games of her career as Martinez scored nine points after a perfect shooting night, and had a team-high 11 rebounds. DiNizo and Meagan Fitzpatrick (Yonkers, NY/Our Lady of Victory) both scored in double digits as DiNizo scored 12 points while Fitzpatrick added 11.
Mount Saint Vincent had the statistical edge overall, outrebounding the Valiants 54-43 and committing only 16 turnovers compared to Manhattanville's 18. But the Dolphins converted only 33% of their shots, while Manhattanville shot 38% from the floor.
Mount Saint Vincent has to rebound quickly as they travel once again this Saturday when they face Old Westbury at 2:00 p.m. After Saturday's away game, the Mount returns home for eight of their final 11 games.
