(Brooklyn, NY) - The only disappointment on Saturday evening for the Mount Saint Vincent Women's Basketball team is that their attempt to reach the top of the mountain with their second Hudson Valley Women's Athletic Conference (HVWAC) Championship during the last three seasons will not include a match-up with HVWAC arch-rival St. Joseph's (Brooklyn), whom the Dolphins have met in the HVWAC finals during each of the last three seasons. Otherwise, Saturday night was as close to the perfect game as the Mount could have played. They shot well, rebounded, hustled, and played like a team during a dominant 73-40 win over #5 College of New Rochelle at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York that proved that the top-seeded Dolphins are still at the top of their game as they attempt to sweep the HVWAC regular and post-season championships for the first time in more than five years.
Mount Saint Vincent (16-9) came out running and shooting as their high-tempo offense was too much for CNR to handle during the early going as the Dolphins raced out to a 10-0 lead and extended the advantage to 19-2 before CNR was able to make any sort of run. The Mount led 39-16 after 20 minutes as freshmen Lauren Percodani (Staten Island, NY/St. Joseph by the Sea) and junior Kaitlin Burud (Red Hook, NY/Red Hook HS) combined to score 17 first half points on a combined 7 for 11 shooting. And if that wasn't enough Mount offense, freshman Karissa Koerner (Bay Shore, NY/Brentwood HS) got hot in the second half, converting six of her eight field goal attempts during the second half (including 5 for 7 from three-point range) as she scored 17 of her 19 points during the game's final 20 minutes.
Overall, Mount Saint Vincent shot 41% compared to CNR's 30% and the Mount outrebounded the Blue Angels 44-37 and enjoyed a 28-16 edge in turnovers. Every Dolphin in uniform scored at least five points, grabbed at least two rebounds, and recorded at least one steal.
Mount Saint Vincent will now face #3 Saint Elizabeth, who upset #2 St. Joseph's (Brooklyn) 51-44 during the evening's second semifinal. Mount Saint Vincent defeated Saint Elizabeth 70-53 on Jan. 13.
