(Kings Point, NY) - Mount Saint Vincent freshman Courtney Heesemann (New Hyde Park, NY/New Hyde Park HS) was recruited to play Women's Basketball at the Mount for dozens of reasons: She is an outstanding interior player who is capable of turning in a double-double every game. She is a tremendous worker, a fearless leader, and a team player who is the leader of a very good Mount Saint Vincent team in both rebounds and scoring despite her status as a rookie. However, of the many reasons why Head Coach Ed Ryder wanted Heesemann at the Mount, the ability to hit the long, outside shot was not one of them ... until tonight. In the midst of a furious second-half rally where the Mount fought tooth and nail to overtake one of the premier teams in the Skyline Conference, Heesemann connected on the first two three-pointers of her Mount Saint Vincent career during a one-minute span, and the Dolphins battled back from a 15-point deficit to USMMA-Kings Point with 3:27 to play in the game and made it a two-point game with 24 seconds remaining. Unfortunately for the Mount, the rally fell just short as one last defensive stand did not happen and USMMA escaped their own building with a 70-66 win.

With their second straight loss, Mount Saint Vincent falls to 5-4 overall and 2-2 in Skyline Conference play (after a 2-10 start a year ago), but the Mount's record tells only a fraction of the story. Despite boasting one of the youngest rosters in the conference, the Mount's only two losses in conference play have been to Farmingdale State (in overtime) and USMMA - both of which are expected to compete for the Skyline Conference Championship in February. Add to the mix that USMMA is a much improved team over their 2005-06 squad that beat Mount Saint Vincent by 18 points on February 7, 2006 and it is clear that when the post-season comes along next month, Mount Saint Vincent is going to be a dangerous team.

Monday night was a battle between a seasoned USMMA team that tried to pull away all night, and a pesky, determined Mount Saint Vincent team that refused to let it happen. A Karissa Koerner (Bay Shore, NY/Brentwood HS) three-pointer with 5:47 remaining in the first half made it 19-18 USMMA, but a 9-0 Mariner run made it 28-18 2:10 later. Just when it seemed like Kings Point was running away with the game, the Dolphins battled back to make it 28-24 as the first half ran down. USMMA scored five points during the final minute of the opening half to take a 33-24 into halftime, and the stage was set for one of the most entertaining halves of basketball either team has played this season.

The second half saw much of the same as Mount Saint Vincent brought the deficit to four with 16:13 remaining in the game, but USMMA extended their lead to as many as 15, 62-47 with 3:27 to play. After a Dolphin time-out, Heesemann and Koerner took over, combining for 17 of the Mount's final 19 points, and the Dolphins went on a furious 19-6 rally as Heesemann's second three-pointer during a one-minute span made it 68-66 with 24 seconds remaining. However, after a Kings Point timeout, the Mariners ran a set play that saw Morgan Gartner score a lay-up with 13 seconds remaining to put the game away.

Koerner tied her career high with 21 points as she shot 6 for 11 from the floor and 7 for 7 from the free throw line, and Heesemann added 19 points and four steals. Also having a big game for the Dolphins were freshman Lauren Percodani (Staten Island, NY/St. Joseph by the Sea), who scored seven points, added seven assists, and four steals, and junior Kaitlin Burud (Red Hook, NY/Red Hook HS) added nine points, four steals, and three assists. Mount Saint Vincent overcame a 51%-39% shooting disadvantage from the floor and a 29-24 USMMA rebounding edge by converting an incredible 19 of 23 free throw attempts, while the Mariners were 8 of 13 from the charity stripe. The Dolphins also amassed 12 steals while Kings Point only had three.

At the end of the night, while the result was a disappointing loss for Mount Saint Vincent, with four freshman combining for 51 of the Mount's 66 points and not a single senior on the roster, Ryder and company have plenty to be excited about.

However, before any excitement can continue, the Dolphins have another crucial test on the horizon. On Wednesday, they travel to Mount Saint Mary for a clash with the seven-time defending Skyline Conference Champions at 7:00 p.m.