Riverdale, N.Y. – College of Mount Saint Vincent junior
Karissa Koerner (Bay Shore, N.Y.) scored a game-high 23 points, including the 1,000th of her career, as the Dolphins cruised to a 91-72 home win
over Purchase on Saturday. Koerner becomes the second player this season and third in the last two years to reach the milestone.
The 1,001st point of her career came at the 9:38 mark of the second half when she drained a triple from the left wing. For the game she knocked in six threes, going 6-9 from long range in the game and 6-10 from the field overall. She also chipped in with an assist and two steals in the winning effort.
The Dolphins led from the start on Saturday and held a lead as large as 19 points in the first period after a Courtney Heesemann (New Hyde Park, N.Y.) lay-in with just under six minutes left in the half. Purchase would close its deficit to 11 points late in the period, but a pair of Lauren Percodani (Staten Island, N.Y.) free-throws gave the Mount a 49-36 lead heading into halftime.
The Dolphins shot an even 50-percent from the field in the opening period and an unconscious 76.9-percent (10-13) from three-point range. Koerner led all scorers at the break with 15 points, while Jen Mocanu (Middletown, N.J.) pitched in with 13.
The Dolphins never let Purchase closer than 13 points in the second half and opened its largest lead of the game, 28 points, after a Brittany Griffin (Suffern, N.Y.) jumper with 6:41 left in the tilt.
Mount Saint Vincent shot a better percentage overall in the second half at 51.8-percent, but cooled a bit from long range going just 5-11. Overall in the game, the Mount converted 50.8-percent of its field goal chances and a red-hot 62.5-percent (15-24) of its three point chances. Purchase was held to just 37.3-percent shooting for the game.
Koerner led three players in double-figures on Saturday with her 23. Mocanu finished with 21 points, knocking down three triples and Percodani chipped in with 13 points along with a game-high eight assists. Heesemann led all players with 11 rebounds and Kara McNish (Hawthorne, N.J.) posted career-highs in rebounds with nine and assists with five.
Jennifer Danio led Purchase with 22 points and Darian Cotto posted 17 points, 10 rebounds and six assists.
The win gives Mount Saint Vincent a season-long four game winning streak and moves its record to 14-9 overall and to 13-3 in league play. Next up for the Dolphins is a road contest at league rival Old Westbury on February 18. Tip-off is set for 6:00 p.m.
