(Riverdale, NY) - When
Ed Ryder took the Mount Saint Vincent Women's Basketball Head Coaching position 16 months ago, he spoke of a plan that would one day bring conference championships to the Mount. His plan involved solid recruiting, a high level of coaching, and a commitment to excellence that would hopefully lead the program to its highest level ever achieved. Not even a year and a half into his tenure, Ryder's plan has come to fruition in unbelievable speed as with a 59-26 win over the College of New Rochelle on Wednesday night, Mount Saint Vincent is the 2006-07 Hudson Valley Women's Athletic Conference (HVWAC) Regular Season Champions, finishing the HVWAC schedule with a 4-0 record during which the Dolphins' average margin of victory was a whopping 31.25 points per game. The Mount is now 12-8 overall and the #1 seed in the upcoming HVWAC playoffs. They are also sitting alone in fourth place in the Skyline Conference and on the verge of clinching a home playoff game. A shot at two conference championships in one season is not out of the question.
It's safe to say that Ryder's plans are coming together.
Wednesday night was the perfect example of why the Mount has been successful this season as when one Dolphin did not have her best night, the rest of the team stepped up to take command. Freshman Courtney Heesemann (New Hyde Park, NY/New Hyde Park HS), the team leader in scoring and rebounding, had her hands full throughout the game as CNR (6-10, 0-4 HVWAC) and superstar center Ruchelle Austin (Brooklyn, NY/Sheepshead Bay HS) made it a competitive game early. Austin finished the game with 17 points, 18 rebounds, and four steals, and essentially neutralized Heesemann, but that didn't mean the Mount's game-plan was changed. Freshman Karissa Koerner (Bay Shore, NY/Brentwood HS) took over, as did junior Kaitlin Burud (Red Hook, NY/Red Hook HS). Koerner registered the first double-double of her career with 21 points and 10 rebounds, and Burud chipped in 19 points (including the 700th of her career) and a game-high seven steals.
Mount Saint Vincent also featured an incredible defensive effort that forced CNR to shoot a lowly 9 for 57 (16%) from the floor, including an 0-12 effort from three-point range. The Mount also forced 33 turnovers while committing only 20. The smothering Mount Saint Vincent defense came through during a crucial stretch late in the first half and early in the second half when a close 23-14 game turned into a blowout Dolphin win when a 17-0 MSV run essentially put the game away. Mount Saint Vincent led 40-14 with 14:03 remaining in the second half and cruised to victory. Also having big games for the Mount were freshman Lauren Percodani (Staten Island, NY/St. Joseph by the Sea), who scored eight points and added seven assists, and junior Edeana Martinez (Bronx, NY/St. Catherine) pulled down eight rebounds.
Mount Saint Vincent has a first round bye, and will face the winner of the CNR-Yeshiva HVWAC Quarterfinal match-up on Saturday, Feb. 17 at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY at a time to be announced shortly. In the meantime, the Dolphins will play the rest of their Skyline Conference schedule, beginning with a crucial home game against St. Joseph's (LI) on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
