Riverdale, NY - The College of Mount Saint Vincent's men's basketball team took their home court for the second time this week, this time for Skyline Conference action against South Division rival Farmingdale State. The Dolphins entered play with a 1-3 record among conference competition and were looking to return to the win column.
The Dolphins opened play breaking out to an early 10-2 lead, with starters Mamadou Mariko and Qwame Thompson contributing for eight of those points during that span. After Farmingdale was able to climb back into the game just minutes later, CMSV once again flexed their offensive muscles, as Makai Johnson knocked down a jump shot off a strong pass from Mariko to bring the score to 14-7.
From there, it was all CMSV - Kelvin Turner-Harris knocked down back-to-back three point attempts to make it a 13 point game. The Dolphins closed out the half on a 17-6 run over the final seven minutes of the half, bringing the score to 44-22 at the buzzer. It wasn't only offense where the Dolphins excelled, as they also forced the Rams to shoot just 25% from the floor while also forcing 13 turnovers.
Every Dolphin who touched the floor in the first half had at least one basket, with Kalos Evans leading the way with 13. The bench unit of Turner-Harris, Dorian Robinson, Vinny Tavella and David Collins combined for 17 of their own. Thompson added a team-high five boards in the first half as well.
Both the Dolphins and Rams traded baskets early in the second half, with Farmingdale getting the better of CMSV by outscoring them 13-8 over that span. Fortunately for the the Dolphins' first half success, it kept them in the lead throughout the duration of the second. The Rams fought hard towards the end of the half as they cut CMSV's lead to as low as 12, but the Dolphins were able to escape with the 87-75 win.
Evans had yet another dominant offensive performance for his team, as he finished with a game-high 23 points while also adding seven rebounds and four assists. Raiquis Harris (13), Thompson (11), Dorian Robinson (10), Mariko (10) and Turner-Harris (10) each finished in double figures while Thompson also paced the Dolphins with eight rebounds. Mariko's effect on the game wasn't only on offense, as he also rejected nine Rams' shots.
With this win, the Dolphins are now 2-3 in the conference. They'll look to continue their winning ways on Wednesday when Manhattanville comes to Riverdale. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 PM.
