Riverdale, NY - The College of Mount Saint Vincent's women's basketball team returned home on Saturday afternoon, playing host to the United States Merchant Marine Academy. The Dolphins went step-for-step with the Mariners for the majority of the contest, but USMMA was able to separate themselves in the fourth quarter and walk away with a 69-55 win.

The Dolphins are now 7-10 overall and 3-9 against conference foes.

The Mariners came into the game winners in six of their eight Skyline Conference games, but the Dolphins were ready for the challenge. Kira Villegas and Kayla Hanley set the tone for Maria Nardulli's team, with the duo combining for the team's first 11 points of the contest. Both sides traded baskets over the first 10 minutes of play, with the largest lead going to USMMA by just three points.

Villegas stepped up even further in the second quarter, making an impact on both ends of the floor. The senior from the Bronx scored six total points in the quarter while also swiping a pair of steals. Her efforts, in addition to the team as a whole playing tough defensively, made it a one score game at the break.

The theme of the game continued into the third, as the Dolphins went toe-to-toe with one of the conference's top teams. Villegas nailed a three pointer at the 8:20 mark to give CMSV their first lead of the contest. The team's ball movement was highlighted, too, as the Dolphins registered half of their assist total in the quarter. The fourth, however, was a different story. Merchant Marine showed why they're where they are in the standings, as they pulled away from the Dolphins while shooting 55% from the floor with six second chance points.

There was no doubt the Dolphins showed great resilience, but the Mariners left the Sharp Center winners by 14 points.

Villegas had yet another strong two-way performance for her team. The guard had a team-bet 25 points with five rebounds and five steals. Hanley finished the afternoon with eight points, five assists, three steals and a pair of boards while the freshmen duo of Sofia Marcos and Julia Angeles combined for 12 points, with Angeles also adding three assists and two rebounds.

The Dolphins will now look forward to a match against Mount Saint Mary College. The team will hit the road to Newburgh on Wednesday for a 6 PM tip-off.