Riverdale, NY - The College of Mount Saint Vincent's women's basketball team opened the 2023-24 season in a major way on Wednesday evening, as they cruised to an 18-point victory over Western Connecticut State University. Head coach Maria Nardulli saw positives from all over her roster, with stingy defense and strong ball movement being the catalyst behind the win. 

Both sides shook off early season cobwebs as they got used to a brand new roster, but it was the Dolphins who were able to break away and succeed over the first half. The Dolphins as a whole shot nearly 46 percent from the floor over the first 20 minutes of play, with the team combining to score 32 points over that span. 2022-23 All-Conference selection Amber Been picked up right where she left off last season, scoring 10 first quarter points. Key returners Kira Villegas and Kayla Hanley chipped in with 10 combined points to help push their team to a a five point lead at the break. 

Nardulli's halftime speech picked the team up in a major way, as the Dolphins came out firing in the third quarter, which ended up propelling the team to victory. 

CMSV shot an impressive 86% from the floor while converting all three point and free throw attempts, good for a 28-point barrage. 

After Julia Angeles opened the third with a driving layup, Villegas went on a tear that saw her knock down eight straight poiints. Her run was matched by new Dolphin Magan Jackson, who followed up Villegas' run with three consecutive layups of her own. The Dolphins would also lock things down defensively, forcing the Wolves to score just 21 second half points while forcing eight turnovers over that same span. 

Been, Villegas and Jackson all finished in double figures, scoriing 16, 15 and 13, respectively. Been was all over the stat sheet, as she also contributedJ a game-high 12 boards, as well as three steals and an assist. Hanley completed her night with nine boards, six points, four steals and three helpers while transfer sophomore JaKaia Lotz was perfect from the charity stripe in her CMSV debut. 

It won't take long for Skyline play to take place, as the Dolphins are set for a home showdown against Yeshiva University on November 19.