Riverdale, NY - The University of Mount Saint Vincent's success in 2024 rolled into a home matchup against Manhattanville on Wednesday afternoon, as the Dolphins cruised to a 21-point victory while firmly cementing themselves as a team on the rise in the new year. The Dolphins, who are now winners in three straight Skyline Conference games, dominated both ends of the floor in the rare mid-week afternoon showdown. UMSV is now 4-2 in conference play, good for second in the Skyline's Gold Division. 

The only time the Dolphins trailed in the contest was after Manhattanville scored the first points of the game. From there, it was all UMSV, who eventually saw their lead reach 14 points midway through the first half of action. Kevin Agyemang continued to thrive in his role as the sixth man for James Mooney's team, with his 19 points a major reason behind his team's lead. So, too, was the Dolphins defense. UMSV's swarming play forced Manhattanville to shoot just 35% from the floor before they would close out the half on an impressive 14-0 run, including a three-pointer at the buzzer. 

The Dolphins could've been affected negatively after the Valiants' surge to end the first half. Instead, they played even better than they did over the first 20 minutes, both offensively and defensively. 

Senior DJ Tucker was a driving force behind the team's positive play. The two-way standout dominated the boards while taking control of the transition game, as he pulled down a team-best 13 boards while tying for a team-high in assists with four. The Dolphins also impressed down low with 18-points in the paint, with Tucker, Joshua Cabezudo and Adrian Rraci each registering points in that area. 

Tucker finished the afternoon with a double-double, adding 21 points, two steals and a block in addition to his aforementioned numbers. Agyemang furthered his scoring surge in the second half, walking away with a game-best 27 points on an incredibly efficient scoring pace, knocking down nine of 13, including six of eight from beyond the arc. Rraci scored 13 points to go along with seven rebounds and three assists while Cabezudo had 10 points, six boards and four assists of his own. 

UMSV will look to keep the positive momentum in their favor this weekend. They'll hit the road upstate to take on Mount Saint Mary College on Saturday.