Riverdale, NY - The University of Mount Saint Vincent had one of its toughest matchups to date on Saturday afternoon, as St. Joseph's University Long Island made their way to Riverdale in a showdown pitting two of the conference's top teams against one another. The expectations fit the bill, as both sides played a physical brand of basketball over the 40 minutes of action. The Dolphins, however, emerged victorious, walking away with a 59-56 win to improve their conference record to 8-1, which is currently good for first place. 

Graduate student Kira Villegas had the scoring touch for her squad, as the Bronx, New York native finished with a game-high 22 points to go along with five rebounds, five assists and three steals. 

While struggling offensively, the Dolphins were able to maintain a lead for a majority of the offense thanks to their stingy defensive play. Villegas, JaKaia Lotz, Ariella Johnson, Amber Been and Magan Jackson combined for all of UMSV's 12 steals while Johnson also added a pair of blocks to her stat line. As a whole, the Golden Eagles turned the ball over 21 times, with the Dolphins scoring 15 points over that span. 

The third quarter saw UMSV increase their lead to 11 points during a run that saw Villegas and Kayla Hanley knock down three pointers in consecutive possessions. 

Been led the way with 11 boards while Lotz finished the afternoon with eight points and eight rebounds of her own. Jackson had an eight-and-eight game of her own while Anastasia Davis chipped in four points and five rebounds. 

The Dolphins, now winners of in their last seven contests, will look to keep their winning streak alive on the road against Farmingdale.