Riverdale, NY - The Dolphins took down one of the top teams in the conference to close out the semester. 

The University of Mount Saint Vincent hosted St. Joseph's University Long Island on Saturday afternoon, pitting the reigning Skyline Conference champions against a Golden Eagles team that entered play with the top record in the conference. It was a hard fought battle on both ends of the floor, but it would bet he Dolphins who walked away winners, defeating the Golden Eagles by the score of 70-64. UMSV finishes 2024 with a 6-4 record and 4-2 mark against the Skyline. 

Head coach Maria Nardulli's squad was powered by two familiar faces at the top of the stat sheet. Graduate student Erin Smith had her second straight 20+ point performance, this time scoring a game-high 25 points to go along with three steals. Transfer sophomore Gretta Baker had an outstanding game in her own right, scoring 20 points while shooting 50% from both the field as a whole and from beyond the arc. Kayla Hanley once again did all the little things for the Dolphins, leading the charge in assists (nine) to go along with seven points, six boards and a block. Sharon Brown got her first start in her UMSV career and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds while playing tough defense all afternoon. 

The Dolphins jumped out to an early 8-0 advantage off the backs of both Smith and Hanley, with the Goshen, New York native specifically impressing with three first quarter three pointers. The Golden Eagles continuously chipped away at the deficit, eventually taking the lead mid way through the second quarter. Freshman Grace Kennedy, who did a little bit of everything for the Dolphins, closed out the half in strong fashion when her and-one layup tied the game with just 14 seconds on the clock. 

The third quarter became the Gretta Baker show. The sophomore went on a personal 8-0 run to close out the half while showcasing her scoring skills in all different areas of the floor. Her efforts were a large reason behind UMSV's two point lead going into the fourth. Baker continued her scoring prowess; her first five points of the period would tie the game in consecutive possessions before a massive three ball gave UMSV a 58-55 advantage. Smith would take over and score nine points of her own, including a fast break layup off a steal that would bring the score to 67-64 Dolphins. Baker would convert one more three point attempt for good measure to close out the contest for good. 

Kennedy came off the bench and provided eight points, six boards and an assist. Nailea Green was also a strong substitute, as she locked down the paint with three rebounds and three big blocks of her own. 

The Dolphins will get a break to close out December. They'll return to game action on January 3 on the road against Connecticut College.