MSMC Scores First Conference Win of Season

NEWBURGH – Senior Kendall Francis led a balanced scoring attack that featured four in double-figures with a game-high 20 points and junior Ethan Fox produced a double-double with a game-high 14 rebounds as the Mount Saint Mary College Men’s Basketball team got back into the win column with a 70-49 win over visiting Maritime on Saturday afternoon.
Mount Saint Mary trailed only briefly in the early going on Saturday, but got out to a four-point lead on four occasions over the opening seven minutes of the contest. Although Maritime would never lead again after the opening possession, it did knot the score at 17-17on a Chris Ruscillo bucket with 6:50 left before halftime.

Fox quickly regained the lead for the Knights on a second chance bucket on the ensuing possession which started a 16-5 run to close the half and give the Knights a 33-22 advantage at the break. Mount Saint Mary went 6-for-11 from the floor over the closing run and featured five different scorers, led by four points each from Fox and Paul Sienke. The Mount defense did its part over the closing stretch, holding Maritime to 2-for-9 shooting.
Both teams shot under 40-percent in the opening 20 minutes, with the Knights converting at 36.4-precent and Maritime checking in at 35.7-percent. Mount Saint Mary made one more three-point field goal over the first stanza and outscored the Privateers prior to halftime from the free-throw line 7-1. Francis and Sienke led all players at the break with eight points apiece.

The Mount let the visitors as close as nine points early in the second stanza, but broke the game open with a 12-1 run covering just over three minutes to take a 47-27 lead with 14:44 left in regulation time. The Mount converted on five of its six field goals chances, including a pair of three-pointers from Francis.

After grabbing the 20-point lead early in the second half, the Knights would not allow Maritime closer than 17 points the remainder of the afternoon. The Mount’s lead ballooned to a game-high 29 points when Dan Williams gave it a 70-41 lead with a lay-in with 2:05 left to play.

Mount Saint Mary shot a blistering 65.2-percent from the floor in the second half, making seven more field goals than Maritime in just one more attempt in the half. Francis went a perfect 4-for-4 from the floor after halftime on his way to 12 second half points.

Francis scored at least 20 points in a game for the second straight game and for the sixth time this season. He rounded out the win 7-for-11 from the floor with a pair of triples to go along with seven assists, four rebounds and six steals.

Sienke reached double-figures for the fourth time this season and equaled his season-high with 14 points after going 7-for-9 from the floor to go along with three rebounds. Jameson Morton chipped in 11 points, adding four assists and a pair of thefts for the Knights.

Fox closed out his first double-double of the season after leading all players with 14 rebounds and chipping in 10 points. Jovi Ramos (Secaucus, N.J.) added a pair of steals for the Knights in the win.

Maritime received a team-high 12 points from Jaylin Gray on the strength of a 6-for-7 effort from the free-throw line, with Brennan Whelan finishing up with 10 points.

Mount Saint Mary closed the day shooting 48.2-percent overall and held Maritime to a 36.0-percent conversion rate. Mount Saint Mary dominated paint scoring at 42-28 and fast break points at 30-12.

Saturday’s win improves Mount Saint Mary to 3-8 overall and to 1-1 in Skyline Conference play.