At the Kaplan Center, the men put in a strong effort in the opening round of the Frank Lospitalier Basketball Classic and cruised to a 102-58 victory. The Blue Knights hit seventeen three-pointers in the game, compared to Albany College of Pharmacy’s two. The game was never really in doubt but Mount Saint Mary put it on ice with a 16-2 run midway through the second half.
Mount Saint Mary College senior Mike Hoyt (Florida, NY) led the assault with 29 points. The pre-season All-American poured in five three-pointers to go along with four assists. Senior Trevor Wiggins (Newburgh, NY) was one rebound shy of a double-double, finishing the game with eleven points and nine boards. Junior Jason Cardez (Ridgewood, NY) was hot from three-point land, finishing with five triples and fifteen points.
Sophomore Bryan Jones (Gouverneur, NY) was the top scorer for the Panthers. He had nineteen points and also added five rebounds. Senior Ramy Ramzy (Ontario, Canada) put in twelve points and had seven rebounds.
Mount Saint Mary takes on Westfield State in the championship game tomorrow, while Albany College of Pharmacy will meet Briarcliffe College in the consolation game. Westfield State defeated Briarcliffe 98-50 in the other opening round game. The championship game is at 4:00 p.m. and the consolation is at 2:00 p.m.
In Arlington, Virginia, the women opened up their season in fine fashion with a win in the opening round of the Marymount Invitational. They defeated Gettysburg College by a score of 66-55. The Blue Knights trailed by as many as nine points in the first half, but clawed back to tie the game at twenty-two with 1:45 to go. On the ensuing possession, freshman Kelly McCourt (West Milford, NY) drained a jumper to give the Blue Knights a lead they would not relinquish for the remainder of the contest.
Gettysburg closed the gap to two with five minutes remaining, but the Mount responded with an 8-0 run that sealed the victory. The run was capped by a three-pointer from junior Chantel Anthony (Middletown, NY), the leading scorer for the Blue Knights with twenty. Junior Vanessa Lawson (Kingston, NY) had sixteen points and team-highs in rebounds and assists. McCourt finished the evening with ten points in her collegiate debut.
The Blue Knights continue play in the Marymount Invitational tomorrow as they take on the host team in a semifinal tilt. Marymount University defeated Wesley College 91-54 in their quarterfinal matchup.