Mount Saint Mary - 82, Farmingdale State - 74
Farmingdale, N.Y. - The Farmingdale State women's basketball team hosted Skyline Conference opponent Mount Saint Mary this evening and fell, 82-74. The first-place Knights improved to 11-1 in the conference with the win.
Farmingdale State (8-7, 6-6 Skyline) trailed, 10-4, just 4:34 into the game and used four points from freshman forward Layla Mendoza (Westhampton Beach, N.Y.) and a 3-pointer by freshman forward Samantha Muller (North Babylon, N.Y.) to take an 11-10 advantage.
Mount Saint Mary (13-3) senior forward Morina Bojka (Prospect, Conn.) responded with a 3-pointer on the next possession to go up by two, 13-11.
MSMC closed the quarter on an 8-2 run to take a 21-13 advantage into the second.
The Rams were down by nine, 24-15, with 7:37 to play in the half and scored five consecutive points to cut their deficit to four.
The Knights answered with back-to-back baskets by Bojka and senior guard Katie Smith (Goshen, N.Y.) to regain an eight-point edge.
With 2:47 on the clock and Mount Saint Mary ahead 36-27, Bojka scored three points before a pair of free-throws by Smith put MSMC in front, 41-27.
The Knights led by 13, 42-29, at the break behind 18 points first-half points by Bojka.
After the Rams cut their deficit to 10 at 43-33, a 14-2 run by MSMC allowed them to take a commanding 57-35 advantage with 4:27 left in the third quarter.
Trailing 62-39, FSC finished the third with 11 unanswered points, including four from junior guard Anna Zaborowska (East Patchogue, N.Y.), to close within 12, 62-50.
The Knights came out quick in the fourth quarter and opened up a 73-54 advantage with 6:16 remaining. The Rams responded with three layups, by Muller, Kalena Ricketts (Cambria Heights, N.Y.) and Mendoza, and a pair of free-throws to cut the deficit to 11, 73-62.
Farmingdale State trailed 80-70 with 1:59 left to play before Bojka hit a jumper to go up by 12. FSC scored a pair of layups in the final minute but ran out of time as they fell, 82-74.
Muller finished with 20 points, six assists, three rebounds and four steals, while Mendoza recorded 20 points and three rebounds. Ricketts tallied 12 points, 15 rebounds, four assists and three steals and junior guard Mackenzie Tierney (Levittown, N.Y.) produced nine points, nine rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Bojka led the way for Mount Saint Mary with a game-high 31 points.
The women's basketball team next will travel to Manhattanville College for a Skyline game on Tuesday, February 1st at 6:00 p.m.
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