NEWBURGH, N.Y. – An efficient performance from junior Carlos Valdez (Carolina, Puerto Rico) guided Mount Saint Mary College to a 93-77 non-conference victory over John Jay College on Saturday. Valdez scored 16 points and collected 13 rebounds as the Knights improved to 5-3 overall.
A close game to open the second half, the Mount finally found some breathing room with a 9-0 run. Sophomores Dylan McCann (Staten Island, N.Y.) and Lenny Ragaglia (Staten Island, N.Y.) connected on consecutive three-pointers before Valdez converted a tough three-point play to extend the lead to 11 (55-44) with 16:33 remaining.
John Jay cut their deficit to seven at the 12:35 mark, as sophomore Isaiah Holman (New York, N.Y.) drained a triple on a feed from junior Jerome Alexander (Brooklyn, N.Y.). The Knights scored the next seven points and the Bloodhounds wouldn't threaten again.
Valdez connected on 7-of-9 attempts from the field and completed his fourth double-double of the year with 16 points and 13 boards. Freshman Joe Stabach (Staten Island, N.Y.) continued to hit big shots for the Knights, knocking down all four of his three-point attempts to finish with 16 points. Junior Kevin Milella (Floral Park, N.Y.) also reached double figures with 13 points.
Freshman Jamar Harry (Brooklyn, N.Y.) led the Bloodhounds with 26 points on 12-of-17 from the field. He also grabbed a team-high eight rebounds. Alexander was dominant in the early going, dishing out eight assists and scoring eight points in the first twenty minutes. The junior finished with 17 points and 11 assists.
With the game tied at 23 in the first half, the Mount connected on three consecutive triples to take their biggest lead of the early going. After McCann and Ragaglia started the run, the Knights moved the ball incredibly well on the ensuing possession, ultimately finding Stabach in the corner for a trey.
Mount Saint Mary shot the ball very well as a team and finished 12-of-22 from three (54.5-percent). The Knights finished at a 48.4-percent clip from the field. John Jay shot 47.5-percent from the field, but connected on just 8-of-26 from three.
Winners of four in a row, the longest winning streak of the Kadlubowski era, the Knights return to action on Tuesday, December 14. They'll host Yeshiva University at 8:00 p.m. in Newburgh.