ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. – The men's basketball team survived a scare from Skyline Conference opponent Bard on Thursday evening, eventually escaping with a 66-61 victory. The Knights now stand at 12-5 overall (10-2 Skyline), while the Raptors dropped to 1-17 on the season (1-12 Skyline).
With 14:11 remaining in the first half and the Knights possessing a 11-10 lead, freshman sensation Joe Stabach (Staten Island, N.Y.) rattled off eleven consecutive points, including three consecutive three-pointers, to extend the lead to 22-10. Unfortunately, the Mount would see their 12-point lead dwindle slightly over the final ten minutes of the half and they carried a 33-26 advantage into the locker room.
In the second half, the Knights would stretch the lead to 13, 49-36, as senior Chris Kingly (Washingtonville, N.Y.) converted a pair of free throws at the 12:17 mark. Once again, however, the Knights would watch their lead slip away. A lay-up by Bard senior Christian Marghella (Closter, N.J.) with 5:21 to play capped a 17-4 run and tied the game at 53.
After a single free throw from Stabach to break the tie at the 4:31 mark, senior Tim Morris (Old Greenwich, N.Y.) put back his own miss and went on to convert an old-fashioned three-point play, pushing the Mount's advantage back to four. Bard would close to within two on two occasions down the stretch and even had a shot to take the lead inside the final two minutes, but a three-pointer from junior Yonah Greenstein (Rego Park, N.Y.) was off the mark. A layup from Mount freshman Donte Howell (Baldwin, N.Y.) on the ensuing possession bumped the lead back to four, and the Knights would take care of their free throws down the stretch to escape with a five-point win.
Stabach finished with a game-high 17 points and connected of 4-of-8 from three-point range. Morris posted a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds, while junior Carlos Valdez (Carolina, Puerto Rico) added nine points and nine boards.
Sophomore Frank Stortini (Red Hook, N.Y.) led the Raptors with 12 points, while Greenstein and Marghella each chipped in with 10.
The Knights will travel to Old Westbury on Saturday, January 29 for their next scheduled contest. The tip is set for 4:00 p.m. following the women's game.