Newburgh - Led by a game-high 29 points from sophomore Joe Stabach, the Mount Saint Mary College men’s basketball team earned a key Skyline Conference win over Old Westbury on Saturday by a final score of 84-78. The Knights moved to 15-5 overall (10-3 Skyline), while the Panthers dropped to 11-10 overall (8-6 Skyline).
The Knights jumped all over the Panthers in the early going, scoring the game’s first nine points. When a Stabach three-pointer found the mark with 8:45 remaining in the half, the Mount led 18-4. Old Westbury roared back into the contest with a 13-2 run, capped by a jumper from junior Steven Bryant at 4:25. Mount junior Ryan Straub hit a three-pointer to close out the first half scoring, sending the Knights to the locker room with a 25-21 advantage.
Old Westbury scored the opening bucket of the second half, but the Knights answered with an 11-2 run to seize an 11-point lead (36-25). The margin would remain until a fast break layup from Stabach at 7:43 gave the Mount its largest lead of the evening.
With Mount Saint Mary still leading by a comfortable margin, the Panthers tried to extend the game with fouls down the stretch. The Knights made 18-of-26 free throws over the game’s final 3:01, preventing Old Westbury from getting any closer than five.
Stabach hit on 9-of-16 from the field, 4-of-9 from three, and 7-of-11 from the line for a game-high 29 points. Senior Kevin Milella (Floral Park, NY) added 14 points on 4-of-6 from the field and 6-of-6 at the line, while sophomore Chris Pisciotta added 12 points, hitting 9-of-10 at the line.
Old Westbury junior Rashawn McCarthy led the Panthers with 18 points. Junior Kerel Mitchell added 11 points, but shot just 5-of-16 from the floor. The team’s leading scorer, senior Tavon McNair, was limited by foul trouble and scored just 10 points.
