Emmitsburg, Md. (December 8, 2020)--A strong defensive effort coupled with a breakout performance from junior Mezie Offurum led Mount St. Mary's past Saint Francis U, 75-57, in the Northeast Conference opener at Knott Arena on Tuesday night.  The Mount held the Red Flash to 37.7 percent shooting in the game while Offurum finished with career highs of 19 points and eight rebounds to pace the Mount (2-3, 1-0 NEC) to the win.

Offurum, a transfer from George Washington, hit 7-of-12 from the field and all five of his free throw attempts for his career high 19 points, which topped his previous best of 12 set against Stony Brook while he was at George Washington.  Point guard Damian Chong Qui added 17 points, eight assists and four rebounds while knocking down 7-of-13 from the field and 3-of-8 from three-point range in a solid all-around game.  Jalen Gibbs, who missed the Mount's last game due to injury, returned to the lineup to contribute 13 points and eight rebounds.  Malik Jefferson, who played just 16 minutes due to foul trouble, chipped in eight points and five rebounds while Nana Opoku provided six points, four rebounds and a season-high five blocks.  Mark Flagg led Saint Francis (1-4, 0-1 NEC) with 13 points and 14 rebounds in the game.

The Mount shot 50.0 percent (30-of-60) from the field in the game, including a season-best 58.1 percent (18-of-31) in the second half.  Mount St. Mary's had 13 assists and just six turnovers in the game while holding a 35-to-29 advantage on the boards.  Saint Francis was held to 37.7 percent (20-of-53) shooting in the game.

Offurum started quickly, scoring six of the Mount's first nine points in the contest, capped by a jumper in the lane for an early 9-8 lead.  After the Red Flash tied the score at 13-13, the Mount went on an 18-to-5 run to take control of the contest.  Chong Qui opened the run with a three-pointer, and freshman Frantisek Barton added a pair of free throws for a five-point margin.  After Flagg converted a pair of free throws, Chong Qui scored on a drive to the bucket, and then set up Opoku for a slam dunk to make it 22-15.  Offurum's traditional three-point play gave the Mount a 28-18 lead, and Gibbs drained a three-pointer for a 31-18 advantage with 4:30 left in the half.  Offurum's two free throws with 3:31 on the clock gave the Mount its biggest lead of the half, 35-20.  Saint Francis was able to cut the deficit to 36-26 at the break.

Chong Qui opened the second half with a three-pointer and an acrobatic driving lay-up to make it 41-26 early in the second half.  Saint Francis whittled away at the deficit, cutting the Mount's lead to 47-41 on a Bryce Laskey breakaway lay-up after a Mount turnover with 13:09 left in the game.  The Mount answered the Red Flash run by scoring the next eight points to regain control.  Offurum hit a pull-up jumper to start the run ahead of a Jefferson hook shot in the lane.  After a timeout, the Mount came out in a full court press and forced a turnover with Gibbs scoring the lay-up for a 12-point lead, and a Jefferson putback made it 55-41.  The Mount continued the momentum, and took a 22-point lead on a Josh Reaves three-pointer with 6:53 left.  From there, the Mountaineers were able to cruise to the victory.

Mount St. Mary's returns to action on Friday, December 11, with a home game against local rival UMBC.  Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. at Knott Arena.

GAME NOTES:  Nana Opoku's five blocks give him 106 in his Mount career, moving him past Angelo Frazier (105 blocks, 1978-82) for 10th on the Mount's all-time list...The win snapped the Mount's three-game losing streak in NEC openers...The win was the Mount's 50th all-time against the Red Flash, snapping a four-game losing streak in the series that the Mount leads, 50-34...Saint Francis was 12-of-13 at the foul line in the game, and Mount opponents are now shooting 88.9 percent (56-of-63) at the line this season.