Brooklyn Heights, N.Y. (January 8, 2021)—Mount St. Mary's fell at St. Francis Brooklyn, 67-55, on Friday afternoon as the Terriers swept the two-game series.  Damian Chong Qui scored 15 points while Nana Opoku added 11 points and 10 rebounds as the Mountaineers fell to 2-5 overall and 1-2 in the Northeast Conference.

After dropping the first game of the series, 70-55, to the Terriers yesterday, the Mount was looking to earn a split.  It was a close-knit first half that featured seven lead changes and five ties, and the Mount went to the locker room with a 28-26 advantage.

The Mountaineers had the first scoring run of the game, a 9-0 spurt to grab a 15-8 lead midway through the opening half.  Malik Jefferson scored in the paint to open the run ahead of a Chong Qui bucket.  Mezie Offurum connected on a three from the left corner and then scored in the paint to put the Mount up seven.  The Terriers answered with the next seven points to even the score, and pulled ahead, 20-19, on a Rob Higgins jumper with 5:50 left in the half.

The Mount responded with another 9-0 run to take its biggest lead of the game at 28-20.  Frantisek Barton converted a feed from Deandre Thomas to put the Mount ahead before Chong Qui and Opoku each added a pair of free throws to make it 25-20.  Josh Reaves then nailed a three-pointer to make it 28-20 with 2:30 left in the half.  St. Francis Brooklyn (4-3, 4-2 NEC) scored the final six points of the half to cut the deficit to 28-26 at the break.

There were nine lead changes in the opening eight minutes of the second half as each team was trying to establish control.  Reaves hit his second three-pointer of the game with 12:46 left to put the Mount on top, 39-38.  Trey Quartlebaum's only basket of the game on the next possession put the Terriers back on top, 40-39, in what would ultimately be the last lead change in the game.

The Mountaineers remained within striking distance, cutting the deficit to 55-52 when Opoku went 1-of-2 at the line with 3:10 on the clock.  A Chong Qui basket with 1:50 left made it a four-point game, 59-55, but the Terriers went 2-for-4 at the line over its next two possessions for a 61-55 lead.  The Mount had a chance to cut into the deficit again, but a turnover led to a Chauncey Hawkins lay-up for a 63-55 Terrier advantage that effectively sealed the win.

Chong Qui led the Mount with 15 points, but struggled from the field, going 4-for-16 in the game.  Opoku had 11 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks in the loss to record his fourth career double-double.  Offurum added nine points and five rebounds while Jefferson, Reaves and Thomas all had six points each in the game.

Hawkins and Travis Atson each scored 15 points to pace the Terriers while Vuk Stevanic added 12 and Higgins 11.  Unique McLean just missed a double-double with eight points and 14 rebounds.
The Mount shot just 35.2 percent in the game, including 5-of-19 (.263) from beyond the arc.  The Terriers shot 42.1 percent while connecting on just 3-of-15 (.200) from three-point range. 

The Mountaineers return to action next Thursday when Merrimack visits Knott Arena to begin a two-game series.  Tip-off on Thursday is 7 pm.