Emmitsburg, Md. (January 29, 2022)--Jalen Benjamin scored a game-high 22 points to lead Mount St. Mary's past visiting Saint Francis U, 71-54, to stretch its win streak to a season-best five games.  It was also another strong defensive effort as the Mountaineers held their opponent under 60 points for the fifth consecutive game.

Benjamin was the catalyst on offense for the Mount (10-10, 6-4 NEC), connecting on 9-of-17 from the field and 4-of-7 from three-point range en route to his fourth 20-point effort this season.  Benjamin, who leads the NEC in assists this season, added four helpers in the Mount victory.  Nana Opoku chipped in 14 points on 7-of-10 shooting while also collecting six rebounds in the victory.

The Mount's five-game win streak is the team's longest since winning five in a row during the 2017-18 season.  It has been 12 years since the Mount has held five consecutive opponents under 60 points, the last time that happened coming during the 2009-10 campaign.

After not trailing in each of the previous three games, the Mount saw Saint Francis (7-14, 3-7 NEC) take an early 6-3 advantage in the game.  The Mount responded with a 7-0 run on an Opoku putback, a Benjamin three-pointer and a Mezie Offurum bucket.  The half remained tight with the Red Flash pulling within one point, 25-24, on a Marlon Hargis free throw with 4:02 left in the half.  The Mount countered by closing the half on a 10-to-4 run to grab a 35-28 lead at the break.

Benjamin opened the second half with a three-pointer to put the Mount in front by double figures at 38-28.  From there, the margin remained between five and 10 points for the next 10 minutes. Holding a 50-43 lead with just under 10 minutes remaining, Opoku scored four consecutive points on a putback dunk and a hook shot and Benjamin connected on a step-back jumper to make it 56-43 with 6:41 left.  The Mount maintained a double-digit advantage the rest of the way.

The Mount shot 45.2 percent (28-of-62) in the game and was 8-of-15 (.533) from three-point range.  The Mount, the top defensive team in the Northeast Conference, held Saint Francis to 39.6 percent shooting overall and 3-of-15 (.200) from beyond the arc.

The Mountaineers are have held the opposition to 53.8 points per game, 0.86 points per possession, 36.9 percent shooting from the field and 25.0 percent from three-point range during the five-game win streak. 

Mount St. Mary's is back in action on Thursday, February 3, when Merrimack visits Knott Arena for a 7:00 p.m. matchup.