Emmitsburg, Md. (March 2, 2025)--Mount St. Mary's controlled the paint en route to an 85-79 win over Siena at Knott Arena on Sunday afternoon.
Dola Adebayo recorded a career-high 22 points while matching his career best with 13 rebounds to lead the Mountaineers in the game. The Mount improves to 18-11 overall and 11-7 in the MAAC with the victory.
Mount St. Mary's used a 48-to-22 edge in points in the paint as well as a 39-to-27 rebound advantage to power to the victory. Adebayo hit 9-of-12 from the field for his career-best 22 points while recording 13 rebounds for the second consecutive contest.
Dallas Hobbs contributed a solid line of 17 points, six rebounds and six assists while
Jedy Cordilia and
Carmelo Pacheco added 15 each in the win. Brendan Coyle and Gavin Doty led Siena with 20 points each.
Mount St. Mary's took control of the game with a 16-0 run that spanned the end of the first half and the beginning of the second. Trailing 35-30 late in the first half, the Mount closed with a 7-0 run to take a 37-35 lead at the break. Cordilia scored in the paint to start the run, with Hobbs cutting the deficit to one with a turn around jumper. Hobbs closed the half with a three to put the Mount on top, 37-35.
The Mountaineers opened the second half with nine consecutive points to build a 46-35 lead. Adebayo hit a pair of free throws ahead of a Hobbs drive. A traditional three-point play from Adebayo and a Cordilia basket gave the Mount an 11-point advantage. A Cordilia dunk put the Mount ahead 50-38, beginning a flurry of dunks that helped keep the Mount in front. Counting Cordilia's opening flush, the Mount had six dunks in a span of eight minutes, the last by Cordilia with 6:04 left that gave the Mount a 69-59 lead.
Siena (13-16, 8-10 MAAC) chipped away at the Mount's lead, cutting the deficit to 74-72 after a Marcus Freeman three-pointer with 3:07 on the clock. The Mount responded with a
Javon Ervin bucket in the paint and a Hobbs three-pointer for a 79-72 lead with 2:03 on the clock. The Mount was able to salt the game away at the free throw line the rest of the way.
Mount St. Mary's shot 56.9 percent from the field in the game, including 18-of-29 (.621) in the second half. The Mount went 7-of-17 (.417) from three-point range and 12-of-12 at the foul line. Siena was held to 37.7 percent shooting (26-of-69), but hit 13-of-34 (.382) from beyond the arc while making all 14 of their free throws.
GAME NOTES
- The win keeps the Mount (11-7) in sole possession of fourth place in the MAAC standings with two games left to play. The Mount leads fifth-place Iona (11-8) by a half game, and has a one-game lead over Sacred Heart and Manhattan, who are tied for sixth at 10-8. The top six teams in the standings earn a first round bye in the upcoming MAAC Tournament which will be held in Atlantic City on March 11-15.
- Dola Adebayo's double-double of 22 points and 13 rebounds is his second in as many games. He is the first Mount player to post back-to-back double-doubles since Malik Jefferson had three in a row in 2021.
- The Mount improves to 14-0 this year when scoring 70 or more points, and 13-0 when four or more players score in double figures in a game.
- Adebayo is averaging 14.8 points and 10.5 rebounds over the past four games.
- The Mount's 18 wins this season are tied for the fifth most in a season since the Mount moved to NCAA Division I in 1988-89. The last time the Mount had 18 wins was in 2017-18 when the team finished with an 18-14 record.
- Cordilia and Adebayo each had three dunks in the game.
UP NEXT: Mount St. Mary's heads to MAAC leader Quinnipiac on Thursday, March 8, before returning home to face second-place Marist on Saturday, March 8, at 4 pm.
