Mount St. Mary’s is dancing on to the next round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament after an impressive 83-72 victory over American University on Wednesday night at the University of Dayton Arena. The Mountaineers’ strong inside presence proved decisive in a fast-paced battle against American’s sharpshooting.
Next up for the Mount is a daunting matchup against top-seeded Duke University in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Friday at 2:50 p.m. The Blue Devils enter the contest with a stellar 31-3 record. Mount St. Mary’s, riding the momentum of their MAAC Championship win, will look to build on their recent success over ACC opponents, including a thrilling overtime win over Miami.
Jedy Cordilia and Dola Adebayo led the charge for the Mount, each matching career-high performances with 22 points. Cordilia was especially efficient, shooting 10-for-11 from the field, while Adebayo hit 9-of-15 attempts. Dallas Hobbs added 17 points, including four three-pointers, and Arlandus Keyes contributed 10 points and a game-high eight rebounds.
Mount St. Mary’s delivered its most efficient offensive performance of the season, shooting 57.7 percent from the floor. The Mountaineers built a 48-38 halftime lead, powered by key three-pointers from Hobbs. In the second half, a crucial 12-0 Mount run extended the margin to 68-51, sparked by back-to-back threes from Keyes and Malcolm Dread, with Adebayo adding two inside buckets.
Despite a late push from American that cut the lead to 11 points, Keyes iced the game with two free throws following a technical foul on the Eagles. Strong defensive stops secured the Mountaineers’ third NCAA Tournament win in program history.
Mount head coach Donny Lind now holds the record for most wins by a Mount coach in his first season, with 23 victories surpassing Jim Phelan’s 22-win debut in 1954-55.
Source: Mount St. Mary’s University
Go Mount. Beat Duke