STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - The Saint Michael's College women's basketball team held off 2025 East Coast Conference (ECC) Championship runner-up College of Staten Island, 61-58, on Sunday during the Women's Basketball Conference Challenge at Staten Island's Sports & Recreation Center.
 
RECORDS

• Saint Michael's (1-1), Staten Island (1-1)

SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS

• Junior Jayla Tyler (Albany, N.Y./Colonie Central/Saint Rose), 15 points, 11 rebounds (5 offensive), 3 assists
• Junior Bella Franchi (Colonie, N.Y./Colonie Central), 11 points, 6 rebounds
• Sophomore Margaret Montplaisir (Portsmouth, N.H./Portsmouth), 9 points, 3-for-7 three-pointers
• Junior Ruby Santos (New Paltz, N.Y./Kent School), 8 points, 8 rebounds (7 offensive)
• Junior Ashlee Talbot (Dracut, Mass./Dracut), 4 assists, 4 steals

OPPONENT LEADERS

• Senior Dana Phelan, 20 points
• Senior Kyra Rose, 13 points, 7 rebounds
• First-year Arielle Barnes, 12 points, 9 rebounds, 3 steals

GAME FACTS

• The teams met for the first time.
• Saint Michael's parlayed a 20-11 offensive rebounding lead into a key 16-6 advantage in second-chance points.
• The Purple Knight bench outscored the Dolphins', 28-1.
• The Purple and Gold snapped Staten Island's eight-game home winning streak.

THE ACTION

• The Dolphins scored the game's first six points and still led 11-5 at 3:17 of the first quarter before the Purple Knights countered with a 29-4 run. Eight different players scored in that time, with Franchi netting seven points and Montplaisir burying a pair of three-pointers. First-year Brooklyn Taylor's (Wall, N.J./Saint John Vianney) triple made it 34-15 at 3:58 of the second stanza, and the visitors led 36-22 at halftime.
• Saint Michael's was ahead in the third quarter by as much as 43-27 on a pair of Franchi free throws at 5:01 and carried a 51-41 lead with less than nine minutes remaining in regulation.
• The Dolphins twice trimmed their deficit to a single point, including when Phelan split a pair of freebies with 1:02 left.
• Franchi's two free throws made it 60-55 at 17 seconds, but Phelan buried a triple on the next possession, and Talbot's free throw hade Saint Michael's up 61-58 with 11 ticks remaining. With a chance to tie, the hosts missed a three-point attempt at the buzzer.

NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S GAME

• Saturday vs. Dominican (N.Y.) University, 2 p.m.
• As part of Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week, fans will be admitted for free by donating two non-perishable food items.