JAMAICA, NY --- (www.YORKATHLETICS.com) York College women's basketball jumped ahead early and never looked back Thursday evening with a 62-23 non-conference win over the visiting Mount Holyoke College Lions (1-10) to open the 2020 calendar year inside York College Gymnasium.

Dayana Jacome ignited the Cardinals with back-to-back jumpers to spark York's 8-0 run to open the game.  Moments later, Destiny Drummond sank one of her three first-half 3-pointers to push the Cardinal lead to 10 (12-2) with 1:54 left in the opening stanza.  York outscored Mount Holyoke 22-2 in the second period as Annika Brooks sank a jumper with 7:17 remaining in the half for the Lions' lone points of the quarter.  The Cardinals then responded with 18-unanswered points to close out the final 6:46 to lead 36-6 at the break. 

Mount Holyoke used a 10-2 run to get as close as 26 points (44-18) with 21 seconds remaining in the third quarter.  Drummond drilled a triple to open an 18-5 spurt over the final 10:01 capped by a Cami Melson jumper that extended the lead to a game-high 39 points (62-23) with 50 seconds left.  

Drummond finished with a career-high 22 points (9-of-16 FG, 4-of-10 3FG) and six assists to go with two steals to pace York.  Mac-Dege Dessources posted her 18th-career double-double (fifth of season) with 11 points, 13 rebounds, four steals and one block.  Melson stuffed the statsheet with career highs of eight points, 13 rebounds, five assists and two blocks in 35 minutes of action.  Ellma Hodzic tied a career high with seven assists and Keyla Cabrera ripped down 12 boards and nabbed a career-high four steals.  

Brooks and Ellie Hayward each scored eight points to lead Mount Holyoke.  

York shot 38.8 percent from the field (28-of-72), 31.3 percent from 3-point territory (5-of-16) and 25 percent from the free-throw line (1-of-4) as the Cardinals limited Mount Holyoke to 14 percent from the floor (8-of-57), 15.8 percent from long distance (3-of-19) and 57.1 percent from the charity stripe (4-of-7).  The Cardinals outrebounded Mount Holyoke by 21 (58-37) and scored 10 second-chance points off 20 offensive boards. York also held the advantage with season highs in steals (16-6), blocks (6-0) and assists (23-8).  York also outplayed Mount Holyoke in points in the paint (36-4) and bench scoring (29-2) while converting 26 Lion miscues into 24 points.  

The Cardinals (4-6, 1-1 CUNYAC) continue their five-game homestand Saturday (Jan. 4) with a CUNYAC home opener against the Hunter College Hawks (5-5, 2-0 CUNYAC) inside York College Gymnasium on Cardinal Basketball Alumni Appreciation Day.  All Cardinal Basketball Alumni are encouraged to register for the event today by clicking here or visit www.YorkAthletics.com/HoopsAlum.

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