The Berkeley College women's basketball team played for the first time in 13 days on Saturday afternoon and didn't miss a beat, staying unblemished on the 2014-2015 campaign by turning back the Mariners of the United States Merchant Marine Academy by a score of 67-39 at Liebertz Gym in King's Point, NY. With the win, Head Coach Sharod Tomlinson's Knights upped their mark to 3-0 on the year, while the Mariners are still searching for their first victory at 0-2.

Berkeley sprinted out to an early 9-0 advantage in the early stages of the contest thanks to a basket by Patricia Patterson, a hoop by first-year standout Champagne Hazel, and a layup and three-point bucket by Milan Germany. The Knights continued to gradually build their lead as the session progressed, with Berkeley staking claim to a commanding 37-13 lead as the clock expired on the first half. Balance was key for Berkeley in the opening session, with the Knights connecting on 44.1 percent of their attempts from the floor (15-34) while holding USMMA to just three field goals (3-24, 12.5 percent). The stingy Knights defense also forced 16 Mariner turnovers in the first 20 minutes of action, as well.

In the second half, the Knights built their lead up to as many as 30 on two occasions before eventually winning the game by 28 points. Berkeley connecting on 40 percent of its attempts in the second half (10-25), while USMMA had a better conversion rate in the second half, nailing 11 of their 29 attempts from the hardwood.

Leading the way for the Knights in their victory was Germany, as the veteran netted a game-high 18 points (on 6-of-11 shooting) to go along with seven rebounds, four assists, and three blocks. Hazel added 17 points, three rebounds, three assists, and three steals, and point guard Janay Thomas chipped in with a nice all-around performance, netting 10 points, snatching eight rebounds, dishing six assists, and tallying three steals.

In a losing effort for the United States Merchant Marine Academy, Jenna Wetherington connected on five of her 12 shots and recorded a team-high 12 points. She also grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds. Samantha Drake added 10 points, six rebounds, and two steals in 22 minutes off the bench.

The Knights held edges in almost every major category. Berkeley College shot 42.4 percent from the floor (25-59) while holding the Mariners to 26.4 percent shooting (14-53). In the rebounding department, Berkeley held a 44-37 edge, while also dishing 16 assists to USMMA's nine. The Knights committed 14 turnovers while forcing 23 Mariner miscues.

Berkeley College will return to action next weekend, as the Knights will play two games in a 24-hour span. On Saturday, November 29, Berkeley will battle Penn State LeHigh Valley at 4:00pm, before returning to the court on Sunday, November 30 to face off against Penn State Brandywine at 1:00pm.