Box Score PURCHASE, N.Y. – Four Valiants finished in double-figures on Monday night, as Manhattanville took down Neumann University in a non-conference matchup inside Kennedy Gym by a final score of 81-66.
 
The win over the Knights was the second straight victory for the Valiants, improving to 7-10 overall while Neumann drops to 11-8.
 
Junior Alyson Caiazzo (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Saviour), the reigning Freedom Conference Player of the Week, was one steal away from a triple-double on Monday night, finishing with 12 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high nine steals. Caiazzo had seven steals at halftime with the chance for an eighth, but she could not obtain possession off her deflection.
 
Sophomore Ashley Raaf (Rockaway Beach, N.Y./Christ The King) led the way for the Valiants, tallying a game-high 20 points, shooting an impressive 9-of-13 mark from the floor while also dishing out five assists. Joining Raaf and Caiazzo in double-figures was freshman Candice Scott-Mason (Trenton, N.J./Ewing) and junior Bri Pabon (Newington, Conn./Newington), finishing with 18 and 17, respectively.
 
The guard play was flawless for Manhattanville, as Raaf, Pabon and Scott-Mason carved through the Neumann defense almost at will, helping contribute 52 points in the paint for the Valiants.
 
Despite Manhattanville jumping out to a 5-0 lead in the first two minutes, Neumann kept the first half close for the most part. With 10:39 left until halftime, Johanna Metzger knocked down a jump shot to give the Knights an 18-16 lead. This two-point lead for the Knights was the last lead they would control all game.
 
The Valiants went on a 20-5 run after the made basket by Metzger, closing out the first half with a 36-23 lead as both teams headed into the locker rooms.
 
The bleeding for the Knights did not stop in the second half as Scott-Mason scored the first four points on two transition layups. Manhattanville led by as many as 18 points in the second half before Neumann made a push for a comeback.
 
Caiazzo picked up her fourth foul with just under 14 minutes remaining in the game, helping the Knights gain some momentum offensively. With Caiazzo on the bench, Neumann sparked a 19-9 run to pull the game within six with only 5:22 remaining, 61-55.
 
As Caiazzo checked back in, so did the Valiants offensively. Manhattanville put its lead back to double-digits by outscoring Neumann 20-11 in the final five minutes of the game.
 
The Valiants shot an impressive 54.8 percent (34-62) mark from the floor while connecting on 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. Manhattanville's tenacious defense kept Neumann to 37.3 percent (22-59) shooting, despite the Knights totaling 10 made three-pointers on 43.5 percent (10-23).
 
The Valiants will next play on Wednesday night when they take on DeSales at 6:00 p.m. in a Freedom Conference matchup. Live stats and live video can be found on GoValiants.com.