Box Score FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – The Manhattanville women's basketball team went down to the wire with Farmingdale State on Thursday night, as the Valiants won their third straight road game by a final score of 81-77.
 
Junior Bri Pabon (Newington, Conn./Newington) and sophomore Ashley Franklin (New Haven, Conn./Hill Regional Career) led the way for the Valiants by contributing 21 points each to seal the victory. Pabon was clutch in crunch time by knocking down crucial free throws to ice the win for Manhattanville.
 
Joining Pabon and Franklin in double-figures was junior Alyson Caiazzo (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Saviour) who tallied 17 points, 14 rebounds, and five assists to help the Valiants down low in the post.
 
Both teams came out knocking down shots in the early minutes of the first half. With 17:54 to go in the first, the Valiants held a 7-6 lead.
 
After a made basket by Caiazzo, Manhattanville rattled off seven straight points to take a 10-point lead at the 14:11 mark, 16-6. The Rams refused to back down all game as they continued to manufacture comebacks from double-digit deficits.
 
Farmingdale State guard Andrea Desvignes was unconscious in the first half by scoring 17 of her game-high 27 points on 7-8 shooting. Desvignes was lights out and the main reason for any Rams comeback.
 
After Caiazzo knocked down a jumper to extend Manhattanville's lead to 28-20 in the first half, the Rams went on a little run of their own. Farmingdale State went on an 11-2 run and took its first lead of the game with 3:17 remaining in the first half, 31-30.
 
Both teams exchanged baskets for the remainder of the first half as the Valiants went into the locker room trailing the Rams by a score of 37-36.
 
Franklin got things going for the Valiants in the second half by knocking down the first two shots she attempted. Franklin and Pabon helped Manhattanville go on a 16-4 second half run to take a 52-41 lead with 13:57 remaining in the game.
 
The Rams refused to back down and put together yet another comeback when faced down by double-digits. Farmingdale State answered Manhattanville's run with a run of its own by pulling the game to 54-49 with 11:59 remaining.
 
The Valiants answered the Rams pursuit by going on another run to increase their lead back to double-digits with 7:18 to go, 64-53. Desvignes and the Rams never gave up and made another convincing comeback by forcing turnovers in their full-court press.
 
The Rams went on a 14-4 run to tie the game up at 68 with 4:34 remaining. After a three-point basket from Desvignes with 3:45 left on the clock, the Rams held a 71-68 lead for the first time since the early minutes of the second half.  Farmingdale State took a 76-70 lead with 1:23 left. This time it was Manhattanville to craft the comeback.
 
After a three by Pabon, a three-point play by Franklin, and a layup by Caiazzo, the Valiants took a 78-76 lead with 16 seconds left. The Rams tested Pabon on the free-throw line late in the game but she proved to have ice in her veins by connecting on 3-of-4 at the charity strike to guide the Valiants to the victory.
 
Manhattanville will hope to extend its winning streak on the road as they take on major test in #13 FDU-Florham on January 15 at 6:00 p.m. in Freedom Conference play. Live stats can be accessed through GoValiants.com