Box Score PURCHASE, N.Y. – The Manhattanville women's basketball team was unable to put away Misericordia in the final minutes of play on Saturday afternoon, as the Cougars prevailed in overtime by a final score of 69-62 inside Kennedy Gym.
 
Manhattanville (10-15, 5-9 Freedom) ends its season sitting in sixth place out of eight Freedom Conference teams, while Misericordia (9-15, 5-9 Freedom) finishes fifth by capturing its second win over the Valiants this season.
 
Juniors Bri Pabon (Newington, Conn./Newington) and Alyson Caiazzo (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Saviour) were the answer for Manhattanville all afternoon, as the classmates scored 22 and 19, respectively. Pabon also notched six steals and five rebounds while Caiazzo grabbed a game-high 19 rebounds, ending her season with 18 double-doubles.
 
All five starters for Misericordia finished in double-figures, as Katie Drayton led the way with 18 points, 12 rebounds and six assists.  Nikki Barro also chipped in a double-double for the Cougars, tallying 12 points and 11 rebounds.
 
Misericordia jumped out early on the Valiants, scoring the first four points of the game in the opening two minutes. The 4-0 lead by the Cougars would be their largest in regulation, as Manhattanville started to gather rhythm offensively. The Valiants put together a 16-2 run after being down 4-0, taking a 16-6 lead when Pabon knocked down a jumper at the 10:12 mark.
 
As the game digressed, a double-digit deficit for Misericordia was never an issue. The Cougars continued stringing together comebacks all afternoon when it appeared as if Manhattanville would pull away.  The Valiants led by as many as 11 points in the first half before Misericordia was able to answer. With 7:56 left before halftime, Manhattanville led 23-12 before the Cougars poured on a 16-3 run, grabbing a 28-26 lead with 3:02 remaining in the first half.
 
The Valiants scored the last six points of the first half, generating a 32-28 lead with both teams heading into the locker rooms at halftime.
 
Manhattanville started the second half just the way the team ended the first by continuing to knock down shots.  The Valiants took a 39-30 lead after a hard take inside the paint by sophomore Ashley Raaf (Rockaway Beach, N.Y./Christ The King), resulting in an and-one with 18:07 remaining.
 
The Valiants dominated the opening minutes of the second half, jumping out to another 11-point lead when Raaf connected on a layup, making it 47-36 at the 13:08 mark.  After the layup by Raaf, the Cougars were again able to answer, going on an 11-0 run, tying the game up at 47 with 9:00 left. Manhattanville scored the next seven points and controlled a 54-47 lead with just under five minutes to go.
 
Although Manhattanville led by five points with under two minutes left, the Cougars still managed to come back, scoring the last five points in regulation and taking the game into overtime tied at 56. Pabon had a chance to win the game for the Valiants in the final seconds, but could not connect on a step back jump shot from outside the arc.
 
Misericordia outscored the Valiants 13-6 in overtime, stealing a victory away from Manhattanville as well as fifth place in the Freedom Conference.
 
The Valiants finished shooting 33.8 percent (25-74) from the floor while Misericordia shot 36.5 percent (27-74). The Cougars were able to generate 22 points off second chance opportunities, compared to only 10 for the Valiants.
 
Manhattanvlle will return all of its players next season, as head coach Kate Vlahakis expects to improve over the offseason with her young roster.