PURCHASE, N.Y. – The Manhattanville College women's basketball team used a huge first quarter in which they held Mount St. Mary scoreless to take down the Knights 50-35 in a non-conference matchup Thursday evening at Kennedy Gym.
The Valiants (2-1 overall) opened up the game on a 21-0 run, shooting 10-19 from the floor and forcing 10 turnovers by Mount St. Mary (1-2 overall) in the first quarter. The Manhattanville defense made it tough for the Knights on the offensive end, contesting many shots and forcing Mount St. Mary to go 0-16 shooting in the period.
"We did a great job in the first quarter, we came out with a lot of energy and a great defensive mentality and we were able to get some stops and get in transition for some buckets early," said head coach
Kate Vlahakis.
It was not until the 8:02 mark in the second quarter, when Kayla Cleare's free throw finally put the Knights on the scoreboard. Both teams struggled in the second quarter from the floor, with neither team able to make a shot from the floor until the 3:26 mark in the quarter, when Mount St. Mary was able to make their first field goal of the game on a layup from Taylor Calabrese. The Knights were able to put together an 8-0 run over the next two minuets, until the Valiants were able to make their first field goal of the quarter with 1:20 left in the half on a layup from senior
Bri Pabon (Newington, Conn./Newington). The Connecticut native finished with a big night for Manhattanville, scoring ten points while recording five assists and five steals on the evening.
Although Manhattanville struggled from the floor in the second quarter, they were able to use their big first quarter lead to carry them into halftime with a 17-point advantage.
The Knights tried slowly chipping away at the Valiants lead in the second half, getting within 12 points with 1:55 remaining in the third, but the scoreless first quarter proved to be too much to overcome as Manhattanville was able to hang on for the victory 50-36 to end their opening homestand 2-1 overall.
"We moved the ball really well, everybody got on the board which was great," commented Raaf who led the Valiants with 13 points and nine rebounds on the evening.
The Valiants take to the road next week when they travel to crosstown rival Purchase College for the Battle of Anderson Hill Road. That game is scheduled for Tuesday, November 24 with a 5:00 P.M. tip.
