PURCHASE, N.Y. – It was a senior day to remember for
Ashley Franklin (New Haven, Conn./Hill Regional Career),
Bri Pabon (Newington, Conn./Newington), and
Ashley Raaf (Rockaway Beach, N.Y./Christ The King), as the trio of seniors each scored over 15 points to lead Manhattanville past Misericordia 75-63 Saturday afternoon in their final regular season game of the season.
Pabon led the charge for the Valiants, netting 21 points while adding six assists and seven steals. Raaf continued to close in on the 1,000 point plateau, adding 17 points of her own, and Franklin added 15 of her own in the win.
The Valiants (18-7 overall, 9-5 MAC Freedom) led for the final 37 minutes of action, giving up the lead just once in the game. The team found the shooting touch once again on the home court, shooting 45 percent from the field. The defense stifled the Cougars (7-18 overall, 3-11 MAC Freedom) all afternoon, causing 30 turnovers, leading to a 32-0 advantage in points off turnovers. The Valiants also had their way inside the paint, scoring an impressive 54 points in the paint.
Manhattanville built their initial lead in the first quarter by using an 11-0 run in which the team caused six turnovers, giving them a ten-point lead midway through the stanza. The Valiants would use another eleven-point burst at the beginning of the third quarter to extend the lead to 16 points. Sophomore
Candice Scott-Mason (Trenton, N.J./Ewing) added four points during the stretch.
The Valiants would build the lead up to as many as 30 points at the end of the third quarter, outscoring the Cougars 25-11 over the final eight minutes of the frame and causing another 10 turnovers during the run. The Cougars would not go away quietly however, outscoring Manhattanville 28-10 in the final quarter, including a 12-0 run in the first four minutes of the final period. The late run was not enough though as the Valiants held on for their ninth conference victory of the season, the most during in head coach
Kate Vlahakis tenure with the team.
Manhattanville returns to action on Wednesday, when they travel to Center Valley, Pa. to take on top-seed DeSales University in the opening round of the MAC Freedom playoffs. It is the Valiants first postseason trip since the 2010-11 season.
