PURCHASE, N.Y. – Junior Kayleah McGuire (Somers, N.Y./Somers) and freshman Amanda Pemberton (Henderson, Nev./Liberty) each reached double figures, leading a group of nine Valiants who each scored at least six points, as the Manhattanville College women's basketball team, keyed by a 33-5 first half run, beat the College of Saint Elizabeth 87-39 in their home opener Monday night at Kennedy Gymnasium.

McGuire poured in a season-high 17, shooting 60%, while Pemberton added a season-high 12 points, shooting 67%. In all, 12 players scored and 10 players recorded at least 10 minutes for Manhattanville (2-1), who shot 57.6% for the game in its largest victory under head coach Kate Vlahakis. Deja Ingram had 14 points to lead the Eagles (1-1).

The Valiants started slow, turning the ball over on each of their first three possessions, but stingy defense held the Eagles to just a single three-point field goal in the opening 3:30. Neither team led by more than three points until a three-pointer by freshman Spencer Shore (Boca Raton, Fla./West Boca Raton) gave the Valiants a four-point lead with one minute to go in the opening quarter. Pemberton and classmate Sarah Coutu (Cranston, R.I./Cranston East) each added a basket to give Manhattanville an eight-point lead heading to the second quarter.

Back-to-back right-corner jumpers by Pemberton made it 26-15 in favor of Manhattanville 80 seconds into the second quarter; the Eagles didn't draw closer than that the rest of the game. Manhattanville turned up the intensity in the second quarter, forcing eight turnovers and increasing its lead to 25 points by the midway point of the period. Manhattanville finished the first half with a 21-0 advantage in points off turnovers.

The Valiants started the second half much the same way they ended the first, scoring the first seven and 14 of the first 16 points to push their lead to 62-23. The teams traded baskets the rest of the quarter as Manhattanville ended the quarter with a 71-32 lead.

With the score 75-35 early in the final quarter, the Valiants reeled off one final run, scoring 12 and holding the Eagles without a field goal for five-and-a-half minutes, extending the lead to 50.

Freshmen Meleah Morgan (El Paso, Texas/Andress) (eight) and Jykayla Elting (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) (six), seniors Sam Milazzo (Bellmore, N.Y./John F Kennedy) (seven) and Joiada Darnell (St. Albans, N.Y./Humanities and the Arts) (six) and sophomore Nancy Caballero (Henderson, Nev./Liberty) (six) joined McGuire, Pemberton, Coutu and Shore as the 6 point-scorers for Manhattanville.

Manhattanville's three-game home-stand continues Sunday at 1 p.m. at Kennedy Gymnasium against Ramapo College.