PURCHASE, N.Y. – The Manhattanville College women's basketball team won the battle of Anderson Hill Road against Purchase College, tonight, Feb. 14. The Valiants took down the Panthers 69-52 as they broke away with a large lead in the second half.
 
Junior Sarah Coutu (Cranston, R.I./Cranston East) notched her 200th career steal in the second quarter. She grabbed the ball from the Panthers and passed it off for a jump shot opportunity. This was Coutu's 57th steal of the season and she quickly made it 58 steals by the end of the game. She entered tonight's match up averaging 2.55 steals per game.
 
To get the game going for the Valiants (20-3, 16-3 Skyline) junior Amanda Pemberton (Las Vegas, Nev./Liberty) banked a jump shot in the paint assisted by sophomore Faith Johnson-Desilvia (Riverhead, N.Y./Riverhead). To keep the ball in Manhattanville's favor Coutu blocked the Panthers (4-19, 3-15 Skyline) layup attempt to keep Purchase ahead only by one. Pemberton then cut the Panthers lead as she made another jumper. Coutu tied the game at seven after she was fouled on a three-point attempt and made all three shots. Once sophomore Claudia Valentin (Cambridge, Mass./Cambridge Rindge & Latin School) made a steal and a fast break layup to take the lead the game was then in the Valiants favor for the rest of the night. Shore finished the first shooting 66.7 percent from three range, she was assisted once by Coutu and the other by Johnson-Desilvia.
 
As the Panthers inched their way closer in the second, Coutu hit two back-to-back threes to make the score 27-20. At the half Coutu led the team in points with nine but Pemberton had the highest shooting percentage out of players who took more than one shot. She shot 80.0 percent making 4-5 baskets. She also had the most rebounds grabbing four and made one block. Freshman Olivia Kelley (Averill Park, N.Y./Averill Park) checked into the game for two minutes and made one steal and the last layup of the half.
 
Manhattanville had a nine-point lead heading into the third. The Valiants upped the score to 43-36 after freshman Madison Fields (Grantsville, Utah/Grantsville) made a second chance basket, Coutu sunk two threes and Pemberton made back-to-back layups. Later in the third, Pemberton made a steal and took the ball down court. She then dished the ball off to Kelley on her left who sunk a layup.
 
Kelley started the fourth quarter leading the Valiants in shooting percentage. She only took two shots in the paint but counted both of them. She then made her third shot of the night later after she grabbed the offensive rebound and put the ball back up for a made layup. Shore made her fourth three as she increased the Valiants lead 60-44. Johnson-Desilvia joined the three-point club late in the fourth, her shot put Manhattanville ahead by 17. She also put up two foul shots to close the game out in the Crimson and Whites favor.
 
Manhattanville will next face the Pratt Institute this Wednesday, Feb. 19. The Valiants will host the Cannoneers in Kennedy Gymnasium at 8:00 p.m.