BRONXVILLE, N.Y. – The Manhattanville College women's basketball team clinched the No. 2 seed heading into the Skyline Conference post season tournament after its win today, Feb. 22 over Sarah Lawrence College. The Valiants outscored the Gryphons 79-34 and had a 22.8 percent better shooting percentage them. Junior Amanda Pemberton (Las Vegas, Nev./Liberty) led the Valiants in points and rebounds notching her third double-double of the season.
 
Pemberton totaled 17 points and 10 rebounds over Sarah Lawrence and shot 50.0 percent from the field. Defensively she also gave out two assists and made one block and steal. Pemberton grabbed six offensive rebounds and one was turned into second chance baskets. It was towards the beginning of the first quarter and there was a missed three pointer sent from the Valiants. Pemberton jumped up to grab the rebound and kicked the ball back out to junior Spencer Shore (Boca Raton, Fla./West Boca Raton) who sank a jumper to put the Valiants ahead 8-0. Pemberton also scored 13 of her 17 points in the first and all of her shots were made in the paint. She tallied 41.9 percent of the points scored in the first quarter.
 
The Valiants (22-3 17-3 Skyline) made three steals before they scored in the second quarter. Sophomore Faith Johnson-Desilvia (Riverhead, N.Y./Riverhead) stole the ball from the Gryphons (0-25, 0-20 Skyline) and took the ball to the basket herself for a layup. Her bucket put Manhattanville ahead 33-9. The Valiants held Sarah Lawrence to five points in the second. Manhattanville had a nine point scoring spree that was started by freshman Madison Fields (Grantsville, Utah/Grantsville) making two free throws. Sophomore Claudia Valentin (Cambridge, Mass./Cambridge Rindge & Latin School) had two layups and Shore sank a three-pointer.
 
In the third the Valiants scored four points off of turnovers. The first one was after Shore made a steal and quickly passed it off to Pemberton who made a breakaway jump shot in the paint. Throughout the quarter two three-pointers were made by Manhattanville. The first was sent from junior Sarah Coutu (Cranston, R.I./Cranston East) that was assisted by Shore to put them ahead by 38 points. Freshman Lauren Krystall (Massapequa, N.Y./Plainedge) was the last to score a three and it was assisted by freshman Jamie Smith (Scottsdale, Ariz./Desert Mountain).
 
Smith opened the fourth quarter with a steal and freshman Julia Torreso (Stratford, Conn./Stratford) followed with a three-pointer. Following her three, Torreso was also the next Valiant to score. Freshman Carmen Rosemond (New Haven, Conn./Hill Regional Career) grabbed the offensive rebound and passed the ball out to Torreso who made a layup. Torreso also closed out the quarter with a three making the final score 79-34.
 
After tonight's win the Valiants have secured a second place seed heading into the Skyline Conference post season tournament. Manhattanville will next host the semifinal matchup on Thursday Feb. 27 in Kennedy Gym. They will play the winner of the United States Merchant Marine Academy vs. College at Old Westbury quarterfinal matchup that is being played on Feb. 25.