NEWBURGH, N.Y. – A 22-7 third quarter by opposition doomed the Manhattanville College women's basketball team on Thursday night, as the Valiants were upended by Mount Saint Mary 70-61. With the loss, Manhattanville drops to 11-3 on the season and 7-2 in Skyline Conference play.
It was a tough night for the Valiant offense, as the team shot just 34 percent from the field, scoring their lowest point total of the season. It was Manhattanville's fourth-worst shooting performance this season, and the Valiants have now shot 37 percent or worse for the last four games. Despite the shooting struggles,
Faith Johnson-Desilvia (Riverhead, N.Y./Riverhead) had a strong outing to lead the team, scoring 23 points to make it four straight games in double figures. The senior added five rebounds, four steals and a pair of assists in 38 minutes of action.
Ali Mikaele (Silver Spring, Md./St. Andrew's Episcopal School) and
Jamison Agostino (Stony Brook, N.Y./Ward Melville) each scored eight, while
Spencer Shore (Boca Raton, Fla./West Boca Raton), coming off a career-best effort on Tuesday, was held to seven.
Kristen Scrobola (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Walter Panas High School) and
Claudia Valentin (Cambridge, Mass./Cambridge Rindge & Latin School) led the team with seven rebounds each.
The first half was a demonstration of what was to be expected in a meeting of the top two teams in the conference, matching each other shot for shot. In fact, the lead did not surpass three points for either side until 3:31 remaining in the second quarter as a pair of Mikaele free throws put Manhattanville up 27-23. It was the biggest lead of the half for either side, but the Knights would tie the game up shortly after. Scrobola put the Valiants up by three with a layup with 14 seconds left in the half, but Morina Bojka hit a three at the buzzer for the Knights to end the second quarter with a 34-34 tie.
The third quarter would prove to be the difference maker, as the Knights shot 50 percent in the quarter compared to the 17 percent mark by the Valiants. A 19-4 run by Mount Saint Mary firmly swung momentum in the favor of the home team, with the Knights pulling ahead 53-40 with under a minute remaining in the quarter. While the Valiants would outscore the Knights 20-14 over the final ten minutes, the deficit was too much to climb back from for the Valiants.
Up Next
The Valiants are home for the first time since Dec. 11 when they host Old Westbury on Saturday at 2 p.m.
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