PURCHASE, N.Y. – The Manhattanville College women's basketball team continued their winning ways on Saturday afternoon as the Valiants bested Centenary by a final of 60-51. Manhattanville improves to 7-0 on the season with the non-conference win, carrying a perfect record into the second week of December for the second straight season.
Julianna Kascic's (North Bergen, N.J./Paramus Catholic) phenomenal year rolled on with the senior's third-straight game with 20-plus points and her second-consecutive double-double. Kascic shot 9-of-15 from the field to score a team-high 21 while collecting 11 rebounds, also a Valiant high on the day. She would add three steals, a trio of assists and a blocked shot for good measure in her 36 minutes of action. Through the opening seven games of the year, Kascic is averaging a double-double per contest with 14.7 points and 10.3 rebounds a game.
Jamison Agostino (Stony Brook, N.Y./Ward Melville) joined Kascic in double-figures with the junior putting up 15. Each of Agostino's points came from beyond the arc as she shot 5-for-10 from deep. Agostino also added a team-best four assists in the win. Agostino continues to serve as the team's leading scorer for the year with an even average of 15.0 points per game.
For a second-straight game,
Niyona Smith (Baltimore, MD/Concordia Prep) pulled down nine boards. Both the sophomore Smith and Kascic had a pair of offensive boards.
Angela Downey (Lyndhurst, N.J./Lyndhurst) added seven rebounds of her own as the Valiants narrowly outrebounded the Cyclones, 43-41.
Centenary would hit just five field goals in the opening half, shooting 17 percent from the floor. The Valiants capitalized on the Cyclones' shooting woes to open the game with a 7-0 run. The lead climbed as high as 11 in the opening quarter with Centenary only able to get on the board with a pair of free throws. The Cyclones would hit their first basket with 3:12 left in the quarter on a Jasmine Sampong layup. Centenary managed to get back within four before a 5-2 run for Manhattanville over the final 2:02 put the Valiants ahead 17-10 to begin the second quarter.
The Cyclones were held to two baskets in the second quarter but would connect on their first shot after the break as Kaylie Elsbree hit a shot from beyond the arc to once again chop Manhattanville's lead down to four. The Valiants responded with nine unanswered points capped off with an
Amanda Orlando (Putnam Valley, N.Y./Putnam Valley) layup to put the home team ahead 26-13. The lead reached a margin of 16 before the half as the Valiants carried a 34-18 advantage into the locker room.
Despite their cold start from the floor, Centenary came back to begin the second half by shooting 42 percent in the third quarter. Still, the Valiants were able to continue their scoring successes as Kascic put the home team up by 20 after converting an and-1 1:53 into the quarter. Centenary brought the lead down to 15 on four separate occasions but were unable to hold the Valiants off the board long enough to piece together a significant run. Brie Opdyke would sink a pair of free throws to close out the quarter, making Manhattanville's lead 48-33 with 10 to play.
The Cyclones rattled six straight points to begin the fourth, suddenly making Manhattanville's lead single digits once again. While Kascic was able to reestablish a 12 point advantage with another old-fashioned three point play, another 6-0 run by Centenary made it a two possession game with under five minutes remaining, 51-45. Agostino ended the run with a three pointer, beginning a 9-2 run that gave the Valiants some room to breathe entering the final two minutes with a 60-47 lead. The Cyclones scored the final four points of the day but it wasn't enough to put an end to the Valiants' win streak.
Up Next
Conference play picks back up on Wednesday for the Valiants as Manhattanville hosts Old Westbury at 6 p.m.
VALIANTS on SOCIAL MEDIA For the latest on Manhattanville Athletics, follow the Valiants via social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. #WeAreValiant #GoValiants
