BRONXVILLE, N.Y. – A leading performance from Julianna Kascic (North Bergen, N.J./Paramus Catholic) paved the way to victory on Wednesday night for the Manhattanville College women's basketball team as the Valiants earned a 73-39 victory at Sarah Lawrence. The Valiants improve to 4-0 on the season and 2-0 against the Skyline Conference.

Wednesday was the team's third straight win of holding their opponents to 39 points, outscoring the opposition 202-117 in the stretch.

Kascic took charge with her third consecutive double-double as the graduate forward scored 26 points while pulling down 19 rebounds. Both marks set new game-highs for the Valiants this season as Kascic has been on a tear to open up the year with 16.5 points and 14.0 rebounds per game.

Jamison Agostino (Stony Brook, N.Y./Ward Melville) joined Kascic in double figures as she accounted for 12 points, all coming on shots from beyond the arc. Amanda Orlando (Putnam Valley, N.Y./Putnam Valley) was the team's third-highest offensive producer, scoring nine points.

Niyona Smith (Baltimore, MD/Concordia Prep) had a great defensive game with four blocks, four steals and nine rebounds. Gabby Tucker (Port Chester, N.Y./Blind Brook) contributed a team-high five assists in 15 minutes off the bench in the win.

While the Valiants were unable to connect on a three-pointer in the first half, going 0-for-12 from deep across the opening 20 minutes, a 16-4 first quarter put the visiting team in control early. After the Gryphons took a 4-3 lead four minutes into the quarter, the Valiants ended the opening frame on a 12-0 run to get in front. Sarah Lawrence shot just five percent from the floor in the first quarter.

Manhattanville would be unable to gain more separation before halftime as both teams scored 14 points in the second. A jumper from Smith brought the Valiant lead to 16 points with five minutes remaining, up 24-8, but the Gryphons rattled off eight straight points to get back within single digits. Manhattanville ended the quarter with a pair of Angela Downey (Lyndhurst, N.J./Lyndhurst) free throws and an Orlando fastbreak layup to reestablish the 12 point advantage at the half, 30-18.

The Valiants would get the deep ball to finally connect in the third quarter as Manhattanville all but put the game out of reach with a 24-5 scoring margin in the period. The Gryphons were held to just one field goal in the third, a layup from Kaila Dorch, as Manhattanville quickly ran away. The Valiants outscored Sarah Lawrence 19-3 over the six and a half minutes following Dorch's basket, including three deep balls from Agostino. All said and done, the Valiants held a 54-23 lead at the horn heading into the fourth.

Agostino's three-ball and a Kasic layup opened up the fourth by bringing the team's lead to its peak of 36. The Gryphons would make up ten points over the course of the final quarter, but Manhattanville's offense ended the night 10 of the final 12 points across the closing two minutes to close the book on a 73-39 victory.

Up Next
The Valiants are back in action in a week's time for one of the biggest games of the early season. It will be a rematch of last year's Skyline Conference Championship as the Valiants host USMMA at 6 p.m. on Dec. 6 for Pride Night.

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