BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The Manhattanville College women's basketball notched a sixth straight win on Tuesday evening, besting Saint Joseph's University-Brooklyn by a final of 81-62. The Valiants remain tied for first place in the Skyline Conference standings with Merchant Marine following the victory, improving to 15-2 in conference play and 19-3 overall.
It was a night to remember for a pair of Valiants, one putting up career-nest numbers while another set a program record.
Julianna Kascic (North Bergen, N.J./Paramus Catholic) erupted for a 29 point performance as the senior forward shot 13-for-17 from the field. The effort surpasses her previous career-high of 24 set earlier this season against Old Westbury and was the Valiants' best offensive output by a single player since 2019. Beyond her incredible offensive display, Kascic collected her 12
th double-double of the season as she pulled down 12 rebounds, six off of each of the offensive and defensive boards.
While Kascic was putting on a show,
Jamison Agostino (Stony Brook, N.Y./Ward Melville) was rewriting the program record book. After hitting five three pointers on Sunday against Yeshiva, the junior began her night with a three pointer 1:37 into the first quarter on Tuesday. The deep ball was her 67
th three pointer of the year, officially surpassing
Spencer Shore as the team's single-season leader in shots from beyond the arc. Agostino would end the night with a trio of three pointers to bring the record to 69 and counting with one more game remaining in the regular season.
Not to get lost in the shuffle of the accomplishments of her teammates,
Amanda Orlando (Putnam Valley, N.Y./Putnam Valley) scored 13 for her tenth game in double-figures this season. The rookie guard shot 6-of-15 from the field as she surpassed 200 points on the year.
While Kascic led the charge in the rebound department, she was far from the only Valiant involved in the battle of the boards.
Niyona Smith (Baltimore, MD/Concordia Prep) pulled down eight rebounds while
Livi Correia (North Attleboro, Mass./Worcester Academy) and
Kristen Scrobola (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Walter Panas High School) both finished with six boards each. Smith would add three blocks, while
Gabby Tucker (Port Chester, N.Y./Blind Brook) ended the night with a leading five assist effort. The Valiants ended the night with 11 steals, with Orlando, Agostino, Smith and Correia all recording a pair of takeaways.
The Valiants struck first and would never look back, holding the lead they gained 41 seconds into the contest all the way through to the final buzzer. Smith opened the game with a jumper before a Kascic free throw and Agostino's record-breaking three put the Valiants up by six. The lead never dipped below four in the quarter. An 8-1 run in the tailend of the first saw the lead swell up to 12 before a pair of Alexis Breen free throws for the Bears closed out the quarter with the Valiants up 23-13.
The Bears would temporarily cut their deficit back down to single digits to begin the second on a 5-2 run, but nine straight points by the Valiants put the road team ahead 34-18 with 5:36 left in the half. The lead peaked at 23 for the half as Kascic scored five straight points to cap off a 12-0 run, but the Bears outscored Manhattanville 5-1 over the final 27 seconds to send the game to halftime with Manhattanville up 47-28.
With the heavy lifting done in the first half, it was smooth sailing for the Valiants to close out the contest. Manhattanville's lead dipped below 20 just once in the second half, which would be following Saint Joseph's final basket of the game with 32 seconds left in regulation. Kascic would continute to lead the way with 10 points in the second half, while Orlando would put up seven to help close out the 19-point win.
Up Next
The Valiants conclude the regular season on Saturday, heading to Patchogue to take on Saint Joseph's University-Long Island at 1 p.m.
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