BROOKYLN, N.Y. – The Manhattanville College women's basketball team completed a perfect 3-0 week in their return to the court following the holiday break with Saturday's 96-56 win over Saint Joseph's Brooklyn. The Valiants climb to 10-2 overall and remain atop the conference standings with a 7-0 mark against the Skyline.

Falling just short of a third-straight game with 100 points, the Valiant offense was once again firing on all cylinders as they pulled away with a 56 percent shooting performance in the second half. Four Valiants reached double figures offensively, led by three of the starting five. Jamison Agostino (Stony Brook, N.Y./Ward Melville) and Julianna Kascic (North Bergen, N.J./Paramus Catholic) both scored 18 points apiece to lead all offensive performers. Agostino did most of her damage from deep with four three-pointers, while Kascic was efficient on the short range with eight field goals while pulling down a team-high 12 rebounds for her seventh double-double of the season.

The duo were joined by Niyona Smith (Baltimore, MD/Concordia Prep) as starters to put up 10 or more points as the junior finished with 13 points and six rebounds. Smith went on a tear this week, averaging 16.3 points per game in Manhattanville's three wins. Esther Ramos (Queens, N.Y./Forest Hills) rounded out the Valiants' top performers as the sophomore matched her career-high of 10 in the win.

Amanda Orlando (Putnam Valley, N.Y./Putnam Valley) finished behind only Kascic in the rebound battle as she finished with nine total boards. Her six assists were tied with Livi Correia (North Attleboro, Mass./Worcester Academy) for the team lead as the duo were instrumental in generating offensive opportunities throughout the game.

Despite holding the Bears to just a 19 percent success rate from the field in the opening quarter, the Valiants were unable to capitalize to build out a sizeable lead. In fact, both teams started off cold as after Agostino drilled a three on Manhattanville's first shot of the game, the Valiants would go five minutes without a follow-up basket. That allowed Saint Joseph's to score seven unanswered points to go out in front. Angela Downey (Lyndhurst, N.J./Lyndhurst) ended the Bear run and the Valiant scoring drought with a three-pointer to pull the Vals back within one. Manhattanville would finally close the gap on a 6-0 run to close out the quarter as baskets from Orlando and Gabby Tucker (Port Chester, N.Y./Blind Brook) sandwiched a pair of Kascic free throws to put the Valiants up 14-11.

Finding their footing, the Valiants would build their lead up to 12 with 7:13 left in the half. Saint Joseph's were quick to respond as the Bears went 4-for-4 at the free throw line ahead of a pair of Mercedes Perez jumpshots sliced Manhattanville's advantage down to four. The Bears continued to strike and ultimately tied things up at 31-31 on Kristen Donovan's three-pointer with 1:47 left in the half. Much like how they finished the opening quarter, the Valiants scored the final six points of the half as Kascic hit as pair of baskets and Ramos drilled a pair of free throws to retake a 37-31 lead through the opening 20.

The Valiants would start to take over in the third as the Bears once again struggled from the field, going just 3-for-15 from the floor. Conversely, the Valiants hit 55 percent of their shots in the quarter. After a Donovan three opened up the second half scoring by cutting the Valiant lead in half, Manahattanville scored nine straight points to begin a 19-2 run that put Manhattanville up 56-36. There was little the Bears could muster against a suddenly red-hot Valiant offense as the home team would face a 19-point deficit entering the final quarter.

Manhattanville only got better as the night went on, shooting 57 percent in the fourth quarter highlighted by a 6-for-11 mark from beyond the arc. Defensively, the Valiants limited the Bears to just two field goals over the final ten minutes of play to soundly wrap things up. Manhattanville rattled off 21 straight points across a five and a half minute span to go up by 38 points. The Valiant lead would end at an even 40 as Taylor Malone (Yonkers, N.Y./Kennedy Catholic Prep) hit a three pointer to close out the day with a 96-56 victory.

Up Next
The Valiants conclude the three-game road trip on Wednesday night at Merchant Marine at 7 p.m.

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