PURCHASE, N.Y. – The Manhattanville College women's basketball team has punched their tickets back to the Skyline Conference Championship Finals for a second-consecutive season as the top-seeded Valiants defeated No. 4 Saint Joseph's Long Island 55-37. The Valiants will now play for a championship on their home court on Saturday as Manhattanville will now host No. 3 Mount Saint Vincent in the title bout.

It was far from the prettiest offensive performance on either side of the court, but the Valiants were able to ultimately capitalize on a suffocating defensive effort that limited the Golden Eagles to just a 21 percent shooting performance from the floor. It was the Golden Eagles' lowest shooting percentage of the season alongside their fewest points scored in a game all year as Saint Joseph's struggled all night against the Valiants' defensive game plan.

While the Valiants handled business on the defensive side of the court, Julianna Kascic (North Bergen, N.J./Paramus Catholic) led the way on the other side with 16 points, leading all scorers on the floor. The senior also pulled down 10 rebounds, earning her 12^th double-double of the season. Kascic added four steals and two assists in her leading effort.

Livi Correia (North Attleboro, Mass./Worcester Academy) added 11 points as the lone other Valiant in double-figures, shooting .500 on the night. While the scoring was limited, the Valiants got key contributions from the eight that stepped on the floor in other regards. Niyona Smith (Baltimore, MD/Concordia Prep) finished with seven rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a pair of steals in a strong all-around display. Amanda Orlando (Putnam Valley, N.Y./Putnam Valley) collected five caroms, while Angela Downey (Lyndhurst, N.J./Lyndhurst), Kristen Scrobola (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Walter Panas High School) and Gabby Tucker (Port Chester, N.Y./Blind Brook) each finished with four boards coming off the bench.

Just 18 total points were scored in the opening quarter as both teams struggled to find a rhythm in the early going. The Valiants struck first 1:35 into the contest as Orlando completed an old-fashioned three-point play after getting fouled on her layup. The Golden Eagles followed up with a 6-0 run that stretched more than four minutes, putting the visiting team ahead by three. The lead didn't climb any further over the rest of the quarter as the team traded blows, with Scrobola ending the first quarter scoring with a 1-for-2 trip to the line to bring the score to 10-8 in favor of the Golden Eagles.

The Valiants seized momentum over the course of the second quarter, holding Saint Joseph's to just 1-for-10 shooting from the floor. With the Golden Eagles up 12-10, the Valiants went on an 13-2 run to take a lead they would never surrender. Back-to-back baskets from Kascic tied and put the Vals ahead before Downey drained the Valiants' first three of the game. Megan Spina hit the Golden Eagles' lone field goal of the quarter before baskets from Kascic, Orlando, and Tucker swelled the lead to nine. A pair of free throws by Julianna Knice were the only points scored over the last two minutes of the half, moving the score to 23-16 for Manhattanville through 20.

Saint Joseph's continued to have headaches against the Manhattanville defense after the break, shooting 2-for-15 in the third including an 0-for-9 rate from beyond the arc. A Jamison Agostino (Stony Brook, N.Y./Ward Melville) three and Correia jumper were the lone points across the opening 3:13 of the half, pushing Manhattanville's advantage up to 12. Corriea struck again in the closing minutes of the third, this time with a shot from deep that put the Valiants up a game-high 14. Casey Travers brought the deficit back down to ten with a pair of free throws and a jumper, but Kascic hit a layup as the horn sounded to put the Valiants ahead 35-23 entering the final ten minutes.

After going 0-for-19 from three across the first three quarters, the Golden Eagles finally got some shots to fall from beyond the arc as they searched desperately for a way to claw back in to the game and keep their season alive. Despite the four three-pointers hit by Saint Joseph's in the quarter, the Valiants shot 55 percent from the floor and went 6-for-10 at the free throw line to close out the game and secure the win. A 7-0 Manhattanville run had the Valiants up 50-31 with 1:47 left to play as it was too little, too late for the Golden Eagles to find their shot. Downey capped off the night with a final three-pointer, her third of the game, to secure the 55-37 win.

Up Next
The stage for the title game is set as the top-seeded Valiants host No. 3 Mount Saint Vincent on Saturday at 2 p.m. to crown the 2023-24 Skyline Conference Champions.

VALIANTS on SOCIAL MEDIA For the latest on Manhattanville Athletics, follow the Valiants via social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads and YouTube. #WeAreValiant #GoValiants