PURCHASE, N.Y. – The Manhattanville College women's basketball team collected their eighth-straight victory on Thursday evening, defeating Skyline Conference foe Saint Joseph's Brooklyn 90-57. The Valiants improve to 18-3 overall and remain the top dogs in the conference standings with a 15-1 mark against the Skyline.
The Valiants were led by four in double-figures offensively, with all 10 players stepping on to the court recording a basket on the night.
Amanda Orlando (Putnam Valley, N.Y./Putnam Valley) led the way with a season-high 18 points, her highest output since scoring 22 last February against Saint Joseph's Long Island. The reigning Skyline Rookie of the Year shot 8-of-14 from the field and added five rebounds, a pair of assists and a steal.
Niyona Smith (Baltimore, MD/Concordia Prep) collected her fifth double-double of the year and second in her last two games with a 14 point, 17 board outing. The junior led all players across both teams in rebounds, setting a new season -high while collecting 10 caroms off the offensive glass.
Julianna Kascic's (North Bergen, N.J./Paramus Catholic) return to action saw her join Smith in the double-double club, her 11
th of her campaign. Kascic scored 11 while pulling down 11 rebounds.
Angela Downey (Lyndhurst, N.J./Lyndhurst) also finished with 11 off the bench, hitting three three-pointer to pilot her offensive night.
Livi Corriea dished out five assists and logged a pair of steals, while
Gabby Tucker (Port Chester, N.Y./Blind Brook) also distributed four helpers.
Opening the night by hitting 45 percent of their shots in the first quarter, the Valiants outscored the Bears 24-15 over the opening ten minutes. A three from
Jamison Agostino (Stony Brook, N.Y./Ward Melville) followed by a smith layup had the home squad leading early, a lead they successfully held for the entirety of the contest. Saint Joseph's put the next four points on the board, but that would be the last time the Bears would be within in a single possession as the Valiants went on a 7-0 run to gain separation. The lead climbed up to ten in the final minute on an
Esther Ramos (Queens, N.Y./Forest Hills) jump shot before Mercedes Perez hit a free throw for the Bears to close out the quarter.
The Valiants held the Bears in check in the second with Saint Joseph's shooting 15 percent from the floor and going 0-for-9 from deep. Saint Joseph's scored three points across the first minute and change ahead of Manhattanville's 14-0 run that had the home squad up 38-18 with 4:31 remaining. The lead continued to climb as the Valiants got the job done at the free throw line, going up by 24 with 2:50 left in the half. With the buzzer sounding, Manhattanville comfortably led 45-23 through the first 20 minutes.
While the Bears came out firing from deep in the third, drilling five of their seven shots from beyond the arc, there was no slowing the Valiant offense. Even with the Bears scoring 26 in the quarter, the Valiants shot 53 percent in the frame alongside nine free throws to put up 29. Manhattanville scored eight straight to begin the half to climb up to a 30 point advantage, which Saint Joseph's was able to chip down to 21 before the Valiants went back on the offensive. A 6-1 run comprised of baskets from Tucker,
Kristen Scrobola (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Walter Panas High School) and Orlando had the lead back up to 27 before the Bears got the final basket of the quarter to send the game into the fourth with the Vals up 74-49.
The Bears were unable to replicate their shooting efforts from the previous quarter, going 0-for-10 from deep and shooting just 18 percent to close out the night. The Valiants outscored Saint Joseph's 16-8 across the final ten minutes to cap off the 90-57 win.
Up Next
The penultimate weekend of the regular season awaits as the Valiants head to Farmingdale on Saturday for a 1 p.m. showdown against the Rams.
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