FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – Led by Esther Ramos' (Queens, N.Y./Forest Hills) 24 point, 15 rebound double-double, head coach Kate Vlahakis captured her 200th career win on Saturday afternoon as the Manhattanville University women's basketball team defeated Farmingdale State 74-56. The Valiants secure its second-straight victory on the road, improving to 3-2 (2-0 SKY) overall, while the Rams drop to an even 2-2 (1-1)
Already the winningest coach in program history, Vlahakis becomes just the fourth coach in school history to win 200 games at the helm of a Valiant athletic team. She joins current Manhattanville softball head coach Dale Martin and baseball skipper Jeff Caulfield along with men's hockey's wins leader coach Keith Leventhal (1999-2011) in the exclusive club of 200 victories with the Valiants.
Julie DeBrocky (Mahopac, N.Y./Mahopac) struck first in the game, knocking down her first three 1:06 into the contest. Ramos went on to score the next four from a jumper and two free throws before the Rams found the way to the basket, bringing the score to 7-2 in the young game.
A pair of layups from DeBrocky and Kathleen O'Mara (Huntington, N.Y./Walt Whitman), followed by DeBrocky knocking her second three, put the away team up 14-6 with just under four to play in the first quarter. Ramos pushed Manhattanville's lead up to 10 in the closing seconds with a floater to bring the score to 18-8.
FSC struck first in the second quarter, quickly followed by Gabby Tucker (Port Chester, N.Y./Blind Brook) as the two teams went back-and-forth over the next two minutes. Manhattanville's lead climbed up to 14 on an 8-0 Valiant run with a pair of Ramos threes and a DeBrocky jumper had the guests up 29-15 with four minutes to go. Farmingdale came to life to close out the half with a 16-6 run to make a sizeable dent in Manhattanville's advantage, sending the teams into the locker room with the Valiants nursing a 35-31 lead.
Ramos and Amanda Orlando (Putnam Valley, N.Y./Putnam Valley) struck first for the Valiants in the second half, adding four back onto the lead. Tucker drove it into the paint to grab two before a drought lasting just over two minutes, broken by a free throw from Orlando to put Manhattanville back up 42-33. The Rams got back to within four with two minutes to go before the Valiants closed out the quarter on a 4-0 run with a pair of Ramos free throws and a Maia Velazquez (Queens, N.Y./Christ the King) layup to spot Manhattanville an eight-point cushion heading into the fourth, up 47-39.
DeBrocky started off the final quarter, knocking down a three and pulling up for two more. Manhattanville's lead never dipped below double digits the rest of the way home, shooting 60 percent from the field over the closing 10 minutes to hold off Farmingdale.
Ramos (24), DeBrocky (18), and Orlando (14) lead the team to the second victory with a combined 54 of the team's 74 points. With Ramos accounting for half of the Valiants' 30 total rebounds, caroms came at a premium for the rest of the squad. Molly Russom (Broadalbin, N.Y./Broadalbin-Perth) added four in support of the senior, while DeBrocky added three. Tucker finished with a team-high five assists, while Orlando logged four takeaways.
Up Next: The Valiants continue the away stretch and will head to Sarah Lawrence on Tuesday, Nov 25, with the 7 PM tipoff.
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