BRONX, N.Y. – Playing the first half of a home-and-home against the Maccabees on Thursday night, the Manhattanville University women's basketball team held off Yeshiva University for a 59-52 win. Manhattanville extends its win streak up to a season-high five in a row following the victory.

The Valiants (16-5, 13-4 Skyline) rode an 8-0 run over the final 2:13 of the first half to take a lead that stuck for the remainder of the night, although the Maccabees did not make it easy. Yeshiva (4-17, 4-12 Skyline) fought back within a single possession five times over the second half, but Manhattanville was able to deliver a few crucial buckets to hold off the comeback bid.

Julie Debrocky (Mahopac, N.Y./Mahopac) piloted the offense with 17 points, although not via her usual means. The Valiants' top deep threat on the season was held to just 1-of-7 from three-point land but was extremely efficient from short range, finishing 6-of-8 to do her heavy lifting.

Amanda Orlando (Putnam Valley, N.Y./Putnam Valley) complimented Debrocky's effort with 13 points, the junior's first game in double-figures since her 17 against Saint Joseph's Long Island on Jan. 16 eight games ago. Orlando hit her lone shot from behind the arc as part of a 4-for-6 effort from the field and went 4-of-5 at the free throw line.

Esther Ramos (Queens, N.Y./Forest Hills) notched nine rebounds to lead all players in the contest, while Debrocky collected six caroms and the duo of Niyona Smith (Baltimore, MD/Concordia Prep) and Kathleen O'Mara (Huntington, N.Y./Walt Whitman) finished with five boards apiece. Smith supplied three blocks and three assists to add onto her eight points on the offensive end.

A Daniella Bessler layup for Yeshiva and O'Mara free throw accounted for the lone points in the opening minute while Gabby Tucker (Port Chester, N.Y./Blind Brook) put the visitors up 3-2 two minutes later. The score held stagnant as the clock dipped below five minutes in the opening quarter as both offenses struggled to find success on the court of Lehman College early. Manhattanville was the beneficiary of the first sustained run of the evening as Smith hit a layup to account for the first points in two and a half minutes before O'Mara hit back-to-back buckets to put the Valiants up 9-2. The Macs came to life with seven unanswered points to tie things up, but a tip-in from O'Mara and a pair of Orlando free throws in the final minute spotted the Valiants a 13-9 lead through the first period.

Short range jumpers from Shai Rahamim and Simone Amkraut tied the score at 13-13 to begin the second quarter. Ramos put the Valiants back ahead with a free throw as the lead changed hands five times over the ensuing five minutes. The Maccabees took the lead off a Bessler three with 2:31 left in the half, but that would be the last time Yeshiva would be in front. Debrocky hit a layup to swing the advantage back to the other side of the scoreboard before Orlando and Debrocky connected from deep in the final minute to cap off an 8-0 run that put the Valiants up 27-20.

The Maccabees nipped at the Valiants' heels throughout the second half, thanks in large part to a 4-for-6 stretch from deep in the third. Yeshia shot 54 percent from the field out the locker room and brought Manhattanville's lead down to a single point with 2:20 left in the third off an Amkraut three, 37-36. Ramos responded in turn with a three in the following trip down the floor before Debrocky added to the breathing room with a jump shot. Amkraut struck again from downtown as the final basket of the quarter, bringing Yeshiva within one possession, down 42-39 with 10 minutes left to go.

Manhattanville adjusted in the fourth, shooting 58 percent from the field and holding the Maccabees to a 1-for-7 rate from deep to close out the game. Layups from Ramos and Debrocky gave the Valiants a seven-point lead with eight minutes remaining in regulation, with the lead swelling up to nine off an Orlando bucket with 4:26 to go. The Maccabees continued to fight, going on a 7-0 run to move the score to 53-51 with 1:48 left on the clock. Manhattanville maintained composure, closing the game on a 6-1 run capped off by a huge layup and-one from Debrocky to capture the 59-52 win.

Up Next
The teams will meet again on Sunday, this time in Kennedy Gymnasium, for a noon showdown.

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