KINGS POINT, N.Y. – Opening the final week of the regular season with a matchup of the two teams atop the Skyline Conference, the Manhattanville University women's basketball team fell 62-52 at the United States Merchant Marine Academy on Wednesday night. The teams will now carry matching 17-2 Skyline Conference records into the final weekend of the regular season after splitting the season series.

Continuing her red-hot shooting from last week, Julie DeBrocky (Mahopac, N.Y./Mahopac) continued to produce against USMMA. The senior led the Valiant offense with 16 points, shooting 6-of-10 from the field and going 4-of-7 from deep. In the four meetings against the Mariners over the last two seasons, DeBrocky has averaged 19.5 points per contest.

Gabby Tucker (Port Chester, N.Y./Blind Brook) was also able to find some success against USMMA's defense, scoring 13 on four short-range baskets and a three. Her five rebounds was matched by Esther Ramos (Queens, N.Y./Forest Hills) for the team lead, with Tucker also leading the Valiants with four assists and a pair of blocks.

USMMA dominated the battle of the boards, outrebounding Manhattanville 44-22. Carolae Barton and Emily Grasseler refused to be denied off the glass, combining for 31 of the Mariners' rebounds while adding a combined 35 points in a pair of double-double performances.

Manhattanville shot 50 percent in the first quarter and went 2-of-3 from deep but still could not keep pace with the Mariner bigs over the opening ten minutes as Barton, Grasseler and Hannah Ramsden put up 22 points in the frame. After Ramos put the Valiants up 7-5 two and a half minutes into the action, USMMA closed out the quarter with a 22-11 scoring advantage to grab hold of a lead they never surrendered.

The Valiants were limited to just six points in the second quarter, heading into halftime down 40-24. Merchant Marine's lead peaked at 22 with 8:17 left in the third, with Manhattanville's second half looking more akin to Valiant basketball. Despite shooting 28 percent in the quarter, the Valiants took away the deep looks from Merchant Marine to ultimately outscore USMMA by one in the quarter.

Manhattanville closed out the night shooting 60 percent in the fourth while holding the Mariners to just one lone field goal, but time was working against the Valiants. While unable to get anything to fall from the floor, USMMA went 5-of-8 on free throws in the quarter to withstand the Valiants' final effort.

Up Next
With the No. 1 seed still up for grabs, the Valiants close out the regular season on Saturday with Senior Day against Mount Saint Mary at 1 p.m.

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