PURCHASE, N.Y. - Manhattanville University women's basketball team is preparing to enter the Skyline Conference Championship Tournament for a sixth-straight year, this year as the top seed.
   

How We Got Here
The Valiants entered the 2025-26 campaign coming off an 18-7 (15-5) season, suffering an early postseason loss against Mount Saint Vincent, 47-41, in the Skyline Conference Championship First Round. With only one starting graduating senior, Niyona Smith (Baltimore, MD/Concordia Prep), the program looked to maintain its momentum during the off-season.

Esther Ramos (Queens, N.Y./Forest Hills) found her way to the top of the averages early in the season. The senior averages 14.9 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, finding herself in the starting lineup for all 25 games. Against Farmingdale during the regular season, she combined for 42 points and 22 rebounds.

Standing side-by-side with Ramos in the starting five, Julie DeBrocky (Mahopac, N.Y./Mahopac) continues to make her mark from beyond the arc, knocking down 64 long ones. In the last four games of the regular season, the senior has posted a .707 3FG% and a .703% from the field.

Classmate Gabby Tucker (Port Chester, N.Y./Blind Brook) leads the team with 877 minutes in her 25 starts. Tucker sits at the top as the point for the offense, averaging 4.4 assists while applying pressure with 2.5 steals per game.

Kathleen O'Mara (Huntington, N.Y./Walt Whitman) stepped up to fill the starting role, averaging 2.7 steals, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game. The sophomore had her standout performance against Purchase on Feb. 10 with 22 points and 10 rebounds. In the most recent meeting with Farmingdale, O'Mara had one of her most well-rounded nights with 16 points, seven boards, four assists, three steals, and a career-high four blocks.

Amanda Orlando (Putnam Valley, N.Y./Putnam Valley) rounds out the starting five, staying consistent in her all-around impact with an average of 5.5 boards, 3.2 assists, 2.7 steals, and 10.9 points. In the last two matchups with the Rams, she combined for five steals, eight rebounds, and 18 points.

The program's fire has ignited a 20-5 record, going 18-2 in conference play to secure the top seed for the postseason. The 15-0 start against Skyline opponents is the best in program history under head coach Kate Vlahakis. Vlahakis became the winningest coach in program history and the fourth coach in Manhattanville athletics to surpass 200 wins earlier this season.

Farmingdale entered the postseason with a 14-11 overall record. After a rocky 1-3 start to conference play, the Rams battled back to push their record to 12-8 in Skyline play to secure the No. 4 seed. FCS has been led by Mia Simmons (11.5 points per game) and Alexandria Walbroehl (10.8). Walbroehl also fronts the Rams with an average of 9.3 boards. Shyann Parker has found her teammates a standout 111 times this season, averaging 4.3 per game.
Farmingdale comes off a defensively-dominated 43-37 win over No. 5 Saint Joseph Long Island in the First Round on Wednesday.

Last Time Out
The Valiants swept the Rams in the two regular season meetings. The first game finished with a 74-56 road win for Manhattanville on Nov. 22 ahead of the Valiants' 74-41 victory at home a month ago on Jan. 24.

Postseason History
This is the first postseason meeting between the two programs since the Valiants returned to the Skyline Conference in 2019. Manhattanville and Farmingdale last met in the Skyline Conference Championship Tournament all the way back in 2006, an 85-54 win for the Rams in the quarterfinal round.

Team Leaders
Manhattanville
Points Per Game: Ramos (14.9), DeBrocky (12.2), Tucker (11.4)
Rebounds Per Game: Ramos (6.8), DeBrocky (5.6), O'Mara (5.5)
Assists Per Game: Tucker (4.4), Orlando (3.2), O'Mara (2.4)
Steals Per Game: O'Mara (2.7), Orlando (2.6), Tucker (2.5)
Field Goal Percentage: Ramos (.489), O'Mara (.475), Velazquez (.462)

Farmingdale
Points Per Game: Simmons (11.5), Walbroehl (10.8), Allen (9.6)
Rebounds Per Game: Walbroehl (9.3), Parker (7.5), Tsiforas (5.2)
Assists Per Game: Parker (4.3), Allen (1.6), Amenta (1.4)
Steals Per Game: Parker (2.3), Tsiforas (1.9), Amenta (1.4)
Field Goal Percentage: Parker (.404), Allen (.391), Simmons (.360)

History
All-Time Record vs Farmingdale: 15-8
Streak: Manhattanville W3
Series Record at Manhattanville: 9-3
Last Five Meetings (Home team listed second):
    1/24/26: Farmingdale 41, Manhattanville 74
    11/22/25: Manhattanville 74, Farmingdale 56
    1/18/25: Manhattanville 66, Farmingdale 61
    12/14/24: Manhattanville 57, Farmingdale 64
    2/10/24: Manhattanville 69, Farmingdale  58