How We Got Here
The top seeds prevailed in Thursday's semifinal action to set the stage for No. 1 vs No. 2. In Purchase, the Valiants jumped out to a 23-9 first quarter lead over Farmingdale and never looked back, defeating the fourth-seeded Rams 81-58.
Esther Ramos (Queens, N.Y./Forest Hills) went off for a career-high 32 points, complimented by double-digit performances from
Kathleen O'Mara (Huntington, N.Y./Walt Whitman) (15 points) and
Gabby Tucker (Port Chester, N.Y./Blind Brook) (12). Manhattanville shot .444 as a team and hit 41 percent of their shots from deep, capitalizing on 25 Ram turnovers while logging 17 steals.
Down at Kings Point, USMMA advanced to the Skyline Finals for the sixth time in the last seven seasons with a 62-54 win over No. 3 Mount Saint Mary in a rematch of the 2025 championship game. Skyline Player of the Year Carolae Barton led the Mariners with a 24 point, 15 rebound double-double while adding six blocks and three steals. Emily Grasseler added a 10 point, 12 board double-double of her own, while Breanna Sommers added 18 points. The Mariners overcame a 12-0 Mount Saint Mary run in the second to retake the lead before halftime, remaining in front over the final 20 minutes.
Last Time Out
The teams split their two regular season meetings, with the home team winning each contest. Manhattanville won 62-61 back on Dec. 3, as
Julie DeBrocky (Mahopac, N.Y./Mahopac) hit seven three-pointers en route to a 23 point performance while Tucker scored 20 to overcome Barton's 28 point, 16 rebound effort. USMMA picked up a 62-52 win at Liebertz Gymnasium on Feb. 18, where DeBrockyand Tucker once again led the Valiants with 29 combined points but were unable to overcome the Barton-Grasseler duo that scored 35 points and accounted for 31 rebounds.
Postseason History
Manhattanville and USMMA's last postseason meeting came in the 2023 Skyline Finals, a 56-47 Mariner win.
Amanda Orlando (Putnam Valley, N.Y./Putnam Valley) led the Valiants with 13 points and five rebounds in the final game of her freshman year, while her classmate Tucker scored 10 with five boards of her own.
The Mariners are 3-2 in the five previous postseason matchups between the programs.
Team Leaders
Manhattanville
