WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – Junior forward Kelli Hyjek (Tolland, Conn./Tolland) tied her career-high with 18 points as the Manhattanville women's basketball team easily defeated Wilkes University, 86-65, on Saturday afternoon in a Freedom Conference meeting at the Marts Center.
The Valiants never trailed in the contest and finished with four players in double figures, including one double-double and one double-figure assist total. Aiding Hyjek in the paint were sophomore Jennifer McSharar (Garnerville, N.Y./North Rockland) with a career-high 16 points and freshman Beranda Felder (Brooklyn, N.Y./Midwood), who finished with her first career double-double scoring 10 points and pulling down 12 rebounds off the bench in 16 minutes.
Sharpshooting sophomore Taylor Wilson (Pearl River, N.Y./Pearl River) added 13 points and seven rebounds, while senior point guard Carey Hickey (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y./Dobbs Ferry) finished with a career-high 13 assists. Her 13 assists ranks her second in the school's single-game record books and makes her the first Valiant in 30 seasons to record 13 assists since Brenda Kearns had 13 helpers against Rhode Island on March 13, 1981.
Every Valiant recorded a point in the contest as the team shot 51 percent from the field and connected on 13-of-20 free throws. The visiting team led for all 40 minutes of the game, with just a pair of ties coming in the first three minutes of the game. The Valiants outrebounded the Colonels 46-29 in the contest with 18 rebounds coming on the offensive side of the glass.
The Valiants jumped out to a seven-point lead with a three pointer made by senior Simona Gordon (Cambridge, Mass./Cambridge Rindge & Latin) with 14:19 left, and then took a double-digit lead (21-10) with 12:26 remaining on a layup by Hyjek. Later in the half, the Valiants took a 21-point advantage, 45-24, on a layup by Felder. The Valiants scored 25 of their 52 points off the bench in the half, as Hyjek led her team with 14 points along with 10 points and seven rebounds from Felder. Sam Lynam led Wilkes with 18 points in the half, but the home team shot 48 percent compared to the Valiants 58 percent from the field.
In the second half, the Valiants continued to dominate in the paint and around the field and took a 30-point advantage midway through the half on a layup by Wilson to give the road team a 72-42 lead with 11:09 left. McSharar led the team with 14 points in the second half shooting 5-of-6 from the field and 4-of-5 from the line.
After her eight-point performance in the game, Gordon is just four points away from reaching the 1,000-point milestone.
Manhattanville (8-5, 2-1 Freedom) will host FDU-Florham on Wednesday evening as part of a Freedom Conference doubleheader beginning at 6 p.m. Wilkes (3-9, 0-3 Freedom) will head to Eastern also on Wednesday for a conference doubleheader with the Eagles at 6 p.m.