NEW YORK, N.Y. – The Manhattanville women's basketball team fell on the road to the NYU Violets by the score of 71-57. The Valiants were led by both senior Courtney Turner (Staten Island, N.Y./Ralph McKee) and junior Jennifer McSharar(Garnerville, N.Y./North Rockland) with double-doubles but it wasn't enough as the Valiants fell in the Wednesday night non-conference game in New York City.
The Valiants jumped out to a 2-0 lead when freshman Kelly Ann Sullivan (Amity Harbor, N.Y./Copiague) hit a jumper 1:10 into the game. The slim margin proved to be the only lead the Valiants had the entire game, the Valiants tied the game at 12 with 10:26 remaining on a jumper from senior Kelli Hyjek (Tolland, Conn./Tolland) at the free throw line.
New York University went on a seven point run and opened up a 29-20 lead with 2:05 to go and ended the first half with a 31-22 lead. After the break the Violets hit a quick jumper and opened up an 11-point lead, and then ballooned it up to 15 with 17:15.
After a layup by senior guard Stephanie Vaiano (South Ozone Park, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy), a free throw by Turner and layup by freshman Dominique Wilson (Coram, N.Y./Centereach) to cut the lead back down to 10. The Violets jumped back out to an 18-point lead but the Valiants refused to quit.
The lead was brought back down to single-digits at nine when Turner hit a free throw. Again the Violets pulled back out to a 16-point lead and the Valiants brought it back down to eight points on two occasions when both freshman Sarah Vann(Mobile, Ala./John F. Kennedy (Bronx, N.Y.)) hit a layup with 3:18 to go and when McSharar hit one less than a minute later at 2:22.
For one last time the Violets pulled out a 14 point lead on a last second free throw shot and the game was over with New York University earning the victory, 71-57.
Leading the way for Manhattanville with a 12 points and 12 rebounds was Turner who played 37 minutes for Manhattanville. Also with a double-double was McSharar who had 14 points and 13 rebounds. Also with 12 points was Sullivan who hit double-figures for the first time in her career.
Freshman Alyson Caiazzo (Brooklyn, N.Y/St. Saviour) also made her first career start at center and recorded two points and one defensive rebound.
For the game the Valiants shot 25-of-70 from the floor while 0-of-9 from behind the arc. Meanwhile, NYU shot 25-of-54 for 46.3% and went 4-of-13 from behind the arc while going 17-of-29.
Manhattanville (3-5, 0-2 Freedom) will be back in action as part of the 2011 Cruzin' Classic in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on December 17 when they take on Messiah at 12:00 p.m. NYU (5-2, 3-0 UAA) will be back in action on December 30 when they take on Brooklyn College at 6:00 p.m.