FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Manhattanville women's basketball team opened the 2011 Cruzin' Classic in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Saturday afternoon with a loss to the Messiah Falcons by a score of 61-57. The Valiants were led by junior forward Jen McSharar who had her second straight double-double, while seniors Kelli Hyjek (Tolland, Conn./Tolland) and Courtney Turner (Staten Island, N.Y./Ralph McKee) each reached double figures in points.

Messiah opened the game with a quick basket that was followed up by Manhattanville dropping five straight points to open a 5-2 lead. The two sides continued the close game throughout the entire first half, the Valiants took an 11-8 lead when sophomore Beranda Felder (Brooklyn, N.Y./Midwood) hit a layup off a pass from Hyjek with 13:34 to go in the first half.

After a 7-0 Falcon run to regain the lead at 15-11, Hyjek broke the run with a basket to trim the lead back down to two. Messiah got their lead up to seven points with 7:50 remaining in the half, but two quick Valiant baskets by McSharar and Hyjek brought the game to within three once again.

McSharar then stole the ball and regained the ball for the Valiants which was sent off to freshman Kelly Ann Sullivan (Amity Harbor, N.Y./Copiague) who buried the ball from behind the arc to tie the game at 24. After another run by Messiah, the Valiants found their way inside the paint once again and eventually tied the game at 33 on an Alyson Caiazzo (Brooklyn, N.Y/St. Saviour) jumper to send the game to halftime tied at 33.

At the start of the second half the Valiants missed their first three chances as Messiah started with four points to start off the half, once again the Valiants fought back to tie it as Turner and McSharar hit a pair of layups to tie it at 37.

With the game tied at 49 the Valiants took their first lead of the half when Hyjek hit a jumper to give Manhattanville the lead back with 8:20 to go. Caiazzo gave the Valiants their largest lead of the game at four when she made a shot with 4:26 to go.

Manhattanville held onto a slim one-point lead as the clock ticked below two minutes and after a steal by Messiah, the Falcons followed up with a three-pointer to take a 59-57 lead with 23 seconds to go. Manhattanville had their chances missing two straight, attempting to keep the game within reach the Valiants fouled and Messiah hit their two free-throws to take a 61-57 lead with two seconds to go.

The Valiants were led by McSharar, Hyjek and Turner who each finished the game with 12 points apiece. Felder had eight points off the bench while Sullivan added seven of her own. On the boards, Manhattanville was led by McSharar with 11 boards as well as four steals.

Manhattanville (3-6, 0-2 Freedom) will have a quick turnaround for their next game at 10 a.m. tomorrow when they take on Virginia Wesleyan in their second and final game at the Cruzin' Classic. Messiah (Commonwealth) will have tomorrow off before their second game at the Cruzin' Classic on Monday when they take on Virginia Wesleyan at 9 a.m.