PURCHASE, NY – Facing one of the Top 15 scoring teams in Division III and two of the nation's top 10 scorers, the Manhattanville College women's basketball team shut down the FDU-Florham Devils in the second half on Wednesday night, rallying from a five-point halftime deficit to knock off the reigning five-time conference champions, 64-49, in MAC Freedom action at Kennedy Gymnasium.

Senior Joiada Darnell (St. Albans, N.Y./Humanities and the Arts) posted a double-double for Manhattanville (14-2, 5-1 MACF) with season-highs of 13 points and 18 rebounds, leading a quartet of Valiants in double figures. Freshmen Amanda Pemberton (Henderson, Nev./Liberty) and Sarah Coutu (Cranston, R.I./Cranston East) each added a team-high 14, while junior Kayleah McGuire(Somers, N.Y./Somers) added 13 points, seven rebounds, and four steals, one behind Coutu's game-high five thefts.

Kendrea Williams and Gabrielle Harris entered the game for FDU-Florham (12-6, 5-2 MACF) averaging 24.1 and 22.5 points per game this season, respectively, each shooting better than 42%. The Valiants, ranked first in D-III in field goal percentage defense entering the night, held the two high-scoring guards to a combined 33 points, including just 13 in the second half, on a 10-for-32 performance from the field. No one else had more than eight points for the Devils, who came in averaging more than 78 points per game.

Manhattanville started slow, missing its first 10 shots before a Coutu three-pointer put them up 3-2 just before the 6:00 mark of the 1st quarter. The Devils quickly took the lead back and held a small cushion for the next 5 minutes before a lay-up by sophomore Nancy Caballero (Henderson, Nev./Liberty) tied the score at 10 at the end of the quarter.

Trailing 21-18 midway through the second quarter, the Devils went on an 11-0 run on the strength of four straight baskets without a miss, capped by a Mariah Martinez three-point play. Manhattanville trimmed the gap to 31-26 at the half, thanks in part to a buzzer beating jumper by Pemberton.

The Valiants' top-ranked defense turned up the pressure in the 3rd quarter, forcing five FDU-Florham turnovers while holding them to 2-for-13 from the field as the home team outscored the visitors by a 19-4 margin. Manhattanville regained the lead on a Darnell lay-up at the 5:25 mark and extended the margin to 10 on another Pemberton jumper in the final minute of the quarter.

On the strength of a 9-for-10 combined effort from the charity stripe by Coutu and McGuire in the fourth quarter, the Valiants lead did not drop below double digits over the final 10 minutes, with the team scoring 10 of the period's first 15 points and nine of the final 14 points.

Manhattanville continues MAC Freedom play Saturday at 1:00 p.m. at Kennedy Gymnasium against King's.