Women’s Basketball’s Late-Game Surge Hands Manhattanville Second Loss of the Season

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Coming off of a lopsided Skyline victory at The Hill Center in their last contest, the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) women's basketball team (10-7, 8-4) hosted Skyline returnee Manhattanville College (14-2, 10-2) on Saturday as part of Alumni and Family Day.

The Bears came out on top, 57-54, over the second-place Valiants behind three players in double-figures led by Kelly O'Donnell's (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) 17 points and nine rebounds.

How It Happened

Sophomore guard Jamie Provino (Harrison, N.Y./Harrison) opened the game with a three-pointer, but a low scoring opening frame saw the score hold at 3-2 Bears for the bulk of the opening minutes. Both sides picked it up and nearly matched basket-for-basket until a last-second layup from Faith Johnson-Desilvia gave Manhattanville a 17-15 bump after one.

The Valiants extended the lead to six early in the second, but back-to-back triples from O'Donnell and Samantha Wilber (Island Heights, N.J./Central Regional) evened the score at 21 with 7:21 before the half. Manhattanville went on to outscore the Bears 11-5 for the remainder of the quarter to carry a 32-26 edge into the lockers.

The visitors took a 10-point lead in the opening minute of the second half. SJC began a 9-0 run with 3:43 left, taking the lead on a Provino trey while knocking down seven of eight free throws in that span. Amanda Pemberton hit an inside jumper to give Manhattanville a 40-39 lead entering the fourth.

The two sides exchanged leads throughout the fourth period. With the Valiants up by a point with 2:36 remaining in regulation, Provino's go-ahead three gave the Bears a lead they would not surrender. Manhattanville came to within two points but the Bears distanced themselves from on free throws by O'Donnell, Provino, and Wilber; ultimately sealing their first-ever win against the Valiants in program history, 57-54.

Post-Game Interviews

For the Bears

• O'Donnell finished the game with 17 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and two blocks.
• Provino scored in double-figures for the second-straight game, dropping 11 points while collecting six defensive boards
• Emma Kiley (Whitestone, N.Y./Archbishop Molly) hit 10 points and pulled down eight rebounds.
• Wilber provided eight points to go with five rebounds.

Up Next

Mount Saint Mary, undefeated in the Skyline, plays host to the Bears on Tuesday, January 28 at 6 p.m. Live stats and video will be available on SJCBears.com/live.