PURCHASE, NY – Cara Basile (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall) and Elena Stambone (Jessup, PA/Valley View) scored 20 points apiece as the Lady Colonels improved to 8-9 overall and 3-5 in the Freedom Conference after defeating the Valiants 87-82 on Saturday afternoon.

Manhattanville opened the game scoring the first eight points before Chelsea Brown (Garnet Valley, PA/Garnet Valley) made good on a jumper with just over two and a half minutes played.  Wilkes trailed 15-7 before scoring ten straight points to take a 17-15 lead with 12:48 remaining in the half.  Basile and Stambone combined for all ten points during the run including two old fashion three-point plays.  During the next seven minutes of play the Valiants responded with a 14-6 run to give them a 29-23 advantage.

Ashley Franklin connected on a three-pointer with just under three minutes to go in the first half extending the Valiants lead to 38-28; their biggest of the game.  Wilkes battled back and was able to trim five points off the lead including a big momentum changer when Basile knocked down a three-pointer as the time expired to end the first half.  The three-pointer was huge for the Lady Colonels as they were only down 44-39 at half instead of 44-36.

Manhattanville got the better start to the second half as they opened an 11 point lead (56-45) with 14:29 to go in the game.  Every time it seemed as if the Valiants were going to break the game wide open the Lady Colonels would fight back and nip away at the deficit.  After trimming the deficit to one at 69-68 the Valiants used a 5-0 run to put themselves up six (74-68) with 6:10 to play.

Battling all game long the Lady Colonels finally took the lead with 2:21 remaining as Ellen Rich (Hamden, CT/Hamden Hall) scored a jumper in the paint to put Wilkes up 79-78.  Alyson Caiazzo scored for the Valiants on their next possession before Chelsea Smelas (Jim Thorpe, PA/Jim Thorpe) scored a layup to regain the lead for the Lady Colonels at 81-80.  With 1:22 to play Bri Pabon gave Manhattanville the lead back with a layup but that was the last bucket the Valiants would score as Wilkes rattled off the next six points with Stambone icing the game at the foul line.  Basile gave Wilkes the outright lead with a drive and finish in the paint and on the ensuing possession Pabon missed a potential game winning layup for the Valiants.  Stambone was fouled made two foul shots to give Wilkes an 85-82 lead and Manhattanville turned the ball over on the next possession to seal the win for the Lady Colonels.

Wilkes shot an efficient 46 percent (29-63) from the field and 35.7 percent (5-14) from three-point range.  They were clutch from the foul line making 80 percent (24-30) of their attempts.  Wilkes was 16-for-27 from the field in the second half, a scoring 59.2 percent.  Stambone scored 20 points and was 9-for-9 from the charity stripe.  Stambone has made 22 consecutive foul shots over a three game span.  Basile finished with 20 points, four rebounds and four steals while making 8-out-of-12 shots from the field.  Smelas had a nice game down low dropping in 11 points and corralling eight caroms while Haley Mesaros (Royersford, PA/Pope John Paul II) scored 11 important points coming off the bench.  Wilkes dominated the bench outscoring Manhattanville 38-5.

Manhattanville (10-9, 1-7 Freedom) was 27-out-of-64 (42.2 percent) from the field and 8-for-22 (36.4 percent) from three-point territory.  They missed only four foul shots on the afternoon shooting 83.3 percent (20-24).  Franklin drilled six three-pointers and finished with a game high 26 points in the losing effort.  Pabon tallied 21 points, seven steals and three assists.  Caiazzo filled the stat sheet with 19 points, 16 boards, four assists, three blocked shots and two steals.

The Lady Colonels return to action Monday evening when they take on Penn State Hazleton in a non-conference affair.  Game-time is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.