PURCHASE, N.Y. – Chelsea Erkes (Wernersville, PA/Conrad Weiser) scored a career-high 13 points and the Wilkes University women's basketball team trailed by six points heading to the fourth quarter before Manhattanville College pulled away for a 63-45 victory in Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) action Saturday afternoon.

Wilkes dropped to 4-17 overall and 0-10 in the MAC Freedom. Manhattanville improved its record to 16-4 and 6-3 in the conference.

The Lady Colonels gained the early advantage in the game, leading 7-2 with 4:19 left in the first quarter. Gianna Roberts (Nanticoke, PA/Nanticoke) opened the Wilkes scoring with a layup to tie the game and then Emily Sofranko (Jim Thorpe, PA/Marian Catholic) sank two from the charity stripe and Roberts connected on a three-pointer to build the lead. Catey McFadden (Doylestown, PA/Archbishop Wood) was good on a layup and Sofranko added a free-throw to make the score 10-5 in favor of the Lady Colonels. The Valiants closed with the final four points of the first quarter but Wilkes held a 10-9 lead.

Manhattanville scored the first six points of the second quarter to go on a 10-0 run in all to take the 15-10 lead before Alyssa Alfano (Dunmore, PA/Holy Cross) made a layup with 6:57 left until halftime. Erkes would connect on a trey to pull Wilkes within two points at 17-15 before the Valiants finished the second quarter on a 9-4 run to lead 26-19 at the break. Roberts, Sofranko, and Erkes each had five points for the Lady Colonels in the first half.

Alfano made good on two free-throws and Maddie Kelley (Dallas, PA/Dallas) drained a three-pointer as Wilkes drew within two points again at 26-24 with 7:44 left in the third quarter. Twice Manhattanville opened its lead back to eight points but Erkes connected with a three each time to keep Wilkes squarely in contention and Alfano made two from the foul line with two seconds left in the third quarter to make the score 41-35 heading to the final 10 minutes. Erkes totaled eight of the Lady Colonels 16 points in the quarter.

A Manhattanville free-throw with 6:24 left in the game put the Valiants ahead by double digits for the first time at 47-37. Kelley's second make from behind the arc brought the score back to single digits at 50-41 with 3:20 left but the Valiants answered with the next 10 points including eight from Spencer Shore to put the game away with a 60-41 lead with 1:09 remaining.

Alfano led the Lady Colonels with a career-high 12 rebounds and also scored eight points. Kelley finished second on the team with nine points and Roberts had five points and six rebounds.

Shore's 14 points led the way for Manhattanville and Kymane Jones and Kayleah McGuire joined her in double figures with 12 and 11 points respectively.

The Lady Colonels remain on the road for their next MAC Freedom contest in Center Valley, Pa. against DeSales University Wednesday at 6:00 p.m.