Purchase, NY (December 3, 2014) – Sophomore Morgan McCollian recorded her second double-double of the season and senior Mikelyn Mackavage scored 14 points off the bench leading the DeSales University women's basketball team past Manhattanville College, 67-54, in the Freedom Conference season opener for both teams on Wednesday in Kennedy Gymnasium.
 
McCollian finished with 16 points and 11 boards and Mackavage had 14 off the bench on 4-of-8 shooting from three.  Freshman Leandra Sterner finished with 14 points, all coming in the first-half, after leaving the game early in the second-half with an injury.
 
Manhattanville (4-2, 0-1 Freedom) got 15 points each from seniors Bri Pabon and Alyson Caiazzo and 11 points from Ashley Raaf.  Caiazzo also had a double-double pulling down 10 rebounds.
 
DSU (4-2, 1-0 Freedom) trailed 8-5 early when Sterner hit back-to-back three's to give DSU an 11-10 lead.  Two more three's from Mackavage around two buckets from junior Sandra Gee gave DSU its largest lead of the first-half (21-14) at the 10:29 mark of the first-half.
 
MVC chipped away at the lead eventually tied the game at 27 before the Bulldogs finished the half scoring eight of the final 12 points to take a 35-31 lead into the locker rooms.
 
Manhattanville hit two three's to start the second-half before DeSales took control.  A 13-3 run over the next 5:22 gave DSU a 50-40 lead with 12:50 left.  Sophomore Megan Baird started the spurt with a three and Mackavage hit two more treys during the run.
 
The Valiants pulled to within four (53-49) at the 5:37 mark but a quick 6-0 run capped by a three from Baird pushed the lead back up to 10 points and DSU iced the game from the line over the final minute of play.
 
The Bulldog defense was the story holding Manhattanville to just 26.7 percent shooting in the second-half and 34.5 percent for the game.  DSU also controlled the glass out-rebounding MVC 47-38 and the DeSales bench out-scored MVille's 22-2 for the game.  DSU hit nine 3's and shot 40.9 percent from deep in the win.
 
Baird was among the leaders with nine points and Sterner and sophomore Nikki Callahan each had five assists in the win.  Sophomore Kelly Anthony stuffed the stat sheet with six points, six rebounds, and four steals.
 
The Bulldogs return to action on Saturday when they host Misericordia University in a Freedom Conference game beginning at 1:00 pm in Billera Hall.