Center Valley, PA (January 31, 2018) - The DeSales University women's basketball team held Manhattanville College to just three points in the fourth quarter and scoreless over the final 7:33 of the game in a 69-60 win in MAC Freedom action on Wednesday evening in Billera Hall.

The Bulldogs (11-9, 6-3 MAC Freedom) were led by junior Morgan Birmelin (Honesdale, PA) who registered a career-high 15 points and her second double-double of the season with 10 assists.  Freshman Jillian Martin (Quakertown, PA) gave DSU a big boost off the bench recorded her first career double-double with 13 points and 10 boards, while sophomore Molly Jansco (Newfoundland, PA) added 14 points and junior Leandra Sterner (Northampton, PA) finished with 13 points, six rebounds, and four assists in the win.  Freshman Cailee Murphy (Bethlehem, PA) also played well with nine points off the pine.

The Valiants (15-4, 5-3 MAC Freedom) also had four in double digits including Sarah Coutu with 12 points, Kymane Jones with 11 tallies, Spencer Shore with 11 off the bench, and Joaida Darnell with 10 points.  Kayleah McGuire pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds and was just one point shy of a double-double in the loss.

DeSales started quickly scoring the first five points of the game and led nearly the entire first quarter before a lay-up from Darnell with 13 sceonds left gave MVC a 16-15 edge after one.  The second quarter was a back and forth affair featuring four ties and eight lead changes and saw the Valiants take a one point cushion (34-33) into the locker room on a three from Shore with seven seconds left.

Manhattanville started quick to open the third quarter taking a quick seven point lead with a 9-3 run to start the second half and led by as many as 10 points before DSU closed the quarter on a 9-3 run to get within four (57-53) after three quarters of play.

Consecutive buckets from Martin tied the game at 57 before McGuire converted a three-point play at the 7:33 mark giving the Valiants a 60-57 lead.

That was the last point Manhattanville would score as the Bulldog defense held MC scoreless over the final 7:33 of the game.

A lay-up from Sterner cut it to a one-point lead and another lay-up from Martin gave DSU a 61-60 edge with 5:11 to go.  Both teams went scoreless over the next two minutes before Sterner hit two freebies at the 3:07 mark.  Martin hit another lay-up on the next possession and senior Kaitlin Kelly (Newtown, PA) provided the exclamation point with her first and only three of the game with 35 seconds left icing the win for DeSales.

DSU shot a terrific 49.1 percent from the field and held MVC to just 30.8 percent shooting in the second-half.  The Bulldogs also won the battle of the boards, 36-29, and scored 19 points off 15 Valiant turnovers.

The Bulldogs are back in action on Saturday when they travel to FDU-Florham for another very important MAC Freedom game beginning at 1:00 pm.