Purchase, NY - The rematch of the 2023 championship game was taken by the Valiants.

The University of Mount Saint Vincent and Manhattanville University squared off for the first time since the Skyline Conference Championship, with the battle once again taking place in Purchase. This time, however, it would be the Valiants who emerged victorious, as they would climb out of an early hole to defeat the Dolphins 56-53.

The loss puts UMSV at 2-2 this season with a 1-1 record against conference competition. 

Head coach Maria Nardulli saw her squad get off to a fantastic start. The Dolphins scored nine unanswered points to open the game, with lead guard Erin Smith accounting for five of them, thanks to an and-one layup conversion to kick off the game and another layup to end the run. Junior JaKaia Lotz and sophomore Gretta Baker also scored baskets over that span. UMSV would hold the lead throughout the entirety of the first quarter, with a pair of Melanieann Broderick free throws pushing the lead to double digits. 

The Valiants would continue to chip away at the deficit, tying this up at 18 apiece at the six minute mark. Manhattanville would gain an advantage of their own to end the half, with Baker converting two free throw attempts to make it a one possession game at the break. 

The Valiants would see their lead reach seven points in the third, but UMSV would once again would battle back. A Kayla Hanley layup with less than two minutes remaining would give the Dolphins their first lead since the first half, and free throws from Smith and Julia Angeles would extend the lead to four heading into the final period. Both sides would trade leads in the final 10 minutes of action. The score was knotted up at 51 with 2:43 left in regulation, and the Dolphins had a shot with seconds remaining to send the game to overtime. Unfortunately for UMSV, the shot didn't fall, resulting in the loss.

Smith continued her tremendous 2024 campaign. She was the only Dolphin to finish in double figures with an impressive 24-point performance to go along with three rebounds and three steals. Nailea Green feasted on the boards with 18 rebounds of her own while Hanley led the charge with seven assists, a team-high, in addition to six points and four boards. 

The Dolphins will have another playoff rematch on their hands, this time against Farmingdale State College, on the road on Tuesday.