RIVERDALE, N.Y. – The Yeshiva University women's basketball team snapped its two-game winning streak on Sunday afternoon by dropping its Skyline Conference game to Manhattanville College, 75-56, at Peter Jay Sharp Center. The Maccabees drop to 4-8 in the Skyline (6-8 overall) and now trail sixth-place Farmingdale State College by two full games for the final league playoff spot.

Rookie sensation Daniella Bessler had another great game for the Maccabees, leading all players with 22 points, while grabbing eight rebounds, forcing a game-high five steals, dishing out an assist, and blocking a shot. Sophomore Shai Rahamim had a productive game with 13 points, four assists, three steals, and two boards. Junior Yuval Nitzan netted nine points, distributed five assists, and brought down four rebounds. Classmate Daniella Rothman had a team-high 11 rebounds to go along with four points.

The Maccabees got off to a fast start as back-to-back layups from junior forward Gabrielle Kupferman and Rothman put the home team up, 4-0. After the Valiants (12-5, 8-4 Skyline) sliced the lead in half and got the ball back, Bessler forced a steal and found Rahamim, who guided the ball Nitzan as she finished it off with a fastbreak layup to extend the Macs' lead to 6-2, less than three minutes into the contest.

Manhattanville answered with eight unanswered points, capped off by a pair of free throws from freshman Niyona Smith, to take the lead for good at 10-6, with 3:14 remaining in the opening period. Each team scored one more basket in the first quarter as the Valiants took a 12-8 advantage into the second stanza.

After falling behind by six early in the second quarter, Bessler connected on both a layup and a jumper to slice her team's deficit to 16-14 with 7:13 remaining in the half. Manhattanville went back up by four, but Rahamim got the Macs closer by connecting on a shot from downtown to shrink YU's deficit to 18-17 with 5:31 left to play before the break. From that point on, however, the Valiants took over by outscoring the Maccabees, 19-5, the rest of the half to take a commanding 37-22 hold into the intermission.

Yeshiva could not get back into the game during the second half, as Manhattanville led by as many as 25 points on its way to the conference road victory.

For Yeshiva, Kupferman tallied seven rebounds, a pair of blocked shots, just as many assists, and two points. First-year player Kira Elbaum produced four points, six rebounds, and a blocked shot. Junior Renee Benjamini generated two points, five assists, and a steal. Classmate Yael Dannenbaum brought down a board.

For Manhattanville, Smith had a double-double with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Senior Faith Johnson-DeSilvia added 17 points and 13 rebounds of her own.

Yeshiva will travel to Newburgh, N.Y., on Tuesday evening for a Skyline clash at first-place Mount Saint Mary College. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.