MVille-WCSU Boxscore
Plattsburgh-Wheelock Boxscore

PURCHASE, N.Y. – Behind a career day from senior Most Valuable Player Peter Mehmel (Queens, N.Y.), the Manhattanville men's basketball team captured its third Castle Classic championship in the last four seasons with a hard-fought 81-74 victory over Western Connecticut State University on Saturday afternoon at Kennedy Gymnasium. 

For Mehmel, the 22 points surpassed his previous game high of 18, set against Medgar Evers at the Castle Classic nearly two years to the day on November 21, 2008. The Queens native shot 9 of 10 from the field and 3 of 4 from the free-throw line while also grabbing three boards. He has consistently been one of the Valiants' best players at the Castle Classic, as he shot 27 for 35 (.771) from the floor in eight Classic games and three of his seven career double-digit scoring games came at the event.

Mehmel and junior teammate Trevoy Pointer (Dallas, Texas) were named as Manhattanville's representatives on the All-Tournament team, with Mehmel taking MVP honors. Western Connecticut's Wilburt Jarrett and Gary Robinson, Plattsburgh State's Steve Thomas and Wheelock's Kyle Pierce also were named to the All-Tournament team.

Pointer had another 20-point day for Manhattanville, scoring 20 points or more for the third straight game after doing so a total of three times in his first two seasons with the Valiants. The junior was just 6 of 13 from the field but made 12 trips to the line and sunk eight of them. The forward also added five rebounds and three assists to complete the day.

Senior Lamar Glass (Dallas, Texas) and freshman Jack Bramswig (Pleasantville, N.Y.) also continued their hot starts to the season, as both players netted 10 points. Glass also led all players with three steals, while Bramswig chipped in a game-high eight rebounds for the Valiants.

For Western Connecticut, Jarrett had a team-best 17 points, while DaQuan Brooks added 13, Jengodji Gates had 12 and Ronnie Underwood chipped in 10 off the bench.

Mehmel's hot shooting seemed to set the tone for the entire Manhattanville squad, as the Valiants connected on 55.8 percent (29 for 52) of their attempts from the field – including a lethal 72.7 percent (16 for 22) in the second half. But the defense also had a solid day for the home team as well: Western Connecticut took 16 more shots than the Valiants but made four fewer (25 for 68, 36.8 percent).

Western Connecticut held a two-point edge headed into halftime and extended its lead to six points at 42-36 1:16 into the second stanza, but a quick 10-2 run by the home team put them in front. Mehmel and Pointer scored all 10 Valiant points during the run, with Mehmel netting seven – including just the second three-pointer of his career from the wing.

Although the team's lead was never comfortable, Manhattanville never again trailed in the contest. Western Connecticut got within two points on five different occasions and shrunk the deficit to just a single point once, but the Valiant defense always came up with either a key offensive play or a big defensive stand to preserve the lead.

The Manhattanville lead was just three at 74-71 with 52 seconds on the clock, but Glass continued his play as the team's late-game free-throw specialist in this contest by going 5 of 6 from the charity stripe in the final 34 seconds of the game to help clinch the victory. In all, Manhattanville sunk 14 free throws in the second half and 21 in the game on the way to a win.

Unlike the second, the first half was back-and-forth, as both teams traded dominance of play. The Valiants came out hot to start, scoring on four of their first five possessions to take an early 8-2 lead, but the shooting touch went cold soon after. The Valiants went more than five minutes without a field goal, allowing Western Connecticut to take the biggest lead of the half, 31-22, on the second straight three-pointer by Gates with 6:30 remaining in the frame.

But the patented Valiant defense showed signs of life afterwards, however, as the home team held the Colonials to just one field goal for the remainder of the half to get back into the contest. Junior Felipe Vargas (Miami, Fla.) netted the final three points of the half with an acrobatic three-point play with 54 seconds left on the clock, and the home team went into the break down just two at 36-34 and ready for a second-half comeback.

Manhattanville (3-0, 0-0 Freedom) will play one more game before Thanksgiving break, as the Valiants will be home on Tuesday night for a 7 p.m. matchup against non-conference Ramapo College at Kennedy Gym. Western Connecticut State (3-1, 0-0 Little East) hosts Colby College on Tuesday at 6 p.m.