Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 Box Score (MVille-Plattsburgh)
MIAMI, Fla. – The Manhattanville men's basketball team split a pair of non-conference games on Friday and Saturday afternoon at the 2011 Adidas Holiday Slam Classic, hosted by the Florida Christian School at Alumni Gymnasium. The Valiants fell to fellow MAC member Messiah, 71-54, on Friday's first day of the tournament before coming back to squeeze by SUNY Plattsburgh, 69-68, in the consolation round on Saturday.
The second game of the weekend was certainly the best for Manhattanville coming against the Cardinals, as the Valiants were able to eke out a one-point win and earn third place in the four-team tournament. The game was a nail biter until the very end, as the squads went into halftime tied at 42 and the Valiants managed to squeak out an extra point in the second half to earn the win.
Senior Trevoy Pointer (Dallas, Texas/Skyline) led the Valiants with 16 points in the win, while sophomore Jack Bramswig (Pleasantville, N.Y./Pleasantville) shot 6 of 9 from the floor on the way to a 12-point, six-rebound afternoon. Senior Armani Blackmon (Plano, Texas/Plano East) did not shoot well from the floor, missing all six attempts, but still got to the line 12 times and drained 10 to finish in double figures as well.
Both teams shot the ball similarly on the day, as the Valiants finished at 42.0 percent (21 for 50) while the Cardinals were only slightly better at 42.6 percent (23 for 54). The two teams recorded the same amount of points from the run of play, and so the game ultimately came down to the free-throw line, where Manhattanville made 21 freebies and Plattsburgh made only 20 to account for the final score.
Plattsburgh was led by Shavar Fields with a game-high 18 points on 7 of 10 shooting and seven rebounds, followed by John Perez with 12 points.
The first game of the weekend was not a great one for the Valiants, as the Messiah trio of Brad Bolen (22 points) David Fernandez (20 points) and Taylor Groff (15 points) singlehandedly outscored Manhattanville on the way to a win.
The Falcons put the game out of reach early in the first game of the weekend, putting up 52 points in the first half alone on 20-of-30 shooting (66.7 percent) and cruising to the victory. Fernandez shot 9 of 12 from the field for the Hawks, followed by Bolen shooting at a 9-of-13 clip and Groff missing on only two of eight attempts.
Pointer led Manhattanville with a team-best 11 points, shooting 4 of 6 from the field and connecting on both attempts from beyond the arc. Three players – senior Jeff Ventura (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Cypress Bay) and sophomores Bramswig and Taylor Mazzei (Weston, Fla./Cypress Bay) – added eight points apiece for the Valiants.
After shooting 36.4 percent (8 of 22) in the first half, Manhattanville warmed up in the second half (11 for 23) to finish at 42.2 percent (19 for 45) for the day. Messiah, meanwhile, finished at a stellar 58.7 percent (27 for 46) from the field thanks in large part to its excellent first half of play.
Manhattanville (5-6) will return to action in 2012, as the Valiants make the short trip across town to SUNY Purchase to continue the battle for Anderson Hill Road bragging rights against the Panthers beginning at 8 p.m.
