CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – The Manhattanville College men's basketball team hung with DeSales University for much of the first half, but a big second-half run propelled the Bulldogs to a 69-53 victory over the Valiants in MAC Freedom action on Wednesday night at Billera Hall.
 
Junior Alex Tuci (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle) and sophomore Willie Britton (Queens, N.Y./Monsignor McClancy) scored 11 points each to lead Manhattanville (5-9, 1-2 MAC Freedom), with Britton also hauling in a team-best seven rebounds. A trio of Valiants – senior Charles Nardone (Stony Point, N.Y./North Rockland), junior Dom Arena (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Spellman) and freshman JoJo Cobbs (Elmsford, N.Y./Briarcliff) – added eight points apiece as well.
 
The Valiants got off to a good start against the Bulldogs, hitting four of their first seven shots to open up an early 10-5 lead 3:16 into the game. Tuci started the scoring with a jumper, and then finished off an 8-0 run by following a Cobbs three-pointer with one of his own.
 
Manhattanville maintained an advantage for much of the next 10 minutes, before DeSales (11-3, 3-0 MAC Freedom) closed the half on a 14-5 run to take a 33-27 lead at halftime. The visitors stayed in the game despite 39.3 percent shooting (11 of 28) thanks in part to an efficient 5-of-9 effort from beyond the arc and eight points off eight Bulldog turnovers.
 
The Valiants withstood a mini-surge by the Bulldogs to begin the second half, as a Tuci layup and a three from junior Chris Ayson (Pelham, N.Y./Pelham Memorial) helped keep the deficit at six (39-33) with 16:59 left. However, DeSales followed with a 16-6 run over the next 8:07 to take a 55-39 lead with 8:52 on the clock, giving the home team all the momentum needed to pick up the victory and remain unbeaten in conference play.
 
DeSales boasted a big advantage on the glass over the course of the night, out-rebounding Manhattanville by a 42-26 margin and posting a huge 44-20 scoring edge in the paint. The Valiants finished the night shooting 20-of-49 (40.8 percent) from the field, while the Bulldogs ended the evening at 47.5 percent (28 of 59).
 
Manhattanville will return to Kennedy Gym on Saturday, when the Valiants host King's (Pa.) College in another key MAC Freedom clash tipping off at 3 p.m.