MONTCLAIR, N.J. – Behind a career-high 23 points from sophomore JoJo Cobbs (Elmsford, N.Y./Briarcliff), the Manhattanville College men's basketball team reached the title game of a third straight invitational this season by taking down Nazareth College, 91-81, on day one of the Gelston/Packert Holiday Tournament on Thursday at the Panzer Athletic Center.
 
With the win, Manhattanville (6-4) advances tomorrow's final, where the Valiants will face off with host Montclair State University, who defeated Elizabethtown College 67-56 in Thursday's first game. The teams are slated to tip off tomorrow beginning at 12 p.m.
 
Five players scored in double figures for the Valiants, who reached a new season-high in points for the third time in the last four outings. The 91 points are tied for the most by a Valiant side since putting up 96 against Union (N.Y.) College on November 17, 2015.
 
Cobbs had a big day for the Valiants, hitting 8-of-9 attempts from the line on the way to a career-best 23 points, and Tuci just missed a double-double with 18 points, nine rebounds and four blocks. Fellow senior starters Dom Arena (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Spellman) and Timmy Quinlan (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Peter's Boys) both reached double figures as well with 12 and 10 points, respectively.
 
Senior Brian Haggerty (Bayside, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) had another excellent game off the bench as well for Manhattanville, as he did not miss a shot on the day by hitting all five field-goal attempts and all four free-throw attempts on the way to a 14-point effort.
 
With the Valiants holding a 12-11 lead 4:10 into the game, the team made its first move with a 15-4 run that gave Manhattanville a 27-15 advantage at the midway point of the half. Cobbs led the team with seven points during the stretch. Manhattanville then closed the half on a 19-5 run over the final six minutes to grab control of the game. Haggerty scored six points and the Valiants hit 8-of-11 shots from the field during the run, which put the team up 52-28 at the break.
 
Arena, Cobbs and Haggerty all had 10 points apiece to lead the Valiants at intermission, as the squad connected at a 57.6 percent (19 of 33) rate from the field and also sunk 11-of-12 free-throw attempts to build up a huge lead.
 
The Valiants maintained a decisive advantage for the first 10 minutes of the second half, as a free throw from Tuci made the score 70-52 at the midway point of the second stanza. Nazareth (4-3) scored nine straight points to get back within single digits, but two Cobbs freebies and a Haggerty bucket bumped the lead back up to 13 with 5:18 remaining.
 
Manhattanville sunk 8-of-10 free throws and also got another Haggerty layup down the stretch to build up an insurmountable 88-71 lead entering the final minute, allowing the Valiants to cruise to the victory.
 
For the game, Manhattanville hit 29 of 54 shots (53.7 percent) from the field and also got to the line 35 times, hitting 27 (77.1 percent).