MONTCLAIR, N.J. – The Manhattanville College men's basketball team dropped a 103-46 contest to host Montclair State University in the championship game of the Gelston/Packert Holiday Tournament on Thursday at the Panzer Athletic Center.
 
For the second straight week, senior Dom Arena (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Spellman) and freshman Sean Smith (Yonkers, N.Y./Sacred Heart) were both honored with All-Tournament team recognition. Smith led all Valiants with 11 points and eight rebounds in Friday's final, while Arena chipped in nine points in 18 minutes to earn All-Tournament team honors in all three invitationals this season.
 
Less than 24 hours after its highest-scoring output of the year, Manhattanville (6-5) struggled to find the net all game long against the Red Hawks, hitting only 12-of-48 attempts (25.0 percent) from the field and only 2-of-23 shots (8.7 percent) from beyond the arc. Montclair State (9-3), conversely, could barely miss, hitting 56.1 percent (37 of 66) from the field and 58.3 percent (14 of 24) from three-point land.
 
Montclair State came out of the gates hot, scoring the game's first 10 points and 17 of the first 19 to grab a 17-2 lead 5:23 into the contest. A free throw and jumper from Smith decreased the deficit to 12 (17-5) with 13:34 to go, but the Red Hawks rattled off 15 of the next 17 points to take a 32-7 lead with 6:51 on the clock.
 
Arena led Manhattanville with seven points and Smith added five points and five rebounds over the first 20 minutes, as the Valiants went into the half trailing 44-18.
 
Montclair State heated up even more in the second half, shooting 69.0 percent (20 of 29) from the field to pull away for the win. Smith and freshman Matt Williams (Bronx, N.Y./Our Savior Lutheran) scored a team-best six points each for the Valiants over the final 20 minutes.
 
Manhattanville will turn the page on 2017 and begin fresh in 2018 beginning on January 3, when the Valiants kick off MAC Freedom play against preseason favorite Misericordia University at Kennedy Gym starting at 6 p.m. Fans should note the earlier start time, as the Valiants' first four conference home doubleheaders will feature the men playing before the women.