CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – DeSales University used a late run to pull away from Manhattanville College in the Bulldogs' 64-56 win over the Valiants in MAC Freedom men's basketball action on Wednesday night at Billera Hall.
 
Senior Alex Tuci (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle) led all players with 19 points and 10 rebounds for Manhattanville (7-13, 1-8 MAC Freedom), while freshman Sean Smith (Yonkers, N.Y./Sacred Heart) also reached double figures with 11 points to go with six boards. Tracy Simsick scored a team-high 14 points for DeSales (16-4, 7-2 MAC Freedom)
 
DeSales started the game with five straight points and did not trail for the first 11 minutes of the game before two straight layups from Smith put the visitors ahead for the first time at 16-15.
 
After the Bulldogs took the lead back, the Valiants promptly closed the half on a 19-9 run over the final 7:13 to take a 35-26 lead into the break. Junior Mike Ryan (Bronx, N.Y./Arlington) started the run with a bucket, followed by three free throws and a Tuci tip-in as part of a 7-0 run. Baskets from Smith and senior Chris Ayson (Pelham, N.Y./Pelham Memorial) continued the stretch, as the visitors hit 7-of-12 shots from the field.
 
Tuci led all players with 12 points and six rebounds at the half, while Smith chipped in seven points and five boards. As a team, Manhattanville turned the ball over just four times in the opening 20 minutes while turning 10 DeSales turnovers into 14 points at the other end.
 
After finishing the first half with a three, the Bulldogs scored the first 10 points of the second half to quickly erase the deficit and take a 36-35 lead. Back-to-back Smith jumpers put Manhattanville back up by three, but DeSales scored six straight points to regain the lead. The Valiants got within one on three occasions, the last coming after a Ryan layup with 4:55 left that made the score 54-53, but the visitors managed only three free throws the rest of the way as the Bulldogs closed on a 10-3 run to secure the win.
 
The Valiants shot only 7-of-25 (28.0 percent) from the field in the second half, as the visitors finished the game at 35.6 percent (21 of 59) from the field, including just 1-of-17 from three-point range. DeSales finished the night shooting 49.0 percent (25 of 51) from the field.
 
Manhattanville will continue MAC Freedom play on Saturday when the Valiants host Wilkes University in the penultimate home game of the year tipping off at 3 p.m.