PURCHASE, N.Y. – Sophomore Sean Smith, Jr. (Yonkers, N.Y./Sacred Heart) broke the program record for points, dropping 46, but in the end it wasn't quite enough for the Manhattanville College men's basketball team as the Valiants fell to the Wilkes University Colonels 91-87 in a Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom contest Saturday, Dec. 8 from Kennedy Gymnasium.

Smith Jr., who added 11 rebounds for his sixth double-double of the year, was 16-for-25 from the floor for Manhattanville (4-5, 0-2 MACF), his second-highest shooting percentage of the season, while making at least nine free throws for the third time this year. His 16 made field goals also tied for fourth-most in a game in program history. Fellow sophomore Mike Granda (Monroe Township, N.J./St. Joseph) added eight points and a career-high eight assists, and freshmen Matt Bielenda (Wethersfield, Conn./Xavier) and Jake Dunn (Staten Island, N.Y./Monsignor Farrell) combined for 15 points on a five-for10 joint effort from three-point territory. Tommy Bowen led four players in double figures for Wilkes (7-1, 2-0 MACF) with 26 points.

The teams were tied at 2-all, 4-all and 6-all early on before Smith Jr. made back-to-back threes and junior Jojo Cobbs followed with a fast break layup for an eight-point Manhattanville lead at 16:29 of the half. Wilkes closed the margin to 18-17 at 13:46, but the Valiants pushed the lead back to seven, 28-21 at 10:55. The Colonels again closed the gap to one, 33-32, at 6:36, but the Valiants never relinquished the lead. Wilkes did manage to square the game at 50 at halftime following a last-second three-pointer from Marcus Robinson. Both teams finished the opening 20 minutes shooting better than 47 percent from the floor.

Wilkes twice opened four-point leads in the first 2:34 of the second half, but Smith Jr. went on a personal 9-0 tear, giving Manhattanville a 64-59 lead with 16:25 remaining. The Colonels answered with a 25-9 run, taking an 84-74 lead with 4:52 remaining. Smith scored eight points in just over two minutes, trimming the lead to 86-82 with 2:38 remaining. After Wilkes sandwiched two points on free throws around a Cobbs layup, Dunn buried a three-pointer, pulling the Valiants within one with 27 seconds left. After Wilkes made one of two free throws, Dunn missed a game-tying jumper with 11 seconds left, and Mark Mullins followed with two foul shots for the game's final points.

The Valiants return to the court Monday, Dec. 17 on the road against the University of Scranton Royals. Tip time is scheduled for 3 p.m.