DOYLESTOWN, Pa. – Despite another season-high scoring output from freshman Sean Smith (Yonkers, N.Y./Sacred Heart), the Manhattanville College men's basketball team dropped a 78-61 contest to Delaware Valley University in a MAC Freedom matchup at James Work Gymnasium on Wednesday night.
 
The loss drops Manhattanville (8-14, 2-9 MAC Freedom) into seventh place in the conference standings and officially eliminates the Valiants from postseason contention.
 
Smith had another excellent effort for the Valiants, posting his third double-double in the last four games with a game- and season-high 26 points and 13 rebounds. Senior Dom Arena (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Spellman) also came one rebound short of his second career double-double with 12 points, a career-high nine caroms and four assists.
 
The first half was closely contested, featuring nine lead changes and a margin that did not exceed five points until the final minute. The Valiants stayed right with the Aggies for most of the half, but could only string together back-to-back buckets on one occasion. Manhattanville shot 10-of-31 (32.3 percent) over the first 20 minutes, as Delaware Valley (5-17, 3-8 MAC Freedom) finished on a 16-6 run to take a 39-32 lead into the half.
 
The Aggies then hit eight of their first 10 shots from the field in the second half as part of a 21-5 run that ballooned the home team's lead to 60-37 with 12:53 to play. The Valiants managed only five shots during that time thanks in part to six turnovers, as the deficit proved to be too much to overcome.
 
The visitors had trouble shooting the ball all night long, finishing the evening at 31.8 percent (21 of 66) from the field and only 17.2 percent (5 of 29) from beyond the arc. DelVal was at or over 50 percent from the field in both halves, finishing the night at 51.7 percent (30 of 58) overall and 46.7 percent (7 of 15) from three-point range.
 
Manhattanville will take to the Kennedy Gym court for the final time in 2017-18 on Saturday, when the Valiants honor their five graduating seniors with Senior Day prior to a 3 p.m. tipoff against Eastern University.