PURCHASE, N.Y. – Yet another double-double from sophomore Sean Smith, Jr. (Yonkers, N.Y./Sacred Heart), was not enough Monday night, Jan. 21, as Manhattanville College men's basketball was defeated by Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom foe Eastern University by a score of 88-77.
 
The Valiants (7-10, 1-5 MACF) and Eagles (10-7, 4-2 MACF) played extremely tight all night and were tied at 58-58 with just 12:29 remaining. Manhattanville was again within two points as late as 6:59 at 71-69, but from that point on, Eastern took control to come away with the victory following 13-0 run that ended at the 2:16 mark.
 
The game was close throughout the first half, but the Eagles closed out with a 12-3 run to take a 12-point lead into the break. Manhattanville stormed out of the gates in the second and used a 13-4 run to trim Eastern's lead to just three points at 52-49 with 16:06 remaining. Eventually, Smith's fastbreak layup tied the game up at 58 and the Valiants were able to keep it close until that 6:59 mark when the Eagles began their game-clinching run.
 
Smith led Manhattanville with team highs of 23 points and 10 rebounds for his 10th double-double of the season. Junior JoJo Cobbs (Elmsford, N.Y./Briarcliff) chipped in 12 points, while sophomore Mike Granda (Monroe Township, N.J./St. Joseph) and senior Mike Ryan (Bronx, N.Y./Arlington) each contributed nine points. Granda also dished out a game- and career-best eight assists.
 
The Valiants will return to action this Wednesday night, Jan. 23, when they travel across the Hudson for a 6:00 p.m. MAC Freedom battle with Farleigh Dickinson University-Florham in Madison, N.J.