WILKES-BARRE, PA. – The Manhattanville College men's basketball dropped a road meeting to Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom opponent Wilkes University Wednesday night, Jan. 30, by a score of 76-62.
 
Sophomore Sean Smith, Jr. (Yonkers, N.Y./Sacred Heart) – who scored a career- and program-record 46 points the last time the Valiants (8-12, 2-7 MACF) and Colonels (13-7, 5-4 MACF) met earlier in the season – finished with a game-best 20 points and a team-high eight rebounds in 31 minutes for Manhattanville. Rookies Jake Dunn (Staten Island, N.Y./Monsignor Farrell) (16 points, five assists) and Connor Yetman (Sydney, Australia/The Scots College (H.S.)) (10 points, four rebounds) were the other Valiants to score in double figures. Connor Evans (18 points) and Mark Mullens (16 points, 15 rebounds) led the way for Wilkes.
 
The majority of the first half got away from the Valiants, as they found themselves down by 18 at 37-19 with 4:45 remaining until the break. Fortunately, Manhattanville was able to close the gap and build some momentum with a 13-0 run to end the half and trim Wilkes' lead to just five at 37-32. Dunn led the way with seven of those points, including a pair of free throws with 1:38 remaining, followed by a three-pointer 11 seconds later to cap off the scoring for the half.
 
Dunn came out firing in the second half and nailed another three at 19:24 to trim the Colonels' lead to just two at 37-35 and cap off an overall 16-0 run. Yetman and junior JoJo Cobbs (Elmsford, N.Y./Briarcliff) sank a pair of buckets over the next three minutes as well to maintain the two-point game at 44-42 with 16:52 left.
 
Eventually, Manhattanville used another run, this time 8-0, to take their first lead of the game at 51-48. Freshman Petey Galgano (New Rochelle, N.Y./Wilbraham & Monson Academy (Mass.)) began on a layup with 12:15 remaining, and Smith followed just over a minute later with a fastbreak lay-in. Smith made the shot and was fouled, and sank the free throw for the and-one. Dunn capped the run with yet another three-point bucket at 10:48 – he made five field goals on the night, with four coming from beyond the arc.
 
Wilkes eventually took the lead back, and although the Valiants kept it close throughout most of the second half, the home squad hit their free throws down the stretch and ultimately came away with the 14-point victory.
 
Manhattanville will return to the court this Saturday afternoon, Feb. 2, when it hosts Misericordia University at Kennedy Gymnasium in Purchase, N.Y. The Valiants and Cougars are scheduled to tip off at 3:00 p.m. following the women's game in the first part of the doubleheader.