PURCHASE, N.Y. – The Manhattanville College men's basketball team fell on the road in Skyline Conference play to Purchase College today, Feb. 14. The Valiants and Panthers were knotted at the half at 33-33, but Purchase pulled ahead 71-55 to close out the game.

The Panthers (15-7, 10-3 Skyline) took the early lead over the Valiants (14-9, 9-5 Skyline), but senior Jojo Cobbs responded to their shot with a jumper to even out the score. As the Panthers started to break away from Manhattanville, freshman Khari Taylor (Bronx, N.Y./St. Raymond) banked in a layup to cut the Panthers lead in half. When the Valiants were next on offense, Cobbs grabbed the offensive rebound off of junior Mike Granda's (Monroe Township, N.J./St. Joseph) missed three for a jumper in the paint.
 
Halfway through the first, freshman Ryan Giordano (West Nyack, N.Y./Clarkstown South) checked into the game and was passed the ball from sophomore Jake Dunn (Staten Island, N.Y./Monsignor Farrell). Giordano put up a layup to cut the Panthers lead to six. He later blocked the Panthers shot to hold them 27-15. After the swatted ball, the Valiants made two unanswered baskets to bring the score to 27-19. Giordano and freshman Tommy Lotito (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Peter's) put up the baskets in the scoring spree.
 
The Crimson and White were down by 10 with five minutes left in the half. Taylor started the run that tied the two squads at the half. As Purchase and Manhattanville traded off baskets, Taylor made a layup as Granda sunk a three, Dunn notched four points and freshman Jackson Leech (Chicago, Ill./Von Steuben) totaled three points to make the score 33-31. With only one second remaining, Dunn passed the ball off to Leech who put up a layup to tie the score at 33. Leech and Giordano entered the second half with perfect shooting percentages -- they both shot 2-of-2 in the paint.
 
As the score was tied and the intensity was high, the Valiants were the first to score. Cobbs grabbed the defensive rebound and went coast to coast for a jumper. Purchase took a seven-point lead, though, in the opening five minutes that Manhattanville struggled to close.
 
Granda hit a three later in the game to start the momentum for the Valiants. His three closed the deficit to 62-50 in Purchase's favor. Senior Cory Madden (Woodside, N.Y./Monsignor McClancy Memorial) followed with a jump shot to tally his fourth point of the game.
 
Cobbs led the Valiants in points, rebounds and steals tallying 12, seven and three, respectively. His third steal of the night was turned into a made jumpshot after he dished the ball of to sophomore Petey Galgano (New Rochelle, N.Y./Wilbraham & Monson Academy (Mass.)).
 
The Valiants will next face Maritime College home in Kennedy Gym on Tuesday, Feb. 18. Manhattanville will honor its two seniors -- Cobbs and Madden -- before tipoff at 7:00 p.m.