BRONXVILLE, N.Y. – The Manhattanville College men's basketball team, needing a victory to clinch the No. 3 seed in the Skyline Conference tournament, did just that on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 22. The Valiants defeated Sarah Lawrence College 78-63 behind a strong day from junior Mike Granda (Monroe Township, N.J./St. Joseph), who was 5-of-8 from beyond the arc.
 
The Valiants (16-9, 11-5 Skyline) finished the regular season with their most wins since 2008-09 following the victory over the Gryphons (11-14, 7-9 Skyline). Manhattanville earns the right to host the 3v6 quarterfinal matchup this Tuesday night, Feb. 25, at 7:00 p.m. against this same Sarah Lawrence squad at Kennedy Gymnasium in Purchase, N.Y. The Valiants have defeated the Gryphons in both regular-season meetings this year.
 
On Saturday, however, both squads started of the game going back and forth until Sarah Lawrence took a four-point lead at 26-22 with 4:26 to go in the first half. It was then that the Valiants unleashed a barrage of three pointers to go on an 18-3 run and jump out to an 11-point lead. Sophomore Petey Galgano (New Rochelle, N.Y./Wilbraham & Monson Academy (Mass.)), who finished with a career-high 14 points, kicked it off with a long range jumper at 3:44, followed by a made three from Granda at 3:16. Galgano got in the action once again at 2:44 to make it a five-point game before Granda – following a Gryphon free throw – sank yet another three to make it a seven-point game.
 
Now joining in on the long-range parade was freshman Tommy Lotito (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Peter's), who made a three to stretch it out to a 10-point 37-27 game with 1:41 left in the first. Sarah Lawrence finally made a layup at 1:11, but Galgano fired back with yet another made bucket from beyond the arc to make it 40-29 in favor of the Valiants with 00:42 left. Following a pair of made Gryphons free throws, Lotito made the Valiants' first two-point field goal in over five minutes when he sank a jumper to end the half at 42-31.
 
Manhattanville maintained that lead for the remainder of the second half, stretching it out to as many as 17 points with under a minute remaining in regulation, before taking the 15-point victory and regular-season series sweep. Joining Granda and Galgano in double figures were senior JoJo Cobbs (Elmsford, N.Y./Briarcliff) (11 points) and sophomore Matt Bielenda (Wethersfield, Conn./Xavier) (season-high-tying 10 points).
 
Highlights:

• The Valiants shot above 50.0 percent (51.7) from beyond the arc, going 15-of-29 as a team.
• Freshman Khari Taylor (Bronx, N.Y./St. Raymond) led Manhattanville in rebounds (7) and steals (3) to go with four points.
• The Valiants end the regular-season on a nice run as winners of two in a row and four of their last five.

As mentioned, Manhattanville returns to action on Tuesday night for the Skyline quarters against the Gryphons. The winner of that game will advance to the semifinals on Thursday night, Feb. 27, against the winner of the 2v7 Purchase College/Mount Saint Mary College matchup.