DANBURY, Conn. – The Manhattanville College men's basketball team began the week of athletic competitions on the road on Tuesday night, falling to Western Connecticut State, 66-57. With the loss, the Valiants drop to 3-4 on the season.
Tommy Lotito (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Peter's), Manhattanville's leading scorer this season, led the Valiants with 16 points on Tuesday night. The junior guard is now averaging 11.3 points per game this year. Lotito also dished out seven assists to lead the team.
Mike Granda (Monroe Township, N.J./St. Joseph) and
Chris Maestre (Bronx, N.Y./Mount Saint Michael Academy) scored eight points apiece as Manhattanville's other top offensive performers.
Connor Yetman (Sydney, Australia/The Scots College (H.S.)) hauled in seven rebounds to bring his season total to a team-high 41. Four of Yetman's boards came off the offensive glass to generate second-chance opportunities for the Valiants. Maestre and
Chris Brown (Miami, Fla./Coral Gables Senior) added six rebounds each.
WestConn found success from deep, shooting 53 percent from beyond the arc on the night. WCSU hit four three pointers in each half. Even with WestConn shooting well from three point land, the Valiants led for a majority of the first half. Manhattanville led by as much as seven, sporting a 24-17 advantage with 5:20 remaining in the stanza. WestConn went on a 13-4 run to close out the half and take a lead into the locker room.
Both teams traded runs in the second, with Manhattanville pulling ahead 41-40 off a Lotito three with 12:54 remaining. WestConn would respond with eight consecutive points, taking the lead back for good. Manhattanville pulled back to within three with 3:54 left to play, but WCSU used a 9-1 run to put some space between them and the Valiants, ultimately closing out the nine point win.
Up Next
Manhattanville's Tuesday night contest against Purchase College has been postponed. The Valiants will now return to action on Saturday at 1 p.m. against Maritime.
VALIANTS on SOCIAL MEDIA For the latest on Manhattanville Athletics, follow the Valiants via social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. #GoValiants #RollVals
