PURCHASE, N.Y. - Championship bound again! It'll be the second year in a row the Valiants will compete for a title as the Manhattanville College men's basketball team defeated Yeshiva University 71-57 in the Skyline Conference Semifinals. 

The win guarantees a new team will hoist the Skyline Conference Championship for the first time in three years as the Valiants knocked out the back-to-back defending champs. Additionally, it was Manhattanville's first win over Yeshiva in 16 years, snapping a six-game losing streak at the hand of the Maccabees.

It was four double-digit scorers that would lead Manhattanville to victory as Tommy Lotito (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Peter's) scored 23 points, along with 17-point performances from Jackson Leech (Chicago, Ill./Von Steuben) and Andrew Saint-Louis (Norwalk, Conn./Notre Dame Fairfield). Ryan Giordano (West Nyack, N.Y./Clarkstown South) would finish off the night with 10 points. Lotito would shoot 8-for-14 from the field while grabbing eight rebounds, dishing out four assists, and making three steals and one block. Leech and Giordano would tally seven and six boards, respectively. 
 
In a game that saw only one lead change, it was definitely an electric atmosphere in Kennedy Gymnasium with some must-watch postseason basketball. 
 
Yeshiva would get off to a hot start as Matan Tucker scored a quick three points off a free throw and fast break layup within the first 90 seconds. Lotito would respond with one of his own to get the Valiants on the board. It would then be a back-and-forth battle as the score tied three times before Manhattanville would take a significant 28-15 lead. Zevi Samet would hit one from long to bring the score back within ten points. Then Max Zakheim and Zucker would feel the pressure and make a few baskets to bring it back within five for the Macabees. Jake Dunn (Staten Island, N.Y./Monsignor Farrell) and Lotito would score before the buzzer to make it 33-25 going into halftime. 
 
The Valiants would shoot 51 percent from the field through the first 20 minutes, going 33 percent from the three-point line and 100 percent from the charity stripe. Yeshiva would unfortunately not have the same luck, shooting only 27 percent from the field, nine percent from behind the arc and 75 percent from the free throw line. 
 
In the second half, Manhattanville would get four points on the board within the first minute. Samet would respond quickly with a three as the Valiants continued to score to keep a good distance ahead. The biggest Manhattanville lead would come halfway through the period, up 17 points on the Macabees but they would battle back each time as Itcovichi, Zakheim, and Zucker were resilient in their offensive playmaking. Six straight points but it wouldn't be enough as Manhattanville knew exactly what needed to be done in the moment. As the clock ticked down, Saint-Louis and Lotito would get four from the foul line before Samet capitalized in the last few seconds. Ultimately, confetti and balloons as the Valiants come out victorious, 71-57. 
 
Numbers would drop for the Valiants in the second half but success was imminent as they shot 41 percent from the field, 20 percent from three, and 80 percent from foul territory. The Macabees would improve statistically but not enough to pull off a win. They shot 48 percent from the field going 12-25, 12 percent from the three-point line, and 70 percent from the foul line. 
 
Now back in the finals for a second-consecutive year, the Valiants will have the opportunity to overcome the final hurdle they fell just short of a season ago as they look to capture their first conference title since 2007.
 
Up Next
The No. 2 Manhattanville College Valiants will hit the road to take on the No. 1 Farmingdale State Rams in the Skyline Conference championship game on Saturday at 1 p.m. 

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