PURCHASE, N.Y. – Championship Saturday has arrived, and the Valiants are back in the title game for a second-straight year. The No. 2 Manhattanville College men's basketball team will be heading to Long Island to take on the No. 1 Farmingdale State College Rams, who will be making their first appearance back since winning the title in 2019.  
How We Got Here 
 
An electric atmosphere in Kennedy Gymnasium led to some impressive play on the court between the No. 2 Valiants and the No. 3 Yeshiva Maccabees in a rematch of the 2022 finals. The Valiants flipped the script from last year's championship loss to the Macs as four double-digit scorers led Manhattanville to victory. Tommy Lotito (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Peter's) scored 23 points while the team received 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 shot 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. Manhattanville would seize the opportunity and defeat the Maccabees, 71-57 to punch their ticket to the Skyline Finals. 
 
The Rams took on No. 4 Maritime College on Thursday evening, cruising to a 73-52 victory. Farmingdale jumped out to a 20-point lead in the first half, ultimately taking an 18-point advantage into halftime. The Privateers cut the deficit down to nine to start the second half but Farmingdale's offense was too much for Maritime to handle as they lead made its way back up to 20 at the end of regulation. Nick Hurowitz and Tre Riggins led Farmingdale with 12 and 11 points, along with Jovayne Walters pulling down eight boards. 
 
Last Time Out 
 
The Valiants and Rams met back in January at Farmingdale in an overtime thriller. The Valiants led by 16 points early in the second half before Corey Powell, Hurowitz, and Aaron Davis erupted for the Rams to tie it up and take the game into overtime. Tommy Lotito (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Peter's) and Andrew Saint-Louis (Norwalk, Conn./Notre Dame Fairfield) would dominant offensively in extra time to secure the regular season victory, 88-83. Five players would reach double digits as Lotito scored a team-high 25 points and Jackson Leech (Chicago, Ill./Von Steuben) would record a double-double with 15 points and 15 rebounds. Matt Bielenda (Wethersfield, Conn./Xavier) had a 16-point performance, while Saint-Louis and Jake Dunn (Staten Island, N.Y./Monsignor Farrell) added 14 and 10 points, respectively to contribute to the win. 
 
The Rams had three players score in double-digits during the contest with Powell recording a team-high 20 points, along with 17 points from Hurowitz and 10 points from Davis. Hurowitz pulled down 16 boards to lead Farmingdale.  
 
The Valiants and Rams met in the 2022 Skyline Semifinals, a 79-74 victory for Manhattanville that sent the team to the championship game. Lotito and Leech each scored 17 in the win, with Leech leading the rebound effort with six boards.

Team Leaders 
Manhattanville

• Point Per Game: Lotito (17.3), Leech (13.3), Dunn (8.4)
• Rebounds Per Game: Leech (7.0), Lotito (6.5), Giordano (4.8)
• Assists Per Game: Lotito (4.2), Giordano (1.5), Dunn (1.4)
• Steals Per Game: Lotito (1.8), Dunn and Scanlon (0.8) 
• Field Goal Percentage: Giordano (.504), Lotito (.502), Leech (.498)

 
Farmingdale

• Point Per Game: Hurowitz (14.8), Powell (12.1), Riggins (7.3)
• Rebounds Per Game: Hurowitz (7.2), Riggins (4.8), Walters (4.4)
• Assists Per Game: Santos (4.3), Notias (1.9), Powell (1.8)
• Steals Per Game: Santos (1.8), Hurowitz (1.2), Barwicki (0.8)
• Field Goal Percentage: Walters (.538), John (.536), Riggins (.466) 

History

• All-Time Record:7-6
• Streak: Manhattanville W2
• Last 10: 5-5
• Series Record at Farmingdale: 3-3
• Meetings:
  • 1/21/2023: Manhattanville 88, Farmingdale 83 (OT)
  • 2/24/2022: Manhattanville 79, Farmingdale 74,
  • 1/26/2022: Farmingdale 63, Manhattanville 62
  • 2/5/2020: Farmingdale 82, Manhattanville 76 (OT) 
  • 2/22/2007: Farmingdale 76, Manhattanville 93

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