New York, N.Y. — The Manhattanville men's basketball team battled through a back-and-forth opening stretch before pulling away in the second half for a 81-71 win, demonstrating a strong offensive showing against Hunter. 

The Valiants traded early baskets with the Hawks behind finishes at the rim from Daniel Marinaccio (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph By The Sea), Chris Robinson (Bedford-Stuyvesant, N.Y./Westminster School) and John Ranaghan (Pearl River, N.Y./Pearl River), while Andrew Saint-Louis (Norwalk, Conn./Notre Dame Fairfield) and James Aspostolico added mid-range touch to keep pace through a tightly contested first 10 minutes. 

After falling behind by two, Manhattanville responded with a surge, highlighted by Saint-Louis drilling a three, Antonio Del Vescovo (Mount Olive, N.J./Mount Olive) finishing a pair of free throws, and Isiah Middleton (Miami, Fla./Westminster Christian) completing multiple shots to push the Valiants ahead 36–32 to close the first half. 

Out of the break, Manhattanville's momentum only grew as Middleton and Robinson fueled a fast, efficient start, combining for multiple scores to extend the lead to 40–36. 

Hunter stayed within reach, but Middleton continued his dominant run with mid-range jumpers and powerful drives, while Jack Quinn (Greenwich, Conn./The Winchendon School), Saint-Louis, and Andrew Melillo (Staten Island, N.Y./Monsignor Farrell) added strong finishes in transition. Robinson's defensive pressure turned into several steals and scores as the Valiants built a double-digit advantage midway through the half. 

Despite Hunter's efforts to chip away at the Valiants, Manhattanville maintained control down the stretch with late buckets from Marinaccio and a dagger three from Ranaghan, closing out the match up with disciplined defensive stops. 

Up Next: 

The Valiants are back in action at Kennedy Gym on Saturday, November 22 at 1 p.m. as they host New York University.