NEWBURGH, N.Y. – Chris Robinson (Bedford-Stuyvesant, N.Y./Westminster School) led the way with 22 points and 13 rebounds, with Isiah Middleton (Miami, Fla./Westminster Christian) knocking down 18 of his own and grabbing 12 boards, for the Manhattanville men's basketball team to overtake Mount Saint Mary (NY) 65-63 in the second half opener. The Valiants improve to 6-5 (1-1) while the Knights drop to 2-9 (0-2).

Robinson provided the spark needed across the court, shooting 3-for-5 from long, dishing out three, and pulling down 13 boards with 12 coming on the defensive end. Middleton followed close behind on the scoresheet, posting 18 points on 8-for-13 inside the arch while securing 12 rebounds, eight coming on the defensive end.
John Ranaghan (Pearl River, N.Y./Pearl River) added eleven to the board for his fifth game this season with 10+ points. Carlos Urena (Corona, N.Y./Monsignor McClancy) pushed the Knights to two turnovers, adding two steals to his season tallies.

HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST HALF – MANHATTANVILLE 34, MSMC 31
The first half of gameplay set the tone for the back-and-forth day, with the two opponents trading leads and tying three times in the first 13 minutes. Middleton (8), Robinson (7), and Ranaghan (7) pushed the Valiants to a slight 24-20 lead.
The home team went on an 11-10 run in the final five minutes of the first half to put pressure on the Valiants' lead, slimming it down to three going into the locker rooms.
SECOND HALF – MANHATTANVILLE 65, MSMC 63
MSMC came out in the second half hot with a quick five points to take the lead 36-34 before Robinson pushed his way through the paint to get the game evened to 36. Scoring bounced between the Valiants and Knights over the next 12 minutes, with even runs out to 54.
In the final five minutes of gameplay, the away team scraped away in a close 11-9 run with critical points coming from Jack Maloney (Tappan, N.Y./Tappan Zee) in the arch and on the line to push the lead out and secure the 65-63 conference victory.

Up Next – The Valiants return home on Wednesday, Jan 7, to face Purchase College (3-9, 1-2 SKYLINE) at 6 PM.