BRONXVILLE, N.Y. – Holding one of the Skyline's best teams to their lowest point total in conference play, the Manhattanville University men's basketball team picked up a crucial 61-52 win at Sarah Lawrence on Wednesday night to open the final week of the regular season. The victory, Manhattanville's first against the Gryphons since 2024, brings the Valiants' record in conference play to 7-8, moving into seventh place in the Skyline's overall standings ahead of next week's eight-team Conference Championship Tournament.

Manhattanville (12-12 overall) held the Gryphons (14-10, 11-4 SKY) to 52 points, the third-fewest allowed by the Valiants in a game this season. It was also the fewest points generated by Sarah Lawrence's offense since Nov. 22 when the Gryphons were limited to 46 in a loss to Amherst. Sarah Lawrence shot just .309 in the contest, the second-worst field goal percentage against Manhattanville this season.

While Manhattanville did not have their best offensive night either, hitting at 39 percent, the Valiants limited the turnovers to just six as a team while holding the Gryphons' leading scorer of Eamon Kelly to just seven points.

Chris Robinson (Bedford-Stuyvesant, N.Y./Westminster School) scored a team-leading 14, hitting three shots from deep and going 3-of-4 on free throw tries. The senior also led Manhattanville in the takeaway department with four steals. Andrew Melillo (Staten Island, N.Y./Monsignor Farrell) provided a big spark off the bench with 10 points, getting back into double figures for the first time since scoring 12 against Sage on Nov. 30. The junior was 4-of-6 from the field while hitting both of his free throw attempts.

Isiah Middleton's (Miami, Fla./Westminster Christian) six rebounds paced the Valiants under the rim as Manhattanville was outrebounded 42-34. Andrew Saint-Louis (Norwalk, Conn./Notre Dame Fairfield) came down with five caroms, while Melillo pulled down four.

After battling to five different tied scores across the first ten minutes, Carlos Urena (Corona, N.Y./Monsignor McClancy) and Saint-Louis hit back-to-back jumpers to put the Valiants in front, 16-12. The lead would never leave Manhattanville's hands, as following Aiden Morel's three-pointer got the Gryphons back within a point, the Valiants went on a 9-3 run capped off by a Robinson three to push the lead to 25-18 with 3:51 to go. Saint-Louis pushed the advantage up to ten with a three-pointer with 1:09 left on the clock before the Gryphons scored the final four points of the half, trailing 32-26.

The Gryphons were effectively silenced from downtown in the second half, shooting just 2-of-12 from beyond the arc. While the Valiants didn't light things up from deep either (2-of-10), Manhattanville was an effect 7-of-10 at the free throw line to close out the win. Manhattanville looked poised to begin running away with things after a 10-0 run pushed the lead to 44-28 with 14:15 remaining in regulation. Daniel Marinaccio (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph By The Sea) and Robinson accounted for the Valiants' two three-pointers of the half as part of the run.

Sarah Lawrence could not make up much ground the rest of the way home, trailing by double digits all the way until the final possession when Elias Flaim finished an and-one to bring the final score to 61-52.

Up Next
Riding momentum and with one more chance to shake up the Skyline Conference Championship seeding, the Valiant conclude the regular season on Saturday, celebrating Senior Day against Mount Saint Vincent at 4 p.m.

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