PURCHASE, N.Y. (January 18, 2006) – Manhattanville College put together a 29-10 run over a 15-minute stretch bridging the end of the first half and the opening 10 minutes of the second period that proved to be the difference as the Valiants claimed a 65-58 victory over the Stevens Institute of Technology men’s basketball team on Wednesday evening at Kennedy Gym in Purchase, N.Y. The loss snapped the Ducks three-game win streak as the team fell to 8-6 on the year, including 3-2 in the Skyline Conference. Manhattanville improved to 9-6 overall (4-3 Skyline).
Trailing by three points late in the first half, the Valiants used a 10-3 run over the final 4:51 to claim a 30-27 lead at the break. Senior center Jerry Fiefie (Stamford, Conn.) keyed the spurt with a pair of baskets in the paint for Manhattanville. The Valiants used that momentum to extend their lead to 15 points (49-34) as they opened the second period on a 19-7 run over the first 11 minutes. Sophomore guard Donte Chisolm (Mount Vernon, N.Y.) and junior guard John DiBetta (Valhalla, N.Y.) combined to scored 13 of Manhattanville’s 19 points in that stretch.
The Ducks would not go away though as they battled back to within eight points with a 9-2 spurt over the next two minutes. Sophomore guard Waleed Farid (Woodside, N.Y.) knocked down a pair of baskets at the outset of the run, and senior guard Isaac Moore (Phoenix, Ariz.) capped the burst with a three-pointer from the left baseline.
Manhattanville responded with a 7-2 run to open a 58-45 lead on a three-pointer by junior forward Cody Moffett (Brooklyn, N.Y.) with 4:10 left in the game.
Trailing by 12 points with just over two minutes remaining, Stevens made one final push as the Ducks went on an 11-2 run to move within three points with 24 seconds to play. Farid scored eight straight points to jumpstart Stevens. Freshman guard Virgil Gray (Elmwood Park, N.J.) converted a conventional three-point play as the Ducks cut the Valiants’ lead to 61-58.
Manhattanville would not be denied though as sophomore guard Brian Fink (Queens, N.Y.) stepped to the line and calmly knocked down a pair of free throws. Following a missed three-pointer by freshman Damien Palantino (Philadelphia, Pa.), freshman forward Justin Morris (West Haven, Conn.) made one of two free throws to open a six-point cushion with nine seconds to go in the contest. Chisolm added a free throw to round out the scoring.
Stevens was led by Farid, who finished with a game-high 21 points. Junior forward Tim Williams (Selden, N.Y.) added 14 points on 6-for-9 shooting from the floor before fouling out in the final minute. Williams also pulled down eight rebounds.
Manhattanville had three players score in double-figures. Moffett led the way with 15 points and was perfect from the floor (5-for-5). DiBetta, who connected on all eight of his free throws, tallied 12 points. Morris made five of six field-goal attempts to finish with 11 points. Fink had nine points and nine rebounds. Chisolm finished with a game-high 10 assists to go along with his eight points and five rebounds.
The Valiants dominated the boards as they out-rebounded the Ducks 49-33. Manhattanville grabbed 27 offensive rebounds. The Valiants also held Stevens to 35.0 percent shooting from the floor.
