JAMAICA, NY --- (www.YORKATHLETICS.com) York College men's basketball went toe-to-toe with Manhattanville University (2–4) on home court Wednesday evening, holding its first halftime lead of the young season.  However, the Cardinals were unable to sustain that momentum after the break, ultimately falling in a 79-72 non-conference setback inside York College Gymnasium.

How it Happened

• York struck first, as Malakai Clark opened the scoring with a layup just 14 seconds into the game.
• The Cardinals built early momentum, stringing together a 7–2 burst capped by a Gozie Chinegwundoh three-pointer at the 13:23 mark to take a 16–9 advantage.
• Moments later, Babacar Gueye knocked down a triple to push the lead to nine (25–16), completing a 9–2 run that kept York in control. 
• Manhattanville responded with a surge of its own, scoring 13 of the next 18 points to pull within one at 30–29.
• The teams traded baskets down the stretch, with layups from Chinegwundoh, Clark, and Christopher Smith helping the Cardinals take a 36–35 edge into the break.
• After trailing for most of the opening period, the Valiants came out strong to start the second half, piecing together a decisive 10–2 run to seize a 45–38 lead, with John Ranaghan fueling the surge by scoring six points during the stretch. 
• Following a Jonte Wallace free throw, Manhattanville responded with seven straight points to push its advantage to 60–49. 
• Joshua Jackman knocked down a 3-pointer to cut York's deficit to eight, but the Valiants answered again, stretching the margin to 14 (68–54) with 6:40 remaining.
• Jackman then caught fire, pouring in 11 points during an 11–2 Cardinal run to pull York within five (70–65) with 3:49 left. 
• In the closing minutes, Manhattanville delivered under pressure from the free-throw line.
• The Valiants converted all eight of their attempts from the line in the final 1:28, using the flawless stretch to break away as the late punch allowed them to outscore York down the stretch and secure a 79–72 victory.

Leading the Cardinals

• Contributing to York's season-best scoring output, Jackman powered the squad with a career-high and game-leading 29 points (11-of-25 FG, 5-of-12 3FG) to go along with six rebounds.
• Smith narrowly missed out on a triple-double, contributing game-highs in rebounds (10) and assists (9) while netting eight points.
• Wallace provided nine points, four rebounds, and two steals.
• Gueye and Chinegwundoh both chipped in with seven points off the bench.

For Manhattanville

• Andrew Saint-Louis led the Valiants with 24 points (7-of-19 FG, 9-of-10 FT) and nine rebounds.
• Chris Robinson tallied an all-around stat line of 15 points (5-of-13 FG, 4-of-4 FT), five rebounds, five assists, three blocks, and two steals.
• Ranaghan (13) and Isiah Middleton (10) rounded out Manhattanville's double-digit scorers. 

Inside the Box Score
York shot 40 percent (28-of-70) from the floor, 36 percent (7-of-19) from beyond the arc, and made nine out of 12 free throws for a season-best 75 percent. The Cardinal defense held the Valiants to just 37.9 percent (25-of-66) from the field, and 28.6 percent (8-of-28) from downtown, but Manhattanville made its mark at the charity stripe, sinking 21 out of 26 attempts. Both squads played each other close, with the Valiants having an edge in rebounds (41-39) and York recording more assists (19-18). Additionally, the Cardinals scored more paint points (34-30) and points off turnovers (11-7), while Manhattanville held a narrow advantage in second-chance points (14-13) and fast break scoring (15-10). 

Up Next 
The Cardinals (0-6) open CUNYAC play Friday (Dec. 5) with a road battle against the Medgar Evers College Cougars (0-7) starting at 7 p.m. from Cougars Cave in Brooklyn.

For the latest news on the Cardinals, log on to www.yorkathletics.com – the official site of York College athletics. Also, become a follower of the Cardinals on Instagram (@yorkcardinals), X (@yorkcardinals) and YouTube (@yorkathletics), and "LIKE" Us on Facebook (York Athletics).