Purchase, NY - The College of Mount Saint Vincent's men's basketball team looked to upset the higher seed for the second straight season on Tuesday night. After taking down the United States Merchant Marine Academy in the first round of the 2021 Skyline Conference playoffs, the Dolphins looked to do the same on the road against #2 Manhattanville College. Despite going toe-to-toe with the Valiants, CMSV's quest fell short, losing 69-66 in an incredible contest. 

The Dolphins season ends with the team finishing 12-14 with a conference record of 8-8.

The first half was as even of a game as it could have been. The largest lead by both the Dolphins and Valiants reached just four points, with it being a one possession game for nearly 16 out of 20 minutes played. The backcourt duo of Joshua Cabezudo and Dillon Hod were efficient in the first half, going a combined six of 10 from the floor, with Cabezudo also pulling down six boards. CMSV impressed specifically in the paint, with the team outscoring Manhattanville 18-12 in that regard. The teams entered the locker rooms at halftime with the contest tied at 27. 

The Valiants upped their efficiency in the second half, resulting in their lead ballooning to double digits. Despite this, James Mooney's squad continued to chip away, with Cabezudo, Hod and DJ Tucker all reaching the scoring column. 

The Dolphins trailed by 11 points with 1:34 left in regulation, but that's when the game got interesting. Cabezudo knocked down a three to make it 61-53, and after Manhattanville knocked down one of two free throw attempts, the junior guard stormed down the court, got fouled and knocked down the pair of free throws of his own. With the deficit back at nine, senior forward Dan Porcic rushed into the paint and hit a layup in traffic. After a Valiants turnover, it was Hod's turn to convert his free throw attempts, bringing the score to 64-59 with 38 seconds left. Sean Goodwin and Jalen Lewis would come off the bench and thrive defensively, resulting in both Tucker and Hod to score four combined points to make it a two point game. 

After the Valiants put in two more free throw attempts, sophomore Adrian Rraci tossed up a three attempt and scored with 14 seconds remaining to bring the score to one point. A fantastic trapping effort from Tucker and Rraci caused the ball to go out of bounds, but the referees awarded the ball to Manhattanville, ultimately putting an end to the comeback. 

For the Dolphins, it was Cabezudo (22 points) and Hod (17 points) who led the team in scoring, with Porcic also finishing with 10 points of his own. Cabezudo had nine rebounds while Tucker had eight. Cabezudo also paced the Dolphins with three assists. 

It's a game that will sting in the short term, but the building blocks for success in the long term are apparent. With Cabezudo, Tucker and Hod back in prominent roles next season and Goodwin, Lewis, Rraci, Haven Smith and Joseph Carrier, among others, growing into larger roles, the sky is the limit for the men's basketball program.