PURCHASE, NY - The Maritime College men's basketball team couldn't pull out a crucial Skyline Conference win against Manhattanville College on Tuesday night as they fell to the Valiants 77-55. The Privateers came out strong and went into halftime with a lead, but couldn't keep the strong defensive play going in the second half.

Mike Regan (Dix Hills, N.Y./St. Anthony's) got Maritime started by scoring their first five points of the game and then Jaylin Gray (Brooklyn, NY/Nazareth) kept it going by knocking down a three to give them an 8-3 lead five minutes into the game. Later in the half, back-to-back buckets from Ryan Donovan (North Salem, N.Y./North Salem) gave Maritime a seven point advantage. The baskets from Donovan gave the Privateers a big momentum boost as they went on to take a 12-point lead after a three-point shot from Chris Ruscillo (Carle Place, N.Y./Carle Place).

Unfortunately, Maritime was unable to maintain a double-digit lead going into halftime, but a big run in the final minute of action stole some momentum. Donovan came through again for the Privateers as he knocked down a three and then a layup with seven seconds left to put the score 31-22 in favor of Maritime.

Although the Privateers stifled the Valiants on offense in the first half, they were able to make adjustments at halftime and came out on fire in the second half. They went on to drop 55 points in the second half and Maritime couldn't keep up with that pace.

Donovan led the Privateers on offense with 14 points, while Brennan Whelan (Northport, N.Y./Northport) and Gray chipped in 13 and 12 points, respectively. Whelan and Gray also chipped in seven rebounds each and Whelan notched a team-high five assists.

Maritime will return to action for the final regular season game at home against USMMA on Saturday at 1 p.m. In addition to honoring lone senior Brendan McGovern (Seaford, N.Y./St. John the Baptist), the game will also hold major playoff implications for the Privateers as they can look to secure to a playoff spot with a victory. To see the full Skyline Conference standings, click here.