KINGS POINT, N.Y. (Jan. 29, 2025) – The USMMA men's basketball team trailed by four with 4:43 left to play, but closed the game on a 14-0 run and defeated Manhattanville, 69-59, on Wednesday night inside the Liebertz Gymnasium. The Mariners improved to 7-11 (3-6 Skyline), while the Valiants dropped to 6-12 (2-7 Skyline).
 
Game Links

• Box Score
• WATCH: Postgame Interview With Clark Castleberry 

Junior Clark Castleberry (Reston, Va.) scored a game- and career-high 23 points to lead four players in double-figures for the Mariners. Senior Drew Zalescik (Lambertville, N.J.) added 17 points, while freshman Mason Lavergne (Baton Rouge, La.) contributed 12 points and senior Isaac Vencel (Bloomington, Ind.) added 10. The Mariners shot 38.9 percent (21-of-54) from the floor and made 24-of-32 free throws (75.0 percent), while posting a +12 edge on the glass (44-32).
 
Andrew Saint-Louis scored a team-high 20 points to lead Manhattanville. The Valiants shot 30.8 percent (16-of-52) from the floor and made 9-of-34 3-pointers (26.5 percent).
 
The Mariners held a 6-4 lead before Castleberry scored five-straight points and freshman Colin Hart (Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.) drained a 3-pointer as part of an 8-0 run that put USMMA up, 14-4, at the 11:14 mark. The Valiants ended the run with a 3-pointer, but USMMA answered with a 9-4 spurt that stretched the lead to 23-11 with 6:45 on the clock. After Manhattanville pulled to within six, a pair of Castleberry free throws started another 8-0 run that gave the Mariners a 33-19 lead with just 1:18 left in the half. Vencel added a layup in the closing seconds to make it 35-21 at the break.
 
Manhattanville made two 3-pointers early in the second half and eventually cut the USMMA lead down to eight, 39-31. Zalescik followed with all seven points as part of a 7-2 run that pushed the lead back to 46-33 at the 13:56 mark. The Valiants promptly responded with three 3-pointers as part of a 13-0 run that leveled the score at 46-46 with 11:04 left in regulation.
 
Vencel put the Mariners back on top with a pair of free throws, but the Valiants scored the next four points to take a 50-48 lead. Castleberry then knotted the score at 50-50 before the Valiants made two free throws and a 3-pointer to grab a 55-50 advantage with 7:14 to go. A pair of free throws later gave the Valiants a 59-55 lead at the 4:43 mark, but they missed their final seven field goals and never scored again.
 
The Mariners, meanwhile, took a 60-59 lead courtesy of a Castleberry 3-pointer with 3:10 to play and ultimately closed the game on a 14-0 run.
 
The Mariners host Yeshiva on Sunday, Feb. 2, for a 1 p.m. contest.
 
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