Purchase, NY (February 6, 2019) - The DeSales University men's basketball team saw five players score in double digits to become the first team to punch a ticket to the postseason in the MAC Freedom with its 91-83 win over Manhattanville College on Wednesday evening.

The Basics/Notes

• Final Score: DeSales - 91, Manhattanville - 83
• Records: DeSales (16-6, 9-2 Conf.); Manhattanville (9-13, 3-10 Conf.)
• DSU is the first team to clinch a spot in the postseason tournament in the MAC Freedom as they hold a one-game lead over Eastern and Delaware Valley with three games left to play.
• It will be DeSales' 17th time in the MAC Freedom postseason tournament and the seventh straight year DSU has earned a spot in the conference postseason.
• The Bulldogs are ranked #5 in the first installment of the NCAA Atlantic Regional Rankings.

How it Happened

• The Valiants stormed out of the gates scoring the first seven points of the game before a 13-5 Bulldog run gave DSU its first advantage (13-12) at the 14:45 mark on a 3 from junior Tracy Simsick.
• Tied at 36, DeSales finished the half on a 10-4 spurt to take a 46-40 halftime lead as four different player scored led by junior Julian Wing with four during the stretch.
• The lead swelled to as many as 11 points early in the second-half thanks to an 8-3 burst to open the second stanza.
• DSU continued to lead by 11 when the Valiants scored 10 straight points to cut the margin down to one (61-60) with 12:31 to go.
• It was a two-point game (79-77) with 4:12 remaining when a layup from Wing and three-point play from freshman Keba Mitchell gave DSU a 84-77 lead with 3:12 left and Manhattanville never got any closer than five points the rest of the way.

Top Bulldog Performers

• Sophomore Matt Kachelries recorded his fourth double-double of the year with 20 points and 10 helpers in the win.
• Senior Luke Connaghan finished with 19 points and Simsick tallied 16 points, hitting four 3's.
• Wing flirted with a triple-double collecting 12 points, seven rebounds, and six assists, while Mitchell contributed 11 points and seven boards off the pine.

For the Foes

• Manhattanville was led by JoJo Cobbs with a game-high 25 points.
• Sean Smith added 19 points and Jake Dunn had 13 tallies.

Inside the Box Score

• DeSales was on fire from the floor shooting 58.7 percent from the field and scored 52 of its 91 points in the paint.
• DSU destroyed the Valiants on the glass, out-rebounding MVC, 47-24.
• The Bulldogs handed out a season-high tying 29 assists.

Up Next

• DeSales will return home to host Misericordia University in another very important MAC Freedom contest with tip set for 3:00 pm in Billera Hall.