DANBURY, Conn. — Tayejon Lynch (Cambria Heights, N.Y.) scored a career-high 20 points to lead the Western Connecticut State University men's basketball team to an 83-76 win over the visiting Manhattanville University Valiants at the Stephen Feldman Arena on Wednesday. The Wolves improved to 2-0 on the season, while Manhattanville dropped to 1-1.

Nick Boyce (Jamaica, N.Y.) opened the contest with a quick three-pointer off the jump ball to put the hosts up, 3-0. The team traded points as WestConn maintained the advantage until the Valiants went on a 9-2 run to take a six-point lead with eight minutes left in the half, 17-11. Boyce stole the ball at 12:23 as the Wolves regained control of the possession, as Jaysean Morgan (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) passed the ball to Boyce to narrow the deficit to four. 

A three-point jumper by Andrew Saint-Louis put Manhattanville up 20-13, but three straight baskets by the Wolves closed the gap to one at 9:24. The visitors missed a jumper thanks to a block by Marcel Henry (Yonkers, N.Y.) and a defensive rebound by Elijah Guillaume (New Haven, Conn.) set up Jaysean Morgan's jumper in the paint and ignited the six-point run. A steal and fastbreak layup in the paint by Jahlyl Morgan (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) cut the deficit to within three, followed by a tip-in layup by Lynch to make it a 20-19 game in favor of the visitors. Manhattanville closed the half with a 10-4 run to enter the locker room with a 44-36 lead.

Less than four minutes into the second half, Manhattanville had its largest lead of 12 points, which they maintained on-and-off for three minutes, off a three-point bucket by Chris Robinson. Avery Taitt-Christina (Queens, N.Y.) netted a layup off a Jahlyl Morgan rebound, but the Valiants made free throws to regain the 12-point edge at 15:08. Taitt-Christina tipped in a basket a minute later to again cut the visitors' lead to 10, but two more free throws by Robison put Manhattanville up by 12.

The Wolves went on a 15-4 run to cut the visitors' lead to within one, capped off with a free throw by Boyce to make it a 60-59 game. During the scoring stretch, Lynch made nine points for the Wolves, including back-to-back tip-in layups to ignite the run. Lynch's layup in the paint brought the Wolves within one before Jaysean Morgan's free throws gave the hosts a one-point lead. WestConn carried the lead through regulation with a 10-4 run, capped off by free throws by Jahlyl Morgan. During the stretch, Lynch connected for four points and Boyce netted a trio.

The Wolves play their first road game at non-conference Emerson College for a 7 p.m. tip in Boston, Mass. on Friday.