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Andrew Murray gave in to peer pressure earlier in his teenage years, and now he’s glad he did.

As a freshman at Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, N.Y., Murray, a natural athlete who also excels in basketball and soccer, was deciding on what spring sport to play.

While growing up, he played baseball. But his friends convinced him to give lacrosse a try.

“I decided I would,” said Murray, who is now a senior at Stepinac. “It was frustrating at first, but I stuck to it. I started to get better because I’m athletic and I started to really understand the game.”

Now, Murray will be playing both lacrosse and basketball at the next level — Manhattanville College, a Division III program located in Purchase, N.Y. (In the photo above, Murray is shown with Manhattanville basketball assistant coach Mike Horgan, left, and head lacrosse coach Kevin Warnock on the right.)

A versatile two-way midfielder, Murray has good size at 6-foot-3 and is a fast and smart player with good stick skills, as shown in his highlight reel. Murray was the Crusaders’ leading goal scorer last year with 51 and was a first-team all-CHSAA selection.

Now, here’s a Q&A with Andrew on his commitment.

What were the main factors in your decision?
The factor was that I would be able to play both basketball and lacrosse. I love both sports and I will be able to put as much work as I can into becoming the best player in those sports.

Another factor was my family. I will be able to commute to school and my family will still be able to see my games and I would like my parents to see me play.

Another factor is that Manhattanville College is a great academic match for me and can help me excel in my academics.

What other schools were you considering and what schools did you visit?
Colleges that were interested in me and I considered were Johnson & Wales University, SUNY Oneonta, Dominican College, Centenary, CUNY and Mount St. Vincent. I visited SUNY Oneonta, Johnson & Wales University and Manhattanville.

Were you looking at any colleges just for lacrosse, or just for basketball?
Yes. SUNY Oneonta was for lacrosse, CUNY for basketball and Johnson & Wales for basketball.

What are your strengths as a player and how would you describe your style of play?
My IQ for the both sports. My style of play is very fast. I also use my height for my advantage.

How did you get introduced to lacrosse and what other sports have you played?
I was introduced to the game of lacrosse my freshman year. I was deciding what I should play in the spring and I played baseball when I was younger but had stopped playing. My peers told me to try lacrosse.

I decided I would. It was frustrating at first, but I stuck to it. I started to get better because I am athletic and I started to really understand the game.

I improved so much that I was moved up my sophomore year to play on varsity. I was honored to get that opportunity and by playing with the best, it rubbed off on my, so I excelled quickly and that brought me to where I am today. I also played four years of basketball and three years of soccer.

How does playing lacrosse complement you as a basketball player and vice versa?
Playing basketball complemented me in playing lacrosse because lacrosse has the same concepts as lacrosse and I just brought my IQ for basketball to lacrosse.

* For more info on Andrew, including his highlight reel, check out his player profile by clicking here.