Riverdale, N.Y. (January 27, 2007)- Manhattan overcame an 18 point halftime deficit to pull within one point on five occasions in the second half, but could not score the equalizer, dropping a 67-64 decision to Canisius this afternoon at Draddy Gym on the Manhattan campus. The Jaspers drop to 10-10 on the year, 7-3 in the MAAC, while the Griffs improve to 10-10, 5-5 in MAAC play.
Canisius scored the first seven points of the game, and 16 of the first 19 to open up a 13 point, 16-3, lead with 13:57 to play before the break. The Jaspers would cut the lead to nine, 18-9, following a Devon Austin layup with 10:02 to play before the break, but the Griffs would answer with a 17-5 run to open up their largest lead of the game, 21 points, after a Chuck Harris three-pointer made the score 35-14 with 5:21 left in the opening stanza. Canisius would maintain the lead into the break, taking a 42-24 lead into the locker room.
Canisius converted 56.3% (18-32) from the field in the first 20 minutes, including five three pointers, while Manhattan shot 22.9% (8-35), including 0-10 from long range.
Manhattan came out of the locker room with a renewed energy and played with a sense of urgency in the second half, chipping away at the lead. Two Antoine Pearson free throws brought the deficit to single digits, 48-39, with 13:02 to play, and with the lead at 10, 51-41, with 11:23 remaining, Austin connected on two straight three pointers to pull the Jaspers within four points, 51-47, with 10:06 to play, prompting a Griff timeout. After Canisius pushed the lead back to seven, another three-ball from Austin and a Patrick Bouli jumper cut the lead to two, 54-52, with 7:43 left in the game.
An Arturo Dubois jumper with 5:13 to play cut the deficit to a single point, 57-56, but Darnell Wilson responded with a layup to push the lead back to three on the next possession. Manhattan would claw back to within a single point four more times, the final time making the score 65-64, following a Pearson layup with 1:20 to play, but the Griffs had an answer each time, as Menghe a'Nyam converted a layup with 12 ticks remaining to provide the final margin. Manhattan had to chances to tie the score in the closing seconds, but could not convert.
Austin paced the Manhattan offense with team-highs of 17 points and eight rebounds, and was joined in double figures by Dubois (14 points, six rebounds, three steals, and three blocks) and Pearson (14 points, three assists). Dubois was honored before the game after reaching the 1,000 career point milestone in the Jaspers' win at Loyola.
Wilson tallied a double-double with game-highs of 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Griffs. Frank Turner also recorded a double-double, scoring 11 points and handing out 11 assists.
Manhattan returns to the hardwood on Tuesday, January 30, hosting preseason MAAC favorite Marist College at 7:00 p.m. at Draddy Gym.
