Box Score
PRINCETON, N.J. - The Manhattan men's basketball team dropped its first game of the season falling 61-54 at Princeton (2-0) on Wednesday at Jadwin Gym. The Tigers outscored Manhattan (1-1) 18-4 over the final 8:18 to earn their first home win of the year. Jaspers' senior Darryl Crawford scored the 1,000th point of his career to become just the 31st player in Manhattan's 104 year history to reach this milestone. Crawford finished with team-highs with 14 points and 10 rebounds for his first career double-double.
Manhattan raced out of the gate with its hot shooting to take an 18-6 advantage by the 12:29 mark. Junior guard Rico Pickett buried back-to-back treys to cap the initial surge, which gave the Jaspers' its largest lead of the contest (12). Pickett had three 3-pointers in the first eight minutes. He tied Crawford with a team-high 14 points over 34 minutes of action.
Princeton responded to this initial blow with a 17-2 run over the next eight minutes to take a 23-20 lead. Tigers' junior guard Dan Mavraides hit the game tying 3-pointer, and then 6'11" senior center Pawel Buczak knocked down the go ahead bucket for Princeton's first lead of the game.
Mavraides (13) and Buczak (11) joined senior Zach Finley (16) scoring in double-figures.
Pickett converted a lay-up at 3:51 for the fourth lead change of the half, and Manhattan took a 34-31 edge into the break. Manhattan shot 42.3% from the field and went 88.9% (8-for-9) on the line in the first period.
The lead traded sides five more times in the second half and Manhattan pulled away with a 50-43 advantage by the 8:18 mark. Crawford sank back-to-back buckets to give the Jaspers this seven point lead, their largest of the stanza. With 9:11 on the clock the New York City native buried a driving lay up which marked the 1,000th point of his career, and then nearly one minute later he sank another acrobatic reverse lay up.
Princeton got defensive and held the Jaspers scoreless for a 5:38 span down the stretch while it pieced together a late rally. Mavraides converted the go ahead trey (53-52) at 3:26 and the Tigers held on until the end.
Laurence Jolicoeur was the third Jasper to score in double figures as he finished with 13 points and added five rebounds. Classmate Andrew Gabriel contributed four points, four rebounds and two blocks. Both big men fouled out late in second half.
Manhattan returns to action on Saturday when the Jaspers host William & Mary of the Colonial Athletic Association. Tip off is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Draddy Gymnasium.
