Box Score
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Jaspers' senior Darryl Crawford led Manhattan (3-2) with a season-high 26 points and six rebounds to earn a 69-62 victory over American (0-6) on Wednesday at Bender Arena. Rico Pickett helped generate a second half charge scoring 11 of his 13 points in the period as Manhattan picked up its second straight victory. Senior guard Antoine Pearson also gave the Jaspers solid production in the backcourt dishing out a career-high seven assists to go along with his 12 points and six rebounds.
Manhattan got defensive on the Eagles forcing 23 turnovers, which were turned into 29 points. Pearson tied a career-high with five steals, while Crawford and Brandon Adams swiped three apiece. Manhattan had 16 steals as a team.
The Jaspers' defense began clicking immediately to help the team roll out to a 14-1 lead five minutes into the game. The initial scoring surge featured a pair of 3-pointers by Patrick Bouli.
American missed its first eight shot attempts and turned the ball over six times before getting its first field goal of the game from freshman Mike Bersch at the 13:06 mark. The Eagles eventually found their shooting stroke to finish the first half strong. American hit 12 of its next 16 field goal attempts (75%) and used a 12-2 run to pull within three points (16-13) at 8:26.
Manhattan got some big buckets from Crawford and Pearson to rebuild a 25-18 advantage, but American had one last rally in the tank. It closed the half with an 11-2 run featuring back-to-back 3-pointers Bersch and freshman guard Daniel Munoz. The Eagles took a 29-27 lead into the break. Bersch led the way with 13 points, including three 3-pointers. He had 16 points in the game.
Manhattan burst out of intermission making a 13-3 run to regain the advantage it would hold the rest of the way. Adams capped the surge with a midrange jumper giving Manhattan a 40-32 advantage at 13:11.
Pickett's jumpers started falling midway through the second half as they helped silence American's comeback bids. The Eagles got its deficit down to just four points with less than nine minutes remaining, but the next time down court Pickett called for the ball transition and buried a 3-pointer to extend the Jaspers lead to 51-44 at 8:45.
Manhattan led by as many as 11 points in the second half on Crawford's breakaway jam with 52 seconds remaining (65-54). It was the 10th time in Crawford's career that he delivered a 20-point performance. He shot 9-for-17 and converted 7-of-11 free-throws.
The Jaspers shot 46.7% (14-30) in the second half after struggling in the first half going 33.3% (11-33) from the field. Manhattan got 17 points in transition and 28 in the paint.
American received a great effort upfront from 6'11" sophomore Riley Grafft. Grafft finished with a double-double scoring 15 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.
Manhattan returns home to Draddy Gymnasium on Saturday for the 102nd "Battle of the Bronx" with cross-town rival Fordham. Tip off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
