Richards' 24 Points Lifts Manhattan To 78-63 Win Over Binghamton

Box Score | Box Score (PDF) | Richards' Four Three Pointers

UNCASVILLE, Conn. - Junior Shane Richards (Bronx, N.Y. / York Prep) scored 15 of his career-high 24 points in the decisive first half to lead Manhattan to a 78-63 win over Binghamton in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament at the Mohegan Sun Arena.

With the victory, the Jaspers improve to 1-2 and will next play on Sunday, Nov. 23 at 8 p.m in the Championship Game against Northeastern.

The win was a total team for Manhattan as nine different student-athletes scored as the Jaspers outscored the Bearcats (1-3) in the paint (30-22), off turnovers (30-11), in second-chance opportunities (18-16) and from the bench (29-19).

Additionally, Manhattan forced Binghamton into eight offensive fouls that led to 15 points, including 10 by Richards. The Jaspers also shot a robust 49.1 percent (28-for-57) from the floor while turning it over just 10 times.

Richards also added a career-high five assists - highlighted by this nifty pass to Carlton Allen (Ewing, N.J. / Life Center Academy) - and didn't turn the ball over in 32 minutes of action. Junior Ashton Pankey (Bronx, N.Y. / Maryland) added 11 points, including this hard-fought lay-up to open the game. Sophomore Rich Williams (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Vermont Academy (Vt.)), also added 11 fueled by three triples, including this first-half trifecta.

Manhattan grabbed control of the game early in the first half, needing just 49 seconds to stretch a one-point lead into what would prove to be an insurmountable nine-point advantage. Williams and Richards each hit three pointers before Richards canned a pair at the line to make it a 19-10 game with 12:04 until halftime.

The Bearcats would continue to hang around thanks to making good on 70.0 percent (14-for-20) at the line in the opening stanza and trailed just 34-26 with 2:22 remaining when the Jaspers for all intents and purposes put the game on ice.

Freshman Calvin Crawford (Middletown, N.Y. / St. Thomas More (Conn.)) hit a layup before converting an old-fashioned three-point play. After a free throw, Manhattan continued its spurt as Samson Akilo (Lagos, Nigeria / Nazareth) hit this layup before senior Donovan Kates (Hopkingsville, Ky. / Christian County) capped the half-ending 9-1 run with this layup to give the Jaspers a 43-27 halftime lead.

In the opening period, Manhattan displayed a dominant defense that forced Binghamton into just 27.3 percent (6-for-22) shooting while including limiting the Bearcats to just one field goal and seven turnovers over the final 10:57.

After halftime, the lead would swell to a game-high 21 at 58-37 with 12:30 to play following a Williams layup. However, Binghamton would trim the deficit to 11 on three occasions only to see the Jaspers answer each time. The last of which came with 2:14 remaining when Pankey flushed a well-placed Richards pass off a curl for an old-fashioned three-point play while putting the exclamation point on the Manhattan's first victory of the season.

After being held scoreless in his first two collegiate games, Crawford scored nine points with four rebounds while senior Emmy Andujar (Bronx, N.Y. / Rice) added nine points as both players finished just short of double-figures. Rounding out the top offensive performers was sophomore Carlton Allen (Ewing, N.J. / Life Center Academy), who finished with a career-high seven points.

Willie Rodriguez led Binghamton with 23 points and a game-high eight rebounds.

Manhattan University Athletics