Box Score Box Score (HTML) | Box Score (PDF) | Highlights
HAMDEN, Conn. - Quinnipiac scored seven-straights points to break a 41-41 deadlock midway through the second half en route to posting a 73-59 win over Manhattan at the TD Bank Sports Center.
The Bobcats improve to 11-8 and 5-5 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) with the win while the Jaspers fall to 8-10 and 5-4 in the league.
In defeat, Emmy Andujar (Bronx, N.Y. / Rice) was outstanding, scoring a season and game-high 25 points. The rugged senior forward also grabbed 13 rebounds in posting his third-straight 20-point outing and his third double-double of the year and the seventh of his career
Trailing by 10 early in the second half, Manhattan ripped off a 15-5 run to tie the game up at 39-39 with 12:14 to play following senior RaShawn Stores' (Bronx, N.Y. / Robinson School (N.J.) second triple of the spurt.
The teams then traded buckets before Zaid Hearst hit jumper to reclaim the lead for Quinnipiac.Chaise Daniels followed with a three-point play and Ousmane Drame dunked home an errant shot to give the Bobcats what would prove to be an insurmountable 48-41 lead at the third media timeout (7:43) of the second half.
Following the stoppage, Andujar hit a pair at the line only to see Drame answer with a layup before Evan Conti delivered a back-breaking three pointer in extending the Quinnipiac advantage out to 53-43 with 6:46 remaining.
The lead would grow to a game-high 15 on four occasions as the Bobcats won for the fifth time in six games by a 73-59 count.
Quinnipiac assumed a 32-22 halftime lead thanks to an 8-0 half-ending spurt. Andujar led all players in the opening stanza with 13 of Manhattan's 22 points.
Hearst scored 14 of his team-high 23 points after halftime to lead the way for Bobcats while Drame paced all players with 19 rebounds to go along with 14 points. Daniels joined the trio in double-figures with 11 points.
Pankey had another big game, scoring 14 of his 18 points after halftime to go along with four rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
The Jaspers did an outstanding job on the offensive glass, posting a 20-14 advantage against the nation's top rebounding unit. Quinnipiac, which had posted a NCAA-best +13.5 rebounding mark entering the game, outrebounded the visitors by a scant 43-39 margin.
For the game, the Bobcats shot a solid 43.4 percent (23-for-53) from the field while converting on 80.0 percent (24-for-30) from the charity stripe.
Manhattan forced 16 turnovers but shot just 33.3 percent (22-for-66) from the floor, including 23.5 percent (4-for-17) from long range, and 57.9 percent (11-for-19) from the line.
The Jaspers will return to action against first place Monmouth on Sunday, Jan. 25 at 2 p.m. Prior to the game, Andujar will be recognized in a pregame ceremony for scoring his 1,000th career point.
