Poughkeepsie, NY (January 9, 2005)- Manhattan was able to cut an 11 point deficit to just two with just under one minute remaining, but could not complete the comeback as the Jaspers fell to Marist, 71-62, tonight at the McCann Center on the Marist campus. Manhattan falls to 6-5 on the season, 1-2 in MAAC play.
The first half saw three ties and five lead changes as neither team built a lead larger than six points. The Red Foxes (6-7, 3-1 MAAC) held their biggest lead, 8-3, 3:20 into the game, while Manhattan held a six point lead, 28-22, with 1:14 remaining before the break on a Peter Mulligan jumper. Marist closed out the half with a 4-0 run, but Manhattan held a two point lead, 28-26, as the teams headed into the lockerooms.
Manhattan held onto the lead as the second half opened and led by three, 33-30, following a CJ Anderson dunk before Marist used a 9-0 run, all on three pointers, to take a six point lead, 39-33, with 14:48 left in the game. The teams traded baskets over the next eight minutes, until the Red Foxes used a 6-1 run to turn a 55-49 lead into a 61-50 lead with 5:29 remaining.
The Jaspers then began to whittle away at the lead, reducing the deficit to five on a Jeff Xavier three with 2:50 remaining, and to four on another Xavier three with 1:46 left on the clock. Mike Konovelchick then tipped in a missed shot to pull Manhattan to within two, 64-62, with just under a minute left. After Will Whittington made one of two from the line to put Marist up three, 65-62 with 57 ticks left, Mulligan was fouled with 37 seconds left, but could not convert on the free throws, and the Red Foxes made all six of their free throws down the stretch to emerge with the win.
Mulligan led the Jaspers with 14 points, while Konovelchick added 13 points and three blocks and Anderson chipped in with 12 points and a team high nine rebounds.
Whittington led all scorers with 19 points to pace Marist, while Jared Jordan added 14, and Ryan Stilphen (12 points, 10 rebounds) and Will McClurkin (11 points, 11 rebounds) each recorded double-doubles for the Red Foxes.
Manhattan returns to action on Thursday, January 13, when the Jaspers host MAAC foe Niagara at Draddy Gym, with tipoff slated for 7:00 p.m.