Riverdale, N.Y. (February 23, 2006)- Manhattan welcomed
Kenny Minor and
Guy Ngarndi, both of whom missed seven or more games due to injury, and outslugged Fairfield, 78-77, tonight at Draddy Gym to improve to 17-9, 13-4 in MAAC play and set up a showdown with rival Iona for the top seed in the upcoming MAAC Tournament. The Stags fall to 9-17, 7-10 in MAAC play.
The game was a see-saw affair right from the opening tip, as the opening stanza saw four ties and eight lead changes. The Jaspers held five point leads on three different occasions, the largest lead by either team in the opening stanza, and led by five, 41-36, with 1:55 left before the break before Fairfield's Terrence Todd sank a jumper to pull the Stags within three, 41-38, at the break.
Fairfield opened the second half with a 9-1 run to take five point lead, 47-42, with 17:01 left and held the lead for virtually the entire second half until, with Fairfield leading by four, 73-69, with 4:43 left, the Jaspers embarked on a 9-0 run, in which
Jason Wingate score five points and
Arturo Dubois added four, to take a five point lead, 78-73, with 1:44 left in the game. Four DeWitt Maxwell free throws over the next 45 seconds brought the Stags to within a point, but MAAC Rookie of the Year candidate
Devon Austin blocked a three point attempt by Herbie Allen just before the buzzer to preserve the win and set up Sunday's showdown.
Dubois paced the Jaspers with 17 points.
Jeff Xavier tallied his fourth straight double-double in conference play, scoring 16 points and adding a game-high 12 rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Wingate chipped in with 13 and a game-high six helpers, while
Mike Konovelchick added 13 points.
Todd led all scorers with 28 points for Fairfield, as Manhattan handed out 18 assists and committed just nine turnovers, with just two coming in the second half.
Manhattan concludes the regular season on Sunday, February 26, hosting local and MAAC rival Iona at 6:15 in a game that will be televised on MSG. The four Manhattan seniors, Wingate, Minor, Konovelchick, and
Mihai Enescu, will be honored before the game. The winner of the game will claim the MAAC regular season title, the #1 seed in the MAAC Tournament, and a guaranteed postseason berth.
