Box Score
NEW YORK, N.Y. ? Chris Smith led the Jaspers with 21 points en route to a 81-67 victory over Fordham (0-3) in the 101st “Battle of the Bronx” this evening at Rose Hill Gym. Jaspers junior guard Darryl Crawford exploded for 17 points and a team-high seven rebounds in 23 minutes off the bench. Crawford was named the game's Most Valuable Player and awarded the Mike Cohen Award.
Manhattan set the high tempo from the start as Smith scored the first six points of the contest, including a one-handed slam dunk for the first bucket of the game. Smith finished a point shy of his career scoring mark.
Antoine Pearson came off the bench and buried his first shot of the night with 12:46 remaining in the first half to even the game at 10-10. Pearson got a step on his defender, elevated and knocked down a mid range jumper. On the ensuing possession he made a steal and took it in for an easy lay-up which gave Manhattan a lead it would not give up.
Pearson was a perfect 3-for-3 from the field, coming off his heroic game winning lay-up on Wednesday against Morgan State.
Manhattan started pulling away at the 8:32 mark when senior forward Devon Austin buried a jump shot marking the first of his three consecutive baskets. Austin's scoring surge led the Jaspers onto a 12-3 run (31-17).
Manhattan cruised into the half with a 41-32 advantage.
The Jaspers came out strong in the second stanza beginning with an Austin put back lay-up and then another rim rocking dunk from Smith. Manhattan started the half with a 12-4 run which was capped with a Smith 3-pointer in front of the Jasper bench at 15:27 (53-38).
Austin finished with 19 points on 7-for-11 shooting. He grabbed six rebounds.
Fordham cut its deficit to nine with 6:17 to go on a Jio Fontan free-throw, but Crawford quickly posted back-to-back field goals to regain a double-digit lead. Crawford cut through the lane and knocked down a double pump lay-up that bounced around the rim several times before falling. He followed with a steal at mid court and went in for an uncontested lay up giving Manhattan a 70-57 lead.
Jaspers sophomore forward Andrew Gabriel was the fourth Manhattan player to score in double figures (10). Gabriel collected six rebounds and made two blocks in 36 minutes of action.
The Jaspers shot 49.1% (27-55) from the field and scored 42 of its points in the paint.
Fordham forward Chris Bethel led the squad with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Fontan added 13 points.
Manhattan improves to a perfect 3-0 on the season. It is the first time since the 2004-05 campaign that the Jaspers opened with three straight wins.
Manhattan returns to action on Wednesday when it travels to Brooklyn for a meeting with St. Francis (N.Y.) game time is set for 7:30 p.m.
