Box Score
NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. - Niagara sank 38-of-49 free-throw attempts to go along with 12 field goals as the Jaspers were on the short end of a 64-60 setback Saturday at the 'Taps' Gallagher Center. Manhattan's 47.6% (20-42) shooting effort was led by senior guard Mohamed Koita who did not miss a shot, finishing with a team-high 13 points.
Manhattan (5-13, 3-5 MAAC) led by four points with four minutes remaining before momentum shifted to Niagara (11-8, 7-1) as the Purple Eagles improved to 8-1 at home. Sophomore guard Antoine Mason knocked down his last two free-throw attempts on a 13-for-16 effort at the charity stripe to make it a one possession ballgame. Mason finished with a game-high 15 points, hitting only one field goal.
A pivotal moment then came when the officiating crew put Jaspers' freshman Shane Richards on the free-throw line with 2:55 remaining and Manhattan leading 58-56. Richards knocked down the front end of a one-and-one, but the basket was waived off after a review of the instant replay system. The crew selected graduate student Roberto Colonette as the player who was fouled off the ball, putting him on the line instead of Richards.
Colonette missed the first free-throw as Niagara guard Juan'ya Green capitalized moments later with a game tying jumper. Green then sank the go-ahead free-throws 45 seconds later to give the Purple Eagles a 60-58 advantage with 1:41 to play.
The Purple Eagles went up 63-60 on freshman forward T.J. Cline's free-throws with 18 seconds remaining. Manhattan's game-tying three-point attempt was off the mark that sophomore guard RaShawn Stores was forced to rush with only a few ticks on the clock.
Richards scored in double-figures for the fourth straight game with 10 points hitting three treys. Jones added 10 points on 4-for-6 shooting coming off the Manhattan bench. Koita knocked down all three attempts from downtown and went 4-for-4 from the free-throw line. Manhattan converted 13-of-20 free-throw attempts.
Niagara carried a 37-32 advantage into halftime in a first half that lasted an hour. There were 24 of the 46 total fouls called in the first 20 minutes.
Manhattan built a seven point lead in the opening stanza, after scoring 11 straight points to open a 21-14 advantage at the 8:25 mark. It was the Jaspers' largest lead of the game. The first eight points of the spurt came within 34 seconds as Jones hit a jumper, Richards knocked down a three and Stores converted a three-point play after a steal in the backcourt.
Niagara answered with the next seven points to propel the Purple Eagles to a lead they carried into intermission. The Purple Eagles had only two field goals in the last five minutes, but managed to build a 10 point cushion thanks to good free-throw shooting. Niagara sank 21-of-27 free-throw attempts in the half.
Three other Purple Eagles joined Mason scoring in double-figures. Sophomore guard Ameen Tanksley had 13 points shooting 9-for-10 at the line, freshman guard Tahjere McCall chipped in 12 points and Cline added 11. Niagara went 34.3% (12-35) from the field, including a 2-for-12 mark (16.7%) beyond the arc. The Purple Eagles had more free-throw attempts (49) than Manhattan's field goal attempts (42).
Jaspers' junior forward Rhamel Brown achieved a career milestone in the contest with his two blocks. He reached the 200-block plateau, becoming only the second Jasper in program history to accomplish the feat. Brown joined Manhattan's all-time blocks leader Steve Grant (1974-78, 220).
Manhattan returns home on Friday when the Jaspers host Loyola in an ESPNU televised contest. The men are the second contest of a doubleheader with the Manhattan women who face Marist at 4 p.m. The Jaspers and Greyhounds tip off at 7 p.m.
