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Brooklyn Heights, NY - Junior Zavier Turner (Indianapolis, IN / Ball State) canned a career-high seven three pointers and scored a game-high 26 points in leading Manhattan to a hard-fought 61-54 win over St. Francis Brooklyn at the Pope Center.
Trailing by one at intermission, Turner set the tone after halftime with eight-straight points after a pair of Zane Waterman layups as the Jaspers opened the second on a 13-4 run and never looked back in moving to 4-8 on the year.
After Manhattan reclaimed the lead, the Terriers would trim the deficit to five on a pair of occasions only to have Turner answer each time with a three pointer. The Ball State transfer scored 16 of his game-high 26 after halftime and finished up 9-for-14 from the floor, including 7-of-9 from deep.
In the decisive stanza, the Jaspers shot an even 50.0 percent (11-of-22) from the floor while limiting SFBK to just 32.1 percent (9-of-28).
Freshman Aaron Walker Jr. (Brooklyn, NY / Cardozo) had a solid game finishing up with 11 points, five rebounds and two steals while Waterman added eight points. Junior Ahmed Ismail (Cairo, Egypt / Colby CC) had a big game on the boards, pulling down a team-best eight caroms to go along with six points.
In the opening stanza, Manhattan raced out to 14-5 lead at the second media timeout (11:10) and appeared to be in smooth sailing. However, St. Francis Brooklyn used an 18-5 run in assuming a 23-19 lead with 3:42 to play following a Glenn Sanabria three pointer. The Terriers then forced an errant shot and appeared poised to increase the lead but Turner drew a charge while for all intents and purposes eradicating the momentum.
The Jaspers would rip off six-straight points, highlighted by a Turner triple, before going into intermission down just one at 28-27.
With its season-high matching 10 thefts, Manhattan improved improved to 35-6 since Steve Masiello was prior to the 2011-2012 season when registering double-figures in thefts with senior Tyler Wilson (Bronx, NY / Cardinal Hayes) leading the way with three.
Sanabria led St. Francis Brooklyn with 14 points while Yunus Hopinson (13) and Rasheem Dunn (12) also finished in double-figures.
The Terriers were limited to just 30.9 percent shooting (17-of-55) by a tenacious Jasper defense, including just 24.0 percent (6-of-25) from deep, in falling to 2-10 on the year.
Manhattan concludes non-conference play against Eastern Kentucky on Thursday, December 22 with opening tip tabbed for 7:00 pm.
Notes:
* The Jaspers lead the all-time series with St. Francis Brooklyn by a 53-19 count.
* Masiello collected his 96th career victory.
* Turner has now scored at least 20 points on four occasions this year and 10 for his career.
* The Indiana native's seven triples are tied for the second-most threes in a game by a Manhattan player in program history.
* Senior Shane Richards connected on seven three pointers in last year's win at Morgan State.
* Turner is shooting a blistering 50.0 percent (31-of-62) from long range this year.
* The Jaspers have won the battle of the boards nine times this year after outrebounding the Terriers by a 38-34 count.
* Manhattan has now shot 50.0 percent or better in a half on eight occasions this year with four coming before halftime and four after.
* The Jaspers opened the game on a 14-5 run and the second half with a 13-4 spurt.
