Second-Half Spurt Propels Manhattan To 78-69 Win Over Niagara

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Riverdale, NY - Manhattan used a 22-5 run to flip an 11-point second-half deficit into a rousing 78-69 win over Niagara in MAAC action at Draddy Gymnasium.


Junior Calvin Crawford (Middletown, NY / St. Thomas More (CT)) scored 20 points while pulling down nine rebounds while classmate Zavier Turner (Indianapolis, IN / Ball State) added 21 points and six assists as the Jaspers improved to 6-11 and 1-5 in the MAAC.


Matt Scott scored 21 points to lead the way for the Purple Eagles, which fall to 5-12 and 2-4 in the league.

Trailing 52-42 with 13:34 to play, sophomore Thomas Capuano (Hastings-on-Hudson, NY / Iona Prep) calmly drained a three pointer before Crawford hit a pair of layups to quickly trim the deficit to three in just over a minute at a half. Junior Samson Usilo (Lagos, Nigeria / Nazareth (NY)) then hit a layup before Niagara briefly answered with a pair from the line.

Freshman Aaron Walker Jr. (Brooklyn, NY / Cardozo) then completed the comeback with an old-fashioned three-point play to tie the score up at 54-54 with 9:42 to play.

Crawford stole the ball on the ensuing possession before draining a three pointer with the shot clock expiring to give Manhattan a lead it would not relinquish over the final 9:01. 

The Jasper lead would would balloon to 11 on a pair of occasions as Manhattan outscored 36-17 over the final 13-plus minutes of the game.

In the decisive half, the Jaspers forced 12 turnovers that led to 21 points while Turner hit on 9-of-10 from the line while also converting a three en route to scoring 12 points over the final 3:53 to close out the win.

Manhattan shot 43.5 percent (27-of-62) from the floor, including 46.7 percent (7-of-15) from deep, and 89.5 percent (17-of-19) from the line.

Capuano scored 13 points with six caroms while Usilo added 12 points and nine rebounds to round out the double-digit performers for the Jaspers

Manhattan will next be in action on Friday, January 13 when the Jaspers host Rider on ESPNU with opening tip slated for 9:00 pm.

Notes:
* Manhattan improves to 50-32, all-time, against Niagara, including 21-10 at Draddy Gymnasium since the Purple Eagles joined the MAAC in 1989-1990.

* Head Coach Steve Masiello improved to 7-4 against Niagara, including 5-1 at Draddy, with his 98th career win.

* Turner notched at least 20 points for the second-straight game and the sixth time this year and the 12th time in his career.

* Crawford's season-high 20 points was the fourth 20-point performance of his career.

* Turner and Crawford give Manhattan two 20-point performers for the first time this year.

* The Jaspers' have trailed at halftime in each of their last four wins.

* Senior Tyler Wilson (Bronx, NY / Cardinal Hayes) handed out four assists en route to moving past Jason Wingate into eighth place on the all-time Manhattan assist list with 336 helpers.

* Usilo is averaging 10.3 ppg 8.3 rpg over his last three games.