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Riverdale, NY - Junior
Warren Williams (Kingston, Jamaica / St. Benedict's Prep) scored a season-high matching 20 points to pace four double-digit scorers, but it wasn't enough as Manhattan dropped an 85-67 decision to Fairfield in the series finale at Draddy Gymnasium.
In defeat, the Jaspers conclude the regular season with a 7-12 record, including 6-12 in the MAAC, while the Stags move to 7-16 and 7-12 in the league.
The Green & White will be the No. 10 seed and face No. 7 Fairfield in the first round of the MAAC Championship on Tuesday, March 9 at 7:30 pm.Â
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Manhattan came roaring out of the gates as junior
Ant Nelson (New York, NY / Seton Hall) hit a triple and classmate
Elijah Buchanan (Bronx, NY / Woodstock Academy (CT)) a jumper to help build an early 6-2 advantage just over a minute into the contest.
However, the Stags responded with a 15-3 spurt in opening up a 17-9 lead with 13:40 to play in the opening stanza.
The Fairfield lead would grow to a half-high 15 at 40-25 with 1:45 to play until intermission, before the Jaspers closed the first with six-straight points thanks to a jumper from Nelson and back-to-back layups from Buchanan.
After halftime, the Stag advantage again grew to 15 at 52-37 with just over 15 minutes remaining, before Manhattan again fought back.
Junior
Samba Diallo (Rufisque, Senegal / UMass) hit a pair of layups, sandwiched between a Williams hook shot, and junior
Nick Brennen (Irvington, NY / Harcum College) drained two from the line in drawing the Jaspers to within seven at 52-45 with 12:39 remaining.
Unfortunately, that would be as close as Manhattan would get as Fairfield was able to gain separation thanks to a late 8-0 spurt en route to posting the aforementioned 85-67 victory.
Notes
* Williams notched his second 20-point performance of the year and the third of his career thanks to going 8-for-10 from the floor, and finished up the weekend averaging 16.0 ppg, on 81.3 percent (13-of-16) shooting.
* Nelson had 13 points with five assists and four rebounds.
* He has now registered double-digits in scoring a team-best 14 times, while handing out at least five assists on five occasions.
* Buchanan also hit for 13 points with six rebounds and three steals.
* Diallo scored all 10 of his points after halftime with five rebounds to round out the double-digit performers for a Jasper outfit that shot 47.2 percent (25-of-53).
* Manhattan also posted a dominating 40-26 advantage in points in the paint.
* The Jaspers have now shot above 44 percent in four of their last five outings, after doing so once in the first 14 games.
* Jake Wojcik scored a game-high 33 points with seven rebound, five assists and three steals to pace Fairfield.
* The Stags shot 49.1 percent (27-of-55), while also posting a 34-29 advantage on the glass.
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