LONDON, England – Manhattan and Northeastern went back and forth inside the final minute of regulation before the Huskies came away with the two-point win in overtime, 69-67, in the first game of the 2022 London Basketball Classic.
Josh Roberts gave the Jaspers a 56-55 lead with nine seconds to play in regulation. Northeastern's Chase Cormier was fouled on the ensuing Huskies' possession, shooting a 3-pointer with less than a second remaining.
After missing the first free throw, Cormier made the second, but while shooting the free throw, Northeastern (1-4) was assessed a technical foul for a substitution infraction. Manhattan (1-3) was awarded one free throw, which
Ant Nelson made to give the Jaspers a 57-56 lead. Cormier returned to the stripe and made his final free throw to send the game to overtime, tied at 57.
The first four made shots in overtime were 3-pointers, three by Northeastern and one by Manhattan. The three triples by the Huskies gave them a 66-60 lead. Over the next 2:53, Manhattan would chip away at the deficit and tie the game at 67 on an
Ant Nelson layup with 18 seconds to play.
Northeastern called timeout and drew up a play that ended in Cormier finding Joe Pridgen on an alley-oop with three seconds to play. Nelson's ¾ court heave fell short at the final horn.
Roberts finished with 19 points and a career-high 17 rebounds.
Marques Watson also finished with 19 points, a new career high. Roberts and Watson combined to go 18-23 from the field. Nelson tallied 14 for the Jaspers.
Pridgen finished with a game-high 20 points off the bench for the Huskies.
Manhattan will play at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday in the second and final game of the 2022 London Basketball Classic. The Jaspers will play either Army West Point or Princeton.
