BUFFALO, N.Y. – Manhattan forced overtime after trailing by eight with less than seven minutes to go and held Canisius to three points in the extra period to collect an 81-74 road win on Sunday.
The Jaspers split the season series with the Golden Griffins with the win and stopped a three-game losing streak.
"It was a great team road win," said interim head coach
RaShawn Stores. "We were able to overcome some adversity and recent tough losses. Our togetherness was a big reason we won today."
Ant Nelson had a game-high 22 points. Nelson surpassed 1,000 career points over his time at Manhattan and Seton Hall.
Xzavier Long put Canisius up eight with 6:49 to play after converting an old-fashioned three-point play. Manhattan (7-13, 5-6 MAAC) then outscored Canisius (5-15, 3-8) 15-7 to tie the game at 71 and force overtime.
Nick Brennen had five points in the run, including a three-point play with 43 seconds left that tied the score at 71.
The Jaspers' defense limited the Golden Griffins to 2-7 shooting over the final 6:49. Both makes were 3-pointers. Jordan Henderson hit the second of the two, which gave the home side a 71-68 lead with 68 seconds to play.
In the overtime period, Manhattan scored the first seven points to build a 78-71 advantage. Nelson had five of the seven. Brennen sealed the game with an off-balance, beat-the-shot-clock 3-pointer with 30 seconds to play.
The Jaspers went 4-6 from the field in overtime compared to Golden Griffins' 1-9 shooting.
Nelson's 22 came on 8-19 shooting, including 5-6 from the charity stripe.
Josh Roberts,
Samir Stewart, and
Nick Brennen had 16 points each. Roberts added seven rebounds, and Nelson and Stewart added five assists each.
Jordan Henderson tallied 22 points to lead Canisius. Long finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
The Jaspers return to action on Friday at home against Siena for a 7 p.m. tip inside Draddy Gymnasium.
For the latest on the Manhattan College men's basketball program, follow the Jaspers on Twitter @JaspersMBB and Instagram @Jaspers.MBB.
