RIVERDALE, NY (February 8, 2003) - Junior
Luis Flores (New York, NY) scored a game-high 24 points to lead five Jaspers in double figures as Manhattan knocked off Canisius, 79-65, Saturday evening in front of a sellout crowd at Draddy Gymnasium.
The win extended Manhattan's streak to 15, still the second-longest in the country. The first-place Jaspers are now 19-3 overall and 12-1 in the conference. Canisius falls to 8-14 overall and 4-9 in the MAAC.
Manhattan got off to a fast start, outscoring the Griffs 17-7 in the first eight minutes of the game, and never looked back. Manhattan closed the half with an 8-0 run and took a commanding 38-20 lead into halftime. The Jaspers held Canisius to 27.6% shooting in the first period and forced 12 turnovers.
The Jaspers maintained a comfortable lead in the second half, leading by as many as 26 (73-47) at the 7:38 mark. For the game, Manhattan shot 45.2% from the field, 40.0% from three-point range and 86.7% from the foul line.
Five Jaspers scored in double figures, led by Flores who made 8-19 shots from the floor including a pair of three-pointers. Senior
Justin Jackette (Valhalla, NY) had his finest performance since returning from a hamstring injury, as he tallied 16 points, 14 in the first half, and three steals. Freshman
Jason Wingate (New York, NY) contributed 11 points, one shy of his career-best, while
Dave Holmes (Washington, DC) and
Mike Konovelchick (Litchfield, NH) chipped in 10 points apiece.
Manhattan wraps up its three-game homestand on Thursday, February 13, when it hosts Fairfield in a showdown between the first and second place teams in the MAAC at 7:30 PM.
