RIVERDALE, NY – The Manhattan Jaspers Men's Basketball team (7-8, 3-1 MAAC) took down the Bobcats of Quinnipiac University (10-5, 3-1 MAAC) by a score of 80-79 in nail-biting fashion on Friday night inside Draddy Gymnasium.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Starting in an early deficit were the Green and White to the Bobcats, but they slowly found their rhythm roughly six minutes in, highlighted by Erik Oliver-Bush forcing his way downlow to cut the Jaspers' deficit to four.
- Two possessions later, Marko Ljubicic brought the Bobcats' lead to within one with a booming triple.
- Out of the under-12 media timeout, it was Anthony Isaac, who's coming off back-to-back double-doubles, who grabbed his second offensive carom following a Terrance Jones missed three-point attempt, who put the Jaspers on top for the first time.
- After the Bobcats extended their lead to double-digits, it was Jaden Winston who hit a step-back jumper to cut the lead in the waning seconds of the first half.
- Second-half fireworks came to light, with the Jaspers taking advantage of the Bobcats' foul trouble, before Winston tallied another basket to his resume to fuel the rally for Manhattan.
- Out of the under-12 media timeout in the second half, it was Jones again for a clutch three-point basket to narrow its deficit to 10.
- Just two minutes later, it was Jones, again, who made waves, forcing the cough up to allow Winston to score the much-needed bucket that forced Quinnipiac to take a timeout.
- Back and forth went the two teams, before Isaac and Devin Dinkins combined for four straight points to cut the Bobcats' lead to as little as seven.
- With five and a half minutes remaining, Jones hit another triple to cut its deficit to just four points.
- After a scrum at halfcourt that resulted in send-offs for both teams, it was Fraser Roxburgh to put the Jaspers on his back with back-to-back three pointers to tie the game at 70.
- With the Jaspers trailing by two, three-point goals began to fall with Dinkins netting the team's seventh triple of the night to go back in front.
- As Manhattan held its own with a one-point lead, Quinnipiac would turn the ball over before Jaden Winston put the icing on the cake with a three-point edge.
- One final chance for the Bobcats, trailing by one, would prove to be not enough, as the Jaspers took down Quinnipiac inside its own building for the first time in five seasons.
STATS AND NOTES
- The Jaspers start the 2025-26 MAAC season 3-1 for the first time since 2019-20, and the first time under Head Coach John Gallagher.
- Junior forward Jaden Winston paced the Jaspers with a 22-point performance with six assists, two steals, and four rebounds in a 10-for-15 night from the floor in 36 minutes of game time. With two steals, Winston is three steals away from overtaking third place in the all-time steals chart in program history. Additionally, Winston logged a career high 10 field-goals, and became the first Jasper to record double-digit shots from the field since Will Sydnor when he posted 11 completed shots on January 10, 2025 against Mount St. Mary's inside Draddy.
- Redshirt junior guard Devin Dinkins scored five times from the field, including one three-pointer, and converted all seven free throws, totaling 18 points on the night in 38 minutes on the floor.
- Sophomore forward Fraser Roxburgh posted two timely three-pointers in three attempts and totaled 12 points on the evening, with six rebounds, and went four-for-four from the charity stripe in 26 minutes.
- Junior forward Anthony Isaac recorded his third straight game with double-digit rebounds, notably 13, with six points, and two steals on the evening in 29 minutes off the bench.
- Manhattan won the battle in the paint, 40-36, over Quinnipiac.
NEXT UP
The Jaspers are back in action on Sunday, January 4, when the Green and White continue conference play against the Warriors of Merrimack College inside Lawler Arena. The contest can be viewed on ESPN+ with a paid subscription.
