EMMITTSBURG, MD – The Manhattan Jaspers Men's Basketball team (9-15, 5-8 MAAC) fell to the defending MAAC Champion Mountaineers of Mount St. Mary's (MD) (10-14, 6-7 MAAC) by a score of 72-65 inside Knott Arena on Sunday afternoon.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Attempting to build off its emotional victory on Friday evening were the Jaspers, and Devin Dinkins, who led the team with 22 points just hours prior, tallied a quick response triple just 62 seconds into the game.
- Both teams traded baskets until Terrance Jones added the team's second three-pointer to tie the game for the second time in just five minutes, at eight.
- Trailing by two and Jaden Winston doing what he does on the defensive end, it was Anthony Isaac, who used his commanding frame down low, off the steal, to bring the Green and White within one.
- After the Jaspers fell behind by as much as seven points down the stretch of the first half, Marko Ljubicic joined the three-pointer party to quickly bring Manhattan within two possessions.
- Following a Jones foul, the Mountaineers took a nine-point advantage, before Winston added another triple to his resume, before tallying another pair off a steal and score.
- Out of the locker room, the Mount continued right where it left off with an early triple to extend its margin of advantage to double-digits for the first time today, but it was the resiliency of the Jaspers that came to life with Fraser Roxburgh and Ljubicic combining for five to shrink the margin to just three, 37-34.
- The Mountaineers, again, went in front by as much as eight before the Jaspers had to play catch-up, courtesy of Quron Elliott, who kick-started the comeback attempt with a pull-up jump shot.
- The defense came alive for a second time today, with a pair of steals that led to scores for the Green and White. The offense for Manhattan, then found its rhythm with Winston, Roxburgh, and Ljubicic adding a quick nine points to shrink its deficit to two points before the under-eight media timeout.
- After the final media timeout, the Jaspers and Mountaineers were once again trading baskets and fouls, with players heading to the charity stripe, nearly netting all, before Mount's McEldon drew the dagger with 90 seconds remaining to capture another victory inside its home building.
STATS AND NOTES
- Sophomore forward Marko Ljubicic posted a game-high 14 points on five-of-12 shooting from the floor, which included three triples, with four rebounds and one steal in 28 minutes on the floor.
- Junior guard Jaden Winston logged 13 points, with three triples. A perfect free-throw trip, while grabbing three rebounds, assisting on four baskets, and posting five steals in 31 minutes. Winston continues his pursuit of 1,000, where he now sits just 85 points shy of becoming the 40th Jasper in program history to eclipse the elusive feat.
- Junior forward Anthony Isaac supplied 10 points on three-of-five shooting, while grabbing nine rebounds. Five of which were on the offensive end. Added a perfect four free throws and blocked one in 18 minutes off the bench.
- Despite turning the ball over five more times than the Mount, the Jaspers won the points-off-turnover battle, tallying 14, compared to the Mount's eight.
- The Green and White logged six fast-break points, compared to one basket for the Mountaineers.
NEXT UP
The Green and White return home for a crucial battle against the Peacocks of Saint Peter's University on Thursday, February 5, beginning at 7 p.m. inside Draddy Gymnasium. The contest can be viewed on ESPN+ with a paid subscription.
