ATLANTIC CITY, NJ – The Manhattan Jaspers Men's Basketball team (12-20, 8-12 MAAC) concluded their season after falling to the Stags of #7 Fairfield University (20-12, 11-9 MAAC) by a score of 71-60 inside Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall on Thursday evening.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Looking for its first victory in Atlantic City since the turn of the decade, the Jaspers climbed the steep mountain against the Stags after splitting with Fairfield this regular season.
- Reaching the mountain top in the first half were the Green and White, who traded baskets with their opponent for the first five minutes of the contest.
- Cutting the deficit to as little as three, Terrance Jones was on a second-chance driving layup down low.
- The Jaspers cut into the Stags' lead once again after the opposition turned the ball over via a travel, and Fraser Roxburgh was able to capitalize with a hook shot to cut its deficit 21-17 in the waning minutes of the first half.
- Tying the game at 22 was Jones, who has been the motor for the Jaspers, with a booming three-pointer out of the media timeout. Jones tied the game for a second time after Roxburgh's missed three-pointer.
- In the second half, the Jaspers fell to a double-digit deficit before Jaden Winston was able to stop the bleeding off his third steal to bury the basket and bring his team's deficit back to single digits.
STATS AND NOTES
- Graduate guard Terrance Jones posted a team-high 16 points on five-of-13 shooting from the floor, having converted all five free throws in as many attempts. Jones also concluded his collegiate career with four assists, the team's lone block on the night, and four rebounds in 34 minutes on the night.
- Junior guard Jaden Winston registered 15 points on four-of-12 from the field that included a 2-for-3 evening from distance. Winston also stole a game-high three and assisted on one basket in a game-high 38 minutes on the floor.
- Redshirt junior guard Devin Dinkins logged 11 points on five-of-11 shooting, while grabbing two rebounds, one assist, and one steal in 31 minutes.
- Junior forward Anthony Isaac recorded his fourth double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds, while assisting and stealing in 29 minutes off the bench.
- Manhattan won the paint battle, having outscored the Stags 32-24.
QUOTES FROM THE JASPERS
Head Coach John Gallagher: "First off, give credit to Fairfield. To the coaching staff and the program. If you look back at this time last year, at the pieces they added, the two that stand out are Benjamin and Wucherpfenning. Two future all-conference players. All Freshman team this year. So, give them a lot of credit. I think the game got separated in the first 10 minutes of that second half."
"We missed some open threes, and we missed some coverages on the defensive side of the ball. Overall, I think Terrance and Jaden both provided a lot for us this year. So, I want to thank them personally. This is something that we will learn from, and we have to give credit to Fairfield and the job they did."
