Princeton, N.J. (December 16, 2007)- Manhattan held Princeton to just one made field goal over a 9:52 span to turn a 13 point deficit into a seven point lead as the Jaspers posted their first ever win at Jadwin Gymnasium tonight Princeton campus, recording a hard-fought, 71-65, win.
“We were very fortunate to come out on the upside of this game,” noted head coach Barry Rohrssen. “(Down by 13 in the second half) we had a sense of urgency, and we were able to convert from the line at the end of the game.”
The first half was played evenly, as the first 20 minutes saw seven ties and five lead changes. Neither team led by more than five points as the two sides struggled to maintan an offensive rhythm despite shooting well from the field.
Princeton gradually built its three point, 33-30, halftime lead up to 13 points, 49-36, with 11:54 to play in the game. At that point, Manhattan came out with full court pressure and disrupted the Tiger offense while sparking the Jaspers offense. After a Darryl Crawford traditional three point play, Manhattan caused Princeton turnover on three consecutive possessions, cutting the lead to four, 49-45, with 9:32 to play. A Crawford follow and an Antoine Pearson three cut the lead to one, 54-53, with 6:32 remaining. Nick Walsh supplied the tying basket on a three pointer, and gave Manhattan its first lead since 28-27 with 1:09 left in the opening stanza with a steal and acrobatic lay-up and free throw with 4:38 to play. Short jumpers by Crawford and Pearson upped the lead to seven, and the Tigers got no closer than four the rest of the way.
Pearson led all scorers with a career-high 22 points, adding a game-high five assists and three steals. Rashad Green added 16 points, a team-high seven rebounds, and a game-high five steals. Crawford chipped in with 11 points.
Manhattan returns to action on Friday, December 21, hosting Pepperdine University at Draddy Gym. The game is slated to begin at 7:00 p.m.
