BUFFALO, N.Y. - Jaspers guard Rico Pickett led the charge with a career-high 21 points and Darryl Crawford scored 17 second half points as the Manhattan men's basketball team rolled to a 71-57 victory at Canisius (4-3, 1-1 MAAC) on Sunday. Junior forward Andrew Gabriel added 13 points and five rebounds in Manhattan's (5-3, 1-1 MAAC) fifth straight win over the Golden Griffs.
"Our team played well today, which was important after not being able to play well for 40 minutes the other night," stated Manhattan head coach Barry Rohrssen. "We knew we had to come out with a solid performance right from the start of this game. Last time in this building it came down to the final shot."
Manhattan fired off its best shooting performance of the year going 50.8% (31-61) from the field. Pickett shot 9-for-16 in his first start in four games. Crawford also sank nine field goals and shot 8-for-13 in the second half to finish with 19 points. Crawford led the team with five assists and six rebounds off the bench in his return to the Koessler Athletic Center after scoring the game winning bucket with five seconds remaining to give the Jaspers a 59-57 victory last season.
Nick Walsh powered the Jaspers out to an 8-2 advantage after knocking down his first two buckets in the opening minutes. Canisius pulled within 10-8 at the 14:23 mark, but Jaspers' guard Antoine Pearson helped generate another scoring surge. He began with an acrobatic lay-up as part of a three point play, and then he buried a 3-pointer the next time down court. Adams capped the 8-0 run with a midrange jumper giving Manhattan a 20-10 advantage and some breathing room.
Pickett also found his shooting touch and scored the final eight points of the first half as the Jaspers took a 32-23 lead into the break. Manhattan used an 18-9 run to create separation from the Golden Griffs. The surge featured Pickett's emphatic two handed jam in transition. Manhattan led by as many as 13 points in the opening stanza.
The pesky Jasper defense forced 12 turnovers and made five steals in the first half. It also held Canisius to a dismal 28.6% (8-28) shooting from the field and 1-for-10 from 3-point territory.
Crawford got off to a hot start in the second half which helped the Jaspers pull away quickly. He managed to penetrate the lane and score at will, while also creating opportunities off the dribble for his teammates. Manhattan rallied off a 16-6 run to start the second half and led by double figures the rest of the way. The Jaspers limited Canisius to just two field goals in the first 10 minutes of the final period.
Manhattan captured its largest lead (19) of the contest on Pickett's second 3-pointer of the game with 3:02 remaining to take a 65-46 advantage. The junior from Alabama added two rebounds in 36 minutes of action.
The Jaspers also received contributions from seniors Pearson (7 points, 4 rebounds) and Brandon Adams (6 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals) in Manhattan's fourth win in five games.
Canisius was led in scoring by guards Julius Coles (15) and Frank Turner (13). Golden Griffs junior forward Tomas Vazquez-Simmons posted 10 points and eight rebounds off the bench.
Manhattan has a quick turn around as the Jaspers travel to Hofstra on Wednesday. Tip off is slated for 7 p.m.