Team Effort Fuels Manhattan's 80-66 Win Over Morgan State

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Riverdale, NY - Senior Rich Williams (Brooklyn, NY / Vermont Academy (VT)) had 16 points and a career-high eight assists to lead Manhattan to an 80-66 wire-to-wire win over Morgan State in non-conference action at Draddy Gymnasium.
 
The Jaspers scored the first nine points of the game en route to racing out to an early 14-2 lead and never looked back and shot a season-high 53.7 percent (29-of-54) from the floor.

Senior Zavier Turner (Indianapolis, IN / Ball State) added 13 points with six rebounds while classmate Zane Waterman (Winston-Salem, NC / Fayetteville Academy) added 12 points and eight rebounds to pace three double-figure scorers for a Manhattan squad that improved to 4-5.

The lead would grow to 19 on three occasions before the Jaspers went into the break with a 46-32 lead.

In the opening period, Manhattan forced 11 Morgan State miscues and parlayed them into a 12-0 advantage in points off turnovers. Additionally, the Jaspers shot a blistering 53.6 percent (15-of-28) from the floor, including 50.0 percent (7-of-14) from distance.

Nine different Manhattan players scored in the pivotal stanza with the home team assisting on 13 of its 15 made baskets.

After halftime, the Bears hung around and cut the lead to 58-48 with 10:26 to play following an Antonio Gillespie triple. On the ensuing possession, Waterman grabbed a huge offensive rebound before converting a layup with the shot clock running down in stunting the Morgan State momentum.

After the visitors again trimmed it to 10 on the next possession, Waterman again answered with a jumper before grabbing a big defensive rebound that led to a Williams three-point play in pushing the Jasper advantage out to 65-50 with 7:52 to play.

The lead would grow to a game-high 21 on a pair of occasions as Manhattan won going away by the aforementioned 80-66 count.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- The teams have met in each of the last four seasons with the Jaspers winning three times.

- Manhattan leads the all-time series by a 4-2 count.

- The Jaspers 21 assists are the most since registering 21 in a 94-86 victory at Canisius on January 7, 2016. 

- The senior quartet of Crawford, Turner, Waterman and Williams combined for 49 points, 22 rebounds and 19 assists.

- Five different Manhattan players recorded blocks, led by three from Crawford.

- The freshmen trio of Ebube Ebube (San Juan, Puerto Rico / Lawrenceville Academy (NJ)), Nehemiah Mack (Harrisburg, PA / Massanutten Prep (VA)) and Patrick Strzala (Bayonne, NJ / Bayonne) combined for 13 points and nine rebounds in 36 minutes off the bench.

- Turner made the first start of the year.

- Graduate student David Varoli (Katonah, NY / Niagara) made his Manhattan debut as a season-high 13 Jaspers saw action. 

UP NEXT
- Manhattan will next play at Tulsa on Saturday, December 16 at 7:00 pm (EST).