RIVERDALE, N.Y. - The Manhattan College men's basketball team fell short to Fairfield 77-68, at the Leo D. Mahoney Arena on Sunday afternoon.
"I give Fairfield a lot of credit. They came out in the second half and really responded," said Coach Gallagher. "The best backcourt in major basketball. This is day 38 until March 12. We are getting better and better. We played a really good first half and second half we were down by 10 and cut it to 4 points. We are a team that keeps getting better and better."
Manhattan (5-14, 2-8 MAAC) was led by Jaden Winston who recorded 18 points and nine rebounds. Daniel Rouzan and Perry Cowan contributed 11 points apiece for the Jaspers.
Fairfield (12-9, 6-4 MAAC) was led by Jalen Leach who scored 23 points and recorded six rebounds. Caleb Fields added 19 points and three assists for the Stags.
The Jaspers started the first half strong with a 7-point lead (11-4). Fairfield countered with consecutive shots, reducing the deficit to a 5-point game. Manhattan responded by shooting 21 points in the paint. Winston controlled the ball successfully, driving to the basket and assisting Hayun with a 3-pointer. The Stags managed two steals but not enough to stop Manhattan. Xinyi Li delivered back-to-back three-pointers, extending their lead to 36-30 at halftime.
Fairfield staged an impressive comeback in the second half, seizing the lead at 41-40. The game went back and forth, with the score tied at 46. The Stags then surged ahead with a three-pointer, establishing a 3-point lead (59-56) with 10 minutes remaining. Fairfield continued its momentum, extending their lead to 10 points. In the final moments, Jalen Leach managed a crucial three-point shot with 40 seconds left securing the victory against Manhattan.
Manhattan shot 53.1% from the floor and 30.0% from three-point. They recorded 34 points in the paint and 24 bench points.
Fairfield shot 50.0% from the floor and 41.7% from three-point. They recorded 34 points in the paint and 18 bench points.
The Jaspers will travel to Maryland and play Mount St. Mary's on Feb, 8. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at Kaplan Center Gym.
Tickets: To purchase season or individual tickets, visit gojaspers.universitytickets.com. For any questions call 718-862-7297 or email tickets@manhattan.edu.
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