Bronx Insider: Sports Desk: Manhattan Men's Basketball Drops Non-Conference Finale to Central Connecticut.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Jaspers Drop Non-Conference Final to Blue Devils.

RIVERDALE, N.Y. – Manhattan fell to Central Connecticut, 78–67, in Draddy Gymnasium on Friday night in the non-conference finale for Manhattan.

 
Ant Nelson had a game-high 21 points, and Samir Stewart added 17 to lead Manhattan (3-7).
"Coach Sellers did a great job today; they came in prepared and ready to play," said interim head coach RaShawn Stores postgame. "We have to be better defensively. We [can't] up 57-percent in the first half and 54-percent for the game."

 
Central Connecticut (2-10) led by 11 at the half and by as many as 14 in the second half. Throughout the second half, though, the Jaspers chipped away at the Blue Devils' lead and got it down to three after back-to-back three-pointers by Samir Stewart with 3:03 remaining.

 
Stewart's back-to-back triples came within 34 seconds and turned a nine-point deficit into a three-point deficit for the Jaspers. Those two makes were the senior's only two from behind the arc on the night. The 3-pointers capped a 21-10 stretch by the Jaspers that lasted over seven minutes.

 
From that point on, the Blue Devils scored 10 of the final 12 points. Six of those 10 came from the charity stripe.

 
As a team, Central Connecticut shot over 54-percent from the field. Kellen Amos led the Blue Devils with 20 points on 6-6 shooting from behind the arc. Jay Rodgers (15), Nigel Scantlebury (12), and Abdul Momoh (11) were also in double figures for the visitors.  

Manhattan shot 45-percent from the field tonight and went 9-11 from the line. The Jaspers shot only 25-percent from deep compared to the Blue Devils' 62.5-percent from 3-point range.

 
Both Nelson and Stewart added four assists, and Nelson tallied four steals.

 
The Jaspers shift their focus to MAAC play with a trip to Marist scheduled for Monday. Tipoff in Poughkeepsie is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN+.

 
For the latest on the Manhattan College men's basketball program, follow the Jaspers on Twitter @JaspersMBB and Instagram @Jaspers.MBB.