Bronx Insider: Sports Desk: Manhattan Men's Basketball Falls in OT against Iona.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Jaspers Battle Back Against Iona Before Falling in OT.

RIVERDALE – In front of a sold-out Draddy Gymnasium, Manhattan rallied to force overtime before falling to Iona, 84-76, on Friday night.

 
The Jaspers battled back from 15 down in the second half to force overtime in front of a raucous crowd.  

“Great atmosphere tonight. I want to thank the 6th Borough, the administration, and everyone for coming out. The alumni and student sections were awesome,” said interim head coach RaShawn Stores. “I am so proud of this team and to see the support tonight; that is what it is all about.”

  
The first half of the game favored Iona (13-6, 6-2 MAAC). The Gaels led by as many as 11 over the opening 20 minutes. In the second half, the Jaspers were able to match what the Gales were scoring to keep their lead from growing and chip away at the lead. The basket that changed the course of the second half was a 3-pointer by Nick Brennen, assisted by Samir Stewart. The triple from Brennen made it 49-39.  

After a pair of Iona free throws, James Jewell bookended a 9-0 run spanning three minutes. Jewell’s layup at the end of the run made it a three-point game, 51-48. Josh Roberts brought the crowd to a fever pitch with a dunk during the stretch.

 
Over the last three minutes, the Jaspers (6-11, 4-4) and the Gales went toe to toe. Stewart followed a Marques Watson layup with a deep 3-pointer to bring the Jaspers to within two, 63-61, with 3:03 left. Stewart made it a personal 5-0 run with two free throws to level the game at 63.

 
Iona took the lead twice inside the final 100 seconds, and each time the Jaspers responded. Roberts put home a layup to knot it at 65 with 61 seconds left. After an Osborn Shema triple, Stewart got a pass from Brennen and forced overtime when he connected from deep with 20 seconds remaining.

 
In overtime, Watson gave Manhattan its first lead since it was 3-2 on a layup on the first possession. Iona responded with a 13-2 over 3:45 to build separation. The Gaels’ lead grew to as many as nine.

 
The top scorers of the game tonight included Stewart with 18 points, nine of those coming from 3-pointers. Behind Stewart was Brennen with 12 points on three 3-pointers. Three other Jaspers were in double figures; James Jewell, Ant Nelson, and Marques Watson each had 10. Nelson added seven rebounds and seven assists. Defensively, Roberts led the team with a game-high 14 rebounds. In addition to his defensive contributions, Roberts amassed 9 points, one point away from back-to-back double-doubles.

Iona also had five players score in double figures. Walter Clayton Jr. led the way with a game-high 21 points and added six assists.

 
The Jaspers play again this Sunday, Jan. 22, at 2 p.m. in Lawrenceville, N.J., against Rider on ESPN+.

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