JERSEY CITY, N.J. — On Friday night, Manhattan struggled for much of the game but rallied in the final moments to secure a 70-67 victory against the defending MAAC champions, Saint Peter’s. The Jaspers were propelled by impressive efforts from Fraser Roxburgh and Will Sydnor, who helped erase a seven-point gap with over 13 minutes […]
JERSEY CITY, N.J. — On Friday night, Manhattan struggled for much of the game but rallied in the final moments to secure a 70-67 victory against the defending MAAC champions, Saint Peter’s. The Jaspers were propelled by impressive efforts from Fraser Roxburgh and Will Sydnor, who helped erase a seven-point gap with over 13 minutes remaining, ending Manhattan’s five-game losing streak in Jersey City.
HOW IT UNFOLDED
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Saint Peter’s surged to an 8-0 start following a three-pointer by Bryce Eaton at 17:57 of the first half.
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Manhattan ended its scoring drought when Will Sydnor intercepted a pass and assisted Jaden Winston for an easy lay-up, trimming the deficit to 8-2.
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Manhattan consistently chipped away at the Saint Peter’s lead despite the Peacocks’ accuracy from the field. The Jaspers responded well to four additional three-pointers from Saint Peter’s. After falling behind 20-15 due to a three-pointer from Marcus Randolph, Will Sydnor scored five consecutive points with a dunk and a three, followed by another lay-up from Roxburgh, as Manhattan surged ahead 22-20 with a rapid 7-0 run.
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The Jaspers’ comeback featured 14 straight points from Sydnor and Roxburgh. The duo engaged in a scoring exchange with Saint Peter’s sophomore guard Armoni Zeigler, who assertively drove towards the basket in the first half, and his jumper with 3:52 remaining widened the Peacocks’ lead to 33-27.
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Saint Peter’s recorded its eighth three-pointer of the first half from Adetokunbo Bakare at 1:31, but Masiah Gilyard answered back with a lay-up, sending the Jaspers into halftime with a manageable deficit of 38-35.
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In the second half, Manhattan displayed increased vigor, highlighted by Sydnor’s electrifying coast-to-coast tomahawk dunk that thrilled the crowd and reduced the Jaspers’ deficit to two points at the 15:46 mark of the half.
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The Peacocks managed to extend their lead back to seven with contributions from the free throw line. However, the Manhattan offense, spearheaded by Sydnor and Roxburgh, responded effectively. Once more, the freshman tandem delivered eight consecutive points—three from Sydnor and five from Roxburgh—giving Manhattan a 51-50 edge with 10:54 to go.
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Back-to-back baskets from Marcus Randolph and Jaquel Morris shifted the advantage back to the Peacocks by three with 7:51 left.
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Next, Manhattan’s defense intensified, while the offense relied on Roxburgh’s hot hand. He was set up for another three-pointer by Winston, followed by a lay-up that reclaimed the lead for Manhattan at 59-57. The Jaspers restricted Saint Peter to no field goals until a lay-up from Eaton with 14 seconds remaining—spanning 7:37 in game clock.
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Eaton’s drive cut the Jaspers’ lead to three, and he subsequently reduced the deficit to one with a long three-pointer with six seconds left. Nevertheless, Manhattan was steadfast at the line, converting two final free throws from Gilyard and Shaquil Bender in the last five seconds to seal the victory. The Jaspers netted nine free throws in the closing minute to secure the win.
STATS AND HIGHLIGHTS
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With 16 points, Will Sydnor has now achieved double-digit scores in five of eight games. His remarkable first half included 11 points on 5-7 shooting while the Jaspers continued to face the Peacocks’ sharpshooting.
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Sydnor had several highlight dunks, including a putback dunk during the first half and a powerful one-handed slam early in the second half.
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Roxburgh’s 17 points mark a personal best for the Australian. His two 5-0 runs in the second half led to Manhattan taking leads—first at 51-50 with 10:54 left and again at 59-57 with 7:13 remaining.
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The 7:37 stretch without a field goal allowed against Saint Peter’s marked the Jaspers’ longest defensive stand this season. Manhattan has exceeded five minutes without conceding a field goal in two other stretches, including 5:11 at FDU in the second half and 5:09 at Maryland in the first half.
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Following another strong performance at the free throw line (15-21), three Jaspers are shooting 85 percent or better this season: Shaquil Bender (11-12 for 91.7%), Jaden Winston (18-20 for 90%), and Devin Dinkins (21-24 for 87.5%).
COACH’S COMMENTS FROM MANHATTAN
Head coach John Gallagher on improving the defense against Saint Peter’s: “Throughout the week, we reviewed footage and marked essential plays we aimed for… Our defensive effort was significantly better, and I was impressed with our grit in pursuing loose balls…That’s the Manhattan I recognize from practice.”
Gallagher on the swift development of his young roster: “When we assembled this team, we aimed to compete with the top tier in the league…Championship-level teams like Saint Peter’s… I greatly respect coach (Bashir Mason)… Therefore, securing this win reflects our progress and affirms that in December, we’re tough enough to claim victories like this. As I reminded the team, ‘don’t allow wins to inflate your ego or losses to affect your heart.'”
WHAT’S NEXT
Manhattan continues with MAAC action as they host the Marist Red Foxes (5-2, 1-0 MAAC) on Sunday at 2 PM. The game will be available for streaming live on ESPN+ from Draddy Gym.
Follow Manhattan Basketball on X @JaspersMBB and on Instagram @jaspers.mbb.
