Box Score JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Manhattan scored the first three points in overtime and never lost the lead to earn a 72-65 victory against Saint Peter's in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) men's basketball action on Friday.
After the Peacocks (9-10, 3-5 MAAC) rallied back to tie the game at 59 and even had shot at the victory at the regulation buzzer, Emmy Andujar converted a traditional 3-point play at 3:42 in overtime to put the Jaspers (8-8, 5-2 MAAC) up for good at 62-59. Marvin Dominique (Miramar, Fla./Miramar [Fordham]) and Ashton Pankey traded baskets inside to maintain a three-point margin. Elias Desport (Stockholm, Sweden/Solna Gymnasium) cut it to one point at 64-63 with 1:56 left only to see Shane Richards hit a jumper at 1:24 and Andujar make two free throws with 24 seconds left and Saint Peter's could get no closer than three points the rest of the way.
Dominique paced the Peacocks with 16 points while Desport registered his third double-digit performance of the season with 11 points and a career-high seven rebounds. Desi Washington (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin [Delaware State]) added 10 points and five rebounds in the loss.
Andujar and Richards combined for 43 points after Adujar posted 22 points and Richards added 21 points in the winning effort.
In the second game between the two teams in nine days, the rematch was more of a closely contested contest that went into overtime that saw Manhattan earn its ninth-straight win in the series against Saint Peter's.
Trailing 56-51 with 3:49 left, the Peacocks closed regulation on an 8-3 run to force overtime. Dominique started the comeback with a jumper at 2:14. After Andujar hit 1 of 2 at the foul line at 1:48, Tyler Gaskins (Roswell, Ga./Centennial [Lawson State]) made it a two-point game on a pair of charity tosses at 1:38. Richards answered with a jumper at 1:17 for a 59-55 edge, but Dominique responded with a thunderous dunk on an offensive rebound with 47 seconds left and Washington grabbed a defensive rebound and went coast-to-coast for the layup to even the score at 59 with eight seconds left.
The Jaspers looked to set up for the game-winning shot in regulation, but a turnover with 3.4 seconds left gave a Saint Peter's player a chance to sent the Yanitelli Center crowd home happy with a basket. Dominique, who missed a 3-pointer in the corner at the end of regulation in a 62-61 overtime win against Monmouth on Wednesday, had his trey at the top of the key rim out against Manhattan to send the game to overtime where the Jaspers pulled out the victory.
The Peacocks went into halftime in Riverdale down 19 points, but Saint Peter's played a much better half in Jersey City to go into the break with a 35-30 advantage.
With the game tied at 9, Saint Peter's used a 9-1 run to take an 18-10 lead with 9:29 left. Desport started the run with a tip-in basket at 13:30 before Rodney Hawkins (Baltimore, Md./Lake Clifton) scored in the lane at 11:41 for a 13-9 advantage.
After Jermaine Lawrence hit one free throw at 11:28, the Peacocks rolled off the next five points thanks to a Washington free throw at 10:37, a Washington layup at 10:01 and an Elisha Boone (Laurelton, N.Y./Abraham Lincoln) layup at 9:29 for an eight-point margin.
Manhattan scored the next eight points to even the game at 18 thanks to six points from Richards and a layup by Andujar.
With the game tied at 30, Hawkins scored in the lane at 1:47 and then made 1 of 2 free throws at 1:16 for a 33-30 lead before Trevis Wyche (Neptune, N.J./Saint Peter's Prep) made two free throws with 59 ticks on the clock to send Saint Peter's into the locker room with a 35-30 lead.
Washington helped extend the lead to six points in the second half with a triple at 17:43 for a 39-33 lead, but Pankey scored four of the next six points to even the score at 39 with 13:37 remaining.
The Peacocks final lead came after Quadir Welton (Philadelphia, Pa./Math, Civics and Science Charter) scored back-to-back baskets for a 43-39 edge with 11:17 on the clock.
Manhattan then grabbed a four-point lead with 9:03 left and a five-point margin with 3:49 on the clock. Richards broke the 12th tie of the game on two free throws at 4:48 and RaShawn Stores drained a shot-clock expiring trey at 3:49 for a 56-51 lead. Saint Peter's then scored eight of the 11 points to tie the game and send the contest to overtime where the Jaspers earned the win.
Gaskins and Hawkins each added seven points. Wyche tallied six points, six assists and four rebounds for the Peacocks.
The loss ended a three-game winning streak at the Yanitelli Center and a three-game winning streak in overtime after winning the first two extra session games this season and downing Seton Hall 83-80 in overtime last year. It marks the first time the team has played back-to-back overtime games since 2005-06 when the Peacocks defeated UNC-Greensboro on Feb. 18, 2006 and then lost to Canisius on Feb. 24, 2006. The squad is 3-4 in overtime games under head coach John Dunne.
Prior to the game, Saint Peter's honored Washington for his 1,000th career point in a Peacocks uniform. The senior became the 30th player in team history to reach the mark in the second half against the Hawks on Wednesday.
The Peacocks return to action on Wednesday against Quinnipiac on Faculty Appreciation Night at the Yanitelli Center. Game time is 7 p.m. Saint Peter's defeated the Bobcats 66-60 in Hamden, Conn., on Jan. 2.
