Junior Barry Durosier had a career-high 16 points and six assists Monday night. |
NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – Manhattan College’s Mike Konovelchick hit a three-pointer, recorded a steal and then a block all in the final 42 seconds to lead the Jaspers to an 82-81 overtime win in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference men’s basketball game Monday night in the Gallagher Center.
Konovelchick was one of four players to score in double figures for Manhattan (16-8, 12-4). Niagara, which falls to 10-14, 7-9, was led by junior Clif Brown’s (Ferndale, Mich.) career- and game-high 28 points.
Niagara forced overtime when junior J.R. Duffey (Fort Worth, Texas) hit a jumper with 25 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 71-71. Duffey finished with 14 points.
The Purple Eagles opened the overtime period with back-to-back three-pointers from junior Lorenzo Miles (Washington, D.C.) and Brown to take a 77-71 lead. Senior James Mathis (Jersey City, N.J.), who played his final regular-season home game, sank one of two free throws to push the lead to seven.
Both teams traded free throws before Manhattan’s Jason Wingate hit a three-pointer with 1:06 remaining to make it 79-77. Junior Barry Durosier (Orlando, Fla.) scored two of his career-high 16 points from the foul line with 47 seconds left to give the Purple Eagles an 81-77 lead.
Konovelchick then sank a three-pointer to cut it to 81-80. Brown missed a jumper and got his own rebound with 26 seconds remaining. Konovelchick then picked off an in-bounds pass that led to Wingate sinking the game-winning free throws with 19 second left on the clock. A Niagara jumper with nine seconds remaining was blocked by Konovelchick.
In the first half, Manhattan used an 11-0 run to take a 12-point lead, 35-23, with 4:59 left. The Jaspers then out-scored Niagara, 7-6, to close the half up, 42-29.
The Jaspers increased their lead to 48-31, scoring six of the first eight points of the second period. Niagara kept chipping away at the Manhattan lead before using four free throws, a Miles’ three-pointer and Duffey’s jumper to tie the game and force overtime.
Brown posted his fifth consecutive 20-plus point game and his fifth double-double of the season with a team-high 12 rebounds. Miles added 14 points, and Durosier tied his personal best with a team-high six assists.
Manhattan was led by Jeff Xavier with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Arturo Dubois had 21 points and Wingate added 14 points and eight assists.
Niagara takes a break for league play when it plays its final non-conference game at Valparaiso Saturday at 8 p.m.
Niagara Men’s Basketball Game Notes
Niagara vs. Manhattan– Feb. 13, 2006
Gallagher Center
Final Score: Niagara 81- Manhattan 82 ot
· For the fifth consecutive game, Niagara head coach Joe Mihalich started Lorenzo Miles and Stanley Hodge at guard and James Mathis, J.R. Duffey, and Clif Brown at forward. The starting five have a 3-2 record.
· Mathis scored nine points and grabbed five rebounds in his final regular-season home game.
· Junior Greg Noel played a career-high 10 minutes tonight. His previous high was eight minutes against Saint Peter’s on Jan. 22, 2006.
· Junior guard Barry Durosier had a career-high 16 points. His previous high was 13 points against Troy on Dec. 31, 2005.
· For the fifth consecutive game, Brown had 20-plus points. He finished with a career-high 28 points. He added a team-high 12 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season.
· The Purple Eagles dropped to 0-3 in overtime games this season.
· This was the second time in three meetings Niagara and Manhattan played into overtime. On Jan. 22, 2005, the Purple Eagles beat Manhattan in overtime, 75-73.
