The Manhattan Jaspers couldn’t get out of Brooklyn soon enough.
Playing their second straight game in the borough following a 27-point dismantling at LIU Brooklyn last Sunday, the Jaspers were thoroughly dominated on the glass and fell 63-57 to South Carolina last night in the Brooklyn Holiday Hoops Invitational at Barclays Center.
It was the second consecutive loss for Manhattan (3-7, 1-1) and third straight win for the Gamecocks (8-3). South Carolina was buoyed by a 42-23 rebounding advantage.
“It was a very hard-fought game, and I was really proud of my guys,” Manhattan coach Steve Masiello said. “They really competed. I’m really happy with our effort, but I think the difference in the game tonight was the backboard.”
Though the Jaspers were outrebounded 23-9 in the first half, Manhattan only trailed 36-30 at halftime after committing just three turnovers, getting 10 first-half points from Donovan Kates, while big man Rhamel Brown added six points, five rebounds, three blocks and three steals, despite hitting 2 of 9 free throws.
Down seven early in the second half, Manhattan stormed back with a 10-0 run, taking a 41-38 lead behind Shane Richards. The freshman finished the game with a career-high 18 points on 6-of-11 3-point shooting, having entered the game averaging 1.9 points.
“That’s what I see every day,” Masiello said. “That’s why I recruited him. The kid will go a week without missing a shot.My mentality with him is if he misses one, he’s making the next four.”
Said Richards: “Coach just said, ‘Keep shooting the ball and don’t let a miss affect the next one.’ ”
Playing without leading-scorer George Beamon, out for the fourth straight game with an injured ankle, the Jaspers had trouble creating easy opportunities on offense and settled for far too many jumpers, finishing the game shooting 40 percent from the field and 2-of-13 on 3-pointers not attempted by Richards.
An animated Masiello picked up a technical with the Jaspers holding on to a slim lead, as South Carolina went on a 10-0 run to take a 48 41 lead it would never relinquish.
Manhattan fought back, cutting the lead to 60-57 with 1:20 left, on a Mohamed Koita corner 3-pointer, but Michael Alvarado lost his dribble on the next possession with the Jaspers down four and the team never got closer.
“I was under the impression this was a Manhattan home game,” Masiello quipped. “It wasn’t Draddy [Gymnasium]. That’s for sure.”