Purchase, N.Y. – Keystone College trailed by as many as 16 points in the second half of Sunday afternoon's non-conference men's basketball game at Manhattanville College an overcame an 11-point deficit in final six minutes to earn a thrilling, 80-79 victory. The Giants level its record at 2-2 on the year while the Valiants slip to 2-2 on the season.
Manhattanville built a 14-7 lead over the first six minutes of Sunday's contest before Keystone used an 11-1 run to claim a 27-22 lead with just over eight minutes remaining in the first half. A 10-2 burst by the Valiants put the hosts up 39-33 and Manhattanville would go on to hold a 46-41 lead at halftime.
Charles Nardone scored 12 points, Alex Tuci had 11 points, and Brian Haggerty netted 10 points in the opening 20 minutes of play to lead the Valiants, who shot 48.4 percent from the floor in the first half while going 4-11 from three-point range and 12-17 from the free throw line.
Deion Monroe (Kingston, N.Y./Kingston ) paced Keystone with 12 points in the opening stanza while
Perry Belcher (Orlando, Fla./Colonial) and
John Kirkpatrick (Philadelphia, Pa./Northeast) scored six points apiece.
Devin Stricklin (Midland, Tex./Pro Vision Prep) dished out four assists in the period for the Giants, who connected on 48.5 percent of their attempts from the field in the half while shooting 2-10 from long range and 7-12 from the charity stripe.
Manhattanville pushed its lead to 16 points, 63-47, with 11:54 left in regulation and maintained a double-digit lead into the final six minutes of play. Trailing 75-64 with 5:35 showing on the clock, Keystone rattled off 12 straight points to take a 76-75 lead with 3:12 remaining on a three-pointer from
Devin Williams (Monticello, N.Y./Monticello).
The Valiants went back in front with a pair of free throws and hit the backend of pair from the stripe at the 1:18 mark to claim a 78-76 lead. Belcher leveled the contest with a layup at the one-minute mark before Williams gave the Giants an 80-78 edge with a lay-win with 10 seconds left. Monroe blocked a three-point attempt by Manhattanville, but the hosts then had a chance to tie the game with a pair of free throws, but made just one of two before the final horn sounded.
Monroe led Keystone with 17 points and was joined in double-figures by Kirkpatrick (16), Williams (14), and Belcher (13). Stricklin tied for a game-high with four helpers while Belcher added three assists and three steals.
Kirkpatrick paced the Giants with 11 rebounds while Belcher and Monroe collected six boards apiece. Williams also blocked a pair of shots for the visitors, who finished the game hitting on 40.8 percent of their shots including a 22.2 percent clip from three-point land while shooting 62.1 percent from the foul line.
Tuci finished with game-highs of 22 points and 12 rebounds for Manhattanville and was joined in double-digits by Haggerty (18), Nardone (14), and Willie Britton (12). The Valiants finished the contest shooting 41.8 percent from the field, 29.4 percent from distance, and 71.8 percent from the stripe.
Keystone finished the game with a 46-42 advantage in rebounds and was plus-three (13-16) in turnovers.
The Giants will host Immaculata University in a Colonial States Athletic Conference matchup on Wednesday night starting at 8:00 p.m. in the Gambal Athletic Center in La Plume.
