Jasper forward Daniel Rouzan going up for a floater in Manhattan’s loss against Fairfield on Jan. 21. GOJASPERS.COM/COURTESY
By Isaiah Rosario, Sports Editor
It has been 51 days since the Jaspers put a game in the win column. Since Dec. 1, in a game against Mount St. Mary’s, the Jaspers (4-11, 1-5 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference as of Jan. 21) have lost eight straight games, four of which were against conference opponents.
Star freshman guard and forward, Seydou Traore returned from an injury for the Jaspers after missing the previous two games. Traore is third in scoring for the Jaspers but is leading the team in rebounds and blocks per game.
Fairfield (11-7, 5-2 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference as of Jan. 21) sat at third in the MAAC standings. The Stags’ strong start to conference play has been led by senior Jaden Leach who was averaging 14.1 points per game ahead of the matchup with the Jaspers.
Despite the Jaspers’ attempt to end the eight-game losing streak, the streak goes on. After the back-and-forth battle, the Stags came victorious with a final score of 82-75.
“Coach [Gallagher] has been kind of keeping our head above water and keeping us positive, keeping us ready to go and compete every week,” Manhattan forward Daniel Rouzan said after their ninth straight loss. “We still take the same approach as if we’re undefeated, no heads down, keeping high energy and it’s just about taking the leaps and bounds every day and just try and get better and just get ready for the next game.”
It took nearly three minutes into the game for the scoring to start due to sloppy play on both sides. There were five turnovers in the first five minutes, three by the Jaspers and two by the Stags.
To begin the first half, the Jaspers struggled to stop the threes as they allowed the Stags to shoot 57% from the three-point line. The Jaspers were quite contrary to the Stags, shooting only 25% from the three to begin the game.
It seemed Traore was happy to return to the court as he hit a wing three-pointer and immediately started down the Fairfield bench. Traore received a reaction from the opposing team as the three cut the Fairfield lead to four.
Basketball by many is known as a game of runs, which certainly held true in this game. At one point, the Jaspers were down by 11, and in a blink of an eye, the lead for the Stags evaporated. At the final media timeout of the first half, the Jaspers were down by only two. The late run in the first half was crucial for the Jaspers as it allowed them to stay within one score of their opponents.
The second half mimicked the beginning of the first. The perimeter defense of the Jaspers was a flaw that the Stags kept attacking. Before the Jaspers knew it, the lead for the Stags rose to a staggering 12 points. For the majority of the second half, the lead for the Stags hung around the ten-point margin as both teams continued to trade baskets.
Jasper guard Shaquil Bender commented on Fairfield’s numerous runs during the game.
“I’d say just our defense got to be better,” Bender said. “We got to put together multiple stops in a row. We can’t keep letting the other team go on runs and getting down double digits.”
The three-pointers that haunted the Jaspers at the beginning of both halves paid dividends for the team near the end of the game. Their three-pointers got the Jaspers back into the game as guard Perry Cowan was going ballistic, not missing a single three-pointer (4-4) with four minutes left to play. Cowan’s threes diminished Manhattan’s point deficit, cutting the Stag’s lead to a nail-biting three points.
After a corner three by Traore, Stags’ guard Brycen Goodine knocked down a three-pointer to put the Stags up by five. There was no quit for the Jaspers as Rouzan made a layup with a foul under the basket to have a chance to bring the Jaspers within two – unfortunately, the layup was missed. The Stags finished the Jaspers off with five seconds left in the game as Caleb Fields knocked down two free throws to put the Stags up by five.
The leading scorers for the games were Fields with 25 points and Bender with 21 points. The Jaspers are set to face the Canisius Griffins in Buffalo on Jan. 26.
“I’m excited to head to Buffalo this weekend,” Jaspers’ head coach John Gallagher said in a press conference after the game. “It’s hard to believe, but I can’t wait to get back on the floor. I think [Shaquil Bender] and [Daniel Rouzan] both sitting here with me had shown great signs they’ve really competed at a level, so the excitement is really high.”