Liberty University
1-3,0-0ASUN
Manhattan
4-1,0-0MAAC
Liberty’s Sluggish Starts Proves Costly Against Manhattan
11/20/2021 9:16:51 PM | Men's Basketball
Liberty’s sluggish start in the final game of the ASUN/MAAC Challenge proved to be the difference maker Saturday night at the HP Field House as the Flames fell to Manhattan, 76-60. Liberty is now 1-3 on the season while Manhattan improves to 4-1.
First Half
After leading for a majority of the first half, Manhattan was able to end the half on a 13-2 run to go into the break with a 28-17 lead. Liberty struggled from the three-point line, shooting 0-8 from beyond the arc in the first half. The Jaspers had a balanced scoring attack in the first half as six players scored led by Jose Perez’s eight points.
Second Half
Manhattan continued to extend its lead early in the second half, as the Jaspers’ largest lead came with 6:26 left in the game (69-40). Liberty did its best to cut into Manhattan’s lead, as the Flames trimmed Manhattan’s advantage to 16 points to end the game. Keegan McDowell led the way for the Flames in the second half, scoring 11 points with a trio of makes from beyond the arc.
Key Stats & Notes
- Keegan McDowell led Liberty with 11 points.
- Liberty committed 15 turnovers, which led to 24 points for Manhattan.
- Manhattan shot 56.6 percent (30-53) from the field.
- Elijah Buchanan scored a game-high 21 points.
- Blake Preston grabbed a game-high seven rebounds.
- Liberty’s bench outscored Manhattan’s bench 32-17.
- Liberty shot 25 percent (5-20) from the three-point line.
Up Next
Liberty will close out its four-game road trip on Tuesday, Nov. 23, when the Flames travel to Daytona Beach, Fla. for a neutral site matchup against Bethune-Cookman. The game can be seen on DSPN TV.
