Manhattan picks up rare win on 55-foot prayer as time expires
In a weekend in which half of college basketball's top 25 lost and the nation's No. 1 team needed a late free throw to remain undefeated, there also were a pair of half-court buzzer beaters worthy of attention.
First came a 40-footer from Weber State guard Scott Bamforth on Saturday night to upend Big Sky-leading Northern Colorado. Then Manhattan guard Michael Alvarado one-upped Bamforth with an even better shot, sinking a 55-foot prayer from beyond mid-court as time expired to lift the Jaspers over Marist 60-59 on Sunday.
About the only way the matchup between Manhattan and Marist could possibly have been nationally relevant was a game-winning shot the likes of the one Alvarado hit.
Marist has improved only slightly after last year's one-win season, entering Sunday's game with a 4-18 overall record but three wins in MAAC play. Manhattan notched its second league win of the season on Sunday, but the Jaspers are still just 4-18 overall.
It's a bit of a surprise that Alvarado hit the game winner since he was shooting just 22 percent from 3-point range and 31.8 percent overall from the field. Perhaps the problem was Alvarado just needs to shoot from farther away?
(Thanks, @JeffBorzello)
