A season in the past, it took College at Albany males’s basketball till Dec. 17, its thirteenth recreation of the season, to beat a Division I opponent. This season, that milestone’s already checked off.
Coming off a comparatively shut shave in opposition to Division III Rhode Island School of their season opener on Monday, the Nice Danes hit the street on Thursday for the primary night time of the America East-Metro Basketball Problem and held off Manhattan for a 72-68 win at Draddy Gymnasium within the Bronx.
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It is the primary time that UAlbany has began 2-0 in coach Dwayne Killings’ six seasons on the helm. UAlbany received off to a 5-1 begin in 2024-25, however that group misplaced its first recreation of the season earlier than a five-game win streak.
“Our group proper now, we’re actually centered on rising and studying win, but in addition incomes respect,” Killings mentioned in a video supplied by UAlbany Athletics. “We have to do this one recreation at a time.”
UAlbany hadn’t gained its first two video games of the season since 2017-18, when the Nice Danes began 6-0 below Will Brown.
Two freshmen enjoying of their first collegiate street video games had an enormous hand in delivering the win for UAlbany (2-0 total).
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Guard Tyler Jones, who scored 16 factors Monday in opposition to Rhode Island School, adopted that up with a game-high 23 factors, three rebounds, three steals, two assists and a block. Jones shot 6-of-15 from the sphere and 9-of-12 from the free throw line. Even after he missed two straight free throws with UAlbany up by two with simply over two minutes to go, the 6-foot-3 freshman from Memphis, Tenn. adopted with a direct steal and thunderous dunk to return momentum to the Nice Danes.
Ahead U-Mier Graham, an Albany native and Inexperienced Tech product, added 9 factors, eight rebounds and 4 assists. Graham made large performs late, hitting 4 free throws down the stretch and developing with an enormous block on Manhattan’s Isaac Johnson when the Jaspers (0-2) had an opportunity to tug inside some extent with 27 seconds left.
Each have been key performers late in a recreation the place the Nice Danes by no means trailed, however by no means led by greater than 9.
“I believed our two freshmen confirmed numerous coronary heart,” Killings mentioned. “They’re two children which can be studying what the depth of Division I basketball is like, however I believed they each set the tone in their very own approach.”
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Redshirt junior guard Zacharie Matulu completed with 15 factors and 10 rebounds, together with 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions that helped UAlbany set up a 58-52 cushion with 5:39 to play. Ollie Engen added 12 factors and eight assists, whereas Papa Kounta chipped in seven factors and grabbed six rebounds.
Dusan Eric led Manhattan with 16 factors, Novak Manojlovic added 12 factors and Ognen Stankovic scored 10, however Manhattan shot simply 9-of-18 from the free throw line and 5-of-21 from 3-point vary. The Jaspers have been simply 1-of-10 from past the arc within the second half.
UAlbany will wrap up the America East-Metro Problem on Sunday when Merrimack, the reigning Metro regular-season champion, visits Broadview Middle for a 2 p.m. matchup.
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This text initially printed at UAlbany males’s basketball holds off Manhattan for first 2-0 begin below Dwayne Killings.