Manhattan got the separation it needed late and walked out with a 76-69 win over Niagara on February 13, 2026, adding a road result that mattered for a team sitting at 10-16 and searching for consistency.
Niagara, now 6-18, had its chances to flip the script but couldn’t land the closing sequence it needed. With no overtime and no quarter-by-quarter scoring available, the story reads clean: Manhattan’s offense produced enough clean possessions to reach 76, and Niagara couldn’t match that pace to the finish.
Game flow: Manhattan finds the finishing edge
This game lived in the margins. Manhattan’s ability to get to 76 in regulation proved decisive in a matchup where both teams entered with uneven recent form (Manhattan: WLLWL; Niagara: LWLLL). The Jaspers didn’t need extra time — just a steadier final stretch than Niagara could manage.
Turning point: closing-time execution
The defining swing came in the closing minutes, when Manhattan created just enough scoring distance to turn a competitive night into a seven-point final. In a matchup without detailed split scoring, the takeaway is still sharp: Manhattan executed better when the game tightened, and Niagara didn’t generate the response run required to force a one-possession finish.
What it means going forward
Manhattan
At 10-16, Manhattan’s path forward is about stacking results that reinforce winning habits. A 76-point road performance is a useful marker — not because of volume alone, but because it came in a game that demanded late-game control. If Manhattan can turn this type of finish into a repeatable identity, it changes the texture of close games down the stretch of the season.
Niagara
For Niagara (6-18), the loss continues a difficult stretch, and the margin underscores the challenge: competitive enough to be in range, not sharp enough to close. The Purple Eagles need more from their late-game offense to avoid letting winnable segments slip away — especially in games where the opponent is reachable but not fading.
Final
Manhattan 76, Niagara 69 — venue TBD.