Hampton upsets Jaspers in tourney

After overcoming the odds to make it to the NCAA Tournament a stunning second year in a row, Manhattan College lost in the first round to Hampton University on Tuesday night, 74-64.

The mood at a Sunday afternoon gathering to observe the NCAA Tournament Selection Show proved to be prophetic.

They gathered by the dozens, descending on Café 1853 in the college’s Thomas Hall to watch.

Six days earlier, the Jaspers had punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament for a second straight year after knocking off ancient rival Iona in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) tournament final in Albany. 

So here they were, players, coaches, parents, cheerleaders, alumni and media all huddled around the giant flat screen TV as the Jaspers waited to see who they would meet in the tournament.

Manhattan head coach Steve Masiello sat front row center, his mom sitting not far behind him. He was flanked on each side by the players that made all this possible. There was Donovan Kates, Emmy Andujar, RaShawn Stores, Shane Richards and Ashton Pankey all with prime real estate up front with the best seats in the house waiting for the Jaspers’ next adventure to unfold.

There were two huge sheet cakes honoring the 2015 MAAC Champions waiting to be cut, chicken wings to be gobbled and don’t forget to help yourself to that penne a la vodka. Everything was in place for an epic celebration of the Jaspers’ second straight trip to the NCAA Tournament and a March celebration as everyone huddled around the TV as six o’clock rolled around. It was time to announce the tournament field.

But by 6:01 p.m., it seemed like the life had been sucked out of the party.

After unbeaten and unanimous top seed Kentucky, the No. 1 team in the nation and owners of a 34-0 record, saw its name appear on the TV screen — the Wildcats would play Thursday night, March 19, in Louisville — came the unsettling news for Riverdale’s team: the Jaspers were relegated to a first-round game to be played in Dayton, Ohio against Hampton, the only team in the field of 68 to have a losing record. Beat Hampton Tuesday night and Manhattan’s reward would be a shot at Kentucky on Thursday in its backyard.