NEW YORK (Interstat) — Jaden Winston’s floating jumper with 29 seconds remaining capped a furious second-half comeback and lifted the Manhattan Jaspers to an 80-79 victory over the Quinnipiac Bobcats in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference men’s basketball thriller on Friday night at Draddy Gymnasium.

The game’s defining sequence was a dramatic reversal of fortune over the final 20 minutes. Quinnipiac, which led by as many as 18 points in the first half and entered halftime with a commanding 45-31 advantage, saw its offense stagnate and its defense falter against a relentless Manhattan press. The Jaspers outscored the Bobcats 49-34 after intermission, shooting 54 percent from the floor in the second half while forcing nine Quinnipiac turnovers.

The most important part of the game was Manhattan’s sustained defensive pressure and offensive execution down the stretch, erasing a double-digit deficit in the final ten minutes. After a Fraser Roxburgh 3-pointer gave Manhattan its first lead at 70-67 with 3:05 to play, the teams traded blows in a frantic finish. Quinnipiac’s Keith McKnight tied the game at 78 on a layup with 1:19 left, but on the ensuing possession, Winston, the sophomore guard from South Laurel, Maryland, drove the lane and connected on a high-arcing shot over the defense to put Manhattan ahead for good at 80-78.

Quinnipiac had two chances to tie or win in the final seconds. Following Winston’s basket, Asim Jones turned the ball over for the Bobcats. After a Manhattan timeout, Quinnipiac fouled to stop the clock but the Jaspers missed the front end of a one-and-one, giving the Bobcats life with 6.6 seconds left. Out of a timeout, Ronell Giles’ contested 3-point attempt from the wing as time expired missed the mark, sealing the one-point victory for the home team.

Winston finished with a game-high 22 points and six assists, orchestrating the Manhattan offense throughout the second-half surge. He was supported by Devin Dinkins, who scored 18 points, and Roxburgh, who added 12 points, all in the second half.

Quinnipiac was led by Grant Randall’s 22 points and 10 rebounds. Asim Jones recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 assists, while Keith McKnight provided a significant spark off the bench with 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting. The Bobcats were efficient offensively, posting an offensive rating of 110.1 points per 100 possessions and making all 10 of their free throw attempts, but were undone by 15 turnovers and a 34-point second half.

The loss dropped Quinnipiac to 10-5 overall and marked a stunning upset according to pregame metrics, as Interstat’s ELO system gave the Bobcats a 76.7 percent probability to win. Quinnipiac had also been favored by 6.5 points. The combined score of 159 points fell just under the over/under line of 157.

Manhattan, which won its second straight game, improved to 7-8. The victory was a testament to their resilience after a listless first half in which they managed only 31 points on 32 percent shooting.

The game was played before an announced crowd of 1,417. Both teams return to MAAC action on Sunday, with Quinnipiac hosting Mount Saint Mary’s and Manhattan traveling to face Merrimack. The two teams will meet again in Hamden, Connecticut, on Jan. 19.