Final Score:  Manchester 84, Earlham 81
Location: North Manchester, Indiana – Stauffer-Wolfe Arena
Records: Earlham 0-1 / Manchester 2-0

NORTH MANCHESTER, Indiana – A superior shooting effort by Manchester University in the opening half proved to be the difference, allowing the Spartans to eke past the visiting Earlham men's basketball team, 84-81, on Friday night at the Stauffer-Wolfe Arena.

Manchester (1-1) shot 50.0 percent (15-of-30) from the floor against Earlham (0-1) to the Quakers' 38.2 percent (13-of-34) in the first half, allowing the host Spartans to take a 40-37 lead into the halftime intermission.

The Quakers found their shooting touch in the second stanza, connecting on 12-of-24 (.500) attempts from the field. That effort helped Earlham build a 14-point lead, 63-49, with 14:03 remaining in the game, before Manchester began to claw its way back into the contest with an 11-0 run.

Earlham held a four-point advantage, 73-69, with 3:47 showing on the game clock, but another Manchester surge lasting nearly two minutes ended with the Spartans holding an 80-74 lead coming down the stretch.

Senior Jamel Barnes Jr. paced Earlham with 26 points and eight rebounds, leading four Quakers in double-digits. Tommy Makabu notched 18 points in his Earlham debut, while Xavier Barbel and Josh Ozanne chipped in 13 and 10 points respectively.

Manchester's CJ Hampton charted a double-double for the Spartans with 23 points and 10 rebounds.

Earlham men's basketball faces Manchester again on Saturday afternoon, Jan. 16, at 2:00 p.m. at the Druley Performance Gym. Fans will not be permitted at Saturday's game, in accordance with Earlham's COVID-19 policies and agreement among the HCAC Council of Presidents.