In a fast-paced game for Manual, Dwayne Sutton (12, #22) led the charge with 20 points, as the Crimsons sailed to a 86-46 Victory over Portland Christian on Tuesday, Feb. 4.

The win boosts the Crimsons to 19-4 and protects their perfect 7-0 home record, while dropping the Eagles to 11-11. 

Manual jumped out of the gate with an aggressive offensive style. In the game’s opening minutes, Chris West (12, #3) stole the ball from a Portland Christian player, and passed it to Sutton for a dunk to give Manual a 6-3 lead. At the end of the quarter, Manual led 22-9. 

The second quarter did not start quite as fast, as Manual did not score a field goal in the first 3 minutes. But good performances by Sutton,  Jake Chilton (12, #34), and a surprising performance by Freshman Noah Hawkins (9, #42), led Manual to a 40-19 lead at halftime. 

“I was excited, I was ready to show what I could do,” Hawkins said. “I need to foul less, to keep the excitement down when I’m out there.” 

The third quarter saw a return to the speed, as West hit 3 three-pointers in a row to cushion Manual’s lead. Six points from Sutton and another three by Ja’Kory Freeman (12, #10) to give Manual a 62-34 lead at the end of the third. 

“I was shooting,” West said. “I was open, and it was just going in.” 

At the beginning of the fourth quarter, all of Manual’s starters were pulled and did not come back into the game. Coleman Powell (11, #44) made his varsity debut and first career basket. A running clock came into effect with 4 minutes to play, and Manual won 86-46. 

The win came shortly after a loss to Paul Lawrence Dunbar on Saturday, ending the Crimsons’ four game winning streak.

“We tried to come out and play as hard as we can, after a tough loss Saturday,” Sutton said. 

The Crimsons will face Waggener for Homecoming on Friday. West isn’t worried about any added pressure.

“We’re just going out to play and do our thing,” West said. “We’re not really worrying about homecoming.”

Manual and Waggener will tip off at 7:30 on Friday at Manual.