Skip To Main Content

Manchester University

Official Website of Manchester University Athletics manchester spartans
2022-23 Men's Basketball Championship Wall

Manchester Men's Basketball: A Look Back at a Triumphant 2022-2023 Season

5/2/2023 11:51:00 AM

NORTH MANCHESTER, Ind. - After an impressive 16-10 season, the Manchester men's basketball team hosted the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference as the no. 1 seed, seeking their first HCAC Tournament title since the 2010-11 season and second title since their three-peat from 1992-95. 

Hear from head men's basketball coach Nate Conley as he reflects on the 2022-23 season here.  

KEY MOMENTS
Spartans Hold Off Quakers on Saturday - January 21
  • The Spartans swept Earlham College for the first time since the 2015-16 season. 
  • In their first matchup this season, Manchester took a 75-60 victory back in early December. The Spartans were led by Logan Willoughby with 23 points, shooting 8-13 from two-point range and 4-5 from beyond the three-point arc. Bryant Smith finished the day with 18 points, while Quentez Columbus chipped in 11 points and a team-high 8 rebounds and 6 assists. The Spartans were able to score 29 points from Earlham's 24 turnovers on the day and scored 20 total points in the paint. 
  • In January, the Spartans hosted the Quakers in their second matchup of the season. MU won by a final score of 84-73. Bryant Smith led the Spartans with a career-high 35 points, shooting 9-17 from the field, 5-9 from three-point range, and 12-14 from the free throw line. Zach Sawyer finished the afternoon with his third career double-double, scoring 20 points and pulling down 12 rebounds for Manchester. Logan Willoughby added 14 points for the Black and Gold while Quentez Columbus had a team-high 6 assists. As a team, MU shot 47.4% (27-57) from the field, scoring 42 total points in the paint.
Spartans Take Thrilling Double Overtime Victory Over Pioneers - January 25
  • The Spartans topped Transylvania 86-78 to begin conference play back in November. Four Spartans scored in double-digits for the Black and Gold. Logan Willoughby led Manchester with 20 points, while Quentez Columbus and Bryant Smith (West Lafayette, Ind., Harrison) each chipped in 19 points. Columbus also led MU with 8 rebounds and 4 assists on the day, while Zach Sawyer added 13 points for the Spartans. 
  • After a hard-fought back-and-forth battle in Lexington, Ky., a foul by Transylvania lead to three made free throws by Logan Willoughby to tie the game and send it into overtime. The Spartans and Pioneers continued to battle in overtime, but three made free throws by Transylvania would tie it again and send the game into its second overtime of the night. The Spartans would narrowly outscore their opponents 12-9 in double overtime to take the game 109-106. Three Spartans posted new career-highs. Zach Sawyer led the Spartans with a double-double, scoring 34 points and pulling down 12 rebounds. Logan Willoughby tallied 31 points, shooting 11-14 from the free throw line. Ty Lynas also recorded his first career double-double with a career-high 27 points and 11 rebounds.
  • The last time Manchester swept Transylvania in the regular season was back in 2010-11.
Men's Basketball Downs Grizzlies on Saturday - January 28
  • Manchester swept HCAC foe Franklin for the first time since the 2015-2016 season.
  • The Spartans first defeated the Grizzlies 78-74 back in December. The Black and Gold had five players scoring in double-digits. Logan Willoughby led the Spartans with 22 points, Ty Lynas finished with 20 points, shooting 85.7% (6-7) from three-point range. Quentez Columbus added 12 points while Bryant Smith and Zach Sawyer each finished the night with 10 points. Sawyer would also pull down 10 rebounds, resulting in another double double. As a team, the Black and Gold shot 48.3% (28-58) from field goal range, 45.0% (9-20) from beyond the three-point arc, and 72.2% (13-18) from the free throw line.
  • In their second matchup of the season, Four Spartans scored in double digits in route to an 80-67 victory. Zach Sawyer led the Black and Gold with 18 points, 5 steals, and 6 assists. Logan Willoughby added 17 points, shooting 4-6 from three-point range. Bryant Smith chipped in 15 points, while Ty Lynas added 10 points. Coy Hampton finished the afternoon with a career-high 12 rebounds and team-high 2 blocks for MU.
Manchester Downs Defiance 81-67 - February 1
  • The Spartans first beat the Yellow Jackets 86-76 at the end of November. Sophomore Bryant Smith led the Black and Gold with a career-high 28 points, scoring 20 of those points in the second half of the game. Three more Spartans would score in double-digits including Mitch Mendenhall (18), Quentez Columbus (16) and Logan Willoughby (12).
  • The Spartans then defeated Defiance 81-67 at the start of February, sweeping the Yellow Jackets for the first time since the 2018-2019 season. Ty Lynas led the Black and Gold with 27 points, shooting 9-19 from the field and 9-11 from the free throw line. Bryant Smith added 17 points and 3 steals during Wednesday's game. Mitch Mendenhall chipped in 12 points and 8 rebounds, while Logan Willoughby added 10 points for the Spartans. Coy Hampton finished the evening with 2 blocks and 3 steals.
Men's Basketball Honors Senior Class; Edges Out Hanover 74-72 - February 11
  • With the game tied at 74 apiece with under 20 seconds left to play, a steal by Zach Sawyer led to a good fastbreak jump shot by Ty Lynas which gave Manchester the 76-74 lead and their first win of the season over Hanover. Three Spartans scored in double-digits. Sawyer led the Black and Gold with 21 points. Quentez Columbus, who shot 9-11 from the free throw line, added 17 points. Logan Willoughby also finished the afternoon with 17 points while Coy Hampton tallied a team-high 11 rebounds on the day.
  • To earn the Spartan's first win over Hanover on January 14, a steal by Zach Sawyer led to a good fastbreak jump shot by Ty Lynas which gave Manchester the 76-74 lead, before winning the game 76-75. Three Spartans scored in double-digits. Sawyer led the Black and Gold with 21 points. Quentez Columbus, who shot 9-11 from the free throw line, added 17 points. Logan Willoughby also finished the afternoon with 17 points while Coy Hampton tallied a team-high 11 rebounds on the day.
  • As time ran down in the second matchup of the season, junior forward Mitch Mendenhall sank a three-point shot to give Manchester the two-point victory and their second win of the season over Hanover, 74-72. The last time the Spartans swept the Panthers was during the 2000-01 season.
  • During their second matchup of the season, three Spartans led the Black and Gold with 17 points, including Logan Willoughby, Ty Lynas, and Quentez Columbus. Bryant Smith finished the afternoon with 13 points. As a team. MU shot 40.7% (24-59) from the field, 31.6% (6-19) from three-point range, and 80.0% (20-25) from the free throw line.
Manchester Downs Bluffton 84-62 -  February 14
  • Manchester men's basketball swept Bluffton for the first time since the 2016-17 season.
  • The Spartans defeated the Beavers 65-47 back in January. Leading the way for the Black and Gold was Zach Sawyer and Bryant Smith with 20 points. 
  • In their second matchup of the 2022-23 season,  Zach Sawyer lead the Spartans with 23 points, going a perfect 12-12 the free throw line. Ty Lynas finished the night with 13 points, while Bryant Smith scored 12 points for MU.
  • The Black and Gold held Bluffton to a 37.9 (22-58) shooting percentage from the floor. 
Men's Basketball Clinches Number One Seed in HCAC; Defeats Rival Ravens in Regular Season Finale - February 17
  • Manchester clamped down defensively, holding the Ravens to just 24-61 (39.3%) field goal shooting in a 78-73 victory to clinch the no. 1 seed in the HCAC and conclude the 2022-23 regular season finale. 
  • Zach Sawyer led the Spartans with a double-double after scoring 22 points and pulling down 14 rebounds for the Black and Gold. Quentez Columbus added 19 points and a team-high 6 steals for MU. Ty Lynas scored 14 points for the Spartans, while Logan Willoughby finished the night with 12 points. Coy Hampton tallied 3 blocked shots.
 
AWARDS & HONORS
  • After leading Manchester to a 16-9 regular season record this season, a 14-4 mark in league play and a share of the conference regular season title for the first time since 2020-11, head coach Nate Conley was voted as the 2023 HCAC Coach of the Year.
  • Sophomore guard/forward Logan Willoughby (Greenwood, Ind., Whiteland Community) earned All-Conference First Team accolades, while teammates Bryant Smith (West Lafayette, Ind., Harrison) and Zach Sawyer (Columbus, Ohio, Bishop Watterson) were named All-HCAC Second Team.
  • Quentez Columbus (South Bend, Ind., Adams)) earned All-HCAC Honorable Mention honors.
  • Junior guard Ty Lynas (Crawfordsville, Ind., Crawfordsville) was named to the HCAC All-Tournament team, earned Academic All-HCAC honors, and was also named to the Christopher M. Ragsdale All-Sportsmanship Team. 
Print Friendly Version