Game 13: Manhattan (8-4) vs. George Mason (7-4)
Friday, December 23, 2011 at 7 p.m.
Patriot Center (10,000) - Fairfax, Va.
*Broadcast Available on JasperVision*
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Scouting Report
Manhattan (8-4)
Manhattan is riding its longest winning streak in nearly five years as the Jaspers have won their last five contests. Manhattan's swarming defense has been superb in December keeping the team undefeated during the month. The Jaspers have held the last five opponents below 63 points and limited them to 34.6% shooting from the field and 20.7% from 3-point territory.
The Jaspers have improved their offensive efficiency during the five game win streak as they are shooting 46.3% from the field, 41.4% beyond the arc and 72.0% at the line as a team. George Beamon (17.8 ppg) has led the Jaspers in scoring for all five wins, while sophomore forward Rhamel Brown has delivered 9.8 points, 8.6 rebounds and 4.4 blocks in 21.4 minutes off the bench.
Beamon, a 6'4" junior from Roslyn, N.Y., is averaging a team best 16.3 points per game and he is one of the top free-throw shooters in the MAAC with a 87.0% (47-54) mark at the charity stripe. Beamon leads Manhattan in steals (15), while also averaging 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.
Manhattan has gone at least 10 players deep on its bench in all 12 games this season. The Jaspers are also receiving solid production in the starting line up from Emmy Andujar, Michael Alvarado and Roberto Colonette.
Andujar is the only Jasper to start all 12 games this season and he is averaging 7.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists. Alvarado is averaging 8.7 points and he is one of the most efficient shooters on the team with a 45.5% field goal percentage. Alvarado is shooting 47.1% beyond the arc. Colonette has emerged as one of the Jaspers top big men. He has started nine of 12 appearances and leads Manhattan with 6.0 rebounds per game, going along with a 7.1 scoring average.
Brown, a 6'6" 215-pound forward from Brooklyn leads the MAAC with 2.8 blocks per game. He has swatted five or more shots in four of Manhattan's last seven games. Brown has also posted 6.9 points and 5.2 rebounds per game this season.
Jaspers' senior guards Kidani Brutus and Liam McCabe-Moran have been able to stretch defenses with their outside shooting. McCabe-Moran is coming off his sixth double-digit scoring performance of the season as he has averaged 7.4 points off the bench. He is shooting a hot 51.9% from the field and a team best 51.3% from 3-point territory. McCabe-Moran leads the team with 20 3-point field goals this season. Brutus is second with 18 3-pointers and he has averaged 7.5 points and 2.6 assists per game in 25.4 minutes of action.
George Mason (7-4)
George Mason has won five of its last seven games under the direction of first year head coach Paul Hewitt. Senior forward Ryan Pearson, a 6'6" 237-pound product of Christ the King High School in New York City, leads the Patriots averaging 18.1 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. Pearson earned All-CAA Second Team honors in 2010-2011.
Sophomore guards Sherrod Wright and Vertrail Vaughns are also averaging double-figures with 11.1 points per game apiece. Wright is a native of Mount Vernon, N.Y. who sat out last season with an injury. He is shooting 56.5% from the field and 42.1% from 3-point territory this season. Vaughns has a team-high 15 3-point field goals in 10 starts this season.
Bryon Allen, a 6'3" 214-pound sophomore guard, is the Patriots top assist man with a 3.5 apg mark this season. Allen is averaging 7.3 points and 4.1 rebounds per game.
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