Game 14: Manhattan (8-5) vs. Binghamton (0-11)
Friday, December 30, 2011 at 7 p.m.
Events Center (5,142) - Vestal, N.Y.
Live Broadcast on Time Warner Cable Sports
Albany (Ch.3), Buffalo (Ch.87), Rochester (Ch.98), New York City (Ch.198)
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Scouting Report
Manhattan (8-5)
Manhattan has played its best basketball of the season over the last month as the Jaspers recently enjoyed a five game win streak. First year head coach Steve Masiello has received wide spread production from the Jaspers who have averaged 71.7 points per game this month and have held its last six opponents to 57.7 points per game.
The Jaspers have gone at least 10 players deep in all 13 games this season and they lead the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference with a 40.3% field goal defense. Manhattan also tops the MAAC in rebounding with 37.0 boards per game.
Junior guard George Beamon has been the Jaspers top scoring threat averaging a team best 16.4 points per game as he is shooting 47.7% from the field. Beamon ranks fifth in the conference in scoring and third in the MAAC in free-throw shooting with a 86.9% (53-61) mark at the line. The 6'4" co-captain from Roslyn, N.Y. is also averaging 5.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists and he is tied with senior guard Kidani Brutus with a team-high 15 steals.
Brutus and senior guard Liam McCabe-Moran have been the Jaspers top shooting threats this season. The duo has combined for 40 of Manhattan's 91 3-pointers. Brutus is averaging 7.5 points and he is shooting 85.7% (18-21) from the free-throw line. McCabe-Moran is averaging 7.2 points and tops the Jaspers with 21 3-point field goals. He is shooting a hot 46.7% beyond the arc.
In the post, senior Roberto Colonette and sophomore Rhamel Brown have handled the bulk of the work. Colonette leads Manhattan with 6.2 rebounds going along with 6.7 points per game. Brown has delivered instant energy off the Manhattan bench as of late. The 6'6" forward from Brooklyn is averaging 6.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and he is shooting a team best 53% from the field in 18.2 minutes per game. Brown is the conference's top shot blocker with 2.6 rejections per game and 34 on the year.
Jaspers' sophomore point guard Michael Alvarado moved into the starting line up for the last nine games. During this stretch, Alvarado is averaging 9.8 points and 3.4 assists per contest. He is shooting 44.4% from the field and 54.5% from 3-point territory when in the starting line up.
Freshman forward Emmy Andujar is the only Jasper to start all 13 games this season. The 6'5", 205-pound Bronx native is averaging 7.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists. Classmate Donovan Kates is another scoring threat in the Manhattan line up. The 6'6" forward has 12 3-pointers on the season and he is averaging 5.2 points per game.
Binghamton (0-11)
Binghamton is still in search of its first victory of the season after dropping the last 11 contests. The Bearcats last win came on March 3, 2011 in a 26-point victory over UMBC in the America East Tournament.
The Bearcats are led by freshman forward Ben Dickinson who tops the squad in scoring (13.6 ppg) and rebounding (6.0 rpg). Dickinson, a 6'9" 230-pound native of Alexandria, Va., and sophomore Robert Mansell are the only two Bearcats to start all 11 games this season. Mansell is a 6'4" guard from Philadelphia who is averaging 13.3 points per game.
Two of Binghamton's last three losses have come at home, dropping these contests to Morehead State (64-45) and Drexel (68-44). The Bearcats are coming off a 75-66 setback at Canisius on Wednesday. Freshman forward Omar Richards recorded team highs with 15 points and eight rebounds on a perfect shooting night. He went 4-for-4 from the field and 6-for-6 at the free-throw line.
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