Game 31: Manhattan (20-10, 12-5) vs. Loyola (20-8, 12-5)
Sunday, February 26, 2012 at 4 p.m.
Draddy Gymnasium (2,345) - Riverdale, N.Y.
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Senior Day Ceremony Begins at 3:45 p.m.
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Scouting Report
Manhattan (20-10, 12-5 MAAC)
Manhattan enters its final contest of the regular-season controlling its own destiny to earn the No. 2 seed at the 2012 MAAC Tournament at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass. next week. A win over Loyola on Sunday at Draddy Gymnasium, where the Jaspers hold a 9-3 ledger this season, would secure the second seed.
The Jaspers have won 11 of their last 14 contests with six of these victories coming at Draddy Gymnasium. Manhattan has won six of its last seven contests in Riverdale.
The Jaspers have undergone the biggest improvement project in NCAA Division I with a 20-10 overall record, which is 14 more wins than last season. Manhattan can not finish any lower than fourth place in the conference as the Jaspers are currently in a three-way tie for second standing 12-5 along with Loyola and Fairfield.
Manhattan has been one of the premier defensive teams in the MAAC this season. The Jaspers entered the weekend ranked 33rd nationally in field goal percentage defense and have limited opponents to 39.9% shooting. Manhattan also leads the MAAC in 3-point field goal defense (32.7%), rebounding (36.4 rpg), rebounding margin (+3.7), blocked shots (5.0 bpg) and defensive rebound percentage (.680).
Junior guard George Beamon has established himself as one of the top players in the region as he leads the Jaspers with a 18.2 scoring average and 5.7 rebounds per game. He is second on the MAAC's scoring chart, fourth in 3-point field goal percentage (41.3%), seventh in free-throw percentage (78.8%) and sixth in steals (1.5 spg). Beamon leads the league with 19.4 points per contest in MAAC games.
The Jaspers widespread attack, that has featured at least 10 players in all 30 games , has also relied on solid bench play from senior co-captain Kidani Brutus and sophomore Rhamel Brown. Brutus leads Manhattan with 56 3-point field goals, which are the ninth most threes by a player in the conference. He is averaging 8.0 points and 2.3 assists.
Brown is one of the top shot blockers in the country leading the MAAC with 76 and his 2.5 blocks per game were tied for 19th in NCAA Division I entering the weekend. Brown has averaged 7.7 points and 5.0 rebounds per contest and he stands second in the MAAC with a 59.6% field goal percentage.
Freshman forward Emmy Andujar is the second leading scorer on the squad averaging 8.6 points. Andujar has filled the stat sheet this season with 5.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, while shooting 50.8% from the field. Classmate Donovan Kates has moved into the starting line up for the last two contests in the absence of injured point guard Michael Alvarado. Kates has picked up his game taking on a new role as he is averaging 10.0 points, 3.0 assists and he has maintained a solid 3.0 to 1 Assist to Turnover ratio in these two starts.
Loyola (20-8, 12-5 MAAC)
Loyola is locked in a second place tie with Manhattan and Fairfield in the MAAC standings with a 12-5 league record. However, the Greyhounds have lost their last three MAAC contests and have not picked up a league victory since defeating Iona in Baltimore on Feb. 10. Loyola is coming off an 83-79 loss at Rider on Friday.
The Greyhounds have four players averaging double-figures in scoring this season, including a team-high 13.8 scoring average from sophomore Dylon Cormier. The 6'4" guard from Baltimore is shooting 45.9% from the field and he ranks third in the MAAC with 46 steals. Sophomore guard Justin Drummond has averaged 11.2 points coming off the bench.
Robert Olson is the Greyhounds top 3-point shooter as he ranks second in the MAAC with a 44.8% mark beyond the arc. Olson has knocked down 60 threes this season.
Loyola big men Shane Walker and Erik Etherly have anchored the Greyhounds production in the post. Etherly, a 6'7" 225-pound junior, leads Loyola with 7.6 rebounds per game. Walker is a 6'10" 225-pound senior from England is averaging 9.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and he has blocked a team-high 37 shots.
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