Box Score
NEWARK, N.J. - The Manhattan men's basketball team opened the 2010-11 season the way fifth-year coach Barry Rohrssen had envision, with a win and key contributions from both his veterans and newcomers alike.
Behind 19 points and five rebounds from senior forward Andrew Gabriel and a stellar 23-point debut by freshman guard Michael Alvarado, the Jaspers (1-0) defeated NJIT 75-70 Saturday afternoon at the Fleisher Athletic Center in Newark, N.J.
"It is really nice to start the season off with a win," said Rohrssen. "Trying to blend so many new players and faces together; it was good to see that they came out with a lot of effort and energy."
Almost an entirely new team on paper from the one which defeated NJIT 70-58 last season, Manhattan faced a much tougher dynamic in the veteran-laden preseason Great West Conference favorite this year. A close contest the entire way, the Kelly Green and White led by as many 14 points but were unable to shake the pesky Highlanders (0-1) until late in the second half.
In the first half, the Jaspers got off to a torrid start thanks to five-straight points by Gabriel and a slew of buckets by Alvarado, sophomore George Beamon and junior Robert Martina. Leading 21-7 with 11:08 remaining, it seemed as though Manhattan had made quick work of the Highlanders but streaky shooting and a relentless effort helped the home team cut the deficit several times in the contest.
"We were trying to set the tone early," explained Gabriel. "I was just trying to get everyone in the tone of the offense and set up guys. When I hit my shots it helps everyone else."
With great guard playing from NJIT senior Isaiah Wilkerson, who led the team with 21 points, sophomore Chris Flores and junior Arjun Ohri, the Highlanders cut the deficit to 31-26 at halftime.
Heading into the second half, both teams came out firing in what proved to be a thrilling final 20 minutes of basketball. With four lead changes and a 13-minute delay due to a ripped net on dunk a dunk attempt, the fans had plenty to cheer about in a game which came down to made free throws in the waning seconds.
A back and forth battle, Manhattan took a 43-36 lead at the 14:34 mark after a three-point basket by Beamon, who finished with his first career double-double after recording 15 points and 11 rebounds.
However, in a roller coaster finish, NJIT put together an outstanding three-point barrage, hitting six in the half, including a wide open shot from Ohri with 10:36 remaining to give the Highlanders their first lead, 47-46.
With the crowd roaring and Manhattan backed up against a wall, Rohrssen urged his team to take the game to the hoop and force their opponent to defend the dribble, advice they headed in the final minutes.
Reaching the charity stripe 11 times in the last five minutes, the Jaspers put their finest effort forth, hitting 16-20 free throws, 14 from the trio of Beamon, Alvarado and junior Kidani Brutus to put their first victory in the win column.
For Manhattan, Brutus chipped in with 10 points while fellow classmate Martina and freshman Rhamel Brown each had four.
"We received good efforts across the board, not only from our senior class, but all the way down to our freshmen class," emphasized Rohrssen.
The Jaspers return to Draddy Gymnasium on Wednesday Nov. 17, as they welcome the Penn from the Ivy League Conference.
To follow Manhattan Athletics on Twitter, go to twitter.com/GoJaspers or visit Manhattan's Facebook fan page.
