Box Score
ORLANDO, FLA. - The Manhattan men's basketball team left it all on the court in its third game in four days at the 2010 Old Spice Classic. The Jaspers ran with Georgia (4-2) for the majority of the contest in another hard-fought battle, but the Bulldogs eventually held off Manhattan (2-4) 61-58 on Sunday at the Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando, Fla.
"I am proud of the way our guys competed and the effort they gave in this game. We brought our best effort today." explained fifth-year Manhattan head coach Barry Rohrssen. "We would like this game and this tournament to be something we can build on."
Manhattan mounted a 21-9 second half run to erase a seven point halftime deficit and take a five point advantage with 9:43 left in the contest. The Jaspers full court press and zone defense stifled a big, athletic Bulldog squad to power the scoring surge. Jaspers' junior guard Kidani Brutus scored seven of his team-high 16 points during the run. He also finished with seven rebounds and two steals.
Jaspers' senior forward Andrew Gabriel tied the game with a landmark 3-point play at the 11:16 mark in the second half to lock it up 46-46. Sophomore guard George Beamon then scored the next five points, beginning with a one handed dunk on a fast break to give Manhattan its first lead. On the Jaspers next possession, Beamon banged in a 3-pointer from the corner taking a 51-46 advantage.
Beamon finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds for his second double-double of the season. He added four steals and two blocks on a 5-for-10 shooting night.
Georgia answered back outscoring Manhattan 10-2 over the next seven minutes. Bulldogs junior forward Trey Thompkins reclaimed the lead (54-53) putting in his eighth of nine field goals in the ballgame with 4:03 to go. The 6'10, 245-pound All-SEC big man poured in 18 points and eight rebounds.
The Jaspers held it to a one possession game during the final stretch, and then with the combination of Brutus's second 3-pointer and a missed Georgia free-throw Manhattan had one last opportunity down three with eight seconds remaining. Coming out of a timeout, the Jaspers got the ball to Brutus, but his shot was deflected as time expired allowing the Bulldogs to escape Manhattan.
Manhattan freshman Rhamel Brown had eight points, 10 rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Classmate Michael Alvarado had seven points and four assists.
Despite shooting 36.2% (21-58) from the field, the Jaspers converted 12-of-15 (80%) free-throw attempts. Gabriel anchored Manhattan's solid effort from the charity stripe, shooting a perfect 5-for-5, as part of a nine point performance.
Georgia converted 39.1% (27-69) of its field goal attempts, including a 17-of-34 (50%) in the first half which gave the Bulldogs a 37-30 lead at the break. Junior forward Travis Leslie had a double-double (13 points, 11 rebounds) and junior guard Gerald Robinson added 13 points and eight assists.
Manhattan was outscored in the paint 36-22 and gave up 15 second chance points. The Jaspers did force the Bulldogs into 17 turnovers, converting them into 19 points.
The Jaspers return to Riverdale and open MAAC play on Thursday versus Rider. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Draddy Gymnasium.
To follow Manhattan Athletics on Twitter, go to twitter.com/GoJaspers or visit Manhattan's Facebook fan page.
