Box Score
ALBANY, N.Y. - Manhattan could not slow down freshman point guard Evan Hymes who went off for 21 points and a career-high seven assists as the Jaspers fell to Siena (12-14, 7-9 MAAC) 70-64 at the Times Union Center on Tuesday. The Saints capitalized on 25-for-30 (83.3%) shooting at the free-throw line as Manhattan (18-10, 11-5 MAAC) could not find its rhythm turning the ball over 18 times in the setback.
Junior guard George Beamon led the Jaspers with 16 points, while freshman forward Emmy Andujar scored all 11 points and grabbed his game-high eight rebounds in the second half. Manhattan shot 42.6% (23-54) from the field and knocked down nine 3-pointers, but struggled from the free-throw line going 9-for-16 (56.3%).
Siena rallied behind Hymes who hit 8-of-13 field goals, including five of the Saints' seven treys. Four of seven Siena players posted double-figures with senior guard Kyle Downey recording 18 points on 7-for-10 shooting. Junior forward OD Anosike had 14 points and eight rebounds and freshman guard Rob Poole scored all 10 of his points at the line.
Hymes registered 15 of his points in the first half helping the Saints carry a 33-27 advantage into intermission. It all started when Siena used a 13-5 run with Hymes accounting for 10 points during the surge that claimed a 16-10 lead at 8:37 and the Saints did not trail the rest of the way. Siena then climbed to a 24-15 lead after Downey's layup, its largest advantage of the stanza.
Manhattan rolled out seven straight points to pull within two points, but that is as close as the Jaspers would get. Junior guard Mohamed Koita and sophomore forward Rhamel Brown turned in back-to-back layups and senior guard Kidani Brutus brought the Jaspers within 24-22 with his first of three 3-pointers at 2:59.
Manhattan kept it within a two possession ballgame for the majority of the second half, but the Saints precise execution and clutch buckets squashed any momentum swings. The Saints knocked down 19 straight free-throws in the second half and Hymes came up with a pair of huge 3-pointers. The crushing blow came with 6:03 left in the game when Hymes buried his fifth 3-pointer with the shot clock running out to give the Saints a 56-48 cushion. Siena then scored 12 of its final 14 points at the free-throw line to hold on.
The Jaspers played the entire second half without the services of sophomore point guard Michael Alvarado who left the game with an injury at the 6:10 mark in the first half. Brutus picked up the load and finished with nine points and five rebounds in 32 minutes off the bench. Brown scored all six of his points in the first half and Koita and freshman forward Donovan Kates had five points apiece.
Manhattan returns to action on Saturday when the Jaspers host UNC Wilmington for their Sears BracketBuster contest. Tip off is set for 2 p.m. at Draddy Gymnasium.
