Game 3: Manhattan (0-2) vs. Hofstra (3-2)
Wednesday, November 21, 2012 at 7 p.m.
Draddy Gymnasium (2,520) - Riverdale, N.Y.
Scouting Report
Manhattan (0-2)
Manhattan returned its entire starting line up from 2012-13, but has yet to put the unit on the court together with the absence of George Beamon who missed the first two games with an ankle injury. Beamon is a two-time All-MAAC selection who is coming off a career year where he led the conference in scoring (19.0 ppg) and was top-10 in five other statistical categories.
The Jaspers are coming off consecutive losses at 2012 NCAA Tournament participants #2 Louisville and Harvard. Both programs enjoyed conference championship campaigns last year posting 25+ wins apiece.
Junior co-captains Michael Alvarado and Rhamel Brown have been key contributors in Manhattan's first two contests. Alvarado is averaging 11.0 points per game and also leads the team with a 78.6% (11-14) free-throw mark. Brown has posted a 10.5 scoring average and 10.0 rebounding mark in two starts. Alvarado and Brown were each named to the Preseason All-MAAC Third Team.
Manhattan sophomore guard RaShawn Stores has also been a key part to the Jaspers rotation. Stores has started both games posting 9.5 points per contest in the backcourt with Alvarado, a former high school teammate at All Hallows in the Bronx.
Preseason All-MAAC Third Team sophomore forward Emmy Andujar is coming off a team-high 12 point performance at Harvard on Friday. Andujar was an All-Rookie Team honoree last season after leading Manhattan in assists (105) and rebounds (189), while ranking second on the team with an 8.5 scoring average.
The Jaspers have struggled finding their shooting touch through their first two road contests, going just 34.9% (29-83) from the field. Limited production has come from the Manhattan bench as it has accounted for 15% of the offensive.
Manhattan looks forward to returning to its home court where it won nine of 13 contests in 2011-12. The Jaspers averaged nearly 70 points at home last season and shot 42.0% as a team.
Hofstra (3-2)
Hofstra carries a three game win streak into Draddy Gymnasium with consecutive home victories over South Dakota State (Nov. 16), District of Columbia (Nov. 17) and Marshall (Nov. 18). The Pride comes off a 103-100 double overtime thriller against Marshall on Sunday in its fourth contest of the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Wounded Warrior Project.
Freshman forward Jimmy Hall is leading the Pride in scoring and rebounding averaging 12.8 points and 9.6 boards. The 6'7", 215-pound forward from Brooklyn has started four of five appearances and is shooting a team-best 54.2% (26-48) from the field.
Hall was named the Colonial Athletic Association's (CAA) Rookie of the Week on Monday after averaging 12.0 points, 10.3 rebounds in the Pride's three wins. He had a double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds in the victory over Marshall.
Sophomore Shaquille Stokes also harbors a team-high 12.8 scoring average. The 5'10" guard from Harlem, who transferred to Hofstra from Hawaii, is leading the team with a 44.4% (8-18) three-point field goal percentage. Stokes received CAA weekly honors as well earning the Co-Player of the Week award Monday. He averaged 15.3 points and 5.0 assists last week. Stokes sank the game winning three-pointer to defeat South Dakota State (66-63), and then scored 10 of his career-high 26 points in double-overtime to send Hofstra past Marshall.
Through five games, Hofstra's opponents are averaging 79.2 points and shooting 44.5% from the field. The Pride have averaged 71.8 points with a 39.3% field goal mark.
