Game 19: Manhattan (5-13, 3-5 MAAC) vs. Loyola (14-6, 6-2 MAAC)
Friday, January 25, 2013 at 7 p.m.
Draddy Gymnasium (2,520) - Riverdale, N.Y.
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Scouting Report
Manhattan (5-13, 3-5 MAAC)
The Jaspers have won two of their three home MAAC games this season, earning double-digit victories over Siena (Dec. 9) and Marist (Jan. 13). Manhattan is averaging 62.2 points and shoots 42.9% from the field at Draddy Gymnasium, while limiting opponents to 56.6 points per game and a 36.2% shooting mark.
Junior forward Rhamel Brown delivered some of his top performances before the Jaspers' home crowd this season. The 6'7" Brooklyn native is averaging 16.8 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.0 blocks per game at Draddy Gymnasium. He has shot a team-best 64.2% (34-53) from the field in Riverdale.
Brown has emerged as one of the premier big men in the MAAC this season. He has scored in double-figures in eight of the last nine games. Brown leads the conference shooting 56.0% from the field and with 48 blocks (2.7 bpg).
Freshman forward Shane Richards has scored in double-figures in the last four contests and is shooting 47.2% (17-36) during this stretch. Richards has matched his career-high two times during these four games posting 18 points on six three-pointers against Rider (Jan. 10) and Canisius (Jan. 17). Since earning his first career start at Marist on Dec. 7, Richards has averaged 10.6 points per game, while knocking down his team-high 37 three-pointers. Richards ranks second in the league averaging 3.4 three-pointers per game against MAAC opponents.
The Jaspers received good production in the backcourt as of late from senior guard Mohamed Koita and freshman guard CJ Jones. Koita is coming off a career-high 13 point performance without missing a shot at Niagara on Saturday. He buried all three shot attempts from downtown and went 4-for-4 at the free-throw line. Jones had his second double-digit scoring performance of the year against Niagara finishing with 10 points on 4-for-6 shooting. He has posted double-figures in two of the last four games.
Manhattan's stingy defense has limited MAAC opponents to only 62.2 points per game and a 41% field goal defense as both figures are the third best in the league. The Jaspers have not allowed their opponents to score more than 55 points in the three MAAC victories.
Loyola (14-6, 6-2 MAAC)
The Greyhounds have won five of their last six games. Loyola is coming off a 65-60 victory at Fairfield on Monday. Dylon Cormier and Erik Etherly each scored their 1,000th career points in the triumph. Etherly finished with 16 points and a game-high nine rebounds, while Cormier posted a team-high 21 points.
Cormier is a 6'2" junior guard from Baltimore who is fourth in the MAAC averaging 17.6 points per game. He also leads the team with 50 assists. Etherly has posted 15.5 points per game this year and a team-high 6.8 rebounds per contest.
Loyola leads the MAAC yielding only 60.9 points per contest and a 40.2% field goal defense this season. The Greyhounds have held opponents to a league best 27.3% three-point field goal percentage. They lead the conference averaging 36.5 rebounds per game.
