Game 27: Manhattan (10-16) vs. Buffalo (11-15)
Saturday, February 23, 2013 at 2 p.m.
Alumni Arena (6,100) - Buffalo, N.Y.
*Live Audio Courtesy Buffalo Athletics*
Scouting Report
Manhattan (10-16)
The Jaspers are 4-1 in their last five games as they hit the road for the 2013 ESPN Ramada Worldwide BracketBuster contest with Buffalo. In Manhattan's last road game on Feb. 12, the Jaspers delivered their most dominant performance away from home as they rolled to a 22-point victory at Fairfield.
Rhamel Brown and Donovan Kates have led the Jaspers in their recent five game hot stretch. Brown has averaged 14.4 points, 9.2 rebounds and 4.8 blocks. Kates has led Manhattan in scoring in three of the last four games. He has registered 13.0 points per game, buried 11 three-pointers and shot 20-23 (87%) at the free-throw line over the last five games.
Brown has enjoyed a break out campaign as he emerged as a premier big man in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, as well as in the region. The 6'7" forward from Brooklyn entered the week ranked ninth in the nation averaging 3.12 blocks. He tops the MAAC in field goal shooting percentage (56.6%) and stands fourth in rebounding (7.2 rpg).
Kates, a 6'6" forward from Hopkinsville, Ky., has scored in double-figures in five straight games. He went off for a game-high 17 points in the Jaspers 62-40 victory at Fairfield, scoring 15 in the second half.
Manhattan has the top defense in the MAAC allowing conference opponents only 58 points and yielding a 38.4% field goal shooting percentage defense. In the last 15 contests, Manhattan has held 13 opponents to fewer than 70 points and seven below 60 points. Eight of Manhattan's last nine opponents have been limited to a sub 40% shooting effort. The Jaspers defense stifled Fairfield to a season low 25.4% field goal mark on Feb. 12.
Buffalo (11-15)
The Bulls are riding a three game win streak and have won four of their last six contests. Buffalo is coming off a 79-71 victory at Miami (OH) on Saturday. The Bulls received a game-high 31 points from senior guard Tony Watson, who shot 10-for-14 from the field with six three-pointers.
Watson was named the Mid-American Conference (MAC) East Division Co-Player of the Week on Monday. In the Bulls' two victories over Toledo and Miami (OH) he averaged 27.5 points shooting 68% (17-25) from the field with 12 three-pointers, going along with four assists per game. Watson has averaged 10.4 points this season. The 6'2" guard from West Palm Beach, Fla. is second in the MAC with 2.4 three-pointers per game, and he ranks third with a 43.1% three-point field goal percentage.
Bulls' 6'7", 250-pound junior forward Javon McCrea is third in the MAC averaging 17.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and a 55% field goal shooting mark. McCrea is a 74.1% free-throw shooter as he has hit 103-of-139 attempts at the charity stripe.
Buffalo is in the top-5 of the MAC in shooting as a team with a 43.9% field goal percentage and 34.1% mark from three-point range. The Bulls excel in rebounding crashing the glass for 35.7 boards per contest, the third best figure in the MAC.
