Box Score
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. - The Manhattan men's basketball team fell 85-67 to Iona (14-10, 8-5 MAAC) on Monday night in an MSG Network televised contest from the Hynes Athletic Center. Four Jaspers scored in double-figures, including a career-high 25 points from freshman point guard Michael Alvarado who went 9-for-10 from the free-throw line. The Gaels got 20 points out of junior forward Mike Glover and 17 points from freshman Sean Armand as Iona ended its four game skid.
Manhattan (4-20, 2-11) got off to a sluggish start and could not make a complete recovery as the Gaels won in wire-to-wire fashion. Iona knocked down its first five field goals to jump out to a 12-0 advantage with Kyle Smyth's 3-pointer at the 17:18 mark. The Jaspers' offense did not get going until the 16:03 mark when Alvarado scored the first of his six consecutive points.
The Jaspers battled their way into halftime trailing 44-32 with Alvarado posting 13 points and graduate student Demetrius Jemison adding eight points in the first 20 minutes. Jemison finished with his fourth double-double in 15 appearances this season recording 16 points and grabbing 13 rebounds in the contest.
Iona scored 17 of its 23 second chance points in the first half and knocked down six of their 10 treys.
Manhattan surged out of intermission rallying off a 15-6 run in the first five minutes of the second half to pull within 52-47 at 15:09 with a 3-pointer from junior guard Kidani Brutus. Although, the bucket forced Iona to call timeout allowing the Gaels to regroup and respond with an 18-6 run, which was capped by Armand's fifth 3-pointer of the game with 8:20 remaining. Iona silenced any other Jasper comeback bids as the Gaels maintained a double-digit advantage the rest of the way.
Jaspers' sophomore guard George Beamon tallied double-figures for 21st time in 24 appearances this season, finishing with 12 points. Brutus added 10 points and dished out three assists.
Iona's bench outscored Manhattan 24-2, and the Jaspers were outrebounded 41-30 in the contest. The Gaels shot 47.8% (32-67) from the field to Manhattan's 42.9% (24-59) field goal mark.
Manhattan returns to Draddy Gymnasium for its final homestand beginning on Friday when the Jaspers square off with Fairfield at 7 p.m. The first 400 students in attendance will receive a free Jasper Jungle Whiteout t-shirt. The Jaspers will also be celebrating Coaches vs. Cancer night.
