Box Score
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - With a berth in the NCAA Tournament at stake, the Manhattan College men's basketball team (14-18) dropped a 60-57 decision to Iona (20-13) in the Championship Game of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Tournament at the MassMutual Center on Monday night. Michael Alvarado (Bronx, N.Y.) and Rhamel Brown (Brooklyn, N.Y.) were named to the All-Tournament Team after leading the Jaspers to within one win of their first NCAA bid since 2004.
In front of a boisterous crowd that was mostly pro-Manhattan, the Jaspers played in the MAAC Championship Game for the first time since that title run nine years ago, and took on their longtime rivals with the MAAC Tournament crown at stake for the first time in program history. Both teams got off to a slow start offensively, as it was scoreless for the first 2:12.
After Emmy Andujar (Bronx, N.Y.) hit a layup to give the Jaspers an 8-6 lead at the 13:17 mark, Iona went on a 6-0 run to pull in front. An Alvarado three-pointer stopped the rally, then Brown slammed home a dunk to bring Manhattan within one, 14-13, with 7:23 remaining before halftime. However, Iona scored the next four points to bring the margin back to five, 18-13, with 6:03 left in the half.
The Jaspers rallied back still, as Alvarado was fouled on a layup with 4:57 to go, converting on the free throw to put Manhattan up 19-18. Brown followed with a layup, and Shane Richards (New York, N.Y.) added a three-pointer to make it 24-20. After another Brown bucket gave the Jaspers a 26-20 advantage, the Gaels ended the half on a 4-0 rally, pulling within two, 26-24, on Lamont Jones' jumper in the waning seconds of the period.
Donovan Kates (Hopkinsville, Ky.) hit a trey to open the second half, and a Richards three-pointer extended Manhattan's lead to 35-30 with 14:52 to play. However, the Gaels responded with a 9-0 rally to pull ahead 39-35. After Jones hit a floater as the shot clock expired, the Gaels took advantage of a Manhattan technical foul to increase their lead to 10 points, 47-37, with 8:39 left.
Manhattan, however, chipped away at the advantage, cutting the margin to four at 56-52 when Brown converted a pair of foul shots with 1:24 remaining. Jones missed a trey on the ensuing Iona possession, but Tavon Sledge grabbed a huge offensive rebound for the Gaels. With Manhattan now forced to foul, Tre Bowman hit a pair of free throws to increase the lead to six points, 58-52. After Alvarado missed a jumper on the other end, David Laury slammed home a dunk to put the game away. Manhattan added five late points on a Richards three-pointer and a pair of Kates free throws, but the Gaels clinched their first MAAC Tournament crown since 2006 with a 60-57 victory.
Alvarado paced the Jaspers with 14 points, while Richards contributed nine points on a perfect 3-for-3 shooting from long range. Brown and Stores each added eight points, and Stores also handed out a team-best three assists. Kates pulled down a team-high five rebounds to go along with five points. Manhattan shot 40.5 percent (17-of-42) from the field and outrebounded Iona 23-22. The Jaspers went 8-for-15 (53.3 percent) from three-point land and 15-for-16 (93.8 percent) at the charity stripe.
Bowman, who was also selected to the All-Tournament Team, finished with a game-high 20 points and five rebounds. Jones, the Tournament's Most Valuable Player, had 14 points, while Laury, another All-Tournament Team choice, posted 10 points and six boards. The Gaels shot 47.7 percent (21-of-44) from the field, 33.3 percent (3-of-9) from long range, and 88.2 percent (15-of-17) at the line.
"We're going to look back on this day and cherish it," Head Coach Steve Masiello said. "And this will be the fuel to Manhattan's future."
