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RIVERDALE, N.Y. - Manhattan (2-5; 1-1 MAAC) scored the first 12 points of the game and never looked back en route to posting a wire-to-wire 60-38 win over Marist (1-6; 0-2 MAAC) in the Jaspers' home opener at Draddy Gymnasium.
Leading the charge was senior Emmy Andujar (Bronx, N.Y. / Rice) with 15 points, 15 rebounds and a career-high matching eight assists while falling just two helpers short of the program's first-ever triple double. Sophomore Rich Williams (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Vermont Academy (Vt.)) finished with 13 points in his first start of the season to round out the double-figure scorers for Manhattan.
Not to be lost in the victory was the swarming Jasper defense, which limited the Red Foxes to a paltry 19.5 percent (8-for-41) shooting, including 21.1 percent (4-for-19) from deep, while forcing 19 miscues that led to a 21-10 advantage in points off turnovers.
Manhattan also posted advantages of 45-29 on the glass and 30-8 in points in the paint in turning in their most complete effort of the season.
The Jaspers were in total control from the onset as junior Ashton Pankey (Bronx, N.Y. / Maryland) slammed home a Shane Richards (Jr., New York, N.Y. / York Prep) for the first bucket of the game while setting the tone for the rest of the afternoon. Senior Donovan Kates (Hopkinsville, Ky. / Christian County) followed with a jumper before finding Andujar for a layup in extending the lead out to 6-0 while forcing a Marist timeout with 13:39 to play in the first..
The stoppage did nothing to quell the momentum, as following a turnover sophomore Jermaine Lawrence (Queesn, N.Y. / Cincinnati) converted a layup off a pass from senior RaShawn Stores (Bronx, N.Y. / Robinson School (N.J.)). Andujar then stole an errant and slammed it home before Lawrence capped Manhattan's game-opening 12-0 spurt with a jumper off a pass from freshman Zane Waterman (Winston-Salem, N.C. / Fayetteville Academy).
All told, the Jaspers went 6-for-9 from the field while forcing the Red Foxes into nine missed shots and six turnovers over the first seven-plus minutes of the game.
The lead would grow to 25-10 with 3:20 to play until halftime thanks to an 11-2 run. Marist's offense then woke up and finished the half with a 9-4 spurt to trim the deficit to 29-19 at the break.
After halftime, Manhattan kept its foot on the accelerator with a half-opening 7-0 run that for all intents and purposes dashed any hope of a comeback for the Red Foxes while extending the lead out to 36-19 with 17:58 remaining.
The Jaspers' lead would grow to a season-high 28 on a pair of occasions in large part to a Manhattan defense that held Marist to just 16.7 percent (3-for-18) shooting from the field, including 14.3 percent (1-for-7) from long range, in claiming the aforementioned 60-38 victory.
For the game, the Jaspers shot 44.1 percent (26-for-59), including 60.0 percent (21-for-35) from inside the arc, while notching 10 steals for the second time this season.
Phillip Lawrence matched Andujar with 15 points to pace Marist.
Manhattan returns to action against Rutgers on Sunday, Dec. 14 at Madison Square Garden with tip time slated for Noon.
NOTES:
* Andujar's double-double was his second of the year and the sixth of his career.
* His 15 rebounds were one short of his career-high of 16, which was set against Loyola (MD) on Jan. 27, 2013 while his eight assists match his previous high set against Binghamton on Dec. 30, 2011.
* Andujar's 15 points also give him 901 markers for his career and with 99 more would make him the 36th 1,000-point scorer in program history.
* The 38 points allowed was the best performance by a Jasper defense since besting Fairfield 34-31 on March 1, 2013.
* Marist's eight field goals were the fewest allowed by Manhattan since limiting Iona to eight in a 52-39 win on Feb. 9, 2009.
* The Jaspers are now 27-15, all-time, against the Red Foxes and have won 13 of the last 14 meetings between the teams at Draddy Gymnasium.
* Head coach Steve Masiello improves to 6-1, all-time, against Marist.
