Box Score Box Score
RIVERDALE, N.Y. - George Beamon scored 27 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead five Manhattan College players in double figures as the Jaspers defeated Niagara 90-72 on Sunday afternoon at Draddy Gymnasium.
It was the fourth time during Manhattan's current five-game win streak that the Jaspers led from start to finish. Manhattan improved its record to 19-6 and 12-4 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference with the win.
Manhattan led 18-12 at the 10:52 mark of the first half and would see its lead remain above six points for the final 30 minutes of the game. The Jaspers shot identical marks of 58.6 percent from the field in both halves of the game (17 of 29 field goals) as the offense ran smoothly during all 40 minutes of the game.
After it was an 18-12 game, the Jaspers unleashed a 9-1 run, capped on an Ashton Pankey layup that made the score 27-13 with 7:18 left to play in the first half. Niagara made it a 39-30 game with 54 seconds left after two free throws by Antoine Mason, but George Beamon beat the buzzer with a driving layup to give the Jaspers a 41-30 lead heading into halftime.
Freshmen Rich Williams and Tyler Wilson sparked the Jaspers in the second half. Williams scored nine of his 14 points in the final 20 minutes and Wilson dished out five of his team-high six assists in the second half.
Niagara had cut the Jaspers' lead to 51-41 on two Marcus Ware free throws with 14:56 to play but Manhattan responded with a 13-3 spurt, punctuated by seven straight points by Beamon. It gave Manhattan a 64-44 advantage with 9:45 remaining in the second half.
The Jaspers never let their lead slip below 16 points the rest of the way, en route to the 90-72 victory.
Beamon's 27 points in 24 minutes led all scorers. Williams had 14 in 20 minutes, while Pankey added 12, Shane Richards had 11 points and Rhamel Brown had 10 points, five rebounds and two blocked shots.
Manhattan limited Mason, the nation's leading scorer, to 17 points in 36 minutes. Ware led the Purple Eagles with 19.
Manhattan returns to action on Wednesday, February 19 at Monmouth in West Long Branch, N.J. for a 7 p.m. game.
NOTES:
George Beamon scored 20+ points for the fourth consecutive game, making seven of ten field goals and 11 of 12 from the free throw line ... Beamon is averaging 24.0 points and 5.3 rebounds during that span ... Beamon has scored at least 20 in 14 of his 22 games this season ... Manhattan outrebounded Niagara 35-29 ... the Jaspers held Niagara to 39.6 percent shooting ... Rhamel Brown has blocked at least two shots in 23 of Manhattan's 25 games this season ... Brown's 95 blocks this season match the season record for a Manhattan player, which Brown set last season ... Tyler Wilson's six assists (against one turnover) are a career high for the freshman point guard ... Michael Alvarado finished with eight points, five assists and just one turnover ... Manhattan had 19 assists as a team and 15 turnovers ... Ashton Pankey made six of seven from the floor, finishing with 12 points, five rebounds and two blocked shots ... Shane Richards made three three-point field goals and moved into seventh place on Manhattan's career list with 128 triples, four behind Chris Williams '93 ... the Jaspers scored 50 of their 90 points in the paint ... Manhattan has won seven of its last eight games at Draddy Gymnasium, including 11 of its last 13 conference games ... the Jaspers remained tied for second place in the MAAC at 12-4 after Sunday's action, in which Canisius and Quinnipiac each recorded victories.
