Box Score
Box Score
WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - Manhattan won its sixth straight game and led from start to finish for the fifth time during the win streak in a 75-61 victory at Monmouth on Wednesday evening.
The Jaspers shot 50 percent or better for the third straight game and came out of the gate shooting well. George Beamon scored 11 quick points in the first four minutes as Manhattan sprinted to a 14-4 lead early.
Monmouth's Andrew Nicholas countered with 10 early points of his own as the Jaspers led 16-12 at the 14-minute mark of the first half. Manhattan then ripped off a 15-3 run over the next six minutes, punctuated by Beamon's sixth three-pointer of the half that gave the Jaspers a 31-15 edge.
Manhattan led 41-31 at halftime as Beamon finished the first 20 minutes with 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting and 6-of-6 from three-point range in the first half.
The Hawks cut the Jaspers' lead to 43-36 with 18 minutes left on a Josh Jones layup. Two Beamon free throws pushed the Jaspers' lead back to nine and Michael Alvarado made an off-balance jumper to make it an 11-point game.
Manhattan led by more than nine points the rest of the way, extending its lead to as many as 23 points when Alvarado wrapped a beautiful pass around a defender to Brown, who put home a two-handed dunk.
Beamon poured in 31 points on 10-of-19 shooting, including 6-of-8 from three-point range, to go along with four rebounds and three steals.
"I thought George came out and set the tone for us," head coach Steve Masiello said after the game. "He came out in an aggressive mindset, but we were really unselfish early and did a good job of sharing the basketball."
Alvarado dished out a season-high eight assists and Brown and Emmy Andujar finished with 12 points apiece.
Now 20-6 and 13-4 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, the Jaspers return to action Friday, February 21 at Siena in a 7 p.m. game televised on ESPN3.
NOTES:
Manhattan won its 12th road game of the season, which ties Stephen F. Austin for the most road wins in the nation ... the Jaspers have won 20 games for the second time in the first three seasons under head coach Steve Masiello ... Manhattan is 10-0 when holding an opponent to fewer than 70 points ... the Jaspers have scored 70 or more points in 22 of their 26 games ... Monmouth shot exactly 39.3 percent from the field (11 of 28 field goals) in both halves ... George Beamon has scored at least 20 points in each of Manhattan's last five games and 15 times in 23 games played this season ... Beamon is averaging 25.4 points in the last five games ... Rhamel Brown blocked two shots and has blocked at least two shots in 24 of Manhattan's 26 games ... Brown set a single-season program record for blocked shots with 97, breaking a record he set last year (95) ... Brown is the active leader among Division I players in career blocked shots with 344 ... Manhattan had 16 assists against just 11 turnovers ... the Jaspers are 6-0 during the month of February.
