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Manhattan, Iona play for MAAC title Monday
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Published: 3/10/2014  at  4:20:00 AM
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MANHATTAN JASPERS (24-7)

vs. IONA GAELS (22-9)

MAAC Tournament - Championship Game
MassMutual Center - Springfield, MA
Tip-off: Monday, 7:00 p.m. ET
Line: Manhattan -2, Total: 157

An NCAA Tournament berth will be on the line Monday as MAAC top-seed Iona will play second-seeded Manhattan in the conference championship game.

These two teams split in the regular season, with both teams prevailing on their home court. The two clubs also met in last year’s conference championship game, where the Gaels pulled out a three-point victory over the Jaspers. Iona has won 14 of its past 15 games, with the lone defeat being the 80-77 overtime loss at Manhattan on Feb. 28. In that game, the Gaels were able to erase a 10-point halftime deficit to force overtime, but could not overcome Emmy Andujar's career-high 28 points that night. Iona is 16-14 ATS overall, including 14-8 ATS (64%) in MAAC play, but is a subpar 8-9 ATS away from home. The Jaspers have also been on a tear since a loss at Iona on Jan. 31, winning 10 of their 11 games since then (7-3-1 ATS). This surge brings Manhattan to 15-13-3 ATS overall, including 12-9-1 ATS (57%) versus conference foes, and a even stronger 10-7-2 ATS (59%) in non-home games. The one key injury in this game is Jaspers PG Michael Alvarado, who suffered an eye injury in the semifinal win and is considered questionable for Monday's title game. These two teams are experienced and know each other very well, so execution is going to be key in this game.

Which team will capture the 2014 MAAC Championship? For the latest college basketball picks, check out The Platinum Sheet for all the StatFox Experts selections every week throughout the entire 2013-14 season. The StatFox Experts have been rolling in college basketball Best Bets this season with a stellar 59% ATS (256-175-16) mark, including a hefty 61% ATS (224-141-10) record since Nov. 23. StatFox Brian is on an amazing Best Bets run of 28-4-3 (88% ATS) since Jan. 17, is at 75% ATS (53-18-3) since Nov. 26 and a robust 71% ATS (60-25-4) in Best Bets for the season. StatFox Dave is 66% ATS (37-19-1) since in Best Bets Dec. 18 and 61% ATS (54-34-2) this season, while StatFox Scott is 64% ATS (9-5-2) since Feb. 16 and 57% ATS (49-37-4) for the season. StatFox Gary is 60% ATS (45-30) on Best Bets since Nov. 22 and 56% ATS (49-38-2) for the season.

The Jaspers have been strong offense this season, ranking 38th in the nation in scoring (77.6 PPG) on a respectable 45.0% FG (138th in Div. I). They also grab 37.6 RPG (50th in nation), and although Manhattan gives up a subpar 70.1 PPG (175th in Div. I), it is a very aggressive defensive team with 6.2 BPG (10th in nation) and 8.5 SPG (15th in Div. I). The biggest reason why the offense has been so effective is the play of senior SG George Beamon (19.4 PPG, 6.5 RPG). Beamon is a terrific player that can get to the rim at will, but can also hit the perimeter shot (37% threes), as he dropped 25 points (5-of-9 threes) with four rebounds and four steals in Sunday's 87-68 win over Quinnipiac in the semifinals. Beamon teams with PG Michael Alvarado (12.3 PPG, 4.1 APG, 2.9 RPG) for a dynamic backcourt. Alvarado does a great job of running the offense, but also does a nice job pressuring his opponents (1.4 SPG). Those two guards are allowed the ability to pressure the opposing team more because of the work C Rhamel Brown (9.9 PPG, 6.1 RPG) does protecting the rim. Brown averages 3.7 BPG, which ranks third in the nation, and he's been outstanding in this year's MAAC Tournament with 17.0 PPG on 15-of-20 FG (75%) with 9.5 RPG and 3.0 BPG. Brown is not the tallest center at 6-foot-7, but he is a big-time athlete that does a great job of timing his jump, and reading the offensive player. Junior SF Emmy Andujar (8.4 PPG, 5.4 RPG) is the wild card on this team. He has been inconsistent, but showed in that home victory against the Gaels that he can have a big game, as he made 12-of-18 shots that night. Andujar didn't do much offensively in the quarterfinals win over St. Peter's (7 points on 2-of-5 FG), but in Sunday's semifinal game, he poured in 21 points (7-of-12 FG, 7-of-7 FT) with six rebounds. If he is able to keep his hot streak going with everything else the Jaspers have, then the team could be dancing by the end of the night.

As good as Manhattan’s offense has been this season, Iona has been even better. The Gaels rank fourth in the nation in both scoring (84.0 PPG) and assists (17.6 APG), while also ranking 16th in shooting (48.8% FG). But Iona is not a team that always digs in on the other end of the court, allowing a robust 77.4 PPG (329th in nation) on 45.4% FG and 34.1% threes. Senior SG Sean Armand (17.9 PPG, 4.0 APG, 3.2 RPG) leads five double-digit scorers for the Gaels, and is one of the best shooters in all of the country. He is the focal point of the offense with his ability to drive the ball, but his shooting (50% FG, 78% FT) makes him nearly impossible to stop. He is at his best when he is in transition, as he has the ability to pull up from the three-point line (45% threes). While he is the focal point on the team, there are other big scorers on the team that can put up big numbers. PG A.J. English (17.2 PPG, 4.3 APG, 3.9 RPG), PF David Laury (13.8 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 2.4 APG) and SGs Tre Bowman (13.9 PPG, 4.5 RPG) and Isaiah Williams (11.0 PPG, 42% threes, 4.2 RPG) are all capable having big scoring nights, making the Gaels a very difficult team to slow down. For being such a high-tempo style of team, Iona does a good job of hanging on to the ball, turning the ball over only 10.6 times per game.


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