UPS should have advertised during the Manhattan-St. Peter’s game, because the prevailing theme for the Jaspers was: “What can Brown do for you?”
Rhamel Brown, that is.
With Knicks star J.R. Smith watching courtside, the junior forward helped the Jaspers overcome a dismal shooting performance and still come away with a 57-49 triumph over St. Peter’s at Draddy Gymnasium yesterday.
“I’ve been around a lot of good big guys, but what he is doing is special,” Manhattan coach Steve Masiello said. “He’s one of the best big men in the nation, bar none, any level. He’s a high, high-caliber big man. I couldn’t be more proud of him.”
Brown finished with a game-high 21 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high tying seven blocks, as the Jaspers (7-15, 5-7 MAAC) needed all of Brown’s abilities to outlast the Peacocks (7-15, 2-10). After Brown converted a 3-point play to give Manhattan a 51-44 lead with 1:52 remaining, St. Peter’s guard Desi Washington came down the court and drilled a trey to cut the margin to four.
Which is where the next biggest advantage for the Jaspers came into play. Manhattan attempted 36 free throws, making 30, as St. Peter’s made seven free throws in only nine attempts. Michael Alvarado, Donovan Kates and Brown combined to go 7-for-7 from the charity stripe for the Jaspers in the game’s final two minutes.
“You know what I think of how you’re playing if you’re on the court in the last two or three minutes of the game,” Masiello said.
Masiello’s club played sloppily for the majority of the first half, committing 10 turnovers and shooting just 25 percent from the field.
“Tonight wasn’t a pretty first half, but I thought our kids showed great resiliency,” Masiello said. “I think they were physical with us, I don’t think we adjusted well early on. As the game went on we adjusted. [Our players] were very, very tough-minded and I thought they competed at a very high level for a hard-fought win.”
The win was big for the Jaspers, who lost in heartbreaking fashion to Siena two nights earlier, when after overcoming a 13-point deficit, Manhattan fell 66-63, making yesterday’s game a must win as conference play enters its final stages.
“Every game is a must win,” Masiello said. “We wanted to win. If we can finish these five of seven at home, playing well, get some momentum going into the MAAC tournament, I think anything can happen.”