Gaels and Jaspers In Championship Game Re-Match

Gaels and Jaspers In Championship Game Re-Match

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MAAC Sports

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – In a re-match of last year’s title game, top-seeded Iona College will face 2nd-seed Manhattan College in the 2014 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Championship on Monday at 7:00 p.m. in the Mass Mutual Center.  The game will be televised live on ESPN2.

Iona advanced to its 13th MAAC Championship title game with wins over 8th-seed Rider in the quarterfinal round and 4th-seed Canisius in the semifinals. Manhattan moved on with wins over 7th-seed Saint Peter’s in the quarterfinals and 3rd-seeded Quinnipiac in the semifinals. This is Manhattan's eighth appearance in the MAAC Championship title game.

Despite being separated by less than 10 miles geographically and having played 84 times in a series that began 67 years ago, last year was the first time that Iona and Manhattan met in the title game of the  32-year history of the MAAC men’s basketball championship.  Fourth-seeded Iona overcame a two-point deficit at halftime in last year’s championship to beat the sixth-seeded Jaspers 60-57, behind 20 points from Tre Bowman. Michael Alvarado scored 14 points for Manhattan.

Iona (22-9) has won the league’s post-season title eight times, including last year’s championship. Manhattan has advanced to the championship game seven times, and has won the title three times, the last coming in 2004.

Manhattan (24-7) and Iona split the season series this year. Iona won the first meeting, 85-73, on Jan 31 at the Hynes Center in New Rochelle as David Laury scored 21 points, Mike Poole added 19 and Sean Armand contributed 18 before an ESPNU audience. Rhamel Brown led Manhattan with 15 points. The Jaspers’ high scoring George Beamon was held to nine points in the defeat.

In the return matchup on Feb. 28 at Draddy Gym  in Riverdale, Emmy Andujar scored 28 points and Beamon added 13 points and 11 rebounds as Manhattan defeated the Gaels 80-77 in overtime in game that was televised by ESPN2. Tre Bowman scored 23 points for Iona, and Sean Armand added 18.