Manhattan -5.5 over Niagara
Jaspers have won the last 5 vs Purple.Cannot forget lyr's semi's when MC won 82-81 in double OT.Darden tanked the last 15 minuts.
I have 3 pages of notes and I don't know where to start.Lets take this yrs 2 games.MC won 90-81 up at the Falls.Flores got his 28 pts,Homles his 15 pts and 9 bds.Benton and Mulligan played great also.
Purples mendez had 14 pts and 14 bds.Darden got his 16 but Reaves had 4 pts and Mendez fouled out.So did Brooks and Darden and Reaves had 4 fouls.I mentioning this now because this comes into play later.
NU was leading at the half47-38.MC clamps down on its defense and outscores NU 53-34 in the 2nd half.
game 2 in the Bronx
MC wins 65-62. Flores gets his 32 pts.Holmes getds his 15-7bds and Kono gets 8 off the bench.
NU Mendez gets his 12 pts but only 3 bds.Reaves play big going 17-11bds.Darden is held to 12 pts.Brooks get 10.NU shoots 3-13 from the 3 at 22%.MC shoots 7-17 from the 3.But Reaves fouls out and Darden and Mendez play with 4 again.
In both games NU has 5 or 6 more turnovers and the rebounding edge goes to NU but not by alot.
Like I said yest this is NU's only chance to win and go dancing.All seniors,etcMC is the champs and play defense.They shut down teams.Bobby G calls it his "closeout style".They pressure the ball,contest all shots,hit the bds and run good transition.But there transition defense is excellant.It fell apart vs Iona but hasn't happen again.
Jaspers shut down teams for 5 or 6 minuts.Last nite Peter didn't score for 7 minuts.
NU is a tough team to shut down.Ranked 5th in the nation on offense and they can shoot FT's .In last 2 games in tourney they are 30-42 vs Siena and 38-52 vs iona.And they pound the ball inside to get those fouls. Mendez and Reaves can be monsters in the paint.Darden is a 6'5 gd with a huge wing span.he can post up,shoot the 3,drive,etc.Brooks can shoot,and Cruz is the pt.Leads the MAAC in assits.
But his b-ball IQ is almost zero.Last nite NU had 3 breakaway layups and he blew all 3.
In fact the team has poor b-ball IQ.Mendez and Reaves on defense are terrible.They go for fakes,no help side,slow reacting,etc
That is NU's problem.They can't stop anyone.Teams get good looks at the hoop.Yest Milhich switched defense 5 times to confuse Siena.Man,zone,trap,etc.
If anyone watched yes t games at the end NU left Jordan wide open in the corner for a tying 3 with a few seconds left.Jordan missed the pass and the ball went out of bounds..NU got the ball,Siena fouled and I won with the cover sweating my ass off.
Jaspers have a good off team.Holmes,benton,Mulligan inside.Kona is a zone buster.Wingate and Minor are the 5'10 gds that are role players/Play defnse and get the freak'in ball to Flores.
Flores is awesome.I see a tight game.MC wants to keep this low scoring.NU defense will have trouble stopping MC.Bonehead plays and foul trouble will plague the Purple.
MC should maintain a 5-7 pt lead with a few minuts left.Then its Flores time.He will put it away with his FT shooting.NU will gamble on defense and MC will take advantage.
Reaves or mendez will foul out.I wish Carib would take a bet on that.
The week layoff helped MC.There legs should be fresher playing one less game.
No overtime this yr.Bobby G will have his jaspers ready for some "closeouts" GL
In
