Wilson's Career-High 15 Leads Manhattan Past Monmouth 75-66

Tyler Wilson had best game of young career today, going for 15 points in Manhattan's 75-66 win over Monmouth. (Photo courtesy of Big Apple Buckets)

Throughout the offseason, Steve Masiello has made no secret of his team's massive depth and how it would help Manhattan survive a MAAC season in which the Jaspers were predicted to win the conference in the preseason poll.

Therefore, it was only fitting that the greatest contributor in Manhattan's win today would be the youngest player on Masiello's roster, a point guard who was the starter early in the year before coming off the bench in the Jaspers' last five games.

On a 6-of-7 effort from the field en route to a career-high 15 points, homegrown talent Tyler Wilson led all scorers as Manhattan (6-2) picked up their first victory at Draddy Gym in a 75-66 win over a scrappy Monmouth (3-6) squad who continues to defy their long odds and small expectations.

"You can stop George, (Beamon) you can stop Rhamel, (Brown) you can stop Mike (Alvarado)," Masiello said in regard to his unlikely leader of the day. "The program is the program."

The program trailed at halftime on the strength of 13 points from Monmouth guard Max DiLeo, who was able to draw fouls and get to the free throw line at will to send the Hawks into the locker room with a 39-33 lead. Following a three-pointer from Andrew Nicholas, whose 12 points made him one of four Monmouth players in double figures, the Hawks led 46-42, but an 18-4 run punctuated by two consecutive layups from Wilson gave Manhattan a 60-50 lead the Jaspers would never relinquish.

George Beamon added 11 points for Manhattan, while Rhamel Brown had yet another near-triple-double with 10 points, eight rebounds and eight blocked shots. Deon Jones and Tyrone O'Garro contributed double-doubles in the losing effort for the Hawks, with 14-point, 10-rebound and 10-point, 11-rebound performances, respectively.

Manhattan gets a brief hiatus before their next contest at UNC Wilmington one week from today, while Monmouth faces a short turnaround before invading Brooklyn Tuesday night to meet Glenn Braica and St. Francis, the Hawks' former Northeast Conference rival before Monmouth joined the MAAC in July.