Monmouth punches back, sweeps Manhattan

George Papas led Monmouth with 23 points as Hawks completed season sweep of Manhattan Friday. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

NEW YORK — Even with a record good enough to place it among the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference's best programs in recent years, there was once a time when Monmouth was unable to solve the riddle Manhattan presented with its pressure defense and matchup zone.

Any meeting with the Jaspers usually sees a car crash of sorts, due to the physical nature and breakneck speed at which Steve Masiello’s program conducts its hardwood symphony, so King Rice had a message for his Monmouth team Friday, a simple one on the heels of a 25-point home loss to Marist.

Slow down.

Monmouth heeded the advice of its head coach Friday, leading for nearly the entirety of the evening in a 75-65 victory that, coupled with losses by Iona and Saint Peter’s — the top two teams in the MAAC standings — propelled the Hawks closer to the league lead.

“We got hit first when we played Marist,” Rice reflected, citing the need to be the primary aggressor. “For the level of the game, we got knocked on our heels. When you come to Manhattan, you better be ready for that part of it. I don’t care who the kids are on the team, they’re going to be physical, they’re going to be aggressive and you’d better be ready for that part.”

“I like how we’re doing now. We tried to understand the physicality was coming, be physical right there with them, and then just keep playing basketball, get lost in the game.”

The latter part of Rice’s screed was echoed by one of his stalwart seniors, who reminded a mercurial fellow classmate to simply take it all in as they enter the initial stages of the codas to their respective careers in West Long Branch.

“Marcus (McClary) has been kind of telling us, ‘just slow down, think about all we’ve been through,’ said George Papas, who solidified his case for first team all-MAAC recognition with an all-around effort that included a game-best 23 points that were supplemented with eight rebounds, four assists, and six steals. “We’ve got eight games left, so just cherish every moment. That’s basically what I did today.”

“Everyone’s to going to try to deny me, face-guard me and get in my head, so as long as I’m remaining calm, that’s the best way for me to do my thing, for me to what’s best for our team. That’s really the mentality I kind of walked in here today with.”

Monmouth (16-8, 8-5 MAAC) spotted Manhattan a pair of early leads, but a 17-3 run in the early part of the first half swung the pendulum once and for all as Rice used the contributions of Myles Ruth and Myles Foster — who combined for 11 consecutive points between them at one point in the opening stanza — to build equity on a night where the Hawks controlled the ball to the tune of just three turnovers against the Manhattan press. The visitors also saw Marcus McClary harass Jose Perez, the MAAC’s leading scorer at 19 points per game, into missing his first seven shots from the field en route to an atypical 4-for-15 performance, and most notably, a game from Papas that allowed the mercurial veteran to regain some confidence after a lackluster showing against Marist in which his head coach demanded accountability, but also reaffirmed his faith in his leader.

“George is a baller,” Rice proclaimed with regard to Papas. “I’ve made it so clear. I love this kid. On the basketball court, he knows with me, he can almost do anything. He’s earned that right. I knew he’d bounce back. George is one of the best players, if not the best player. He means as much to our team as anybody means to their team. He’s going to get shots as long as I’m his coach, he’s going to get shots that other guys can’t get.”

Manhattan (11-11, 4-9 MAAC) closed the first half with a late rally to pull within six of Monmouth, and ultimately got as close as two points in the second half, but was ultimately unable to get over the hump as the Jaspers lost their seventh of eight games amid an inconsistent and incomplete game that Masiello hopes will be rectified entering the final three weeks of regular season play.

“I think we took some questionable shots,” the longtime Jasper coach conceded. “They got out in transition, and you can’t let that team get out in transition. That’s where they’re at their best. Shot selection is your best defense against them. You’ve got to play for 40 (minutes), and we’re not doing that, but we’ll find our way. We’ll get back to it.”

As for Monmouth, the Hawks’ struggles with Manhattan were well-documented several years ago when the program’s ascent to the pinnacle of the MAAC was marked with a winless record in five attempts against what was then viewed as a conference titan. Over the past six seasons, Monmouth has now won eight straight encounters with the Jaspers, and 11 of 12 since a January 2016 defeat that was viewed as one of the deciding factors in the Hawks being left out of the NCAA Tournament.

“When I first got in this league, we didn’t handle it that well,” Rice said of Manhattan's natural challenges. “We always overreacted from their physicality. I think now, we’ve got older guys, I’ve coached against them a little bit, I try to not let it get to me and then it doesn’t impact their guys as much. Today, our guys handled it. We handled the pressure, we handled the physicality, and we were able to hold them off long enough to get this win.”