Feb. 15, 2007
Final Stats |
Press Conference (Courtesy: MCTV)
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y.-Senior guard Will Whittington (Kingwood, Tx.) scored 27 points, while junior Wilfred Benjamin (St. Francis Village Erin, Trinidad) had 19 off the bench to lead Marist to a 73-57 victory over Manhattan Thursday evening at the McCann Center. The win was the eighth in 10 tries for the Red Foxes over the Jaspers since joining the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. The program also recorded its first 20-win season since notching 22 in the 1995-96 campaign.
Whittington hit five 3-pointers in the contest, moving him past Rider's Jerry Johnson (325, 2002-05) for second on the MAAC's all-time list for 3-pointers made. The 6'3 guard now has 329 for his career. Saint Peter's guard Keydren Clark (435, 2002-06) is the all-time league leader with 435.
Redshirt junior Ryan Stilphen (Bay Village, Ohio) had 11 points, while senior guard Jared Jordan (Hartford, Conn.) had his 11th double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 assists. Jordan, a Bob Cousy Award finalist, is bidding to become the first player in Division I history since Southern University's Avery Johnson to lead the nation in assists twice. Johnson averaged 10.74 during the 1986-87 season and 13.3 the following season.
Jordan and Benjamin led Marist with seven boards apiece, while Marist won the overall battle 31-25. Benjamin also had three steals.
Manhattan was led by Guy Ngarndi's 10 points, while Arturo Dubois had a team-high seven rebounds and four steals.
The game was decided midway through the second half after Dubois hit a layup to pull the Jaspers to within six (51-45) with 10:45 to go. After that, Marist ripped off a 9-0 run over the next 3:51 on two free throws by Stilphen, a three-point play by Benjamin and two more free throws by Stilphen to go up 60-45 with 6:54 to play.
Marist shot 47.1 percent (24-51) from the field, while Manhattan went 21-46 for 45.7 percent. The Red Foxes made seven of 18 3-pointers (38.9 percent), while Manhattan made 25 percent (4-16). Both teams did well from the free throw line, with Marist connecting on 81.8 percent (18-22) and Manhattan making 78.6 percent (11-14).
With the victory, Marist also clinched a top-four seed in this season's MAAC Tournament and remained atop the league's standings, one game ahead of Loyola, Siena and Niagara.
The Red Foxes will step out of conference Saturday with a 7:30 p.m. home BracketBuster matchup against Colgate (9-16) out of the Patriot League.
