Michael Alvarado scored 23 points and Manhattan defeated NJIT 75-70 Saturday in the season opener for both teams.
Despite playing on the road, Manhattan enjoyed a huge advantage at the free-throw line, making 34 of 46 shots there (74 percent), compared to NJIT's 13 of 24 (54 percent). Alvarado nearly equaled NJIT's free-throw output by himself, making 12 of 15 from the line.
The Jaspers had three other players score in double-figures, led by Andrew Gabriel with 19 points. George Beamon added 15 points and a team-high 11 rebounds, while Kidani Brutus had 10 points.
Isaiah Wilkerson led NJIT with 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Chris Flores had 13 points, but the Highlanders played catch-up all day. They led briefly, 50-49, on a Wilkerson 3-pointer in the second half, but the Jaspers answered with an 11-1 run to rebuild their cushion.
