First Round Recap – East Rutherford Region
No. 5 Florida Gators 60, No. 12 Manhattan Jaspers 75
Manhattan’s all-time leading scorer Luis Flores dropped in a game-high 26 points on eight-of-23 shooting from the floor in a 75-60 upset over fifth-seeded Florida. In four attempts since their championship title game appearance in 2000, the Gators have not made it past round one in the NCAA tourney.
A rare sight, Manhattan’s senior point guard Flores showed lots of emotion in Thursday’s win, more so than any Gator on the floor at the RBC Center. During one stretch in the second half, following an intentional foul called against the Gators, the nation’s 3rd leading scorer Flores hit three consecutive perimeter shots to jump out to an 18-point Manhattan lead.
The Jaspers supporting cast was pulsating as well, led by 12 points, 12 boards and two blocks from senior forward David Holmes. Coming off the bench for Manhattan was sophomore forward Mike Konovelchick who scored 11 points in 24 minutes of action.
Florida saw just two players scoring in double figures versus the Jaspers. Sophomore guard Anthony Roberson led the way with a team-high 22 points while sophomore forward Matt Walsh, plagued with foul trouble, scored 13.
An extremely young Gators squad, who in December was donned the number one ranked team in the country, finishes the 2004 campaign with an overall record of 20-11.
The Jaspers head coach Bobby Gonzalez, in his fifth season, was in true form. He was theatrical on the sidelines as Billy Donovan watched on.
Nearly a decade has past since Gonzalez and his Manhattan Jaspers made an appearance in the second round of the NCAA tournament (1995, def. Oklahoma). Saturday the top team in the Metro Atlantic makes a run at the Sweet Sixteen when they face the No. Four Demon Deacons of Wake Forest, scheduled for a tip at approximately 3:45 p.m.
