Men's Basketball 12/7/2014 2:41:00 AM Manhattan Athletic Department

Manhattan Set For Home Opener Against Marist

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RIVERDALE, N.Y. - Manhattan (1-5; 0-1 MAAC) will welcomes Marist (1-6; 0-1 MAAC) to Draddy Gymnasium in its home opener on Sunday, Dec. 7 at 2 p.m.

TOP STORYLINES
#1 - The Jaspers have won five of their last six games against the Red Foxes, including both match-ups a year ago.

#2 - Entering this weekend's play, Manhattan was one of 38 Division I teams that had yet to play a home game.

QUICK HITS
* Both teams began league play this week with losses.

* The Jaspers have won three-straight and 12-of-13 against Marist at Draddy Gymnasium dating back to the 2001-2002 season.

* In the team's last meeting, Manhattan rallied from a nine-point deficit with just under five minutes to play to force overtime before ultimately winning by an 86-79 margin.

* Michael Alvarado scored 33 points in the aforementioned victory and averaged 25.5 points per game over two meetings with the Jaspers a year ago.

* Manhattan leads the all-time series with Marist by a 26-15 count.

* Head coach Steve Masiello holds an all-time record of 13-3 against the Red Foxes while in Riverdale, including going 5-1 as head coach.

* Sunday's match-up marks the sixth different venue that Manhattan has played at. All told, the Jaspers will play 11 of their first 13 games in different venues.

* Manhattan will looking to avoid its first four-game losing streak since January of 2013.

* The Jaspers dropped their MAAC opener to Fairfield by a 67-54 count despite a career-high 23 points from junior Ashton Pankey.

* His 23 points are the second-most scored by a Manhattan player this season (Junior Shane Richards (24) - Binghamton) and the third 20-plus point outing by a Jasper this season.

* Pankey made good on 8-for-14 from the field and 7-for-10 from the line over a career-high 38 minutes and is now averaging 11.5 points (17th MAAC) and 5.0 rebounds (19th MAAC) per game while shooting a team-best 51.1 percent (24-for-47) (6th MAAC) from the field.

* Senior Emmy Andujar joined Pankey in double-figures with 10 points and a team-best nine rebounds. He has paced the team on the glass on four occasions and ranks among the league leaders with 10.7 points (20th MAAC) and 7.0 rebounds (t-6th MAAC) each time out.

* Richards was held under double-figures (8 points) for just the second time this season against the Stags but continues to lead Manhattan in scoring (14.5 ppg) (10th MAAC), fueled by 2.8 triples per game (3rd MAAC), while shooting 35.4 percent (17-for-48) from long range.

* Against Marist, Richards is averaging 10.3 points per game over four career games against the Red Foxes and has converted on 48.1 percent (13-for-27) from long range.

* After missing the last four games, sophomore Jermaine Lawrence returned to action against Fairfield and scored four points while freshman Zane Waterman made his collegiate debut after missing the first five games.

* However, the Jaspers were still without the services of senior RaShawn Stores and freshman Samson Usilo against the Stags. The quartet of Lawrence (4), Stores (2), Usilo (6) and Waterman (5) have missed a combined 17 games.

* In part to the absence of forwards Lawrence and Waterman, Manhattan has failed to record at least 30 rebounds in four of its six games after doing so just once a year ago.

* Sophomore Tyler Wilson notched a career-best matching 15 points and career-highs of 11 free throws and seven assists at George Mason.

* After hitting for double-figures just once last season, Wilson has done so three times in six games this year and is averaging 7.8 points and a team-leading 3.5 assists (5th MAAC) per game while converting a team-leading 25 free throws.

* Last year, Wilson, who has tripled his scoring and doubled his assist numbers, notched just 2.1 points and 1.6 assists per game.

* In the final five minutes of games this year, Pankey is averaging a team-best 3.8 points per game while Wilson checks in with 3.3 points each time out. The duo is also making good on 72.4 percent (21-for-29) from the line, compared to just 27.8 percent (5-for-18) by the rest of the team.

* Richards paced Manhattan in scoring for third time this season at George Mason, finishing with 18 points, fueled by 5-for-8 shooting from deep. This season, he has notched double-figures in four games while raising his scoring by more than six points per game since last year.

* Thanks to Richards, the Jaspers shot a season-high 47.1 percent (8-for-17) from long range against the Patriots. He is third in school history with 159 career three pointers, just four behind Luis Flores' second-place total of 163 and six back of Devon Austin's school-record mark of 165.

* In the first half of the Manhattan's six games, Richards is averaging 9.3 points each time out while shooting 48.1 percent (13-for-27) from deep, compared with just 5.2 points per game on 20.0 percent (4-for-20) from long range after halftime.

* Pankey (7.0 ppg - 4.5 ppg), Andujar (6.2 ppg - 4.2 ppg) and Wilson (5.0 ppg - 2.3 ppg) have all improved their scoring after halftime this season compared to the first half.

* After bringing Andujar and Pankey came off the bench George Mason the duo returned to the starting line-up at Fairfield. The line-up of Wilson, senior Donovan Kates, Richards, Andujar and Pankey have now started four times this season.

* Sophomore Carlton Allen garnered his first career start against the Patriots, meaning that 10 of the 12 Jaspers that have seen action this season have started at least one game in their collegiate careers.

* As a unit, Manhattan is limiting the opposition to 25.0 percent (9-for-36) shooting from long range in the first half but allowing teams to make good on 46.4 percent (13-for-28) after halftime.

* Sophomore walk-on Trevor Glassman notched his first collegiate points, a three pointer, in the first half at George Mason.

* The Jaspers have forced the opposition into 21 offensive fouls (3.5/game) that has led to 28 points (4.7/game) over the first six times out, highlighted by a pressuring Binghamton into eight offensive fouls that led to 15 points.

* Manhattan will play eight of their nine non-conference games either on the road or in neutral venues while six of the aforementioned nine non-league games will be against teams from the Atlantic 10 (3), ACC (2) and Big Ten (1).

* Five of the Jaspers' first six games and six of their nine non-conference games will appear on the ESPN family of networks. All told, Manhattan currently has six games slated for ESPN3 and one each for ESPN2 and ESPNU.

* Since returning to Riverdale, Masiello has led the Jaspers to the program's fourth MAAC Championship as well as a pair of 20-plus win campaigns. In his first tenure, he was a part of two MAAC Championships and three 20-plus win seasons.

* All told, Masiello has been a part of three of the Manhattan's four MAAC championships and five of their 12 20-win seasons while accruing a 144-80 record.

* Now in his 19th season as either a player or a coach, Masiello has a career collegiate record of 422-190, including 301-162 on the sidelines, with one National Title, one National Championship appearance, two Final Four appearances, six Elite Eight berths, seven conference championships, 12 NCAA Tournament appearances and 15 20-win seasons.

* Today's game is being played on the 73rd anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

KEY MATCH-UPS

* Keep Ashton On The Floor - Playing without foul trouble for the first time all season, Pankey scored a career-high 23 points over a career-best 38 minutes against Fairfield was the best player on the floor for most of the night. Entering the game he had been averaging just over 22 minutes each time out and had played a combined 38 minutes in the previous two games

* Free Throws - After shooting a season-best 73.1 percent (19-for-26) against George Mason, the Jaspers made good on just 55.6 percent (15-for-27) against the Stags and are shooting a paltry 62.0 percent for the year.

* Eliminate Scoring Droughts - Manhattan has had prolonged scoring droughts in each one of its five losses, including allowing Fairfield to register a 17-2 spurt on Friday.

ABOUT THE RED FOXES

Marist enters play with a 1-6 record (0-1 MAAC) and like Manhattan has been beset by the a multitude of injuries. Key contributors Khallid Hart (24.5 ppg) and T.J.. Curry (5.0 ppg) haven't played since the second game and Chavaughn Lewis (17.9 ppg) had to leave the last game with an injury. The Red Foxes are averaging just 58.7 points and 28.3 rebounds per game, but have made good on 7.3 triple per game while limiting teams to a MAAC-best 29.8 percent from deep.

MANHATTAN SIGNS TWO FOR NEXT SEASON

Masiello has announced the signing of Nigeria natives Vincent Eze (6-8, 220) of Putnam Science (Conn.) and Akintoye Ojo (6-10, 230) of Cardinal Hayes for next season.

NEW YORK STATE OF MIND

Manhattan boasts a roster of eight New York City natives and returns two starters and five key reserves that averaged at least 10 minutes a game a year ago.

RICHARDS LIGHTS IT UP FROM DOWNTOWN

Richards, the 2012-2013 MAAC Co-Rookie of the Year matched the single-season Manhattan school record with 77 three pointers a year ago and is currently third in the league and 63rd nationally with 2.8 threes per game. He is also third in school history with 158 career triples and with five more would match former Jasper standout and Denver Nugget Luis Flores.

UP NEXT
The Jaspers will square with Rutgers on Sunday, Dec. 14 at Madison Square Garden with opening tip slated for Noon.

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