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RIVERDALE, N.Y. - Fresh off a wire-to-wire win its last time out, Manhattan (6-8; 3-2 MAAC) will host Niagara (3-10; 2-3 MAAC) on Saturday, Jan. 10 with tip time slated for 7 p.m.
TOP STORYLINES
#1 - A win would give the Jaspers their first three-game winning streak of the season.
#2 - The Purple Eagles won the teams' first meeting by a 73-61 count last Friday at the Gallagher Center as Niagara shot a blistering 59.5 percent (25-for-42) from the floor, including 65.2 percent (15-of-23) in the opening stanza.
#3 - Manhattan is a perfect 3-0 at home this year and has won seven-straight and 12-of-13 dating back to last season. Masiello is also 28-11 at Draddy since taking over as head coach.
QUICK HITS
* Manhattan has won three of the last four meetings with Niagara and leads the all-time series by a 47-31 count.
* At Draddy Gymnasium, the Jaspers hold an overriding 18-10 advantage since the Purple Eagles joined the MAAC.
* Steve Masiello is 4-3, all-time, against Niagara since assuming the head coaching reigns and was 8-2 against the Purple Eagles as an assistant during his first tenure in Riverdale from 2001-2005.
* This year at home, Manhattan is limiting the opposition to just 56.7 ppg and 37.9 percent shooting, including 21.3 percent from deep.
* Senior Emmy Andujar is averaging a team-best 17.3 points and 8.0 rebounds per game at Draddy this year while shooting 68.0 percent (17-for-25).
* In the teams' last meeting, the Purple Eagles' season-high 72 points came on a 59.5 percent shooting output that marked the worst performance by a Masiello-coached defense.
* It was also the top shooting performance against the Jaspers since Iona made good on 66.7 percent in an 102-65 victory on Feb. 16, 2011.
* Manhattan enters Saturday's game winners of two-straight and four-of-five after posting a wire-to-wire 68-63 victory over Saint Peter's on Wednesday, Jan. 7.
* The Jaspers made nine-straight shots to start the game and didn't miss a field goal attempt over the first 12:50 of the game.
* Thanks its impressive start, Manhattan shot a season-high 50.0 percent (17-for-34) from the field while also converting a season-best 78.9 percent (30-for-38) from the line.
* The Jaspers' 34 field goal attempts represent a season-low by a MAAC team this season as Manhattan attempted more free throws (38) than field goals (34) for the first time since a 71-70 win at Columbia on Feb. 12, 2013.
* It was also the Jaspers' second-straight win by five points or less and the third of the season.
* Manhattan has also not allowed an opponent to hit the 70-point mark in a win this season.
* Andujar's game-high 21 points and junior Ashton Pankey's 18-point, nine-rebound performance paced an effort that saw the Jasper upperclassmen combine to account for 94.1 percent (64-of-68) of the scoring and 96.1 percent (25-of-26) of the rebounding against Saint Peter's.
* Andujar's became the 36th member of the illustrious Manhattan 1,000-point club with his second free throw with 4:50 to play in the second half against Saint Peter's.
* It also marked the third 20-plus point performance of the season for Andujar as well as the sixth by a Jasper. Additionally, the 21-point performance matches his season-high previously set on three occasions.
* With four more assists, Andujar will become the first player in school history with 1,000 points, 600 rebounds and 300 assists. On the year, he is averaging 13.8 points (11th MAAC), 6.9 rebounds (t-6th MAAC), 3.1 assists (9th MAAC), 1.7 steals (6th MAAC), 2.6 offensive rebounds (5th MAAC) and 4.3 defensive rebounds (11th MAAC) per game while shooting 51.2 percent (5th MAAC) and posting a 0.8 assist/turnover rate (8th MAAC).
* Pankey narrowly missed his third career double-double against Saint Peter's, going 5-for-7 from the floor, including four dunks, and 8-for-9 from the line while also notching a career-best matching three blocks.
* Like Andujar, Pankey ranks among the MAAC leaders in scoring (10.5-21st), rebounding (6.5-10th), offensive rebounds (2.1-10th) and defensive rebounds (4.4-10th) as well as in field goal percentage (.510-6th) and blocks (1.1-7th).
* The duo of Andujar and Pankey also helped limit Saint Peter's to just 12.5 percent (2-of-16) shooting from long range while matching the fewest three pointers converted against a MAAC team this season. The mark has been accomplished on eight occasions, with four of them coming from the Manhattan defense.
* Over the last two games, the Jaspers have limited the opposition to just 13.5 percent (5-of-37) shooting from long range and lead the league and rank 51st nationally in three-point defense (.298).
* In keeping with the defensive train of thought, over the last five games - four of which have been wins - Manhattan is holding opposing teams to just 26.9 percent shooting from deep. Additionally, the Jaspers have converted on 73.7 percent (28-of-38) from the line over the final five minutes, compared to just 45.8 percent (11-of-24) for the opposition.
* Senior RaShawn Stores also had a big game against Saint Peter's finishing with a season-high 10 points to go along with three assists, against no turnovers. On the year, he is averaging 4.8 points and 2.5 assists per game while posting a 3.8 assist/turnover ratio, including a remarkable 17.0 assist/turnover ratio during MAAC play.
* Junior Shane Richards almost gave Manhattan four double-figure scorers for the first time this season against Saint Peter's, finishing with nine points while also pulling down five rebounds. Over his last two games he has 15 rebounds after notching just 23 over the first 12 games.
* Over his last five games, Richards is averaging 13.6 points per game while shooting 51.2 percent (22-for-43) from the floor, including 51.4 percent (18-for-35) from long range .
* Richards, who was honored for breaking the Jaspers' career three-point record before the Saint Peter's game, ranks among the MAAC leaders in scoring (11.9-15th), three-point field goal percentage (.388-11th), and three pointers/game (2.7-4th).
* Sophomore Tyler Wilson had a solid game against Canisius, finishing with six points and four assists, against just one turnover, and has now handed out at least four helpers seven times this season. Wilson continues to rank among the MAAC leaders in assists (3.2-7th), steals (1.3-11th) and assist/turnover ratio (1.3-7th).
* The Jaspers have pressured the opposition into at least 16 turnovers in 10 of their 14 games and rank 80th nationally with a +1.3 turnover rate.
* Ten games on Manhattan's 2014-2015 schedule will appear on the ESPN family of networks. The Jaspers currently have seven games slated for ESPN3, two for ESPNU and one for ESPN2, next appearing on ESPN3 Friday, Jan. 16 at Saint Peter's (7 p.m.).
* Senior Donovan Kates became the sixth different Jasper to miss a game this season against Morgan State. Kates (1), Stores (2), sophomore Jermaine Lawrence (4), classmate Carlton Allen (7), freshman Samson Usilo (14) and Waterman (5) have combined to miss 33 games this season.
* Since returning to Riverdale, Masiello has led the Manhattan 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 member of three of the Jaspers' four MAAC Championship teams and five of their 12 20-win seasons while accruing a 148-83 record.
* In his 19th season as either a player or a coach, Masiello has a career collegiate record of 427-193, including 306-172 on the sidelines, with one National Title, two National Championship appearances, two Final Four appearances, six Elite Eight berths, seven conference championships, 12 NCAA Tournament appearances and 15 20-win seasons.
KEY MANHATTAN MATCH-UPS
* Defense - Manhattan turned in its worst defensive performance of the year in the first meeting, allowing Niagara to make good on 59.5 percent from the floor and 53.8 percent from deep.
* Consistency - The Jaspers paced three players in double-figures for the fourth time this year against Saint Peter's and were one point away from having four. and will need that balance against a dangerous Purple Eagle squad.
* Protect Homecourt - Niagara has won just two road games since the start of last season but has a roster filled with local talent and will likely have a solid fan contingent.
* Rebounding - In the first half of the teams' last match-up, the Purple Eagles controlled the glass by a 21-6 mragin en route to building an 18-point halftime lead.
BIG THREE
On the year the big three of Andujar, Pankey and Richards have combined to account for 23 of the Jaspers' 30 double-figure scoring performances.
DID YOU KNOW???
Each of the last two games have yielded a season-high shooting performance by Manhattan.
SAINT PETER'S DOMINATION
The Jaspers most recent win against the Peacocks on Wednesday was their eighth-straight against their Garden State neighbors.
RICHARDS GETS MANHATTAN BACK ON TRACK
After going 12-4 in true road games a year ago, Manhattan won its first road game of the year at Canisius by a 63-60 count thanks to a season-high 18 points and a career-best 10 rebounds from Richards. Fueled by five three pointers, the Jaspers also made good on 42.9 percent (9-for-21) from deep, including 50.0 percent (7-for-14) after halftime.
MORE RICHARDS
Richards' first career double-double and his 10 rebounds marked the fourth time a Jasper has achieved both standards this season. His five triples also represented the first time in his career that he had converted at least three in four-straight games
CAPTAIN CLUTCH
Three of Richards' three pointers came after Canisius took the lead in the second half. All told, the Golden Griffins held the lead on four different occasions only to see the Manhattan reclaim the lead on the subsequent possession each time.
DON'T GET DEFENSIVE
The Jaspers limited a Canisius team that entered the game making good on an average of more than seven three pointers per game into just 3-of-21 shooting (.143) from long range.
SOMETHING ABOUT WESTERN NEW YORK
Stores had a solid game at Canisius finishing with nine points, four assists, against no turnovers, over 26 minutes after matching his career-high with six assists against Niagara. Since entering the starting line-up six games ago, he is averaging 6.7 points and 3.3 assists per game while posting a 3.0 assist/turnover ratio.
MIXING IT UP
After averaging a team-best 10.3 points each time out in the second half over his previous six games, Andujar exploded for a season-high 15 points ... in the first half against Saint Peter's.
FROM THE LINE
Despite making good on just 64.2 percent from the line this year, the Jaspers converted on a season-high 78.9 percent (30-for-38) from the line against Saint Peter's and closed out the win over the Peacocks by shooting 75.0 percent (9-of-12) over the final five minutes. Additionally, Manhattan made good on 10-of-12 (.833) to seal the Fordham win and 8-of-10 (.800) in the Morgan State victory.
HOME SWEET HOME
The Jaspers are in the midst of a six-game stretch that includes four home games after playing 11 of their first 13 games in different venues.
UP NEXT
Manhattan will play at Saint Peter's on Friday, Jan. 16 in a game that will be streamed through ESPN3.
