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WEST LONG BRACH, N.J. - Winners of two in a row, Manhattan (10-10; 7-4 MAAC) will be looking for a season sweep of Monmouth (12-10; 8-3 MAAC) on Sunday, Feb. 1 at 2 p.m.
TOP STORYLINES
#1 - The Jaspers defeated the Hawks a week ago 71-64 at Draddy Gymnasium.
#2 - Manhattan went 11-2 in February and March a year ago and is 17-5 in the months over the last two seasons.
#3 - A win today would propel the Jaspers into the top three of the league standings while giving them the vaunted tiebreaker over Monmouth.
QUICK HITS
* Manhattan leads the all-time series by a 6-2 count, but is just 2-2 against the Hawks when playing in West Long Branch.
* The Jaspers have won all three meetings between the teams since Monmouth joined the MAAC.
* Over the last four years, Manhattan is 8-0 when playing in the state of New Jersey.
* In the teams' first meeting, the Jaspers bested the Hawks 71-64 behind a game-high 22 points and nine rebounds from junior Ashton Pankey.
* Pankey's second career 20-point performance was one off of his career high.
* Manhattan also drained 11 three pointers with 19 assists, both of which were season-highs.
* The Jaspers also won the battle of the boards for just the fourth time this season (33-29).
* In the win over Siena, Manhattan scored a season-high 87 points while making good on a season-best 60.0 percent (9-of-15) from long range.
* Over their last two games, the Jaspers are shooting a blistering 51.3 percent (20-of-39) from long range.
* Manhattan forced at least 20 turnovers for the sixth time this season against the Saints - finishing with 22 - and recorded a season-high 13 steals.
* On a national level, the Jaspers are tied with VCU for fourth in the Division I ranks with 17.1 forced turnovers per game and have pressured the opposition into at least 16 miscues in 14 of their 20 games.
* Manhattan also ranks second MAAC and among the national leaders in turnover margin (+2.0-61st NCAA) and steals per game (7.1-94th NCAA).
* Senior Emmy Andujar led five double-figuere scorers against Siena with a game-high matching 20 points and has now hit for at least 20 in five of his last seven games and seven times on the season.
* Over the aforementioned seven-game span, Andujar is averaging 19.1 ppg, 6.9 rpg and 3.4 apg while shooting 52.4 percent from the field.
* It marked the second time this season that the Jaspers have had five players notch double-figures in points.
* Andujar also moved into 29th place on the all-time Manhattan scoring list with 1,114 points and now has nine career 20-point performances. He is also eighth with 317 assists and on the verge of the school's top-10 lists with 660 rebounds and 137 steals.
* The scoring haul also marked the seventh-straight game that a Jasper player has hit for at least 20 points.
* Andujar continues to lead the team and ranks among the MAAC leaders in scoring (15.4 ppg-6th), rebounding (7.1 rpg-6th), assists (3.2-7th), steals (1.8-4th), offensive rebounds (2.8-3rd) and defensive rebounds (4.3-10th).
* Sophomore Rich Williams scored 13 points off the bench in the win over Siena as the Manhattan reserves scored a season-high 30 points.
* Over his last two games, Williams is averaging 10.0 ppg off the bench after scoring a combined 10 points over his previous five.
* During the aforementioned two games, the Jasper bench is averaging 25.5 ppg while outscoring its counterparts by 12.5 ppg and shooting 54.3 percent (19-35) from the field, including 50.0 percent (9-18) from long range.
* With the win over Siena, Masiello became the seventh head coach in school history to notch 70 career victories and is 31-12 when coaching at Draddy.
* Manhattan is now a perfect 8-0 when leading at the break this year and 7-1 when topping the 70-point plateau.
* The Jaspers also improved to 6-1 in games decided by 10 points or less during conference play.
* Manhattan also moved to 6-1 at home this season and has won 10-of-11 and 15-of-17 in Riverdale dating back to last season.
* During MAAC play, the Jaspers are averaging 74.8 ppg at home while shooting 48.6 percent from the floor, including 36.0 percent from deep, and 72.0 percent from the line. However, on the road Manhattan is averaging just 61.8 ppg while shooting 39.9 percent from the field, including 31.6 percent from deep, and 65.7 percent from the line.
* Pankey, who's aforementioned 22 points led all players against Monmouth in the first meeting, scored eight points in the final five minutes, including five-straight to break a 58-58 deadlock while giving the Jaspers what would prove to be an insurmountable advantage.
* The Maryland transfer ranks among the MAAC leaders in scoring (12.3 ppg-16th), rebounding (6.5 rpg-8th), field goal percentage (.526-3rd), blocks (1.3 bpg-4th), offensive rebounds (2.4 orpg-9th) and defensive rebounds (4.1 drpg-13th) while hitting for at least 20 points on two occasions.
* In his last game, Pankey scored all 13 of his points after halftime and over his last seven is averaging 16.6 ppg while hitting for at least 18 points on five occasions and is shooting 57.6 percent with 6.3 rpg and 1.9 bpg.
* Junior Shane Richards converted a career-high eight free throws en route to scoring 14 points against Siena after failing to hit for double-figures in his previous two games.
* Richards continues to rank among the MAAC leaders in scoring (12.7 ppg-13th), three pointers/game (2.8-3rd), three-point field goal percentage (.372-14th), free throw percentage (.772-12th) and minutes (32.7 mpg-10th) while notching five 20-point performances.
* For his career, Richards has made good on a school-record 197 three pointers, including converting on at least three triples in 41 of his 85 games, and at least four in 20 games.
* Andujar (7), Richards (5) and Pankey (2) have also combined for the 14 Manhattan 20-point outings, 37 of the Jaspers' 48 double-figure scoring performances and have led the squad in scoring in all but one game this season.
* Andujar and Richards each had 21 points against Rider while Pankey added 18 as the trio scored a season-high 60 points and the Broncs, shooting 55.3 percent (21-for-38) from the field. The three student-athletes have each also hit for double-figures in the same game four times this season.
* The duo of Andujar (22) and Richards (21) each also cracked the 20-point mark in the win at Saint Peter's marking the first time since the 2010-2011 season that Manhattan had back-to-back games with two 20-point scorers.
* Senior RaShawn Stores has handed out at least four assists in each of the last four games and is 10th in the MAAC with 2.7 apg while shooting 40.0 percent (6th MAAC) from deep. Since entering the starting line-up 11 games ago, Stores is averaging 6.8 ppg, 3.3 apg and 1.3 spg while posting a sterling 2.3 assist/turnover ratio.
* During MAAC play, Stores is shooting a league-high 51.9 percent (14-of-27) from long range, including 64.7 percent (11-of-17) after halftime, with a league-leading 3.0 assist/turnover ratio.
* Sophomore Tyler Wilson had a big game against Monmouth finishing with six assists and has now handed out at least four on nine occasions. Wilson continues to rank among the MAAC leaders in assists (3.1 apg-8th), steals (1.3 spg-11th) and assist/turnover ratio (1.4-6th).
* 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 153-85 record.
* In his 19th season as either a player or a coach, Masiello has a career collegiate record of 431-195, including 310-174 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
* Rebounding - Manhattan won the battle of the boards (33-29) for the fourth time this season last Sunday and will again need to crash the glass.
* Take Advantage Of Miscues - The Jaspers turned 11 Hawk miscues into an 18-9 advantage in points off turnovers in the first meeting.
* Team Effort - In the first match-up, all 10 Manhattan players that played scored.
TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT
During league play, the Jaspers are 6-1 in games decided by 10 points or less while Monmouth is 6-3.
LUCKY NUMBER SEVEN
Sophomore Jermaine Lawrence returned to the starting line-up for the first time since the opener at Monmouth while giving Manhattan its seventh different starting line-up this year.
LUCKY NUMBER SEVEN X2
The Jaspers had seven different players hit a three pointer as Manhattan made good on a season-high 11.
MASH UNIT
Senior Donovan Kates became the sixth different Jasper to miss a game this season against Morgan State. Kates (1), Stores (2), Lawrence (4), classmate Carlton Allen (10), freshman Samson Usilo (20) and classmate Zane Waterman (5) have combined to miss 42 games this season.
I FINALLY GOT THE VENUE I WANTED
The Jaspers will play in their 14th different venue when it squares off with Monmouth at The MAC.
SECOND-HALF IMPROVEMENT
Andujar (8.7 ppg - 6.2 ppg) and Pankey (7.8 ppg - 4.4 ppg) have improved their scoring by more than two points after halftime this season compared to the first half
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 41st nationally with 2.75 threes per game. He is first in school history with 197 career triples after breaking the record against Morgan State
NEW YORK STATE OF MIND
The Jaspers 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.
UP NEXT
Manhattan hosts Canisius on Friday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. in a game that will be streamed live on ESPN3.
