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RIVERDALE, N.Y. - Winners of seven of its last 10, Manhattan (9-10; 6-4 MAAC) concludes a two-game homestand against Siena (8-11; 5-5 MAAC) on Friday, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m.
TOP STORYLINES
#1 - The Jaspers will be looking to get to the .500 mark for the first time this season.
#2 - This is the first of two match-ups between the teams, which were picked to finish among the top-three in the MAAC Preseason Poll.
#3 - Manhattan is an impressive 5-1 at home this year.
QUICK HITS
* The Jaspers lead the all-time series by a 49-40 mark count. However, the Saints hold a 31-28 advantage since the Loudonville-based institution joined the MAAC for the 1988-1989 season.
* Since the teams became conference foes, Manhattan holds an all-time record of 16-8 at Draddy Gymnasium and have won the last four match-ups (+16.0 ppg) and 11-of-14 in Riverdale.
* Head coach Steve Masiello is 3-4, all-time, against Siena with all three wins coming at home.
* Masiello is a perfect 7-0 against the Saints at Draddy Gymnasium, including his time as an assistant and head coach.
* The teams split last year's meetings with the Jaspers claiming the first match-up by a 90-68 score with Siena winning 67-63 in the rematch.
* Junior Shane Richards averaged 11.0 ppg and senior Emmy Andujar 10.5 ppg vs. the Saints last season.
* With a win, Masiello will be the seventh head coach in school history to notch 70 career wins.
* Manhattan is 5-1 this season at Draddy Gymnasium and has won nine of its last 10 and 14-of-16 in Riverdale.
* Masiello is 30-12 when coaching in Draddy since being named head coach before the 2011-2012 season.
* The Jaspers are averaging 72.5 points per game in five contests at Draddy this year while shooting 47.2 percent from the floor, including 34.5 percent from long range and 70.4 percent from the line.
* On a national level, Manhattan is tied for sixth in the Division I ranks with 16.8 forced turnovers per game and has pressured the opposition into at least 16 miscues in 13 of its 19 games.
* The Jaspers also rank 49th nationally and first in the MAAC in three-point defense (.306) and are second in the league and 67th nationally with a +1.7 turnover margin.
* By virtue of it 71-64 win against Monmouth on Sunday, Manhattan improved to a perfect 7-0 when leading at halftime and 6-1 when scoring at least 70 points.
* The Jaspers also improved to 5-1 in games decided by 10 points or less during MAAC play (6-5 overall) and have had six of their last seven fit the criteria.
* Manhattan converted a season-high 11 three pointers, handed out a season-best 19 assists and won the battle of the boards for just the fourth time this year.
* Junior Ashton Pankey fueled the Jasper win with a game-high 22 points and nine rebounds while falling one point and rebound short of his career-high in each category. Pankey capped his second career 20-point performance with five-straight points to give Manhattan the lead for good with less than five minutes to play.
* Over his last six games, he is averaging 17.2 ppg while hitting for at least 18 points on five occasions and is shooting 58.5 percent with 6.8 rpg and 1.8 bpg.
* The Maryland transfer ranks among the MAAC leaders in scoring (12.2 ppg-16th), rebounding (6.5 rpg-8th), field goal percentage (.527-4th), blocks (1.3 bpg-4th), offensive rebounds (2.4 orpg-7th) and defensive rebounds (4.1 drpg-13th).
* Despite seeing his 20-point scoring streak stopped at three games, senior Emmy Andujar still made his presence felt with another solid all-around game. The Rice graduate had nine points, nine rebounds and five assists in the victory over Monmouth.
* Andujar, who was honored for notching his 1,000th career point prior to the game against the Hawks, ranks among the MAAC leaders and leads the Jaspers in scoring (15.1 ppg-6th), rebounding (7.2 rpg-5th), assists (3.1 apg-7th), steals (1.7 spg-5th), offensive rebounds (2.9 orpg-3rd) and defensive rebounds (4.3 drpg-10th).
* He also ranks among the league leaders in field goal percentage (.508-7th) and assist/turnover ratio (0.7-8th) and has increased his scoring from last year by 7.5 ppg and his rebounding by 1.9 rpg.
* Andujar is 30th in school history with 1,094 career points and eighth with 312 career assists.
* Like Pankey, he has been outstanding over his last six games in averaging a team-best 19.0 ppg, 7.3 rpg and 3.2 apg with four 20-point performances and one double-double.
* Andujar grabbed five offensive rebounds against Monmouth with Pankey notching two while the duo went 4-of-5 from the line over the final five minutes to help close out the win. Andujar currently leads all players during MAAC play with 3.1 offensive rebounds each time out with Pankey second at 2.9.
* Junior Shane Richards bounced back from his second scoreless game of the season with nine first-half points on three triples while adding three assists.
* Richards continues to rank among the MAAC leaders in scoring (12.6 ppg-15th), three pointers/game (2.8-3rd), three-point field goal percentage (.371-14th) and minutes (32.7 mpg-10th).
* For his career, Richards has made good on a school-record 195 three pointers, including converting on at least three triples in 41 of his 84 games, and at least four in 20 games.
* At home this season, Andujar is notching a team-best 16.3 ppg while Pankey is averaging 15.0 ppg and a team-best 8.2 rpg while shooting 63.0 percent from the floor. Richards, meanwhile, is averaging 14.3 ppg while converting on 44.2 percent from deep with an average of 3.1 triples each time out.
* Andujar (6), Richards (5) and Pankey (2) have also combined for the 13 Manhattan 20-point outings, 34 of the Jaspers' 43 double-figure scoring performances and have led the squad in scoring in all but one game this season. Additionally, over the last six games at least one of the players have recorded 20 points.
* 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 three 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 handed out five assists for the second-straight game at Quinnipiac and is 11th in the MAAC with 2.8 apg (11th MAAC). Since entering the starting line-up 11 games ago, Stores is averaging 6.5 ppg, 3.2 apg and 1.3 spg while posting a sterling 2.5 assist/turnover ratio.
* During MAAC play, Stores is shooting a league-high 47.4 percent from long range with a league-leading 3.6 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 (1.2 spg-13th) 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 152-85 record.
* In his 19th season as either a player or a coach, Masiello has a career collegiate record of 430-195, including 309-174 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
* Stick To The Script - Manhattan converted a season-high 19 assists while making good on a season-best 11 three pointers and won the battle of the boards (33-29) for just the fourth time this season in the win vs. Monmouth.
* Defense - Siena is averaging 70.4 ppg but allowing the opposition to an average of 74.6 ppg on the scoreboard. The Jaspers will need to continue to play their brand of defense to keep the Saints from getting going offensively.
* The Bench - Manhattan got solid production from all five reserves that played against Monmouth and will need the same production from the second unit not only against Siena but the rest of the way.
TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT
During league play, the Jaspers are 5-1 in games decided by 10 points or less while Siena is 4-0.
THE BENCH
Led by sophomore Rich Williams' seven points, the reserves notched its second-best performance of the year, finishing with 23 points against Monmouth. Additionally, Wilson handed out a game-high six assists in 18 minutes off the bench.
LUCKY NUMBER SEVEN
With Williams leading the second unit, sophomore Jermaine Lawrence returned to the starting line-up for the first time since the opener 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 (19) and classmate Zane Waterman (5) have combined to miss 41 games this season.
THE BEST
Andujar's notched a Manhattan season-high 25 points at Quinnipiac to go along with 12 rebounds. Andujar's haul secured his tihrd-straight 20-plus point performance and his fourth in the previous five games. It was also his team-leading sixth 20-point performance of the season and the eighth of his career.
DOUBLE-DOWN
It was also Andujar's third double-double of the year and the fifth by a Jasper this year
DID YOU KNOW?
All five double-figure performances by a Manhattan player on the glass has coincided with a Jasper double-double.
20-POINT CLUB
Richards, like Andujar, has hit for at least 20 points in three-straight games this season , notching 22 against Niagara, 21 at Saint Peter's and 21 against Rider.
EXTRA CREDIT
The games against Rider and Saint Peter's both went to overtime while marking the first time since the 1986-1987 season that the Jaspers had back-to-back games decided in extra time.
BIG SHOT RAY
Much like former Rocket, Laker and Spur marksman Robert Horry, Stores has made a habit of hitting big shots down the stretch. In four of the last five Manhattan wins, Stores has hit a three pointer with less than four minutes to play and the Jaspers holding less than a five-point lead. On the year, he is shooting 44.4 percent (12-for-27) from long range after halftime compared with 26.3 percent (5-for-19) in the opening stanza.
SECOND-HALF IMPROVEMENT
Andujar (8.4 ppg - 6.2 ppg) and Pankey (7.5 ppg - 4.6 ppg) have improved their scoring by more than two points after halftime this season compared to the first half.
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.
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 38th nationally with 2.79 threes per game. He is first in school history with 195 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.
WATCH AND LISTEN ON leslieschultz.com
For the 17th year, Manhattan Men's Basketball games will be broadcast live over the internet on leslieschultz.com. Former Jasper greats Brian Mahoney and Chris Williams return as the color analysts, alongside play-by-play broadcaster Christian Heimall. Each broadcast will begin with the “Steve Masiello Pregame Report.
109TH SEASON OF JASPERS BASKETBALL
In its 109th season, the Manhattan men's basketball program boasts a 1317-1166 overall record and 264-279 MAAC mark in 35 seasons as a conference member. The Jaspers' storied men's basketball team was established in 1904-05 and served a two-year hiatus during the 1943-44 and 1944-45 season due to World War II.
UP NEXT
Manhattan will travel to Monmouth on Sunday, Feb. 1 at 2 p.m.
