Manhattan Concludes Non-Conference Play Against EKU

* Manhattan opened the FSU game by hitting on 12-of-16 shots, including nine-straight at one point, en route to converting on 56.5 percent (13-of-23) for the half.

* Turner made good on 7-of-9 from long range and is now converting on 50.0 percent (31-of-62) for the year, ranking 15th nationally and third in the MAAC.

* The Ball State transfer is also second in the MAAC in scoring (17.8 ppg), second in free throw percentage (.900) and fourth in three pointers made (2.6) while hitting for at least 20 points four times this year and 10 in his career.

* Senior Tyler Wilson notched a season-high three steals as the Jaspers registered a season-best matching 10.

* Manhattan is 24-3 over the last three-plus years when recording double-figures in steals and 35-6 since Steve Masiello took over prior to the 2011-2012 season.

* The Jaspers also limited St. Francis Brooklyn to just 30.9 percent shooting (17-of-55), including 24.0 percent (6-of-25) from long range.

* Manhattan opened the second half on a 13-4 run and shot 50.0 percent (11-of-22) in the decisive stanza.

* With the win, Masiello earned his 96th career victory.

* Junior Zane Waterman put the SFBK game on ice with a pair of late free throws and is now averaging a team-best 5.0 ppg and 3.0 rpg in the last five minutes of games decided by 10 points or less while accounting for 33.8 percent of the Jaspers' scoring and 36.7 percent of its rebounding.

* Freshman Aaron Walker Jr. joined Turner in double-figures against the Terriers with 11 points to go along with five rebounds.

* Over his last nine games, Turner is averaging 19.7 ppg and 3.6 apg while shooting 51.5 percent (51-of-99) from the field, 57.1 percent (28-of-49) from long range and 90.4 percent (47-of-52) at the line.

* Turner scored a game-high 18 points to go along with five assists against No. 23 Florida State after earning John “Doc” Johnson Most Outstanding Performer in Manhattan's win over Fordham with 15 points He also scored career-high 32 points at in the victory at Detroit Mercy, including 10 in overtime, to go along with six assists and had 30 against Saint Peter's and 28 at Temple.

* The Jaspers opened the FSU game by hitting on 12-of-16 shots, including nine-straight at one point, en route to converting on a season-best 56.5 percent (13-of-23) for the half.

* Walker Jr. scored 14 points off the bench with four assists and two steals against the Seminoles while Waterman added 12 points.

* Walker Jr. also had a solid all-around game at Morgan State, finishing up with 12 points, five assists, three rebounds and two steals.

* The Brooklyn native earned MAAC Rookie of the Week honors earlier this year after averaging 12.3 ppg and 3.3 rpg over three games during the week ending November 20. Walker Jr., who scored a career-high 15 points with six rebounds against Winthrop, has now hit for double-figures seven times and is third on the team in scoring at 9.0 ppg.

* Waterman scored a career-high matching 23 points, on 11-of-15 shooting, at Morgan State after notching his sixth double-digit rebounding performance of his career with 10 against Canisius.

* The North Carolina native has started each of the last 39 games for Manhattan dating back to last year and ranks among the MAAC leaders in scoring (10.8 ppg-27th), rebounding (7.3 rpg-6th), field goal percentage (.505-7th) and three-point field goal percentage (.495-12th).

* In the Fordham win, the Rams started out 9-of-15 (.600) from the field before the Jaspers limited the visitors to just 8-of-39 (.205) the rest of the way.

* Manhattan also held Fordham to just 53 points before surrendering just 54 to SFBK in moving to 37-4 in the Masiello era when limiting teams to less than 60 points.

* At halftime, Manhattan College President Dr. Brennan O'Donnell and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Marianne Reilly honored Fr. George Hill, the College's longtime chaplain who passed away in September, as Father Hill's family was presented with a framed Jaspers' jersey.

* Masiello is keeping a seat behind the bench vacant all season in honor of Father Hill with Manhattan basketball players are wearing memorial patches on the left shoulder of their jerseys in his honor.

* Not to be overlooked in the win over Fordham was Wilson's play as the senior converted the momentum-changing three-point play that gave the Jaspers the lead for good. No stranger to big-time plays, Wilson drew the game-clinching charge in the win at Detroit Mercy.

* Sophomore Thomas Capuano scored nine points against Florida State and is averaging 9.4 ppg, 2.6 apg and 1.8 spg over his last five games and is averaging 7.3 ppg on the year.

* At Morgan State, Capuano finished with a career-high 18 points to go along with five rebounds, four assists and four steals in 48 minutes of action before following that up with 10 points, four rebounds and three assists in the victory against Fordham.

* Junior Ahmed Ismail pulled down a team-high eight rebounds in the win over SFBK after grabbing a game-high nine caroms against Florida State and earlier set a career-high with 11 rebounds in the win over Detroit Mercy. The Egypt native ranks among the MAAC leaders in rebounding (5.8-12th) and blocks (1.3-5th).

* Freshman Na'Quan Council matched his career-high with nine points at Florida State and has hit the mark on three occasions.

* Junior Calvin Crawford scored a season-high 15 points at Morgan State before adding 12 points with seven rebounds and two blocks in the win over Fordham. He has now scored in double-figures three times in his last six games and is averaging 9.2 ppg with 3.7 rpg during that time while elevating his scoring average to 7.2 ppg.

* Manhattan has won the rebounding battle in nine of their 12 games while ranking third in the MAAC in rebounding offense (37.8), second in rebounding defense (35.0) and second in rebounding margin (+2.8).

* The Jaspers have notched at least 40 caroms five times this year, including pulling down a season-high 45 at Bucknell, including 19 offensive caroms. Both totals are the most by a Jasper team since the 2014-2015 season.

* Junior Zavier Peart has scored in double-figures in scoring three times this year and is averaging 4.8 ppg and 2.7 rpg while shooting 61.8 percent (21-of-34) from the floor.

* The Miami native earned his first collegiate starting nod at Florida State as Manhattan has now used seven different line-ups this year.

* In the win over Detroit Mercy, the Jaspers went 9-for-12 from the line in overtime with Walker Jr. sinking two free throws to tie the game up with 0.7 seconds remaining in the first extra session.

* Junior Samson Usilo had a career-high nine points and seven rebounds at WVU while fellow Nigerian sophomore Ak Ojo scored a career-high nine points in the win at Detroit Mercy.

* In the final five minutes of games/overtime, Turner is averaging 3.9 ppg while shooting 60.9 percent (14-of-23) from the floor and 88.9 percent (16-of-18) from the line.

* Through the first 12 games, the seven Manhattan newcomers are averaging a combined 42.8 ppg and 18.2 rpg while accounting for 60.1 percent of the team's offense and 48.0 percent of the rebounding.

* In an 80-68 win over Hofstra, the Jaspers shot a blistering 53.7 percent (29-for-54) from the floor, including a perfect 100 percent (17-for-17) from the line, and scored on seven of the Pride's nine first-half turnovers, parlaying the miscues into 17 points.

* Setting the tone was Peart, who scored 14 points in the opening half while connecting on all seven of his shots en route to finishing with a game-high 16.

* Wilson handed out five assists, against just one turnover, against Hofstra while moving past RaShawn Stores into ninth place on the program's all-time assist list and now has 327.

* Tonight's game against EKU is one of 11 non-conference games for Manhattan against 11 different conferences (ACC, American, Atlantic 10, Big South, Big 12, CAA, Horizon, MEAC, NEC, OVC, Patriot). The Jaspers will also play in six states: NY (5), PA (2), FL (1), MD (1), MI (1) and WV (1)

* The Jaspers have now played two ranked teams and six games against non-conference opposition that played in the postseason or won 20 games last year.

* Masiello has led Manhattan to a 96-79 (.549) record, including going 58-40 (.592) during MAAC play, 44-21 (.677) at Draddy Gymnasium and 14-9 (.609) in neutral games, over his six seasons with three MAAC Title Game appearances, three postseason berths, two Metropolitan Coach of the Year honors and two 20-win campaigns.

* He has participated in the NCAA Tournament in 13 of his 20 seasons as a player or coach, including being a part of eight conference champions and one National Championship.

* The Jaspers were slated to finish sixth in the annual preseason MAAC Coaches Poll with Williams earning All-MAAC Second Team honors.

* Williams and Wilson, the team's lone seniors, have helped Manhattan to a 61-48 record during their three-plus years with two MAAC titles, two trips to the NCAA Tournament and a MAAC-best 7-1 conference tourney record.

* Williams, who has missed the first seven games due to injury, averaged 14.8 ppg and a team-best 6.0 rpg last year, highlighted by seven 20-plus point performances and three double-doubles. Additionally, he raised both his scoring (+9.3 ppg) and rebounding (+4.5 rpg) numbers and took his game to another level at the MAAC Tournament, averaging a team-leading 21.0 ppg.

* The Jaspers boast five foreign-born players in R. Williams (Jamaica), Ismail (Egypt), Usilo (Nigeria), Ojo (Nigeria) and Oliver Ehrnvall (Sweden).

* Since returning to Riverdale, Masiello has led Manhattan to a pair of MAAC Titles 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 four of the five Jaspers' MAAC Championship teams and five of the school's 12 20-win seasons in accruing a 178-115 record.

* In his 21st season as either a player or a coach, Masiello has a career collegiate record of 459-225, including 338-197 on the sidelines, with one National Title, two National Championship Game appearances, two Final Fours, six Elite Eight berths, eight conference championships, 13 NCAA Tournament appearances and 15 20-win seasons.

SCOUTING EKU
Eastern Kentucky is led by sophomore Nick Mayo (18.5 ppg, 6.1 rpg) and freshman Asante Gist (14.8 ppg, 4.0 apg).

KEY MANHATTAN MATCH-UPS
1. Three-Point: EKU is shooting 34.8 percent from long range while averaging 9.1 triples per game. Much like the SFBK game, the Manhattan defenders will need to contest every triple try.
2. Make Mayo, Gist Work: The Jaspers will need to make Mayo and Gist earn every one of their 33.3 ppg average. The last time out, the Terriers' top-scoring duo of Sanabria and Hopkinson hit their average of 27 points but went 7-of-25 (.280) in getting there.
3. Balance: Turner accounted for 42.6 percent of Manhattan's scoring the last time out but needs more help on the offensive end movinig forward for the Jaspers to be successful.

THE MASIELLO WAY
Since Masiello took over the program in 2011-2012, the Jaspers are 35-6 when notching 10 steals, including 24-3 over the last three years, and 20-11 when forcing at least 20 turnovers.

NOT SHABBY
Over the last three years, the Jaspers are 46-8 when leading at the half, 24-8 when limiting teams to less than 40 percent shooting, 30-14 when winning the battle of the boards and 39-19 when forcing more turnovers than the opposition. Additionally, since the start of 2014-2015 the Jaspers are also 31-5 when leading with five minutes to play.

MASIELLO AT MANHATTAN
Masiello has been a part of four of Manhattan's five MAAC Championships while helping lead the Jaspers to a 179-115 record in this his 10th season in Riverdale.

UP NEXT
Manhattan returns to MAAC play at Marist on Monday, January 2 with opening tip tabbed for 7:00 pm.