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Baltimore, MD - Manhattan (2-6) continues non-conference play at Morgan State (2-6) on Tuesday, December 6 at 7:00 pm.
TOP STORYLINES
#1 - The Jaspers will be looking for their third-straight win over the Bears in as many years.
#2 - Over the last two years, Manhattan is shooting 46.7 percent (49-of-105) from the floor against Morgan State, including 43.2 percent (19-of-44) from deep.
#3 - The Jaspers hold a 3-1 record against the Bears and are 6-3, all-time, against teams from the MEAC.
QUICK HITS
* Manhattan defeated Morgan State 78-66 a year ago thanks to 23 points and 10 rebounds from senior Rich Williams with classmate Tyler Wilson adding 10 assists.
* Junior Zavier Turner scored 30 points the last time out at Saint Peter's with five assists and two steals. Turner also was 9-of-15 from the field, 4-of-6 from deep, and a perfect 8-of-8 from the line.
* He has now hit for at least 20 points three times this year - including at least 30 twice - and nine times in his career.
* Over his last five games, Turner is averaging 22.8 ppg and 4.2 apg while shooting 57.6 percent (34-of-59) from the field, 59.3 percent (16-of-27) from long range and 88.2 percent (30-of-34) from the line.
* The Ball State transfer ranks among the MAAC leaders in scoring (18.9 ppg-4th), three-point percentage (.475-3rd), free throw percentage (.885-3rd), triples per game (2.4-7th), assists (3.3-9th) and steals (1.4-10th).
* In the final five minutes of games Turner is averaging 5.6 ppg while shooting 61.9 percent (13-of-21) from the floor and 88.9 percent (16-of-18) from the line.
* The Jaspers have won the rebounding battle in seven of their eight games while ranking second in the MAAC in rebounding offense (38.9), rebounding defense (33.4), rebounding margin (+5.5) and offensive rebounding (14.0).
* Manhattan has notched at least 40 caroms four 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.
* Sophomore Thomas Capuano and freshman Aaron Walker Jr. each added 10 points the last time out for Manhattan.
* Manhattan, which scored a season-high 46 first-half points against Canisius, fueled by 52.9 percent shooting.
* Turner had a team-high 19 points against the Golden Griffins while junior Calvin Crawford had 12 points with six rebounds while classmate Zavier Peart added 10 points and five rebounds.
* Peart, who also had a team-best 11 points at WVU, is shooting 63.6 percent (21-of-33) from the floor.
* In the win over Detroit Mercy, Turner scored a career-high 32 points, including 10 in overtime, to go along with six assists after notching 28 points at Temple.
* The Jaspers also 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.
* On the heels of that performance, Walker Jr. was named MAAC Rookie of the Week after averaging 12.3 ppg and 3.3 rpg for the week ending November 20, highlighted by a 15-point, 6-rebound performance vs. Winthrop. He has now hit for double-figures four times and is third on the team in scoring at 8.9 ppg.
* Manhattan also snapped the Detroit Mercy's seven-game home non-conference winning streak thanks to holding the Titans to just 1-of-7 shooting on threes in overtime after they made good on 8-of-12 in regulation.
* Wilson made arguably the play of the game in the second overtime against the Titans when he drew a charge with 7.7 seconds remaining.
* Junior Zane Waterman notched his first double-digit rebounding performance of the year and the sixth of his career vs. Canisius, finishing up with 10 and is averaging 11.0 ppg and 8.0 rpg over his last six games.
* In the win over Detroit Mercy, the North Carolina native had 15 points, fueled by four three pointers, with eight rebounds.
* Waterman has started each of the last 35 games for the Jaspers dating back to last year and is averaging 9.5 ppg and 7.5 rpg (5th MAAC) while shooting 45.8 percent from deep (5th MAAC).
* Junior Samson Usilo had a career-high nine points and seven rebounds at WVU before earning his first career start against Canisius.
* Fellow Nigerian sophomore Ak Ojo scored a career-high nine points while pulling down four rebounds at Detroit Mercy.
* Junior Ahmed Ismail grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds in the victory over the Titans and ranks among the MAAC leaders in rebounding (5.3-16th) and blocks (1.3-3rd).
* Manhattan has outscored the opposition in second-chance points in five of their eight games, highlighted by posting a 24-0 advantage at Temple, and is averaging 14.3 second-chance points each time out.
* Through the first eight games, the seven Jasper newcomers are averaging a combined 46.8 ppg 374 and 18.8 rpg while accounting for 64.2 percent of the team's offense and 48.2 percent of the rebounding.
* In an 80-68 win over Hofstra, Manhattan 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 for the Jaspers 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 323.
* Jasper basketball players are wearing memorial patches on the left shoulder of their jerseys this season in honor of Fr. George Hill, the longtime Manhattan College chaplain and an avid supporter of both teams, who passed away in September.
* Tuesday's game at Morgan State is one of 11 non-conference games for the Jaspers against 11 different conferences (ACC, American, Atlantic 10, Big South, Big 12, CAA, Horizon, MEAC, NEC, OVC, Patriot). Manhattan will also play in six states: NY (5), PA (2), FL (1), MD (1), MI (1) and WV (1)
* Included in the Jaspers' 11-game schedule are six games (Temple (NCAA), WVU (NCAA), Bucknell (NIT), Florida State (NIT), Hofstra (NIT) and Fordham (CIT)) against teams that qualified for the postseason a year ago.
* Manhattan will later this month participate in the 2016 Orange Bowl Classic in Sunrise, FL against Florida State on Saturday, December 17 at 1:30 pm.
* The Jaspers' four non-league losses have come against teams that have a combined record of 22-9 with each also earning victories against BCS squads: Bucknell (Vanderbilt), Temple (Florida State/WVU), WVU (Illinois, Virginia) and Winthrop (Illinois).
* Head Coach Steve Masiello has led Manhattan to a 94-77 (.550) record, including going 58-40 (.592) during MAAC play and 43-21 (.672) at Draddy Gymnasium, 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.
* Manhattan, which is averaging 5.8 steals per game, ranked second in the MAAC and 36th nationally a year ago with 7.7 thefts per game, and is 23-3 when notching 10 steals over the last three years and 34-6 since Masiello took the reigns of the Jaspers.
* Manhattan was also 13th nationally with 15.8 forced turnovers per game a year ago while turning the opposition over on at least 20 occasions five times. During the Masiello era, the Jaspers are 20-11 when forcing at least 20 turnovers.
* Manhattan returns eight letterwinners, including three starters, that accounted for 62.6 percent of the Jaspers' scoring (1,334 points) and 75.7 percent of their rebounding (693 rebounds).
* Manhattan was slated to finish sixth in the annual preseason MAAC Coaches Poll with senior Rich Williams earning All-MAAC Second Team honors.
* Williams and Wilson are the lone seniors as the duo has helped the Jaspers to a 59-46 record, 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 177-113 record.
* In his 21st season as either a player or a coach, Masiello has a career collegiate record of 457-223, including 336-195 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.
* Joining the staff this year is assistant coach Shawn Finney, who spent the last six years at UCF. Finney coached Masiello and Kentucky before giving him his first job at Tulane.
* Manhattan is next in action against Fordham on Saturday, December 10 with opening tip tabbed for 7:00 pm in the annual "Battle ofthe Bronx."
