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Riverdale, NY - Manhattan (2-7) returns to action against Fordham (5-5) in the annual “Battle Of The Bronx” on Saturday, December 10 at 7:00 pm.
TOP STORYLINES #1 - The Jaspers lead a series that started during the 1911-1912 season by a 56-52 count.
#2 At halftime, Manhattan will recognize Fr. George Hill, the College's longtime chaplain who passed away in September. Fr. Hill will be honored, and his family will be presented with a Manhattan jersey.
#3 - Under Armour is providing a limited number of "Battle of the Bronx" to the Jasper students. Click
HERE for more information.
QUICK HITS
* Head Coach
Steve Masiello is keeping a seat behind the bench vacant all season in honor of Father Hill.
* Masiello is 3-2 against the Rams since taking over as head coach prior to the 2011-2012 season and was 4-0 as an assistant from 2001-2005 with the Jaspers.
* The Rams won last year's match-up despite a game-high 24 points from senior
Rich Williams. Classmate
Tyler Wilson also added 13 points and eight assists.
* Against Fordham, Williams is averaging 10.0 ppg and 4.0 rpg while shooting 50.0 percent (12-of-24) from the floor over three games while Wilson checks in with 6.7 ppg and 4.3 apg.
* Each team will be looking to snap a four-game losing streak.
* Manhattan last played on Tuesday, dropping a double-overtime decision to Morgan State, despite junior
Zane Waterman's career-high matching 23 points, on 11-of-15 shooting.
* Over his last seven games, Waterman is averaging 12.7 ppg and 8.1 rpg while shooting 57.6 percent (34-of-59) from the field and 47.6 percent (10-of-21) from deep.
* Waterman, who notched his first double-digit rebounding performance of the year and the sixth of his career vs. Canisius, has started each of the last 36 games for the Jaspers dating back to last year and ranks among the MAAC leaders in scoring (11.0 ppg-26th), rebounding (7.7 rpg-6th), field goal percentage (.529-7th) and three-point field goal percentage (.423-11th).
* Also registering a big game at Morgan State was
Thomas Capuano as the sophomore finished with a career-high 18 points to go along with five rebounds, four assists and four steals in 48 minutes of action.
* Over his last two games, Capuano is notching 14.0 ppg while shooting 55.0 percent (11-of-20) from the floor and 50.0 percent (6-of-12) from deep while raising his season scoring average to 7.8 ppg. In his five previous games, he had averaged just 4.8 ppg while making good on 24.1 percent (7-of-29).
* Junior
Zavier Turner failed to hit for double-figures for just the second time at Morgan State after registering 30 points at Saint Peter's. Against the Peacocks, the Indiana native 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 notched at least 20 points three times this year - including at least 30 twice - and nine times in his career.
* Over his last six games, Turner is averaging 19.7 ppg and 3.8 apg while shooting 53.0 percent (35-of-66) from the field, 50.0 percent (16-of-32) from long range and 88.2 percent (30-of-34) from the line.
* The Ball State transfer ranks among the MAAC leaders in scoring (17.2 ppg-4th), free throw percentage (.885-3rd), assists (3.1 apg-11th) and three-point percentage (.422-12th).
* In the final five minutes of games/overtime, Turner is averaging 5.0 ppg while shooting 61.9 percent (13-of-21) from the floor and 88.9 percent (16-of-18) from the line.
* Freshman
Aaron Walker Jr. turned in arguably his most impressive all-around game at Morgan State, finishing up with 12 points, five assists, three rebounds and two steals. The Brooklyn native scored two of his 12 points on an impressive reverse layup and another two on a thunderous dunk off a steal.
* Walker Jr. was named MAAC Rookie of the Week 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 five times and is third on the team in scoring at 9.2 ppg.
* Junior
Calvin Crawford scored a season-high 15 points at Morgan State and has now notched double-figures in points four times this season. He helped send the game to double overtime with a steal and subsequent dunk late in the first extra session and is averaging 7.1 ppg.
* The Jaspers have won the rebounding battle in seven of their nine games while ranking second in the MAAC in rebounding offense (39.2), rebounding defense (34.9), rebounding margin (+4.4) and offensive rebounding (13.8).
* Manhattan has 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, who also had a team-best 11 points at WVU, has notched double-figures in scoring three times this year and is averaging 5.8 ppg and 3.4 rpg while 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.
* Manhattan went 9-for-12 from the line in overtime in the aforementioned victory with Walker Jr. sinking two free throws to tie the game up with 0.7 seconds remaining in the first extra session.
* The Jaspers also snapped the Titans' seven-game home non-conference winning streak thanks to holding Detroit Mercy 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
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 nine games, highlighted by posting a 24-0 advantage at Temple, and is averaging 13.4 second-chance points each time out.
* Through the first nine games, the seven Jasper newcomers are averaging a combined 44.4 ppg and 18.0 rpg while accounting for 60.2 percent of the team's offense and 45.8 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 325.
* Jasper basketball players are wearing memorial patches on the left shoulder of their jerseys this season in honor of Father Hill, the longtime Manhattan College chaplain and an avid supporter of both teams, who passed away in September.
* Saturday's game against Fordham 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 next play in the 2016 Orange Bowl Classic in Sunrise, FL against Florida State on Saturday, December 17 at 1:30 pm.
* Masiello has led Manhattan to a 94-78 (.547) 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 5.0 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 was slated to finish sixth in the annual preseason MAAC Coaches Poll with 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 177-114 record.
* In his 21st season as either a player or a coach, Masiello has a career collegiate record of 457-224, including 336-196 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.
