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Hamden, CT - Manhattan (5-10; 0-4 MAAC) returns to action at Quinnipiac (5-9; 2-2 MAAC) on Saturday, January 7 with first tip slated for 2:00 pm in a game that will be broadcast by SNY.
TOP STORYLINES
#1 - The Jaspers took both match-ups between the teams a year ago by scores of 84-77 and 63-59.
#2 - Junior Zane Waterman paced Manhattan with a career-high 26 points the last time out against Fairfield to go along with eight rebounds.
#3 - Thanks to his fourth career 20-point performance, Waterman is now averaging 15.3 ppg and 7.3 rpg over his last seven games while shooting 57.7 percent (41-of-71).
QUICK HITS
* Waterman, who started 42 straight games for the Jaspers, ranks among the MAAC leaders in scoring (12.2 ppg-27th), rebounding (7.4 rpg-5th), field goal percentage (.532-5th), three-point field goal percentage (.395-13th) and free throw percentage (.744-13th).
* The North Carolina native previously scored 23 points at Morgan State and has hit for double-figures nine times this season.
* Senior Tyler Wilson had 10 points from the point guard position while facilitating a Manhattan offense that turned the ball over a season-low nine times.
* Freshman Aaron Walker Jr. added 14 points and classmate Na'Quan Council chipped in with 10 to round out the double-figure scorers for Manhattan against Fairfield.
* Walker Jr. is averaging 11.4 ppg and 3.6 rpg over his last five games while Council is notching 9.0 ppg, 2.7 apg and 2.7 spg over his last three games, highlighted by a career-high 12 points with five assists and five steals in the win over EKU.
* Walker Jr. 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, fueled by a career-high 15-point effort against Winthrop. The Brooklyn native is third on the team in scoring (9.3 ppg) while notching double-figures three times.
* The Jaspers concluded non-conference play with a 27-point come-from-behind victory over EKU thanks to recording a season-high 13 steals.
* Manhattan's 13 thefts are the most since recording 13 in a win over Quinnipiac on March 1, 2015 while the 27-point margin of victory was the third-highest in Steve Masiello's six years on campus.
* Over the last three-plus years, the Jaspers are 25-3 when recording double-figures in steals and 36-6 since Masiello took over prior to the 2011-2012 season.
* In Manhattan's last three wins, the Jaspers have held EKU to just 54 points, SFBK to 54 and Fordham 53 in moving to 38-4 in the Masiello era when limiting teams to less than 60 points.
* Manhattan has won the rebounding battle in 12 of their 15 games while ranking fourth in the MAAC in rebounding offense (38.1), second in rebounding defense (34.1) and first in rebounding margin (+4.0) while registering at least 40 caroms six times, highlighted by a season-high 51 at Marist, including 21 offensive caroms.
* The 51 rebounds are the most by the Jaspers since registering 51 in a season-opening 99-90 win at La Salle on November 9, 2013.
* Junior Calvin Crawford scored a season-high 19 in the win over EKU before hitting for a team-high 18 at Marist and has notched double-figures four times in his last six games after doing so just three times in the first eight contests en route to improving his scoring number to 8.8 ppg.
* Thanks to Crawford's production off the bench, the reserves outscored the starters in the win over EKU (45-36) before matching the second unit against Marist (44-44).
* The Manhattan reserves are averaging 41.0 ppg and 18.3 rpg over the last three games.
* Masiello has led the Jaspers to a 97-81 (.545) record, including going 58-42 (.580) during MAAC play and 45-22 (.672) at Draddy Gym 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.
* Junior Zavier Turner scored 26 points in the win over St. Francis Brooklyn, making good on 7-of-9 from long range and ranks third in the MAAC with a 45.1 percent (32-of-71) conversion rate from long range.
* The Ball State transfer is seventh in the MAAC in scoring (15.9 ppg), second in free throw percentage (.916) and 10th in three pointers made (2.1) while hitting for at least 20 points four times this year and 10 in his career.
* 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 second half against EKU on a 23-5 run, including 12-straight at one point after ripping off a 13-4 run to start the second half against St. Francis Brooklyn.
* Manhattan also limited the Colonels to just 37.2 percent shooting, including 29.4 percent from deep, and the Terriers to just 30.9 percent, including 24.0 percent from long range after halftime.
* Thanks to the aforementioned total second-half performance against EKU, the Jaspers' scored a season-high 53 second-half points while shooting 68.0 percent (17-of-25) from the floor.
* Waterman put the SFBK game on ice with a pair of late free throws and is now averaging a team-best 4.5 ppg and 2.7 rpg in the last five minutes of games decided by 10 points or less while accounting for 26.5 percent of Manhattan's scoring and 30.8 percent of its rebounding.
* Not to be overlooked in the win over Fordham was Tyler 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.
* 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.
* Sophomore Ak Ojo pulled down a career-high seven rebounds against Fairfield while junior and fellow Nigeria native Samson Usilo had seven points and five rebounds.
* Ojo scored a career-high nine points in the win at Detroit Mercy with Usilo registering career-highs with nine points and seven rebounds at WVU.
* Junior Zavier Peart has scored in double-figures three times this year and is shooting 62.2 percent (28-of-45) 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.
* In the final five minutes of games/ot, Turner is averaging 3.8 ppg while shooting 50.0 percent (16-of-32) from the floor and 91.3 percent (21-of-23) from the line.
* Through the first 15 games, the seven Manhattan newcomers are averaging a combined 42.1 ppg and 18.5 rpg while accounting for 57.4 percent of the team's offense and 48.4 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 331.
* Manhattan finished non-conference play with a 5-6 record after competing against squads from 11 different conferences (ACC, American, Atlantic 10, Big South, Big 12, CAA, Horizon, MEAC, NEC, OVC, Patriot). The Jaspers also played in six states: NY (5), PA (2), FL (1), MD (1), MI (1) and WV (1)
* Manhattan played two ranked teams and six games against teams that played in the postseason or won 20 games a year ago during non-conference play.
* 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 62-50 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 yet to play 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).
* Masiello 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.
* 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 180-117 record.
* In his 21st season as either a player or a coach, Masiello has a career collegiate record of 460-227, including 339-199 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.
* Manhattan will next be in action against Niagara on Tuesday, January 10 at Draddy Gymnasium with opening tip slated for 7:00 pm.
