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Riverdale, NY - Manhattan (9-18; 4-12 MAAC) returns to action at Siena (12-15; 9-7 MAAC) on Thursday, February 16 at 7:00 pm in a game that will be broadcast in New York state on Time Warner Sports channel #323.
TOP STORYLINES
#1 - Fans that are outside the state of New York can watch the game on ESPN3 as the game will be blacked out in the Empire State.
#2 - The Jaspers are 39-25 (.609) in the months of February/March since Steve Masiello took over prior to 2011-2012, including 29-18 (.617) in February.
#3 - Siena took the first meeting between the teams by a 81-68 count on January 22, 2017.
QUICK HITS
* Manhattan assisted on a season-best 81.5 percent of its field goals the last time out against Saint Peter's thanks to junior Zavier Turner, who had six assists against no turnovers, after scoring a game-high 27 points previously against Monmouth while going over 1,000 for his career.
* Turner has now hit for at least 20 points nine times this year and 15 in his career and over his last four games is averaging 15.0 ppg and 3.5 apg while posting an impressive 3.5 assist-to-turnover ratio.
* The Ball State transfer ranks among the MAAC leaders in scoring (15.6 ppg-11th), free throw percentage (.891-2nd), three-point percentage (.394-11th) and assists (3.3 apg-10th).
* In the final five minutes of games/ot, Turner is shooting 40.3 percent (25-of-63) from the floor and 83.0 percent (44-of-53) from the line. In the first win over Niagara, he notched 12 points over the final 3:53 while going 9-of-10 from the line.
* Junior Zane Waterman pulled down a career-high 15 rebounds against Monmouth and has now recorded double-figures on the glass twice this year ands seven times over his career.
* Waterman has been instrumental in each of the last two Jasper wins, delivering the game-winning plays against Marist and at Niagara.
* In the a one-point victory against the Red Foxes he scored 22 points, highlighted by draining game-winning three pointer with 5.6 seconds to play after converting the winning free throws and drawing the game-clinching charge in a one-point victory at Niagara.
* Since the start of 2017, Waterman is averaging a team-best 15.4 ppg with 6.7 rpg over 14 games while shooting 43.7 percent from the floor, 34.7 percent from deep and 80.5 percent from the line while scoring at least 20 points four times.
* Waterman, who scored a career-high 35 points in the win over Rider, ranks among the MAAC leaders in scoring (13.1 ppg-19th), rebounding (7.0 rpg-7th) and FT % (.765-13th).
* His 35 markers are also the most scored by a Masiello-coached player and the most by a Manhattan Jasper since George Beamon, '14 had 35 in an 84-81 win over Siena on February 13, 2011.
* Waterman, who has started 54 straight games, also has hit the 20-point mark this year at Monmouth (28), against Fairfield (26) and at Morgan State (23) has five 20-point performances and seven for his carer.
* In the win over Rider, Waterman and Turner gave Manhattan two 20-point scorers for a second-straight game after Turner and junior Calvin Crawford did so in the first win over Niagara.
* Turner then hit for at least 20 points for a fourth-straight game against Iona, finishing with a team-high 20 points.
* Turner, recorded 26 points in the win over St. Francis Brooklyn, making good on 7-of-9 from long range, after scoring a career-high 32 points in the victory at Detroit Mercy, including 10 in overtime, to go along with six assists. He also had 30 against Saint Peter's, 28 at Temple and 23 against Quinnipiac.
* Waterman narrowly missed his first double-double of the year against Siena with 14 points and nine rebounds and is averaging 9.0 ppg and 8.0 rpg against the Saints over the last two years.
* Masiello, who recently became the fifth coach in school history with 100 wins (currently 101), is 6-7 against Siena.
* Manhattan posted its second one-point victory of the year against Marist and is 7-2 when limiting the opposition to less than 70 points.
* It was also Jaspers' first win when trailing with five minutes to play this season (1-15) and when failing to turn the opposition over at least 15 times.
* The seven Manhattan newcomers are averaging a combined 40.0 ppg and 17.7 rpg while accounting for 57.0 percent of the offense and 48.2 percent of the rebounding.
* Crawford is averaging 8.8 ppg and has notched double-figures in scoring on 11 occasions after scoring a team-high 11 points the last time out against Saint Peter's.
* Crawford notched a team-high 18 points in the victory at Niagara after dropping 20 in the first meeting whle helping give the Jaspers their first series sweep of the year.
* In the first meeting with Siena, Crawford went for 12 points and is averaging 12.7 ppg against the Saints over the last two years.
* Freshman Na'Quan Council scored a career-high 14 points at Canisius and 13 in the win over Niagara and registered a career-high matching five steals in the first meeting with Siena.
* Junior Ahmed Ismail scored a career-best 10 points at Canisius with 10 rebounds en route to earning the second Manhattan double-double of the year
* Ismail is averaging 4.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg (18th MAAC) and 1.2 bpg (8th MAAC) and has seen those numbers jump to 5.5 ppg, 6.4 rpg and 1.9 bpg over the last eight games.
* The Jaspers limited Niagara to just 69 points in securing the season sweep while forcing 16 turnovers and recording 11 steals.
* Manhattan is 37-7 under Masiello when registering double-figures in steals, including 26-4 in the last four years.
* The Jaspers used their 11th different starting line-up in the win over Marist with Turner, sophomore Thomas Capuano, Crawford, Waterman and Ismail garnering starts.
* Senior Tyler Wilson handed out four assists, against just one turnover, against Canisius and recently moved past Jason Wingate, '06 into eighth place on the program's all-time assist list and now has 353. He is just two away from Charles Dubra, '92 and 10 behind former teammate and current coach Michael Alvarado, '14.
* Wilson had a season-high 10 points against Fairfield and a season-best five assists in the victory vs. Rider.
* The Bronx native had the momentum-changing three-point play that gave Manhattan the lead for good in the win over Fordham after drawing the game-clinching charge at Detroit Mercy.
* Freshman Aaron Walker Jr. scored 14 points with a team-high four assists against Monmouth, fueled by a highlight-reel dunk, and is averaging 7.9 ppg with 10 double-figure scoring performances.
* 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, highlighted by a career-high 15-point effort against Hofstra.
* Capuano had 13 points and six rebounds in the first Jasper win over Niagara while classmate Samson Usilo narrowly missed his second-straight double-double with a career-best matching 12 points and nine rebounds.
* At Quinnipiac, Usilo registered career-highs in points (12) and rebounds (11) while notching the first Manhattan double-double of the year and was joined in double-figures on the boards by junior Zavier Peart, who added a career-high 10 rebounds.
* Thanks to Usilo and Peart, the Jaspers placed two in double-figures on the boards for the first time since Emmy Andujar, '15 (11) and Ashton Pankey, '15 (10) did so in a 79-69 win over Iona in the 2015 MAAC Championship on March 9, 2015.
* Usilo, who scored 11 points against Siena, is averaging 5.4 ppg and 5.1 rpg over the last 11 games after notching just 2.2 ppg and 2.6 rpg over his first 15 games.
* Capuano scored a career-high 18 points at Morgan State to go along with five rebounds, four assists and four steals.
* Sophomore Ak Ojo scored a career-best nine points in the win over Detroit Mercy before grabbing a personal-best seven rebounds against Fairfield.
* Manhattan concluded non-conference play with a 27-point come-from-behind victory over EKU thanks to recording a season-high 13 steals.
* The 13 thefts are the most since recording 13 in a win over Quinnipiac on March 1, 2015 while the Jaspers' 27-point margin of victory was the third-highest in Masiello's six years on campus.
* Manhattan has won the rebounding battle in 17 of its 27 games and have registered at least 40 on seven occasions with a high-water mark of 51 at Marist, including 21 offensive caroms.
* The 51 rebounds are the most since registering the same number in a season-opening 99-90 victory at La Salle on November 9, 2013.
* The Jaspers are 3-0 this year when limiting teams to less than 60 points (EKU (54), SFBK (54) & Fordham (53) and are 38-4 under Masiello.
* Manhattan 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 SFBK.
* The Jaspers finished non-conference play with a 5-6 record with their six losses coming to teams that have a combined 104-50 record (.675), including games against Florida State and WVU, both of whom are ranked in the top-20.
* Masiello has led Manhattan to a 101-89 (.532) record, including going 62-50 (.554) during MAAC play and 48-26 (.649) 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.
* 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 Title.
* Since returning to Riverdale, Masiello has guided the Jaspers 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 Titles and three 20-plus win seasons. All told, Masiello has been a member of four of Manhattan's five MAAC Championship teams and five of the school's 12 20-win seasons in recording a 184-125 record.
* In his 21st season as either a player or a coach, Masiello has a career collegiate record of 464-235, including 343-207 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.
