Manhattan University Athletics

Riverdale, N.Y. (January 20, 2007)- The men's basketball team will look to extend its six game win streak and remain atop the MAAC standings, as the Jaspers host Siena College for a conference tilt at Draddy Gym on Sunday, January 21.  The game, which is slated for a 2:00 p.m. start, will be aired on RNN-TV.

Today's Matchup: The Jaspers continue a stretch that sees the team play four of five at home, welcoming Siena College to Draddy Gym on Sunday, January 21, with tipoff slated for 2:00 p.m. in a game that will televised on RNN. Manhattan leads the all-time series, 44-24, including 10 of the last 13. The Jaspers swept the season series last year, taking a 77-74 decision at Draddy Gym, and a 63-58 win in Albany. This is the first meeting against the Saints for Coach Rohrssen, while Fran McCaffery is 0-2 vs. Manhattan. The Jaspers have defeated the Saints in the last six games played at Draddy Gym.

What's Next?: Following today's game, the Jaspers conclude the season series with Loyola, traveling to Baltimore, Md. to take on the Greyhounds on Wednesday, January 24, with tipoff slated for 7:00 p.m. Manhattan leads the all-time series, 28-13, and has won 15 of the last 18 meetings, though the Greyhounds posted a 77-58 win over the Jaspers on December 10 at Draddy Gym. The Jaspers have defeated Loyola in seven of the last eight meetings at Reitz Arena.

All-time record: Manhattan is in its 101st season of men's basketball. The Jaspers' overall record is 1199-1030 (.538), while the team has posted a 197-194 (.504) record over 25+ seasons of MAAC play. The men's basketball program was established in 1904-05 and has taken two seasons off (1943-44 and 1944-45) due to World War II. In 55 of the program's 100 seasons, including the last five seasons, the Jaspers have posted a .500 or better record.

Manhattan College Basketball Weekly: Beginning Friday, January 12, Manhattan College Basketball Weekly will air the first of nine episodes, stretching over the 2006-07 men's basketball season. Hosted by Ed Cohen, the show will take an in-depth look at the past and present of Manhattan basketball, and will also highlight other great moments in Jasper athletic history. The show will air every Friday at 4:00 p.m. and will replay at 11:00 a.m. on Saturdays on SportNet New York.

Jaspers Live on the Internet: For the ninth consecutive year, Manhattan College's men's basketball games will be broadcast live via the Internet. In partnership with Stretch Internet, followers of Manhattan basketball can now access the live play-by-play of all Jasper games. A link to the broadcast is available on Manhattan College's website (GoJaspers.com). Ed Cohen and Brian Mahoney will serve as the voices of Jasper basketball. Each broadcast will begin with the "Coach's Pre-Game Report" 15 minutes prior to tip-off.

What's a Jasper?: The unique nickname of Manhattan College's athletic teams, the Jaspers, comes from one of the College's most memorable figures, Brother Jasper of Mary, F.S.C., who served at the College in the late 19th century.

One of the greatest achievements of Brother Jasper was that he brought the then little-known sport of baseball to Manhattan College and became the team's first coach. Since Brother was also the Prefect of Discipline, he supervised the student fans at Manhattan College baseball games while also directing the team itself.

During one particularly warm and humid day when Manhattan College was playing a semi-pro baseball team called the Metropolitans, Brother Jasper noticed the Manhattan students were becoming restless and edgy as Manhattan came to bat in the seventh inning of a close game. To relieve the tension, Brother Jasper called time-out and told the students to stand up and stretch for a few minutes until the game resumed.

Since the College annually played the New York Giants in the late 1880's and into the 1890's at the old Polo Grounds, the Manhattan College practice of the "seventh inning stretch" spread into the major leagues, where it has now become a time-honored custom practiced by millions of fans annually.

Even Steven In MAAC Play, And Then Some: Following the Jaspers' MAAC win at Canisius on January 8, Manhattan evened its all-time record in MAAC games at 194-194, marking the first time since the fourth MAAC game of the first MAAC season, 1981-82, that the Jaspers have reached the break even mark in conference play. After the Jaspers downed Iona on January 12, they went above .500 in conference play for the first time in program history.