Albany, NY - Manhattan (4-15; 2-5 MAAC) returns to the road against Siena (8-11; 3-3 MAAC) on Saturday, January 26 at 7:00 pm.
Series History
* The Jaspers lead the all-time series by a 54-48 count.
* Manhattan took both meetings a year ago, as junior Pauly Paulicap averaged 12.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game.
* Head Coach Steve Masiello, is 8-8, all-time, against Siena.
W's Up!
* Freshman Warren Williams notched double-figures for the team-leading ninth time on the year the last time out against Marist with 12 points.
* Williams, who scored a career-high 15 points with six rebounds in the win over Saint Peter's, is averaging 8.3 ppg while shooting 52.9 percent (3rd MAAC) from the floor.
* Over the last three games, Williams is averaging 11.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg and 2.0 bpg while making good on 63.6 percent (14-of-22) from the field.
Sammy Steps Up
* Senior Samson Usilo added a season-high nine points and six rebounds against Marist.
* Usilo scored 11 points in his lone match-up with Siena during the 2016-17 season.
* Usilo was inducted into the prestigious Chi Epsilon National Engineering Honor Society, which is dedicated to the purpose of maintaining and promoting the status of civil engineering.
Newcomers Break Out
* The Manhattan newcomers have accounted for 53.8 percent of the team's scoring, 45.5 percent of the rebounding and 51.2 percent of the minutes.
* Freshman Samir Stewart canned the game-winning shot against the Peacocks, a three pointer with 2.7 seconds remaining.
* The Florida native scored a career-high 22 points in the win over Niagara and was a perfect 6-of-6 from the floor, including 5-for-5 from deep, and 5-of-5 from the line.
* Freshmen Elijah Buchanan and Tykei Greene each added eight points against Marist.
* Greene scored a career-high 13 points against Quinnipiac and pulled down a personal-best eight rebounds at Monmouth.
* Freshman Christian Hinckson netted a career-high 11 points at Rider.
Defense Steps Up
* The Jaspers registered double-digits in steals for the fourth time in the win over Saint Peter's, finishing up with and are 41-13 (.759) in Head Coach Steve Masiello's eight years when notching at least 10.
* The Jaspers limited Saint Peter's to 56 points, 33.3 percent shooting and a 14.3 percent mark from long range while collecting 11 steals.
* Manhattan improved to 46-7 (.868) under Masiello when limiting teams to less than 60 points.
* The byproduct of the defense against Saint Peter's was that Masiello collected his 120th career win as a head coach.
* Manhattan ranks second in the MAAC in turnovers forced (15.8/game) and have has paced the league in the category three times in the last five years (2015-16, 2014-15, 2013-14). The Jaspers are 25-14 under Masiello when turning the opposition over at least 20 times.
Numbers
* Manhattan ranks 35th nationally in scoring defense, yielding a MAAC-low 65.1 ppg, 49th in turnovers forced (15.8/game) and 84th in steals (7.5/game).
What's Up Bud?
* Sophomore Nehemiah Mack had a solid all-around game in the win over Saint Peter's, finishing with a career-high five steals, four assists and eight points.
* Over his last 10 games, Mack is averaging 7.5 ppg, 2.9 apg and 1.5 spg while shooting 51.1 percent (24-of-47) from the floor and 52.2 percent (12-of-23) from long range with a 1.7 assist/turnover ratio.
* Mack, who scored a career-high 21 points at UAlbany, is the lone Manhattan player to start all 19 games and is averaging 6.3 ppg, 1.4 spg (11th MAAC) and 2.6 apg (14th MAAC).
* During league play, the Pennsylvania native has handed out a career-high matching five assists three times en route to registering a MAAC-leading 3.7 assist/turnover ratio.
Reynolds Dialing It Up From Deep
* Fueled by three triples, junior Tyler Reynolds scored 11 points at Rider while connecting on at least three for the sixth time this year.
* The foursome of senior Thomas Capuano, Mack, Reynolds and Stewart are combining to make good on 37.8 percent (96-of-254) from long range.
Cap Stepping Up
* Senior Thomas Capuano, who scored a season-high 13 points against Quinnipiac, is averaging 6.6 ppg, including a team-leading 8.3 ppg during MAAC play.
* He is shooting 38.8 percent from deep (13th MAAC) and has notched at least two three pointers 10 times this year.
* The Iona Prep graduate also ranks among the MAAC leaders with 1.2 steals per game (14th) while collecting at least two on eight occasions.
Niagara Offensive Recap
* Manhattan set season-highs in points (90), field goal percentage (.630), three-point percentage (.591) and assists (19) against while overcoming a 14-point second-half deficit.
* The Jaspers had a season-high four double-figure scorers: Stewart (22), Capuano (10), junior Pauly Paulicap (10) and Reynolds (10).
* Manhattan's bench scored a season-high 47 points and has posted a scoring advantage over the opposition in 16 of its 19 games.
* The Jaspers put on an offensive show over the final nine-plus minutes, converting on 14 of their final 15 offensive possessions while outscoring Niagara 47-23 to end the game.
About Marist
* The Saints are a perimeter-based team that relies heavily on their three-point shooting (9.7/game) and are led by the dynamic duo of Evan Fisher (16.2 ppg, 6.7 rpg) and Jalen Pickett (15.1 ppg, 7.1 apg, 4.5 rpg).
Double Your Pleasure
* Manhattan has overcome double-digit deficits in its wins over Coastal Carolina (13) and Niagara (14).
We're Going Streaking
* The Jaspers have used 16-2 second-half runs in victories over Niagara and UNC Asheville.
Closing It Out
* Over the last five minutes of its 10-point games, the Jaspers are dominating the glass by a 56-38 count, including 30-12 on the offensive end.
Pauly Being Pauly
* Paulicap, the reigning MAAC Defensive POTY, notched a game-high 17 points at St. Francis Brooklyn with four blocks and now rejected at least four shots 11 times as a Jasper, including turning away at least three on 16 occasions.
* He registered his sixth career double-double against Stony Brook with a career-high 24 points with 10 rebounds and five blocks and is tied with Mike Bruno for eighth in school history with 89 rejections.
Ebube x2
* Sophomore Ebube Ebube narrowly missed double-figures against Niagara, finishing up with nine points, on 4-of-5 shooting, after pulling down nine rebounds against Quinnipiac.
* He grabbed a career-high 12 caroms in the win over Coastal Carolina while also collecting double-figures against Fordham and at GW.
* Ebube is averaging 4.6 rpg, including 2.3 (3rd MAAC) on the offensive end, to go along with a team-best 13 offensive fouls drawn.
KEMI NKU Basketball Classic
* Manhattan took two of three at the KEMI NKU Basketball Classic with Mack and Williams each being named to the All-Tournament Team.
* Williams scored all of his career-high 13 points in the win over UNC Asheville after halftime and notched 12 points and seven rebounds against NKU, while Mack scored nine of his career-high 11 points in the final 3:50 of the Jaspers' comeback victory over Coastal Carolina.
Closing Time
* Manhattan dominated the opposition at the NKU Basketball Classic over the final 10 minutes of action, outscoring its three opponents by a combined 60-34 count, shooting 54.3 percent from the floor, including 57.1 percent from deep, while posting a +4.3 margin on the glass.
Lucky Number 13
* In the win over Coastal Carolina, the Jaspers rallied from a 13-point deficit over the final 9:37 thanks to forcing the Chanticleers into 0-for-8 shooting during that time while posting a 13-7 advantage on the glass.
Congrats Coach
* Masiello earned his 200th win at the school against Coastal Carolina, which includes his time as an Assistant and a Head Coach, with the triumph.
Masiello Quick Hits
* Masiello has led Manhattan to a 120-125 (.490) record, including going 74-67 (.525) during MAAC play, and 58-35 (.623) at Draddy Gym over his eight seasons, including 45-24 (.652) vs. league opposition. He has won two MAAC Titles, advanced to title game three times, claimed two Metropolitan Coach of the Year awards with a pair of 20-win campaigns. Masiello has also participated in the NCAA Tournament in 13 of his first 21 seasons as a player or coach, including being a part of eight conference champions and one National Title.
* In his first tenure as an assistant, Masiello 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 combined 203-161 (.558) record.
* Now in his 22nd season as either a player or a coach, Masiello has a career collegiate record of 481-271 (.640), including 360-243 (.597) 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.
Preseason Musings
* Manhattan was tabbed eighth in the MAAC Preseason Poll with Paulicap selected to the preseason All-MAAC Second Team.
* Paulicap (1st) and Capuano (2nd) were each selected to preseason All-MAAC teams by Mid-Major Madness.
Congrats Smooth
* Former standout and current color analyst Chris "Smooth" Williams joined the Manhattan College Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday, November 10. Williams clinched the Jaspers' first-ever MAAC Championship in 1992-93 at the line and led the Jaspers to 72 career wins while handing out 271 assists and scoring 792 points.
This Is Manhattan Basketball
• Manhattan has three wins in NCAA Tournament play, defeating West Virginia (1958), Oklahoma (1995) and Florida (2004).
• The Jaspers have won five MAAC Tournament titles in the last 25 years (1993, 2003, 2004, 2014, 2015).
• Manhattan received an at-large berth in 1995 and defeated Oklahoma before falling to Arizona State.
* Was the first team in NCAA history to a win a game in Europe, defeating Holy Cross 70-54 on December 1, 2017 as part of the inaugural Belfast Classic.
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 as the College's athletic director 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 Jasper was also the Prefect of Discipline, he supervised the student fans at Manhattan baseball games while also directing the team itself. During one particularly warm and humid day when the college was playing a semi-pro baseball team called the Metropolitans, Brother Jasper noticed the Manhattan students were becoming restless and edgy with the team coming to bat in the seventh inning of a close game. To relieve the tension, Brother Jasper called timeout 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.
This Is Manhattan College
• Why is Manhattan College in the Bronx? Our campus was originally located in Manhattan at the intersection of 131st Street and Broadway. In 1923, Manhattan College moved to its present Riverdale location in order to accommodate a growing student body. But with more than 60 years of history established as Manhattan College, the institution decided to retain the name despite the geographic misnomer.
• 17 alumni are members of the prestigious National Academy of Engineering — an impressive number for an institution the size of Manhattan College.
• Manhattan is one of only 182 remaining colleges founded in the United States before the Civil War.
Meet The Staff
* Masiello is joined on the bench by Matt Grady, Doug Thibault, RaShawn Stores, Brandon Kuhn and Tyler Wilson. Grady is in his eighth year as an associate head coach with Thibault beginning year one. Stores is back for his third seasons while Kuhn is in his second year as the Strength & Conditioning Assistant/Director of Operations and Wilson his second as a Special Assistants to Masiello.
* Grady was a member of Manhattan's 2014 & 2015 MAAC Championship teams while Stores and Wilson were each student-athletes on the Jaspers' title-winning teams.
113th Season Of Manhattan Basketball
* In its 113th season, the Manhattan men's basketball program boasts a 1368-1242 overall record (296-321 MAAC). The Jaspers' storied men's basketball team was established in 1904-05 and took a two-year hiatus during the 1943-44 and 1944-45 season due to World War II.
Pretty Good
* Over the last six years, the Jaspers are 59-18 when leading at the half, 35-13 when limiting teams to less than 40 percent shooting and 53-32 when forcing more turnovers than the opposition.
Up Next
* Manhattan will return home to host Fairfield on Thursday, January 31 at 7:00 pm.