纽约，奥尔巴尼——排名第五的曼哈顿队（14胜16负）将于3月1日星期六晚上9:30在时代联合中心与排名第四的爱奥纳队（17胜13负）展开MAAC锦标赛的首场比赛。
顶级故事情节#1 -雅斯贝尔斯将在五年内寻找他们的第三个MAAC冠军，也是项目历史上的第六个冠军。曼哈顿队在常规赛中连续8次输给盖尔队，但在2014年和2015年的MAAC冠军赛中赢得了两队的最后两场比赛。3 .贾斯珀在MAAC锦标赛中出场36次，战绩为27胜31负，但在5号种子的比赛中只有0胜4负。观看直播球迷皇冠体育可以在ESPN3上看到所有的动作。
5号种子的战绩是27胜34负，在过去的11个赛季中只有3胜11负，但是夺得了1994年（洛约拉）和1996年（卡尼修斯）的MAAC冠军。*主教练史蒂夫·马西洛（Steve Masiello）创下了9场MAAC锦标赛胜利的学校纪录，并以9胜4负的战绩获得了两项冠军。作为曼哈顿的助理教练，马西洛也是2003年和2004年雅斯贝尔斯冠军队的一员，并且在MAAC锦标赛中保持着14胜6负的纪录。*曼哈顿队在奥尔巴尼的历史战绩是19胜15负，曾三次获得冠军（2015年、2004年和1993年）。*大二学生保利·保利卡普被评为MAAC年度最佳防守球员，成为第二个获得该奖项的曼哈顿学生运动员，前贾斯珀杰出球员和3届年度最佳防守球员雷梅尔·布朗。点击这里查看完整版本。
* Senior Rich Williams was named to the All-MAAC Second Team while classmate Zane Waterman earned his second-straight All-MAAC Third Team accolade.
* Williams is the lone remaining member of Manhattan's back-to-back MAAC Championship teams of 2014 and 2015 while Waterman and senior Calvin Crawford were members of the 2015 championship squad.
* Manhattan is 44-32 in the months of February/March since Masiello took over, including going 13-8 in March.
* The Jaspers clinched the No. 5 seed and a First Round bye for the upcoming MAAC Tournament thanks to posting a thrilling 92-86 double overtime victory against Quinnipiac while improving to a perfect 3-0 in overtime match-ups on the year.
* Senior Zavier Turner scored all 31 of his points after halftime in the victory, including 23 over the final five minutes of regulation and overtime, while Williams added 23 points and 11 rebounds in picking up his fifth career double-double.
* For Turner it was his second 20-point performance of the year and the 19th of his career with the Ball State transfer registering at least 23 after halftime in each game.
* Waterman scored 14 points with seven rebounds in the finale against Quinnipiac after registering his seventh career double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds against QU in the first meeting.
* Crawford chipped in with six points and six rebounds as the Class of 2018 combined for a season-high 74 points to go along with 29 rebounds against the Bobcats.
* Crawford, Turner, Waterman and Williams have now accounted for 63.2 percent (1319/2087) of Manhattan's scoring and 53.8 percent (533/991) of its rebounding.
* Turner (1,395), Waterman (1,261), Williams (1,177) and Crawford (842) have accrued a combined 4,675 career points.
* Williams ended the year on a tear, averaging 17.8 ppg and 6.4 rpg while shooting 48.8 percent (21-of-43) from deep with three 20-points performances and two double-doubles over the final eight games.
* The fifth-year senior earned All-MAAC Second Team accolades thanks to ranking among the MAAC leaders in scoring (14.7 ppg-9th), 3-point % (.439-5th), 3's/game (2.0-11th) and assists (2.7 apg-15th).
* Williams scored a career-high 29 points in the first meeting with Quinnipiac before going for a game-high 21 with eight rebounds in the victory over Niagara and has registered at least 20 points on nine occasions and 16 times in his career.
* Williams had 21 in the first win over Siena while also becoming the 39th player in school history to surpass the 1,000-point mark and ranks 24th in school history with 1,177 points.
* Waterman became just the 14th player in school history, including the fourth under Masiello, to earn multiple All-MAAC honors with his second-straight Third Team nod and ranks among the league leaders in scoring (11.9 ppg-19th) and rebounding (6.6 rpg-6th).
* The North Carolina native scored a season-high 28-points in a win over Monmouth en route to leading the Jaspers to their largest win of the year (+17).
* Waterman, who cracked the 1,000-point list in the win at Hofstra, is 19th on the all-time Manhattan scoring list with 1,261 career points with 12 20-point outings and 12 double-figure rebounding performances.
* Turner handed out a career-high 11 assists at Iona and has distributed at least five in 12 games.
* He is averaging 16.8 ppg and 6.2 apg over his last five games with a 2.58 assist/turnover ratio and for his career has 1,395 points, 429 assists and 101 steals.
* The Ball State transfer had 20 points and 10 assists in the win at Saint Peter's en route to registering the program's first double-double in points and assists since Von Damien Green had 12 points and 11 assists against Canisius on January 15, 2001.
* Turner, who clinched Manhattan's series sweep Siena with a pair of last-second free throws, is averaging 10.6 ppg (29th MAAC) and 4.2 apg (7th MAAC) with a 1.6 assist/turnover ratio (9th MAAC). He is also fourth in the league from the line (.821) and seventh from long range (.435).
* The Jaspers are among the top-three in the MAAC in six defensive categories: turnovers forced (15.0-2nd; 43rd NCAA), rebounding defense (33.7-2nd), scoring defense (70.1 ppg-2nd), blocks (3.9 bpg-2nd; 97th NCAA), field goal percentage defense (.439-3rd) and three-point field goal percentage defense (.346-3rd).
* A big reason for the defensive dominance has been the play of sophomore Pauly Paulicap. The Harcum College transfer has blocked at least three shots on 14 occasions and is 16th nationally with a MAAC-best 2.6 rejections per game.
* His 77 total blocks are fourth in the school's single-season annals, seven behind 3x MAAC Defensive Player of the Year Rhamel Brown '14 for third place.
* Paulicap also paces the MAAC in offensive rebounding (3.0 orpg) while ranking second in field goal percentage (.560) to go along with averages of 9.8 ppg and 6.7 rpg (4th MAAC) with four double-doubles.
* Paulicap notched a career-high six blocks in a win over Hofstra and against Canisius. His two six-block performances are the most by a Jasper since Brown.
* Over his last seven games, Paulicap is averaging 11.0 ppg, 8.7 rpg and 3.0 bpg with three double-doubles - highlighted by registering a team-high 16 points and 13 rebounds in the Jaspers' last match-up with Iona.
* The Harcum College transfer scored a career-high 19 points in the overtime win at Marist after recording his first career double-double with 16 points and a career-high 10 rebounds in a victory vs. Fairfield.
* Junior Thomas Capuano had 15 points, five rebounds, three assists at Iona and is shooting 50.9 percent (29-of-59) from long range on the year, including 53.7 percent (22-of-41) during MAAC play.
* Manhattan registered a season-high 25 forced turnovers in its first win over Siena before pressuring Saint Peter's into 22 and is 24-13 under Masiello when turning the opposition over at least 20 times.
* The Jaspers have paced the MAAC in turnovers forced in three of the last four years (2015-2016, 2014-2015, 2013-2014) while ranking among the top-two in each of the last five seasons.
* Sixty percent of Manhattan's games (18-of-30) have been decided by 10 points or less with the squad going 9-9 during that time (6-6 MAAC).
* In the last five minutes/OT of its 10-point games, the Jaspers are shooting 78.6 percent (92-of-117) from the line, including 86.7 percent (65-of-75) during MAAC play, and 43.4 percent (59-of-136) from the floor, including 42.0 percent (21-of-50) from deep.
* Manhattan went 18-of-19 from the line over the final five minutes/overtime of its win at Marist with Williams going 9-for-9, highlighted by converting three with less than two seconds to play to force OT.
* Fueled by forcing 20 turnovers with 10 steals at Marist, the Jaspers were able to rally from a 13-point second half deficit in posting their largest comeback win of the year.
* Manhattan has recorded at least 20 steals on four occasions and is 40-10 under Masiello when notching double-figures in thefts.
* The Jaspers secured the season sweep against Siena thanks to limiting the Saints to just 47 points, which is the fewest allowed by a MAAC team this year, while grabbing a season-high 19 offensive and 43 total rebounds.
* By virtue of the win, Manhattan improved to 43-5 under Masiello when holding teams to less than 60 points.
* Paulicap (13 points, 13 rebounds) and Williams (10 points, 11 rebounds) each notched double-doubles in the win over Siena as the Jaspers recorded two double-doubles in the same game for the time since Emmy Andujar and Ashton Pankey did so in leading Manhattan to the 2015 MAAC Championship against Iona.
* The Jaspers were the first-ever NCAA Division I team to win a game in Europe besting Holy Cross 70-54 on December 1, 2017 as part of the inaugural Belfast Classic in Northern Ireland before dropping a 56-55 thriller to Towson in the Championship as Crawford earned Belfast Classic All-Tournament team honors after averaging 14.5 ppg.
* Masiello has led Manhattan to a 116-109 (.516) record, including going 72-62 (.537) during MAAC play, and 57-29 (.663) at Draddy Gym over his seven seasons, including 44-22 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.
MASIELLO AT MANHATTAN
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 199-145 record.
MASIELLO IN COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Now in his 22nd season as either a player or a coach, Masiello has a career collegiate record of 477-255, including 356-227 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.
OF NOTE
* The four seniors all reached double-figures in scoring for the first time this season at Rider before combining for 69 points in the win over Monmouth and 58 in the victory over Niagara.
* Williams has hit for at least 20 against Quinnipiac (2x), Niagara, Siena, Monmouth, Marist, NIU, Harvard and St. Francis Brooklyn.
* Waterman's second-half dunk in the win at Fairfield secured the No. 5 play on Sportscenter on January 11.
* Crawford posted double-doubles at Fordham (11 points/10 rebounds) and vs. Harvard (19 points/10 rebounds).
* Manhattan held Saint Peter's without a field goal for over 10:21, spanning the end of the first half and the beginning of the second.
* The Jaspers snapped an 11-game losing streak to the Fairfield at Webster Bank Arena (December 8, 2006) while securing a season sweep of the Stags by virtue of a 59-53 win.
* In taking both meetings from the Stags, Manhattan's defense limited Fairfield to just 55.5 ppg, on 38.5 percent (42-of-109) shooting - 28.3 percent (15-of-53) from deep - this year, compared to 87.0 ppg, on 52.2 percent (60-of-115) shooting a year ago - 52.4 percent (22-of-42) from long range.
* Rutgers transfer graduate student Ibrahima Diallo made his debut for the program in the win at Marist, scoring four points. He has one more year of eligibility remaining after this season.
* Fueled by five threes against Rider, Capuano scored a season-high 17 points.
* The Jaspers, which scored 21 overtime points in the win at Marist, rallied from 13 down in the second half against the Red Foxes while overcoming its second double-digit deficit of the year (St. Francis Brooklyn).
* It was also the Manhattan's biggest comeback victory since battling back from a 16-point George Mason second-half lead on November 25, 2015.
* The Jaspers limited Fairfield to just 18.5 percent (5-of-27) shooting from long range in the teams' first meeting, including 6.7 percent (1-of-15) after halftime in its MAAC-opening win.
* Despite the loss to Towson, Manhattan recorded a season-high 12 steals and forced 20 turnovers while scoring 21-straight points that were a direct result of a Tiger miscue.
* Paulicap had 17 points, on perfect 6-for-6 shooting, and eight rebounds against NIU to cap a solid week at the Gulf Coast Classic, in which he averaged 10.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg and 4.0 bpg over the three-day event.
* In the OT win over SFBK, Manhattan scored on four straight possessions in the extra session and 7-of-9 en route in a win that featured 14 lead changes and five ties.
SCOUTING IONA
Two-time defending MAAC Champion Iona features an explosive offense that is averaging 80.5 ppg and 10.0 triples each time out. Leading the way is Second Team All-MAAC selection junior Ricky McGill, who checks in with averages of 14.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg and 5.6 apg. Sophomore E.J. Crawford (13.1 ppg), senior Deyshonee Much (11.5 ppg) and junior Roland Griffin (10.7 ppg) round out the double-figure scores for the Gaels while TK Edogi paces the squad on the glass with 7.1 rpg.
112TH SEASON OF JASPER BASKETBALL
In its 112th season, the Manhattan men's basketball program boasts a 1364-1226 overall record (294-316 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.
MANHATTAN OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS ...
56-17 WHEN LEADING AT THE HALF
52-18 WHEN HOLDING TEAMS TO LESS THAN 70 POINTS
32-10 WHEN HOLDING TEAMS TO LESS THAN 40% SHOOTING
40-25 WHEN WINNING THE BATTLE OF THE BOARDS
39-26 IN FEBRUARY/MARCH
29-7 WHEN RECORDING 10+ STEALS
7-2 DURING MAAC TOURNAMENT PLAY
UP NEXT
With a win, Manhattan would play in the semifinals with opening tip tabbed for 7:00 pm on Sunday, March 4.
