Box Score Box Score (HTML) | Box Score (PDF)Niagara University, NY - Junior
Zane Waterman (Winston-Salem, NC / Fayetteville Academy) hit a pair of free throws before drawing the game-clinching charge as Manhattan defeated Niagara 70-69 to secure head coach
Steve Masiello's 100th career win.
The Jaspers improve to 8-14 and 3-8 in the MAAC while registering a season sweep of a Purple Eagle squad that fell to 7-15 and 4-7 in the league.
Masiello, who became just the fifth coach in school history to reach the 100-win mark, was aided in his milestone victory by junior Calvin Crawford's (Middletown, NY / St. Thomas More (CT)) team-high 18 points and freshman Na'Quan Council's (Blackwood, NY / Scotland Performance (PA)) career-high 13 markers.
Holding a six-point halftime lead, Manhattan saw its advantage grow to a game-high 12 on two occasions in the second half, the last of which occcured following a Zavier Turner (Jr., Indianapolis, IN / Ball State) triple with 9:41 to play.
Niagara quickly responded with six-straight points en route to ripping off a 17-4 spurt in taking a 67-66 lead with 1:04 to play.
Turner answered with a running layup before Mike Scott hit a pair from the line. Waterman then drew a foul and hit a pair from the line to give the visitors a scant 70-69 lead with just over 15 seconds to play. On the ensuing possession, Scott drove the lane and appeared headed for a three-point play only to be denied when Waterman stepped into the lane and drew the game-clinching charge.
In the opening stanza, Manhattan ripped off a half-ending 9-0 run – including seven-straight from freshman Aaron Walker Jr. (Brooklyn, NY / Cardozo) in taking a 42-36 advantage into intermission.
The Jaspers also turned it over just three times while forcing eight turnovers.
For the night, Manhattan shot 42.4 percent (25-of-59) from the floor with Turner rounding out the double-figure scorers with 13 points.
Scott scored a game-high 20 points to pace Niagara while Kevin Larkin and Marvin Prochet each had 12.
The Jaspers will look to complete the Western New York sweep on Saturday, January 28 with opening tip slated for 2:00 pm.
Notes:
* Manhattan improved to 51-32, all-time, vs. Niagara with Masiello running his record against the Purple Eagles to 8-4.
* The Jaspers improved to a perfect 6-0 when limiting teams to less than 70 points.
* Manhattan held Niagara to 69 points in both victories.
* The Jaspers forced 16 turnovers and have turned the opposition over at least 15 times in all eight wins.
* Manhattan recorded 11 steals and is now 37-6 when hitting double-figures since Masiello took over in 2011-2012.
* The Purple Eagles owned a 41-29 advantage on the glass, including 13-9 on the offensive end.
* The Jaspers notched offensive rebounds on just eight possessions, but scored on six of them en route to posting a 14-9 advantage in second-chance points.
* Niagara, which entered averaging more than nine threes per game during MAAC play was limited to just four on the night.
