Tag: Shane Richards

Manhattan 71, St. Francis Brooklyn 60: Magnificent Seven For Jaspers

BRONX, N.Y. – Division I basketball coaches aren’t generally a breed that is prone to feeling sorry for themselves, but even among that group, Manhattan coach Steve Masiello has to rank near the bottom of the list.

The Jaspers have carved back-to-back MAAC titles through adversity, so it shouldn’t have been surprising that dressing seven players – not seven scholarship players, but seven total – was but a minor distraction on Monday night as they led start to finish and dominated defending NEC regular-season champion St. Francis Brooklyn 71-60 at Draddy Gym.

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Can Masiello Turn This Manhattan Team Into Winners?

Looks can be deceiving, right? Steve Masiello and the Manhattan basketball team certainly hope so because right now no matter how you slice it, the two-time defending MAAC champions look a long, long way from making it three straight come March.

Manhattan (1-5, 0-2) didn’t play a terrible game Sunday and had a 82.5 eFG% in the first half against Marist. The Jaspers even led by 11 midway through the second half, using the running and jumping defense and pressure that had made them who they are in the Masiello Era to cause turnovers and give them easy opportunities in transition.

But even that wasn’t enough as eventually it was the Red Foxes who left Draddy Gym victorious for just the second time in 15 years (and third in 21 tries ever) with a 75-70 victory, just their second of the young season (2-4).

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Manhattan Upended By Feisty Hampton

(photo courtesy: Manhattan athletics)

DAYTON, Ohio – As Manhattan struggled out of the gate Tuesday night as a fairly heavy favorite (nine points in Vegas), it seemed like a matter of time before its pressure and experience would wear down Hampton.

At halftime, with the Jaspers down seven, things still seemed theirs for the taking, after all, their two top scorers, Emmy Andujar and Ashton Pankey, had missed a good portion of the half in foul trouble. The Pirates weren’t turning it over necessarily, but there were more than a few near-misses, balls that momentarily got loose or forced time outs.

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Three Thoughts: Manhattan 65, Saint Peter’s 48

In the second semifinal matchup Sunday evening, Manhattan gained separation from Saint Peter’s late in the first half and pulled away late to advance to the MAAC championship game Monday evening. The Jaspers will have an opportunity to defend their conference crown as they take on local rival Iona in a game televised nationally on ESPN2. Here are three thoughts from the Jaspers’ semifinal win over Saint Peter’s: Continue reading “Three Thoughts: Manhattan 65, Saint Peter’s 48” →

Manhattan’s Swagger On Full Display As Jaspers Rout Monmouth

Manhattan coach Steve Masiello never hides the fact that he’s a Rick Pitino disciple through and through. He played for Pitino at Kentucky, assisted with him at Louisville, and now much of the success he’s had in Riverdale is employing the same style of coming after opponents with pressure and traps and anything else to make it difficult to traverse the 94 feet from one hoop to the other without coughing it up. Continue reading “Manhattan’s Swagger On Full Display As Jaspers Rout Monmouth” →