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Riverdale, NY - Thanks to a career-high 27 points from junior Ant Nelson (New York, NY / Seton Hall), Head Coach Steve Masiello won his school-record 69th game at Draddy Gymnasium as by an 87-77 count over a pesky Rider squad.

Masiello is now 69-45 (.605) at Draddy in his 10 season, but more importantly evened his record at 1-1, as the Jaspers shot a blistering a 57.1 percent (28-of-49), including 66.7 percent in the opening stanza against a Broncs (1-3) outfit that won on Friday by 18 points.

Nelson's 27 points were the most by a Jasper since junior Warren Williams (Kingston, Jamaica / St. Benedict's Prep (NJ)) hit for 27 against Canisius in the MAAC Tournament on March 8, 2019. The Seton Hall transfer shot 8-of-12 from the floor, including 3-of-4 from long range, with six rebounds and four assists.
 
Junior Elijah Buchanan (Bronx, NY / Woodstock Academy (CT)) added a career-best 20 points, as Manhattan had two players notch at least 20 for the first time since Zavier Turner (31) and Rich Williams (23) did so in a win over Quinnipiac on February 25, 2018.

NOTES
* Trailing by one with 1:48 to play in the first half, the Jaspers ripped off a game-changing 13-2 run that bridged the end of the first and the beginning of the second half in opening up an insurmountable 51-41 advantage with 16:30 remaining. 

* The visitors would trim it to four, before junior Nick Brennen's (Irvington, NY / Iona Prep) three pointer sparked an 11-1 spurt in pushing the lead to a game-high 14 at 68-54 with 9:00 to play.

Media (11:02) // Diallo snags the offensive rebound, and Brennen cans his first Jasper triple!

Manhattan 60 Rider 53.#JasperNation #BronxBuilt pic.twitter.com/5gaGfHqUql

— Manhattan Basketball (@JaspersMBB) December 13, 2020

* Rider cut it to six points on two occasions, but could get no closer as the Green & White closed out the game by making nine-straight free throws over the final 1:02, en route to converting on 24-of-33 (.727) for the game. 

* Manhattan posted a 32-27 advantage on the glass one night after being outrebounded by 19.

* Buchanan paced the squad on the glass for the second-straight night, finishing with a game-high seven.

EB with the hoop and the harm!

Manhattan leads Rider 57-48 with 12:56 to go in regulation.#JasperNation #Bronx Built pic.twitter.com/cBYer3lfHQ

— Manhattan Basketball (@JaspersMBB) December 13, 2020

* The Jaspers forced just 11 turnovers, but were able to score off seven of them en route to registering 15 points off the Bronc miscues.

* Manhattan's defense also limited the high-scoring duo of Dwight Murray Jr. and Rodney Henderson Jr. to just 20 points, on 9-of-25 shooting, one night after the duo notched 33, on 11-of-21 from the field.

* Junior Jason Douglas-Stanley (Mount Vernon, NY / George Mason) notched double-digits in scoring (11), and along with Buchanan and Nelson combined for 58 points, 17 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and three blocks.

.@TheAntNelson_11's big game helped @steve_Masiello get his school-record 69th win at Draddy!#BronxBuilt #JasperNation pic.twitter.com/EuuVxQvg0s

— Manhattan Basketball (@JaspersMBB) December 13, 2020

* Williams had 10 points, five rebounds and two blocks, while junior Samba Diallo (Rufisque, Senegal / UMass) notched nine points, five rebounds and two steals, with the duo going 8-of-10 from the floor.

* Junior Marques Watson (Brooklyn, NY / Miami Dade College) matched Nelson with four assists.

* The Jaspers' 87 points are the most since dropping 90 in a win over Niagara on January 5, 2019.

* Manhattan's win was just its second against Rider in the last 10 meetings.

* Christian Ings (15 points) and Murray (13 points) paced the Broncs.

Up Next
* The Jaspers will next be in action on Saturday, December 19 against Marist with opening tip slated for 2:00 pm.