Metro Atlantic Athletic foes will collide when the Quinnipiac Bobcats (9-17) take on the Manhattan Jaspers (11-14) at TD Bank Sports Center. Action starts at 2:00 pm ET on Sunday, Feb. 21.
The Bobcats edged Saint Peter’s 56-55 on Thursday. Daniel Harris led all scorers on the team with 10 points on 3-for-6 shooting. The Jaspers, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their bitter 70-69 loss at the hands of that same Saint Peter’s squad on Wednesday. Zane Waterman had a game-high 18 points.
Calvin Crawford has been on a tear over the last five games for the Jaspers, averaging 17.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 0.8 steals, 2.4 blocks, and 0.6 three-pointers.
This has potential to be a mistake-prone game for the offense of Quinnipiac, which ranks 337th in the nation in ball protection (TO% of 21.8%). The gambling defense of Manhattan forces the 12th-most turnovers in the nation (22.8%).
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Jaspers winning the first matchup 84-77. Harris had a standout performance with 16 points, six rebounds, five assists, three steals, one block, and five three-pointers in the loss.
The Bobcats are looking to improve on their records of 9-17 Straight Up (SU) and 6-15 Against The Spread (ATS). The rebounding edge goes to the Bobcats in this matchup, who average a Division I-best 44.8 rebounds per game. Crossing over to the defensive side of the court, the Bobcats prevent teams from making three-pointers, ranking 31st in the nation with 148 total three-pointers allowed (5.0 per game). The Bobcats are the 30th-best team in the country at blocking shots, averaging 5.2 blocks per game.
Over on the other bench, the Jaspers have records of 12-11 ATS and 11-14 SU. Most recently, Manhattan is a meager 3-7 ATS over the last 10 games. The Jaspers are shooting lights out from the foul line so far, with a .740 free throw percentage that ranks 39th in Division I. Shifting to the other side of the court, the Jaspers allow very few three-pointers on defense with 5.0 given up per game. The Jaspers are a terror in the passing lanes, averaging an impressive 7.7 steals per game.
In their previous meeting this season, Manhattan beat Quinnipiac, bringing the head-to-head record to an even 3-3 SU over their most recent meetings. On the other hand, with a 4-2 record, Quinnipiac has the advantage ATS. Neither Quinnipiac nor Manhattan has led in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers) over their most recent five games.
Predictions: SU Winner – Quinni, ATS Winner – Quinni
Notes
Manhattan scores just 67.2 points per away game (ranked 183rd). Quinnipiac ranks 64th in points allowed at home, giving up 64.6 points.
The Quinnipiac Bobcats average 69.9 possessions per game and .941 points per possession, while the Manhattan Jaspers earn fewer possessions (69.4) but more points per possession (1.004).
The Manhattan Jaspers average an effective field goal percentage of 50.1% this season. The Quinnipiac Bobcats are a winless 0-7 when opponents have an eFG% of 50.1% or greater.
Quinnipiac, the 30th-ranked team in blocked shots, records an average of 5.2 per game. Manhattan does worse, ranked 310th with 2.2.
The Quinnipiac Bobcats are the top offensive rebounding team in the nation, while the Manhattan Jaspers are among the least effective defensive rebounding teams (ranked 341st).
On average, Manhattan makes 7.7 steals per game. Quinnipiac is an underachieving 2-16 when it allows at least 7 steals.
