GAME NOTES: Playing in just their fourth home game of the 2007-08 campaign, the Marist Red Foxes suit up against the Manhattan Jaspers for a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference bout in Poughkeepsie. Marist has won two in a row heading into this game, thanks to a 73-67 victory over Hofstra back on December 29 and a narrow 81-80 decision versus Rider on Friday night in New Jersey. The win over the Broncs made the Red Foxes 2-1 in conference play. As for the Jaspers, they've had trouble finding consistency, unable to string together more than two wins in a row at any point this season. On Saturday afternoon, Manhattan went down against Niagara in a wild 96-86 contest at home. The loss was the second in a row for the Jaspers who are now 1-2 in conference play. With respect to the all-time series between these two schools on the hardwood, Manhattan leads the Red Foxes by a count of 16-11 over the years. However, the home team has won each of the last six encounters between the programs, with Marist capturing a narrow 75-74 win last season in the most recent meeting.

Against any other opponent, putting up 86 points would almost assure the Jaspers a victory, but not against Niagara. Manhattan had four players score in double figures, beginning with Chris Smith who came off the bench to tally 21 points. Antoine Pearson added 16 points, Rashad Green 14 and eight boards, followed by Andrew Gabriel who tacked on 13 points and a team-best nine rebounds before fouling out. Playing in just his third game of the season, Smith (10.0 ppg) has the potential to be a game-changing force for the Jaspers just at the right time in the season. Pearson leads the program with 13.6 ppg, while Devon Austin checks in with 10.3 ppg, the latter shooting a meager 38.8 percent from the field and coming up with just seven assists over 13 games thus far. Just 64.9 percent accurate at the free-throw line these days, the Jaspers are still managing to come up with a respectable 68.9 ppg.

With under three and a half seconds to play in regulation, Ryan Stilphen completed a three-point play that eventually led to the Red Foxes taking out Rider by a single point on Friday. Stilphen, who became the 25th player in program history to record 1,000 points for his career, was a perfect 4-of-4 from the field and 3-of-3 at the free-throw line to finish with 11 points in the narrow win. Jay Gavin accounted for a team-high 21 points off the bench, David Devezin added 14 points and Louie McCroskey chipped in with 10 points and eight rebounds as well. A starter in all 11 games in which he has appeared, McCroskey sits atop the scoring list for the Red Foxes with his 13.5 ppg, adding 6.5 rpg as well. Gavin has been credited with 11.0 ppg. Devezin, just a 54 percent shooter at the free-throw line, has handed out a team-best 60 assists, more than three times as many as any one of his teammates.

No longer a dominating force in the MAAC, the Jaspers are just one of many who are trying to keep pace with Niagara. In the case of Marist, it should get a boost from playing at home tonight, enough of one to capture a close win.