Free Live Odds - Scores and Odds - Sports News - Sports Information - Live Scores - Sports Statistics - Sports Articles - Sports Standings - Live Scor

GAME NOTES: The Iona Gaels continue their chase for the top spot in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference standings tonight as they entertain the Manhattan Jaspers at the Hynes Athletic Center in New Rochelle, New York.

Iona trails only Siena, which at the moment is undefeated in conference play at 14-0, but is running out of time because there are just a handful of games remaining in the regular season. On Sunday, the Gaels won for the ninth time in 10 tries as they defeated Marist on the road, 56-51.

As for the once-mighty Jaspers, they are at the other end of the MAAC standings with just three wins in 14 opportunities. Also in action on Super Bowl Sunday, Manhattan was handed a 62-56 loss by Loyola-Maryland at home. The defeat was the eighth in nine games for a team that has won only twice since the third week of December.

With respect to the all-time series between these two schools on the hardwood, the Gaels are ahead by a count of 40-34, thanks in part to a 56-53 win at Draddy Gym last month.

The Jaspers led by as many as five points in the second half against Loyola over the weekend, but the team ended up shooting a mere 37 percent from the field, 1-of-5 beyond the arc and 7-of-12 at the free-throw line in the period. Darryl Crawford tried to keep his team close with 19 points, 10 rebounds, three blocked shots and three steals, while Rico Pickett came off the bench and delivered 19 points in 30 minutes as well. Crawford, who is now tied for ninth place on Manhattan's all-time scoring list with John Leonard at 1,329 points, is currently second on the team this season with his 14.8 ppg, behind only Pickett who is generating 17.5 ppg as a 42.8 percent shooter from the field and has the most three-point baskets of anyone on the roster with 37. Unfortunately, the team as a whole is shooting less than 40 percent from the floor and 30.7 percent beyond the arc so far in 2009-10, which is why they are putting up a mere 64.4 ppg.

Against a team that had won just once in 23 previous games, the Gaels didn't exactly distinguish themselves on Sunday as they won by a mere five points on the road against Marist. Scott Machado posted a team-best 17 points, but he also turned the ball over six times, while Rashon Dwight tacked on 12 points and Alejo Rodriguez missed out on a double-double by just a single point as he cleared a team-high 10 rebounds in the close call. At the moment, Machado is the lone double-digit scorer on the roster for the Gaels with his 12.9 ppg in league play. While he has made good on an impressive 87.7 percent of his free- throw chances against the rest of the MAAC, his field goal shooting (.389) and three-point accuracy (.289) leave a lot to be desired. Thankfully, the defense for Iona has been hard at work, allowing conference opponents a mere 58.3 ppg thus far.

Of the eight wins for the Jaspers this season, all but two have come in New York City, so right there the team is at a disadvantage in this meeting. Since Iona has not yet given up on the chase for the top spot in the league standings, expect the Gaels to fight to the end.