Rider Looks to Avenge Close Loss Against Manhattan in MAAC Showdown NEW YORK (Interstat) — Two Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference men’s basketball teams heading in opposite directions will meet Friday night when the Manhattan Jaspers host the Rider Broncs at Draddy Gymnasium. Manhattan (8-14) enters the contest seeking momentum after losing six of its last seven games. The Jaspers’ most recent outing was a 66-57 loss at Iona on Jan. 24, where Terrance Jones led the team with 12 points and four assists. Jones, a player to watch for Manhattan, has averaged 10.8 points over his last eight contests. Rider (2-17) is mired in a prolonged slump, having lost 15 of its last 16 games. The Broncs’ lone victory in that stretch was a 72-68 home win over Iona on Jan. 14. They are coming off a 71-61 loss at Mount Saint Mary’s on Saturday. The matchup features a key rematch from just over a month ago. On Dec. 29, Manhattan edged Rider 74-71 in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. The Broncs will aim to avenge that narrow defeat and snap a four-game losing streak. A primary focus for Rider will be the performance of guard Flash Burton. He has been a bright spot during the team’s struggles, scoring 20 or more points in four of his last seven games. Burton is coming off a 20-point, four-assist effort in the loss to Mount Saint Mary’s and poured in 27 points in a narrow loss at Fairfield on Jan. 9. For Manhattan, consistency will be the objective. The Jaspers have shown flashes, including an overtime loss at Quinnipiac on Jan. 19 and a tight win over Quinnipiac earlier in the month, but have struggled to close out games. The game tips off at 7 p.m. EST on Jan. 30 as both teams look to improve their positioning in the MAAC standings ahead of the conference tournament. Following this game, Rider will host Saint Peter’s on Feb. 1, while Manhattan will travel to face Mount Saint Mary’s the same day.