TOWSON, Md. - Towson will travel to the Big Apple on Saturday, February 20 to face the Jaspers of Manhattan College in Draddy Gymnasium in a first-ever meeting as one of 49 games scheduled in the eighth annual ESPNU BracketBusters announced today.

The opening tip is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.

The Tigers are 1-2 in their brief BracketBusters history. They bowed to Bucknell in Lewisburg three years ago. Two years ago they downed High Point at home. Last year they were beaten by local rival Morgan State in the Towson Center.

Manhattan is a member of the Metro-Atlantic Athletic Conference. The Jaspers are currently 7-15 on the season. They have the MAAC's leading scorer in junior guard Rico Pickett who is averaging 17.7 points per game. Senior guard Antoine Pearson is a 1,000-point career scorer.

Manhattan and Towson have faced two common opponents this year, both losing to Hofstra and Morgan State. Manhattan is the only MAAC opponent on Towson's 2009-2010 schedule. The Tigers are 46-42 all-time against MAAC opponents.

BracketBusters, named because of the success of the teams in NCAA Tournament play, will include all 12 teams from the Colonial Athletic Association. The event features 98 teams from 14 mid-major conferences.

Drexel, James Madison, UNC Wilmington, Old Dominion, Towson and William & Mary are all road teams while Delaware, George Mason, Georgia State, Hofstra, Northeastern and VCU are playing their games at home.

As part of the agreement, all BracketBusters home teams in 2010 will play a "return" game at the home facility of their opponent. The date of that return game is to be determined.