West Hartford, Conn. (December 4, 2005)--Manhattan Women's Basketball was unable to overcome a 51 percent shooting performance by its opponent, as the Lady Jaspers fell to the Hartford Hawks on Sunday afternoon at Chase Arena. The Lady Jaspers fall to 3-3 with the loss, while the defending America East Champion Hawks improve to 5-1.
The experienced Hawks, who are coming off of their second NCAA Tournament appearance in four years, took control of the game early, as they turned three Lady Jasper turnovers in the opening three minutes of the game into baskets at the other end of the floor. Hartford also shot a staggering 58 percent in the first half of play compared to Manhattan's 36 percent shooting clip with the result being a 49-25 Hartford advantage at the break.
The second half, however, would carry somewhat of a different tune, as they Lady Jaspers held the Hawks without a field goal for more than eight minutes. After an Erika Messam layup at the 18:55 mark of the half gave Hartford its biggest lead of the game at 53-25, the Lady Jaspers' defense did not allow a Hartford basket until there were only 10:48 remaining.
During Hartford's drought, Manhattan outscored the Hawks 13-2. Freshman point guard Annie McIntyre scored five points during the run, and fellow freshmen Kelly Regan and Kymesha Alston each added two of their own. McIntyre knocked down a three-pointer from just beyond the right arc at the 15:19 mark, and then, the freshman converted a jump shot just over a minute later. Alston finished with 14 points and seven rebounds on the afternoon, both of which were team highs. Regan added nine points and four boards, while McIntyre netted seven points total.
Manhattan returns to the hardwood on Friday, December 9, as the Lady Jaspers open MAAC play against Siena College in Loudonville, N.Y. Tip-off is 7:00 p.m.