Baltimore, Md. (January 7, 2006)--Manhattan Women's Basketball scored 46 points in the second half to erase a 17-point half-time deficit and pull even at 61 with 4:33 to play, but Loyola senior Jackie Valderas would not let the Lady Jaspers complete the comeback. Valderas scored six of her game-high 19 points down the stretch, including two free throws with just over four minutes to play to put Loyola back on top en route to a 72-68 victory at Reitz Arena. Sophomore guard
Joann Nwafili led four Manhattan scorers in double figures with 17 points. With the loss Manhattan falls to 5-8 overall and 2-2 in MAAC play, while Loyola improves to 8-4 overall and 3-1 in conference play.
Trailing by 17 points with just under 16 minutes to play in the game, the Lady Jaspers began to chip away at the lead as senior guard
Lupe Godinez knocked down a three-pointer from the right corner to cut the Loyola advantage to 48-34.
With Loyola hanging onto a 61-54 advantage, Manhattan sophomore
Caitlin Flood sparked a 7-0 run by converting a traditional three-point play at the 6:11 mark of the second half. The Lady Jasper defense held strong on the next two Loyola possessions, and freshman forward
Kelly Regan scored the next four points of the game to pull the Lady J's even for the first time since the opening tip.
On Loyola's ensuing possession, however, Valderas grabbed the rebound from Katie Scherle's misfire and drew a foul. The senior knocked down both free throw attempts to put her team up for good with 4:04 remaining on the clock.
Flood (13), Regan (11), and sophomore guard
Aubrie Dellinger (10) were the other three Jaspers to score in double figures. Regan also added eight rebounds.
In addition to Valderas' 19 points and 12 boards, Scherle and Krystle Harrington added 15 apiece. The Loyola trio was a combined 18-29 from the field, as a team, the Greyhounds shot 53 percent on the day.
Manhattan resumes its MAAC schedule on Thursday, January 12 at home against Siena. The Lady Jaspers try to avenge an earlier loss to the Saints in Loudonville, N.Y.
