Box Score
LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. - Sometimes there are those days when it seems like you can't even buy a basket. The Manhattan College women's basketball team had one of those days on Sunday. However, despite shooting just 23.3 percent (7-of-30) from the field in the second half, the Lady Jaspers (10-11, 5-5 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) had some chances to make it a game late. Rider (3-18, 1-9 MAAC) hit the shots it needed to down the stretch, though, and posted a 54-46 victory at Alumni Gymnasium.
Rider sank six first half three-pointers to build a 20-13 lead. Manhattan got a trey from Lindsey Loutsenhizer (North Huntingdon, Pa.), then a steal and fast break layup from Michelle Pacheco (Bronx, N.Y.) to pull back within two before another three-pointer, this one by Shereen Lightbourne, ran Rider's lead back to five, 25-20, with four minutes left in the half. The Lady Jaspers continued to chip away, and tied it at 27-27 on another Loutsenhizer three-pointer with 48 seconds remaining, and the sides went into the locker room still deadlocked.
Cintella Spotwood nailed a trey on Rider's first possession of the second half to put the Broncs back in front, 30-27, then Nadia Peters (Bronx, N.Y.) went 1-for-2 at the line for Manhattan. Peters' successful free throw, which came at the 18:59 mark, would stand as Manhattan's only second-half point for more than 10 minutes, as the Lady Jaspers missed their first 12 field goal attempts of the period. However, Rider was only able to build a lead of 12 points, 40-28, during that span.
Loutsenhizer finally stopped Manhattan's scoring drought with a traditional three-point play at the 8:35 mark. That seemed to be the spark the Lady Jaspers needed, as Manhattan rallied for 15 of the next 20 points to pull within five, 51-46, with 1:01 remaining. After Ali Heller hit a pair of free throws for the Broncs, Loutsenhizer's three-point attempt fell short and Carleigh Brown grabbed the rebound for Rider. She was fouled immediately and went 1-for-2 at the line, making it an eight-point game. The Lady Jaspers missed a pair of late three-pointers, and the Broncs closed out a 54-46 victory.
Loutsenhizer and Peters each posted a double-double for the Lady Jaspers. Loutsenhizer led the team with 13 points and 12 rebounds, while Peters finished with 10 points and 11 boards. She also recorded three blocks. Pacheco added 10 points before fouling out, while Abby Wentworth (Portland, Maine) contributed four assists and four steals. Overall, the Lady Jaspers shot 32.7 percent (18-of-55) from the field and 17.6 percent (3-of-17) from downtown. Manhattan's poor shooting extended to the free throw line, where the Lady Jaspers went an uncharacteristic 7-for-18 (38.9 percent).
Spotwood had a game-high 17 points, including five three-pointers, to lead the Broncs. Caitlin Bopp completed a double-double with 11 points and 16 boards, as Rider outrebounded Manhattan 50-43. Carleigh Brown grabbed 10 rebounds and handed out a team-high four assists, while Amanda Sepulveda and Dior Brown each tallied four steals for Rider. The Broncs shot 32.8 percent (19-of-58) from the floor, including 37.5 percent (9-of-24) from long range, and 43.8 percent (7-of-16) at the charity stripe.
Manhattan returns home on Friday night for an important showdown with Siena (7-12, 5-5 MAAC). The Lady Jaspers and Saints both lost on Sunday, meaning the teams will enter the Alumni Night contest, which gets underway at 6 p.m., tied for third place in the MAAC. The game will be the opener of a Manhattan basketball doubleheader. At 9 p.m., the Jasper men take on Marist in a contest that will be nationally televised on ESPNU.
NOTES: Manhattan and Rider split the season series for the second straight season...Manhattan leads the all-time series 22-8...The loss snapped Manhattan's five-game winning streak at Rider and four-game winning streak at Alumni Gymnasium...The last time two Lady Jaspers posted double-doubles in the same game was last season at Rider, when Loutsenhizer had 19 points and 13 rebounds and Kelly Regan tallied 15 points and 10 boards...Peters had Manhattan's only previous double-double of the season against Elon on Dec. 1...It was the Lady Jaspers' first loss this season when allowing fewer than 60 points...Manhattan had been 9-0 previously when holding its opponent to 59 points or less...The Lady Jaspers played 10 games in a span of 28 days in January...After playing six out of its last eight games on the road, Manhattan plays five of its last eight at Draddy Gymnasium.
