Lady Jaspers Host First-Time Opponent NJIT On Wednesday

Manhattan-NJIT Game Notes

TONIGHT'S GAME
After getting eight days off, the Lady Jaspers (2-2) begin a span of three games in six days tonight against NJIT (1-4).  Tonight's game is the first-ever meeting between the schools.  Manhattan snapped a two-game losing streak with a 65-56 victory over Columbia on Nov. 23.  The Highlanders are coming off their first win of the season, a 74-63 triumph over Penn on Saturday.  Manhattan concludes its four-game homestand on Friday night, when New Hampshire visits Draddy Gymnasium.

THE LADY JASPERS
Manhattan (2-2) snapped a two-game losing streak with a 65-56 win over Columbia on Nov. 23.  Senior guard Abby Wentworth, who had 14 points against the Lions, leads the Lady Jaspers in three different categories, including points (12.8 ppg), assists (3.8 apg) and steals (2.8 spg).  Wentworth also plays 35.2 minutes per game.  Freshman guard/forward Monica Roeder adds 9.5 points and 2.5 three-pointers per game, while junior forward Lindsey Loutsenhizer contributes 9.0 points and 4.8 rebounds per contest.  Junior forward Nadia Peters collected a career-high 13 rebounds against Columbia.  She paces the Lady Jaspers with 6.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game, and ranks second on the team with 2.8 assists per outing.  The Lady Jaspers conclude their four-game homestand against New Hampshire on Friday night before visiting Maryland Eastern Shore on Monday.

THE HIGHLANDERS
The Highlanders (1-4) are coming off their first victory of the season, a 74-63 triumph over Penn on Saturday afternoon.  NJIT is led by senior guard Jessica Gerald, who averages 14.0 points per game and is shooting .406 from three-point range.  Sophomore guard Rayven Johnson contributes 13.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, while junior guard Melanie Griffin adds 11.2 points per contest and shoots .462 from the field.  Senior forward Ivana Seric distributes a team-high 3.6 assists per game and is tied for the team lead in rebounding (4.4 rpg).  Freshman center Kristian Parker leads the Highlanders in blocks (1.2 bpg) and adds 4.0 rebounds per game off the bench.  As a team, the Highlanders are shooting .409 from the field and .393 from three-point range while scoring 62.4 points per game.  NJIT, which played four of its first five games at home, was picked to finish sixth in the Great West Conference Preseason Poll.

SERIES HISTORY
This marks the first all-time meeting between Manhattan and NJIT.  NJIT is the only first-time opponent on the Lady Jaspers' 2010-11 schedule.  The Highlanders are also the first Great West Conference school ever to take on Manhattan.  While the Manhattan and NJIT women's teams have never met, the men's squads from the two schools have played in the season opener in each of the last four years.

WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME
The Lady Jaspers snapped a two-game losing streak with a 65-56 victory over Columbia at Draddy Gymnasium on Nov. 23.  Manhattan led 15-11 midway through the first half before the Lions rallied back within one.  However, the Lady Jaspers ended the half on a 7-4 run to take a 26-22 lead into the locker room.  Manhattan opened the second half on a 10-1 run to open up a 36-23 advantage.  The Lady Jaspers eventually extended their lead to 16 points, 56-40, with 6:05 remaining, then held off a late Columbia rally to preserve the victory.Monica Roeder finished with a game-high 15 points, while Abby Wentworth notched 14 points, four assists and four steals.  Alyssa Herrington had 11 points off the bench, and Nadia Peters grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds in the win.