Manhattan-Army Still On for Thursday Night

Manhattan-Army Game Notes

TONIGHT'S GAME
Manhattan (7-3) opens a four-game homestand and wraps up non-conference play tonight looking to extend its two-game winning streak against Army (4-7).  The Lady Jaspers haven't played since Dec. 21, when they posted a 73-45 victory at Cornell.  Manhattan has won six of its last seven games.  Army has been off since Dec. 19, when it snapped a two-game skid with a 60-52 home win over Loyola.  Manhattan hosts Loyola in its MAAC opener on Sunday afternoon. 

THE LADY JASPERS
The Lady Jaspers (7-3) conclude non-conference play and the 2010 calendar year with their first home game in three weeks.  Manhattan has won two straight, including a 73-45 victory at Cornell on Dec. 21.  Senior guard Abby Wentworth notched a season-high 22 points in the win over Cornell and averages a team-leading 14.8 points per game.  Wentworth also paces the Lady Jaspers in assists (4.5 apg) and steals (3.0 spg), while ranking second on the squad in rebounding (5.1 rpg).  Freshman guard/forward Monica Roeder pours in 7.9 points per game, while junior forward Lindsey Loutsenhizer contributes 7.6 points and 4.4 boards per outing.  Junior forward Nadia Peters pulls down a team-high 5.9 rebounds per contest and ranks third in the MAAC with 1.6 blocks per game.  Manhattan continues its four-game homestand on Sunday, when Loyola visits Draddy Gymnasium to open MAAC play.

THE BLACK KNIGHTS
Army (4-7) has been off since Dec. 19, when the Black Knights beat Loyola 60-52 to snap a two-game skid.  Senior forward Erin Anthony was named Patriot League Player of the Week after tallying 22 points in the win over Loyola.  A Preseason All-Patriot League selection, Anthony is the only player in the conference averaging a double-double this season.  She leads the Black Knights with 14.3 points and a conference-best 11.7 rebounds per game.  Anthony also averages 2.4 blocks per contest.  Senior guard/forward Laura Baranek ranks second on the squad in both scoring (9.6 ppg) and rebounding (5.8 rpg).  Sophomore guard Molly Yardley contributes 7.8 points and a team-leading 1.2 steals per game, while senior guard Nalini Hawkins hands out a team-high 2.5 assists per game.  Senior guard Jessie Coiffard distributes 2.3 assists per outing.  The Black Knights were picked to finish fourth in the Patriot League Preseason Poll.

SERIES HISTORY
Manhattan and Army have met 11 previous times, with the Lady Jaspers holding a 7-4 edge in the series.  Last season, Manhattan posted a 65-52 victory over the Black Knights in West Point.  The last time the squads met at Draddy Gymnasium, Army notched a 51-47 triumph on Dec. 30, 2008.  Manhattan last beat Army at home during the 1996-97 season.

WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME
Manhattan led from start to finish in a 73-45 victory at Cornell on Dec. 21.  The Lady Jaspers scored the first five points of the game and shot a scorching 72.7 percent (8-of-11) from three-point range in the first half to take a 41-14 lead into the break.  Cornell outscored Manhattan 19-9 over the first 7:23 of the second half to get back within 17 at 50-33.  The Big Red trimmed their deficit to 16 points, 56-40, at the 7:34 mark, but the Lady Jaspers outscored Cornell 17-5 the rest of the way to pull away for the victory.  Abby Wentworth registered a season-high 22 points to lead Manhattan.  Alyssa Herrington drained four treys and finished with 13 points.  Schyanne Halfkenny added eight points, and Lindsey Loutsenhizer notched seven points and a team-high seven rebounds.