Lady Jaspers Host Rider On "Hoops for Cancer Night"

Manhattan-Rider Game Notes

TONIGHT'S GAME
Manhattan (12-6, 4-3 MAAC) wrap up a brief two-game homestand tonight with its second meeting of the season against Rider (2-16, 2-5 MAAC).  The Lady Jaspers defeated the Broncs 71-43 in Lawrenceville just 11 days ago.  Manhattan had its four-game winning streak snapped by first-place Marist, 75-52, on Saturday afternoon, while Rider is coming off a 92-61 loss to Iona on Friday.  Tonight is Manhattan's second annual "Hoops for Cancer Night" to benefit the American Cancer Society.

THE LADY JASPERS
The Lady Jaspers (12-6, 4-3 MAAC) had their four-game winning streak come ended by first-place Marist, 75-52, on Saturday afternoon.  Senior guard Abby Wentworth had 20 points against Marist, her third 20-point effort in the last four games.  Wentworth is the MAAC's leading scorer, averaging 14.9 points per game.  She also ranks second in the conference in both assists (4.2 apg) and steals (3.2 spg).  Junior forward Lindsey Loutsenhizer ranks second on the team in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 8.7 points and 5.3 boards per contest.  Junior forward Nadia Peters leads the Lady Jaspers with 5.9 boards per outing.  She also ranks second in the MAAC with 1.5 blocks per game and third with 2.3 steals per contest.  The Lady Jaspers are celebrating "Hoops For Cancer Night" tonight.  All donations collected this evening will be donated to the American Cancer Society.

THE BRONCS
After dropping its first 14 games, Rider (2-16, 2-5 MAAC) has alternated wins and losses in its last four.  The Broncs are coming off a 91-62 loss at Iona on Friday night.  Rider is led by sophomore guard Shereen Lightbourne, who notches 9.5 points per game.  Junior guard Ali Heller contributes 9.1 points per game and is the NCAA leader in three-point percentage, shooting .519 from beyond the arc.  Sophomore center Caitlin Bopp ranks second in the MAAC with 8.6 rebounds per game.  She is also third on the team in scoring, averaging 7.7 points per game.  Freshman guard/forward MyNeshia McKenzie pulls down 7.0 rebounds per game, while junior center Sarah Homan is the team leader with 1.2 blocks per outing.  Sophomore guard Dior Brown paces the Broncs in both assists and steals.  She averages 1.5 assists and 1.9 steals per contest.  Rider returns home to face Marist on Friday night.

SERIES HISTORY
Manhattan and Rider are meeting for the second time in 11 days.  The Lady Jaspers posted a 71-43 victory over the Broncs at Alumni Gymnasium on Jan. 13.  Last season at Draddy Gymnasium, Manhattan notched a 56-44 win on Jan. 3, 2010.  The Lady Jaspers hold a 23-8 all-time edge, but the teams have split the season series in each of the last two campaigns.

WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME
The Lady Jaspers saw their four-game winning streak come to an end with a 75-52 loss to first-place Marist at Draddy Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon.  Manhattan scored the first points of the game on an Abby Wentworth three-pointer, but Marist quickly countered with a 10-0 run and never looked back.  The Red Foxes led by as many as 19 points in the first half and held a 38-21 advantage at the break.  Marist scored the first nine points of the second half to extend their lead to 26 before the Lady Jaspers responded with an 8-0 rally to trim their deficit to 47-29.  However, Manhattan would pull no closer.  Marist pushed its lead to as many as 31 points before the Lady Jaspers ended the game on a 9-3 rally to make the final 75-52.  Wentworth tallied a game-high 20 points, while Monica Roeder added 16 points.