Lady Jaspers Host Siena On Kid's Day

Manhattan-Siena Game Notes

TODAY'S GAME
After seeing its three-game winning streak snapped, Manhattan (8-4, 0-1 MAAC) looks for its first victory of 2011 this morning against Siena (3-8, 1-0 MAAC).  The Lady Jaspers opened their MAAC schedule on Sunday afternoon, when they suffered a 78-61 loss to Loyola.  Siena enters the contest on a two-game winning streak after knocking off Iona, 60-55, in its MAAC opener on Sunday.  It's "Kid's Day" at Draddy Gymnasium, as the Lady Jaspers welcome more than 600 students from local schools.

THE LADY JASPERS
The Lady Jaspers (8-4, 0-1 MAAC) host "Kid's Day" at Draddy Gymnasium looking to bounce back from a 78-61 loss to Loyola in their MAAC opener on Sunday.  Senior guard Abby Wentworth paces Manhattan in scoring (13.7 ppg), assists (4.4 apg) and steals (3.3 spg), while also ranking second on the team with 4.9 rebounds per game.  Wentworth is playing in her 100th career game today.  Freshman guard/forward Monica Roeder adds 8.4 points per game, while junior forward Nadia Peters grabs a team-high 5.9 rebounds per outing.  Junior forward Lindsey Loutsenhizer is third on the squad in both scoring (7.6 ppg) and rebounding (4.7 rpg).  Junior guard Alyssa Herrington has averaged 11.5 points since moving into the starting lineup and currently ranks fourth on the team in scoring (7.3 ppg).  The Lady Jaspers conclude their four-game homestand against Niagara on Saturday afternoon. 

THE SAINTS
After dropping eight of its first nine games, Siena (3-8, 1-0 MAAC) has won two straight, including a 60-55 victory at Iona to open MAAC play on Sunday.  Senior forward Serena Moore, a Preseason First Team All-MAAC pick, leads the conference in scoring, averaging 15.1 points per game.  She also ranks third in the MAAC with a team-high 8.5 rebounds per contest and fifth with 1.4 blocks per outing.  Moore also hands out 1.9 assists per game.  Junior guard/forward Maja Gerlyng averages 9.6 points per game, while junior guard/forward Cristina Centeo contributes a team-best 2.0 assists and 1.2 steals to go along with her 8.6 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.  Senior forward Cathy Cockrum pulls down 4.7 boards per contest, which ranks second on the team.  After playing four games in the New York area in seven days, the Saints return home for their next two, including a matchup with Rider on Saturday afternoon.

SERIES HISTORY
Manhattan and Siena split the season series in 2009-10, with each squad winning at home.  The Lady Jaspers notched a 74-53 victory at Draddy Gymnasium on Feb. 5, but the Saints won the rematch, 53-51, in Loudonville on Feb. 19.  Overall, this is the 49th meeting between the schools, and the Saints hold a 31-17 advantage in the all-time series.

WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME
Manhattan's three-game winning streak came to an end, as the Lady Jaspers dropped their MAAC opener, 78-61, to Loyola on Sunday afternoon at Draddy Gymnasium.  The back-and-forth first half featured five ties and 11 lead changes.  Manhattan used an 11-0 run to open up a 22-13 advantage, but Loyola responded with a 12-0 rally of its own to go up 25-22, and the score was knotted at 35-35 at the break.  The Greyhounds went on a 7-1 run to open up a 50-44 advantage early in the first half, and Manhattan would get no closer than three the rest of the way, as Loyola used torrid three-point shooting (the Greyhounds drained 15 treys in the game) to secure a 78-61 victory.  Maggie Blair and Alyssa Herrington both had 13 points to lead the Lady Jaspers, while Nadia Peters pulled down a team-high seven rebounds.

KID'S DAY OUT
The Lady Jaspers are pleased to welcome more than 600 students in grades 3-8 from P.S. 93, P.S. 107, the Inwood Academy for Leadership and Manhattan Christian Academy for "Kid's Day Out."  The students participated in an essay contest, with the winners from each grade level receiving an autographed basketball during a special halftime ceremony.  Each school also donated toys to the Children's Miracle Network's J.E. & Z.B. Butler Child Advocacy Center at the Children's Hospital at Montefiore.