Lady Jaspers Wrap Up Homestand Against Niagara

Manhattan-Niagara Game Notes

TODAY'S GAME
Manhattan (8-5, 0-2 MAAC) looks to halt its two-game losing streak and notch its first victory of 2011 this afternoon against Niagara (1-12, 0-2 MAAC).  The Lady Jaspers are coming off a 51-44 loss to Siena on Tuesday afternoon.  Niagara has dropped seven straight, including a 68-38 home loss to Fairfield on Tuesday night.  It's "Junior Jasper Kids Club Day" at Draddy Gymnasium, as the Lady Jaspers will hold a postgame autograph session with Junior Jaspers members.

THE LADY JASPERS
Manhattan (8-5, 0-2 MAAC) concludes its four-game homestand looking to get back on track after dropping two straight, including a 51-44 decision against Siena on Tuesday.  Senior guard Abby Wentworth paces Manhattan with 13.2 points, 4.5 assists and 3.3 steals per game.  She also ranks second on the squad with 4.9 rebounds per contest.  Freshman guard/forward Monica Roeder adds 7.9 points per game, while junior forward Lindsey Loutsenhizer and junior guard Alyssa Herrington both contribute 7.4 points per contest.  Junior forward Nadia Peters leads the Lady Jaspers with 5.9 rebounds per game, and she ranks second in the MAAC in blocked shots, averaging 1.7 per outing.  Peters is also second on the team in both assists (2.0 apg) and steals (2.5 spg).  The Lady Jaspers hit the road for their next three contests, starting with a 7 p.m. matchup at Saint Peter's on Monday night.

THE PURPLE EAGLES
Niagara (1-12, 0-2 MAAC) has dropped seven straight games since posting its only victory of the season, 52-51 over Penn on Nov. 30.  The Purple Eagles are coming off a 68-38 loss to Fairfield on Tuesday.  Sophomore guard Kayla Stroman, the 2009-10 MAAC Rookie of the Year, leads Niagara with 12.0 points per game, but has missed the Purple Eagles' last five contests with an injury.  Stroman also averages a team-leading 2.6 assists and 2.4 steals an outing.  Senior forward Liz Flooks averages 11.2 points and a team-leading 5.0 rebounds per game, while freshman forward Katie Gattuso contributes 9.4 points and 4.9 boards per contest.  Junior forward Meghan Waterman distributes 2.1 assists to go along with 2.0 steals per game, and freshman forward Shy Britton leads the Purple Eagles with 1.2 blocks per contest.  Niagara visits Iona on Monday afternoon before returning home to face Siena and Marist next weekend.

SERIES HISTORY
Manhattan swept the regular season series against Niagara in 2009-10, but the Purple Eagles notched a 66-54 victory when the teams met in the quarterfinals of the MAAC Tournament.  That meeting snapped the Lady Jaspers' four-game winning streak in the series.  Overall, Manhattan and Niagara have faced each other 43 times, with the Lady Jaspers holding a 22-21 edge in the all-time series.

WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME
Poor shooting plagued the Lady Jaspers against Siena on Tuesday afternoon, as Manhattan dropped its second straight contest, 51-44 at Draddy Gymnasium.  Siena used a 12-1 run to open up a 16-6 advantage midway through the first half.  Manhattan clawed back within four with 3:20 left in the half, but the Saints took a 25-17 lead into the locker room.  Siena increased its advantage to 12 points early in the second half before Manhattan used a 12-2 run to get back within two at 41-39.  Alyssa Herrington hit a trey to pull the Lady Jaspers within 47-44 with 44 seconds left, but Siena nailed its free throws down the stretch to finish off the 51-44 victory.  Toni-Ann Lawrence notched a career-high 12 points to lead the Lady Jaspers, while Herrington added eight points and Nadia Peters pulled down a team-high six rebounds.