Box Score
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BALTIMORE - It was a tale of two halves for the Manhattan College women's basketball team on Monday night. The Lady Jaspers led by as many as 14 points in the first half and held a 33-22 advantage at the break, but Loyola (17-10, 14-2 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) outscored Manhattan (19-8, 11-5 MAAC) 38-12 over the final 20 minutes to post a 60-45 victory at Reitz Arena.
Manhattan came out on fire, scoring the first five points of the game and taking a 17-3 lead on a layup by Nadia Peters (Bronx, N.Y.) barely six minutes into the contest. Loyola got back within five at 18-13, but the Lady Jaspers rallied for the next six points, pushing the lead back to 11 points, 24-13, on a three-pointer by Monica Roeder (Marlton, N.J.) at the 5:49 mark. Manhattan once again led by 14 when Abby Wentworth (Portland, Maine) sank a pair of foul shots with 25 seconds left in the half to make it 33-19.
After Loyola's Katie Sheahin missed the front end of a one-and-one with five seconds remaining before halftime, Peters corralled the rebound. However, Alyssa Sutherland stole the ball, drove down for a layup and was fouled with 0.2 seconds on the clock. Sutherland hit the free throw to complete the three-point play and make it an 11-point game, 33-22, at halftime.
That play was the turning point of the game, as Sutherland converted two more three-point plays to start the second half. She scored the Greyhounds' first eight points of the period, and Loyola tied it at 35-35 on a layup by Meredith Tolley at the 16:06 mark. Tolley then drained a free throw on the next Loyola possession to give the Greyhounds their first lead of the game, 36-35.
The Greyhounds extended their advantage to seven points before a Wentworth free throw and a layup by Toni-Ann Lawrence (Elmont, N.Y.) brought Manhattan back within four, 47-43, with 8:26 to go. However, Sheahin hit a jumper on the other end and the Lady Jaspers would never get that close again. Manhattan went scoreless the last 6:01 of the contest, as the Greyhounds turned a 50-45 lead into a 60-45 victory. With the win, Loyola clinched the No. 2 seed in the upcoming MAAC Tournament.
Roeder, who was named MAAC Rookie of the Week for the second straight time earlier in the day, led the Lady Jaspers in scoring for the fourth straight game, posting 17 points. She also pulled down five rebounds. Peters and Wentworth both notched eight points, while Peters and Lindsey Loutsenhizer (North Huntingdon, Pa.) each grabbed 11 rebounds. Manhattan outrebounded Loyola 42-35 and shot 26.9 percent (14-of-52) from the field for the game, including just 11.8 percent (2-of-17) in the second half. The Lady Jaspers shot 21.7 percent (5-of-23) from downtown and 60 percent (12-of-20) at the charity stripe.
Sutherland posted a double-double to lead the Greyhounds. She tallied 17 points and 11 rebounds. Sheahin added 15 points, five boards, three assists and seven steals, while Tolley posted 13 points, six rebounds and three assists. Erica DiClemente added 11 points for Loyola. The Greyhounds shot 39.3 percent (22-of-56) from the field, 25.9 percent (7-of-27) from long distance, and 69.2 percent (9-of-13) at the free throw line.
The Lady Jaspers return to Draddy Gymnasium on Friday for their final home game of the season. Manhattan hosts Fairfield (17-10, 10-6 MAAC) at 7 p.m. for its annual "Senior Night," as Wentworth and Alicia Marculitis (Worcester, Mass.) will be honored prior to the contest. The Lady Jaspers posted a 51-44 victory over the Stags when the squads met in Connecticut on Jan. 16. A win over Fairfield, coupled with a Siena loss to No. 21 Marist, clinches the No. 3 seed in the MAAC Tournament for the Lady Jaspers.
NOTES: Loyola has won five straight against Manhattan and now leads the all-time series 23-22...The Lady Jaspers have lost back-to-back games for the first time since Jan. 2-4...Manhattan gave up 60 points in consecutive games for the first time all season...The Lady Jaspers lost for the first time this season when winning the rebounding battle...The last time two Manhattan teammates grabbed double-digit rebounds in the same contest, Loutsenhizer had 12 boards and Peters tallied 11 at Rider on Jan. 31, 2010...As a team, the Lady Jaspers handed out just six assists, a season low...Monday's game was the last of just five regular season contests that Manhattan played outside the State of New York, and the Lady Jaspers went 4-1 in those games.
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