Box Score
2012-13 Manhattan Women's Basketball Yearbook
RIVERDALE, N.Y. - With his team desperately in need of a win, Manhattan College women's basketball head coach John Olenowski inserted a new starting lineup for Saturday afternoon's contest against Oakland. The change paid immediate dividends, as the Jaspers (2-6) went on a 21-0 first-half run en route to a 47-43 triumph over the Golden Grizzlies (5-4) at Draddy Gymnasium. The victory snapped Manhattan's five-game losing streak.
"If a team ever needed a win, that was our team today," Olenowski said. "Not only for the fact that we were so close, but we needed it for team psyche. We needed it to build momentum. The girls needed something tangible to take with them, and a victory certainly does that."
After the Jaspers jumped out to a 7-2 lead, Victoria Lipscomb hit a three-pointer to pull Oakland within two, 7-5, at the 14:24 mark. However, the Golden Grizzilies wouldn't score again for nearly 12 minutes. A trey by Nicole Isaacs (Fair Haven, N.J.) ignited a 21-0 Manhattan rally that put the Jaspers up 28-5 before the Oakland scoring drought ended on Lipscomb's layup with 2:37 remaining in the half. Manhattan forced 14 turnovers and held the Golden Grizzlies to 19 percent (4-of-21) shooting in the first half, as the Jaspers took a 28-9 advantage into the locker room.
Shayna Ericksen (Hackettstown, N.J.) hit a jumper to give Manhattan a 32-13 lead with 17:51 remaining in the contest, but Oakland responded with a 7-0 run over the next four minutes to cut the margin to 12, 32-20. However, Allison Skrec (Roselle, N.J.) scored five consecutive points for Manhattan, then Ericksen put in a layup to once again make it a 19-point game, 39-20, with 10:08 to go.
Oakland wouldn't go away, though, as the Golden Grizzlies rallied for 18 of the next 22 points to pull within five, 43-38, with 1:12 remaining. With the Jaspers still up five and 17 seconds on the clock, Oakland's Zakiya Minifee missed a three and Lawrence corralled the rebound. She was fouled immediately, and calmly sank both foul shots to make it a three-possession game.
Elena Popkey sank a trey on the ensuing Oakland possession, then the Golden Grizzlies sent Skrec to the line with eight seconds left. Skrec hit both of her free throws to increase Manhattan's advantage to 47-41. The Golden Grizzlies picked up two points on Elizabeth Hamlet free throws at the five-second mark, and immediately fouled once again. Monica Roeder (Marlton, N.J.) missed a pair and Lipscomb grabbed the rebound for Oakland, but the Golden Grizzlies were unable to get a shot off, and the Jaspers held on for a 47-43 win.
"We played great defense, and we had great intensity in the first half," Olenowski said. "In the second half, they (Oakland) stepped up. They took some great shots. They're 11th in the country in three-point shooting percentage, so we knew they were capable of that. We were hoping they wouldn't get on a run like they did. But we gutted it out, and we'll certainly take it."
Toni-Ann Lawrence (Elmont, N.Y.) had her first career double-double for the Jaspers, notching team-highs with 13 points and 10 rebounds. She added three assists, three steals and two blocks. Skrec added 11 points, all in the second half, and three steals. Ericksen registered eight points, eight boards, four steals and a career-high four blocks, while Maggie Blair (Briarcliff, N.Y.) matched her career-high with six rebounds. The Jaspers shot 31.6 percent (18-of-57) from the field, 35.7 percent (5-of-14) from long range, and 60 percent (6-of-10) at the line.
Popkey paced the Golden Grizzlies with 12 points to go along with seven rebounds. Lipscomb tallied eight points and seven boards, while also posting five assists, three steals and two blocks. Minifee grabbed a team-high nine rebounds and Sinclair Russell added eight boards, as Oakland outrebounded Manhattan 48-37. Overall, the Golden Grizzlies shot 28.3 percent (15-of-53) from the field, including 32 percent (8-of-25) from three-point land, and 41.7 percent (5-of-12) at the charity stripe.
After playing six of their first eight games at Draddy Gymnasium, the Jaspers are on the road for five of the next seven. The Jaspers will have a week off for finals before visiting defending Northeast Conference champion Sacred Heart (4-4) at 7 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 17.
NOTES: Manhattan faced Oakland for the first time in program history...The Jaspers avoided their first six-game losing streak since a nine-game skid during the 2006-07 season...Manhattan held its opponent below 50 points for the first time this season and the 35th time in Olenowski's tenure as head coach...The Jaspers scored fewer than 50 points and won for the first time since a 48-44 victory over Marist on Feb. 4, 2012...Manhattan hasn't trailed in either of its wins this season...Karita Brown (Sterling, Va.) and Isaacs were the two new entries in the starting lineup, and it was the first career start for each...It was Manhattan's third different starting lineup in as many games, and fifth different combination of the season...Ericksen had all four of her blocks in the second half, including three in a 65-second span early in the period...She has posted a total of seven blocks in the last two games...Blair also recorded six rebounds against Holy Cross on Dec. 1.
