Game 16: Loyola Greyhounds (6-9, 1-3 MAAC) at Manhattan Jaspers (4-11, 1-3 MAAC)
Friday, January 18, 2013-11 a.m.
Riverdale, N.Y.-Draddy Gymnasium (2,520)
Live Video: JasperVision HD
Live Audio: www.gojaspers.com
ABOUT THE GAME
Manhattan (4-11, 1-3 MAAC) returns to Draddy Gymnasium for its annual "Kid's Day Out" game this morning against Loyola (6-9, 1-3 MAAC). Approximately 300 students from local schools will be in attendance at today's contest. The Jaspers, who are looking to snap a three-game losing streak, are coming off a 62-55 defeat at Siena on Sunday afternoon. Loyola, meanwhile, has dropped two straight, including an 81-74 overtime loss to Rider on Sunday. This is the start of a span where Manhattan plays six of its next eight games at home.
ABOUT THE JASPERS
The Jaspers (4-11, 1-3 MAAC) suffered their third straight loss, a 62-55 setback, at Siena on Sunday. Junior guard Monica Roeder, who tallied a team-high 19 points against Siena, leads the Jaspers with 11.7 points per game. In addition, Roeder ranks second in the MAAC in three-point field goals, sinking 2.1 per contest. Freshman forward Shayna Ericksen contributes 9.4 points per outing, while also pacing Manhattan in rebounding (7.9 rpg), steals (2.1 spg) and blocks (1.2 bpg). Senior forward Toni-Ann Lawrence ranks fifth in the MAAC with a field goal percentage of .463. She tallies 8.6 points and 6.1 boards a night, while senior guard Allison Skrec hands adds 7.1 points per game to go along with a team-leading 4.6 assists per contest. Manhattan visits Fairfield on Sunday before welcoming Marist to Draddy Gymnasium for a contest that will be shown live on ESPN3 next Friday.
ABOUT THE GREYHOUNDS
Loyola (6-9, 1-3 MAAC) has dropped its last two games, including an 81-74 overtime loss to Rider on Sunday afternoon. Senior guard Katie Sheahin, the MAAC Preseason Player of the Year, ranks second in the league in scoring. She averages 14.7 points per game. The two-time defending MAAC Defensive Player of the Year, Sheahin is currently third in the MAAC in assists (3.3 apg), steals (2.5 spg) and assist/turnover ratio (1.3), and her 5.2 rebounds per contest are also a team-high. Senior forward Alyssa Sutherland ranks second on the squad in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 7.8 points and 4.7 boards per outing. Sophomore guard Kara Marshall adds 6.9 points per game, while junior guard Nicole Krusen is the Greyhounds' top three-point shooter. She drains 1.5 treys per game. After visiting Siena on Sunday, the Greyhounds begin a four-game homestand against Canisius next Thursday.
SERIES HISTORY
Loyola has won seven of the last eight meetings between the squads and leads the all-time series 25-23. Last season, Manhattan snapped its six-game losing streak against Loyola with a 61-46 victory in Baltimore on Jan. 4, 2012, before the Greyhounds responded with a 59-45 win at Draddy Gymnasium on Jan. 22, 2012. Manhattan has lost its last seven home games against Loyola. The Jaspers' last victory over the Greyhounds in Riverdale was a 55-49 triumph on Feb. 3, 2005.
LAST GAME--Siena 62, Manhattan 55
The Jaspers rallied from 22 points down in the second half to within five late before ultimately running out of time in a 62-55 loss to Siena at the Times Union Center on Sunday afternoon. Siena led 53-31 with 7:57 remaining and held a 59-39 edge at the 3:59 mark before a Shayna Ericksen free throw began the Manhattan comeback. The Jaspers got within 10 at 59-49 with 2:00 left, and back-to-back buckets by Allison Skrec cut the deficit to five points, 60-55, with 28 seconds to go. Skrec went for a steal on the ensuing Siena possession, but ended up fouling Ciara Stewart, who hit two free throws to cap the Saints' 62-55 victory. Monica Roeder had a game-high 19 points, while Skrec finished with a career-high 15 points, and Nicole Isaacs tied her career-best with 12 points. Toni-Ann Lawrence pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds, and Ericksen added 10 boards for the Jaspers.
KID'S DAY OUT
This marks the third consecutive year in which Manhattan is hosting a "Kid's Day Out" game. Last season on "Kid's Day Out," the Jaspers posted a 73-51 victory over Canisus. An initiative started by the conference, all 10 MAAC institutions have a designated "Kid's Day Out," where students at local elementary schools are welcomed on campus to enjoy a women's basketball game. Approximately 500 students in grades 2-5 are in attendance this morning. As a part of their "Kid's Day Out" experience, each student was asked to write an essay on the top of "leadership," and the winners of the essay contest will be recognized at halftime.