Box Score
Box Score
TOWSON, Md. – The Manhattan College women's basketball team (1-1) suffered its first loss of the 2013-14 season on Saturday night, dropping a 63-43 decision to Towson (1-2) at SECU Arena. Kayla Grimme (Altoona, Pa.) just missed a double-double for the Jaspers, tallying 17 points and nine rebounds, while Monica Roeder (Marlton, N.J.) added 11 points and seven boards.
After Towson hit a three-pointer on the game's opening possession, Manhattan held the Tigers scoreless for nearly nine minutes. The Jaspers scored 16 points of their own during that time, getting three treys from Roeder and another from Nicole Isaacs (Fair Haven, N.J.) to open up a 16-3 lead. However, Towson countered with a 14-0 run, going in front 17-16 on a pair of LaTorri Hines-Allen free throws at the 6:39 mark.
Manhattan regained the lead when Grimme followed her own miss and put in a layup with 6:15 remaining in the half before Towson's Markell Smith got a steal and coast-to-coast bucket to spark a half-ending 11-3 Tigers run. Tanisha McTiller drained a three-pointer as time expired to make it a 10-point game at intermission, but the officials reviewed the play and waived off the basket, ruling that the shot left her hand after the buzzer sounded. As a result, Towson's lead was just seven, 28-21, at the break.
A Grimme layup 20 seconds into the second half cut Manhattan's deficit to five, 28-23, but Towson went on a 20-6 run over the next 10:20 to open up a 48-29 advantage. Blake Underhill (Edgewater, N.J.) hit a floater to beat the shot clock at the 8:47 mark to halt the Towson run and begin a 7-1 Manhattan spurt that brought the Jaspers back within 13 at 49-36. However, that's as close as it would get, as the Tigers ran the advantage to a game-high 22 points with 40 seconds remaining before Grimme finished off the scoring in the 63-43 Towson victory.
Grimme and Roeder were the only Jaspers to reach double-figures in the scoring column. Allison Skrec (Roselle, N.J.) distributed four assists to go along with her six points, and Roeder contributed three assists. Manhattan shot 29.3 percent (17-of-58) from the field, including 22.7 percent (5-of-22) from downtown. The Jaspers attempted just seven free throws in the contest, making four (57.1 percent).
McTiller recorded a double-double for the Tigers, notching 15 points and 12 rebounds. She also handed out a game-high six assists. Hines-Allen finished with 12 points, while Ciara Webb contributed eight points, seven boards and four steals off the bench. Smith also grabbed seven rebounds for Towson, which outrebounded Manhattan 54-31, including a 23-12 advantage on the offensive glass. As a team, the Tigers shot 37.1 percent (23-of-62) from the field and 76.2 percent (16-of-21) at the charity stripe. After opening the game with a trey, Towson didn't make another three-pointer, finishing 1-for-18 (5.6 percent) from long range.
The Jaspers return to action on Wednesday night, when they conclude their season-opening three-game road trip with a 7 p.m. visit to Army (1-1).
NOTES: Manhattan played at Towson for the first time…The Tigers have beaten the Jaspers in each of the last two seasons and lead the all-time series 2-1…Manhattan hasn't started the season 2-0 since 2003-04…The Jaspers played their second straight road game to open the season, marking the third time in four years that they began with at least two straight away from Draddy Gymnasium…With three treys, Roeder moved past Gabrielle Cottrell and Alyssa Herrington for third place on Manhattan's all-time list with 190 career three-pointers…It was also Roeder's 100th career game…The Jaspers have committed just 27 total turnovers through their first two games…Manhattan was held under 50 points for the first time since a 48-43 defeat at Niagara on Feb. 24, 2013.
