Manhattan-Loyola Game Notes
Game 24: Manhattan Jaspers (6-17, 3-9 MAAC) at Loyola Greyhounds (9-14, 4-8 MAAC)
Friday, February 15, 2013-7 p.m.
Baltimore, Md.-Reitz Arena (2,100)
Live Video: www.loyolagreyhounds.com
Live Audio: www.loyolagreyhounds.com
ABOUT THE GAME
Manhattan (6-17, 3-9 MAAC) begins a season-long four-game road trip with tonight's visit to Reitz Arena for its final matchup with Loyola (9-14, 4-8 MAAC) as conference rivals. The Jaspers have dropped their last two contests, including a 55-50 loss to Fairfield on Monday night. Loyola is also looking to snap a two-game skid. The Greyhounds suffered a 48-39 defeat at Canisius on Saturday. Manhattan posted a 62-50 victory over the Greyhounds when the squads met at Draddy Gymnasium on Jan. 18.
ABOUT THE JASPERS
The Jaspers (6-17, 3-9 MAAC) enter tonight's contest looking to sanp a two-game losing streak. Manhattan is coming off a 55-50 loss to Fairfield on Monday night in a contest that was delayed a day by last weekend's Northeast blizzard. Offensively, the Jaspers are led by junior guard Monica Roeder, who tallies 11.9 points per game and ranks second in the MAAC with 2.0 three-pointers a night. Senior forward Toni-Ann Lawrence is second on the squad in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 9.2 points and 5.9 boards per outing. Junior guard Allison Skrec contributes 8.5 points per game to go along with a MAAC-leading 4.7 assists per contest. Freshman forward Shayna Ericksen leads Manhattan in rebounding (7.0 rpg), while also pacing the team in blocks (0.9 bpg) and ranking second on the squad in steals (1.9 spg). This is the start of a season-long four-game road trip for the Jaspers, who visit first-place Marist on Sunday.
ABOUT THE GREYHOUNDS
Loyola (9-14, 4-8 MAAC) has lost two straight and currently sits eighth in the MAAC. The Greyhounds dropped a 48-39 decision at Canisius on Saturday. Senior guard Katie Sheahin, the MAAC Preseason Player of the Year, paces Loyola in most major statistical categories. She registers 14.8 points and 5.9 rebounds per game to go along with 3.0 assists, 2.6 steals and 0.7 blocks per outing. Sheahin ranks fourth in the league in both scoring and steals. Senior forward Alyssa Sutherland records 8.2 points and 5.3 rebounds a night, while sophomore guard Kara Marshall tallies 7.5 points per contest. Junior guard Nicole Krusen in the Greyhounds' top three-point shooter, draining 1.6 treys per outing and shooting .330 from beyond the arc. Junior forward Nneka Offodile, meanwhile, averages a team-best 0.8 blocks per game. This is the only home contest in a five-game stretch for the Greyhounds. Loyola visits Rider on on Sunday afternoon.
SERIES HISTORY
The Jaspers and Greyhounds are meeting for the final time as conference foes before Loyola departs the MAAC for the Patriot League next season. A win by Manhattan tonight will even the all-time series at 25-25. The Jaspers won the first matchup between the squads this season, 62-50 at Draddy Gymnasium on Jan. 18. Loyola had won six straight against the Jaspers before Manhattan's 61-46 victory in Baltimore on Jan. 4, 2012.
LAST GAME--Fairfield 55, Manhattan 50
In a contest that was delayed a day by the Northeast blizzard, the Jaspers dropped a 55-50 decision to Fairfield at Draddy Gymnasium on Monday night. An early barrage of three-pointers gave the Stags a 29-11 lead, but Manhattan battled back and trailed by just 11 points, 34-23, at halftime. The Jaspers pulled within five early in the second half, then an old-fashioned three-point play by Toni-Ann Lawrence and a Shayna Ericksen layup evened the score at 37-37 with 14:59 remaining. It would remain tied for nearly three minutes before Fairfield went on a 15-2 run to open up a 52-39 advantage. Manhattan again clawed back, but the Jaspers ultimately ran out of time and fell by a 55-50 margin. Lawrence and Allison Skrec each tallied 14 points to pace the Jaspers, while Skrec also notched seven assists and a career-high five rebounds.
PLAY 4 KAY
The Jaspers will be wearing pink t-shirts during pregame warmups tonight in support of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association's "Play 4 Kay" initiative for breast cancer awareness. This is the first of three "Play 4 Kay" games for the Jaspers this season. Manhattan will also be the road team for Marist's "Play 4 Kay" contest on Sunday and host Iona in a "Play 4 Kay" game at Draddy Gymnasium on Feb. 28. This marks the sixth straight year in which all 10 MAAC teams are participating in the event. In addition, the Jaspers once again volunteered at the Susan G. Komen New York City Race for the Cure at Central Park West in September. The team worked the first water station, handing out water to the 25,000 runners/walkers on the 5K course.
