Manhattan-Loyola Game Notes
Game 30 (MAAC 1st Round): #9 Manhattan Jaspers (7-22) vs. #8 Loyola Greyhounds (12-17)
Thursday, March 7, 2013-2 p.m.
Springfield, Mass.-MassMutual Center (7,079)
Live Video: None
Live Audio: www.gojaspers.com, www.loyolagreyhounds.com
ABOUT THE GAME
Manhattan (7-22) begins its quest for a MAAC Championship with this afternoon's first-round matchup against Loyola (12-17) at the MassMutual Center. The Jaspers snapped a seven-game losing streak and wrapped up the No. 9 seed with a 61-52 victory over Niagara at Draddy Gymnasium on Sunday. Manhattan posted a 4-14 record in MAAC play. Eighth-seeded Loyola concluded the regular season with a 57-45 victory at Saint Peter's on Sunday. The Greyhounds went 7-11 against conference opponents.
ABOUT THE JASPERS
The Jaspers (7-22) snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 61-52 victory over Niagara at Draddy Gymnasium on Sunday that secured the No. 9 seed in the MAAC Tournament. Junior guard Monica Roeder, a Third Team All-MAAC selection, is two points shy of 1,000 for her career. Roeder paces the Jaspers with 12.3 points per game, and her 2.0 three-pointers per contest are the third most-in the MAAC. Senior forward Toni-Ann Lawrence is averaging 20.0 points and 7.5 rebounds over her last two games. She ranks second on the team in both scoring (9.8 ppg) and rebounding (6.1 rpg) while also contributing 1.6 steals and 0.9 blocks per outing. Junior guard Allison Skrec hands out a MAAC-best 5.0 assists per game to go along with 8.3 points and 2.2 steals a night. Freshman forward Shayna Ericksen was selected to the MAAC All-Rookie Team. She pulls down a team-high 6.2 rebounds per contest and adds 7.0 points per game.
ABOUT THE GREYHOUNDS
Loyola (12-17) ended the regular season on a two-game winning streak, including a 57-45 victory at Saint Peter's on Sunday. The Greyhounds earned the No. 8 seed in the MAAC Tournament after posting a 7-11 record in conference play. Senior guard Katie Sheahin was a Second Team All-MAAC selection. She leads the Greyhounds with 14.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.6 steals per game. Sheahin also drains 1.2 treys per contest. Senior forward Alyssa Sutherland contributes 8.0 points, 5.1 boards and 2.4 assists per outing, and sophomore guard Kara Marshall tallies 7.4 points and 2.3 assists a night. Junior guard Nicole Krusen, who sank seven treys against the Jaspers on Feb. 15, averages 1.7 three-pointers per game. Freshman guard Diana Logan and freshman center Tiffany Padgett were both named to the MAAC All-Rookie Team. Logan tallies 5.0 points per game, while Padgett records 4.2 points and 4.7 rebounds per outing.
SERIES HISTORY
This is the 51st all-time meeting between the Jaspers and the Greyhounds, and the last before Loyola departs the MAAC for the Patriot League last season. Loyola holds a 26-24 edge in the series and has won eight of the last 10 meetings between the squads. The Jaspers and Greyhounds split the season series in 2012-13, with each side winning at home. Manhattan notched a 62-50 victory at Draddy Gymnasium on Jan. 18, then Loyola posted a 54-34 triumph in the rematch in Baltimore on Feb. 15. This marks the fifth time that Manhattan and Loyola are facing off in the MAAC Tournament. The Greyhounds have won three of the previous four postseason matchups, inlcuding a 50-47 victory in the 2011 semifinals.
SEASON SERIES
Manhattan 62, Loyola 50 (Jan. 18-Draddy Gymnasium)
In front of more than 500 local students on "Kid's Day Out" at Draddy Gymnasium, Manhattan snapped its three-game losing streak with a 62-50 victory over Loyola on Jan. 18. The Greyhounds scored the first six points of the game and led 9-2 before the Jaspers went on a 19-0 run to open up a 21-9 advantage. The margin reached as many as 16 points in the first half, and the Jaspers held a 29-16 edge at the break. Loyola cut its deficit to seven at 42-35 midway through the second half, but Manhattan responded with an 11-1 rally to open up its biggest lead of the game, a 53-36 cushion with 5:14 remaining. The Greyhounds again got within seven, 57-50, with less than a minute left, but the Jaspers made five straight free throws down the stretch to finish off a 62-50 win. Ashley Stec paced Manhattan offensively with a career-high 14 points, while Toni-Ann Lawrence added 12 points and eight rebounds.
Loyola 54, Mahattan 34 (Feb. 15-Reitz Arena)
Manhattan struggled offensively on Feb. 15, shooting just 26 percent (13-of-50) from the field and 11.8 percent (2-of-17) from three-point range in a 54-34 loss to Loyola at Reitz Arena. The Jaspers scored the first basket of the game, but the Greyhounds responded with eight points of their own to take a lead they wouldn't relinquish. After Manhattan trimmed its deficit to four, 17-13, Loyola ended the first half on a 7-2 run to take a 24-15 advantage into the locker room. Loyola broke the game open with a 22-7 spurt to open the second half, and the Greyhounds' lead reached a game-high 25 points at 52-27. Manhattan pulled within 18 at 52-34 before Loyola finished off a 54-34 win. Monica Roeder tallied a team-high 14 points and tied her career-best with eight rebounds. Toni-Ann Lawrence added nine points and six boards, while Allison Skrec finished with six points and five assists.
LAST GAME--Manhattan 61, Niagara 52
The Jaspers concluded the regular season and snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 61-52 victory over Niagara at Draddy Gymnasium on Sunday afternoon. Niagara scored the first six points of the game and held a 10-9 lead before an Allison Skrec jumper started a 12-0 run that gave the Jaspers a 21-10 lead. Manhattan extended its margin to 14 points at 25-11 before Niagara ended the first half on a 5-0 spurt to make it 25-16 at the break. The Purple Eagles chipped away throughout the second half, getting within five at 55-50 with 39 seconds left, but Manhattan went 6-for-6 at the line down the stretch to seal the 61-52 victory. Toni-Ann Lawrence led the Jaspers with 17 points to go along with seven rebounds, three blocks and a career-high six steals in her final home game. Monica Roeder added 16 points, giving her 998 for her career, while Skrec handed out nine assists.
TOURNAMENT SCENARIOS
Manhattan is seeded ninth in the MAAC Tournament for the first time in program history and is playing in the first round for the first time since 2009, when its opponent was also Loyola. The winner of today's matchup between the Jaspers and Greyhounds takes on top-seeded Marist, the seven-time defending MAAC champions, at 1:30 p.m. on Friday. The winner of that quarterfinal game faces either fourth-seeded Rider or No. 5 Niagara in the semifinals at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday. The MAAC Championship Game, which is scheduled for 12 p.m. on Monday, will be broadcast live on ESPNU for the third consecutive year.
