Manhattan-Marist Game Notes
Game 31 (MAAC Quarterfinals): #9 Manhattan Jaspers (8-22) vs. #1 Marist Red Foxes (23-6)
Friday, March 8, 2013-1:30 p.m.
Springfield, Mass.-MassMutual Center (7,079)
Live Video: None
Live Audio: www.gojaspers.com, www.goredfoxes.com
ABOUT THE GAME
After a thrilling 50-49 victory over Loyola in the first round, ninth-seeded Manhattan (8-22) takes on top-seeded Marist (23-6), the seven-time defending conference champions, this afternoon at the MassMutual Center in the MAAC Tournament quarterfinals. The win over the Greyhounds was the Jaspers' second straight, while the Red Foxes went undefeated in conference play for the second time in three seasons. Marist's most recent victory was a 70-33 triumph at Fairfield on Sunday afternoon.
ABOUT THE JASPERS
The Jaspers (8-22), who notched a thrilling 50-49 victory over Loyola in the first round of the MAAC Tournament on Thursday, have won consecutive games for the first time this season. Junior guard Monica Roeder sank the game-winner as time expired. A Third Team All-MAAC selection, she also notched her 1,000th point in the game, and she paces the squad in scoring (12.2 ppg). Roeder also drains 2.0 three-pointers per contest. Senior forward Toni-Ann Lawrence contributes 10.0 points per outing and is tied for the team lead with 6.1 rebounds a night. Lawrence also boasts a team-best 0.9 blocks per game. Freshman forward Shayna Ericksen, a MAAC All-Rookie Team selection, also grabs 6.1 boards per contest to go along with 6.8 points per game. Junior guard Allison Skrec leads the MAAC with 5.0 assists per outing while also recording 8.4 points and 2.2 steals per contest.
ABOUT THE RED FOXES
Marist (23-6) went undefeated in conference play to earn its 10th consecutive MAAC regular season title. The Red Foxes are in search of their eighth straight MAAC Tournament championship. Senior forward Elizabeth Beynnon, a Second Team All-MAAC selection, paces the Red Foxes with 12.0 points per game. Junior guard Casey Dulin was also a Second Team All-MAAC choice. She tallies 10.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game. Senior guard/forward Kristina Danella earned MAAC Sixth Player of the Year honors after tallying 9.4 points and a team-leading 4.6 rebounds per contest off the bench. Junior guard Leanne Ockenden, the MAAC Defensive Player of the Year, leads the Red Foxes with 2.2 steals per outing. She also contributes 8.8 points and 2.4 assists a night. Junior forward Emma O'Connor, a Third Team All-MAAC choice, contributes 9.1 points and 4.6 boards per contest.
SERIES HISTORY
Manhattan and Marist are meeting for the 46th time, with the Jaspers leading the all-time series 23-22. The Red Foxes won both meetings this season, however, 60-39 at Draddy Gymnasium on Jan. 25, and 66-47 at McCann Arena on Feb. 17. The Jaspers were the last MAAC team to beat Marist, 48-44 in Riverdale on Feb. 4, 2012. In fact, Marist has won 67 of its last 69 games against MAAC foes, with the only two losses during that span coming to the Jaspers. This is the fifth time that the Jaspers and Red Foxes are meeting in the MAAC Tournament. Each team has won twice in the postseason. The last time Manhattan faced Marist in the MAAC Tournament, the Red Foex posted a 55-42 victory in the 2007 quarterfinals.
SEASON SERIES
Marist 60, Manhattan 39 (Jan. 25-Draddy Gymnasium)
In the "MAAC National Game of the Week" on ESPN3, the Jaspers hung with first-place Marist for a half before the Red Foxes pulled away for a 60-39 victory at Draddy Gymnasium on Jan. 25. Manhattan scored the first eight points of the game before Marist rallied to tie it at 8-8. The Red Foxes led by one, 21-20 at intermission, then extended their lead to five early in the second half. After Monica Roeder sank a three-pointer to trim the margin to two, 25-23, with 18:00 remaining, Marist went on a 19-2 run to open up a 44-25 advantage. Nicole Isaacs scored eight straight points to bring the Jaspers within 13, but the Red Foxes countered with a 12-0 rally to take their biggest lead of the game, a 60-35 advantage. Manhattan scored the final four points of the 60-39 loss. Isaacs led the way offensively with 11 points, while Ashley Stec had 10 points for the Jaspers.
Marist 66, Mahattan 47 (Feb. 17-McCann Arena)
The Jaspers dropped a 66-47 decision to regular season champion Marist at McCann Arena on Feb. 17. Manhattan scored the first six points of the game, but Marist responded with 13 unanswered points to take a 13-6 lead. The Jaspers countered with a 12-6 run to cut its deficit to one, 19-18, with 8:30 left in the first half. After Manhattan again pulled within two at 22-20, the Red Foxes went on an 8-2 run to make it 30-22, and Marist led 30-25 at halftime. The Red Foxes opened the second half on a 14-4 run to increase their lead to 15 points, 44-29. The lead reached a game-high 22 points at 66-44 with 1:40 remaining before a late trey by Monica Roeder. Roeder tallied a game-high 15 points to go along with seven rebounds, while Ashley Stec contributed nine points and six assists. Toni-Ann Lawrence had eight points and eight boards, and Allison Skrec handed out eight assists.
LAST GAME--Manhattan 50, Loyola 49
Monica Roeder hit an eight-foot jumper as the final buzzer sounded to give the Jaspers a 50-49 victory over Loyola in the first round of the MAAC Tournament on Thursday afternoon. After a Roeder jumper put the Jaspers ahead 48-47 with 27 seconds left, Katie Sheahin drained a jumper to give the Greyhounds a one-point advantage with 11 seconds to go. Manhattan had three chances at the final shot, and Roeder's buzzer-beater capped a contest that featured 12 ties and 13 lead changes. Neither side led by more than six points the entire way. The game began as a defensive struggle, as baskets were hard to come by in the first half, with Loyola holding an 18-17 advantage at the break. Toni-Ann Lawrence led the Jaspers with 15 points and eight rebounds, while Allison Skrec added 11 points, and Roeder tallied 10 points, including the 1,000th of her career, and eight boards.
BRACKETOLOGY
The winner of this afternoon's matchup between the Jaspers and the Red Foxes moves into the MAAC semifinals, where they will take on either fourth-seeded Rider or No. 5 Niagara at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday. That contest will be broadcast live on ESPN3. Monday afternoon's MAAC Championship Game, which gets underway at 12 p.m., will be nationally televised on ESPNU for the third consecutive year.
