Berkeley, CA - The Manhattan College women's basketball team fell to #21 Cal 87-66 in the first game of the Cal Classic on November 24 at Haas Pavilion on the University of California, Berkeley campus.
Senior center Kayla Grimme (Altoona, PA / Altoona Area) led the Jaspers in scoring with 16 points, her third consecutive double-digit scoring game this season. Guards Amani Tatum (Cambria Heights, NY / James Madison) and Gabby Cajou (Stony Point, NY / North Rockland) combined for 13 assists, with Tatum adding six rebounds and five steals.
The Golden Bears were paced early by sharpshooter Asha Thomas, who had five threes in the first quarter. Though Cal shot 54.8 percent from the field and 71.4 percent from three in the first half of the game, hard-nosed play from the Jaspers kept it close: Down 16 in the second quarter, Manhattan dug in for a 17-3 run over five minutes to cut Cal's lead to two.
After Grimme sank two free throws at the 7:33 mark, Cajou notched a steal and layup that cut the lead to 12. Cajou scored the next five points for Manhattan, followed by a defensive rebound from freshman center Courtney Warley (West Chester, PA /Bishop Shanahan) that was converted into a three by senior Mikki Guiton (Schwenksville, PA / Perkiomen Valley) on the other end. A steal and layup by Tatum, plus another fastbreak layup by senior Taylor Williams (Windsor, CT / Capital Preparatory Magnet), put the Jaspers within two with 2:23 left to play in the half.
Cal continued its efficient scoring into the second half, shooting 55.8 percent from the floor and 53.8 from three-point range. On the other end, Manhattan struggled to score late in the game, with a combined 26.5 field goal percentage for the third and fourth quarters and 12.5 percent from the three-point line. The Golden Bears capitalized on the Japers' drought, pulling ahead by 13 at the end of the third, and extending that lead to 21 in the fourth quarter on their way to victory.
Quick Hits:
- Eight Jaspers scored against Cal, the most members of the team to score in one game this season.
- Manhattan tallied 14 fast break points to Cal's two. Twelve of the Jaspers' fastbreak conversions came in the second quarter.
- Thomas' nine threes for Cal was a school single-game record. As a team, Cal landed 17 threes, also a school record.
- The Jaspers will take on Coppin State in the Cal Classic consolation game at noon (3 pm EST) Saturday, November 25. Coppin State fell to #23 Missouri 73-50 on Friday. Mizzou will play Cal in Saturday's championship game.