Jaspers Fall to Rider in Final Home Game

Box Score

Riverdale, NY - Fighting for seeding in the 2018 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Tournament, the Manhattan Jaspers were unable to overtake Rider in a 53-50 overtime loss at Draddy Gymnasium on Sunday, February 25. With the loss, Manhattan (12-17, 9-9 MAAC) will be a seventh seed in the conference tournament and face #10 Iona on Thursday, March 1, at 11:30 a.m. on ESPN3. 
 
Sunday's game was also the Jaspers' final home contest of the season, and the program honored four seniors for their distinguished careers at Manhattan: Kayla Grimme, Mikki Guiton, Amani Tatum, and Taylor Williams. The four seniors combine for 432 games played and 280 games started over their careers. 

Williams (Windsor, CT / Capital Preparatory Magnet) led the Jaspers with 13 points, going 5-11 from the floor. Sophomore Gabby Cajou (Stony Point, NY / North Rockland) followed close behind with 10 points, including a last-second layup off an inbound play that tied the Jaspers and Broncs (13-16, 10-8 MAAC) in regulation and sent the game into overtime. Cajou added seven rebounds and a team-high five steals. 

Manhattan led 23-15 at the half, taking advantage of poor shooting by Rider in the first two quarters. But the Jaspers went cold from the floor in the third, shooting 2-10 and scoring just six points in the period. They went into the final 10 minutes of regulation up just three, 29-26. 
 
Midway through the fourth, Rider went on a 7-0 run over a minute and a half to go up by seven points. Grimme, who finished with a game-high 12 rebounds, scored the next five points, bringing the Jaspers within two with just under two minutes to play. 

Both teams were held scoreless until the 18-second mark, when Manhattan fouled Rider intentionally to regain possession. The Broncs' Stella Johnson hit both to put Rider back up four. On the other end, Williams hit a three with eight seconds left to go, and the Jaspers', down one, fouled again to put Johnson on the line. She went 1-2, giving Manhattan the ball down two with four seconds left to play. The Jaspers then ran an inbounds play to Cajou, who tied the game at 44 a piece, forcing extra time. 

Manhattan hit the first bucket of OT, with Warley sinking a jumper to make it 46-44. A foul shot by Rider and a layup by Johnson put Rider back ahead by three with under three minutes to play. At the 1:24 mark, Tatum (Cambria Heights, NY / James Madison) went 1-2 at the line to put the Jaspers back on top, but a minute later Rider's Kamila Hoskova hit a layup to retake a one-point lead. Following their earlier fouling strategy, Manhattan put Rider's Lexi Posset on the line, where she hit both and gave the Broncs a three-point lead. A final three-point attempt by Williams was blocked, and a follow three by Tatum was no good, giving Rider the win. 

Up Next:
The Jaspers travel to Albany for the MAAC Tournament, and will play the first day (March 1) at 11:30 a.m.