Buffalo, NY (February 25, 2005)- Manhattan staged a wild comeback in the second half, scoring 17 unanswered points to take a 60-55 lead with 2:10 remaining in regulation. Canisius came back to tie, however, and sent the game into overtime, ultimately capturing a 72-64 decision tonight at the Koessler Athletic Center. Senior Serra Sangar scored 18 points to pace Manhattan, while Becky Zak led Canisius with 19.
The Golden Griffins (17-9, 13-4 MAAC) used a 15-4 run early in the second half to open up a 44-33 lead at the 15:20 mark. The Lady Jaspers rallied and cut the Canisius lead to four points (45-41) on a jumper by freshman Caitlin Flood with 11:41 remaining, capping an 8-1 Manhattan spurt. The half of runs continued, as Canisius ripped off a 10-2 run of its own, including six straight free throws, to extend its lead to 55-43 with 8:43 left in regulation.
However, Manhattan (10-16, 6-11 MAAC) regained the momentum by going on a 17-0 run over the next 6:28. During that stretch, Manhattan tied the score at 55 on a putback by Flood, and took a 57-55 lead at the 4:32 mark on a steal and coast-to-coast layup by freshman Lisa Kuchinski. Manhattan ultimately took a 60-55 lead, holding Canisius scoreless for over six minutes during that span. The Golden Griffins rallied back, getting to within 61-58 with 1:05 remaining. With time winding down in regulation, Zak hit a three-pointer from the corner to tie the game at 61 with 15.4 seconds left. After a Manhattan turnover, the Griffs' last-second three-pointer rimmed out and the game went to overtime.
Canisius scored the first seven points of overtime, opening up a 68-61 lead, before Sangar drained a three to bring Manhattan within four (68-64) with 44.8 seconds left. It was not enough, however, as Canisius hit nine of 12 free throws in overtime to capture the decision.
The game was a back-and-forth affair early, as neither team could extend an early lead. Sophomore Kristen Tracey hit a three-pointer to give Manhattan a 19-17 lead with 7:06 remaining in the half, while Canisius eventually took a 26-25 lead on a jumper from Cheri Wittlieb at the 2:31 mark. Eight lead changes and three ties marked a seesaw first half. Canisius ultimately held a 27-25 lead at intermission behind eight points from Zak in the first half, while freshman Aubrie Dellinger had six in the half to pace the Lady J's.
Four Lady Jaspers tallied double-figures, including Sangar. Flood totaled 11 points and eight rebounds, while Dellinger and fellow freshman Joann Nwafili posted identical stat lines of 10 points and five rebounds apiece.
Manhattan forced 20 Canisius turnovers, while dishing out 19 assists on 28 field goals, led by five helpers from Flood. However, the Golden Griffins took 26 more foul shots than Manhattan, converting 24-35 from the line, while the Lady Jaspers connected on four of nine.
Tonight marked Manhattan's first overtime contest since March 4, 2004 when Manhattan defeated Fairfield, 66-56 in the first round of the 2004 MAAC Championships.
The Lady Jaspers will return to action on Sunday, February 27, when they will close out the regular season with a matchup on the road against Niagara. Tip-off is slated for 2:00 p.m.