Game 2: Manhattan Lady Jaspers (1-0) at #14/18 Virginia Cavaliers (1-0)
Sunday, November 15, 2009-2 p.m.
Charlottesville, Va.-John Paul Jones Arena (14,593)
TV: None
Radio/Internet: WINA-AM 1070 (Charlottesville), virginiasports.com
TODAY'S GAME
The Lady Jaspers (1-0) hit the road for the first time this season to take on a Virginia team that is ranked No. 14 (AP) and No. 18 (ESPN) in the two major national polls. Manhattan opened its season with a 71-34 win over St. Francis (NY) on Friday night, while the Cavaliers (1-0) notched a 68-57 victory over UMBC in their season opener. Friday night's victory was the 700th career win for Virginia Head Coach Debbie Ryan. Virginia was picked to finish fourth in the ACC Preseason Poll.
ABOUT MANHATTAN
Manhattan opened the season with a victory over St. Francis (NY) for the second straight year. The 71-34 win was John Olenowski's first as Manhattan's head coach. Senior guard Michelle Pacheco led the Lady Jaspers with 19 points and added four assists and five steals. Sophomore forward Lindsey Loutsenhizer had 11 points, six rebounds and a career-high five assists, while sophomore guard Laura Rivera tallied a career-high 11 points in the victory. Junior guard Abby Wentworth grabbed six rebounds to go along with five points, three assists and four steals. All 13 players on the Manhattan roster saw action on Friday night, and 11 different Lady Jaspers scored. Manhattan forced 35 St. Francis (NY) turnovers, which led to 37 points, in the victory. Today's game is a homecoming of sorts for freshman forward Karita Brown, who hails from Sterling, Va., about a two-hour drive from Charlottesville.
ABOUT VIRGINIA
The No. 14/18 Cavaliers reached the second round of last season's NCAA Tournament, and were picked to finish fourth in the ACC this season. Senior guard Monica Wright, the ACC Preseason Player of the Year, was an honorable mention All-American last season after averaging an ACC-high 20.5 points per game. She also led the Cavaliers with 3.1 assists per game last season, and was selected as a Preseason All-American. Wright had 15 points and seven rebounds against UMBC on Friday night. Sophomore forward Chelsea Shine had 12 points and seven boards in Friday night's win, while sophomore guard Whitney Edwards tallied 11 points and six rebounds. Junior guard Paulisha Kellum dished out six assists off the bench. Head Coach Debbie Ryan, now in her 33rd season at Virginia, notched her 700th career win on Friday. She is one of seven active coaches with at least 700 career victories.
MANHATTAN VS VIRGINIA ALL-TIME
The only previous meeting between Manhattan and Virginia came on March 15, 1996 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. That year, the MAAC Champion Lady Jaspers were seeded 14th in the East Region and dropped a 100-55 decision to the third-seeded Cavaliers at University Hall. The Lady Jaspers are 2-12 all-time against schools that are currently members of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
MANHATTAN 71, ST. FRANCIS (NY) 34
Manhattan opened the 2009-10 season with a dominating 71-34 victory over St. Francis (NY). The Lady Jaspers forced 35 St. Francis (NY) turnovers, which led to 37 Manhattan points, and had 21 steals in the win. Manhattan broke the game open with a 13-0 run midway through the first half, as St. Francis (NY) was held without a field goal for more than eight minutes. The Lady Jaspers limited the Terriers to nine points on 20 percent shooting in the first half. Manhattan kept rolling in the second half, and the lead reached a game-high 49 points, 71-22, with 3:04 remaining, and the Lady Jaspers won by 37, 71-34. Eleven of the 13 players on the roster scored, led by Michelle Pacheco's 19 points. Lindsey Loutsenhizer and Laura Rivera each added 11 points in the victory.