Game 4: Manhattan Lady Jaspers (2-1) at Columbia Lions (2-1)
Tuesday, November 24, 2009-5:30 p.m.
New York, N.Y.-Levien Gymnasium (2,700)
TV: None
Radio/Internet: gocolumbialions.com
TODAY'S GAME
Manhattan begins a span where it plays four out of five games on the road this evening with a quick subway ride to Columbia's Levien Gymnasium for a showdown with the Lions. The Lady Jaspers (2-1) are coming off an 88-58 home victory over Maryland Eastern Shore on Sunday afternoon, while the Lions (2-1) have been off since a 64-62 win at Long Island on Nov. 18. Columbia was picked to finish fourth in the Ivy League Preseason Poll.
ABOUT MANHATTAN
The Lady Jaspers enter this evening's contest with a 2-1 overall record after notching an 88-58 victory over Maryland Eastern Shore on Sunday afternoon. Senior guard Michelle Pacheco led Manhattan with 21 points and tied her career-high with eight assists in the victory. Pacheco leads the MAAC with 6.7 assists per game and ranks third in the league with 18.3 points per game. Pacheco is also third in the MAAC in assist/turnover ratio (2.0). Sophomore guard Alyssa Herrington tallied 11 points on Sunday afternoon. She ranks second on the team with 13.0 points per game and drains a conference-leading 3.7 three-pointers per game. Sophomore forward Lindsey Loutsenhizer grabs a team-best 6.0 rebounds per game, while sophomore forward Nadia Peters ranks second in the MAAC with 1.7 blocks per game. Overall, Manhattan is the highest-scoring team in the conference (75.7 ppg), and the Lady Jaspers hold opponents to .164 shooting from three-point land.
ABOUT COLUMBIA
Like Manhattan, Columbia has alternated wins and losses in its first three games. The Lions enter today's contest with a 2-1 record after posting a 64-62 victory at Long Island on Nov. 18. Columbia has also beaten Sacred Heart and dropped an overtime decision to Oakland. Junior forward Judie Lomax has posted a double-double in each of Columbia's first three games. She leads the Lions with 15.7 points and 13.7 rebounds per game. Junior forward Lauren Dwyer averages 15.3 points per game, and junior guard/forward Kathleen Barry ranks third on the team in scoring (12.0 ppg) and second in rebounding (6.7 rpg). Senior guard Sara Yee, the reigning Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year, leads the Lions with 2.3 steals per game. She also averages 7.3 points per game and paces the squad with 4.3 assists per game. Columbia was picked to finish fourth in the Ivy League Preseason Poll.
MANHATTAN VS COLUMBIA ALL-TIME
The Lady Jaspers and Lions have met 12 times, but not since Nov. 19, 2006, when Manhattan posted a 65-51 victory in the St. Bonaventure Shootout. The last on-campus meeting between the teams was Manhattan's 84-60 win at Draddy Gymnasium on Nov. 21, 2000. Columbia's last win was a 75-74 triumph at Levien Gymnasium on Dec. 10, 1999. Manhattan leads the all-time series 8-4.
MANHATTAN 88, MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE 58
Manhattan scored the first 11 points of the game and never looked back en route to an 88-58 victory over Maryland Eastern Shore on Sunday afternoon at Draddy Gymnasium. The Lady Jaspers made their first four field goal attempts and shot 63.3 percent from the field in the first half to take a 55-36 lead into the break. Manhattan kept rolling in the second half, never seeing the lead dip below 19 points the rest of the way. Michelle Pacheco tallied 21 points to lead four Lady Jaspers in double figures. She also tied a career-high with eight assists in the victory. Lindsey Loutsenhizer recorded 16 points and eight rebounds to go along with a career-high four assists, while Nadia Peters posted career-highs with 11 points and eight assists. Alyssa Herrington added 11 points for the Lady Jaspers.