Game 9: Hofstra Pride (5-3) at Manhattan Lady Jaspers (4-4)
Saturday, December 12, 2009-2 p.m.
Riverdale, N.Y.-Draddy Gymnasium (2,345)
TV: None
Radio/Internet: JasperVision (gojaspers.com), gohofstra.com
TODAY'S GAME
After playing four out of its last five away from Draddy Gymnasium, Manhattan (4-4) begins a five-game homestand this afternoon against Hofstra (5-3). The Lady Jaspers picked up their first road win of the season on Tuesday night, notching a 65-52 triumph over Army. Hofstra has won two straight, including a 70-48 home victory over Niagara on Thursday night. The Pride were picked to finish seventh in the Colonial Athletic Association Preseason Poll.
ABOUT MANHATTAN
Manhattan kicks off its season-long five-game homestand this afternoon. The Lady Jaspers are coming off their first road win of the season, a 65-52 victory over Army on Tuesday night. Sophomore forward Lindsey Loutsenhizer paces the team in both scoring and rebounding. She averages 13.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Senior guard Michelle Pacheco ranks second on the squad in scoring (13.5 ppg) and leads the MAAC with 6.9 assists per game, which ranks eighth in the nation. Junior guard Abby Wentworth has averaged 16.3 points over the last three games and is currently third on the team in scoring (11.0 ppg). Sophomore guard Alyssa Herrington averages 10.8 points and 2.9 three-pointers per game, while sophomore forward Nadia Peters leads the MAAC in field goal percentage (.604). Peters is second in the conference in blocks (1.9 bpg). Following a week off, Manhattan continues the homestand against Cornell next Saturday.
ABOUT HOFSTRA
After losing its previous three games, including a loss to No. 1 Connecticut, Hofstra enters today's contest on a two-game winning streak. Both of those victories have come within the last five days, as the Pride beat Providence 72-68 on Tuesday and defeated Niagara 70-48 on Thursday night. Sophomore guard Nicole Capurso paces the Pride with 11.0 points per game, while freshman forward Shante Evans averages 10.5 points and 6.9 rebounds per contest. Senior center Jess Fuller, a member of the CAA All-Defensive Team last season, ranks third on the team in scoring, averaging 10.4 points per game, and pulls down a team-leading 7.5 rebounds per game. Fuller also averages 3.1 blocks per game, which places her ninth in the nation. Sophomore guard Candice Bellocchio dishes out a team-high 5.4 assists per game and is tied for the team lead wtih 1.8 steals per contest.
MANHATTAN VS HOFSTRA ALL-TIME
The Lady Jaspers and Pride are meeting for the second straight season and the ninth time overall. Hofstra won last season's meeting, 81-61 on Long Island, and holds a 6-2 edge in the all-time series. Prior to last season, Manhattan and Hofstra hadn't met since the 1987-88 season, and the Lady Jaspers haven't beaten the Pride since a 79-63 victory on Jan. 7, 1987.
MANHATTAN 65, ARMY 52
Led by a balanced team effort that saw all five starters score at least nine points, the Lady Jaspers notched their first road win of the season, 65-52 at Army on Tuesday night. Manhattan took control early, making 11 of its first 16 shots to take a 25-9 lead. Army cut the lead to eight at 34-26 with 4:12 left in the first half before Abby Wentworth responded with a trey, and the margin was never lower than 10 again. The Lady Jaspers led 41-28 at halftime and increased their lead to as many as 22 points in the second half. Wentworth led the Lady Jaspers with 18 points, and Michelle Pacheco added 16 points and six assists. Lindsey Loutsenhizer and Nadia Peters each chipped in 10 points, and Loutsenhizer grabbed a team-high seven rebounds. Alyssa Herrington had nine points to go along with six steals.