Game 27: Canisius Golden Griffins (10-16, 5-10 MAAC) at Manhattan Lady Jaspers (13-13, 8-7 MAAC)
Sunday, February 21, 2010-2 p.m.
Riverdale, N.Y.-Draddy Gymnasium (2,345)
TV: None
Radio/Internet: JasperVision (gojaspers.com), gogriffs.com
TODAY'S GAME
The Lady Jaspers (13-13, 8-7 MAAC) begin a season-ending three-game homestand this afternoon against Canisius (10-16, 5-10 MAAC). Manhattan has dropped two straight, including a 53-51 decision at Siena on Friday night, and currently sit tied for fourth place in the MAAC. Canisius enters the game on a three-game losing streak after falling to Niagara, 49-46, on Friday. The Griffs are in ninth place in the MAAC standings.
ABOUT MANHATTAN
Manhattan (13-13, 8-7 MAAC) looks to snap a two-game losing streak that has dropped the Lady Jaspers into a tie for fourth-place in the MAAC. Manhattan is coming off a 53-51 loss at Siena on Friday night. Sophomore forward Lindsey Loutsenhizer and senior guard Michelle Pacheco account for nearly 50 percent of the team's scoring. Loutsenhizer averages a team-leading 15.2 points per game. She also pulls down a team-best 6.5 rebounds per contest. Pacheco contributes 15.1 points per game and leads the MAAC in assists (5.0 apg). She also averages 2.8 steals per game to rank second in the league. Junior guard Abby Wentworth adds 9.3 points and 2.5 steals per game, while sophomore forward Nadia Peters ranks second in the MAAC with 1.6 blocked shots per game. After playing nine of their last 13 contests on the road, the Lady Jaspers end the regular season with three straight games at Draddy Gymnasium.
ABOUT CANISIUS
Canisius (10-16, 5-10 MAAC) has lost three straight and five of its last six games. The Griffs are coming off a 49-46 loss to Niagara on Friday night and currently sit ninth in the MAAC. Senior guard Brittane Russell averages 13.0 points per game to lead the team. She leads the MAAC in steals, averaging 3.0 per game. Russell also paces the Griffs with an average of 3.7 assists per contest and ranks second on the squad with 4.6 rebounds per game. She drains a team-best 2.1 three-pointers per game and is shooting .377 from downtown. Senior forward Ellie Radke ranks second on the team in scoring (11.0 ppg) and pulls down a team-leading 6.2 rebounds per game. Sophomore guard Micayla Drysdale chips in 7.0 points per game and is shooting .348 from three-point range. As a team, the Griffs drain 7.0 three-pointers per game. Canisius has made at least one three-pointer in an NCAA-record 478 straight games.
MANHATTAN VS CANISIUS ALL-TIME
Canisius has won the last three meetings between the teams, including a 59-57 double overtime victory at the Koessler Athletic Center on Jan. 11. The Lady Jaspers' last triumph in the series was a 59-46 win at Draddy Gymnasium on Feb. 1, 2008. The Griffs lead the all-time series 28-17 and are 12-2 against Manhattan since the start of the 2003-04 season.
SIENA 53, MANHATTAN 51
Siena's Merrick Volpe hit a layup with 0.3 seconds left to give the Saints a 53-51 victory over Manhattan at UHY Court on Friday night. The Lady Jaspers had tied the game at 51-51 on a layup by Nadia Peters with 1:42 remaining, then forced a shot clock violation on Siena's next possession. Manhattan got the ball back with 59 seconds left and had three looks at the basket, but each time the shot didn't fall. The ball went out of bounds to Siena with nine seconds to go, and Volpe drove down for the winning basket. Manhattan led 29-25 at halftime and held a five-point advantage before the Saints went on a 12-2 run to take a five-point lead of their own. It was then Manhattan's turn to battle back, as the Lady Jaspers went on a 6-0 run to tie the game. Michelle Pacheco led the Lady Jaspers with a game-high 19 points, while Lindsey Loutsenhizer added 15 points and five rebounds.
YOU LOOK FAMILIAR
Canisius Head Coach Terry Zeh is a familiar face to many Jaspers fans, having spent one season on the men's basketball staff at Manhattan. Zeh was an assistant under Fran Fraschilla during the1994-95campaign, when the Jaspers went 26-5, won the MAAC regular season crown and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, where they upset Oklahoma in the first round.