Manhattan-Army Game Notes
Game 3: Manhattan Jaspers (1-1) at Army Black Knights (2-1)
Wednesday, November 20, 2013-7 p.m.
West Point, N.Y.-Christl Arena (5,043)
Video: Knight Vision
Audio: www.goarmysports.com
JASPERS VS. BLACK KNIGHTS
Manhattan (1-1) concludes its season-opening three-game road trip tonight against Army (2-1) at Christl Arena. This is the sixth straight year in which these squads are meeting. The Jaspers are coming off a 63-43 loss at Towson on Saturday night, while the Black Knights have won two straight, including a 57-51 decision against Weber State on Sunday. Army, which was picked to finish second in the Patriot League, is in the midst of a four-game homestand. The Jaspers open their home schedule on Sunday, when La Salle visits Draddy Gymnasium.
ABOUT MANHATTAN
The Jaspers (1-1) wrap up their season-opening three-game road trip looking to rebound after their first loss of the season, 63-43 at Towson on Saturday night. Freshman center Kayla Grimme was named MAAC Rookie of the Week for her 17-point, nine-rebound effort against the Tigers. She has started both games this season and currently leads the Jaspers in both scoring (12.0 ppg) and rebounding (6.5 rpg). Senior guard Monica Roeder is tied for the team lead with 12.0 points per contest, and she also pulls down 6.0 rebounds a night. Junior guard Nicole Isaacs pours in 11.0 points per outing, while senior guard Allison Skrec hands out 5.5 assists per game to go along with her 7.0 points per contest. Sophomore forward Shayna Ericksen, who had a double-double in the season opener against Fairleigh Dickinson, tallies 6.0 points and 6.0 rebounds a night. The Jaspers will begin their home schedule on Sunday afternoon, when La Salle visits Draddy Gymnasium.
ABOUT ARMY
After dropping its season opener, Army (2-1) has won two straight, including a 57-51 victory over Weber State on Sunday afternoon. Sophomore guard Kelsey Minato, the reigning Patriot League Player and Rookie of the Year, paces the Black Knights in scoring with an average of 19.3 points per game. She also tallies 2.7 assists per outing. Freshman forward/center Danille Failor, meanwhile, is the current Patriot League Rookie of the Week. She ranks third on the squad in scoring (8.0 ppg) and second in rebounding (6.7 rpg). Army's top rebounder is junior forward Olivia Schretzman, who pulls down 10.7 boards per contest. Schretzman also leads the Black Knights with 3.0 assists a night. Sophomore forward/center Aimee Oertner is second on the team with 9.3 points per game, and her 1.7 blocks per outing are a team-high. The Black Knights conclude their four-game homestand by hosting Brown on Saturday afternoon.
SERIES HISTORY
Manhattan and Army are squaring off for the sixth consecutive year and the 15th time overall. The Jaspers lead the all-time series 8-6, but the Black Knights have won the last two, including a 54-49 victory at Draddy Gymnasium on Dec. 4, 2012. Manhattan's last win over Army came on Dec. 30, 2010, when the Jaspers notched a 56-42 triumph over the Black Knights in Riverdale.
TOWSON 63, MANHATTAN 43
Manhattan suffered its first loss of the season, 63-43, at Towson on Saturday night. The Jaspers got off to a great start, holding the Tigers scoreless for nearly nine minutes after Towson opened the game with a trey. After a Nicole Isaacs three put Manhattan up 16-3, Towson went on a 14-0 run to go in front, 17-16. Manhattan regained the lead on a Kayla Grimme bucket before the Tigers ended the half on an 11-3 spurt and had a 28-21 advantage at intermission. The Jaspers cut their deficit to five early in the second half, but Towson went on a 20-6 rally over the next 10:20 to open up a 48-29 advantage, and the Tigers ultimately secured a 63-43 triumph. Grimme just missed her first career double-double in the contest, finishing with a game-high 17 points and nine rebounds. Monica Roeder added 11 points and six boards, while Allison Skrec handed out four assists.
COMING ATTRACTIONS
The Jaspers signed two players to National Letters of Intent for the 2014-15 season during the NCAA's Early Signing Period. Sheridan Heine is a 5-9 guard from Notre Dame High School in Elmira, N.Y. She was named fifth team all-state after averaging 13.3 points per game in 2012-13. Nyasha Irizarry, a 5-10 guard from Brooklyn, N.Y., comes to Manhattan from Archbishop Molloy High School, where she was a two-year starter. Irizarry helped the Stanners win the regular season conference title for the first time last season.
ROOKIE RECOGNITION
Freshman center Kayla Grimme was named MAAC Rookie of the Week on Nov. 18. She nearly recorded a double-double against Towson on Nov. 16, finishing with a game-high 17 points on 8-for-13 shooting and adding nine rebounds in the 63-43 loss. Grimme played 37 minutes in the contest, notching an assist, a block and a steal.
