Manhattan-La Salle Game Notes
Game 4: La Salle Explorers (0-2) at Manhattan Jaspers (1-2)
Sunday, November 24, 2013-2 p.m.
Riverdale, N.Y.-Draddy Gymnasium (5,250)
Video: JasperVision HD
Audio: www.gojaspers.com
JASPERS VS. EXPLORERS
The Jaspers (1-2) kick off their 2013-14 home schedule this afternoon with a matchup against La Salle (0-2) at Draddy Gymnasium. Manhattan won its opener, but has dropped two straight since, including a 66-52 loss at Army on Wednesday night. La Salle has been off since last Sunday, when the Explorers fell at Rutgers by a 59-57 count. The Explorers have taken on two American Athletic Conference foes this season, falling 60-47 to Temple in their opener. Manhattan continues its three-game homestand against Delaware State on Tuesday.
ABOUT MANHATTAN
Manhattan (1-2) opens its home schedule looking to snap a two-game losing streak. The Jaspers are coming off a 66-52 loss at Army on Wednesday night. Senior guard Monica Roeder had 27 points and nine rebounds against the Black Knights. She leads the team in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 17.0 points and 7.0 boards per game. Roeder also ranks second on the squad in assists (2.7 apg). Prior to today's contest, she will be honored for scoring her 1,000th career point. Junior guard Nicole Isaacs contributes 10.3 points per contest. Roeder and Isaacs each drain 3.0 three-pointers per outing. Freshman center Kayla Grimme, the current MAAC Rookie of the Week, tallies 9.7 points and 6.0 rebounds a night. Senior guard Allison Skrec hands out a team-leading 6.0 assists per outing. Sophomore forward Shayna Ericksen, meanwhile, notches 5.3 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. The Jaspers continue their homestand by welcoming Delaware State to Draddy Gymnasium on Tuesday.
ABOUT LA SALLE
La Salle (0-2) hasn't played since dropping a heartbreaking 59-57 decision at Rutgers last Sunday. The Explorers' only other contest this season was a 60-47 loss to Temple on Nov. 8. Freshman forward Micahya Owens leads the Explorers in scoring with an average of 14.5 points per game. She also records 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks a night. Junior guard Alicia Cropper, meanwhile, pours in 12.0 points per contest. Senior guard Khristin Lee chips in 9.5 points per game to go along with 5.5 boards, 4.0 assists and 4.0 steals per outing. Sophomore forward Siobhan Beslow is La Salle's leading rebounder with 10.0 boards per contest, while senior forward/center Leeza Burdgess grabs 8.0 rebounds per outing. Burdgess had a double-double against Rutgers, tallying 10 points and 11 rebounds. That quintent has started both games and contributes 92.3 percent of the offense, scoring 96 of La Salle's 104 points this season. The Explorers are back in action on Monday night, when they visit Fairfield.
SERIES HISTORY
Manhattan hasn't faced La Salle since March 7, 1992, when the Explorers notched a 67-55 victory in the semifinals of the MAAC Tournament during their final season as members of the conference. La Salle also swept the regular season series in 1991-92 and has won three straight against the Jaspers. Manhattan's last win over the Explorers was a 60-53 triumph in the 1991 MAAC quarterfinals. La Salle leads the all-time series 17-7.
ARMY 66, MANHATTAN 52
Monica Roeder tallied 27 points and nine rebounds, but the Jaspers fell to Army, 66-52, at Christl Arena on Wednesday night. After Army jumped out to a 9-2 lead, Manhattan went on an 8-0 run of its own, taking a 10-9 advantage on a three-pointer by Nicole Isaacs with 13:38 left in the first half, though. The Black Knights countered with a 9-0 rally to open up an 18-10 cushion, and Army led 34-23 at the break. Army extended the margin to 14 points early in the second half before a Roeder layup and an Isaacs trey brought the Jaspers within nine, 41-32. Army, though, then went on a 24-9 run to extend its lead to a game-high 24 points, 65-41, with 2:54 remaining. Manhattan ended the game on an 11-1 spurt to trim its final deficit to 14 points, 66-52. Isaacs finished with nine points, while Allison Skrec handed out seven assists.
DRADDY DEBUT
Manhattan is looking to snap a three-game losing streak in home openers. The last time the Jaspers earned a victory in their first game at Draddy Gymnasium was on Nov. 13, 2009, when they recorded a 71-34 triumph over St. Francis Brooklyn in John Olenowski's first game as head coach. Overall, the Jaspers are 21-12 in their last 33 home openers dating back to the 1980-81 campaign.
