Manhattan-Iona Game Notes
Game 17: Manhattan Jaspers (4-12, 3-4 MAAC) at Iona Gaels (14-2, 7-0 MAAC)
Monday, January 20, 2014-7:00 p.m.
New Rochelle, N.Y.-Hynes Athletic Center (2,611)
Video: MAAC.tv, GaelVision
Audio: www.gojaspers.com, www.icgaels.com
JASPERS VS. GAELS
The Jaspers (4-12, 3-4 MAAC) look for their second straight win tonight at the Hynes Athletic Center against first-place Iona (14-2, 7-0 MAAC). This is the final contest in a three-game road trip for Manhattan, which is coming off a 50-47 victory at Rider on Thursday night. The Gaels have posted a school-record 13 straight wins, most recently notching a 64-59 triumph at Fairfield on Saturday. Manhattan returns home for the only time in a six-game stretch on Thursday night, when Niagara visits Draddy Gymnasium.
ABOUT MANHATTAN
Manhattan (4-12, 3-4 MAAC) looks to get back to .500 in conference play after snapping a four-game losing streak with a 50-47 victory at Rider on Thursday. Senior guard Monica Roeder scored her 1,200th career point in that game, moving into ninth place on Manhattan's all-time scoring list. Roeder paces the Jaspers with 11.6 points per game to go along with 4.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists per outing. Sophomore forward Shayna Ericksen tallies 10.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per contest, while also collecting a team-best 1.9 steals a night. Ericksen is also second in the MAAC in field goal percentage (.564). Senior guard Allison Skrec adds 8.4 points per game and hands out 5.1 assists per contest, the third-best mark in the MAAC. Junior guard Nicole Isaacs, meanwhile, chips in 8.0 points a night and leads the team with 2.3 three-pointers per game. The Jaspers return home for the only time in a six-game stretch on Thursday night, when they take on Niagara.
ABOUT IONA
First-place Iona (14-2, 7-0 MAAC) is in the midst of a 13-game winning streak and is the only team undefeated in MAAC play this season. The Gaels are coming off a 64-59 victory at Fairfield on Saturday. Junior guard Damika Martinez, the reigning MAAC Player of the Year, leads the league and ranks fourth in the country in scoring with an average of 24.7 points per game. Sophomore forward Joy Adams notches 13.9 rebounds per contest, third-best in the nation, to go along with 18.5 points and 2.4 steals per outing. Junior guard Aleesha Powell adds 12.9 points a night, as Iona averages 75.3 points per game as a team. Senior center Sabrina Jeridore, meanwhile, blocks 3.9 shots per game, which places her third nationally in that category. Senior guard Haley D'Angelo is second in the MAAC in assists (5.3 per game), and she's the national leader in assist-turnover ratio (3.83). As a team, Iona leads the nation in free throw percentage (.827) and is ninth nationally in three-point percentage (.394).
SERIES HISTORY
Manhattan and Iona are meeting for the 69th time in program history. The Jaspers lead the all-time series 44-24, but the Gaels swept the season series in 2012-13. Iona posted a 76-46 victory at the Hynes Athletic Center on Jan. 10, 2013, then recorded a 71-64 triumph in the rematch at Draddy Gymnasium on Feb. 28, 2013. Manhattan had won four of the previous five meetings prior to last season, including a 59-54 win in Riverdale on Feb. 15, 2012.
MANHATTAN 50, RIDER 47
The Jaspers snapped a four-game losing streak with a 50-47 victory at Rider on Thursday night. Manhattan was clinging to a one-point lead when Allison Skrec hit a floater with 19 seconds left to make it 50-47. After each team took a timeout, Shayna Ericksen came up with a steal (Manhattan's 18th of the game) and was fouled immediately. However, she missed the free throw and the Broncs grabbed the rebound. Rider's three-pointer at the buzzer was off the mark, though, giving Manhattan the victory. The contest was knotted 28-28 at halftime before the Jaspers used an 8-1 run early in the second half to open up a lead they would not relinquish. Monica Roeder tallied 16 points to move into ninth place on the Jaspers' all-time scoring list. Ericksen finished with six steals, as Manhattan forced 26 Rider turnovers.
