Manhattan-Marist Game Notes
Game 12: Manhattan Jaspers (3-8, 2-0 MAAC) at Marist Red Foxes (8-4, 2-0 MAAC)
Friday, January 3, 2014-7:00 p.m.
Poughkeepsie, N.Y.-McCann Arena (3,200)
Video: MAAC.tv, Red Fox Network
Audio: www.gojaspers.com, www.goredfoxes.com
JASPERS VS. RED FOXES
Manhattan (3-8, 2-0 MAAC) begins 2014 with its first Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) road game of the season tonight at McCann Arena against eight-time defending MAAC champion Marist (8-4, 2-0 MAAC). The Jaspers notched their second straight win to begin conference play, 65-59 over Monmouth at Draddy Gymnasium on Tuesday. Marist comes into the contest with a 33-game MAAC winning streak and a seven-game winning streak overall after a 57-49 triumph over Canisius on Tuesday.
ABOUT MANHATTAN
The Jaspers (3-8, 2-0 MAAC) are looking for their third straight win to begin conference play. Manhattan is coming off a 65-59 home victory over Monmouth on Tuesday. Senior guard Monica Roeder paces the Jaspers in scoring with an average of 10.9 points per game. She also tallies 4.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists a night. Sophomore forward Shayna Ericksen, who tied a career-high with 24 points against Monmouth, adds 9.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per contest. Ericksen also paces the Jaspers in steals (1.6 spg) and is shooting .588 from the field. Junior guard Nicole Isaacs, meanwhile, contributes 9.1 points per outing and drains 2.5 three-pointers per game. Senior guard Allison Skrec notches 8.2 points per contest to go along with 5.5 assists a night, the third-highest total in the MAAC. This is the Jaspers' only road contest in a six-game span. Manhattan returns to Draddy Gymnasium for a 2 p.m. matchup with Siena on Sunday.
ABOUT MARIST
The Red Foxes (8-4, 2-0 MAAC) are in the midst of a seven-game winning streak that included a victory over then-No. 19/20 Oklahoma on Dec. 21. Marist picked up its 33rd consecutive MAAC win on Tuesday afternoon, defeating Canisius 57-49. Sophomore guard/forward Madeline Blais, who's shooting .556 from the field and .521 from three-point range, paces the Red Foxes with 15.7 points per game. Senior guard Leanne Ockenden tallies 15.1 points per outing to go along with 2.8 assists and 2.0 steals a night. Senior forward Emma O'Connor, meanwhile, registers 13.2 points per game and grabs a team-high 6.1 rebounds per contest. Senior guard Casey Dulin, who missed the first eight games of the season with an injury, is averaging 11.0 points and 4.8 assists per outing since her return, while junior guard Sydney Coffey notches 9.9 points and 3.0 assists a night. The Red Foxes conclude their five-game homestand by welcoming Siena to Poughkeepsie on Tuesday.
SERIES HISTORY
Marist won all three meetings last season, including a 72-50 triumph in the quarterfinals of the MAAC Tournament on March 8, 2013. The all-time series, however, is knotted at 23-23. Manhattan was the last MAAC team to beat Marist, notching a 48-44 victory over the Red Foxes at Draddy Gymnasium on Feb. 4, 2012. Marist has won 33 straight games against conference opponents since that loss. The last time the Jaspers won in Poughkeepsie was on Feb. 21, 2003, when they posted a 72-63 triumph.
MANHATTAN 65, MONMOUTH 59
Shayna Ericksen tied a career-high with 24 points, as the Jaspers notched their second straight victory to begin MAAC play, 65-59 over Monmouth at Draddy Gymnasium on Tuesday. Manhattan trailed 18-15 midway through the first half before going on a 15-1 run to take a 30-19 lead. The Jaspers then scored the final seven points of the opening period to increse their advantage to 38-25 at intermission. After the lead reached a game-high 15 points early in the second half, Monmouth gradually chipped away, pulling within four at 60-56 with 2:15 remaining. However, the Jaspers refused to let the Hawks get any closer. Manhattan made its free throws down the stretch to complete a 65-59 triumph and move to 2-0 in the MAAC. Ericksen also grabbed a team-high seven rebounds, while Nicole Isaacs finished with nine points and five assists.
STREAK BUSTERS
Eight-time defending champion Marist has been the dominant team in the MAAC over the past decade. The Red Foxes have won 72 of their past 74 games against conference opponents, including their last 33 straight. The only two losses during that span have come against Manhattan. The Jaspers snapped Marist's 34-game MAAC winning streak with a 48-44 triumph at Draddy Gymnasium on Feb. 4, 2012. The Red Foxes' last conference loss prior to that game was also in Riverdale, a 65-62 Manhattan victory on Feb. 28, 2010. The last time Marist lost to a MAAC team other than Manhattan was on Feb. 9, 2010, when Fairfield defeated the Red Foxes 61-60 in Connecticut.