Manhattan-Quinnipiac Game Notes
GAME #17: MANHATTAN JASPERS (2-14, 1-6 MAAC) AT QUINNIPIAC BOBCATS (15-3, 7-0 MAAC)
Sunday, January 18, 2015-1 p.m.
Hamden, Conn.-TD Bank Sports Center (3,100)
Video: www.quinnipiacbobcats.com
Audio: www.quinnipiacbobcats.com
GAME INFORMATION
After playing a school-record eight consecutive home games, Manhattan (2-14, 1-6 MAAC) begins a span where it plays three out of four on the road with a matchup against first-place Quinnipiac (15-3, 7-0 MAAC) at the TD Bank Sports Center. This marks the first time since Dec. 14 that Manhattan is taking the court somewhere other than Draddy Gymnasium. The Jaspers, who are looking to snap a three-game skid, suffered a 73-69 loss to Monmouth on Friday night. The Bobcats, meanwhile, have won five straight, including an 83-43 triumph over Fairfield on Thursday.
THE JASPERS
The Jaspers (2-14, 1-6 MAAC) hit the road for the first time in a month looking to snap a three-game skid. Manhattan concluded its eight-game homestand with a 71-67 loss to Monmouth on Friday night. Junior forward Shayna Ericksen had her third straight double-double against the Hawks. She leads the Jaspers in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 10.7 points and 7.3 boards per game. She's also fourth in the MAAC wiht a field goal percentage of .507. Freshman guard Nyasha Irizarry tallies 8.4 points and 2.6 assists per game, and she leads the Jaspers with 1.7 three-pointers per outing. Freshman center Kayla Grimme adds 6.4 points and 6.5 rebounds per contest to go along with 1.9 blocks per outing, the second-most in the league. This is the first of two meetings in eight days between the Jaspers and Bobcats. Manhattan will visit Siena (10-6, 3-4 MAAC) on Saturday before facing Quinnipiac again at Draddy Gymnasium next Monday.
THE BOBCATS
The Bobcats (15-3, 7-0 MAAC) picked up their fifth straight win, an 83-43 triumph over Fairfield, on Thursday and currently sit atop the MAAC standings. Quinnipiac is the highest scoring team in the MAAC, averaging 75.1 points per game as a team. Senior forward Samantha Guastella leads the way with 13.0 points per contest, and she ranks second in the MAAC with 2.8 three-pointers per outing. Guastella also records 5.7 rebounds and a league-leading 2.2 blocks per game. Senior guard Jasmine Martin contributes 12.6 points a night, while senior forward/center Val Driscoll notches 11.8 points and a team-high 6.9 rebounds per contest. She also leads the MAAC in field goal percentage (.546). Senior guard Gillian Abshire, meanwhile, distributes 5.9 assists per game, the second-highest total in the conference. The Bobcats host Marist (10-6, 6-1 MAAC) in a rematch of last season's MAAC title game on Thursday night before facing the Jaspers again next Monday.
MANHATTAN VS. QUINNIPIAC ALL-TIME
The Jaspers are winless in four all-time meetings against the Bobcats. Quinnipiac is the only opponent on the 2014-15 schedule that Manhattan has never beaten. Last season, in their first year as conference rivals, the Bobcats notched a 77-74 win over the Jaspers at the TD Bank Sports Center on Jan. 12, then picked up an 86-78 victory at Draddy Gymnasium in the regular season finale on March 1. Manhattan's only previous game in Hamden was a 66-58 Quinnipiac win on Dec. 18, 2005.
LAST GAME
Manhattan's rally from 17 points down came up just short in a 71-67 loss to Monmouth at Draddy Gymnasium on Friday night. The Hawks led 47-33 at halftime and extended that margin to a game-high 17 points, 50-33, early in the second half. The Jaspers gradually chipped away, though, getting within two, 69-67, on a Shayna Ericksen layup with 1:36 remaining. After a pair of Monmouth free throws made it a two-possession game, Manhattan got a layup from Nyasha Irizarry at the 10-second mark. However, with the Jaspers forced to foul immediately, the Hawks hit both free throws to finish off a 71-67 triumph. Ericksen had her third straight double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds, while Jacqui Thompson tallied 10 points and Kayla Grimme pulled down 10 boards.
