Manhattan-Marist Game Notes
GAME #19: MANHATTAN JASPERS (2-16, 1-8 MAAC) AT MARIST RED FOXES (12-7, 8-2 MAAC)
Thursday, January 29, 2015-7 p.m.
Poughkeepsie, N.Y.-McCann Arena (3,200)
Video: Red Fox Network, MAAC.tv
Audio: www.goredfoxes.com
GAME INFORMATION
After having its matchup with first-place Quinnipiac postponed due to inclement weather, Manhattan (2-16, 1-8 MAAC) takes the court for just the second time in 11 days on Thursday night at McCann Arena against nine-time defening MAAC champion Marist (12-7, 8-2 MAAC). The Jaspers have been off since Saturday, when they suffered a 59-51 loss at Siena. The Red Foxes posted a 77-51 victory over Saint Peter's on Saturday. This is the second meeting of the season between the teams. Marist knocked off Manhattan 67-45 at Draddy Gymnasium on Jan. 12.
THE JASPERS
The Jaspers (2-16, 1-8 MAAC) end their three-game road trip looking for their first victory in six contests. Manhattan is coming off a 59-51 loss at Siena on Saturday. Junior forward Shayna Ericksen leads the Jaspers with 9.6 points per game and ranks second on the squad with 6.6 rebounds a night. She also ranks third in the MAAC in field goal percentage (.493). Freshman guard Nyasha Irizarry tallies 8.2 points and a team-best 1.7 three-pointers per outing, while freshman guard Taylor Williams, who has recorded 16 points in each of the last two contests, notches 6.8 points per game. Freshman center Kayla Grimme, meanwhile, registers 6.6 points per contest to go with a team-leading 6.8 rebounds per outing and 1.9 blocks per game, which places her second in the league. The Jaspers return to Draddy Gymnasium for the first time since their school-record eight-game homestand on Saturday afternoon, when they take on Niagara (8-11, 4-6 MAAC).
THE RED FOXES
Marist has won five out of six and 11 of its last 13 games. The Red Foxes are coming off a 77-51 victory over Saint Peter's on Saturday. Senior forward/center Tori Jarosz leads Marist with 16.2 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. She also registers a team-high 3.0 blocks per contest. Junior forward/guard Madeline Blais, meanwhile, tallies 15.9 points and 5.8 boards per outing to go along with 1.9 blocks a night. Blais also leads the MAAC in free throw percentage (.948) and ranks second in the league in three-point percentage (.450). Her 2.6 three-pointers per contest are fourth-most in the conference. Junior guard Sydney Coffey contributes 12.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per outing, while senior guard Natalie Gomez-Martinez distributes a team-best 3.2 assists per game. The Red Foxes begin a three-game road trip with a matchup at Iona (11-8, 8-2 MAAC) on Saturday that will be broadcast nationally on ESPN3.
MANHATTAN VS. MARIST ALL-TIME
This is the 50th all-time meeting between the schools, and the Red Foxes hold a 26-23 edge in the series. Marist's 67-45 victory at Draddy Gymnasium on Jan. 12 was its sixth consecutive win over Manhattan. The Jaspers' last win over the Red Foxes was a 48-44 victory in Riverdale on Feb. 4, 2012. Manhattan hasn't won in Poughkeepsie since a 72-63 triumph on Feb. 21, 2003, a span of 11 straight games. Last season at McCann Arena, Marist registered a 70-46 win on Jan. 3, 2014.
LAST GAME
The Jaspers dropped a 59-51 decision to Siena at the Alumni Recreation Center on Saturday afternoon. Manhattan took an early 6-3 lead before the Saints went on a 9-0 run to go up 12-6. The Jaspers got back within one at 18-17, but Siena ended the first half on a 12-5 rally to take a 30-23 lead into the locker room. After Taylor Williams hit a three-pointer on the opening possession of the second half, Siena used a 16-5 spurt to open up its largest lead of the game, a 51-37 advantage. The Jaspers pulled within six with 1:19 to go, but would get no closer, as Siena finished off a 59-51 triumph. Williams posting a career-high 16 points for the second straight game, while Nyasha Irizarry added 13 points. Kayla Grimme just missed a double-double with nine points and eight rebounds, and Mikki Guiton tallied seven points.
