Manhattan-Niagara Game Notes
GAME #20: NIAGARA PURPLE EAGLES (8-12, 4-7 MAAC) AT MANHATTAN JASPERS (2-17, 1-9 MAAC)
Saturday, January 31, 2015-2 p.m.
Riverdale, N.Y.-Draddy Gymnasium (2,520)
Video: JasperVision
Audio: www.gojaspers.com
GAME INFORMATION
The Jaspers (2-17, 1-9 MAAC) return to Draddy Gymnasium for the first time in two weeks for this afternoon's matchup with Niagara (8-12, 4-7 MAAC). Manhattan, which just concluded a three-game road trip, has dropped six straight. The Jaspers are coming off a 77-38 loss at Marist on Thursday night. The Purple Eagles are looking to snap a three-game skid. Niagara fell at Saint Peter's by a 65-58 count on Thursday. This is the second meeting of the season between the Jaspers and Purple Eagles. Niagara posted a 64-36 win at the Gallagher Center on Dec. 7.
THE JASPERS
Manhattan (2-17, 1-9 MAAC) returns home looking to snap a six-game skid. In their last contest, the Jaspers dropped a 77-38 decision at Marist on Thursday night. Freshman guard Taylor Williams has led Manhattan in scoring in each of the last three games, and she currently ranks third on the squad with 7.0 points per outing. Junior forward Shayna Ericksen is the Jaspers' leading scorer with an average of 9.3 points per game. She also pulls down 6.5 rebounds a night. Freshman guard Nyasha Irizarry contributes 8.0 points per contest, while freshman center Kayla Grimme notches 6.6 points per game to go along with a team-best 6.9 rebounds per outing. She also ranks third in the MAAC with 1.9 blocks a night. Junior guard Blake Underhill, meanwhile, hands out a team-high 2.7 assists per contest. The Jaspers, who just finished a three-game road trip, hit the road again for four of their next six, starting with a 10 a.m. matchup at Iona (11-9, 8-3 MAAC) on Thursday.
THE PURPLE EAGLES
Niagara (8-12, 4-7 MAAC) has lost three straight and six of its last seven. The Purple Eagles fell at Saint Peter's by a 65-58 count on Thursday. Senior guard Meghan McGuinness averages 12.9 points per game to lead Niagara and rank sixth in the MAAC. McGuinness also ranks third in the conference in three-point percentage (.431) and fifth in three-point field goals (2.7). Sophomore forward Victoria Rampado adds 12.1 points and a team-leading 5.8 rebounds per contest, while senior center Donisha Watson registers 4.6 boards and 1.1 blocks per outing. Senior guard Kelly Van Leeuwen is the MAAC leader in assist/turnover ratio (3.9), while also ranking third in the league in assists (4.7). As a team, Niagara leads the MAAC in rebounding, pulling down 42.5 boards per contest. The Purple Eagles are also second in the conference in three-point percentage (.360) and third in scoring (64.3). Up next, Niagara returns home for a matchup with Marist (13-7, 9-2 MAAC) on Friday.
MANHATTAN VS. NIAGARA ALL-TIME
Manhattan is meeting Niagara for the 53rd time in program history, and the all-time series is level at 26-26. The Purple Eagles have won five of the last seven matchups between the squads, including a 64-36 triumph at the Gallagher Center on Dec. 7. Last season at Draddy Gymnasium, Niagara posted a 71-67 overtime victory on Jan. 23, 2014. Manhattan's last win over the Purple Eagles was a 64-56 triumph at the Gallagher Center on Feb. 15, 2014.
LAST GAME
On Thursday night, the Jaspers suffered a 77-38 loss to nine-time defending MAAC champion Marist at McCann Arena. After Marist scored the first basket of the game, Manhattan took the lead on back-toback layups from Mikki Guiton and Jacqui Thompson. However, the Red Foxes responded with a 10-0 run to go up 13-4, and Marist held a 37-15 advantage at halftime. The Red Foxes started the second half on a 29-8 spurt to push their lead to a game-high 43 points at 66-23 before a 13-7 Manhattan rally brough the Jaspers within 37, 73-36, with 2:11 remaining. Marist ended up posting a 77-38 triumph, handing the Jaspers their sixth straight loss. Taylor Williams led the Jaspers in scoring for the third straight game, finishing with 11 points. Kayla Grimme added six points and eight rebounds, while Guiton had six points and five boards.
