Manhattan-Saint Peter's Game Notes
GAME #22: SAINT PETER'S PEACOCKS (2-19, 2-10 MAAC) AT MANHATTAN JASPERS (2-19, 1-11 MAAC)
Saturday, February 7, 2015-2 p.m.
Riverdale, N.Y.-Draddy Gymnasium (2,520)
Video: JasperVision
Audio: www.gojaspers.com, www.saintpeterspeacocks.com
GAME INFORMATION
The Jaspers (2-19, 1-11 MAAC) return to Draddy Gymnasium for the only time in a four-game span this afternoon, as they begin the season series with Saint Peter's (2-19, 2-10 MAAC). Manhattan has dropped eight straight, including a 60-41 loss at Iona on Thursday. The Peacocks come into the contest on a two-game losing streak. Saint Peter's lost to Monmouth by a 67-52 count on Thursday night. Both Manhattan and Saint Peter's have knocked off Rider this season, while the Peacocks also have a victory over Niagara.
THE JASPERS
Manhattan (2-19, 1-11 MAAC) suffered its eighth straight loss, a 60-41 defeat, at Iona on Thursday. Junior forward Shayna Ericksen paces the Jaspers in both scoring and rebounding. She averages 9.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Ericksen also ranks sixth in the MAAC in field goal percentage (.464). Freshman guard Nyasha Irizarry contributes 7.7 points per contest and leads the team with 1.6 three-pointers per outing. She adds 2.3 assists and a team-best 1.2 steals a night. Freshman guard Taylor Williams, meanwhile, contributes 7.0 points per game. Freshman center Kayla Grimme ranks fifth in the MAAC with 1.6 blocks per outing to go along with 6.2 points and 6.5 boards per contest. Junior guard Blake Underhill hands out 2.6 assists per game, while junior guard Jacqui Thompson distributes 2.5 assists per outing. The Jaspers are back on the road for their next two games, starting with a matchup at Fairfield on Wednesday night.
THE PEACOCKS
Saint Peter's (2-19, 2-10 MAAC) has suffered back-to-back losses, including a 67-52 home defeat against Monmouth on Thursday. The Peacocks are the lowest-scoring team in the nation, averaging just 46.7 points per game as a team. Freshman forward Sajanna Bethea paces Saint Peter's with 8.8 points per outing, and her 6.5 rebounds per contest are also a team-high. Freshman guard Alyssa Velles contributes 7.7 points a night, and she leads the squad with 1.4 three-pointers per game. Senior guard Antonia Smith, meanwhile, registers 7.0 points per contest to go along with 2.1 assists per outing. Junior guard Rebecca Sparks dishes out a team-best 2.2 assists per game. Junior forward Hala Mostafa ranks ninth in the MAAC with 1.1 blocks per outing, and she adds 5.9 points and 4.9 rebounds a night. The Peacocks visit Rider on Tuesday night in the make-up of a game postponed on Jan. 26. Saint Peter's then hosts Iona on Thursday night.
MANHATTAN VS. SAINT PETER'S ALL-TIME
Two founding members of the MAAC, Manhattan and Saint Peter's are meeting for the 77th time. The Peacocks lead the all-time series 51-25, but the Jaspers have won nine of the last 10 matchups, including both games last season. Manhattan posted a 58-31 victory at Draddy Gymnasium on Feb. 6, 2014, then notched a 50-41 triumph in the rematch at the Yanitelli Center on Feb. 26, 2014. The Peacocks' last win in the series was a 60-49 decision in Riverdale on Jan. 27, 2013.
LAST GAME
On Thursday, Manhattan suffered a hard-fought 60-41 loss to Iona at the Hynes Athletic Center. Iona led 18-12 with 3:12 left in the first half before a pair of Shayna Ericksen buckets and an Ashley Stec jumper with 27 seconds remaining before halftime made it an 18-18 game at the break. Stec put the Jaspers ahed with the first basket of the second half, but the Gaels responded with a 14-6 run to go up 32-26. After Iona's cushion reached 11 points at 45-34, the Jaspers rallied for five straight points to pull within six, 45-39, at the 4:36 mark. However, Iona outscored Manhattan 15-2 the rest of the way to notch a 60-41 triumph. Ericksen, Stec and Nyasha Irizarry combined for 29 of Manhattan's 41 points. Ericksen had a team-high 12 points, while Stec notched 10 points and seven rebounds, and Irizarry finished with seven points.