Manhattan-Niagara Game Notes
GAME #30: #11 MANHATTAN JASPERS (3-26) VS. #6 NIAGARA PURPLE EAGLES (13-16)
MAAC Tournament, 1st Round
Thursday, March 5, 2015-1:30 p.m.
Albany, N.Y.-Times Union Center (10,450)
Video: None
Audio: www.gojaspers.com, www.purpleeagles.com
GAME INFORMATION
The 11th-seeded Jaspers (3-26) open the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Tournament this afternoon with a first-round matchup against sixth-seeded Niagara (13-16) at the Times Union Center. The winner of today's game will take on Fairfield, the No. 3 seed, in the quarterfinals. Manhattan has dropped three straight, including a 72-54 loss to Fairfield on Saturday afternoon. Niagara comes into the contest on a two-game skid. The Purple Eagles suffered an 81-53 loss at Iona in their regular season finale on Saturday.
THE JASPERS
Manhattan (3-26) went 2-18 in MAAC games this season and received the No. 11 seed for the conference tournament. The Jaspers have lost three straight and are coming off a 72-54 loss to Fairfield on Saturday. Junior forward Shayna Ericksen is the Jaspers' top scorer with an average of 9.5 points per game. She's also tied for the team lead with 6.0 rebounds per outing. Freshman center Kayla Grimme also records 6.0 boards per contest, and she ranks second on the squad with 7.7 points a night. She's reached double-figures in scoring in each of the Jaspers' last four games and is averaging 15.8 points during that span. Grimme also registeres a team-high 1.3 blocks per game. Freshman guard Taylor Williams posts 7.5 points per contest, while freshman guard Nyasha Irizarry adds 7.4 points per outing. Irizarry and Williams each drain 1.5 three-pointers per game, as well. Junior guard Blake Underhill, meanwhile, distributes a team-best 3.3 assists a night.
THE PURPLE EAGLES
Niagara (13-16) clinched the No. 6 seed in the MAAC Tournament after going 9-11 in conference play. The Purple Eagles have dropped their last two games, however, including an 81-53 defeat at Iona on Saturday. Niagara boasts a pair of Second Team All-MAAC selections in sophomore forward Victoria Rampado and senior guard Meghan McGuinness. Rampado leads the team in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 12.9 points and 6.1 boards per contest. McGuinnes tallies 12.6 points per game, and she drains 2.4 three-pointers per outing. She ranks third in the league in three-point percentage, shooting .431 from beyond the arc. Junior guard Taylor McKay, meanwhile, contributes 8.0 points a night. Senior center Donisha Watson averages 1.1 blocks per game, while senior guard Kelly Van Leeuwen ranks fifth in the MAAC with 4.4 assists per contest. She's also second in the conference with an assist/turnover ratio of 3.7.
MANHATTAN VS. NIAGARA ALL-TIME
This is the 54th all-time meeting between Manhattan and Niagara, with the Purple Eagles holding a 27-26 edge in the series. Niagara has won six of its last eight matchups with Manhattan, including both contests this season. The Purple Eagles notched a 64-36 victory at the Gallagher Center on Dec. 7, then defeated the Jaspers 53-46 at Draddy Gymnasium on Jan. 31. Manhattan's last win over Niagara was a 64-56 triumph at the Gallagher Center on Feb. 15, 2014.
MAAC TOURNAMENT HISTORY
The Jaspers and Purple Eagles are facing each other in the MAAC Tournament for the third time. Each team has defeated the other once in the postseason. The Jaspers registered a 57-53 victory in the 2007 first round, while Niagara defeated Manhattan 66-54 in the 2010 quarterfinals, which was also the most recent time the event was held in Albany.
LAST GAME
Manhattan concluded the regular season with a 72-54 loss to Fairfield at Draddy Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon. After the Stags scored the first four points of the game, Alexis Crist hit a pair of layups to tie it. However, Fairfield responded with a 17-4 run to open up a 21-8 advantage. Manhattan pulled within six at 26-20 before the Stags ended the first half on a 17-2 rally to take a 43-22 lead into the locker room. The Jaspers trimmed their deficit to 18 early in the second half, but Fairfield rallied for seven straight points to run its lead to 25. The Stags extended the margin to as many as 29 points before Manhattan ended the game on a 13-2 spurt to make the final score 72-54. Kayla Grimme paced the Jaspers with 18 points, while Taylor Williams and Blake Underhill notched 12 points apiece.
SEASON SERIES
Dec. 7-Niagara 64, Manhattan 36 (Gallagher Center)
On Dec. 7, Manhattan dropped a 64-36 decision to Niagara at the Gallagher Center. The Jaspers jumped out to a 6-0 lead before the Purple Eagles rallied to go up 13-8. Manhattan responded with a 10-4 spurt to go back in front, then, after a pair of Niagara free throws, Kayla Grimme hit a layup with 2.4 seconds remaining to give the Jaspers a 20-19 halftime lead. Manhattan extended its advantage to three at 27-24 early in the second half. However, the Jaspers then went on a 15-minute scoring drought. Niagara went on a 33-0 run during that span to open up a 57-27 cushion. Manhattan finally got back on the board with 2:28 left, and the Jaspers outscored the Purple Eagles 9-7 the rest of the way to make the final score 64-36. Grimme finished with 10 points, nine rebounds and three blocks, while Shayna Ericksen added eight points.
Jan. 31-Niagara 53, Manhattan 46 (Draddy Gymnasium)
Playing at home for the first time in two weeks, the Jaspers suffered a 53-46 loss to Niagara at Draddy Gymnasium on Jan. 31. It was tied at 11-11 before the Purple Eagles went on a 13-2 rally to open up an 11-point cushion, 24-13, with 3:28 left in the first half. However, Manhattan responded with a 10-2 run to pull within three, 26-23, at halftime. Niagra pushed its margin back to seven early in the second half, but an 8-2 spurt by the Jaspers made it a one-point game once again, 34-33, with 9:00 left. The Purple Eagles rallied for 13 of the next 17 points to regain a 10-point advantage and held on for a 53-46 triumph to complete a season sweep of the Jaspers. Shayna Ericksen notched her seventh double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Taylor Williams contributed 12 points on four three-pointers.
BRACKETOLOGY
Manhattan is meeting Niagara in the MAAC Tournament for the third time in program history and the first time since 2010. The winner of today's matchup between the 11th-seeded Jaspers and sixth-seeded Purple Eagles moves on to meet Fairfield, the No. 3 seed, in the quarterfinals at 9:30 p.m. on Friday. The quarterfinal winners will then have Saturday off before Sunday's semifinals, which will be broadcast live on ESPN3 at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The MAAC Championship Game is scheduled for Monday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. and will be broadcast live on ESPNU.
