Manhattan-Fairfield Game Notes
GAME #16: Fairfield Stags (7-9, 2-5 MAAC) at Manhattan Jaspers (6-9, 3-3 MAAC)
Saturday, January 16, 2016-2:00 p.m.
Riverdale, NY-Draddy Gymnasium (2,520)
Video: Jasper Sports Network
Live Audio
Live Stats
JASPERS GAMEDAY
The Jaspers (6-9, 3-3 MAAC) continue their four-game homestand with their second meeting of the season against Fairfield (7-9, 2-5 MAAC). Manhattan posted a 70-55 victory when the squads met in Connecticut on Jan. 8. The Jaspers have lost two straight since that contest, including a 79-73 defeat against Marist on Tuesday, and have dropped four of their last five overall. Fairfield snapped a three-game skid with a 55-39 triumph at Rider on Thursday. This is the end of a three-game road trip for the Stags. Next up for Manhattan, meanwhile, is a Monday matinee with first-place Iona at Draddy Gymnasium.
MANHATTAN BREAKDOWN
Manhattan (6-9, 3-3 MAAC) looks to rebound after dropping two straight, including a 79-73 loss to Marist in its annual “Kid's Day Out” contest on Tuesday. Sophomore guard Amani Tatum paces the Jaspers with 11.1 points per game, and her 2.9 steals per contest are second-most in the MAAC. Tatum also leads the team wtih 3.1 assists per outing, while senior guard Blake Underhill distributes 3.0 assists a night. Sophomore center Kayla Grimme is second in the league with 2.8 blocks per contest, and she ranks fifth in the MAAC in both rebounding (8.0 rpg) and free throw percentage (.833). Grimme also contributes 7.6 points per game. Sophomore guard Nyasha Irizarry, meanwhile, notches 9.6 points per outing and drains a team-best 2.0 treys per contest. This is Manhattan's second meeting with Fairfield in eight days. The Jaspers continue their season-long four-game homestand on Monday afternoon, when they conclude the season series with first-place Iona.
FAIRFIELD BREAKDOWN
The Stags (7-9, 2-5 MAAC) snapped a three-game losing streak with a 55-39 victory at Rider on Thursday. Junior forward Kelsey Carey averages a team-high 11.8 points per game, and she ranks second in the MAAC with a .503 field goal percentage. Junior forward Casey Smith contributes 10.6 points per contest, while senior guard Kristin Schatzlein notches 9.8 points per outing. Schatzlein leads the team with 1.9 three-pointers a night. Sophomore forward Samantha Cooper, meanwhile, tallies 8.5 points per game to go along with a squad-best 7.9 rebounds per contest. Cooper ranks sixth in the MAAC in rebounding. Senior guard Lizzy Ball is the conference leader in assists (5.1 apg) and assist/turnover ratio (2.2). She also collects 1.3 steals per outing. After playing five out of six on the road, Fairfield is home for seven of its next eight contests, starting with a matchup against Quinnipiac on Friday night.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Fairfield is the most common opponent in program history. Today's meeting is the 82nd in a series that dates back to the 1978-79 season, which was Manhattan's first year as a varsity program. Fairfield hold the all-time edge, 44-37. The Jaspers' 70-55 victory at Alumni Hall on Jan. 8 snapped the Stags' eight-game winning streak in the series. Manhattan's last home win over Fairfield was a 53-44 triumph on Feb. 25, 2011, capping the Jaspers' most recent season sweep of the Stags.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
On “Kid's Day Out” at Draddy Gymnasium, the Jaspers suffered a 79-73 loss to Marist on Tuesday. Marist built a 20-17 lead after the first quarter, but Manhattan rallied to go up 31-30 on a Jacqui Thompson three-pointer midway through the second. However, the Red Foxes closed the half on a 6-0 run to take a 36-31 advantage into the locker room, then opened the third quarter on a 14-6 run to make it 50-37. Manhattan trailed 59-50 entering the final period before Marist used an 8-2 rally to open up its largest lead of the game, 67-52. The Jaspers outscored the Red Foxes 21-12 the rest of the way to cut the final margin to six, 79-73. Four Jaspers scored in double-figures, led by Kayla Grimme's 14 points. She also had nine rebounds and four blocks. Shayna Ericksen and Thompson finished with 13 points apiece, while Nyasha Irizarry tallied 11 points.
