Box Score
RIVERDALE, NY – Monmouth's Jasmine McCall hit a pair of free throws with nine seconds remaining to give the Hawks (9-15, 7-8 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) a 57-56 lead over the Manhattan College women's basketball team (11-12, 8-6 MAAC) at Draddy Gymnasium on Thursday. The Jaspers had one last chance to win the game, but Blake Underhill's (Edgewater, NJ) layup was off the mark and Monmouth came away with a one-point victory.
Manhattan entered the fourth quarter with a 47-33 lead, but the Hawks started the period on a 16-5 run to pull within three, 52-49. An Underhill layup at the 4:22 mark brought the margin to five points, 54-49, before Monmouth went on a 4-0 rally to make it a one-point game. After Shayna Ericksen (Long Valley, NJ) sank two foul shots to push the lead back to three, 56-53, Sarah Olson went to the line for Monmouth and drained a pair to again bring the Hawks within a point.
After the Jaspers missed a layup with 30 seconds remaining, Monmouth grabbed the rebound and held for one shot. McCall was fouled with nine seconds left, and her free throws put the Hawks in front 57-56. The Jaspers immediately called timeout and advanced the ball into the frontcourt, but the shot didn't go and Monmouth's Jasmine Walker grabbed the rebound, securing the victory for the Hawks.
Ericksen notched her first double-double of the season with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Crystal Ross (Philadelphia, PA) added 10 points and five boards off the bench, while Kayla Grimme (Altoona, PA) grabbed eight rebounds. Underhill finished with eight points, three assists and four steals, and Amani Tatum (Cambria Heights, NY) posted eight points and four steals. The Jaspers outrebounded the Hawks 45-41 and shot 32.9 percent (23-of-70) from the field. Manhattan was 1-for-15 (6.7 percent) from long range and 9-for-12 (75 percent) at the charity stripe.
The Jaspers led 13-10 after one quarter, then opened the second period on a 13-4 run to extend their advantage to 26-14. Monmouth, however, outscored Manhattan 8-2 over the final 4:54 of the first half to cut the Jaspers' cushion to six, 28-22, at intermission.
In the third quarter, Manhattan used a 10-0 spurt to go up 38-24 before the Hawks countered with five straight points to trim the margin to nine, 38-29. The Jaspers ended the frame on a 9-4 spurt, though, to take a 47-33 lead into the final period.
For the Hawks, Olson had 14 of her game-high 16 points in the fourth quarter. She also tallied seven rebounds and four steals. McCall contributed 14 points, while Christina Mitchell recorded a double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds to go along with six blocks. Walker secured six rebounds for Monmouth, which shot 35.6 percent (21-of-59) from the floor, 18.8 percent (3-of-16) from downtown, and 80 percent (12-of-15) at the free throw line.
On Sunday, Manhattan hosts Siena (12-13, 9-6 MAAC) at 2 p.m. in its annual “Play 4 Kay” game for breast cancer awareness. The Saints notched a 60-59 victory over the Jaspers in Loudonville on Jan. 10.
NOTES: Both teams wore lime green shoelaces in support of the HEADstrong Foundation…Monmouth swept the season series for the second straight year and has won five straight against the Jaspers…The Hawks lead the all-time series 11-9…Ericksen recorded her first double-double since a 23-point, 11-rebound performance at Saint Peter's on Feb. 21, 2015…She also moved into ninth place on Manhattan's all-time rebounding chart…The Jaspers lost after leading at halftime for just the second time this season…The contest was the opener of a doubleheader with the Jasper men's team…Manhattan had a home game broadcast on ESPN3 for the second time this season.