Manhattan-Saint Peter's Game Notes
GAME #28: Manhattan Jaspers (13-14, 10-8 MAAC) at Saint Peter's Peacocks (4-23, 2-16 MAAC)
Friday, February 26, 2016-7:00 p.m.
Jersey City, NJ-Yanitelli Center (3,000)
Video: Peacocks Network
Live Stats
JASPERS GAME NIGHT
The Jaspers (13-14, 10-8 MAAC) conclude their road schedule with a short trip to Jersey City for a matchup with Saint Peter's (4-23, 2-16 MAAC). Manhattan, which dropped an 81-63 decision to Quinnipiac on Tuesday, is currently fifth in the MAAC standings, and will clinch the No. 4 seed in the conference tournament with wins in its final two games. The Peacocks, who will be the No. 11 seed in the MAAC Tournament, are looking to snap a 12-game losing streak. Saint Peter's is coming off a 64-50 loss at Iona on Sunday. When the squads met at Draddy Gymnasium on Jan. 21, Manhattan came away with a 64-47 victory.
MANHATTAN BREAKDOWN
Manhattan (13-14, 10-8 MAAC) will clinch the No. 4 seed in the MAAC Tournament with wins in its final two games. The Jaspers are coming off an 81-63 loss to Quinnipiac on Tuesday night. Sophomore guard Amani Tatum paces the squad in scoring. She averages 11.8 points per game. Tatum also leads the MAAC and ranks fifth nationally with 3.4 steals per contest, to go along with 3.2 assists per outing. Sophomore center Kayla Grimme tallies 7.8 points and a team-leading 7.8 rebounds a night, and her 2.4 blocks per game are second-most in the MAAC. Grimme is three blocks shy of tying the single-season school record. Senior guard Blake Underhill, who makes her 100th appearance in a Jaspers uniform tonight, distributes a squad-best 3.5 assists per contest and is fifth in the league with 1.8 steals per outing. Manhattan hosts Rider in the final game of the regular season on Sunday. Prior to the contest, the Jaspers will honor their six graduating seniors.
SAINT PETER'S BREAKDOWN
Saint Peter's (4-23, 2-16 MAAC) is locked into the No. 11 seed in the MAAC Tournament. The Peacocks have dropped 12 straight, including a 64-50 loss at Iona on Sunday, and are winless since Jan. 10. Sophomore forward Sajanna Bethea has started every game this season and leads Saint Peter's in both scoring and rebounding. She averages 11.9 points and 7.2 boards per game. Bethea also notches 1.9 assists per contest. Sophomore guard/forward Talah Hughes contributes 9.5 points per outing, and she ranks seventh in the MAAC with a .443 field goal percentage. Senior forward Hala Mostafa, meanwhile, tallies 8.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks a night. Senior guard Rebecca Sparks is the team leader in assists, handing out 2.8 per game. The Peacocks conclude the regular season with a matchup at Monmouth on Sunday afternoon before opening the MAAC Tournament against the No. 6 seed on Thursday.
ALL-TIME SERIES
This is the 80th all-time matchup between the Jaspers and Peacocks, two original members of the MAAC. Saint Peter's leads the series 52-27, but Manhattan has won 11 of the last 13 meetings, including a 64-47 victory at Draddy Gymnasium on Jan. 21. Last season at the Yanitelli Center, the Jaspers came away with a 69-66 win on Feb. 21, 2015. Manhattan hasn't lost to the Peacocks in Jersey City in John Olenowski's tenure as head coach.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
A short-handed Jaspers squad that was down two injured starters and another key contributor fought hard in an 81-63 loss to Quinnipiac at Draddy Gymnasium on Tuesday. The Bobcats jumped out to a 29-6 lead after the first quarter and held a 49-24 advantage at halftime. Quinnipiac opened up its biggest lead of the game, 63-34, midway through the third quarter, but the Jaspers rallied within 68-42 entering the final period. Manhattan then scored the final eight points of the game to make the final score 81-63 in favor of the Bobcats, who notched their 15th consecutive win. Amani Tatum had 17 points and seven steals while also tying a career-high with seven assists. Blake Underhill finished with 12 points, while Kayla Grimme tallied nine points, four rebounds and three blocks.
TOURNAMENT MATH
Manhattan will be seeded anywhere between fourth and seventh in next weekend's MAAC Tournament. If the Jaspers win their last two regular season games, they will be the No. 4 seed. Manhattan also clinches a first-round bye as the No. 5 seed with a win and one Monmouth loss. The only ways Manhattan can fall to the No. 6 or 7 seed (and have to play a first-round game) would be to drop one of its final two contests and Monmouth concludes the season with two victories or by losing both games and seeing Monmouth win at least once.