Manhattan-Canisius Game Notes
GAME #21: Canisius Golden Griffins (9-12, 4-8 MAAC) at Manhattan Jaspers (9-11, 6-5 MAAC)
Friday, February 5, 2016-7:00 p.m.
Riverdale, NY-Draddy Gymnasium (2,520)
Video: Jasper Sports Network
Live Audio
Live Stats
JASPERS GAME NIGHT
Manhattan (9-11, 6-5 MAAC) returns to Draddy Gymnasium for its first matchup of the season against Canisius (9-12, 4-8 MAAC). This is the Jaspers' first home game since Jan. 21, and the start of a span where the team plays three out of for in Riverdale. Manhattan had its three-game winning streak snapped with a 72-62 loss at Monmouth on Tuesday. Canisius has played overtime in each of its last two contests. The Griffs notched a 68-66 win at Niagara on Jan. 28, then suffered a 79-76 home defeat against Iona on Monday. Up next, the Jaspers visit Marist on Monday night, while Canisius continues its road trip at Monmouth on Sunday.
MANHATTAN BREAKDOWN
The Jaspers (9-11, 6-5 MAAC) saw their three-game winning streak come to an end with a 72-62 loss at Monmouth on Tuesday. Sophomore guard Amani Tatum leads Manhattan with 11.2 points per game, and she's the conference leader with 3.1 steals per contest. Tatum adds 3.3 assists per outing. Sophomore guard Nyasha Irizarry drains 2.1 three-pointers a night and ranks second on the team with 9.6 points per game. Sophomore center Kayla Grimme is second in the league in blocks (2.8 bpg), and her next block will be the 100th of her career. She also contributes 8.0 points per contest and is fifth in the MAAC with 8.2 rebounds per outing. In addition, Grimme's .816 free throw percentage is the third-best mark in the league. Senior guard Blake Underhill, meanwhile, is the team leader in assists, handing out 3.4 a night. Manhattan visits Marist on Monday before returning to Draddy Gymnasium on Thursday for its second meeting with Monmouth in nine days.
CANISIUS BREAKDOWN
After starting the season 7-3, Canisius (9-12, 4-8 MAAC) is just 2-9 in its last 11 games. The Griffs have played back-to-back overtime contests and are coming off a 79-76 home loss to Iona on Monday night. Senior forward Crystal Porter paces the team in both scoring (9.5 ppg) and rebounding (5.1 rpg), and she's second on the squad with 3.2 assists a night. In addition, Porter's .465 field goal percentage places her fifth in the conference. Sophomore guard Margaret Halfdanardottir contributes 9.2 points per outing. She also ranks second in the MAAC in three-point percentage (.444), while junior guard Lauren D'Hont is third in that category (.414). D'Hont tallies 7.3 points per contest. Junior guard Tamara Miskovic, meanwhile,distributes a team-best 4.5 assists per game, the third-highest total in the league, to go along with 1.2 steals a night. Canisius visits Monmouth on Sunday before beginning a five-game homestand.
ALL-TIME SERIES
It's been 13 months since Manhattan last faced Canisius. On Jan. 2, 2015, the Griffs posted a 56-45 victory at Draddy Gymnasium. Canisius swept the season series in 2014-15, also notching a 55-44 triumph in Buffalo on Dec. 5, 2014. Prior to last season, the Jaspers had won eight of the previous nine meetings between the teams, including five straight in Riverdale. Canisius, however, holds a 31-25 edge in the all-time series.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
The Jaspers took the court for the first time in eight days on Tuesday morning and saw their three-game winning streak snapped with a 72-62 loss at Monmouth. Manhattan led 7-2 less than two minutes into the contest, but Monmouth responded with a 10-0 run to go up 12-7. The Hawks had a 17-13 advantage after one quarter, then extended the margin to 40-28 at halftime. Monmouth was still in front 57-47 when Manhattan started the fourth quarter on a 6-0 run to make it a four-point game, 57-53. However, the Hawks rallied for 11 of the next 15 points to open up a 68-57 advantage in an eventual 72-62 win. The Jaspers got 42 points from their post players, led by Kayla Grimme's fourth double-double of the season (12 points, 12 rebounds). Shayna Ericksen also tallied 12 points, while Mikki Guiton scored a career-high 11 points and Crystal Ross added seven points.