Manhattan-Saint Peter's Game Notes
GAME #30 (MAAC Tournament 1st Round): #11 Saint Peter's Peacocks (4-25) vs. #6 Manhattan Jaspers (14-15)
Thursday, March 3, 2016-1:30 p.m.
Albany, NY-Times Union Center (10,450)
Audio: Jasper Sports Network
Live Stats
JASPERS GAMEDAY
The sixth-seeded Jaspers (14-15) begin the MAAC Tournament with a first-round matchup against 11th-seeded Saint Peter's (4-26). The winner will move on to face third-seeded Marist on Saturday's quarterfinals. The Jaspers and Peacocks met just six days ago, with Manhattan posting a 60-43 victory at the Yanitelli Center. Manhattan has alternated wins and losses over its last eight games and is coming off a 56-49 defeat against Rider on Sunday. Saint Peter's is currently on a 14-game losing streak. The Peacocks fell at Monmouth, 71-52, in their regular season finale on Sunday. This is the 11th MAAC Tournament game between the original league members, and the first since 2008.
MANHATTAN BREAKDOWN
Manhattan (14-15) finished in a three-way tie for fourth place with an 11-9 MAAC record, but los tthe tiebreaker and is seeded sixth in the conference tournament. The Jaspers have alternated wins and losses over their last eight games and are coming off a 56-49 defeat against Rider on Sunday. Sophomore guard Amani Tatum, a Second Team All-MAAC selection, paces the Jaspers with 11.9 points per game. She also notches 3.2 assists and a league-leading 3.3 steals per contest. Tatum needs two steals to tie the single-season program mark. Sophomore guard Nyasha Irizarry contributes 8.9 points per outing, while sophomore center Kayla Grimme tallies 7.5 points a night. Grimme also grabs a team-high 7.8 rebounds per game and ranks second in the MAAC in blocks (2.3 bpg). She's one block away from equaling the single-season school record. Senior guard Blake Underhill distributes 3.5 assists per contest to go along with 1.9 steals per outing.
SAINT PETER'S BREAKDOWN
The Peacocks (4-25) received the No. 11 seed in the MAAC Tournament after going 2-18 in conference play. Saint Peter's has dropped 14 straight games and hasn't won since Jan. 10. The Peacocks are coming off a 71-52 loss at Monmouth on Sunday. Sophomore forward Sajanna Bethea was named to the All-MAAC Third Team. She paces the team with 11.8 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, and she ranks second in the MAAC in free throw percentage (.824). Sophomore guard/forward Talah Hughes registers 9.4 points per contest and is third in the league with an .811 free throw percentage, as well as ranking fifth in the conference in field goal percentage (.447). Senior forward Hala Mostafa, meanwhile, notches 8.2 points and 6.4 boards per outing. She also records 1.6 blocks a night. Senior guard Rebecca Sparks is the team leader in assists, handing out 2.7 per game. Saint Peter's Head Coach Pat Coyle won two MAAC titles while at Loyola (1994, 1995).
ALL-TIME SERIES
The Jaspers swept the regular season series in 2015-16, notching a 64-47 victory at Draddy Gymnasium on Jan. 21 and a 60-43 triumph at the Yanitelli Center on Feb. 26. Manhattan has won 12 of its last 14 meetings against Saint Peter's, including three straight. This is the 81st all-time matchup between the two original MAAC members. Saint Peter's leads the series 52-28. The Jaspers and Peacocks haven't met in the MAAC Tournament since the 2008 quarterfinals.
JASPERS-PEACOCKS IN THE MAAC TOURNAMENT
Manhattan has played more MAAC Tournament games against Saint Peter's than any other opponent. This is the 11th postseason meeting between the squads, who first squared off in the MAAC Tournament during the inaugural event in 1982. Saint Peter's has won nine of the previous 10 contests, with Manhattan's only previous victory, a 49-45 triumph, coming in the 2005 first round. In the last MAAC Tournament matchup between the Jaspers and Peacocks, Saint Peter's earned a 68-65 win in the 2008 quarterfinals.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Manhattan dropped the final game of the regular season, 56-49, to Rider at Draddy Gymnasium on Sunday afternoon. The Jaspers led 12-8 at the end of the first quarter, but Rider went on a 10-2 run early in the second to go up 18-14, and the Broncs held a 22-18 edge at halftime. After the Jaspers cut their deficit to two on the first possession of the second half, Rider scored 15 of the next 19 points to open up a 37-24 cushion with 3:56 left in the third quarter. Manhattan pulled within five, 41-36, at the end of the period. Rider, however, pushed the margin back to 13 points, 52-39, early in the fourth quarter, and the Broncs would notch a 56-49 victory. For the Jaspers, Crystal Ross had 14 points and 13 rebounds for her first career double-double, while Amani Tatum finished with 11 points and four steals.
SEASON SERIES
Jan. 21-Manhattan 64, Saint Peter's 47 (Draddy Gymnasium)
In front of a national audience on ESPN3, the Jaspers led wire-to-wire en route to a 64-47 victory over Saint Peter's at Draddy Gymnasium on Jan. 21. Manhattan jumped out to a 12-4 lead after the first quarter and held a 29-19 edge at halftime. The Jaspers extended the margin to 17 points, 50-33, after three quarters in an eventual 64-47 triumph over the Peacocks. Amani Tatum had 11 steals in the contest, one shy of the program and MAAC record, and added 16 points for her first career double-double. The 11 steals were also the second-highest single-game mark in the NCAA this season. Taylor Williams contributed 11 points and four assists off the bench, while Blake Underhill tallied nine points. Crystal Ross grabbed a team-high seven rebounds to go along with six points and four blocks.
Feb. 26-Manhattan 60, Saint Peter's 43 (Yanitelli Center)
On Feb. 26, Manhattan concluded its road schedule with a 60-43 victory over Saint Peter's at the Yanitelli Center. The Jaspers led virtually wire-to-wire. With the score tied at 4-4 early in the first quarter, Manhattan went on a 9-0 run to go up 13-4, and the Jaspers led 17-8 after one period. After the Jaspers built a 16-point lead, Saint Peter's ended the first half on a 6-0 spurt to pull within 30-20. The Peacocks then got within seven at 35-28 midway through the third quarter before another nine-point Manhattan rally made it 44-28. The margin reached as many as 22 points during the fourth quarter, as the Jaspers locked up a 60-43 victory. Amani Tatum paced the Jaspers with 15 points, while Crystal Ross tallied 10 points and Kayla Grimme pulled down a team-high eight rebounds.
BRACKETOLOGY
This is the 11th all-time MAAC Tournament meeting between Manhattan and Saint Peter's, and the first since the 2008 quarterfinals. The winner of today's contest will receive a day off before facing third-seeded Marist (15-15) in the quarterfinals at 12 p.m. on Saturday. The quarterfinal winner will advance to a semifinal game at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday that will be broadcast live on ESPN3. Monday afternoon's MAAC Championship Game, which begins at 2:30 p.m., will air on ESPNU.
