Game Notes
GAME #27: Quinnipiac Bobcats (21-6, 14-3 MAAC) at Manhattan Jaspers (8-18, 4-13 MAAC)
Sunday, February 19, 2017 - 3:00 PM
Riverdale, NY - Draddy Gymnasium (2,520)
Video: Jasper Sports Network
Audio
Live Stats
TODAY'S GAME
The Jaspers (8-18, 4-13 MAAC) begin their final homestand of the season with a matchup against Quinnipiac (21-6, 14-3 MAAC) in the opener of a doubleheader at Draddy Gymnasium, as the Manhattan and Quinnipiac men's teams will square off at 6 p.m. Manhattan snapped a four-game losing streak with a 75-61 victory at Monmouth on Thursday. The Bobcats, meanwhile, have won four straight, including a 53-45 triumph over Iona on Friday. It's “Senior Day” at Draddy Gymnasium, as seniors Nicole Anderson and Maeve Parahus will be honored prior to the contest.
ABOUT THE JASPERS
Manhattan (8-18, 4-13 MAAC), which snapped a four-game skid with a 75-61 victory at Monmouth on Thursday, is looking to win back-to-back games for the first time since opening the season 2-0. Junior center Kayla Grimme ranks eighth in the MAAC in scoring with an average of 13.4 points per game. She's also tied for third in the league in rebounding (7.9 rpg) and leads the MAAC with 2.0 blocks per contest. Junior guard Amani Tatum hands out a conference-best 4.8 assists per outing to go along with 2.9 steals a night, second-most in the MAAC. She also registers 10.7 points per game. Junior center Mikki Guiton contributes 6.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per contest, while senior guard Maeve Parahus drains a team-high 1.4 three-pointers per outing. The Jaspers play Monmouth (12-13, 7-9 MAAC) again on Friday to wrap up the home schedule before visiting Marist (12-15, 9-8 MAAC) in the regular season finale next Sunday.
ABOUT THE BOBCATS
First-place Quinnipiac (21-6, 14-3 MAAC) has won each of its last four contests. In their last outing, the Bobcats recorded a 53-45 victory over Iona on Friday. Quinnipiac is the highest-scoring team in the MAAC (68.2 ppg) and leads the league in a number of statistical categories. Sophomore forward Jen Fay paces the Bobcats with 10.4 points per game, and she ranks fourth in the league with a .483 field goal percentage. Senior guard Adily Martucci tallies 9.8 points per contest and drains a team-high 1.4 treys per outing. Sophomore forward Paula Strautmane registers 8.5 points and 5.6 rebounds a night, while sophomore guard/forward Aryn McClure tallies 8.1 points and a team-best 6.1 boards per game. McClure also leads the Bobcats in assists (2.9 apg) and blocks (1.4 bpg). Quinnipiac visits Marist on Thursday before ending the regular season at home against Canisius (9-17, 8-9 MAAC) next Sunday.
SERIES HISTORY
Quinnipiac is 8-1 all-time against Manhattan, including an 81-38 triumph at the TD Bank Sports Center on Jan. 10. Last season at Draddy Gymnasium, the Bobcats recorded an 81-63 victory on Feb. 23. Manhattan's only win against Quinnipiac was a 52-42 decision in Connecticut on Dec. 6, 2015. That remains the Bobcats' only home MAAC loss since the start of the 2013-14 season. The Jaspers have never won a home game against Quinnipiac.
LAST TIME OUT
The Jaspers posted season-highs in points and field goal percentage on Thursday en route to a 75-61 victory at Monmouth. The Hawks led 20-15 at the end of the first quarter and extended their advantage to 24-17 early in the second. Manhattan responded with a 15-2 run, however, and the Jaspers opened up a 32-26 lead with 3:09 left before halftime. Manhattan took a 40-35 advantage into the locker room, then extended the margin to 61-52 entering the final period. The Jaspers used a 9-0 run midway through the fourth quarter to take their largest lead of the game, 73-54, and snapped their four-game skid with a 75-61 triumph. Kayla Grimme paced Manhattan with 25 points and six rebounds, while Amani Tatum finished with 11 points, eight assists and five steals. Taylor Williams and Nyasha Irizarry added nine points apiece.
SENIOR DAY
While Nicole Anderson and Maeve Parahus are the only seniors being recognized this afternoon, they won't be the only ones graduating this May. Mikki Guiton, Kayla Grimme and Amani Tatum are all seniors academically, but juniors in terms of eligibility, and all three will be returning next season. Grimme, in fact, has already completed her undergraduate coursework and is working towards a Master's degree.
