Manhattan-Fairfield Game Notes
Game 14: Fairfield Stags (8-5, 3-1 MAAC) at Manhattan Jaspers (3-10, 2-2 MAAC)
Thursday, January 9, 2014-11:00 a.m.
Riverdale, N.Y.-Draddy Gymnasium (2,520)
Live Video: JasperVision HD, MAAC.tv
Live Audio: www.gojaspers.com, www.fairfieldstags.com
JASPERS VS. STAGS
Manhattan (3-10, 2-2 MAAC) welcomes Fairfield (8-5, 3-1 MAAC) to Draddy Gymnasium this morning for its annual “Kid's Day Out” game. Approximately 500 students from local elementary schools will be in attendance today. The Jaspers are looking to snap a two-game skid. Manhattan is coming off an 82-58 loss to Siena on Sunday afternoon. Fairfield, meanwhile, notched a last-second, 72-71, victory over Quinnipiac on Sunday. This is the final contest in a span where Manhattan played four of its first five conference games at home.
ABOUT MANHATTAN
After opening Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) play with two wins, the Jaspers (3-10, 2-2 MAAC) have dropped two straight, inclduing an 82-58 loss to Siena on Sunday afternoon. Senior guard Monica Roeder moved into 12th place on Manhattan's all-time scoring list against Siena and leads the team with 10.8 points per game. She also pulls down 4.7 rebounds per contest. Sophomore forward Shayna Ericksen contributes 9.8 points and 5.5 boards per outing, and she leads the MAAC with a .578 field goal percentage. Ericksen also paces the Jaspers with 1.6 steals a night. Junior guard Nicole Isaacs tallies 8.2 points per game and drains a team-best 2.3 three-pointers per contest. Senior guard Allison Skrec, meanwhile, notches 7.8 points a night to go along with 5.0 assists per game, the third-highest total in the MAAC. After playing five of their last six games at home, Manhattan begins a span where it plays five of its next six on the road, starting with a matchup at Quinnipiac on Sunday.
ABOUT FAIRFIELD
Fairfield (8-5, 3-1 MAAC) has won five of its last seven games, including a 72-71 victory over Quinnipiac on Sunday. Senior forward Katie Cizynski, a Preseason First Team All-MAAC selection, leads the Stags in both scoring and rebounding. She averages 14.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. Senior center Brittany Obi-Tabot, meanwhile, tallies 11.4 points and 6.3 boards per outing. Senior guard Alexys Vazquez is one of the top three-point shooters in the MAAC. She sinks 3.1 treys per contest and ranks second on the team in scoring (11.7 ppg). Sophomore guard Kristin Schatzlein preserved the Quinnipiac win with a block at the buzzer. She notches 9.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists a night. Junior guard Felicia DaCruz ranks second in the MAAC in assists, handing out 5.4 per outing. That quintent has started every game this season for Fairfield. The Stags begin a four-game homestand on Saturday, when they take on Marist.
SERIES HISTORY
Manhattan has faced Fairfield more than any other opponent in program history. This is the 77th meeting in a series that began during th 1978-79 season. Fairfield leads the all-time series 40-36 and has won four straight against Manhattan. Last season, the Stags notched a 76-50 victory at Alumni Hall on Jan. 20, then posted a 55-50 triumph in the rematch at Draddy Gymnasium on Feb. 11. Manhattan's last win over Fairfield was a 53-44 decision in Riverdale on Feb. 25, 2011.
SIENA 82, MANHATTAN 58
The Jaspers dropped an 82-58 decision to Siena at Draddy Gymnasium on Sunday afternoon. The first half featured a number of runs by both teams, as there were nine ties and eight lead changes in the opening 20 minutes. With the score knotted at 34-34, Siena went on a 6-1 run to end the half and take a 40-35 advantage into the locker room. Manhattan evened the score at 44-44 early in the second half before the Saints went on a 7-0 rally to take the lead for good. The Jaspers pulled within four at 51-47 on a three-pointer by Maeve Parahus with 12:39 remaining, but Siena outscored Manhattan 31-11 the rest of the way to pull away for an 82-58 victory. Shayna Ericksen finished with 17 points and nine rebounds for Manhattan, while Monica Roeder tallied 14 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
KID'S DAY OUT
This marks the fourth consecutive year in which Manhattan is hosting a “Kid's Day Out” contest. The Jaspers have won each of their last two “Kid's Day Out” games, including a 62-50 victory over Loyola last season. An initiative started by the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), each of the 11 schools in the conference have a designated “Kid's Day Out,” where students at local elementary schools are invited onto campus to watch a women's baskebetball game. Manhattan is happy to welcome nearly 600 students in grades 2-5 from P.S. 93, P.S. 107 an the Lighthouse Charter School. Prior to the game, various members of the Manhattan College Athletic Department took part in an information session, talking to the kids about their roles within the Department.
