Manhattan-Canisius Game Notes
Game 24: Manhattan Jaspers (6-17, 5-9 MAAC) at Canisius Golden Griffins (9-14, 5-9 MAAC)
Thursday, February 13, 2014-7:00 p.m.
Buffalo, N.Y.-Koessler Athletic Center (2,176)
Video: MAAC.tv, Golden Griffin Broadcast Network
Audio: www.gogriffs.com
JASPERS VS. GRIFFS
Manhattan (6-17, 5-9 MAAC) begins a three-game road trip with tonight's visit to the Koessler Athletic Center for a matchup with Canisius (9-14, 5-9 MAAC). Along with Niagara and Monmouth, the Jaspers and Griffs are in a four-way tie for sixth place in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) standings. The Jaspers, who have alternated wins and losses in their last five games, are coming off a 71-67 loss to first-place Iona on Saturday afternoon. Canisius, meanwhile, suffered a 65-51 defeat at Quinnipiac on Sunday afternoon.
ABOUT MANHATTAN
The Jaspers (6-17, 5-9 MAAC) are looking to rebound after a 71-67 loss to first-place Iona on Saturday afternoon. Manhattan has alternated wins and losses in its last five games. Senior guard Monica Roeder scored her 1,300th career point against Iona and leads the Jaspers with 12.4 points per game. Roeder also tallies 4.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists per outing. In addition, she leads the team with 2.0 three-pointers and 1.8 steals per contest. Sophomore forward Shayna Ericksen, meanwhile, notches 9.9 points and 6.0 boards a night, and her .541 field goal percentage is the second-best mark in the MAAC. Senior guard Allison Skrec distributes 5.6 assists per outing to go along with 9.4 points per game. Junior guard Nicole Isaacs adds 7.1 points per contest and sinks 2.0 three-pointers a night. This is the beginning of a span where Manhattan plays three out of four on the road. The Jaspers conclude their Western New York swing by visiting Niagara on Saturday afternoon.
ABOUT CANISIUS
The Griffs (9-14, 5-9 MAAC) are coming off a 65-51 loss at Quinnipiac on Sunday. Canisius has alternated wins and losses over its last five games. Senior forward Jamie Ruttle paces Canisius with 10.2 points per game, and she also pulls down 4.6 rebounds a night. Junior guard Kayla Hoohuli, meanwhile, tallies 10.0 points per contest and drains 1.6 three-pointers per outing. She also leads the Griffs with 1.0 steals a night. Ruttle and Hoohuli have both started all 23 games this season for Canisius. Sophomore guard Tiahana Mills notches 7.6 points per game to go along with a team-best 3.9 assists per contest, while senior guard Jen Morabito registers 7.4 points per outing. Morabito sinks a team-best 1.7 treys per contest. Sophomore forward Crystal Porter is the Griffs' leading rebounder. She pulls down 5.0 boards a night and adds 6.5 points per game. Canisius hosts Siena on Saturday afternoon before hitting the road for two straight next weekend.
SERIES HISTORY
This is the 54th all-time meeting between Manhattan and Canisius, with the Griffs leading the series 29-24. The Jaspers, however, have won seven of their last eight contests against Canisius, including a 72-56 triumph at Draddy Gymnasium on Dec. 29 in Manhattan's 2013-14 MAAC opener. The Griffs' only win in that span came last season at the Koessler Athletic Center, a 63-47 victory on Feb. 22, 2013 which snappeda five-game Manhattan winning streak in the series.
IONA 71, MANHATTAN 67
The Jaspers were within one possession of first-place Iona late in Saturday afternoon's contest at Draddy Gymnasium. The Gaels, however, ultimately hung on for a 71-67 triumph. Both teams started off hot offensively before Iona used a 9-0 run to open up an eight-point advantage, and the Gaels led 40-33 at halftime. Manhattan pulled within three at 59-56 with 5:30 remaining. After Iona pushed its lead back to six, the Jaspers got back-to-back layups from Shayna Ericksen to make it a two-point game, 68-66, with 32 seconds left. However, with the Jaspers forced to foul, Iona made its free throws down the stretch to put away the victory. Monica Roeder led the Jaspers with 18 points, including the 1,300th of her career. She added seven rebounds and four assists. Allison Skrec contributed 17 points and five assists, and Ericksen tallied 16 points and seven boards.
