Game Notes
GAME #23: Manhattan Jaspers (7-15, 3-10 MAAC) at Niagara Purple Eagles (5-17, 2-11 MAAC)
Saturday, February 4, 2017 - 3:00 PM
Niagara University, NY - Gallagher Center (2,100)
Video: purpleeagles.com
Live Stats
TODAY'S GAME
The Jaspers (7-15, 3-10 MAAC) complete their Western New York swing with a visit to the Gallagher Center for a matchup with Niagara (5-17, 2-11 MAAC). The Purple Eagles posted a 62-59 victory when the squads met at Draddy Gymnasium on Jan. 15. Manhattan, which has alternated wins and losses over its last four outings, is coming off a 58-48 defeat at Canisius on Thursday night. Niagara, meanwhile, has dropped five straight since its victory over the Jaspers. On Thursday night, the Purple Eagles fell to Iona by a 65-55 count.
ABOUT THE JASPERS
In its last outing, Manhattan (7-15, 3-10 MAAC) suffered a 58-48 loss at Canisius on Thursday night. The Jaspers have alternated wins and losses over their last four games. Junior center Kayla Grimme paces the team in both scoring and rebounding. She averages 12.8 points and 7.6 boards per game. Grimme ranks fourth in the MAAC in rebounding. She's also second in the league with 1.8 blocks per contest. Junior guard Amani Tatum notches 11.5 points per outing to go along with 4.3 assists and 3.0 steals a night. Junior center Mikki Guiton, who recorded her first career double-double at Canisius, contributes 6.4 points per game and is shooting .556 from the field. Senior guard Maeve Parahus, meanwhile, leads the squad with 1.5 three-pointers per contest. The Jaspers conclude their three-game road trip on Friday night with a 7 p.m. visit to Siena (9-13, 8-5 MAAC) that can be seen live on ESPN3 outside New York.
ABOUT THE PURPLE EAGLES
Niagara (5-17, 2-11 MAAC) has dropped five straight since its 62-59 win over the Jaspers on Jan. 15. The Purple Eagles , who have lost 13 of their last 14 overall, are coming off a 65-55 loss to Iona on Thursday night. Junior forward Victoria Rampado ranks fourth in the MAAC in scoring and third in rebounding. She tallies 16.4 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. Junior forward Kaylee Stroemple contributes 12.5 points and 5.6 boards per contest, and her .505 field goal percentage is the third-best mark in the conference. Senior guard Tiffany Corselli adds 8.2 points per outing to go along with 2.4 assists and 1.5 steals a night. Junior guard Jamie Sherburne paces the squad with 2.9 assists per game. Freshman guard Morgan Baughman, meanwhile, is the Purple Eagles' top three-point shooter. She drains 2.1 treys per contest and is shooting .365 from long range. Niagara makes the short trip to Canisius (7-15, 6-7 MAAC) for a 5:30 p.m. matchup on Friday.
SERIES HISTORY
This is the 58th all-time meeting between the Jaspers and Purple Eagles. Niagara took a 29-28 lead in the overall series with its 62-59 win at Draddy Gymnasium on Jan. 15. That loss snapped the Jaspers' two-game winning streak against the Purple Eagles. Last season at the Gallagher Center, Manhattan came away with a 58-49 victory on Feb. 21, 2016. Niagara's last home win over the Jaspers was a 64-36 triumph on Dec. 7, 2014.
LAST TIME OUT
Manhattan suffered a 58-48 loss to Canisius at the Koessler Athletic Center on Thursday night. The Griffs scored the first nine points of the game before the Jaspers responded with an 8-0 run to pull within one. Canisius led 11-8 after one quarter, but Manhattan started the second period on a 9-2 spurt to go up 17-13. However, the Griffs ended the half on an 11-0 rally to take a 26-19 halftime lead. Canisius extended the margin to 10 points midway through the third quarter, and the Griffs entered the final framae with a 40-27 cushion. Canisius held on for a 58-48 victory to complete a season sweep of the Jaspers. Amani Tatum finished with a team-best 17 points, while Kayla Grimme and Mikki Guiton each posted a double-double. Grimme registered 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Guiton had 12 points and a career-high 11 boards.