Box Score
LAKE CHARLES, La. - The Manhattan College women's basketball team fell victim to a hot shooting squad from McNeese State on Friday night. The Cowgirls (1-1) shot 52.4 percent (11-of-21) from three-point range en route to a 69-52 victory over the Jaspers (0-2) in the Consolation Round of the Preseason Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) at Burton Coliseum.
McNeese State scored the first seven points of the game, but the Jaspers responded with an 8-0 run of their own over the next three minutes to take the lead. After the Cowgirls went back in front, 16-12, Monica Roeder (Marlton, N.J.) hit a jumper, then a three-pointer, to give Manhattan a 17-16 advantage with 8:01 left in the first half.
However, McNeese State regained the lead on Ashlyn Baggett's three-pointer on the ensuing Cowgirls possession. That was the first of four consecutive treys for McNeese State over the next four minutes, helping the Cowgirls open up a 28-21 advantage. McNeese State ended the first half on a 23-5 run to take a 39-22 lead into the locker room.
"The barrage was very, very fast," Head Coach John Olenowski said. "McNeese State did a good job of hitting threes. It's tough when your opponent's shooting like that."
A Roeder three-pointer to start the second half brought Manhattan back within 14, but McNeese State went on an 8-1 rally to push its advantage to 21 points, 47-26. The Jaspers responded with a 10-2 run of their own to get back within 13 points, 49-36, with 12:48 remaining. However, that's as close as it would get the rest of the way. McNeese State's lead reached as many as 28 points, 68-40, with 3:08 to go before Manhattan scored 12 of the final 13 points to make it a 69-52 final.
Roeder led the Jaspers with 15 points, while Schyanne Halfkenny (Hyde Park, Mass.) added 10 points and Lindsey Loutsenhizer (North Huntingdon, Pa.) tallied eight points to go along with a game-high nine rebounds. Maggie Blair (Briarcliff, N.Y.) handed out four assists, and Nadia Peters (Bronx, N.Y.) registered three blocks. The Jaspers shot 37.5 percent (21-of-56) from the field, 26.3 percent (5-of-19) from three-point range, and 45.5 percent (5-of-11) at the charity stripe.
Candace LaCombe sank five treys and tallied a game-high 18 points for the Cowgirls. Caitlyn Baggett posted 17 points, five assists and four rebounds, while her twin sister Ashlyn Baggett notched 10 points and nine assists. Kendra Wells finished with 10 points and eight boards, and Martika Hull grabbed nine rebounds, as the Cowgirls outrebounded the Jaspers 41-28. McNeese State shot 44.4 percent (24-of-54) from the field and 76.9 percent (10-of-13) at the free throw line.
The Jaspers conclude their participation in the Preseason WNIT on Saturday afternoon, when they take on East Tennessee State (0-2) at 3 p.m. ET. The Lady Buccaneers dropped a 59-47 decision against UAB in Friday's first game.
NOTES: It was the first all-time meeting between the schools...McNeese State was the first Southland Conference opponent Manhattan has ever faced...The Jaspers played a game in the State of Louisiana for the first time...Manhattan faced a team that played in the 2011 NCAA Tournament for the second straight time to open the season...Manhattan used its second starting lineup of the season, with Alyssa Herrington (Cambridge, N.Y.), Ashley Stec (Cazenovia, N.Y.) and Blair replacing Halfkenny, Loutsenhizer and Roeder in the starting five...Nicole Isaacs (Fair Haven, N.J.) scored her first collegiate points with a pair of three-pointers in the final minute...Loutsenhizer moved into a tie for 16th place on Manhattan's all-time list with 1,019 career points...All 11 Jaspers that dressed played at least three minutes...Manhattan's bench outscored McNeese State's bench 43-12.
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