Box Score
RIVERDALE, N.Y. - After playing five straight road games to start the season, the Manhattan College women's basketball team finally took the court at Draddy Gymnasium on Wednesday night. Unfortunately, however, it wasn't a happy homecoming, as Fordham (4-2) notched a 59-49 victory over the Jaspers (2-4) in the 43rd edition of the "Battle of the Bronx."
Manhattan scored the first five points of the game and led 9-4 after a jumper by Monica Roeder (Marlton, N.J.) four minutes in. Fordham rallied to tie it at 11-11 before Nadia Peters (Bronx, N.Y.) hit a free throw, then took a feed from Alyssa Herrington (Cambridge, N.Y.) after an Allison Skrec (Roselle, N.J.) steal and converted it into an easy bucket for a 14-11 lead. However, the Rams responded with a 12-2 run over the next 5:36 to open up a 23-16 advantage.
The see-saw pace of the first half continued, though, as Manhattan scored 10 of the next 12 points and regained the lead, 26-25, on a Herrington trey at the 4:10 mark. After Christina Gaskin hit a jumper to put Fordham temporarily back ahead, Manhattan scored the final six points of the period to take a 32-27 advantage into the locker room.
Ondya Morgan (New Brunswick, N.J.) got a steal and layup on Fordham's first possession of the second half to give the Jaspers their largest lead of the game, a 34-27 cushion, before the Rams rallied for eight straight points to take a 35-34 lead. The Jaspers went back in front on a Peters layup, but would be outscored 15-1 over the next nine minutes, giving Fordham a 53-41 advantage with 5:45 to play. Manhattan trimmed its deficit to seven when a Lindsey Loutsenhizer (North Huntingdon, Pa.) layup made the score 56-49 with 1:11 remaining, but that's as close as it would get. Fordham snapped its two-game losing streak against the Jaspers with a 59-49 triumph.
Peters led the way for the Jaspers with 12 points and six rebounds. Loutsenhizer added 10 points and five boards to go along with three assists and five steals. Toni-Ann Lawrence (Elmont, N.Y.) contributed eight points and five rebounds, while Maggie Blair (Briarcliff, N.Y.) dished out a team-high four assists. Morgan played a career-high 10 minutes off the bench and notched a career-best three steals. Overall, the Jaspers shot 39.2 percent (20-of-51) from the field, 27.3 percent (3-of-11) from downtown, and 60 percent (6-of-10) at the charity stripe. Manhattan outrebounded Fordham 32-31.
Becky Peters tallied a game-high 18 points to pace the Rams. She added three steals. Arielle Collins had 14 points to go along with three assists and five steals, while Taryn Durant notched nine points, a game-high seven rebounds, and three steals off the bench. Fordham shot 43.8 percent (21-of-48) from the field, including 42.9 percent (6-of-14) from three-point range. The Rams shot 57.9 percent (11-of-19) at the free throw line.
The Jaspers now go back on the road for their next two, starting with a 3 p.m. matchup at Lafayette (2-5). The Leopards posted a 53-50 victory when the teams met at Draddy Gymnasium last season.
NOTES: Manhattan has played Fordham more than any other non-conference opponent...The visiting team has now won two straight in the series...Manhattan leads the all-time series 24-19...The Jaspers dropped their home opener for the second year in a row...This marked the Jaspers' latest home opener since the 2002-03 season, when they also played their first game at Draddy Gymnasium on Nov. 30...Prior to the game, Loutsenhizer was recognized for scoring her 1,000th career point...Marianne Reilly, Manhattan's first 1,000-point scorer who's now the Senior Associate Athletic Director at Fordham, was in attendance.
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