Box Score
EASTON, Pa. - The Manhattan College women's basketball team trailed by as many as 14 points before battling back to take a one-point lead in the second half on Saturday afternoon. However, in the end, the comeback effort fell just a little bit short, as Lafayette (3-5) held on for a 48-43 victory over the Jaspers (2-5) at the Kirby Sports Center.
After Manhattan took a 6-5 lead on a jumper by Maggie Blair (Briarcliff, N.Y.) three minutes into the game, the Jaspers were held scoreless for the next six minutes. Lafayette scored 12 points during that span to build a 17-6 advantage. Manhattan's scoring drought ended on a trey by Lindsey Loutsenhizer (North Huntingdon, Pa.) at the 10:25 mark, but the Leopards responded with eight of the next 10 points to push their lead to 25-11 with 4:35 remaining before halftime.
A Loutsenhizer layup on the next Manhattan possession started the Jaspers' comeback, though, as Manhattan outscored the Leopards 11-2 over the next 4:23 (conceding only a pair of free throws). It looked like the Jaspers would go into the locker room trailing by just five when Toni-Ann Lawrence (Elmont, N.Y.) sank a layup to make it 27-22 with 11 seconds left in the half, but Lafayette's Brya Freeland hit a three-pointer from roughly 35 feet out as the halftime buzzer sounded to give the Leopards a 30-22 edge at the break.
Manhattan's deficit shrank to six on a Loutsenhizer layup, but Maddie Peabody responded with a trey that put Lafayette up 33-24 at the 17:55 mark. The Jaspers gradually chipped away though, pulling within three when Alyssa Herrington (Cambridge, N.Y.) drained a trey from right in front of the Manhattan bench that made it 39-36 with 12:02 remaining. A Lawrence layup made it a one-point game, then the Jaspers took their first lead since it was 6-5 when Schyanne Halfkenny's (Hyde Park, Mass.) layup put Manhattan in front 40-39 with 6:40 left to play.
The Leopards immediately grabbed the lead back, however, as Danielle Fiacco hit a turnaround jumper to make it 41-40 Lafayette just 17 seconds later. Manhattan tied the score at 41-41 on a Nadia Peters (Bronx, N.Y.) free throw with 4:41 to go before five straight Lafayette points gave the Leopards a 46-41 advantage. Peters sank a pair of foul shots at the 1:46 mark to pull the Jaspers within three, 46-43, with 1:46 remaining. Manhattan forced a turnover with 40 seconds left and the score still 46-43, putting the Jaspers in a position to tie the game. However, Monica Roeder's (Marlton, N.J.) three-point attempt fell short and Lafayette grabbed the rebound. Madeline Fahan then sank a pair of three throws to ice the Leopards' 48-43 victory.
Loutsenhizer finished just shy of her second double-double in three games. She tallied a game-high 17 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Halfkenny added nine points, while Peters collected a team-best 10 boards to go along with four steals and two blocks. Blair dished out three assists. It was a rough shooting day for the Jaspers, as Manhattan shot just 27.4 percent (17-of-62) from the field, 20 percent (5-of-25) from downtown, and 36.4 percent (4-of-11) at the free throw line.
Sarah McGorry had a team-high 15 points for the Leopards, while Fiacco and Fahan both tallied seven points and 11 rebounds. Fiacco, who ranks second nationally in blocks, rejected six Manhattan shots, and Fahan added three assists and three steals. Melissa Downey added a game-high five assists, as 14 of Lafayette's 15 baskets were assisted. The Leopards held a 51-41 edge on the glass and tallied eight blocks. Lafayette shot 27.8 percent (15-of-54) from the field, 50 percent (4-of-8) from long range, and 66.7 percent (14-of-21) at the charity stripe.
The Jaspers now have six days off before returning to action. Manhattan visits New Hampshire (3-3) at 7 p.m. on Friday. The Jaspers notched a 68-51 victory over the Wildcats last season at Draddy Gymnasium.
NOTES: Lafayette now leads the all-time series 5-4...The Jaspers and Leopards met in Easton for the first time since Feb. 18, 1991...Manhattan held its opponent under 50 points for the first time since a 52-48 victory over Sacred Heart in the first round of the Women's Basketball Invitational (WBI) on March 17, 2011...It was Loutsenhizer's 100th career game, as well as her first collegiate contest in her home state...She became the 15th Jasper to reach the 1,100-point plateau in the game...Manhattan used a different starting lineup for the first time in five games, with Halfkenny replacing Lawrence in the starting five...Lafayette Head Coach Dianne Nolan went against the Jaspers for the 66th time, more than any other opposing coach in program history.
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