WBI Rematch Caps Manhattan's Non-Conference Slate

Manhattan-Sacred Heart Game Notes

GAMEDAY
The Jaspers (5-6) conclude non-conference play and the 2011 calendar year with a rematch of last season's Women's Basketball Invitational (WBI) first round game against Sacred Heart (9-2) tonight at Draddy Gymnasium.  Manhattan, which is looking for its fourth straight win, is coming off a 50-37 victory over St. Francis (NY) on Wednesday night.  The Pioneers have been off since Dec. 18, when they had a five-game winning streak snapped at Albany, 64-54.  Sacred Heart is ranked 21st in this week's Mid-Major Top 25.

THE MANHATTAN JASPERS
Manhattan (5-6) wraps up 2011 looking to notch its fourth straight win and get back to .500 for the season.  The Jaspers are coming off a 50-37 victory over St. Francis (NY) on Wednesday night.  Senior forward Lindsey Loutsenhizer, who had a double-double on Wednesday night, leads the Jaspers in both scoring and rebounding.  She averages 13.1 points and 7.0 rebounds per contest.  Loutsenhizer is also second on the team with 2.9 assists per game.  Sophomore guard/forward Monica Roeder is second on the team in scoring, notching 12.0 points per contest.  Senior forward Nadia Peters leads Manhattan in blocks (1.3 bpg) and steals (2.5 spg) while also ranking second on the team in rebounding (5.5 rpg), and junior guard Maggie Blair hands out a team-high 3.3 assists per game.  On Monday, Manhattan begins Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) play by hosting Rider in the finale of its season-long five-game homestand.

THE SACRED HEART PIONEERS 
Sacred Heart (9-2) is ranked 21st in this week's Mid-Major Top 25 Poll.  The Pioneers have been off since Dec. 18, when they had a five-game winning streak snapped with a 64-54 loss at Albany.  Senior forward Callan Taylor is averaging a double-double this season.  She leads the team with 16.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per game.  Taylor also has a team-high field goal percentage of .557.  Freshman guard Gabrielle Washington contributes 12.4 points per outing to rank second on the squad.  Sophomore guard Ericka Norman records 5.1 assists and 3.2 steals per game to lead the Pioneers in both categories.  Along with junior guard Kiley Evans and sophomore forward/center Enjoli Bland, Taylor, Washington and Norman have started every game this season.  The Pioneers, who are in the midst of a span where they play eight out of 10 contests away from home, wrap up their non-conference schedule at St. Bonaventure on Tuesday.

SERIES HISTORY
Manhattan faced Sacred Heart in the first round of the Women's Basketball Invitational (WBI) on March 17, 2011.  The Jaspers' 52-48 victory in that game was their first-ever win in a national postseason tournament.  This marks the fourth straight season in which the Jaspers are meeting the Pioneers, and the home team has won each time.  Manhattan leads the all-time series 2-1.

LAST TIME OUT
Manhattan's defense converted 30 St. Francis (NY) turnovers into 23 points en route to a 50-37 victory over the Terriers at Draddy Gymnasium on Wednesday night.  The Jaspers forced 20 turnovers in the first half and held a 28-18 advantage at intermission.  Manhattan's lead reached a game-high 16 points at 35-19 with 12:50 remaining, but St. Francis (NY) kept it close, getting within seven with 1:57 left.  However, the Jaspers scored the final six points of the game to secure their third straight win, 50-37.  Lindsey Loutsenhizer had her second double-double of the season with 15 points and 11 rebounds.  Nadia Peters added 10 points and six boards to go along with three blocks.  Six different Jaspers recorded at least three steals, as Manhattan finished with a season-high 23 takeaways.