Box Score
Click here to view the 2011-12 Manhattan Women's Basketball Yearbook
RIVERDALE, N.Y. - The Manhattan College women's basketball team is on a roll. The Jaspers (6-6) wrapped up non-conference play on Friday night by picking up their fourth consecutive victory, a 62-50 triumph over Sacred Heart (9-3) in a rematch of last season's Women's Basketball Invitational (WBI) first round game at Draddy Gymnasium.
Manhattan scored the first four points of the game, but Sacred Heart quickly responded with a 9-0 rally to take a five-point lead. The Jaspers stormed back to tie it at 14-14 on Schyanne Halfkenny's (Hyde Park, Mass.) three-pointer midway through the first half. With the score knotted at 18-18, the Pioneers went on a 10-3 run to open up a 28-21 advantage with 2:51 remaining in the half. However, Lindsey Loutsenhizer (North Huntingdon, Pa.) drained a trey, then sank a layup before a jumper by Ashley Stec (Cazenovia, N.Y.) capped the Jaspers' 7-0 rally that evened the score at 28-28.
After the teams went into the locker room deadlocked, Monica Roeder (Marlton, N.J.) put Manhattan in front eight seconds into the second half. Sacred Heart immediately went back in front, 31-30, on a three-pointer by Gabrielle Washington, but that would be the Pioneers' last lead of the night. Roeder responded with a trey of her own on the other end to ignite a 12-0 Manhattan run that gave the Jaspers a 41-31 cushion.
Sacred Heart scored nine of the next 13 points to get back within four, 44-40, before Allison Skrec (Roselle, N.J.) nailed a trey to again make it a seven-point game at the 9:42 mark. After a Sacred Heart jumper, Skrec sank a pair of free throws. She then assisted on Manhattan's next three buckets, as the Jaspers opened up an 11-point lead, 55-44, with 6:27 left. A jumper by Skrec at the four-minute mark gave Manhattan a 14-point advantage, 60-46, and the iced the win with two free throws with 1:23 remaining. With the 62-50 victory, the Jaspers got back to .500 for the first time this season.
"That was our best game of the season," Head Coach John Olenowski said. "Sacred Heart came in on a roll. Our defense really stepped up in the second half, and we played great against a very good team. If we play this kind of defense, we're a very dangerous team."
Loutsenhizer tallied 18 points to lead the Jaspers. Halfkenny added 12 points (10 in the first half) to go along with a team-high five rebounds (four offensive). Skrec had the best game of her Manhattan career, notching career-highs with 11 points and seven assists. She also collected three steals in 25 minutes off the bench. Roeder chipped in nine points, while Nadia Peters (Bronx, N.Y.) and Toni-Ann Lawrence (Elmont, N.Y.) both recorded four steals. As a team, the Jaspers shot 43.1 percent (25-of-58) from the field and 38.9 percent (7-of-18) from three-point land. Manhattan converted all five of its free throw attempts. Two nights after forcing 31 turnovers in a win over St. Francis (NY), the Jaspers caused 33 Sacred Heart turnovers on Friday.
Callan Taylor, who came into the game averaging a double-double for the season, posted 13 points and 12 rebounds for the Pioneers. Enjoli Bland led Sacred Heart with 14 points, going a perfect 5-for-5 from the field (and 4-for-4 at the charity stripe). She also grabbed six rebounds, as the Pioneers held a 39-19 edge on the glass. Ericka Norman distributed a team-high four assists to go along with four steals. Sacred Heart shot 44.4 percent (20-of-45) overall, but was just 3-for-19 (15.8 percent) from long range. The Pioneers went a perfect 7-for-7 at the free throw line.
"This is exactly how we wanted to go into 2012," Olenowski said. "We're on a roll, and now we have to get ready for a really good, quality opponent in Rider. But we're very happy with where we're at right now. We always look forward to conference (play), and the girls just can't wait to get it going on Monday night."
Manhattan begins the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) portion of its schedule at 5 p.m. on Monday, when Rider (8-3, 0-0 MAAC) visits Draddy Gymnasium in the first game of a Manhattan basketball doubleheader. Following the women's game, the Manhattan and Rider men's teams will square off.
NOTES: Manhattan and Sacred Heart met for the fourth straight season, and the home team has won every game in the series...The Jaspers hold a 3-1 edge all-time against the Pioneers...Sacred Heart came into the game ranked 21st in this week's Mid-Major Top 25 poll...Manhattan went 3-0 this season against teams from the Northeast Conference and has won its last five games against NEC opponents...The Jaspers didn't miss a free throw for the second time in three games...Manhattan was tied at halftime for the first time this season...Neither team missed a free throw in the game, going a combined 12-for-12 at the line...Manhattan has forced a combined 115 turnovers during its current four-game winning streak...Skrec's previous career-highs were six points against Monmouth on Dec. 17 and four assists at NJIT on Nov. 27...The Jaspers enter MAAC play with a record of .500 or better for the second straight season...Manhattan finished with a 22-13 overall mark during the 2011 calendar year.
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