Jaspers Welcome Canisius On "Kid's Day"

Manhattan-Canisius Game Notes

GAMEDAY
Manhattan (8-8, 2-2 MAAC) welcomes Canisius (8-7, 2-2 MAAC) to Draddy Gymnasium this morning for its annual "Kid's Day" game, as more than 500 students from local elementary schools will be in attendance.  The Jaspers, who are looking to snap a two-game skid, dropped a 61-41 decision at Marist on Monday night.  The Griffs have won two straight, including an 85-74 overtime victory against Iona on Monday.  The 11 a.m. start time is Manhattan's earliest of the regular season, and today is the first of five consecutive day games for the Jaspers.

THE MANHATTAN JASPERS
The Jaspers (8-8, 2-2 MAAC) are looking to bounce back after suffering their second straight loss, 61-41, at Marist on Monday night.  Senior forward Lindsey Loutsenhizer, who collected her 1,200th career point on Monday night, leads the Jaspers with 13.2 points per game.  She also paces Manhattan in rebounding (6.1 rpg) and assists (2.5 apg), while ranking second on the squad in steals (2.0 spg).  Sophomore guard Monica Roeder contributes 11.2 points per game, while senior guard/forward Schyanne Halfkenny notches 9.5 points and 5.4 boards per outing.  Senior forward Nadia Peters grabs 5.3 rebounds per contest to go along with a team-leading 2.4 steals and 1.0 blocks per game.  Sophomore guard Allison Skrec hands out 2.5 assists an outing, while junior guard Maggie Blair distributes 2.3 assists per game.  The Jaspers visit Iona on Sunday afternoon before getting a week off prior to their second meeting of the year with Loyola.

THE CANISIUS GOLDEN GRIFFINS 
After losing its first two MAAC games, Canisius (8-7, 2-2 MAAC) has won two straight, including an 85-74 overtime victory against Iona on Monday.  The Griffs are led by sophomore forward Jamie Ruttle, last season's MAAC Rookie of the Year.  Ruttle tallies 11.5 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.  She also averages 0.9 blocks per contest.  Junior guard Ashley Durham contributes 9.6 points and 3.4 rebounds to go along with a team-leading 4.4 assists per game.  Sophomore guard Jen Morabito ranks third on the squad in scoring (9.1 ppg).  She drains 2.2 three-pointers per outing and is shooting .402 from beyond the arc.  Junior guard Allison Braun hands out 1.9 assists per game and leads the Griffs with 1.5 steals per contest.  Braun also grabs 4.1 rebounds per outing, which ties her with junior forward Ashley Wilkes for second on the team.  This is the start of a span where Canisius plays seven out of 10 games on the road.

SERIES HISTORY
Manhattan swept the season series against Canisius last season for the first time since 2002-03.  On Jan. 28, 2011, the Jaspers beat the Griffs 55-30, the fewest points Manhattan has allowed since the 1991-92 season.  The Jaspers then posted a 54-42 win at Draddy Gymnasium on Feb. 6, 2011.  Manhattan has won three straight against Canisius overall, but the Griffs lead the all-time series 28-20.

LAST TIME OUT
The Jaspers dropped their second straight game, 61-41 at Marist on Monday night.  Marist opened up an early 17-6 lead before a 13-5 Manhattan run brought the Jaspers within three, 22-19, with 5:36 left in the first half.  However, the Red Foxes ended the period on an 8-0 run to take a 30-19 advantage into the locker room.  After Manhattan scored the first basket of the second half, Marist went on an 11-0 run to extend its cushion to 20 points, 41-21.  The lead reached 25 points at 53-28 with 7:39 remaining, and Marist won by a 61-41 margin.  Lindsey Loutsenhizer led the Jaspers with 14 points, including the 1,200th of her career.  Schyanne Halfkenny added six points and a team-high six rebounds, while Monica Roeder and Alyssa Herrington each contributed five points.

KID'S DAY
This marks the second straight season in which Manhattan is hosting a "Kid's Day Out" game.  Last season, more than 800 students from local elementary schools were in attendance at the Jaspers' home game against Siena.  Manhattan is still looking for its first "Kid's Day," win, however, as Siena notced a 51-44 victory in that matchup.  The Jaspers were also the road team in one "Kid's Day" game last season, picking up a 71-43 win at Rider.