Jaspers Look to Extend Winning Streak at Loyola

Manhattan-Loyola Game Notes

GAMEDAY
The Jaspers (7-6, 1-0 MAAC) for the first time in nearly a month with tonight's matchup against Loyola (4-8, 0-1 MAAC) at Reitz Arena.  Manhattan has won five straight, including a 59-45 victory over Rider in its Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) opener on Monday.  Loyola dropped a 57-54 decision against Niagara on Monday and has lost its last three games.  Manhattan is in the midst of an eight-game span where it begins MAAC play by alternating home and road contests.

THE MANHATTAN JASPERS
Manhattan (7-6, 1-0 MAAC) plays its first road game since Dec. 9 looking to extend its five-game winning streak.  The Jaspers are coming off a 59-45 victory over Rider in their MAAC opener on Monday.  Senior forward Lindsey Loutsenhizer was selected as the College Sports Madness MAAC Player of the Week on Monday.  She paces the Jaspers with 13.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.  Loutsenhizer also ranks second on the squad in both assists (2.7 apg) and steals (2.4 spg).  Sophomore guard/forward Monica Roeder notches 12.3 points per game, while senior guard/forward Schyanne Halfkenny contributes 9.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per outing.  Senior forward Nadia Peters notches 2.6 steals and 1.2 blocks a night to go along with 5.4 rebounds per game.  Junior guard Maggie Blair hands out a team-best 3.0 assists per contest.  The Jaspers return home on Saturday afternoon for a matchup with Fairfield.

THE LOYOLA GREYHOUNDS 
Loyola (4-8, 0-1 MAAC) has dropped three straight games and five of its last six.  The Greyhounds are coming off a 57-54 loss to Niagara in their MAAC opener on Monday.  Junior guard Katie Sheahin averages a team-leading 14.4 points and 3.3 assists per game.  Last season's MAAC Defensive Player of the Year, Sheahin leads the conference with 3.6 steals per game while also notching 1.0 blocks and 5.9 rebounds per contest.  Senior guard Miriam McKenzie contributes 13.7 points and a team-leading 7.0 rebounds per game.  Freshman guard Kara Marshall pours in 7.4 points per contest, and junior forward Alyssa Sutherland distributes 2.3 assists per outing.  Loyola advanced to the MAAC Championship Game last season and represented the conference in the Postseason WNIT, beating Old Dominion in the first round.  The Greyhounds were picked to finish second in the MAAC again this season.

SERIES HISTORY
Loyola has won six straight against Manhattan, including all three meetings last season.  The Greyhounds defeated the Jaspers, 50-47, in the semifinals of the MAAC Tournament on March 5, 2011.  Overall, the Greyhounds hold a 24-22 edge in the all-time series.  Manhattan's last win over Loyola was a 60-54 victory at Reitz Arena on Feb. 15, 2009.

LAST TIME OUT
The Jaspers began MAAC play by notching their fifth straight win, 59-45 over Rider at Draddy Gymnasium on Monday.  The lead changed hands six times in the early going before a Lindsey Loutsenhizer three-pointer put Manhattan in front for good.  That trey ignited a 19-6 Manhattan run to end the first half, giving the Jaspers a 32-20 advantage at the break.  Rider pulled within four points early in the second half, but Allison Skrec hit a jumper to start a 13-1 rally that extended the Jaspers' lead to a game-high 17 points, 52-35.  With a 59-45 victory, Manhattan moved above .500 for the first time this season.  Monica Roeder went 7-for-8 from the field (including 3-for-3 from three-point range) to finish with a game-high 19 points, while Nadia Peters contributed 11 points.