Box Score
Box Score
WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – Playing in its final road game of the season, the Manhattan College women's basketball team (3-25, 2-17 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) dropped an 84-67 decision to Monmouth (12-16, 8-11 MAAC) at the Multipurpose Activity Center on Thursday evening. Kayla Grimme (Altoona, Pa.) had a career-high 19 points and seven rebounds for the Jaspers.
Monmouth sank a pair of three-pointers to open the scoring, but the Jaspers responded with a trey from Nyasha Irizarry (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and an Ashley Stec (Cazenovia, N.Y.) jumper to make it 6-5 at the 16:09 mark of the first half. The Hawks went back up by nine at 22-13 before five straight points from Maeve Parahus (Congers, N.Y.) brought Manhattan back within four, 22-18, with 8:29 remaining before halftime.
However, Monmouth responded with a 6-0 run to open up a 28-18 advantage with 5:37 to go in the first half. Irizarry drained a trey and Grimme converted two free throws to again pull the Jaspers within five, 28-23, but the Hawks once again countered, and Monmouth took an eight-point lead, 42-34, into the locker room.
After the Jaspers pulled within three early in the second half, Monmouth went on a 12-3 rally to bring the margin back to 10 points, 56-46, with 15:06 remaining. A pair of Shayna Ericksen (Long Valley, N.J.) free throws and a Blake Underhill (Edgewater, N.J.) jumper made it a six-point game, 56-50, with 13:42 left, but that's as close as Manhattan would get the rest of the way. The Hawks' advantage reached 19 points at 84-65 before an Underhill layup capped the scoring in an 84-67 Monmouth victory.
Grimme led three Jaspers in double-figures. Irizarry had 14 points and added four assists, while Stec contributed 10 points. Underhill finished with eight points and five assists, and Taylor Williams (Windsor, Conn.) registered seven points to go along with four rebounds. The Jaspers shot 43.9 percent (25-of-57) as a team, but just 29.4 percent (5-of-17) from three-point range. Manhattan was 12-for-17 (70.6 percent) at the free throw line.
For Monmouth, Helena Kurt led the way with 23 points to go along with nine assists and six rebounds. Sarah Olson tallied 21 points and five boards, while Amanda Offenback had 12 points and four assists. Jamiyah Bethune, meanwhile, notched 10 points for the Hawks. Christina Mitchell pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds, and Sara English finished with nine rebounds and four blocks. Monmouth shot 45.5 percent (30-of-66) from the floor, 44.8 percent (13-of-29) from downtown, and 73.3 percent (11-of-15) at the charity stripe. The Hawks also outrebounded the Jaspers 46-27.
Manhattan concludes the regular season on Saturday afternoon with a 2 p.m. matchup against Fairfield (13-15, 12-7 MAAC) at Draddy Gymnasium. Seniors Stec and Alexis Crist (Mesa, Ariz.) will be honored prior to the contest.
NOTES: The game was broadcast live nationally on ESPN3…It was Manhattan's first ESPN3 appearance since a 62-55 victory at Siena on Jan. 30, 2014…Monmouth swept the season series for the first time and has won three straight against the Jaspers…The all-time series is now even at 9-9…Grimme's previous career-high was 17 points at Towson on Nov. 16, 2013…Manhattan had an assist/turnover ratio of at least 1:1 for the third consecutive game…The Jaspers cracked 60 points for the third straight game and the sixth time this season, two of which have come against Monmouth…Manhattan used the same starting lineup for the third time in a row, matching its longest streak of the season…Elsewhere in the MAAC on Thursday, Saint Peter's upset Marist 66-58, meaning the Jaspers will be the No. 11 seed in the MAAC Tournament and will play their first round game next Thursday at 1:30 p.m.
