Jaspers Fall to Rider

Box Score

Lawrenceville, NJ - Unable to capitalize on a first-quarter lead, Manhattan College lost to the Rider Broncs 67-51 in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) contest on Thursday, February 1 at Alumni Gymnasium. Rider improves to 9-13 overall and 6-5 in the league, while the Jaspers fall to 8-13 and 5-5 in the MAAC. 

Manhattan finished the first period up 18-15 on the Broncs after shooting 41.2 percent in the quarter, including 3-4 from three-point range. Sophomore guard Gabby Cajou (Stony Point, NY / North Rockland) contributed seven of her 11 total points in the first. But the offensive performance did not carry over, as the Jaspers' shooting percentage fell to 21.4 percent in the second, where Manhattan also went 0-4 from behind the arc. Plagued by the play of Rider's Kamila Hoskova, who had 10 points in the second quarter alone, Manhattan found itself down 30-26 going into halftime. 

The Jaspers started the third quarter with a jumper by Kayla Grimme (Altoona, PA / Altoona Area) that cut the Broncs' lead to two. But Rider scored the next six points over two minutes to stretch the lead to eight. By the 6:33 mark, the Broncs had gone on a 11-2 run, including five points from Lexi Posset, who was held scoreless in the first half. 

Hoping for the late-game comeback that helped the Jaspers beat Monmouth on January 28, Manhattan started the fourth quarter down seven. But the Jaspers went scoreless for the first three minutes of play, then silent again until the 2:44 mark. Rider took its largest lead of the game at 65-45, a deficit that Manhattan was unable to overcome with just eight points in the fourth. 

Freshman Courtney Warley (West Chester, PA / Bishop Shanahan) matched her career-high of 12 rebounds in the game, including eight in the first half. She also contributed six points and three blocks in 36 minutes of play. Held to just three points in the first half, Amani Tatum (Cambria Heights, NY / James Madison) led the Jaspers in scoring with 16. She added three assists, as well. 

Up Next:
The Jaspers remain on the road to take on Fairfield on Sunday, February 4 at 2 p.m.