Jaspers Travel To Villanova

Villanova, PA - Manhattan women's basketball will take on the Big East's Villanova on Thursday, November 21. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 pm in Finneran Pavilion. 

GAME NOTES

Last Outing
Down one with 13 seconds left to play, Pamela Miceus (Haverstraw, NY / Stony Point, NY) found Courtney Warley (West Chester, PA / Bishop Shanahan) on the block for a layup to lift Manhattan over Fairleigh Dickinson 62-61 on November 16. Manhattan faced a nine-point deficit with just 1:45 to play, putting together a 10-0 run fueled by strong defense. Warley finished the game with 17 points and a career-high 16 rebounds for her first double-double of the year and the Jaspers' first win of the season. Gabby Cajou (Stony Point, NY / North Rockland) finished in double-figures for Manhattan for the second-straight game, contributing 10 points, including eight of the Jaspers 13 third-quarter points. She added a game-high (tied) three assists. 

MAAC Rankings
One of the toughest defensive squads in the MAAC last year, the Jaspers continue the tradition early this season, ranking third in the league for scoring defense and holding opponents to 65.3 points per game. With four blocks per game, Manhattan is second in the MAAC, while also ranking second in steals (9.0) per game.

Close Ties
Thursday's game serves as a homecoming for two Jaspers: Head Coach Heather Vulin and Warley. Vulin served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Villanova for seven seasons, from 2008-2015, under Villanova Head Coach Harry Perretta. The Wildcats won four Big Five titles, made two NCAA Tournament appearances and earned three postseason WNIT appearances during that span, reaching the quarterfinals of the postseason WNIT in 2015. Originally from West Chester, PA, Warley finished her high school playing career at Bishop Shanahan in Downington, PA, where she was a member of division and league championship teams. Her father, Carlin, played basketball at St. Joseph's University and earned more than 1,000 points in his career with the Hawks.

About the Wildcats
Villanova enters today's contest 1-3 on the year after earning the team's first win of the season at Fordham on November 17 (73-66). The Wildcats' Madison Siegrist and Mary Gedaka combined for 56 points in the game, with Siegrist winning Big East Rookie of the Week and U.S. Basketball Writers Association Freshman Player of the Week honors. Villanova tied with Providence for fifth in the Big East's preseason poll. 

Previous Meeting
Manhattan and Villanova last met in Draddy Gymnasium on December 30, 2007, just one season before Vulin joined Perretta's staff. The Wildcats went home with a 69-45 win, as the Jaspers battled 51 percent shooting from Villanova in the first half, facing a 39-22 deficit at halftime. Villanova finished that season in the Postseason WNIT, losing to Colorado 64-58 in the third round.

All-Time Series
Manhattan is 0-6 all-time against Villanova.