Jaspers Pick Up Second-Straight MAAC Win

Riverdale, NY - Manhattan women's basketball outlasted Niagara for a 68-65 win in a MAAC battle at Draddy on Saturday, January 4. The victory marks the Jaspers' second-straight win, as they improve to 5-7 on the year and 2-1 in conference. Niagara drops to 2-9 and 0-2 in the league. 

Highlights:

• Four Jaspers scored in double-figures for Manhattan, with Gabby Cajou (Stony Point, NY / North Rockland) leading the pack with 15. Cajou just missed a points-assists double-double, doling out a season-best nine assists on the day. 
• Courtney Warley (West Chester, PA / Bishop Shanahan) added 14 points to the Jasper offense, scoring in double-figures for the second-straight game. She added a season-high five steals and a season-high three blocks, as well. 
• Julie Høier (Aabyhoej, Denmark / Marselisborg Gymnasium) added a double-double for Manhattan, contributing 10 points and pulling down a season-best 11 rebounds, including nine on the defensive glass. Her four assists ties her career-best, and marks the second-straight game she has hit that number. 
• Lizahya Morgan (East Hartford, CT / Capital Preparatory Magnet) nabbed 10 points off the bench, including eight in a decisive third quarter where the Jaspers outscored the Purple Eagles 19-10. 
• Manhattan struggled offensively in the first half, shooting just 33.3 percent over the first two periods, including 29.4 percent shooting in the second quarter. The scoring struggles allowed Niagara to gain a 22-13 advantage in the second, heading into halftime up six over the Jaspers. 
• Similar to Thursday's game against Canisius, the third quarter proved to be huge for Manhattan, who found the rhythm on offense to go 7-15 in the quarter, including 4-9 from three. In addition to Morgan's eight, the Jaspers got four from Høier in the stanza to spark a 14-4 run and put the Jaspers up three going into the final 10. 
• Cajou took over the fourth quarter, scoring nine points on 4-5 shooting. Høier added six of her own in the period, while Warley picked up two steals in the fourth. Manhattan forced four turnovers in the quarter, scoring eight points off of Niagara's TOs. 
• The Jaspers stretched their lead to as many as nine in the fourth, but Niagara chipped away at it behind Jai Moore, who scored six straight to get the Purple Eagles within three with just over a minute to play. 
• Up three with four seconds left to go, Manhattan made a big defensive stop, forcing Niagara's Maggie McIntyre to try for a deep three that was off the mark and went out of bounds, giving the Jaspers the ball with less than a second to go. 
• Manhattan's 24 combined assists were the most by the team this season, besting the 21 assists doled out against Army when Manhattan scored a season-high 86 points.
• Manhattan's defense ruled the day, as the Jaspers forced 17 turnovers from the Purple Eagles and scored 17 points off the miscues. The Jaspers also earned 22 fast break points in the game. 
• Now with 244 career assists, Cajou is 13 away from tying Donna Seybold '90 for 16th on Manhattan's all-time list. 
• Warley is also reaching a milestone, now just 23 rebounds away from tying Linda Bores '84 on that all-time list. Warley currently has 518 career boards.

Up Next:
The Jaspers hit the road to play Saint Peter's on Thursday, January 9 at 4:00 pm.