Riverdale, NY - Manhattan (7-6; 7-3 MAAC) welcomes Saint Peter's (6-9; 5-5 MAAC) to Draddy Gymnasium on Saturday, February 6 in a nationally-televised ESPNU match-up starting at 12:00 pm.
How To Watch
Saturday's game can be watched on ESPNU.
Quick Hits
* The game will be labeled as a non-conference game, as the teams previously met in Draddy Gymnasium on January 1-2.
* The Jaspers won the two earlier meetings by scores on 71-46 and 69-55, with senior
Courtney Warley averaging 12.5 ppg and 10.5 rpg.
* Manhattan has won 15-straight against Saint Peter's, with
Heather Vulin holding a perfect 11-0 record.
* In Vulin's 11 victories, the Jaspers are limiting the Peahens to an average of just 50.9 ppg while winning by an average of 16.5 ppg each time.
* Over nine career games against Saint Peter's, Warley is averaging 11.6 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 1.6 spg and 1.6 bpg with two double-doubles and four double-figure rebounding performances.
* She continues to lead the MAAC and rank among the nation's best on the glass (10.8 rpg-24th) and from the line (47 free throws-137th).
* Warley also is among the MAAC leaders in scoring (10.5 ppg-17th), double-doubles (4-2nd), steals (2.2 spg-6th), blocks (1.1 bpg-8th), offensive rebounds (3.5-2nd), defensive rebounds (7.2-2nd), minutes (35.5 mpg-5th) and from the line (.797-8th).
You're The Best Around, And No One's Gonna Hold You Down
Manhattan is among the nation's best in scoring defense (55.9 ppg-21st), FG % defense (.374-73rd) and blocks (4.1 bpg-77th).
Notes From The Shore
* Junior
Dee Dee Davis led the Jaspers on offense in the most recent sweep of Monmouth, averaging a team-best 13.5 ppg with 5.0 rpg, 2.0 spg and 1.5 apg.
* Junior
Sydney Watkins scored a season-high 17 points, on the strength of five triples, in the Jaspers' 58-45 series-opening victory.
* Manhattan also forced a season-high 31 turnovers that led to 20 points.
* In the finale against, Davis scored 11 of the final 13 Jasper points, en route to finishing with a game-high 16.
* Manhattan registered double-figures in steals in each win, improving to 4-0 when doing so this season.
Manhattan Is ...
* 12-0 the last three-plus years when scoring at least 70 points.
* 6-0 when leading at the half this season, and forcing at least 18 turnovers.
* 3-1 in games decided by five points or less this year.
50+70=Success
* The Jaspers held Monmouth to less than 50 points in each victory, while improving to 24-2 under Head Coach
Heather Vulin when doing so.
* Manhattan scored a season-high matching 71 points in the season-opening victory over Saint Peter's, to improve to 13-1 when scoring at least 70 points under Vulin.
Pounding The Glass
Warley has paced the Jaspers on the glass in 12 games this year, while registering double-figures on eight occasions. She snared a season-high 15 in the finale at Marist, and has reached double-digits 40 times in her career.
Double Your Pleasure
Warley notched her fourth double-double of the year, and the 18th of her career with 10 points and 13 rebounds in the opener against Marist. She previously recorded double-doubles with 13 points and 12 rebounds in the series-opening victory over Saint Peter, 17 points and 11 rebounds in an overtime win against Quinnipiac and 14 points with 13 rebounds to secure a sweep at Rider.
Warley's Weekend Averages
at Rider - 16.5 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 3.5 spg, 1.5 bpg
- Season-high 19 points in the opener
Quinnipiac - 12.0 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 3.0 spg, 1.5 bpg
Saint Peter's - 12.5 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 1.0 spg, 1.0 bpg
at Marist - 7.5 ppg, 14.0 rpg, 2.0 bpg, 1.5 spg
- Season-high 15 rebounds in the finale
at Monmouth - 9.0 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 3.5 spg
Dee+Dee=Consistency
Davis has recorded double-figures in points a team-best 11 times this year, while pulling down at least five rebounds on eight occasions. On the year, she has paced Manhattan in scoring a team-best five times, and ranks among the MAAC leaders in scoring (12.2 ppg-7th) and FT percentage (.763-10th).
Davis From Deep
Davis drained a career-high five three pointers against Northeastern, before sinking three of her four in the fourth quarter of the finale at Monmouth. She also converted three overtime triples in the win over Quinnipiac, and is making good on 30.8 percent (25-of-81) from long range this year.
Taking It Up A Notch
Over her last four games, Davis is averaging 14.3 ppg, highlighted by a season-high 19 points vs. Northeastern, on the strength of a season-best five triples.
Second-Half Success
After halftime in her last four games, Davis is averaging 10.7 ppg, highlighted by going for 13 points in 13 minutes the last time out at Monmouth.
More Davis
Davis, who missed all of last year due to injury, has scored in double-figures in 17 of her last 20 games, and 21 times in her career.
She's Heating Up
Watkins is averaging 10.5 ppg and three triples each time out, over her last four games. During that time she is also converting on 38.7 percent (12-of-31) from deep.
Sixpence All The Richer
Watkins became the sixth Jasper to pace the team in scoring this year, with a season-best 17 points in the series-opening win at Monmouth.
Scouting Saint Peter's
Taiah Thornton (14.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 4.2 apg) and Kendrea Williams (11.9 ppg, 3.0 apg) pace Peahen attack that features nine players that play double-figures in minutes each night. In the first two games,
Straight To The Point
Cajou accrued a season-high matching seven assists against Northeastern, has now handed out at least five on four occasions and has a 2.5 assist/turnover ratio over her last four games. On the year, Cajou, who scored a season-high 12 points in the finale vs. Quinnipiac, is averaging 4.6 ppg and 3.3 apg (9th MAAC) with a 1.7 assist/turnover ratio (5th MAAC).
Of Note
Cajou has now registered at least seven assists on eight occasions in her four-plus years at Manhattan, and at least five helpers 26 times.
Pam In The Post
Graduate student
Pamela Miceus is averaging 9.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg and 2.0 bpg over her last seven games, with four double-figure scoring performances. Miceus, who hit for double-figures just twice in her first three seasons, is averaging 7.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg and 1.7 bpg (5th MAAC), while converting on 45.3 percent (7th MAAC) from the floor.
More Pam
In the first win over Saint Peter's, Miceus scored a career-high 12 points, before collecting nine points, nine rebounds, four assists, four blocks and two steals to help secure the sweep.
Saint Peter's Series Recap
* In the series-opener against Saint Peter's, all 11 Jaspers scored with a season-high four registering double-figures.
* Manhattan's reserves scored a season-high 26 points in the finale.
* The Jaspers also erased an early 11-point deficit thanks to shooting 41.6 percent from the floor, while assisting on 20 of their 26 field goals.
Pretty, Pretty, Pretty Good
Thanks to the sweep of Saint Peter's, Vulin is a perfect 11-0 against Saint Peter's, while extending the Jaspers' winning streak over the Peahens to 15.
CK Sparks Manhattan
With Manhattan trailing by nine points early in the second quarter in the finale against Saint Peter's, sophomore
Christina Katsamouri provided immediate offense to the tune of eight-straight points. She followed that up with six more points after halftime, en route to finishing with a career and team-high 14 points, on 6-of-8 shooting, in a personal-best 25 minutes.
Start Me Up
Katsamouri made her first two collegiate starts at Monmouth.
LaPointe Calls Game
LaPointe's putback at the buzzer lifted the Jaspers to a 71-70 victory over Quinnipiac. LaPointe finished with 15 points, a career-high nine assists and five rebounds over 44 minutes. The following weekend, she averaged 11.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg and 3.5 apg in a sweep of Saint Peter's.
Filling It Up
LaPoine has registered double-figures in scoring four times, grabbed at least five rebounds on seven occasions and dished out four assists in four games. On the year, she is averaging 8.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg (20th MAAC), 3.5 apg (7th MAAC), while posting a 1.1 assist/to ratio (12th MAAC).
More Than Just A Basketball Player
Earlier this year, LaPointe was named the MAAC representative to the newly formed NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Student-Athlete Engagement Group, which will serve as an amplifying voice for women's basketball on key initiatives, legislation and various issues.
Overtime Notes
Manhattan's 71-70 victory over Quinnipiac snapped an eight-game losing streak in overtime games that dated back to a 71-59 triumph against Monmouth on December 17. 2011.
Balling From The Bench
* Watkins' aforementioned 17 points in the opener at Monmouth was the most by a Jasper reserve this year.
* Senior
Sini Mäkelä made her first start of the season in the finale at Marist, scoring five points, after pulling down six rebounds in the opener.
* Morgan scored nine points, fueled by three triples, in the finale vs. Quinnipiac and is shooting 46.7 percent (7-of-15) from deep.
* Sophomore
Jenna Jordan scored six points with two assists in the series-opening win over Saint Peter's, before adding five in the first game at Marist.
* Freshman
Nia Bailey scored the first four points of her career in the opener at Marist, and sparked a game-ending 24-10 run in the second win at Rider with a pair of assists and a free throw.
* Freshman Emma-Wilson Santos grabbed a career-high seven rebounds with three points in the opener vs. Saint Peter's.
In The All-Time Jasper Career Annals ...
* Warley is tied with Gina Somma (1992-96) for seventh with 826 rebounds, just four behind Stacey Jack (1983-87).
* She is also fifth in program history with 123 blocks, nine behind Eve Walters (1998-2003).
* Miceus, meanwhile, is right behind Warley in sixth with 93 rejections.
* Cajou is ninth with 338 career assists, and with 11 would match Amy Gottschalk (1992-96).
Notable From Rider
* Warley was dominant in Manhattan's sweep of Rider, averaging 16.5 ppg, 11.0 rpg and 3.5 spg, highlighted by going for 14 points and 13 rebounds in the finale.
* The Jaspers outscored Rider 60-36 in the paint for the weekend, while posting a 22-11 advantage in fastbreak points.
* Manhattan held the Broncs without a field goal in the second quarter of the finale
* Vulin became the sixth coach in program history to eclipse the 50-win plateau thanks to registering back-to-back victories.
Recruiting Pays Dividends
In each of the last two seasons, Vulin's recruiting classes paid immediate dividends as the Jaspers were paced in scoring each year by a freshman with Davis topping the charts in 2018-19 and LaPointe a year ago.
Preseason #1
Manhattan was selected as the MAAC Preseason No. 1 for the 2020-21 season. The Jaspers top the MAAC's preseason coaches poll for the first time in the modern era of the league. The no. 1 preseason ranking is also the Jaspers' highest since the 2002-03 season, when Manhattan was selected to finish second in the league. The Jaspers went on to win the MAAC Championship over Siena that season.
Three's A Crowd
In addition to the team accolades, Warley and LaPointe were named to the Preseason All-MAAC First Team, while Cajou was tabbed to the Third Team.
#playGREEN
The Jaspers' team motto "playGREEN" is a concept developed by Vulin. For the team, playGREEN is a commitment to the pursuit of excellence. Vulin expects her players to have that mindset every day, as they play for their teammates, for their program, and to represent Manhattan College at a championship level. The Jaspers use #playGREEN on all of the team's social media channels.
The Newcomers
Manhattan welcomes three freshmen and one transfer for the 2019-20 season.
* Jordan joins the squad from St. Francis Brooklyn, where she averaged 6.3 ppg, shooting 46.3 percent as a freshman.
* Bailey, who hails from New Rochelle, was named a 2019-20 Conference I All-Section selection, in addition to being named a Journal News/LoHud Girls Basketball Honorable Mention for Westchester and Putnam Counties.
*
Favour Mbeledeogu won the Pennsylvania District Three Class 2A championship as a member of the Linden Hall for Girls squad and also played for Raptors Academy (2016) and Deepbond Academy (2017).
* Rounding out the newcomers is Wilson-Saltos, who is the first player out of Preston High School to play Division I basketball in 16 years.
United For Justice
For 2020-21, the MAAC launched its United for Justice campaign and will work both internally at the conference office and with all 11 member institutions to advance and execute strategies to combat racial injustices within our society. The MAAC and its member institutions will work to address the long-standing history of systemic racism and inequality that minorities in this country have and still currently face, with a goal to educate those around us and to create substantial change in our communities. The MAAC basketball programs have united to focus their messaging platform for the upcoming season on Black Lives Matter. Specifically, the coaches will be showcasing the BLM messaging on warm ups and uniform patches.
Head Coach Heather Vulin
Vulin was named the eighth head coach in Manhattan College program history on April 25, 2016. A 1999 graduate of Minnesota-Morris, she earned nearly two decades of coaching experience before arriving in Riverdale. She began her career as a graduate assistant at North Dakota State from 2000-02, then spent six seasons as an assistant coach at Sacred Heart from 2002-08. Vulin was on the staff at Villanova for seven seasons (2008-15) before spending the 2015-16 campaign as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Virginia Tech. She won her first game as a head coach against Holy Cross, defeating the Crusaders 60-56 on November 11, 2016, and her first MAAC game against Siena on December 30, 2016, when the Jaspers defeated the Saints 68-66.
Vulin has continued to raise the standard for the women's basketball program since her arrival at Manhattan. She mentored Warley to the program's first MAAC First Team selection since 2011 and the program's second MAAC Defensive Player of the Year Award. In addition, she guided LaPointe to the unanimous 2019-20 MAAC Rookie of the Year award, and Cajou to the program's first MAAC Sixth Player of the Year award in 2018. The Jaspers have also earned a spot in the MAAC quarterfinals for three-straight years.
The Coaching Staff
Vulin's staff consists of
Allie Bassetti,
Callan Taylor,
Rena Wakama and
Kiambra Griffin.
In her fifth season, Bassetti serves as an assistant coach and the team's recruiting coordinator. She joined Vulin at Manhattan after serving as the director of basketball operations at American from 2013-16. Also in her fifth season, Taylor was the 2011-12 NEC player of the year at Sacred Heart and played basketball professionally overseas. Wakama is in her fourth season with the Jaspers and her second as an assistant. A 2014 graduate of Western Carolina, she played professionally, making stops in the United Kingdom and the FIBA African Basketball League. Griffin joined the Jaspers last year as director of basketball operations. Prior to that, the 2018 Davidson grad was a graduate assistant at Columbia.
2019-20 Recap
Manhattan finished the 2019-20 regular season 15-14 (12-8 MAAC), tying for third place in the league rankings, the program's best conference finish since 2011. The Jaspers went 6-1 down the stretch, winning their last five games of the season en route to securing a #4 seed for the MAAC Tourney.
Warley's World
Warley earned unanimous 2020-21 Preseason All-MAAC First Team honors, after averaging 11.6 ppg and 8.7 rpg, while shooting 48.6 percent from the field and nabbing 2.4 spg (38th in NCAA Division I) on her way to becoming just the eighth player in program history to earn MAAC First Team honors.
AC Here We Come!
The 2020-21 women's MAAC Championships will take place March 9-13 in Atlantic City, NJ. The tourney will be held at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall.
Trend Setter
Manhattan Athletic Director
Marianne Reilly was the Jaspers' first-ever scholarship women's basketball player. She was also the first player in program history to reach the 1,000-point plateau, finishing with 1,305 points, and was the first female inducted into the Manhattan College Athletic Hall of Fame.
What's A Jasper?
Manhattan is the only athletic program in Division I with the "Jaspers" nickname. The unique moniker honors one of Manhattan's most memorable figures, Brother Jasper of Mary, F.S.C. Brother Jasper served Manhattan College in the late 1800s and was the first coach of Manhattan's baseball team. He is also credited as the creator of the "seventh-inning stretch," which has become a time-honored tradition at ballparks across the country. During a game in the 1880s, Brother Jasper noticed students getting restless in the middle of the seventh inning of a close game, so he called timeout and told the students to stand up a stretch for a few minutes before resuming the game. Since Manhattan regularly played the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds in the 1880s and into the 1890s, the tradition spread into the major leagues.
Up Next
Manhattan will host Iona on Friday, February 12.
