Manhattan-La Salle Game Notes
GAME #4: MANHATTAN JASPERS (1-2) AT LA SALLE EXPLORERS (1-2)
Tuesday, November 25, 2014-12 p.m.
Philadelphia, Pa.-Tom Gola Arena (3,400)
Video: GoExplorers.tv
Audio: www.goexplorers.com
GAME INFORMATION
Manhattan (1-2) begins a five-game road trip with this afternoon's matchup against La Salle (1-2) at Tom Gola Arena. The Jaspers suffered an 81-49 loss to Army on Saturday afternoon, while the Explorers picked up their first win of the season, 65-64, over Howard on Saturday. This marks Manahttan's first trip to Philadelphia since the 1991-92 season, when La Salle was still a member of the MAAC. The Explorers are currently in the Atlantic 10 Conference, and they were picked eighth in the A-10 Preseason Poll.
THE JASPERS
The Jaspers (1-2) suffered an 81-49 home loss to Army on Saturday afternoon. Manhattan is 1-0 on the road this season, having notched a 66-60 victory at Holy Cross on Nov. 16. Freshman guard Nyasha Irizarry posted a career-high 13 points against the Black Knights, and she's tied for the team lead with 11.0 points per contest. Irizarry adds 3.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.7 three-pointers per contest. Junior forward Shayna Ericksen also tallies 11.0 points per game, and she's the Jaspers' leading rebounder with 8.7 boards per outing. Ericksen also averages a team-high 1.7 steals a night. Senior forward Ashley Stec, meanwhile, contributes 7.0 points per game and is shooting .875 from the field. Junior guard Jacqui Thompson paces Manhattan in assists, distributing 3.7 per outing. This is the start of a five-game road trip for Manhattan. The Jaspers visit Ohio on Sunday afternoon in their final contest before the start of MAAC play.
THE EXPLORERS
La Salle (1-2), which was predicted to finish eighth in the Atlantic 10 Preseason Poll, picked up its first win of the season on Saturday afternoon, a 65-64 victory over Howard. Sophomore forward Micahya Owens has averaged 13.7 points over the first three games. Owens has also drained 2.0 three-pointers per game so far this season. Junior forward/center Ebony Wells, meanwhile, tallies 9.0 points and a team-high 8.3 rebounds per outing and freshman guard/forward Amy Griffin chips in 8.0 points per contest. Junior forward Siobhan Beslow adds 7.7 points and 5.0 boards a nigh to go along with 2.0 blocks per game. Sophomore guard Jasmine Alston paces the Explorers with 5.0 assists per contest. She also records a team-high 2.7 steals and 1.7 blocks per outing. After not leaving Philadelphia for its first four games, La Salle will travel to LIU Brooklyn for the Courtyard LaGuardia Turkey Classic over the weekend.
MANHATTAN VS. LA SALLE ALL-TIME
Last season, the Jaspers and Explorers renewed a series that had been dormant since the 1991-92 campaign. La Salle posted a 72-62 win last year at Draddy Gymnasium for its fourth straight victory over the Jaspers, and the Explorers hold an 18-7 edge all-time. Manhattan's last victory in the series was a 60-53 triumph in the 1991 MAAC Quarterfinals. This is the Jaspers' first visit to Tom Gola Arena since Jan. 8, 1992.
LAST GAME
Manhattan dropped an 81-49 decision to Army at Draddy Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon. The Jaspers scored the first six points of the game and opened up a 17-10 advantage on a layup by Jacqui Thompson midway throught the first half. However, the Black Knights responded with a 14-0 run over the next seven minutes to open up a 24-17 cushion. Army then ended the half on a 6-2 rally to take a 30-21 lead into the locker room. Nyasha Irizarry hit a couple of three-pointers early in the second half to make it 36-27, but Army went on a 29-10 spurt to increase its lead to 65-37. The Black Knights' cushion reached a game-high 36 points at 74-39 with 3:36 left, and the final margin was 81-49. Irizarry led the Jaspers with a career-hight 13 points, while Alex Cohen and Taylor Williams tallied eight points apiece.