Manhattan-Rider Game Notes
Game 25: Manhattan (7-17, 4-9 MAAC) at Rider (8-16, 5-8 MAAC)
Friday, February 9, 2009-5:30 p.m.
Trenton, N.J.-Sovereign Bank Arena (8,600)
TV: None
Radio/Internet: gobroncs.com
TONIGHT'S GAME
Manhattan (7-17, 4-9 MAAC) returns to action this evening with an important game against Rider (8-16, 5-8 MAAC) at Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, N.J. The Broncs lead the Lady Jaspers by one game in the MAAC standings and won the first meeting between the two, 76-66 on Jan. 11. Manhattan is coming off a 72-65 loss to Iona on Monday night, while Rider dropped a 74-63 decision to Saint Peter's on Sunday.
ABOUT THE LADY JASPERS
The Lady Jaspers embark upon their final two-game road trip of the season sitting in eighth place with a 4-9 MAAC record. Manhattan trails seventh-place Rider by one game. The Lady Jaspers dropped a 72-65 decision to Iona on Monday night. Senior center Kelly Regan became the 17th player in program history to reach the 1,000-point plateu on Monday night. She leads the team in both scoring (12.5 ppg) and rebounding (7.2 rpg). Junior guard Michelle Pacheco is second on the squad with 9.7 points per game and dishes out a team-leading 4.0 assists per game, which ranks fourth in the MAAC. Pacheco is also fifth in the MAAC with an assist/turnover ratio of 1.2. In conference play, Pacheco is tied for the MAAC lead with 4.5 assists per game. Freshman guard Alyssa Herrington ranks third on the team with 9.0 points per game and averages 2.2 three-pointers per game, the third-highest total in the MAAC. Freshman forward Lindsey Loutsenhizer grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds against Iona and ranks second on the team with 5.8 rebounds per game.
ABOUT THE BRONCS
Rider has dropped two straight, including a 74-63 loss at Saint Peter's on Sunday. The Broncs, who beat the Lady Jaspers 76-66 on Jan. 11, are currently in seventh place with a 5-8 MAAC record. Junior guard/forward Tammy Meyers is Rider's leading scorer and ranks fifth in the MAAC with 14.7 points per game. Meyers had 21 points against Manhattan earlier this season. She also leads the Broncs in assists (3.5 apg) and steals (1.8 spg), and ranks second on the team in rebounding (5.5 rpg). Junior guard Amanda Sepulveda is the only other Rider player in double figures with 12.2 points per game. She also distributes 2.8 assists per game. Senior forward Shaunice Parker ranks sixth in the MAAC with 7.8 rebounds per game. She also ranks third on the team in scoring with 8.9 points per game.
THE MANHATTAN-RIDER SERIES
Rider's 76-66 win at Draddy Gymnasium on Jan. 11 snapped a seven-game Manhattan winning streak in the series. Today's matchup is the 28th meeting between the teams, and the Lady Jaspers hold a 20-7 edge in the all-time series. Manhattan posted an 82-49 triumph at Alumni Gymnasium on Feb. 3, 2008.
LAST TIME OUT
On the night Kelly Regan scored her 1,000th career point, the Lady Jaspers fought back from a 19-point deficit to take the lead in the second half before falling, 72-65, to archrival Iona at Draddy Gymnasium on Monday night. Iona scored the first 11 points of the game and led 31-12 before the Lady Jaspers ended the first half on a 9-2 run to trail by only 12 points, 33-21 at halftime. Manhattan stormed back to take a 54-52 lead in the second half and held a 60-59 lead before the Gaels went on a 9-0 run to pull away. Annie McIntyre sank six three-pointers for a career-high 18 points, while Kerri White made her first five field goal attempts and finished with a career-high 15 points. Lindsey Loutsenhizer just missed a double-double with nine points and a career-high 11 rebounds.
RIDER CONNECTIONS
Manhattan assistant coach Christine Catalanotto played two seasons at Rider after transferring from UMBC, and was the Broncs' starting point guard in 56 of 57 games during the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons. She averaged 6.1 points, 2.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.2 steals during her Rider career and won the team's Academic Excellence Award in 2004-05.
WE LIKE THIS PLACE
Tonight's game marks the third time in program history that Manhattan is playing in Sovereign Bank Arena. The Lady Jaspers are 2-0 all-time in the building. Both victories came in the 2003 MAAC Tournament, including a 65-57 triumph over Siena in the Championship Game for the program's fourth (and most recent) MAAC Championship.
