RIVERDALE, N.Y. – Every four years, NCAA teams are allowed to take a foreign tour prior to the start of the season. And with the 2014-15 academic year rapidly approaching, the Manhattan College women's basketball program will take advantage of that opportunity. The Jaspers will head North of the Border for four games in Montreal and Ottawa, Canada from August 17-23.
Manhattan's first game of the trip will be a neutral-site contest against the University of Ottawa in Montreal on Monday, Aug. 18. Ottawa finished third in the Ontario University Athletics East division last season, posting a 14-8 record. The Jaspers will then head to Ottawa for a matchup with Carleton University on Tuesday, Aug. 19. Carleton went 16-6 in 2013-14, tying for first place in OUA East.
After a day off for some sightseeing in Montreal, the Jaspers return to action against McGill University on Thursday, Aug. 21. Led by 2013-14 league MVP Mariam Silla, the Redbirds finished 13-3 and won the Reseau du sport etudiant du Quebec (RSEQ) title en route to a fifth-place finish at the Canadian national tournament last season. Manhattan then concludes the trip by visiting a French-speaking institution, l'Universite du Quebec a Montreal (UQAM) the following day. UQAM finished third in the RSEQ with a 10-6 record in 2013-14.
Since the games are being played in Canada, FIBA rules will apply. Two of the main differences between FIBA and NCAA rules are game duration (four 10-minute quarters as opposed to two 20-minute halves) and shot clock length (24 seconds instead of 30). In addition, the international three-point line is further away and the free throw lane is wider.
This marks the second time that the Jaspers will visit Montreal and Ottawa. Manhattan previously made the trip in 2010 and went 3-0, defeating UQAM, Ottawa and Carleton. The Jaspers went on to win a school-record 24 games and reach the semifinals of the Women's Basketball Invitational (WBI) during the 2010-11 campaign.
Be sure to check out the “Jaspers Up North” blog at gojaspers.com throughout the trip, as a different member of the team will contribute her thoughts on the experience each day. There will also be photos, videos and a recap of each game.
