FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Manhattan Jaspers women's basketball team (5-15, 5-6 MAAC), fell in its conference contest to the Pioneers from Sacred Heart (11-10, 9-3 MAAC) by a final score of 52-50 inside William H. Pitt Athletic & Convocation Center on Thursday evening.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- First strikes came by the way of Manhattan, as the Green and White's own Brianna Davis connected on both a layup and three point shot.
- Tatianna Collins and Colette Mulderig both chimed in with a bucket of their own midway through the frame, increasing the Jasper advantage to six.
- As Collins converted on her second score with under 30 seconds to play, Manhattan ended the opening quarter with a five point lead.
- Elisa Solé Sanchez opened the second quarter of play with another shot from beyond the arc, putting the Green and White positive margin at eight.
- Sacred Heart broke out on a 12-2 run immediately after, taking the lead back from the visitors for the first time all game.
- Despite Solé Sanchez taking the lead back shortly after, the Pioneers stayed consistent throughout the frame, taking a four point advantage into the halftime break.
- The game began to look like it was getting out of reach for the Jaspers in the second half, as Sacred Heart took a double-digit lead with roughly six minutes to play in the third.
- Winning by as much as 14 with under 4:30 to play in the third, Manhattan scored 13 unanswered points to end the quarter, with Mulderig and Davis combining for eight of them.
- Davis' final driving layup of the third cut the deficit to one and upped her scoring total to 15 before the final quarter began.
- Mulderig's jumper on the opening possession of the fourth found the bottom of the net, giving the Jaspers their first lead since 5:04 of the second quarter.
- What was eventually a 17-0 run by the Jaspers was finally cut by Sacred Heart at Sophie Nascimento's layup with 7:22 to play.
- Davis' step back jumper was met with some extra excitement when the referee blew the whistle, giving her a chance for an extra point at the free throw stripe.
- Nalyce Dudley's driving layup capped off seven unanswered from the hosts, putting them up four with three and a half to go.
- Down by four with 40 seconds to go, Solé Sanchez's prayer from deep connected, jolting life back into the visitors.
- SHU's Emma Kirby went one-for-two from the stripe with five seconds left, putting Manhattan in prime position.
- The inbound to Mulderig was tipped, and the subsequent heave from Solé Sanchez fell short, as the Pioneers barely held on.
STATS AND NOTES
- Senior guard Brianna Davis scored 17 points to lead the way for the Jaspers, her fourth consecutive game with 17+.
- Graduate forward Colette Mulderig followed closely behind with 11, pulling down seven rebounds and swatting three Sacred Heart shots.
- Senior guard Hana Mühl and Graduate guard Elisa Solé Sanchez combined for six steals with three apiece.
- Manhattan shot at its best rate in the third quarter, with a 50% clip.
NEXT UP:
Manhattan will continue its 2025-26 campaign on Saturday, January 31 when the Jaspers return home to take on the Gaels from Iona. Action is scheduled to take place from Draddy Gymnasium starting at 2 p.m. and can be viewed on ESPN+ with a paid subscription.
