Riverdale, N.Y. (December 10, 2006)?The Lady Jaspers kicked off MAAC play with a hard fought 52-42 win at Siena on Friday night, and will look to build on that win against Marist, the defending conference champions. Sunday's game is the second of a five game road trip for the Lady Jaspers. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. from Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
The Match-up: The Lady Jaspers and Red Foxes meet this afternoon in the second MAAC game for both schools. Manhattan won just its fourth MAAC opener since the 1989-90 season with a 52-42 road win over Siena on Friday night. The loss snapped Manhattan's two game losing streak and was the first game of a five game road trip.
Last Time Out: The Lady Jaspers overcame a tough first half to defeat Siena in Loudonville. Manhattan shot just 25 percent from the field in the opening frame, and scored only 13 points. In the second half, Manhattan used a 17-8 run to take a 30-29 lead, and an 8-1 run to take command of the game at 40-33. The Lady Jaspers held the Saints without a field goal for nearly eleven minutes as they put the game away. Freshman guard Jenna Franciosa scored a career high 16 points, 12 in the second half.
On the Horizon: This afternoon's game is Manhattan last conference game for the rest of the calendar year, as they continue their five game road trip out of conference. Manhattan takes on America East member the University of Vermont, then closes out 2006 against Big East schools Marquette and Villanova.
Swept Away: The Red Foxes swept Manhattan in the two meetings last season. Marist took the first game at Draddy Gym back on January 29th 61-40. Kelly Regan led the Lady Jaspers with eight points. In the return game, Marist won 58-42 at the McCann Center, Fifi Camara led all scorers with 22 points, while Gabrielle Cottrell paced Manhattan with 12.
History vs. The Red Foxes: Manhattan holds a 21-9 lead against Marist in the all-time series dating back to the 1978-79 season. The Red Foxes won that initial game 72-69. Since Marist joined the MAAC in 1997, the Lady Jaspers hold a 15-5 edge, including 13 straight wins from 1997-98 to 2003-04. Since Marist broke the streak in the second meeting of the 2003-04 season, Marist has won six straight including a win in 03-04 MAAC Tournament.
Follow The Game: Fans can follow the game live by following the link to Marist's website at http://goredfoxes.cstv.com/sports/w-baskbl/sched/mari-w-baskbl-sched.html. Fans can also follow the game via Gametracker by clicking the link in the schedule section on the main page of Manhattan's website.
