Manhattan University Athletics

Box Score 

RIVERDALE, N.Y. ? Kelly Regan (Williamsville, N.Y.) and Alyssa Herrington (Cambridge, N.Y.) combined for 33 points, but poor shooting plagued the Manhattan College women's basketball team (6-13, 3-5 MAAC) for the second straight game, as the Lady Jaspers dropped a 64-55 decision to Siena (6-11, 5-3 MAAC) in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play at Draddy Gymnasium on Friday night.  Manhattan led 33-30 at halftime, but was held to just 27.6 percent (8-of-29) shooting in the second half.

“Our defense was good enough to win,” Head Coach Myndi Hill said.  “But 55 points isn't going to get it done.  You have to put points on the board.”

Both teams started off hot from the field, as each made its first four field goal attempts.  The Lady Jaspers built an 11-8 lead on Michelle Pacheco's (Bronx, N.Y.) layup with 14:47 remaining in the first half, then extended their advantage to 18-11 on a Herrington jumper at the 11:22 mark.  Siena scored the next seven points to tie it at 18-18 before Herrington hit a pair of three-pointers to put Manhattan back up, 24-21. 

The Lady Jaspers' lead reached five points when a Regan jumper made it 28-23 with 4:23 left in the half before the Saints again came back to tie it at 28-28.  After the sides traded baskets, Abby Wentworth (Portland, Maine) broke the tie (the eighth of the half) with a trey from the left elbow just before time expired, giving Manhattan a 33-30 halftime lead.  The Lady Jaspers shot 46.4 percent (13-of-28) and the Saints shot 48.1 percent (13-of-27) from the field in the opening 20 minutes.

Siena opened the second half on an 8-0 run to take a five-point lead, its first since the score was 8-7.  A Pacheco layup trimmed the deficit to two at 39-37, but Allie Lindemann hit a three on the other end to bring Siena's lead back to five points with 15:01 remaining.  Pacheco sank another layup on Manhattan's next possession, but the Saints again responded with a trey to make it 45-39.  The Lady Jaspers pulled within three again at 50-47 before a 5-0 Siena run, capped by another Lindemann three-pointer, put the Saints' lead at 57-49 with 7:11 left in the game.

Manhattan cut Siena's lead to four when a pair of Regan free throws made it 57-53 at the 4:30 mark, but the Lady Jaspers were held scoreless until a late layup by Lindsey Loutsenhizer (North Huntingdon, Pa.), allowing the Saints to pull away for a 64-55 victory.  The Lady Jaspers went 0-for-11 from three-point range in the second half.

Regan finished with a team-high 18 points on 8-for-10 shooting and added eight rebounds.  Herrington tallied 15 points, and Pacheco recorded 11 points, six rebounds and three steals.  Wentworth had seven points and four assists, while Loutsenhizer tied a career-high with 10 rebounds.  The Lady Jaspers shot 36.8 percent (21-of-57) from the floor and outrebounded the Saints 34-33.  Manhattan shot just 21.1 percent (4-of-19) from downtown and 56.3 percent (9-of-16) at the line.

Heather Stec tallied a game-high 20 points and added seven rebounds for the Saints.  Lindemann was the only other Siena player in double figures with 15 points.  She also posted three assists and four steals.  Cristina Centino had a team-high four assists, while Sarah Fullmer grabbed seven rebounds off the bench.  Siena shot 44.2 percent (23-of-52) from the field, including 42.9 percent (6-of-14) from three-point range, and 75 percent (12-of-16) at the charity stripe.

The Lady Jaspers now hit the road for their next three games, starting with a showdown against Fairfield (11-8, 6-2 MAAC) at 1 p.m. on Sunday at Alumni Hall.  The Stags, who have won three straight against Manhattan, snapped No. 20 Marist's 35-game MAAC winning streak with a 73-65 overtime victory in Poughkeepsie on Friday.