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NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. - Three days after the Manhattan College men's basketball team's improbable comeback victory at Iona, the Jasper women were looking to follow a similar script on Sunday. Trailing by 14 points midway through the second half, the Jaspers climbed back within three. However, this time the Manhattan victory wasn't to be, as Iona (8-9, 4-2 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) held on for a 65-60 triumph over the Jaspers (9-9, 3-3 MAAC) at the Hynes Athletic Center.
Iona had a 53-39 advantage with 10:25 remaining in the game before Monica Roeder (Marlton, N.J.) drained a three-pointer to start the Manhattan comeback. After a Milica Paligoric layup put the Gaels up 55-42, the Jaspers went on a 7-0 run to pull within six, 55-49. Iona scored the next two baskets to again make it a 10-point game, but Schyanne Halfkenny (Hyde Park, Mass.) responded with a trey on the other end.
A Lindsey Loutsenhizer (North Huntingdon, Pa.) trey made it a five-point game, 61-56, at the 1:33 mark, then, after an Allison Skrec (Roselle, N.J.) free throw cut the margin to four, Iona missed a three-pointer and Halfkenny grabbed the rebound. The Jaspers weren't able to get a shot off though, turning the ball over with 20 seconds left. Manhattan was forced to use its remaining fouls to stop the clock, and Suzi Fregosi sank a pair of free throws to increase Iona's led to six, 63-57, with eight seconds remaining. Maggie Blair (Briarcliff, N.Y.) hit a quick trey for the Jaspers, but Fregosi drained two more free throws to ice a 65-60 victory for the Gaels.
The Manhattan offense was hot early on. The Jaspers made five of their first six shots and held an 11-4 advantage barely four minutes into the game. Manhattan's lead reached 11 points when a layup by Toni-Ann Lawrence (Elmont, N.Y.) made it 22-11 midway through the first half, but Iona responded with an 11-0 run over the next three minutes to tie the game. After the Jaspers got a layup from Loutsenhizer and a three-pointer by Roeder go back up by five, 27-22, Iona rallied for 10 straight points to take a five-point lead of its own, 32-27. The Gaels ended the half by converting a Manhattan turnover into a Haley D'Angelo three-pointer as time expired to increase their lead to 38-29 at intermission.
Iona scored the first four points of the second half to push the margin to 13 points before Manhattan responded with a 5-0 rally to get back within eight, 42-34. After Loutsenhizer got her own rebound and put in a layup to make it 44-36 at the 14:12 mark, Iona went on a 9-3 run to open up its largest lead of the game, a 14-point, 53-39 advantage with 10:25 to go.
Loutsenhizer finished with 14 points and eight rebounds to lead the Jaspers. Roeder added 11 points, while Halfkenny had 10 points, five boards and three assists. Peters tallied six points to go along with eight rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Making the first start of her collegiate career, Skrec contributed four points, two assists and two steals. Manhattan shot 45.3 percent (24-of-53) from the field, 42.9 percent (9-of-21) from three-point range, and 37.5 percent (3-of-8) at the charity stripe.
Damika Martinez led Iona with 14 points. She also had eight rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks. Paligoric went 6-for-6 from the field to finish with 13 points, while Bacic added 13 points and eight boards. Fregosi dished out a game-high five assists to go along with six points and three steals. The Gaels shot 46.4 percent (26-of-56) from the floor, 25 percent (6-of-24) from downtown, and 100 percent (7-of-7) at the free throw line.
After playing six games in 14 days to start the New Year, the Jaspers now have a week off before returning to action. Manhattan hosts Loyola (6-11, 2-4 MAAC) next Sunday at 2 p.m. in the first half of a "Hoops for Cancer" doubleheader at Draddy Gymnasium. Following the women's game, the Jasper men take on Niagara at 4 p.m.
NOTES: The loss snapped Manhattan's three-game winning streak against the Gaels...Manhattan leads the all-time series 43-22...The Jaspers used a different starting lineup for the first time in 10 games and seventh time this season, as Skrec moved into the starting five...Manhattan sank nine or more three-pointers in back-to-back games for the first time this season...Each team tallied 31 rebounds, marking the first time this season the Jaspers finished tied in the rebounding department...Peters moved past Eve Walters into second place in program history with 133 career blocks...Loutsenhizer tied Meredith Morse for eighth place on Manhattan's all-time rebounding list with 698 career boards.
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