Manhattan University Athletics

Riverdale, NY - Manhattan women's basketball will take on MAAC rival Iona Friday, January 18, the first conference home game of the 2018-19 season for the Jaspers. 

Friday's match-up will be streamed live on ESPN3 starting at 7:00 p.m.

Game Notes:

MAAC Home Opener
Manhattan (2-12, 0-3 MAAC) arrives back home after three consecutive road games to begin the new year. The Jaspers first traveled to Western New York to play Canisius (January 3) and Niagara (January 5), before heading to Siena on January 11. Manhattan looks to secure its first MAAC win of the season over Iona (1-14, 0-4 MAAC).

Last Outing
The Jaspers took Siena (7-8, 3-1 MAAC) to overtime on Friday, January 11, eventually losing to the Saints 62-56. Sophomore guards Lizahya Morgan (East Hartford, CT / Capital Preparatory Magnet) and Lynette Taitt (Irvington, NJ / Bishop Loughlin) each put in 12 for the Jaspers during the contest. Taitt added eight rebounds, a career-high, while Morgan shot 50 percent from three for the game.  Freshman Sydney Watkins (Wanaque, NJ / Saddle River Day) contributed 11 points to Manhattan's offense in a career-high 37 minutes of play. 

The Jaspers out-rebounded Siena 46-42, including a 20-12 advantage on the offensive boards. It was the Jaspers' highest rebound total of the season, besting the team's former rebounding high of 44 recorded against Wright State on December 9. 

Rookie of the Week
After her double-digit scoring performance against Siena, Watkins was named MAAC Rookie of the Week on January 14. Watkins is averaging 6.9 points per game in 19 minutes per game. She has hit a team-high 17 threes so far this season, shooting .370 from long range.

All three Manhattan freshman have now earned MAAC Rookie of the Week honors. D'yona Davis (Bronx, NY / Truman) first earned the title on November 19, while Kania Pollock (Queens, NY / The Mary Louis Academy) was named Rookie of the Week on December 17.

Conference Rankings
Manhattan ranks second in the MAAC for scoring defense, allowing just 60.6 points per game so far this season. The Jaspers also rank second in steals per game (9.6) and blocked shots per contest (3.8), stats that highlight the effectiveness of Manhattan's defense.

Sophomore Courtney Warley (West Chester, PA / Bishop Shanahan) ranks fourth in the league in rebounding, averaging 7.9 boards per game, and leads the conference in offensive rebounds, with 3.6 per contest. Warley ranks fourth in the MAAC for steals per game (2.0) and sixth in blocked shots per game (1.4).

About the Gaels
Like Manhattan, Iona is seeking its first MAAC win of the season. The Gaels lead the league in three-point field goal percentage defense, allowing opponents just .293 shooting from behind the arc. The team is second in rebounding defense (36.0 per game), as well. 

Morgan Rachu leads Iona in scoring this season, hitting 11.9 points per game, good for 12th in the MAAC. She also averages a team-high six rebounds per game.

Previous Meeting
The Jaspers last faced the Gaels in the first round of the 2018 MAAC Tournament, defeating 10th-ranked Iona 55-39 to advance to the quarterfinals. It was the third meeting of the 2017-18 season between the two teams. The Jaspers were also victorious in the two regular-season games.
 
All-Time Series 
Manhattan leads the all-time series against Iona 48-31. Iona last defeated the Jaspers on January 20, 2017, when the Gaels took a 76-62 win at Draddy.

Go Green
Friday marks the Jaspers' annual Go Green game, sponsored by Manhattan's Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). Each Division I team at Manhattan College designates one home game as their Go Green game to give the entire student-athlete community the chance to attend together and cheer on their fellow Jaspers.