Manhattan University Athletics

Riverdale, NY - Manhattan women's basketball will play its second MAAC game in three days as the Jaspers take on Rider Sunday, January 20, starting at 2:00 p.m.

The game marks Manhattan's annual Girls and Women in Sports Day celebration, and will be followed by a all-sports kids clinic including student-athletes from all of Manhattan's Division I teams. 

Game Notes:

Last Outing
The Manhattan Jaspers (3-12, 1-3 MAAC) earned their first MAAC win of the 2018-19 season Friday, January 18, topping Iona 55-33 at home. Manhattan's leading rebounder, Courtney Warley (West Chester, PA / Bishop Shanahan) pulled down a career-high 14 Friday night, besting her former career-high of 12, which she has hit four times during her two seasons as a Jasper. Warley added a game-high four steals, tying another career-high.

Freshmen D'yona Davis (Bronx, NY / Truman) and Kania Pollock (Queens, NY / The Mary Louis Academy) combined for 27 of Manhattan's 55 points. Davis led the Jaspers with 14, while Pollock scored 13, including nine points in the first quarter. Davis went 6-8 from the floor, while Pollock added four rebounds, three assists and two steals to her night's performance. 

MAAC Rankings
The Jaspers rank second in the MAAC for scoring defense, allowing just 58.7 points per game. They are one of only two teams in the league to hold opponents under 60 points per game (Quinnipiac leads the MAAC in scoring defense at 55.2 points per contest). With 9.7 team steals per game, Manhattan is tied with Rider for second in the MAAC. The Jaspers add 3.7 blocks per game to their defensive repertoire, again ranking second in the league. 

Warley ranks in the MAAC's top five in four categories. Currently second in boards per game, she averages 8.3 per contest, leading the league in offensive rebounds with 3.9 per game. She is third in steals per game (2.1), while sitting at fifth in total steals this season (a team-high 32). She also ranks sixth in the MAAC in blocked shots at 1.33 per game.

About Rider
Tied for first in the MAAC standings, Rider (9-7, 5-0 MAAC) boasts the MAAC's leading scorer, Stella Johnson, who currently averages 20.0 points per game, with a field goal percentage of .457. Johnson leads the league in steals (3.1 per game) and assists (4.2 per game) and captured the MAAC's lone triple-double against Mount St. Mary's on November 17.

The Broncs rank third in the MAAC in scoring offense, tallying 60.8 points per game. Sitting just above Manhattan in blocked shots per game, Rider averages 4.3 as a team, and is tied with the Jaspers at 9.7 steals per game (third in the MAAC).

Previous Meeting
The Jaspers and Broncs last met on February 25 in Riverdale, the final game of the regular season for Manhattan. With both teams needing a W to secure a top-five seed in the upcoming MAAC tournament, the Broncs took the 53-50 victory in OT. 

All-Time Series
Manhattan leads the all-time series 29-17, though the Jaspers have not defeated the Broncs since January 25, 2016, when Manhattan defeated Rider 74-70 in Lawrenceville. The Jaspers last defeated the Broncs in the Bronx on January 4, 2015, winning 55-52.

Girls and Women in Sports Day
February 6, 2019 marks the 33rd annual National Girls & Women in Sports Day, a national observance celebrating the extraordinary achievements of women and girls in sports. Each winter, the Jaspers join in the celebration by dedicating a women's basketball game to this theme. Afterwards, Manhattan will host an all-sports clinic for children sixth grade and under featuring student-athletes from all of the school's Division I programs.