Jan. 23, 2009
Box Score
RIVERDALE, N.Y. -Siena's defense held Manhattan to just 22 second half points and 27% from the field as they defeated the Jaspers 64-55 Friday evening in Riverdale, N.Y. The Saints are 6-0 when holding opponents under 60 points this season. Senior forward Heather Stec scored 20 points and junior guard Allie Lindemann had 15 points and four steals.
The two teams played even for the first half. Siena (6-11, 5-3) went on a 7-0 run that was highlighted by Serena Moore going coast-to-coast for a layup and a Stec layup that tied the game at 18-18 with 8:04 remaining in the half.
Manhattan's (6-13, 3-5) Alyssa Herrington had the hot hand. She had 13 points on 5-of-7 from the field and 3-of-5 from long range. During a six-minute span she scored 11 straight points for the Jaspers.
The first half ended with a flurry as Herrington hit a shot with 44 seconds left. Lindemann responded with a jumper as the shot clock ticked down, but Wentworth drained an NBA-range 3-pointer with two seconds remaining to give the Jaspers a 33-30 lead at intermission.
The Saints came out of halftime firing on all cylinders scoring the first eight points. Siena's defense forced three turnovers in the first 2:37 of the half. Siena scored 21 points off turnovers in the game.
Michelle Pacheco kept the Jaspers in the game early in the second half, scoring the team's first eight points. She had 11 points and six assists in the game.
Stec was solid in the second half. She scored 12 of her 20 points and hit all six of her free throws. With 8:22 left, she extended around a defender and flipped the ball in. On the next possession, Cristina Centeno threw a cross-court pass to Lindemann in the corner who drilled a 3-pointer that put the Saints up 55-47.
Herrington was kept quiet in second half as she went 0-for-7 from the field and 0-for-6 from beyond the arc. Her only two points of the half came on free throws. Kelly Regan led the Jaspers with 18 points on 8-of-10 from the field.
Siena had two 3-minute scoring droughts with seven minutes left. But their defense shut down Manhattan who only made one field goal in the final five minutes.
Stec and Lindemann both hit free throws when they counted, with under two minutes, they each hit two to seal the victory.
Serena Moore scored eight points and had three rebounds, three assists and two blocks despite foul trouble. Centeno had four points, four rebounds and four assists.
Siena returns to action Sunday when they play Rider in Lawrenceville, N.J. Game time is scheduled for 2 p.m.
