Lady Jaspers Advance With Win Over Iona In MAAC Tournament
Friday, 04 March 2011 20:52

By Geri Falzon                                 (Photo: S. Grieco/NYSB)

 

The Manhattan College Lady Jaspers took to the court in the second-round of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament being held in Bridgeport, Connecticut advancing to the semi-finals following a 59-47 victory over the Iona Gaels.

Abby Wentworth

Manhattan College (22-8) turned up the defense on the Gaels early on, forcing 11 first-half turnovers and controlling the boards taking a slim six-point lead in the locker room. 

“I thought we did a really good job defensively today,” said Japers head coach John Olenowski. “Iona is a really good shooting team. They have balanced scoring and great size. What we wanted to do was limit their inside game and force them to shoot from the outside.” 

The Lady Jaspers held Iona to 28.1% shooting for the game as the Gaels connected on only 18 of 64 shots from the field including a dismal 7-34 from beyond the three-point arc. 

With the game slated to start at 11:30 in the morning, both teams got out of the gate slowly, struggling to get their offense into first gear. Almost midway through the first half, the score was tied at 9 apiece. 

“11:30 in the morning is difficult but now we have to be ready for a 9:30 start tomorrow,” said senior point guard Abby Wentworth. 

Manhattan warmed up quickly at the start of the second half stretching their lead over the Gaels to nine within the first five minutes.

“On the offensive end I thought we shared the ball nicely,” added Olenowski. “We only had 15 turnovers in a game where we were pressed the whole game – so 15 turnovers is pretty good.” 

The Jaspers once again were led by Wentworth. The Portland, Maine, native scored a team-high 14 points adding four assists and five steals. Sophomore guard Toni-Ann Lawrence contributed 12 points and seven rebounds. Junior forward Nadia Peters grabbed 11 rebounds along with seven points and one block. 

“I thought our point guard Abby did a great job running our offense,” said Olenowski. “And of course Toni-Ann stepped up and had a great game today.” 

Wentworth, the team’s leading scorer handled the constant pressure of the Gaels, turning the ball over only four times. The 5’9” senior is the catalyst of the offense playing at the point, a position she did not play a year ago.  

“She [Wentworth] means everything to our program,” remarked Olenowski. “Offensively she runs our offense. She scores. She passes the ball to our players inside and she is our leader on defense. With all due respect, she is as valuable as any player in this conference.” 

Wentworth and her teammates move on to play Loyola College in the semi-finals. Manhattan has come up short twice against the Greyhounds this season but hope the third time around will be a Jasper charm.