Despite loss, Jaspers focus on the positives

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In a game that featured limited offense, the Stony Brook Seahawks were able to come into Draddy Gymnasium and beat the Manhattan Jaspers women’s basketball team, 55-50, last Saturday afternoon.

Early on, the game could be likened to a Thanksgiving hangover, as neither club was able to get into an offensive rhythm.

The Jaspers connected on just 8-24 of their field goal attempts (33 percent), going into halftime, and had seven first-half turnovers.

The Seahawks were even worse, turning the ball over 10 times in the first two quarters and shooting an underwhelming 7-25 from the field (28 percent). But the totality of this game cannot be measured in just statistics. Each team was able to grind through the poor shooting with defense and grit, and Manhattan head coach Heather Vulin made sure her team knew it.

“That was one of the most energetic games that we played this year,” Vulin said. “I told them I was really impressed, but at the end of the day, we have to make shots.”

Shots in the third quarter did not come any easier for Manhattan. The club went the entire period without a field goal, as the Jaspers were 0-for-13 from the field and scored only six points, all of which came from the free-throw line.

“I thought we had some really good shot opportunities today, layups [and] wide open threes,” Vulin said. “And if you’re not going to execute and make those happen, then you really can’t expect to win.”

Vulin’s team was trailing 39-31 going into the fourth quarter, and Stony Brook looked as if it were due for a run that would put this game out of reach. But Manhattan dialed in and senior Maeve Parhus hit a three with 8:34 left in regulation, before Taylor Williams added a layup for the Jaspers, and suddenly the Jaspers’ deficit was just 39-36 with 7:57 to play.

Manhattan junior guard Amani Tatum then got into the action in the fourth quarter. Up to this point, Tatum was just 1-for-7 from the floor on the day, but her 3-pointer cut Stony Brook’s lead to three with 2:22 left. On a missed Stony Brook 3-pointer on the Seawolves’ next possession, Tatum then ran the floor for a lay-in to bring Manhattan within a point, before she knocked down a pair of free throws with 1:02 left to give the Jaspers a 49-48 lead.

“The big thing was focus,” Tatum said after the game. “Coming in and being aggressive, not turning over the ball. But I think it’s more of a focus thing for us, making sure we know what we’re supposed to do.”

But Stony Brook responded by sinking seven straight free throws down the stretch and the Jaspers’ rally was over.

“My girls understand what shots I want them to take,” Vulin said. “If you’re in rhythm and your feet are set and it’s not rushed, I want you to take that. Amani has embraced that.”

A foul call, which looked like a clean block, on Manhattan junior center Kayla Grimme put the Seahawks back up by one, ending the Jaspers’ run. But Grimme, who remained upbeat, put the loss into perspective.

“Just about with all of our games this season, we’ve been very tight at the end. We’ve shown that that’s our time to be calm and collected,” Grimme said. “Despite losing, we showed that again today.”

The loss drops Manhattan’s record to 3-2 as they now shift their focus to the start of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) season which begins this week with games against conference foes Marist  and Iona. 

Manhattan College, Jaspers, women's basketball, Julian McWilliams

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