FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Manhattan Jaspers women’s basketball team (5-15, 5-6 MAAC), fell in its conference contest to the Pioneers from Sacred Heart (11-10, 9-3 MAAC) by a final score of 52-50 inside William H. Pitt Athletic & Convocation Center on Thursday evening.

HOW IT HAPPENED


First strikes came by the way of Manhattan, as the Green and White’s own Brianna Davis connected on both a layup and three point shot.
Tatianna Collins and Colette Mulderig both chimed in with a bucket of their own midway through the frame, increasing the Jasper advantage to six.
As Collins converted on her second score with under 30 seconds to play, Manhattan ended the opening quarter with a five point lead.
Elisa Solé Sanchez opened the second quarter of play with another shot from beyond the arc, putting the Green and White positive margin at eight.
Sacred Heart broke out on a 12-2 run immediately after, taking the lead back from the visitors for the first time all game.
Despite Solé Sanchez taking the lead back shortly after, the Pioneers stayed consistent throughout the frame, taking a four point advantage into the halftime break. 
The game began to look like it was getting out of reach for the Jaspers in the second half, as Sacred Heart took a double-digit lead with roughly six minutes to play in the third. 
Winning by as much as 14 with under 4:30 to play in the third, Manhattan scored 13 unanswered points to end the quarter, with Mulderig and Davis combining for eight of them. 
Davis’ final driving layup of the third cut the deficit to one and upped her scoring total to 15 before the final quarter began.
Mulderig’s jumper on the opening possession of the fourth found the bottom of the net, giving the Jaspers their first lead since 5:04 of the second quarter.
What was eventually a 17-0 run by the Jaspers was finally cut by Sacred Heart at Sophie Nascimento’s layup with 7:22 to play.
Davis’ step back jumper was met with some extra excitement when the referee blew the whistle, giving her a chance for an extra point at the free throw stripe.
Nalyce Dudley’s driving layup capped off seven unanswered from the hosts, putting them up four with three and a half to go.
Down by four with 40 seconds to go, Solé Sanchez’s prayer from deep connected, jolting life back into the visitors.
SHU’s Emma Kirby went one-for-two from the stripe with five seconds left, putting Manhattan in prime position.
The inbound to Mulderig was tipped, and the subsequent heave from Solé Sanchez fell short, as the Pioneers barely held on.

STATS AND NOTES


Senior guard Brianna Davis scored 17 points to lead the way for the Jaspers, her fourth consecutive game with 17+. 
Graduate forward Colette Mulderig followed closely behind with 11, pulling down seven rebounds and swatting three Sacred Heart shots.
Senior guard Hana Mühl and Graduate guard Elisa Solé Sanchez combined for six steals with three apiece.
Manhattan shot at its best rate in the third quarter, with a 50% clip.

NEXT UP:

Manhattan will continue its 2025-26 campaign on Saturday, January 31 when the Jaspers return home to take on the Gaels from Iona. Action is scheduled to take place from Draddy Gymnasium starting at 2 p.m. and can be viewed on ESPN+ with a paid subscription.

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