BUFFALO, N.Y. (Interstat) — The Manhattan women’s basketball team secured a decisive 69-43 victory over Canisius on Thursday afternoon at Koessler Athletic Center. The Lady Jaspers used a stifling defense to build a commanding lead and never trailed. Manhattan forced 28 Golden Griffins turnovers, converting them into 34 points. The Lady Jaspers also recorded 19 steals and held Canisius to 16-for-47 shooting from the floor. Kristina Juric led Manhattan with 16 points, while Elisa Solé Sanchez added 12 points and five assists. Shariah Gailes scored 17 points for Canisius. Both teams now hold 2-12 overall records. An announced crowd of 1,697 attended the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (Interstat) — The Manhattan Lady Jaspers turned a dominant defensive performance into a decisive 69-43 victory over the Canisius Golden Griffins in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference women’s basketball game Thursday afternoon at Koessler Athletic Center. In a matchup of teams seeking to escape the conference cellar, Manhattan’s relentless pressure from the opening tip created a cascade of turnovers that Canisius could never stem. The Lady Jaspers forced 28 Golden Griffin turnovers, converting them into 34 points, while committing only 14 themselves. The defensive effort was headlined by 19 steals, with five different Manhattan players recording multiple thefts. The game’s decisive stretch came early. After Canisius’ Shariah Gailes scored the game’s first points on a free throw, Manhattan unleashed a 14-0 run over the next four minutes, fueled entirely by its defense. The sequence included three consecutive Canisius turnovers leading directly to fast-break scores. Kristina Juric, a 6-foot-2 forward from Zagreb, Croatia, scored six points during the burst, while Brianna Davis of the Bronx and Elisa Solé Sanchez of Spain also contributed. Canisius never recovered. Manhattan led 19-14 after a competitive first quarter but put the game out of reach by holding the Golden Griffins to just six points in each of the second and third quarters. The Lady Jaspers’ lead ballooned to 52-26 heading into the final period, allowing both teams to liberally utilize their benches. The statistical disparity was stark. Manhattan shot 47.5% from the floor, while Canisius managed only 34%. The Lady Jaspers also shared the ball effectively, tallying 19 assists to Canisius’ four, and were a perfect 9 for 9 from the free-throw line. Manhattan’s offensive efficiency rating of 99.6, while not elite, dwarfed Canisius’s anemic 60.4 rating, underscoring the home team’s struggles to generate any clean looks against the swarming defense. Juric led all scorers with 16 points in 30 minutes. Davis finished with 14 points and four rebounds, while Solé Sanchez filled the stat sheet with 12 points, five assists and three steals. Gailes was the lone bright spot for Canisius, fighting for 17 points and seven rebounds. Yasmine Djibril of Montreal added 11 points. Both teams entered the contest with identical 1-12 records. The win improves Manhattan to 2-12 overall and 2-1 in MAAC play, while Canisius falls to 1-13 and 0-3 in the conference. An announced crowd of 1,697 watched as the Lady Jaspers secured their most lopsided victory of the season. Manhattan will look to build momentum quickly, traveling to face Niagara on Saturday. Canisius will try to regroup at home against Iona the same day.

Preview: Manhattan Lady Jaspers at Canisius Golden Griffins BUFFALO, N.Y. (Interstat) — Two teams seeking a rare Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference victory will meet Thursday when the Manhattan Lady Jaspers visit the Canisius Golden Griffins at Koessler Athletic Center. Both programs have struggled this season. Manhattan enters at 1-12 overall after a 57-62 home loss to Marist on Saturday. Canisius sits at 2-11 following a 61-77 road defeat at Sacred Heart the same day. The matchup features a compelling battle in the post. Manhattan’s Colette Mulderig has been a bright spot, averaging 13.5 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.5 blocks over her last four games. She recorded a 14-point, 15-rebound double-double in the Lady Jaspers’ lone win, a 60-45 victory at Saint Peter’s on Jan. 1. Canisius will counter with guard Yasmine Djibril, who led the Golden Griffins with 12 points and four assists in the loss to Sacred Heart. She averages 7.6 points per game. The Golden Griffins’ two wins came at home against Wright State (65-60) on Dec. 12 and Mercyhurst (75-67) on Nov. 30. Manhattan’s sole victory was its road win at Saint Peter’s. Historically, this is the first of two scheduled meetings between the teams this season. They will play again at Manhattan on Feb. 14. Thursday’s game tips off at 7 p.m. EST. Canisius will host Iona on Saturday, while Manhattan travels to face Niagara.