Manhattan women snap losing streak vs. Fordham

The Manhattan College women’s basketball team has finally ended the drought. For the first time since 2010, the Jaspers topped  rival Fordham by a score of 58-44 in the Battle of the Bronx.

The path to victory never seemed in doubt for Manhattan, who led by as much as 19 points.

The Jaspers engineered a 10-point lead after halftime on the strength of their defense. The story of the second quarter was how Manhattan held Fordham to only four field goals, and outscored the Rams 19-10, to head into the break with complete momentum.

Sophomore guard Anne Bair was a key cog the entire game by scoring 14 points. A three-pointer from Bair to start the big second quarter was a tone-setter and she capped off the stanza with a layup with 50 seconds left.

Even as Manhattan held a double-digit point lead early in the fourth quarter, Bair would not relax. During one sequence, she drew a charge and then came back down the court to hit another three-pointer.

Manhattan outshot Fordham from three by hitting nine of them to the Rams’ one. The disparity from long-range helped Manhattan overcome a 30-12 deficit for points in the paint.

A new kid had their first shining moment at Manhattan, too. Freshman Tegan Young was only in her third career game but delivered as if she had been in big games before. Young finished with 16 points and four threes.

Nitzan Amar, a transfer from University of North Carolina-Greensboro, made her debut in the Battle for the Bronx and led Manhattan with 17 points. Fordham had no answers for Amar, whose performance was highlighted a three-pointer banked in at the buzzer to end the third quarter. That gave Manhattan a 17-point lead heading into the final period before closing out the Rams.

Fordham was led by 10 points apiece from Emy Hayford and Aminata Ly.

The victory was the first for the Jaspers over the Rams on Dec. 18, 2010,  a 49-45 win.

—Pete Janny