ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — 18 points, 28 points, nine points, 28 points, 30 points and nine points — those were Manhattan women’s basketball senior guard Brianna Davis’ scoring totals in the Jaspers’ final six regular-season games.
Manhattan went 5-1 in its final six games behind Davis’ lead, and in the first round of the MAAC Tournament against Marist on Thursday, she contributed more of the same. Davis had 25 points and four steals en route to a 64-55 Jaspers win — she also made a couple of 3-pointers and had three assists and three rebounds.
An All-MAAC Second Team selection, Davis ranked fourth in the MAAC in scoring at 15.4 points per game and eighth in steals at 1.8. The Red Foxes held Davis largely in check in their two matchups during the regular season. She scored nine points in both games and shot 26.7% combined, but found her stroke this time in the most important game.
“I think when she’s feeling it like she was today, she’s a really tough guard,” Marist head coach Erin Doughty said. “She got those threes off against the zone when we tried that, and I think that was kind of a back-breaker for us and got her into a rhythm… she’s a special player.”
“I think just taking what the defense gives me,” Davis said of her recent run of success. “Their pressure can be heavy, they’re expecting me to drive, so that’s been opening up the shop for me so I [have] just been knocking it down lately.”
The senior scored only two points total at the MAAC Tournament last season in limited minutes and spent the first two seasons of her career at Division II Queens College. She played over 34 minutes per game this season after averaging just 19.3 last season. As she wraps up her collegiate career, she is playing her best basketball on the biggest stage thanks to some help from her dad.
“Her dad had her running hills this summer,” Manhattan head coach Heather Vulin said.
“Scoring was never really a problem for me,” Davis said. “I just wanted to try to stay on the court longer.”
The Jaspers will face top-seeded Quinnipiac tomorrow at noon. The Bobcats dominated both regular-season matchups, winning by 39 points and 18 points.
Edited by Ben Leeds
Photo from Manhattan Athletics
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