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NEC Co-Players of the Week: Brent Jones, SFBK
NEC Co-Rookies of the Week: Marcquise Reed, RMU
Previous NEC Releases: January 12 | January 6 | December 29 | December 22 | December 15 | December 8 | December 1 | November 24 | November 17
THE BUZZER GIVETH, THE BUZZER TAKETH AWAY
There were highs and lows, but one thing is for certain: basketball fans certainly received their money’s worth this past weekend in Loretto.
So without interruption, we present 48 hours in DeGol Arena hoops.
PART 1: DUKE OF EARL
In a Google Hangout that aired on NEC Front Row last Wednesday, Saint Francis U senior forward Earl Brown (Philadelphia, PA/Imhotep Charter) talked extensively about a critical shot he recently made with under a minute left that helped the Red Flash break a long losing streak to Robert Morris.
“If anybody was going to take that shot it was going to be me,” Brown remembered.
He mentioned that the bucket may have been the biggest one of his career.
Until this past Friday, that is.
After Sacred Heart’s Jordan Allen (Bayshore, NY/Long Island Lutheran (Hofstra)) converted a layup on a perfectly executed inbounds play gave the Pioneers a 78-77 lead with 7.4 seconds to play, SFU junior guard Greg Brown (Odenton, MD/Archbishop Spalding) drove the length of the floor and missed a layup. The rebound tipped off the hand of a SHU player right to Brown, who tossed in the game winner from the lane while losing his balance just before the buzzer sounded as pandemonium hit DeGol Arena.
“I knew Greg had in his mind he was going to go driving,” Earl Brown said. “They teach us that never-give-up attitude. Big-time players make big-time shots.”
The shot moved the Red Flash to 5-1 on the year in NEC play and landed Brown the #4 spot on SportsCenter’s Top-10 plays later that evening.
“Down the stretch, I thought we executed the way we needed to execute,” head coach Rob Krimmel said. “We got the shots we needed to get at the right times by the right people.”
Junior forward Ronnie Drinnon (Jamestown, OH/Greenview) led the Flash with 16 points and 15 rebounds, while Greg Brown added 14 points, though he was more than happy that his late miss led to Earl Brown’s heroics.
“The number one goal was just to get it up the floor as fast as possible,” Greg Brown said. ”One of the things that we see is the best teams find a way to pull it out at the end.”
PART 2: HOOPER’S HEROICS
Energized by the last second win on Friday, the crowd at DeGol Arena was at a fever pitch on Sunday afternoon with first place on the line against St. Francis Brooklyn.
Knowing the day’s winner would match Bryant’s 5-1 start, the two teams played a nip-and-tuck game that only briefly saw the Terriers take an 11-point edge with eight minutes to play. The Red Flash immediate responded with a 14-2 run to take a 53-52 lead. No team would go ahead by more than two points the rest of the way out.
With SFBK leading by a point and time winding down, the ball once again was in Greg Brown’s hands. He was fouled on a drive and hit both free throws to give SFU a 59-58 advantage with 7.5 seconds on the clock.
Cue the drama.
SFBK senior guard Brent Jones (Brooklyn, NY/Bedford Academy) rushed the ball down the court and threw up a runner near the baseline that was off the mark. After the rebound was tipped it settled in junior forward Chris Hooper’s (Bronx, NY/Satellite Academy (Odessa CC)) hands. And in a carbon copy of the previous night, Hooper quickly released the ball as he was falling backwards, getting the shot off just before the buzzer for the win.
‘I was just doing my job,” said Hooper, who finished with 11 points and six rebounds. “I knew that the play was for Brent to drive to the basket and I needed to be in position to follow-up the shot. I had a good feeling that I got it off in time and luckily I timed it right.”
Jones, the NEC Player of the Week, led all scorers with 20 points on 8-15 shooting from the field.
For the Red Flash, the reversal of buzzer-beating fortunes denied the program its first 5-1 start since the 1997-98 season.
“We told our guys that there is a fine line between winning and losing, but the gap in emotions is much wider,” Krimmel said.
So when the dust settled from a frenzied weekend of NEC hoops, Bryant and St. Francis Brooklyn shared first place with 5-1 records, but they have plenty of company. Saint Francis U, Robert Morris and red-hot Mount St. Mary’s are all just one game back at 4-2.
NEC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Brent Jones, St. Francis Brooklyn
5-10, 170 lbs.
Sr., G, Brooklyn, NY/Bedford Academy
Jones was at his best as the first place Terriers won a pair of road games against top-tier NEC competition on their western Pennsylvania swing last week. He averaged 21.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.0 steals, while converting at a 60.0 percent rate from the field and 54.5 percent clip (6-11) from long distance. Jones scored 21 of his game-high 23 points in the second half on Friday to rally SFBK to a 68-63 win over Robert Morris in a game that aired on ESPNU. He made 6-7 from the field and hit all four of his treys in the final 20 minutes. Two days later at Saint Francis U, Jones led all scorers with 20 points (8-15 FG) and added four steals in a game the Terriers won 60-59 at the buzzer. He scored 13 of his points in the second stanza, including all 11 points in an 11-4 run midway through the half. The Brooklyn product leads SFBK and ranks fifth on the circuit this season with 14.5 ppg. He also paces the league in steals (2.3) and ranks second in assists (4.7).
NEC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Marcquise Reed, Robert Morris
6-3, 180 lbs.
Fr., G, Landover, MD/Capitol Christian
Reed’s league-leading fourth NEC Rookie of the Week award comes after he averaged 21.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists while shooting 50.0 percent from the field, including 66.7 percent (4-6) from beyond the arc in a split for the Colonials. Reed paced Robert Morris in a 68-63 setback to St. Francis Brooklyn on Friday with 18 points and registered five rebounds and three assists. Two days later in an 85-65 victory over Sacred Heart, the Landover, MD native tied his career-high with 24 points while setting personal bests with six rebounds and five assists. He hit 10-16 shots from the floor and did not commit a turnover in 32 minutes. Reed has averaged 17.0 ppg over his last 11 outings and ranks third in the NEC in scoring in league play at 16.7 ppg. On the season, he leads RMU and ranks sixth in the NEC in scoring (14.4 ppg). Reed is also fifth in the league in field goal accuracy (.516).
BRYANT & JANUARY
Seeing Bryant in first place in conference play at this point in January shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to seasoned NEC followers. Over the last three years, the Bulldogs have been dominant in the early stages of the league season.
Bryant’s NEC Record After Six Games
2012-13: 6-0
2013-14: 5-1
2014-15: 5-1
The Bulldogs have now won four straight games by an average margin of 15.8 points. Last week, Bryant beat visiting Wagner, 81-73, then won at CCSU, 70-54.
GRAND DAY FOR SHU’S KELLEY
On Sunday against Robert Morris, Sacred Heart senior guard Evan Kelley (Norwalk, CT/Norwalk) became the 201st player in NEC history to join the 1,000-point club, a fraternity whose membership now includes five active members.
After lifting his career total to 999 with a 22-point night at Saint Francis U on Thursday, he scored nine on Sunday at RMU to give him 1,008 for his career. He is the 38th player in SHU annals to reach the milestone.
Next in line to reach 1,000 points appear to be St. Francis Brooklyn senior guard Brent Jones (Brooklyn, NY/Bedford Academy) (925 points), Wagner senior guard Marcus Burton (Charlotte, NC/David W. Butler) (911) and Sacred Heart senior guard Steve Glowiak (New Britain, CT/New Britain) (909).
THIS WEEK IN NEC-TV
It’s a big week for NEC-TV with three games on the slate.
The first will air on Thursday from the Pitt Center as Fairleigh Dickinson visits Sacred Heart in a 7:00 pm game on Fox College Sports (FCS) and ESPN3. Paul Dottino (PxP), Joe DeSantis (color) and Matt Harmon (sideline) are in the booth.
Robert Morris and St. Francis Brooklyn met just this past Friday in a good one on ESPNU, and they are back for the rematch this Saturday on ESPN3 at 4:00 pm. Dottino (PxP) and Dave Calloway (color) are on the call. At 7:00 pm on Saturday, the scene shifts to New Britain as CCSU hosts Wagner on MSG+ and FCS. Dave Popkin (PxP), Terry O’Connor (color) and John Cabral (sideline) are the announcers.
JONES SETS RMU REBOUND MARK
You have to admire the honesty of Robert Morris senior swingman Lucky Jones (Newark, NJ/St. Anthony) when asked about his chase to establish the school’s career rebounding mark.
“When I get it,’’ Jones recently said, “I’m going to crush it. It’s not going to be by one rebound or two rebounds. It’s going to be 150 more rebounds.’’
Jones set the mark this past Friday against St. Francis Brooklyn in a nationally televised affair at the Chuck, passing co-recordholders Tony Lee (2004-08) and Anthony Dickens (1985-90) in the process. Lee, a 6-footer who inch-for-inch may have been one of the best rebounders in NEC history, pulled down 751 in his career, which included NEC Player of the Year honors in 2007-08.
Jones snared nine boards against the Terriers, pushing his total to 759. He added 11 more in Sunday’s 85-65 win over Sacred Heart to leave him with 770 rebounds entering play this week. He ranks 25th on the NEC’s all-time list and is second among active league players in rebounds. On the week, Jones averaged 17.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg and shot a red-hot 66.7 percent (8-12) from outside the arc. He scored a season-high 22 points against SHU.
“I think to have a record to yourself is pretty special,’’ RMU head coach Andrew Toole said. “I think especially rebounding. Anybody can be the leading rebounder if you set your mind to go and do it and you want to go ahead and do it. You want to compete. You want to show up. You want to go and fight for rebounds. It’s a lot easier to just stop. I heard a thing the other day that said if you want to understand someone’s effort, chart rebounding and deflections because you can’t cheat those. I think when you look at Lucky becoming the all-time leading rebounder in school history, people who have watched him play know that he doesn’t cheat his effort on the backboards, and I think that’s a unique, unique thing. It’s a skill that he has. You don’t see a lot of people his size, or even in today’s game, who can rebound the ball the way he does.’’
But Jones has loftier goals in mind that a rebound record.
“State championship as a high school player. Got that,’’ Jones said. “National championship as a high school player. Got that. Division I scholarship. Got that. NCAA Tournament. That’s the only thing I’m missing. No matter what accolades I have, that’s the only thing I’m missing. That’s what I so desperately need in my life. Once I get that, then I’ll feel like, ‘All right.’’’
TOP NEC SCORING TANDEMS
The best one-two punch in the NEC? That honor goes to CCSU’s terrific tandem of sophomore guard Matt Mobley (Worcester, MA/Worcester Academy) and senior forward Faronte Drakeford (Aberdeen, NC/Cape Fear CC)). Mobley, who ranks third in the league with 17.3 ppg, and Drakeford, who is 13th with 12.4 ppg, are combining for 29.7 ppg on the year.
CCSU Matt Mobley 17.3 ppg Faronte Drakeford 12.4 ppg 29.7 ppg
SFBK Brent Jones 14.5 ppg Jalen Cannon 13.9 ppg 28.4 ppg
RMU Marquise Reed 14.4 ppg Rodney Pryor 13.6 ppg 28.0 ppg
BRY Dyami Starks 17.3 ppg Joe O’Shea 10.1 ppg 27.4 ppg
SHU Cane Broome 13.8 ppg Evan Kelley 13.3 ppg 27.1 ppg
WC Marcus Burton 17.6 ppg Romone Saunders 9.4 ppg 27.0 ppg
SFU Earl Brown 15.4 ppg Malik Harmon 9.8 ppg 25.2 ppg
FDU Mustafaa Jones 13.7 ppg Darian Anderson 10.6 ppg 24.3 ppg
LIU Gerrell Martin 12.1 ppg Martin Hermannsson 9.5 ppg 21.6 ppg
MSM Gregory Graves 10.1 ppg Byron Ashe 9.0 ppg 19.1 ppg
GLOWIAK’S MILESTONE
It was a milestone day for Sacred Heart senior guard Steve Glowiak (New Britain, CT/New Britain) on Sunday.
The sharpshooter hit four three-pointers at Robert Morris, lifting his career total pas the 200-mark. Glowiak, who stands second among active NEC players in career trifectas, now has 202 for his career to rank fifth all-time at Sacred Heart. He needs three more to pass Corey Hassan, who led the NEC with 90 made three-pointers back in 2009-10.
BURTON’S SURGE
No NEC player has been hotter since the start of league play than Wagner senior guard Marcus Burton (Charlotte, NC/David W. Butler).
The Charlotte, NC native took over the NEC scoring lead over the weekend after averaging 26.5 ppg on the week, including his second career 30-point performance with a 31-point outing against Bryant last Thursday. In that game, Burton hit 5-10 from outside the arc and made 6-7 from the line. He added a game-high 22 points on Saturday as the Seahawks recorded their first road win of the season with an 82-68 triumph over Fairleigh Dickinson.
Burton has led the Seahawks in scoring in each of the last five games, averaging 26.0 ppg over that stretch. He paces the NEC in both overall (17.6) and conference-only (23.0) point production.
With 911 career points, he is on track to become the 42nd player in Wagner history to crack the 1,000-point plateau.
TAKING NOTICE OF CCSU’S PEEL
Everyone is talking about the leap that CCSU sophomore guard Matt Mobley (Worcester, MA/Worcester Academy) has made this season. But the NEC’s third-leading scorer has some company from a teammate who has taken his game to another level.
Junior Brandon Peel (Forestville, MD/Riverdale Baptist) has developed into one of the NEC’s elite power forwards this season, with an expanded offensive game to go along with his prowess in the boards and as a rim protector. Last week Peel averaged 14.0 ppg and 7.0 rpg, including 20 points and nine boards against LIU Brooklyn on Thursday.
With the ability so sink the mid-range jumper, Peel has improved his scoring from 7.1 ppg as a sophomore to 8.9 ppg this season, including 11.2 ppg in league play. The Forestville, MD native has hit 57.4 percent of his shots against NEC competition and ranks ninth overall in the conference at 48.4 percent.
Peel, who pulled down his 500th career rebound last Thursday in a close loss to LIU Brooklyn, ranks second on the circuit with 8.5 rpg. He is also second in the NEC in rejections with 1.6 bpg.
NEC CAREER REBOUND RECORD IN SIGHT FOR CANNON
It seems inevitable that St. Francis Brooklyn senior forward Jalen Cannon (Allentown, PA/William Allen) will make history, and he’s set out to do it quickly.
With 11 rebounds in two games last week, Cannon moved up three spots on the NEC career chart to sixth place and inched even closer to the NEC career rebounding mark. With 971 rebounds, he is just...
9 boards behind CCSU’s Obie Nwadike (980) for fifth place on the NEC list
29 caroms shy of becoming the fourth player in league history to reach 1,000 rebounds
52 rebounds away from unseating Quinnipiac’s Justin Rutty as the NEC’s all-time leader
Cannon has lifted his career numbers to 1,421 points and 971 rebounds, both first among active league competitors. He can become just the second player in NEC annals to finish with 1,500 points and 1,000 rebounds, joining Rutty (1,521/1,032 from 2007-11).
He paces the NEC with 9.4 rpg and his league-leading ten double-doubles ranks him ninth nationally.
NEC Career Rebounding Leaders
1. Justin Rutty QU 1,032 2007-11
2. Ron Robinson CCSU 1,022 2000-04
3. Carey Scurry LIU 1,013 1982-85
4. Alex Francis BRY 990 2010-14
5. Obie Nwadike CCSU 980 2003-07
6. Jalen Cannon SFBK 971 2011-15
7. Eric Taylor SFU 967 1994-98
8. Corsley Edwards CCSU 966 1998-02
9. Jamal Olasewere LIU 963 2009-13
10. Rahshon Turner FDU 927 1994-98
11. Ted Taylor MAR 923 1981-85
12. Greg Foster FDU 916 1982-84
BRYANT’S STARKS REACHES 3P MILESTONE
How prolific a shooter has Bryant senior guard Dyami Starks (Duluth, MN/Duluth East (Columbia)) been in his Bulldog career? Despite playing just two and one-half seasons in the black and gold, Starks is about to enter the NEC top-20 in career three-pointers made.
Starks, who sank five from distance last week, has now drained 229 career trifectas to rank 23rd all-time in the conference. He needs 10 more to crack the top-20.
NEC Career Three-Point Leaders
20. Danny Basile MAR 239 1992-96
21. Terence Ward UMBC 233 1998-01
22. Dejan Delic MU 230 2003-07
23. Dyami Starks BRY 229 2012-15
24. Charles Jones LIU 225 1996-98
25. Steve Paterno MAR 224 1987-91
He currently leads the NEC and ranks 19th in the nation with 3.07 made three-pointers per game.
SFBK’S JONES NEARING NEC TOP-10 SPOT
With eight dimes in two games last week, senior guard Brent Jones (Brooklyn, NY/Bedford Academy) remained 16th on the NEC career chart with 521 helpers.
Jones is only the second Terrier in history to score 500 points and hand out 500 assists. He is 14 assists away from becoming the Terriers’ all-time leader in the category, a record currently held by Greg Nunn, who played from 1997-01. He also needs just 75 points to become just the second player in program history to produce 1,000 points and 500 assists.
NEC Career Assist Leaders
10. Velton Jones RMU 551 2009-13
11. Rob Monroe QU 541 2001-05
12. Jaytornah Wisseh LIU 538 2006-10
13. Greg Nunn SFBK 534 1997-01
14. Gregory Harris MSM 529 1996-00
15. Mark Porter WC 523 2004-08
16. Brent Jones SFBK 521 2011-15
17. Mel Hawkins FDU 508 1987-91
18. Tristan Blackwood CCSU 506 2004-08
19. Dave Masciale LIU 504 1994-98
20. Antawn Dobie LIU 497 1999-03
GAETANO AMONG NEC PASSING GREATS
In an era that has featured some of the top distributors in league history, Sacred Heart senior Phil Gaetano (Wallingford, CT/Sheehan (Choate Rosemary)) now enjoys a lofty status in NEC annals.
Firmly entrenched in third place on the NEC career assist list, only LIU Brooklyn’s Jason Brickman (1,009) and Marist’s Drafton Davis (804) have dished for more assists than Gaetano, who enters play this week with 653 dimes.
Gaetano leads the NEC and ranks 27th nationally with 5.7 apg this season.
NEC Career Assist Leaders
1. Jason Brickman LIU 1,009 2010-14
2. Drafton Davis MAR 804 1984-88
3. Phil Gaetano SHU 653 2011-15
4. Jeremy Goode MSM 603 2006-10
5. Deon Hames RID 598 1992-96
6. Napoleon Lightning SFU 589 1981-85
7. Courtney Pritchard WC 563 2000-04
8. Andre Van Drost WC 560 1982-87
9. Forest Grant RMU 555 1981-84
10. Velton Jones RMU 551 2009-13
ON THE NATIONAL LEADERBOARD
Below are a list of NEC players who rank in the top-25 nationally in various statistical categories.
Category Name Team Stats Ranking
3PFG/Game Dyami Starks BRY 3.07 19th
Steals Brent Jones SFBK 2.32 14th
Double-Doubles Jalen Cannon SFBK 10 9th
HERE & THERE
Bryant senior guard Dyami Starks (Duluth, MN/Duluth East) returned to form in a 2-0 week for the Bulldogs, leading Bryant with 21.0 ppg in wins over Wagner (81-73) and CCSU (70-54). Starks recorded his sixth 20-point game of the season on Thursday with a season-high 26 points against the Seahawks, and also matched his career high with six steals. He added another 16 in the road win at CCSU to extend Bryant’s winning streak to four games. Starks shot 50.0 percent from the field on the week (13-26) and went 11-12 (.917) from the free throw line. He ranks second in the NEC with 17.3 ppg.
Bryant freshman guard Hunter Ware (Powder Springs, GA/North Cobb Christian) averaged 15.0 ppg last week and set a new career-high with 20 points in Saturday’s 70-54 win at CCSU. He went 8-11 from the field and added an assist and a steal. The frosh also hit double figures in Thursday’s 81-73 win over Wagner with 10 points. Ware committed just one turnover in 60 minutes on the week, and shot 63.5 percent from the field and 77.8 percent from the line. He is averaging 11.7 ppg in league play.
Bryant sophomore forward Dan Garvin (Bethel, CT/ Bethel) picked up his second double-double in three games on Saturday at CCSU, scoring 15 points while pulling in a game-high 11 rebounds. He finished the 2-0 week averaging 11.0 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 2.0 bpg and 2.0 spg with 71.4 percent shooting (10-14) from the floor. Garvin is fourth in the conference with 7.1 rpg.
CCSU senior forward Faronte Drakeford (Aberdeen, NC/Pinecrest (Cape Fear CC)) averaged 15.5 ppg and 5.0 rpg while shooting 54.2 percent from the floor last week. He scored a team-high 19 points on 7-9 from the floor on Saturday against Bryant. Drakeford is averaging 13.8 ppg in NEC play.
Fairleigh Dickinson freshman guard Marques Townes (Edison, NJ/St. Joseph Metuchen) averaged 12.0 ppg and 4.5 rpg last week. He posted 17 points on 8-11 shooting and added three rebounds against Mount St. Mary’s on Thursday, and followed with a seven-point, six-rebound performance versus Wagner on Saturday. For the week he shot 61.1 percent from the field. Townes is averaging 8.6 ppg and hitting 52.7 percent of his shots from the floor on the year.
Fairleigh Dickinson sophomore guard Malachi Nix (Evanston, IL/Niles North) set a new career-high with 15 points against Mount St. Mary’s on Thursday night. He followed that with a 13-point, four assist effort in his first start of the season on Saturday against Wagner.
LIU Brooklyn senior guard Gerrell Martin (Bronx, NY/Wings Academy) averaged 18.5 ppg over two contests last week, and currently ranks second in the NEC in scoring in league games at 17.5 ppg. Overall, Martin ranks fourth in the conference in three-point field goal percentage at 40.7 percent. He scored 17 in a 71-66 win at CCSU on Thursday and added a game-high 20 versus Mount St. Mary’s on Saturday at the Barclays Center.
LIU Brooklyn freshman center Nura Zanna (Kaduna, Nigeria/Coral Spring Christian (FL)) recorded the first double-double of his career with 16 points and 11 rebounds in Thursday’s 71-66 road win over CCSU. Zanna leads all NEC freshman in rebounding (6.2).
Mount St. Mary’s junior forward Gregory Graves (Sterling, VA/Potomac Falls) averaged 13.5 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 3.0 spg and 2.0 apg in leading the Mount to another 2-0 week. Graves was at his best in the Mount’s 71-51 win at FDU on Thursday, finishing with 21 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high six steals. He followed with six points and eight boards in the 61-54 come-from-behind win over LIU. He scored the bucket that gave the Mount its first lead of the game at 47-45. Graves is the NEC’s sixth-leading rebounder at 7.0 per game.
Mount St. Mary’s freshman guard Junior Robinson (Mebane, NC/Eastern Alamance) contributed 10.0 ppg and 3.0 apg in helping the Mount extend its win streak to four with a pair of road wins. He was a key figure in the Mount’s second-half rally at LIU Brooklyn on Saturday, posting all 12 of his points and all five of his assists after intermission. His three-pointer tied the score at 45-45, and he assisted on a Gregory Graves (Sterling, VA/Potomac Falls) basket that gave the Mount its first lead at 47-45. Robinson then added five consecutive points late in the game to stretch the Mount’s advantage to 59-49, essentially sealing the win. His traditional three-point play capped that stretch. Robinson also tossed in eight points in the Mount’s 71-51 win at FDU. He leads the Mount with 3.5 apg.
Sacred Heart sophomore forward De’von Barnett (Waldorf, MD/Riverdale Baptist) posted new season-highs in points in both games last week en-route to averaging 20.0 points on 17-24 shooting (70.8 percent) shooting from the floor. He also averaged 7.0 rpg. On Friday at Saint Francis U, Barnett set season-highs with 19 points on 9-12 shooting in 24 minutes of action. In addition to grabbing a team-high eight rebounds, he also matched career-bests with two assists and two blocks. It was the first time in his career that he led SHU in assists. Trailing by as many as 19 in the second half, Barnett played a large role in helping Sacred Heart come back and take the lead late in the game, scoring nine points on 4-6 shooting. With just over six minutes remaining, Barnett made two straight jumpers to tie the score for the first time since the 11:32 mark of the first half. He established a new season-high in points with a team-high 21 at Robert Morris on Sunday and led the team with six boards. He currently ranks third on Sacred Heart with 11.4 ppg and is second in the NEC in filed goal percentage at 54.7 percent. Barnett has been at his best in NEC play, scoring in double figures in all six games.
Saint Francis U junior forward Ronnie Drinnon (Jamestown, OH/Greenview) averaged 13.0 ppg and 11.5 rpg last week. He recorded his first double-double of the season in the Red Flash’s 79-78 win over Sacred Heart on Friday. In conference play, Drinnon leads the NEC with 9.8 rpg. He ranks third overall with 8.1 rpg.
NEC NUGGETS
Winner of four straight, first place Bryant has allowed NEC opponents to shoot just 37.4 percent from the field and score 61.2 ppg, both being the best marks in the conference.
CCSU freshman guard Kevin Seymour is the NEC leader with 6.3 assists per game in league play. He has dished for at least six assists in each of his last four games.
FDU’s bench scored a season-high 44 points against the Mount on Thursday, surpassing the previous high of 35 vs. Delaware on Dec. 20.
Mount St. Mary’s pulled off its first weekend road sweep in the NEC since the final two games of the 2012-13 season with wins over FDU and LIU Brooklyn. The Mount rallied back from a 21-point deficit to defeat the Blackbirds in Brooklyn for the first time since 2008.
During the Mount’s four-game in streak, opponents are averaging just 54.2 ppg on 36.1 percent shooting from the floor.
Sacred Heart has lost six games this season by three points or less.
Saint Francis U started 6-0 at home for the first time since the 2003-04 season before losing to SFBK at the buzzer on Sunday. The Red Flash also started 4-1 in NEC play for the first time since 1997-98.
Saint Francis U’s loss to St. Francis Brooklyn was its first this season when leading at the half. The Red Flash are 9-1 in such games this year.
Wagner had four players in double-digits for the third time this season in Saturday’s win over FDU.
QUOTABLE
“That was a toughness thing for our guys. That was a big win for us. Just understanding that going on the road in the NEC, that things are going to happen and that it is not going to be easy. With such a young group, I just want them to play well. I want them to care about playing hard, I want them to care about competing and staying together and being positive.” - LIU Brooklyn head coach Jack Perri following Thursday’s win at CCSU
“Obviously, we are not getting out to great starts and to be honest with you I’m not sure why? We have won tough games on the road and in this building, so I really don’t have any definitive answers. The one thing I do know is that we will turn it around and learn from this tough stretch.” - FDU head coach Greg Herenda
“We played one good half of basketball. One of the best halves we’ve played all year. We shot the ball well. We were very patient. We came out in the second half and we were a different team. The first 15 minutes of the game they had 11 points. Our defense was good. The second half, the first five minutes they had 16 points. They just came out firing and made shots.” - CCSU head coach Howie Dickenman after a loss to Bryant on Saturday
“It was the first game when we played all 40 minutes on both ends of the floor. Everyone who played contributed, and I feel that when we are connected and play together this is the way we can play all the time.” - Wagner head coach Bashir Mason after winning at FDU on Saturday
TWEET DECK
Red Flash Basketball @RedFlashMBB
Number Four play on SportsCenter? Earl Brown and the Red Flash!
Alex Achorn @alexachorn
With @BryantHoops tops in the NEC, and @BryantUniv students returning from break, the Chace better be PACKED for Harvard @BryantDawgPound!
Anthony Ruggiero @Ant_Ruggiero_
OH MY GOD! Chris Hooper for the win! #SFBKMBB
Ryan Peters @pioneer_pride
Shane Gibson is playing well in the NBA D-Lg, you guys. In 22 gms, 14 ppg while shooting 39.6% on 3s. Someone sign him to a 10-day contract!
John Templon @nybuckets
Impressed by LIU down the stretch. Blackbirds hitting their shots when they need to. In line for a road win.
Nelson Castillo @NelCastBHJ
Brandon Peel has been really impressive for CCSU. Last season, you would beg him to take the outside shot & this yr he is knocking them down
Chris Cappella @C_Cappella
Love the enthusiasm I’m seeing on campus and through social media today @rmucrazies
Nelson Castillo @NelCastBHJ
Just looked at the SHU-SFU box, Ronnie Drinnon w/ man’s work tonight! 16 points & 15 rebs! #NECMBB
Ryan Peters @pioneer_pride
He’s been doing this for a few games now, and Braica has something going here with Brent Jones, Sanabria, and Jewell on the floor together.
CoachBryan Whitten @CoachWhitMSM
Big time comeback by our men today....perseverance, confidence, focus, execution!!!!!
Ryan Peters @pioneer_pride
if you haven’t bought stock in Hunter Ware like I did, you’re running out of time. Feel like he’ll be an all-rookie tm guy. Love his moxy.
Nelson Castillo @NelCastBHJ
Nice night of #NECMBB hoops. Two great games. Not bad for a Friday night.