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NEC Co-Players of the Week: Earl Brown, SFU & Jalen Cannon, SFBK
NEC Co-Rookies of the Week: Darian Anderson, FDU & Marcquise Reed, RMU
Previous NEC Releases: December 29 | December 22 | December 15 | December 8 | December 1 | November 24 | November 17
AND WE'RE OFF AND RUNNING
One week in the books and we are down to three teams with perfect NEC records.
The fact that St. Francis Brooklyn emerged unscathed with a 2-0 mark shouldn’t have surprised anyone considering the Terriers were picked as the NEC favorite by league head coaches. SFBK rallied from 18 down on Saturday to win at Sacred Heart, 73-71, then posted a 63-47 win over Bryant at the Pope Center on Monday. Senior forward Jalen Cannon (Allentown, PA/William Allen), the NEC Co-Player of the Week, was the star of the day in the win over the Pioneers, sparking the second half comeback and finishing with 21 points and 13 boards. Senior guard Brent Jones (Brooklyn, NY/Bedford Academy) may have had the play of the day as his nifty scoop shot with 28 seconds left on the clock proved to be the game-winner.
Two days later, junior forward Amdy Fall (New York, NY/Wings Academy) posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds off the bench, and with four rejections, anchored a terrific defensive effort against Bryant.
“It feels good. I’d rather block a shot than score to be honest with you,” Fall said. “You get momentum that way, get the crowd going, and get on offense.”
St. Francis Brooklyn has now won five straight games and eight of its last ten outings, and has cracked the .500 mark following an 0-5 start. In the five-game win streak, the Terriers have allowed just 56.8 ppg.
Out in western Pennsylvania, the Saint Francis U motto is “Believe,” and after a strong non-conference season and a pair of home wins to open its NEC slate, the Red Flash faithful are on board.
Winners of five of their last six, the Red Flash claimed an 85-68 victory over Wagner in its conference opener on Saturday, then snapped a 14-game losing streak to Robert Morris on Monday with a 66-59 triumph over its Keystone State rival. The last Saint Francis U win over Robert Morris had come all the way back on December 8, 2007 when the Flash came out on top, 75-66.
The SFU-RMU game went right down to the wire, and in the end, head coach Rob Krimmel turned to his franchise player to make the game’s biggest play.
“Coach Krimmel gave me the eyes like, ‘I’m coming your way kid,’” said senior forward Earl Brown (Philadelphia, PA/Imhotep Charter), who was named NEC Co-Player of the Week. “I knew it was time to show people what I can do.”
The Philly native backed down his defender and spun to the hoop for a layup to give the Red Flash a 60-57 lead with 51 seconds remaining.
Brown finished with 14 points and five rebounds, while frontcourt mate Ronnie Drinnon (Jamestown, OH/Greenview) ended with a team-best 19 points and eight rebounds.
“Robert Morris has been at the top of this league ever since I’ve been here,” said Drinnon. “I respect those guys. They’re going to come at you every day, and they’re going to hit you right in the mouth.”
SFU, picked fourth by NEC coaches, is off to its first 2-0 start in NEC play since the 2011-12 season and improved to 8-5 overall in 2014-15.
While FDU may have surprised some with a slew of impressive non-conference performances, at this point in the season, it’s hard to believe coaches would pick the Knights ninth in the conference as they did in the preseason poll back in October.
The Knights won a pair of tightly contested road games to begin NEC play, beginning with a 73-67 victory at CCSU on Saturday. In that game, FDU came back from 11 down behind 17 points from senior guard Mustafaa Jones (Philadelphia, PA/Neumann-Goretti) and 16 points from freshman Marques Townes (Edison, NJ/St. Joseph Metuchen). The Knights ended Monday’s 75-69 win over LIU Brooklyn on a 13-4 run with Townes contributing five of those points. Freshman Darian Anderson (Washington, D.C./St. John’s College) was unstoppable in this one, finishing with 21 in the first half and 26 for the game on 10-12 shooting from the field to go along with six boards. Anderson was tabbed NEC Co-Rookie of the Week.
“Darian had one of the greatest halves I’ve ever seen a freshman have,” said FDU head coach Greg Herenda. “Then you throw Marques, Earl (Potts) and Stephan (Jiggetts) in the mix and you have a lot of talent on that freshman class.”
FDU has won three in a row and four-of-five heading into a Thursday showdown against St. Francis Brooklyn in Hackensack.
“What can I say – I just love the spirit and he fight of this team,” said head coach Greg Herenda. “We practice very hard and we play very hard. We still have a lot of improving to do but this team continues to believe in themselves so much.”
NEC CO-PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Earl Brown, Saint Francis U
6-6, 206 lbs.
Sr., F, Philadelphia, PA/Imhotep Charter
Brown takes home his second NEC Player of the Week accolade after serving as the catalyst in Saint Francis U’s 2-0 start in conference play. He averaged 18.3 points on 52.9 percent shooting from the floor, and added 7.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.3 steals in three games. Brown opened with 21 points (8-11 FG) and seven boards in a loss at NJIT last Tuesday. He went on to post his third double-double of the season with 20 points and 11 caroms as the Red Flash began its NEC slate with an 85-68 win over Wagner. Brown wrapped his week with 14 points, five rebounds and four assists as SFU snapped a 14-game losing streak against Robert Morris on Monday with a 66-59 win. Brown, a Philly native, ranks third in the NEC in scoring (15.8), fifth in rebounding (6.8) and second in FG percentage (.555).
Jalen Cannon, St. Francis Brooklyn
6-6, 235 lbs.
Sr., F, Allentown, PA/William Allen
Cannon’s NEC-best third Player of the Week nod comes after a 3-0 week for the red-hot Terriers. He averaged 14.7 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.7 blocks and shot 50.0 percent from the field for St. Francis Brooklyn, which has won five straight games. Cannon posted the first of his two double-doubles on the week last Tuesday in an impressive 72-64 win over Columbia. He finished with 15 points, 12 rebounds and five assists. Cannon led the Terriers back from an 18-point deficit in their NEC opener at Sacred Heart on Saturday, netting 21 points, 13 rebounds and a pair of blocks in a 73-71 triumph. The Allentown, PA product closed out his week with eight points and eight rebounds in a 63-47 win over Bryant. Cannon leads the NEC with nine double-doubles and 9.7 rpg, and is also sixth in scoring with 14.3 ppg.
NEC CO-ROOKIES OF THE WEEK
Darian Anderson, Fairleigh Dickinson
6-1, 170 lbs.
Fr., G, Washington, D.C./St. John’s College
FDU won three games last week, including a 2-0 start to NEC play with Anderson serving as the spark. The Washington, D.C. native averaged 18.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and made 55.3 percent of his shots from the floor, including a red-hot 77.8 percent (7-9) from outside the arc. Last Monday, Anderson scored 15 of his career-high 23 points in the second half and hit a critical trey in overtime in an 85-84 win at Towson. In FDU’s NEC opener, he chipped in seven points and three assists in a 73-67 win at CCSU, then exploded for a new career-high 26 points - including 21 in the first half - on 10-12 shooting to go along with six rebounds as the Knights won at LIU Brooklyn, 75-69, on Monday. Anderson ranks second on the Knights with 12.2 ppg and is second in the NEC in three-point shooting at 42.6 percent.
Marcquise Reed, Robert Morris
6-3, 180 lbs.
Fr., G, Landover, MD/Capitol Christian
Reed claims his second straight NEC Rookie of the Week award and league-leading third of the year after averaging 18.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.7 steals while shooting a scorching 72.4 percent from the floor. He scored a game-high 21 points on 9-14 shooting in RMU’s final non-conference outing at Clemson last Tuesday, then opened NEC play with 12 points, five rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals on Saturday in a 70-45 win over Mount St. Mary’s. Reed once again earned game-high honors with 22 points as the Colonials suffered a seven-point setback at Saint Francis U on Monday. He was a near-perfect 8-9 from the field and 6-6 from the stripe. Reed leads RMU and ranks eighth in the NEC with 13.8 ppg. He is also third in the NEC in FG percentage (.533) and second in steals (2.0).
WAGNER’S BURTON SOARS IN NEC THRILLER
In the most exciting game of the NEC’s opening weekend, Wagner held off Mount St. Mary’s on Monday, securing an 85-83 win in double overtime to snap a seven-game losing skid.
Down by three with just 12 seconds left in regulation, Wagner senior guard Marcus Burton (Charlotte, NC/David W. Butler) came up with a steal and kicked to an open Romone Saunders (Temple Hills, MD/Potomac (Mount Zion Prep)), and the freshman buried a three-pointer to send the game to overtime.
With 18 seconds remaining in the second extra session, it was Burton who sealed the game with a pair of free throws as Mount missed a pair of opportunities to win or tie the contest.
Burton was virtually unstoppable in the victory, finishing with a career-high 38 points. He hit 13-24 from the floor, 3-6 from long range and 9-10 from the charity stripe. The Charlotte, NC product also chipped in with six boards, two assists and two steals.
The 38 points were the most in an NEC game since the Mount’s Sam Prescott scored 44 against Bryant on February 14, 2013. It was the most points scored by a Wagner player since sharpshooter Joey Mundweiler rang up 39 at Monmouth on February 28, 2009. It also set a new Spiro Center record for points by a Wagner player and marked an NEC single-game season-high.
NEC-TV DEBUTS THIS THURSDAY ON CBSSN
The NEC’s 30-game television package is its biggest in more than a decade, and it all starts this week with the league’s first national broadcasts of the 2014-15 season.
The Spiro Sports Center in Staten Island will be the setting on Thursday as Wagner hosts Robert Morris in a game to air at 9:00 pm on CBS Sports Network. Calling the action will be the veteran team of Dave Popkin (play-by-play), Tim Capstraw (color) and Paul Dottino (sideline).
On Saturday, the cameras return to Wagner for an ESPN3 doubleheader against LIU Brooklyn. The women tip at 1:00 pm and the men at 4:00 pm. Craig D’Amico (play-by-play) and Pam Roecker (color) are in the booth for the women’s game and Paul Dottino (play-by-play) and Terry O’Connor (color) are on the call for the men’s contest.
#NECTOP10 FOR SFBK’S CANNON
Another week, another rung up the ladder for St. Francis Brooklyn senior forward Jalen Cannon (Allentown, PA/William Allen).
Cannon leapfrogged three players last week to reach ninth on the NEC career rebounding list. With 938 boards, he is just...
25 boards behind LIU Brooklyn’s Jamal Olasewere (963) for eighth place on the NEC list
62 caroms shy of becoming the fourth player in league history to reach 1,000 rebounds
95 rebounds away from unseating Quinnipiac’s Justin Rutty as the NEC’s all-time leader
Cannon has lifted his career numbers to 1,371 points and 938 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).
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. Eric Taylor SFU 967 1994-98
7. Corsley Edwards CCSU 966 1998-02
8. Jamal Olasewere LIU 963 2009-13
9. Jalen Cannon SFBK 938 2011-14
10. Rahshon Turner FDU 927 1994-98
11. Ted Taylor MAR 923 1981-85
12. Greg Foster FDU 916 1982-84
YOUNG FLOOR GENERALS
Over the past few years, the NEC was stacked with point guards who will be remembered for years to come. There were LIU Brooklyn’s Jason Brickman, Wagner’s Kenneth Ortiz, Mount’s Julian Norfleet and FDU’s Sidney Sanders Jr. to name a few. Going back a year or two and you can add Bryant’s Frankie Dobbs and RMU’s Velton Jones to the list.
With all those players having since graduated, a new breed of NEC guards have emerged, wasting little time to make an impact throughout the conference.
In fact, four of the top-10 and eight of the top-20 league leaders in assists this season are freshman. At the top of the list is Wagner’s JoJo Cooper (Wilmington, DE/Concord), who ranks third with 4.6 apg.
Below is the complete list of freshman NEC floor generals and combo guards who rank among conference assist leaders.
Rk/Name School APG
3. JoJo Cooper WC 4.2
5. Elvar Fridriksson LIU 4.1
6. Martin Hermannsson LIU 3.3
8. Junior Robinson MSM 3.2
11. Kevin Seymour CCSU 2.8
12. Cane Broome SHU 2.7
13. Darian Anderson FDU 2.5
18. Corey Henson WC 1.9
19. Hunter Ware BRY 1.8
NEC MONTH-BY-MONTH LEADERS
With December coming to a close, here are the leaders in various statistical categories on a month-by-month basis for the 2014-15 season.
November December
Scoring Dyami Starks, BRY (18.8) Earl Brown, SFU (19.6)
Rebounding Jalen Cannon, SFBK (9.0) Ronnie Drinnon, SFU (10.4)
Assists Elvar Fridriksson, LIU (4.5) Phil Gaetano, SHU (6.4)
*FG% Kevin Douglas, SFBK (.588) Jordan Allen, SHU (.635)
*3PFG% Rodney Pryor, RMU (.515) Mustafaa Jones, FDU (.486)
*FT% Dyami Starks, BRY (1.000) Mustafaa Jones, FDU (.913)
3PFG Dyami Starks, BRY (4.0) Dyami Starks, BRY (3.6)
Steals Brent Jones, SFBK (2.8) Marcquise Reed, RMU (2.6)
Blocks Xavier Harris, FDU (1.4) Dan Garvin, BRY (1.8)
* Minimums: FG - 3.0/game, FT - 2.0/game, 3PFG - 2.0/game
STARKS RACING UP THE NEC THREE-POINT CHART
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-25 in career three-pointers made.
Starks, who sank three from distance in Bryant’s 67-63 win at LIU Brooklyn on Saturday and added one more in a setback at St. Francis Brooklyn on Monday, has now hit 221 career trifectas. He needs one more to crack the top-25 list.
20. Danny Basile MAR 239 1992-96
21. Terence Ward UMBC 233 1998-01
22. Dejan Delic MU 230 2003-07
23. Charles Jones LIU 225 1996-98
24. Steve Paterno MAR 224 1987-91
25. Ricky Cadell SFBK 222 2007-11
26. Dyami Starks BRY 221 2012-14
He currently leads the NEC and ranks xxth in the nation with 3.45 made three-pointers per game.
CANNON DOUBLE-DOUBLE STREAK REACHES SIX BEFORE COMING TO END
How good has St. Francis Brooklyn senior forward Jalen Cannon (Allentown, PA/William Allen) over the last three weeks?
Before being held to eight points and eight rebounds in a win over Bryant on Monday, the Allentown, PA native racked up six straight double-doubles, the longest streak in the NEC since Saint Francis U’s Earl Brown (Philadelphia, PA/Imhotep Charter) had seven in a row from December 28, 2012 to January 19, 2013.
Last week, Cannon had 15 point and 12 boards in a 72-64 win over Columbia and 21 points and 13 rebounds in a 73-71 triumph over Sacred Heart to earn NEC Co-Player of the Week honors. It marked the third weekly honoree for Cannon, most in the conference this season.
Cannon now has an NEC-high nine double-doubles on the year, a figure that ranks him 20th nationally. The Allentown, PA native has posted 36 career double-doubles, tops among active NEC performers.
CCSU’S MOBLEY MAKES THE LEAP
Talk about making “the leap.”
CCSU’s Matt Mobley (Worcester, MA/Worcester Academy) averaged 6.8 ppg in an NEC All-Rookie campaign in 2013-14, and taking a look at his numbers from the first two months of this season, the trajectory is sky-high for the sophomore guard.
Mobley took over the NEC scoring lead on Monday after averaging 24.7 points in three games last week. He began with 16 points and a pair of assists in a home loss to Hofstra on New Year’s Eve, but really began to pour it on once NEC play began. The Worcester, MA native started the conference season with 26 points on 10-20 shooting, and hit five three-pointers against FDU on Saturday. Two days later he scored 28 of his career-high 32 points in the second half in a setback at Sacred Heart. He drained 8-11 from the field after intermission, including 6-9 shots from outside the arc.
Mobley’s 32-point outburst marked the second time this season that he cracked 30 points and eighth time he has scored at least 20 points.
Mobley’s league-leading scoring average stands at 19.3 ppg and he is also averaging an NEC-best 29.0 ppg in conference play.
500 DIMES FOR SFBK’S JONES
As St. Francis Brooklyn senior forward Jalen Cannon (Allentown, PA/William Allen) continues his assault on the NEC recordbook, he has some company.
With 16 dimes in three games last week, senior guard Brent Jones (Brooklyn, NY/Bedford Academy) eclipsed the 500-assist mark and in the process jumped six spots on the NEC career chart to 19th all-time with 503 helpers.
Jones is only the second Terrier in history to score 500 points and hand out 500 assists. He is also 31 assists away from becoming the Terriers’ all-time leader in the category, a record currently held by Greg Nunn, who played from 1997-01.
NEC Career Assist Leaders
15. Mark Porter WC 523 2004-08
16. Mel Hawkins FDU 508 1987-91
17. Tristan Blackwood CCSU 506 2004-08
18. Dave Masciale LIU 504 1994-98
19. Brent Jones SFBK 503 2011-14
20. Antawn Dobie LIU 497 1999-03
21. Billy Kurisko WC 496 1987-91
22. James Hett MU 492 2007-11
23. John Giraldo MU 492 1992-96
24. Jamal Ragland SFU 488 1997-01
25. Derric Thomas MU 488 1985-88
STARKS HEAT CHECK
When Bryant senior guard Dyami Starks (Duluth, MN/Duluth East (Columbia)) gets going, he really gets going. And with a vintage second half shooting display on Saturday he carried Bryant back from a 10-point deficit en-route to a 67-63 win at LIU Brooklyn.
With an assortment of fadeaways, three-pointers and off-balance shots with a hand in his face, Bryant scored 19 of his 25 points after intermission, including 13 points in the final 8:24 to lead the Bulldogs to a season-opening win.
Starks currently ranks second in the NEC with 18.0 ppg and his 3.45 three-pointers per game is the best mark on the circuit.
SHOOTER OF THE WEEK
When you’re a 6’3” guard and you’re coming off a 72.4 percent shooting week from the field, you must be doing something right.
Robert Morris freshman Marcquise Reed (Landover, MD/Capitol Christian) continued his torrid pace from the floor, going 9-14 in a 21-point outing at Clemson, followed by a 4-6 performance in a win over Mount St. Mary’s and a near-perfect 8-9 night versus Saint Francis U. The NEC Co-Rookie of the Week is now up to third in the NEC in field goal percentage at 53.3 percent and has shot 66.0 percent from the field over his last five outings.
GAETANO MOVIN’ ON UP
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 634 dimes.
Gaetano leads the NEC and ranks 19th nationally with 5.9 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 634 2011-14
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
Scoring Matt Mobley CCSU 19.3 25th
Rebounds Jalen Cannon SFBK 9.7 20th
Assists Phil Gaetano SHU 5.9 19th
Steals Brent Jones SFBK 2.33 20th
FT% Mustafaa Jones FDU .902 19th
3PFG/Game Dyami Starks BRY 3.45 9th
Double-Doubles Jalen Cannon SFBK 9 7th
HERE & THERE
Bryant senior guard Joe O’Shea (Burlington, VT/Burlington (Holy Cross)) averaged 12.3 ppg and 8.3 rpg last week, by far besting his 7.6 ppg and 5.6 rpg season averages. O’Shea scored a team-high 12 against Dartmouth on New Year’s eve and 18 more against LIU Brooklyn in Bryant’s season-opening win on Saturday. He closed out the first week of conference play with seven points and a season-high 10 rebounds on Monday at St. Francis Brooklyn.
Bryant freshman guard Hunter Ware (Powder Spring, GA/North Cobb Christian) netted a team-leading 13 points on Monday at St. Francis Brooklyn and averaged 8.7 ppg on the week.
LIU Brooklyn senior guard Gerrell Martin (Bronx, NY/Wings Academy) began his final NEC season in impressive fashion, averaging 25.0 points per game on 53.3 percent shooting in two outings last week. Martin poured in 27 points in a narrow four-point loss to Bryant and followed that up with a 23-point effort against Fairleigh Dickinson. He connected on seven of his 16 three-point attempts over the two-game span and is shooting 41.0 percent from beyond the arc this season. Martin leads the Blackbirds 11.5 ppg.
Mount St. Mary’s junior forward Gregory Graves (Sterling, VA/Potomac Falls) had a big week for the Mount, posting double-doubles in each of the Mount’s conference games. Graves had a career night at Wagner on Monday with career-highs of 26 points and 12 rebounds. He also recorded 14 points and 11 rebounds at Robert Morris on Saturday. The last Mountaineer to record a double-double in back-to-back games was Kelly Beidler in January, 2010. Graves is averaging 20.0 ppg and 11.5 rpg thus far in NEC play this year.
Freshman point guard Junior Robinson (Mebane, NC/Eastern Alamance) scored a career-high 17 points on Monday at Wagner, including six in the two overtime periods.
Robert Morris senior forward Lucky Jones (Newark, NJ/St. Anthony) averaged 11.3 points and 7.0 rebounds in three games last week, and led the Colonials in their win over the Mount on Saturday with 17 points. Jones also grabbed a season-high 12 boards against Saint Francis U on Monday, and with 735 boards is now 17 caroms shy of becoming the program’s all-time leading rebounder.
With a three-pointer against St. Francis Brooklyn on Saturday, Sacred Heart senior guard Steve Glowiak (New Britain, CT/New Britain) moved into fifth place all time at SHU with 193 for his career. He currently sits at 194 trifectas after making one against CCSU on Monday.
After a slow start to his week against Yale, Sacred Heart freshman guard Cane Broome (East Hartford, CT/East Hartford) bounced back for a solid start to his NEC career. In two league games, he averaged 14.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.5 apg and 1.5 spg. Broome boasted a 13-point performance against St. Francis Brooklyn on Saturday, converting 5-10 from the field. He was even better on Monday night in a 75-66 victory over CCSU, registering 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Broome helped SHU jump out to an early 13-6 lead with seven straight points at one point. The East Hartford, CT native currently leads SHU in scoring (14.1), free throw percentage (.755), and steals (1.5), and is second on the team in minutes (30.8), assists (2.7), and free throws made (40).
Saint Francis U junior forward Ronnie Drinnon (Jamestown, OH/Greenview) averaged 10.3 ppg and 9.0 rpg last week. He netted team-highs with 19 points and eight boards in Monday’s 66-59 win over Robert Morris.
Wagner freshman guard Romone Saunders (Temple Hills, MD/Potomac (Mount Zion Prep)) averaged 14.0 ppg last week, including a career-high 20 points against Rider last Monday. Saunders, who hit a clutch three-pointer to send this past Monday’s game against Mount St. Mary’s to overtime, ranks sixth among all-NEC freshman in scoring (8.7 ppg).
NEC NUGGETS
Bryant snared a season-best 45 rebounds in its win over LIU Brooklyn, just one shy of tying the program’s DI single-game mark.
Mount St. Mary’s has started off 0-2 in the NEC for the first time since the 2011-12 season.
The Mount’s 85-83 double overtime loss at Wagner was the first multiple overtime game for the Mountaineers since an 81-80 double-overtime win at Sacred Heart on January 28, 2012.
When Robert Morris beat Mount St. Mary’s, 70-45, in its NEC opener it marked the 11th time in the last eight years the Colonials held an opponent to 45 points or less.
Of Sacred Heart’s last 21 losses, 17 have come by single digits.
St. Francis Brooklyn has won a league-best five straight NEC openers.
Saint Francis U is 4-1 in games following a loss this season.
Saint Francis U held its first two NEC opponents to 4-27 shooting (14.8 percent) from beyond the arc.
Marcus Burton’s 38-point game on Monday against the Mount ranks 13th on Wagner’s single-game scoring list.
Wagner’s double-overtime game against Mount St. Mary’s was the first for the program since February 21, 2008 when the Seahawks posted a 100-92 victory over Sacred Heart at the Spiro Center.
QUOTABLE
“We came out with some real energy after the break,” SFU coach Ron Krimmel said afterward. “That was important for us, and it always looks a lot better when the ball is going in the hole.” - SFU head coach Rob Krimmel after an 85-68 over Wagner in its NEC opener
“Coming into conference play, we have to make sure we understand that we are one of the best teams in the conference. We have a long journey and this is just the beginning. But there’s great upside to this. We can’t keep our foot off the pedal. We have to keep it pushing, keep it moving and make sure everybody understand that we’re still Robert Morris. Everybody wants to beat us; everybody wants to play us.” - RMU’s Lucky Jones
“I will say we played our tails off. It was the best game we played this year. But it comes with the territory. We played very hard. But we made some unforced turnovers.” - CCSU head coach Howie Dickenman following a six-point loss to FDU on Saturday
“Coach challenged me. He told me that for us to be successful I have to be the best player on the floor every night." - Wagner senior guard Marcus Burton after a career-high 38-point outing in an 85-83 double overtime win over Mount St. Mary's.
“I think, obviously, we wore them down. Howie had them really ready. Last year, Bill Detrick was in our locker room before the game here. When I walk into this building, I just think of Bill Detrick and Howie Dickenman and I just know it’s going to be a dog fight. They could suit up four guys and I would respect them.” - FDU head coach Greg Herenda after the Knights rallied to beat CCSU on Saturday
“We knew we had to play 35 seconds of each possession and just chip away. And we just kind of hung around. We weren’t even scoring on some possessions, but we weren’t letting the lead go back to 15, we kept it at nine, seven, and that gave us a chance. We hung in there and just kept fighting.” - SFBK head coach Glenn Braica after coming back to beat Sacred Heart on Saturday
TWEET DECK
John Templon @nybuckets
The importance of outstanding individual players has been shown on opening day in #NECMBB. Dyami Starks has been money for Bryant.
Jarrod Prugar @jprugar26
Ahh there’s nothing better aside from the tourney than conference play. #NECMBB
Ryan Peters @pioneer_pride
Jalen Cannon is pretty awesome. That is all.
Nelson Castillo @NelCastBHJ
I’m pumped up for the start of #NECMBB play!! The best time of year finally begins!
Chris Cappella @C_Cappella
Tough L for Sacred Heart, who was in control the whole game. This league is going to be funnnnn
Amanda Livsey @MandaLivz_ATC
Keep up the good work boys! #FDUMBB “@NECsports: One #NECMBB weekend is in the books. Three teams are blemish-free. ”
Mike Anthony @ManthonyCourant
28 of Matt Mobley’s career-high 32 points were in the second half tonight. He put on a show, making 8 of his last 11 shots.
John Templon @nybuckets
Darian Anderson put together an awesome line for FDU against LIU tonight. The freshman scored 26 points on 10-12 shooting.
kingsley mcleod @mcleodkings
SFU basketball doing big things this year. Just beat RMU for the first time in years.