NEC MEN'S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Chas Stinson, Stonehill
6’4”, 175 lbs.
So., G, Charlotte, NC/Liberty Heights (Hickory Grove)
Stinson broke out for the Skyhawks in their near upset of Rutgers on Saturday, racking up career-highs of 23 points and 12 rebounds in his first career double-double performance at a sold-out Jersey Mike’s Arena. The sophomore from Charlotte, NC was an efficient 8-11 from the field and 2-3 from three-point range, while converting all five of his free throw attempts. He led all scorers in the Skyhawks’ non-conference finale that saw Stonehill get a good look on the final possession of the 59-58 setback. Stinson’s 12 boards marked a single-game season-high for the Skyhawks and he has led the Skyhawks on the glass in each of the last four games, averaging 8.3 per game over that stretch. Over the four games, he has also supplied Stonehill with 10.3 ppg, 2.3 apg and 1.0 spg. For the season, Stinson is averaging 6.7 ppg and 3.1 rpg.
NEC MEN'S BASKETBALL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Carlos Lopez, Jr., Saint Francis U
6’2”, 170 lbs.
Fr., G, Egg Harbor, NJ/Egg Harbor Township
Lopez, Jr. became the fourth Saint Francis U player to claim NEC Rookie of the Week accolades following a stellar long distance shooting display in the Red Flash’s 78-76 win over Campbell to close out non-conference play on Saturday. After entering the game with just eight three-pointers on the season, Lopez caught fire, hitting 6-7 shots from deep as part of a game and career-high 22-point effort. The six triples were also a personal-best for the Egg Harbor, NJ native, who scored eight of the final 11 points for the Red Flash, including a key triple with 2:23 to play that extended SFU’s lead to five points. He also contributed three rebounds and two assists. Lopez is averaging 13.8 points over his last six outings to boost his season average to 7.2 ppg. SFU has now collected NEC Rookie of the Week honors six times in eight weeks this season. Eli Wilborn has been honored three times, while Bobby Rosenberger and Aaron “Ace” Talbert have each received recognition once.
NEC PRIME PERFORMERS
Ansley Almonor (FDU, Jr, F)
Last week: 20 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal, 4-9 3PFG vs. Illinois
- Finished with a game-high 20 points in Friday’s matchup against the Illini.
- Posted his fifth game of the season with four or more triples.
- Leads the NEC in scoring (16.9) and made three-pointers (2.9/game), and ranks fifth in FT percentage (.776), sixth in rebounding (5.6) and ninth in 3PFG accuracy (.367).
Ocypher Owens (LEM, Jr, F)
Last week: 16 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 7-13 FG vs. Fairfield
- In the midst of a three-game stretch in which he has averaged 18.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3.0 apg and 1.3 spg while shooting 55.0 percent from the floor.
- Supplying Le Moyne with 10.9 ppg on the year, and ranks fourth in the conference in blocks (1.3) and eighth in field goal percentage (.500).
Tai Strickland (LIU, Gr, G)
Last week: 27 points, 7 steals, 8-13 FG vs. Albany
- Matched career-highs in points and set new career-best in steals vs. Albany on Thursday.
- His seven steals marked an NEC single-game season-high.
- Averaging a team-leading 12.7 ppg that rank tenth in the conference, and is fifth in steals (2.2).
Devon Savage (MC, Jr, G)
Last week: 19 points, 2 rebounds, 5-9 3PFG at Boston U
- Finished one point shy of his season-high and two short of his career-best at BU on Saturday.
- Scored game-high 19 points in just 22 minutes off the bench.
- Averaging 17.5 ppg on 9-18 shooting from deep in his last two games.
- Ranks second on MC with 11.8 ppg and his 2.7 3PFG is second in the NEC.
Alex Sobel (SHU, Sr, F)
Last week: 16 points, 17 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 blocks, 2 steals, 7-10 FG vs. Mercy
- Posted third double-double of season with 16 points and 17 rebounds in Saturday’s win over Mercy.
- Set SHU career-highs in rebounds and assists.
- Has recorded five games of four or more blocks on the season.
- Leads NEC and is ninth nationally in blocks (2.47). He also ranks first in the league in rebounding (7.6) and fourth in field goal percentage (.570).
Cam Gregory (SFU, So, G)
Last week: 18 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists vs. Campbell
- Extended streak of double-digit scoring efforts to five in SFU’s two-point win over Campbell that closed out non-conference play.
- Hit three key free throws down the stretch in the victory.
- Leads SFU and sits seventh in the NEC with 13.6 ppg.
Carlos Lopez, Jr. (SFU, Fr, G)
Last week: 22 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 6-7 3PFG vs. Campbell
- Established new career-highs in points (22), three-pointers (six) and field goals (six) in 78-76 home triumph over Campbell.
- Scored eight of SFU’s final 11 points and drilled a 3PFG with 2:23 to play that gave SFU a five-point lead.
- Entered game 8-50 from 3P range, then hit 6-7 from downtown.
- Boosted scoring average to 7.2 ppg.
Chas Stinson (STO, So, G)
Last week: 23 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 1 steal, 8-10 FG, 2-3 3PFG at Rutgers
- His 23 points established a new career-high in Stonehill’s near-upset at Rutgers on Saturday.
- Posted first career double-double in the one-point setback.
- Lifted scoring average to 6.7 ppg on the year
Melvin Council Jr. (WC, Jr, G)
Last week: 16 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists at Manhattan
- Posted second straight double-double, including a career-high 12 rebounds in 12-point victory at Manhattan.
- Averaging 22.0 ppg, 9.5 rpg and 8.0 apg over his last two contests.
- Leads Wagner and is fifth in the NEC in scoring at 14.3 ppg. He’s also tenth in rebounding (4.9), fourth in assists (3.4), ninth in steals (1.6), second in A/TO ratio (3.42) and sixth in FT percentage (.763).
Javier Ezquerra (WC, Jr, G)
Last week: 15 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 0 TO, 6-11 FG, 3-5 3PFG at Manhattan
- Set a season-high in scoring and matched season-bests in rebounds and assists in Wagner’s win at Manhattan on Saturday.
- Has posted 14 assists without a turnover over his last two games.
- Ranks fourth in the NEC in assists (3.4) and A/TO ratio (2.05).
TOP STORYLINES FROM #NECMBB WEEK EIGHT
Here’s all you need to know from the eighth week of the 2023-24 season...
>> PRESS RESET...#NECNEWYEAR IS HERE
After 59 days battling the other 31 conferences, it’s time to usher in the #NECNewYear - a 68-day celebration of NEC hoops culminating in the crowning of the 43rd NEC men’s basketball champion on March 12th.
The starting gun fires this Thursday.
Before we take a look at what lies ahead, let’s look back to October when NEC coaches played the role of pundits and made their 2023-24 projections.
NEC Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll
1. Sacred Heart (7 first place votes)
2. CCSU (1)
3. FDU (1)
4. Merrimack
5. Wagner
6. Stonehill
7. LIU
8. Saint Francis U
9. Le Moyne
While these predictions often ignite spirited discussions on social media, historical data reveals little to no direct correlation over the last three-plus decades between preseason poll results and the eventual NEC Tournament champion.
Conducted annually, NEC coaches have managed to correctly forecast the eventual league champion only three times in the last 24 years, but got it right last season, correctly picking Merrimack to win it all. Over the last 36 years, their prognostications have proven accurate on only five occasions, or just 14 percent of the time.
Let’s take a quick look back on recent poll history.
Back in 2020-21, FDU was the coaches’ pick, but finished eighth in the regular season, marking the fourth time in six years the NEC favorite finished fifth or lower in the standings. In fact, prior to Merrimack last season, the last time the coaches made an accurate forecast was way back in 2013 when they selected LIU to win it all.
On the flip side, being relegated to the bottom half of the poll doesn’t necessarily spell doom.
Last season, FDU was picked sixth and then DI newcomer Stonehill was selected ninth, but the two teams defied expectations and tied for second place in the regular season standings. The Knights went on to reach the NEC final, then pulled off the stunning upset of #1 Purdue in the NCAA Tournament.
Four years ago, eventual NEC champion Robert Morris was predicted to finish fifth. In 2018, LIU was picked sixth and won it all. How about the 2016-17 season when FDU took home the trophy after being tabbed ninth in the then ten-team league. In 2014, Mount St. Mary’s captured the title despite being picked sixth in the preseason.
Keeping the coaches’ preseason selections in mind, let’s review where teams stand heading into conference play.
Defending champion Merrimack may have lost 2022-23 NEC Co-Player of the Year Jordan Minor and All-NEC honoree Ziggy Reid, but the Warriors haven’t skipped a beat. Selected fourth, MC has picked up solid wins over Maine and UMass Lowell, and dropped a two-point decision at Georgetown.
With hopes of repeating, Merrimack heads into NEC play as the league’s highest rated team in both the NET (201) and KenPom (248) rankings.
Looking to capitalize on their March Madness run, FDU opened the season with a win at Buffalo, and picked up victories over local rivals Saint Peter’s, NJIT and Manhattan. The Knights have been the NEC’s top offensive unit, putting up a league-best 80.8 ppg and 1.02 PPP during non-league play. Picked third by the coaches, five Knights average double-digits, all of whom rank in the NEC top-25 in scoring.
The hottest team entering the new year is CCSU. Selected second in the preseason poll, the Blue Devils have their sights set on clinching the program’s first NEC title since 2007. CCSU collected a Quad 2 win when it snapped UMass Lowell’s 20-game home win streak on December 16, then returned from the Bronx with an 82-80 victory at Fordham on December 21. From November 20 to the end of the year, the Blue Devils surged 63 spots in the KenPom rankings.
Claiming preseason favorite status for the first time in 16 years, Sacred Heart jumped out to a strong start, winning four of its four six games before enduring a seven-game losing skid. The Pioneers, who have aspirations of securing the program’s first ever NEC Tournament crown, righted the ship with wins over Dartmouth and Mercy to close out non-league play.
Chosen fourth, perennial contender Wagner ended the calendar year on a high note with four wins in their last six outings, including a double-digit victory over Manhattan on Saturday to conclude its non-league slate. Despite playing shorthanded due to a series of injuries, the Seahawks have leaned on a tenacious defense that has limited opponents to league lows in scoring (62.8), field goal percentage (.423) and three-point percentage (.286). The Seahawks rank 18th nationally in scoring defense.
Sporting the fourth-youngest squad in the country, Saint Francis U hopes to follow in the footsteps of past NEC champions who defied preseason projections. Picked eighth by the coaches, the Red Flash found their stride after navigating a challenging early-season schedule, highlighted by back-to-back road wins over Lehigh and American. SFU went on to drop a tightly contested road game at defending MAAC champion Iona and suffered a buzzer-beating loss to Robert Morris before concluding the year with a 78-76 conquest of Campbell on Saturday. SFU finished its non-conference schedule with five wins for the fourth time under head coach Rob Krimmel, joining the 2014-15 (6-4), 2017-18 (5-5) and 2018-19 (7-3) squads. The Red Flash, featuring a starting lineup of four freshmen, have seen four newcomers collectively earn six NEC Rookie of the Week honors.
Ascending from the D2 ranks, it’s not surprising that NEC newcomer Le Moyne was slotted ninth in the poll. Hoping to follow in the footsteps of their former NE10 counterparts Merrimack and Stonehill - the Warriors secured the regular-season crown in their inaugural NEC season and the Skyhawks finished second in their maiden voyage - the Dolphins aim to make a swift ascent up the ladder. Le Moyne picked up its first DI win on its four-game November swing through California, posting an 80-70 win at CSUN, before suffering a heartbreaking, buzzer-beating setback at Pacific three days later. Chosen ninth by the head coaches, Le Moyne also posted a 26-point win over Dartmouth.
After surprising the league with its second place finish in its first year of DI play, Stonehill and reigning NEC Coach of the Year Chris Kraus will look to turn things around in conference play. Another team plagued by injuries, the Skyhawks managed just two non-conference wins, but hinted at their potential on Saturday, nearly taking down Rutgers on Saturday despite missing three starters.
Battling a slew of injuries while navigating through a demanding ten-game stretch away from home, LIU struggled against non-league competition. Nevertheless, the revamped Sharks, bolstered by a number of experienced additions from the portal, have the potential to improve on their seventh place projection as the team regains its health. LIU’s top three scorers are all newcomers.
The truly wide open nature of the NEC this season are certain to spark conversations about the league’s parity.
KenPom forecasts Merrimack as the eventual regular season champion with an 11-5 mark, one game ahead of CCSU, but there is a slim three-game gap between the teams projected third place (nine wins) and last place (six wins). Every team is predicted to win at least six games.
In such a scenario, anticipate the NEC tiebreakers to be put to the test as we enter March.
However, if history has any say in the matter, there will be one or more teams that eventually separate from the pack. The NEC regular season champion has posted a .750 win percentage or better in 16 of the last 19 years.
With parity comes exciting and unpredictable matchups, elevating the intrigue as teams battle not only for the regular season crown, but for the opportunity to secure a top-four finish and host postseason games.
As a reminder, the NEC Presidents’ Council unanimously voted to eliminate access restrictions to NEC championships during an institution’s transition to DI. As a result, current reclassifying institutions Le Moyne and Stonehill will be eligible to compete in the NEC Tournament this March. This decision aimed to improve the student-athlete experience and bolster recruitment and retention efforts. By taking this proactive approach, the NEC is committed to prioritizing the mental health, welfare and opportunities of its student-athletes throughout the conference.
If a reclassifying institution wins the NEC Tournament championship, the tournament runner-up will advance to the NCAA Tournament as the NEC’s automatic qualifier as per current policy. In instances where two reclassifying members reach an NEC final, the NEC will stage an “AQ Qualifier” game between the two non-advancing semifinal teams. This will serve as a decisive game to determine the team that will secure the NEC’s spot in the NCAA Tournament.
Looking ahead to the #NECNewYear lineup, the most intriguing games of the week might unfold during Merrimack’s homestand. The Warriors open against FDU in an NEC title game rematch, followed by a showdown with preseason favorite Sacred Heart two days later. Both games will take place at Lawler Arena.
Opening Weekend NEC Schedule
Thur., Jan. 4 Saint Francis U at Sacred Heart, 11:00 am
CCSU at Stonehill, 7 pm
FDU at Merrimack, 7 pm
Wagner at LIU, 7 pm
Thur., Jan. 6 Saint Francis U at Wagner, 1 pm
LIU at Stonehill, 2 pm
Le Moyne at FDU, 2 pm
Sacred Heart at Merrimack, 3 pm
All games this week can be viewed free of charge on NEC Front Row or via the NEC on the Run series of streaming and mobile apps.
So, as the #NECNewYear unfolds, we hit the game reset button.
Let the march to madness begin.
>> WHO’S HOT?
Entering NEC play...
...CCSU has won three of its last four.
...SHU has won two straight.
...Wagner has won two in a row and four of its last six.
>> RED FLASH ROOKIE OF THE WEEK TRIVIA (AGAIN)
With Carlos Lopez, Jr. (Egg Harbor, NJ/Egg Harbor Township) becoming the latest honoree, Saint Francis U now boasts four different players who have captured NEC Rookie of the Week accolades over the first eight weeks of the 2023-24 campaign.
Mount St. Mary’ set the NEC record when five different players were tabbed NEC Rookie of the Week back in 2018-19.
Here’s a compilation of teams boasting three or more NEC Rookie of the Week honorees over the past decade.
Number of NEC Rookie of Week Award Winners (2013-14 to present)
Mount St. Mary’s 5 2018-19
Saint Francis U 4 2023-24 (Lopez, Jr., Rosenberger, Talbert, Wilborn)
CCSU 3 2021-22
FDU 3 2021-22
Sacred Heart 3 2020-21
Bryant 3 2019-20
Bryant 3 2016-17
LIU 3 2014-15
>> EZQUERRA EXCELS IN WAGNER WIN
The unique statistical line of the week goes to Wagner’s Javier Ezquerra (San Juan, Puerto Rico/IMG Academy).
The junior guard became one of just nine players in the nation this season to finish a game with 15 points, seven rebounds and seven assists without committing a single turnover in the Seahawks’ 68-56 win at Manhattan on Saturday.
Ironically, teammate Melvin Council Jr (Rochester, NY/University Prep (Monroe College)) also turned the trick in Wagner’s previous game against Gwynedd-Mercy, finishing with 28 points, seven rebounds, 11 assists and zero turnovers.
>> SFU’S WILBORN RISING UP CHARTS
Evidenced by his three NEC Rookie of the Week honors, Saint Francis U freshman Eli Wilborn (Middletown, CT/Middletown) has made a notable impact within the conference and on a national level for his contributions during non-conference play.
Wilborn currently leads all NEC freshman in rebounding (6.5), field goal percentage (.575) and blocks (1.9). He ranks third overall in each of those three categories.
The Middletown, CT native is currently sixth among freshman nationally in blocks per game and is 46th nationally in block rate (8.6).
>> STRICKLAND STEAL SHOWCASE
The Strickland brothers transformed the Barclays Center into a pickpocket’s paradise on Thursday as the duo combined for 12 steals in LIU’s clash with Albany last Thursday.
Tai Strickland (Tampa, FL/St. Petersburg (Wisconsin/Temple/Georgia Southern)) established a career-high with seven swipes, while Terell Strickland (Tampa, FL/St. Petersburg (James Madison)) added five steals. Tai Strickland’s seven steals is tied for 11th on the NCAA single-game chart this season.
The duo each recorded five steals in the first half alone. As a team, LIU finished with 16 steals on the night, the most for the program since registering 17 vs. Mount St. Mary’s on January 6, 2022.
>> KRIMMEL QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Saint Francis U’s Rob Krimmel offered his thoughts on the highs and lows of the Red Flash’s last two games: a heart-wrenching buzzer-beating setback to Robert Morris followed by a 78-76 win over Campbell on Saturday that saw the Fighting Camels misfire on a would-be game-winning three at the buzzer.
“In my 12 years as a head coach, there’s a fine line between winning and losing. But the emotional gap in locker room can be extremely wide, and we experienced that before Christmas. One possession game and Robert Morris hit the shot and they were happy and we were disappointed. And I told the group, one of the first things I said is your response to something like that says a lot about your character individually but as a team, and again, the margin for error tonight was very slim and the emotion in our locker room was obviously one of joy and excitement. But now the challenge for us is we turn to turn the page and get to 2024 and the Northeast Conference.”
>> SKYHAWK DUO SHINES IN UPSET BID
As Stonehill turned in one of the elite defensive performances in the league this season (see analytics note below) in its near upset of Rutgers on Saturday, the Skyhawks received a pair of exceptional offensive showings from a pair of unexpected sources.
NEC Player of the Week Chas Stinson (Charlotte, NC/Liberty Heights (Hickory Grove)), a sophomore guard who entered the game averaging 5.6 ppg, smashed his previous career-high, scoring 22 points on 8-11 shooting from the floor and snared a career-best 12 boards in his first career double-double effort.
At the same time, freshman forward Todd Brogna (Southborough, MA/Worcester Academy) scored a career-high 12 points and knocked down a game and career-high four three-pointers. He also matched his career-bests of eight rebounds and two assists. Brogna shot 4-8 from the field and 4-6 from deep in 34 minutes. His quick release corner three at the 1:14 mark with the shot clock winding down gave Stonehill a two-point lead.
>> NEC ANALYTICS ZONE
Longtime NEC Overtime! blogger and NEC on the Run podcast collaborator Ryan Peters (@pioneer_pride) will contribute a series of analytically based tidbits covering NEC hoops throughout the 2023-24 season.
Stonehill put a legitimate scare into Big Ten rival Rutgers last week, nearly pulling off the monster upset despite going into the contest as a 1.3 percent underdog. According to Bart Torvik, Stonehill’s Game Score of 59 was its second best effort of the season only behind their Game Score of 67 in a win over Army. It was defense that fueled the impressive effort - the Skyhawks held Rutgers to an effective field goal percentage of 29.8 percent (a season-low) and limited the Scarlet Knights to just five made threes. In three games this season where Stonehill posted an adjusted defensive efficiency of less than 100.0, they are now 2-1 with a point differential of +39. Last season they were 11-4 when achieving an above average defensive efficiency for the contest.
Saint Francis freshman guard Carlos Lopez, Jr. (Egg Harbor, NJ/Egg Harbor Township) had the best game of his young career on Saturday, sparking the Red Flash to a home win over Campbell in the team’s final non-conference game of the season. Dubbed as the KenPom MVP for the contest, Lopez scored a career-high 22 points mainly by draining 6-of-7 from deep. All six of Lopez’s lefty makes were of the catch and shoot variety, as three came from the corner and three came from the wing. He also converted all four of his free throw attempts in the Campbell triumph, as he’s now shooting 81.5 percent from the charity stripe, the 314th best mark in college basketball.
Sacred Heart senior guard Kyle McGee (Jersey City, NJ/St. Mary’s of the Assumption (West Chester)) is coming off his two best games as a Pioneer with an 11-point effort in a home victory over Mercy and a 15-point performance in triumph over Dartmouth. From an analytics perspective, McGee has excelled in two facets: as a pick-and-roll ball handler and as a cutter without the ball. According to Synergy, McGee rates in college basketball’s top 76th percentile in points per possession when serving as a pick and roll ball handler. As a cutter, Synergy says that McGee has made 6-of-8 shots this season when moving efficiently without the ball, with all six makes coming in the past six games. He’s also done well to make the defense pay when left unguarded, as he’s drained 41.7 percent of his unguarded catch-and-shoot 3s this season.
Despite dressing just seven players in its non-conference finale at Manhattan, Donald Copeland’s Wagner squad impressively earned a road dub with a terrific 10 minutes to start the second half. Over that time, Wagner outscored the Jaspers 25-12 by embarking on a 12-0 run during that time to pull ahead, 50-36. Overall, the Seahawks were well balanced on offense, scoring 13 buckets in the paint, three just outside as mid-range 2s and seven from behind the arc. Down the stretch, Wagner scored three buckets inside the final 5 minutes in transition: two by junior guard Melvin Council, Jr (Rochester, NY/University Prep (Monroe College)) and one by freshman forward Seck Zongo (Bronx, NY/The Patrick School). For the season, Wagner has made 51.7 percent of its takes in transition, compared to a 34.7 percent mark when mired in the half-court.
>> NEC NUGGETS
CCSU, FDU and Wagner led the way with three road wins apiece heading into NEC competition.
CCSU placed five players in double figures in its 99-38 victory over Saint Elizabeth on Saturday. Junior forward Abdul Momoh (Carteret, NJ/The Patrick School) scored a career-high 12 points on 6-8 shooting with six rebounds in just 10 minutes, while classmate Joe Ostrowsky (Mt. Pleasant, MI/Cheshire Academy) also notched a season-high 11 points, hitting 4-6 from the floor and 3-5 from outside the arc. He added a career-high seven dimes to go along with three steals and four rebounds.
CCSU grad student forward Allan Jeanne-Rose (Saint Joseph, Martinique/Saint John Paul II (Fairfield)) has made 19 of his 27 shots from the field - a 70.4 percent conversion rate - over his last three games to bump his season field goal percentage to .603, which ranks second in the league and 31st nationally.
FDU ranks 26th nationally in adjusted tempo (73.7) and 20th in average possession length (15.3 seconds).
Following a nine-point performance against Albany last week, LIU freshman forward Jason Steele (Flushing, NY/Our Saviour Lutheran) has now averaged 10.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg and 1.5 spg while shooting 50.0 percent from the floor over his last two games. Steele set career-highs with 11 points and eight boards at Mount St. Mary’s on December 23.
Le Moyne sophomore guard Trent Mosquera (Brookline, MA/Belmont Hill School) netted a season-high 14 points in a 17-minute stint off the bench at Fairfield on Saturday. He drilled 4-8 shots from three-point land, The four triples matched a career-high. The Dolphins trimmed an 18-point second half deficit with under seven minutes remaining down to four on Mosquera’s three-pointer with five seconds to play.
Le Moyne graduate student forward Luke Sutherland (Syracuse, NY/West Genesee (Siena/Bryant)), the NEC’s third-leading point producer at 15.1 per game, finished with 16 points, nine boards and three blocks in a 78-72 setback at Fairfield on Saturday. He leads the NEC in free throw shooting (.917), and is also third in three-point percentage (.419) and made trifectas (2.2/game).
Merrimack sophomore forward Bryan Etumnu (Sugar Land, TX/Kempner) is the NEC leader in field goal accuracy at 61.8 percent. He has shot 50 percent or better from the field in 12-of-14 games. He made 4-5 shots and was 2-2 from three-point territory at Boston U on Saturday.
Merrimack heads into NEC play ranked eighth in the nation in steal rate (13.8) and 18th in turnover rate (22.3).
Merrimack freshman guard Adam “Budd” Clark (Philadelphia, PA/West Catholic) came up with five steals - his career-high against a DI opponent - at Boston U on Saturday. Clark leads the NEC and ranks fifth nationally with 2.86 spg.
Sacred Heart junior guard Aidan Carpenter (Hamden, CT/Lee Academy (Siena)) scored a career-high 19 points, including a 5-10 mark from downtown, in the Pioneers’ non-conference finale against Mercy on Saturday. He added five rebounds and three assists in the 92-63 win.
Sacred Heart has shot 48.6 percent from the floor and posted a .539 eFG percentage over its last four games.
Saint Francis U is 3-1 in games decided by two points or less with wins against Lehigh, American and Campbell, and a loss to RMU.
Saint Francis U’s win against Campbell marked its first triumph against a CAA opponent since defeating William & Mary, 78-72, on December 22, 2019. Additionally, it was the first home win against the league since taking down George Mason, 69-57, on December 2, 1997 behind ten points from current head coach Rob Krimmel, and a 24-point, 10-rebound double-double from assistant coach Eric Taylor.
Saint Francis U freshman guard Aaron “Ace” Talbert (Wyandanch, NY/Scotland Campus (PA) (Combine Academy (NC))) finished the win over Campbell with 12 points and a career-high nine assists. The nine assists tied for the most by an NEC player against a DI team this season and marked the highest total by an SFU player since Ramiir Dixon-Conover registered 10 helpers against Bryant on January 14, 2021. Talbert has averaged 7.0 assists over his last two games and has scored double figures in three straight games, contributing 13.3 ppg in that span. He’s averaging 9.3 ppg and ranks third among NEC freshmen with 2.5 apg.
Stonehill matched its season-high with 14 offensive rebounds at Rutgers on Saturday, leading to 12 second chance points. The Skyhawks limited the Scarlet Knights to just six second chance points in the 59-58 loss.
Wagner junior guard Tahron Allen (Brooklyn, NY/Brooklyn Collegiate (Monmouth)) scored 13 of his game and season-high 17 points in the second half of Saturday’s 68-56 win at Manhattan. Allen has scored 10+ points in three of his last four games, averaging 11.5 ppg over that stretch. In doing so, he has bumped his season average to 7.1 ppg.
In Wagner’s victory at Manhattan, the Seahawks posted 1.10 PPP, 47.3 percent shooting, a 50.0 percent mark from three-point range and 17 assists, all season-highs against a DI opponent.
>> NEC IN NATIONAL LEADERS (TOP-25)
Team Category Rank Value
MC Steals 13th 10.1
SHU Steals 18th 9.9
WC Scoring Defense 18th 62.8
Fewest Turnovers 16th 9.5
Individual Category Rank Value
Adam “Budd” Clark, MC Steals 5th 2.86
Alex Sobel, SHU Blocks 9th 2.47
Melvin Council, Jr., WC A/TO ratio 18th 3.42