Choice Hotels/NEC Player of the Week
Dyami Starks, Bryant
6-2, 195lbs
So., G, Duluth, MN/Duluth East
 
Starks averaged 21 points and guided Bryant to back-to-back road wins last week, including a stunning 56-54 victory over Atlantic Coast Conference opponent Boston College. Before delivering the NEC’s newest Division I member its biggest victory in school history, the former Columbia Lion, who sat out last season due to NCAA transfer rules, opened the week with a career-high 25 points in a 68-61 win at Brown, shooting 8-of-16 from the field and 7-of-8 from the charity stripe. On Sunday, Starks put on a show for the Conte Forum faithful, scoring all 17 of his points in the second half to give the Bulldogs their first win over a BCS opponent. He netted 10 points in a key stretch as Bryant turned a 46-38 deficit with under nine minutes to play into a 51-49 edge with 5:09 left on the clock. Against the Eagles, he shot 7-of-11 from the field and 3-of-6 from distance. On the week, he shot 45.5% from the field and 87.5% from the free throw line as the Bulldogs stretched their win streak to three games.

Choice Hotels/NEC Rookie of the Week
Sekou Harris, Fairleigh Dickinson
5-11, 165 lbs
Fr., G, Plainfield, NJ/Plainfield
 
Harris made the most of his first collegiate start this past weekend at the South Padre Island Invitational, scoring 22 of his a career-high 25 points in the second half while handing out eight assists to rally the Knights to an 84-70 win over Prairie View A&M. The former all-state guard also pulled down three boards as the Knights won their second straight game at the event. Trailing 43-36 at the half, Harris played a key role right out of the gate. He hit a trey and a jump shot during a 7-0 run that gave the Knights a one-point lead in the first two minutes. Midway through the stanza then, the Plainfield, NJ native connected with three straight free throws after being fouled beyond the arc, putting FDU in the driver’s seat, 62-59, and setting up an 11-point spurt. For the game, Harris played 34 minutes and hit 7-of-16 from the field and 5-of-7 from distance. He also made six free throws in eight attempts.  Harris has now averaged 8.0 assists over his first two career games.

SUPER SUNDAY! BRYANT SHOCKS BOSTON COLLEGE IN LANDMARK WIN FOR PROGRAM
Now eligible for the postseason after navigating through a five-year NCAA reclassification period, Bryant figured to be a much improved squad in 2012-13 despite being picked tenth by head coaches in the NEC preseason poll.  But if Bulldog fans had a timetable in mind when their team would start making a name for itself in the Division I ranks, that timetable may have accelerated on Sunday.

Taking on Boston College up in Chestnut Hill, the Bulldogs received a tremendous second half performance from sophomore guard Dyami Starks (Duluth, MN/Duluth East (Columbia)) and rallied from eight down to knock off the ACC opponent, 56-54.  It marked Bryant’s first win over a BCS program.

“I knew we were hugely improved, but the only way to validate that is to get some wins,” said head coach Tim O’Shea following the win over his alma mater. “And when you think about our journey over the past four years, to finally start to turn it around is pretty emotional really.”

“Five years ago, the biggest game on Bryant’s schedule was Bentley.  Five years later, we’ve just beaten Boston College on the road.  It’s a big deal.”

It wasn’t pretty, as the Bulldogs missed four free throws in the final minute, but senior guard Frankie Dobbs (Berea, OH/Saint Edward (Ohio U.)) picked up a key charge with 3.9 seconds remaining and a last second BC three-point attempt was off the mark.

“I didn’t think the basketball gods could be that cruel,” said O’Shea.

It was Starks, a Columbia transfer, who not only made the difference in the game, but has helped spark Bryant’s current three-game win streak, the longest for the program since January, 2011.  The Choice Hotels NEC Player of the Week led the Bulldogs with 17 points - all in the second half - including 10 in a key stretch as Bryant turned a 46-38 deficit with under nine minutes to play into a 51-49 edge with 5:09 left on the clock.  He was 0-6 in the first half, but shot 7-11 from the floor in the second half, including 3-6 from three-point range.

Bryant (3-2) now enters play this week with a winning record for the first time ever at the Division I level.

Looking at the bigger picture, the win was the fourth by an NEC school over an ACC team and first since Robert Morris knocked off Boston College, 57-51, on January 7, 2008.  

OTHER NOTABLE NEC VICTORIES AGAINST BCS CONFERENCES
Wagner 59, #15 Pittsburgh 54 (12/23/11)
Robert Morris 57, Boston College 51 (1/7/08)
Fairleigh Dickinson 76, Seton Hall 71 (11/18/06)
St. Francis Brooklyn 53, St. John’s 52 (11/23/04)
Monmouth 81, Vanderbilt 67 (11/24/01)
CCSU 54, Providence 50 (12/21/99)
Long Island 76, St. John’s 73 (11/23/96)
Mount St. Mary’s 71, #21 Georgia Tech 69 (12/18/95)
Fairleigh Dickinson 55, Providence 53 (12/19/84)
Long Island 72, Providence 65 (12/23/83)
Wagner 84, Duke 77 (1/5/83)

NEC FAST BREAK…NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW
GARDEN STATE TEAMS RING UP WINS IN NEUTRAL SITE EVENTS
Both Fairleigh Dickinson and Monmouth signed up for multiple team events in the offseason, and the strategy paid off last week as both programs picked up a pair of wins in games contested at neutral venues.  Competing at the South Padre Island Inivitational, the Knight knocked off Delaware State in a memorable finish (see below), 63-62, and rallied to beat Prairie View A&M, 84-70, over the weekend.  Monmouth wrapped up the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic in Atlanta, GA earlier in the week with a last-second 73-71 win over South Alabama and an 81-70 triumph over Tennessee State.  NEC teams are now 6-4 this season playing at netural sites.

FANTASTIC FINISHES
Not only did FDU and Monmouth earn two wins apiece at their respective tournaments last week, but both pulled out a pair of victories in improbable fashion.  High scoring CCSU guard Kyle Vinales (Detroit, MI/Phelps School) made sure the Blue Devils did the same.

With the Knights trailing Delaware State by seven points with under 30 seconds to play on Friday, senior forward Kinu Rochford (Brooklyn, NY/James Madison (Globe Institute)) took over the game with an incredible sequence of plays.  After a Mustafaa Jones (Philadelphia, PA/Neumann Goretti (Hartford)) three pointer, Rochford scored on a putback with 17 seconds to play to pull the Knights to within 59-57.  After two DSU free throws, Rochford converted another putback and was fouled.  He hit the free throw for a conventional three-point play to make the score 61-60 with five seconds on the clock.  FDU fouled and the Horntes made one-of-two from the line to push the lead to 62-60.  Melquan Bolding (Mt. Vernon, NY/Bishop Stepinac (Duquesne)) was fouled on the inbounds play with 2.2 seconds remaining.  He hit the first, and after misfiring on the second, it was Rochford who was there for the rebound and game-winner.   Rochford’s stat line for the last 18 seconds of FDU’s 63-62 win: seven points and three offensive rebounds.  For the game, he finished with 19 points and 14 boards in his 2012-13 season debut.

“Kinu was incredible,” said FDU head coach Greg Vetrone.  “Nineteen points, 14 rebounds, that play he makes at the end of the game...but the biggest shot of the game was Mustafaa Jones.  Mustafaa didn’t play as many minutes as he has been, but he didn’t sulk.  He was tough and the shot he made was great.  Plus Yves (Jules) in his first game really playing with 15 points makes it a total team effort.”

Monmouth was involved in a back-and-forth affair with South Alabama on Tuesday until the Hawks used a mini spurt to take a six point lead with just over three minutes to play.  The Jaguars began to chip away and took over the lead on a pair of free throws with six seconds to go.  The Hawks called their final time out at midcourt with 3.5 seconds left.  Senior guard Jesse Steele (Milford, NJ/Oak Hill Academy (Army)) took the inbounds maneuvered to the top of the key and was fouled launching a three-pointer with one second on the clock.  Steele calmly sank all three free throws as the Hawks claimed the 73-71 victory.

“That was a great win for our team,” stated MU head coach King Rice.  “South Alabama is a tough team with big, strong guys inside.  I think this is a game that our kids really grew up in.  We fought to the end, and when you do that, good things happen.  I am so proud of my kids.  I take my hat off to all of them. Jesse (Steele) making those free throws was big time.  Marcus (Ware) had a great game.  Dion (Nesmith) played great defense.  Andrew (Nicholas) made some jumpers.  Stephen (Spinella) was amazing on defense, and made a big three.  Khalil (Brown) came in and did some great stuff, and our freshman played well when they had a chance.  I am proud of our whole team.  A great team win for the Monmouth Hawks.”

When CCSU trailed at UMBC by five points with under 90 seconds to play in overtime last Tuesday, there was no need to panic.  Head coach Howie Dickenman simply placed the ball in the hands of star guard Vinales and let him do the rest.  Vinales drained a three-pointer at the 1:24 mark to slice the lead to two, then hit a jumper with :41 seconds showing to knot the game at 81.  Following a UMBC free throw, Vinales was fouled and hit a pair of free throws with five ticks on the clock and the Blue Devils escaped with an 83-82 win.

VINALES WATCH
Haven’t we seen this all before?  A year ago, CCSU’s Kyle Vinales (Detroit, MI/Phelps School) took the NEC by storm as a freshman, averaging 22.5 points over his first six collegiate games.  Now the centerpiece of the Blue Devil attack, Vinales has fared even better, racking up a 25.7 ppg average in CCSU’s 3-3 start.  The third leading scorer in the nation, Vinales has scored at least 23 points in each of the last five games, including a season-high 32 points against Hartford on Saturday.  For his career, the Detroit native has amassed 674 points in 35 career games, a 19.3 ppg average.

FIRST IMPRESSION: FDU’S SEKOU HARRIS
It’s only been two games, but Greg Vetrone may have found his point guard of the future at FDU.  Freshman guard Sekou Harris (Plainfield, NJ/Plainfield) made his debut for the Knights on November 18th against Northwestern and came off the bench to register eight assists in just 18 minutes of work.  Fast forward six days later, and Harris turned in a game to remember in the Knights’ 84-70 win over Prairie View A&M.  The Plainfield, NJ native scored 22 of his game-high 25 points in the second half as FDU rallied from seven down at the break.  Harris, who was tabbed Choice Hotels NEC Rookie of the Week, also finished with eight assists and hit 5-7 shots from outside the arc.

“Sekou Harris, a freshman, with 25 points and eight assists…I don’t know if since I’ve been here, anyone has had a performance like that,” said FDU head coach Greg Vetrone.  “If we continue to build on this, day-to-day, week-to-week, as the season goes on and we become more comfortable with Sekou at the point guard position, I think we have a chance to be a good team.”

BACK HOME, COLONIALS WRAP PRESEASON NIT ON HIGH NOTE
Robert Morris finished 3-1 in the 2012 NIT Season Tip-Off thanks to home wins over Bowling Green (71-60) and Cleveland State (71-62) last week, marking the first winning record for the Colonials in 18 regular-season tournaments in the 37-year Division I history of the program.  Following an 0-2 start, RMU has now won three-of-four with the only setback coming by two points at Xavier.  Senior guard Velton Jones (Philadelphia, PA/Northeast Catholic) averaged 15.5 ppg, 5.0 apg and 2.0 spg in the two victories last week.  In the win over Bowling Green, Jones made 7-of-8 free-throw attempts in the final 5:14 to keep the Falcons at bay, then hit 6-6 from the stripe in the final 7:17 versus CSU.  The All-NEC guard is shooting 86.0 percent from the stripe on the year.

“We needed to be humbled a little bit before we realized this was a fun way to play,” Toole said after RMU’s win over Cleveland State.  “If this gives us the best opportunity to win games, this is how we’ll do it.”

CAROLINA ON MY MIND: WC’S MASON PICKS UP 1ST WIN
When Bashir Mason took over the Wagner program last spring, he likely had a different vision of his first victory.  But a win is a win, even if it came in a 38-36 slugfest down at NC Central on Saturday.  The Seahawks let a 15-point first half lead slip away, and scored just 13 points in the second stanza, but limited the Eagles to  a paltry 22.6 percent shooting from the field.  Since Wagner moved to Division I in the 1976-77 season, the 36 points allowed were the fewest in school history, while the 38 points scored tied for the second-lowest.  The 38 points also marked the fewest scored in a Wagner win since the Seahawks bested Brooklyn College, 33-31, in February of 1946.

“Right now it doesn’t feel a whole lot like a win,” Mason said.  “I guess after I’ve had a while to relax and reflect on it I’ll appreciate it more.”

PLAYING CANNON-BALL
In Jalen Cannon’s (Allentown, PA/William Allen) NEC All-Rookie campaign for St. Francis Brooklyn last season, he made his impact as a rebounder, averaging 8.8 per game to rank second in the nation among freshman.  Cannon also averaged 8.0 ppg and hit 55.6 percent of his field goal attempts, offering a glimpse of his potential on the offensive end of the floor.  Now, four games into the 2012-13 season, the sophomore forward has been unstoppable in the paint and more than doubled his scoring output.  Cannon has converted a league-leading 68.3 percent of his shot opportunities and paces the Terriers with 16.8 ppg.  On Saturday, he hit 10-12 shots in a 22-point effort against Brown, four days after sinking 9-14 attempts in a career-high 23 points showing versus Army.  With an NEC-best 9.8 rpg, Cannon is nearly averaging a double-double on the year.

HAWKS WREAKING HAVOC
Monmouth has started to develop a defensive identity under King Rice, namely harassing opponents into coughing up the ball at an alarming rate.  The Hawks are currently forcing 23.2 turnovers per contest, the second-highest total in the nation.  In doing so, Monmouth has turned 139 turnovers into 137 points.  While winning two-of-three games last week, the Hawks induced opponents into 72 TOs and have forced 20 or more in five of their six contests on the year.

OLASEWERE LIVIN’ AT THE LINE
LIU Brooklyn’s uncanny ability to get to the line the last two seasons has been well documented, and no one has spent more time at the stripe for the Blackbirds than senior forward Jamal Olasewere (Silver Spring, MD/Springbrook).  His unique knack for drawing contact has reached another level in 2012-13, as his average of 12.5 free throw attempts per game leads the nation by 1.5/game over LeBryan Nash of Oklahoma State.  Olasewere, Nash and Erick Green of Vermont are the only three players in the nation to average double-digit free throw attempts through the season’s first two weeks.

SHANNON’S ROAD TO RECOVERY
Saint Francis University junior guard Umar Shannon (Atlantic City, NJ/Atlantic City) is well on the road to regaining the form that made him an All-NEC performer in 2010-11.  Shannon, who missed all but one game of the 2011-12 campaign with a torn ACL, had a slow start to the season, but came on strong last week with a season-high 24-point outing against Colgate on Wednesday, followed by a game-high 14 points at Notre Dame three days later.

“We’re doing some better things offensively, getting guys on the same page, and a lot of that has to do with the leadership of Umar Shannon,” said head coach Rob Krimmel following the Red Flash’s game at Notre Dame on Saturday.  “Getting him back in the swing of things and him running the show out there you know he’s our big brother.  As he continues to get better our team will get better.”

MILESTONE WATCH
Bryant’s Alex Francis (Harlem, NY/Holderness Prep (NH)) pulled down his 500th career rebound in the Bulldogs’ win over Boston College on Sunday.  He has now named 504 boards entering play this week and is one of just three current NEC players with 1,000+ points and 500+ boards (joining LIU Brooklyn’s Julian Boyd and Jamal Olasewere).

Bryant senior guard Frankie Dobbs (Berea, OH/St. Edward (Ohio U.)) needs 109 points to reach 1,000 for his career.

FDU senior guard Melquan Bolding (Mt. Vernon, NY/Bishop Stepinac (Duquesne)) scored his 1,000th point against Prairie View A&M on Saturday. The senior played his first two years at before transferring to FDU.

Just four  games into his junior season and LIU Brooklyn sophomore guard Jason Brickman (San Antonio, TX/Clark) is already 28th on the NEC career assists chart.  With 461 dimes, he needs just 18 more to break into the top-25 and 73 more to reach the top-10.

Monmouth senior forward Ed Waite (Fort Lauderdale, FL/Pine Crest) now ranks fifth all-time in career rebounds at the school with 542 boards.  He surpassed Marques Alston (530; 2003-07) last week and fourth-ranked Alex Blackwell (1989-92) is just 137 boards away.

Quinnipiac’s Tom Moore is five wins shy of 100 for his career.  Now in his sixth year, he has posted a 95-68 record in Hamden.

With 1,531 career points, Sacred Heart’s Shane Gibson (Killingly,CT/Killingly) needs just 18 more to break into the top-50 on the NEC career list.

BEST OF THE WEEK
Alex Francis (BRY): 18 points, 10 rebounds in win over Brown
Dyami Starks (BRY): Career-high 25 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 8-16 FG in win over Brown; 17 points, 3 rebounds in win over Boston College
Kyle Vinales (CCSU): 29 points, 5 assists, 2 steals in win over UMBC; 32 points, 12-23 FG, 4-8 3PFG in OT loss to Hartford
Matt Hunter (CCSU): 22 points, 8 rebounds, 4 steals, 11-20 FG in win over UMBC; 22 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals in OT loss to Hartford
Sekou Harris (FDU): 25 points, 8 assists, 5-7 3PFG in win over Prairie View A&M
Kinu Rochford (FDU): 19 points, 14 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 9-15 FG in win over Delaware State
Julian Boyd (LIU): 22 points, 9-19 FG in loss to Kentucky
Jamal Olasewere (LIU): 22 ponts, 2 blocks, 6-13 FG in loss to Kentucky
Andrew Nicholas (MU): 19 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 7-14 FG in win over South Alabama
Velton Jones (RMU): 15 points, 6 assists, 7-7 FT in win over Cleveland State
Justin Swidowski (SHU): 10 points, 10 rebounds, 4-5 FG in loss to Lehigh
Jalen Cannon (SFBK): 23 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals, 9-14 FG in loss to Army; 20 points, 5 rebounds, 10-12 FG in win over Brown
Umar Shannon (SFU): 24 points, 7 assists, 9-18 FG, 5-5 FT in loss to Colgate

BY THE NUMBERS
2nd win on November 24 for FDU was the earliest date the Knights had accumulated two wins since the 2006-07 season.

2 turnovers for Saint Francis University against Colgate last Wednesday.  Dating back to when records are available in 1997-98, this marks the lowest single-game total in NEC history.  It is also the lowest single game TO number in an NCAA Division I game this season.

4 straight double figure scoring games for Rashad Whack (Hyattsville, MD/Bishop McNamara) to begin his Mount St. Mary’s career. The transfer from George Mason leads the Mountaineers with 13.0 ppg.

8.0 assists per game for LIU Brooklyn junior guard Jason Brickman (San Antonio, TX/Clark) ranks him fifth in the nation.

11-10 record for NEC teams last week.

14 blocks in six games for Robert Morris newcomer Vaughn Morgan (Pittsburgh, PA/Southwestern Christian College), a figure that ranks second in the NEC and is just 21 behind RMU single-season leader Rob Robinson.

16 points for St. Francis Brooklyn in overtime after scoring just 20 in the second half in a 72-70 win over Brown on Saturday.

17th career double-double for Bryant junior forward Alex Francis (Harlem, NY/Holderness Prep), who finished with 18 points and 10 boards in a 68-61 win over Brown last Wednesday.

27 straight wins for LIU Brooklyn at the WRAC where the Blackbirds will play their first game of the year on Wednesday against Columbia.

41.0 minutes per game being played this season by CCSU sophomore guard Kyle Vinales (Detroit, MI/Phelps School).  He has sat just five out of a possible 250 minutes on the year.

41.3 ppg combined scoring average for LIU Brooklyn senior forwards Jamal Olasewere (Silver Spring, MD/Springbrook)(22.3 ppg) and Julian Boyd (San Antonio, TX/William H. Taft) (19.0 ppg).  The duo is the third-highest scoring tandem in the nation at this time behind Iona’s MoMo Jones & Sean Armand (47.0 ppg), and Cal’s Allen Crabbe & Justin Cobbs (41.6 ppg).

88.4 percent of CCSU’s scoring has come from its starters this season.

TWEETS OF THE WEEK
Kevin McNamara @KevinMcNamara33
Bryant has officially joined Division One in a big way: win at Boston College, 56-54.

Alex Schwarz @ASchwar2
Big shout out to Bryant for taking down BC today! Indiana was lucky they caught us on an off night.

Matt Doherty @DohertyMatt
Happy for Tim O’Shea. Former BC player and asst coach brings his Bryant team to BC and wins. Good guy and coach.

Ryan Peters @pioneer_pride
Congrats to @FDUKnights for earning their first victory of the season. Kinu Rochford had a MONSTER game in his return, 19 pts & 14 boards.

Andrew Chiappazzi @achiappazzi
Velton Jones has a little Sidney Crosby in him...can score even while he’s falling on his backside. #RMU

John Templon @nybuckets
If you’re a @SFCTerriers fan you should be really excited about what Jalen Cannon and Kevin Douglas are doing right now.

Delta Nu Fraternity @DeltaNuFrat
Congrats to @BashirMason on his first win as our head coach! #1stOfMany @WagnerHoops @WagnerAthletics

QUOTABLE
“To see how he has grown from last year to this year is just incredible.  He knows how to win, and he knows now that he can help us win by doing more than just scoring.” - Bryant sophomore guard Dyami Starks on junior forward and leading scorer Alex Francis, who scored just six points in the win over BC but posted a game-high four assists with eight rebounds, a block and two steals

“But that’s a good team.  That’s a senior team.  The schedule they played up front is a tough schedule.  But they’ll win their league.  I’ll be stunned if they don’t.  I like their point guard, (Jason) Brickman, the way he plays.”  - Kentucky head coach John Calipari talking about LIU Brooklyn after the Wildcats defeated the Blackbirds on Friday

“Obviously not the outcome that we were looking for.  We had about 17 minutes in the first half where we were up 42-40 or 43-40 and that big 15-0 run obviously turned the whole game around.  A big part of it was Jamal (Olasewere) getting his second foul.  When he went down with the second foul that hurt us.  It hurt us at the end of that half.  They kind of wore us down in the second half.  We didn’t shoot as well as we did in the first half, but it comes down to the same stuff for us.  We’ve got to get better defensively.  We’re obviously a lot smaller than Kentucky at every position they’re a lot more athletic.  We’ve got to compete at a higher level.  I thought Kentucky did a really good job of getting 50-50 balls, in the first half especially.  I think they beat us 10-2 from our assistants’ calculations.  Again that’s something that we have to get better at.” - LIU head coach Jack Perri after the Blackbirds fell at #8 Kentucky on Friday

“In the grand scheme of things, it was nice to get a win against probably one of the strongest teams in the MAAC conference (Iona) and we played a top-25 team on even terms for 50 minutes.  I think it accelerated the growth of a lot of our players and the reason you do this at this level is you hope it pays dividends when we play in our own league.” - Quinnipiac’s Tom Moore on his team’s participation in the Paradise Jam

“We weren’t prepared for the length inside.  The big kid intimidated us as if he were Dikembe Mutombo.  He blocked a couple of shots and then he was in our kids’ heads, and he did a good job of protecting the paint.” - North Carolina Central LeVelle Moton on Wagner center Naofall Folahan

TEAM-BY-TEAM NOTES

BRYANT (3-2, 0-0 NEC)

Last Week: Nov. 21 at Brown (W, 68-61); Nov. 25 at Boston College (W, 56-54)
This Week: Dec. 1 vs. Army

• The Bulldogs earned wins over a pair of opponents they had previously never beaten in the history of the program, topping intrastate and Ivy League rival Brown, 68-61, for the first time in 12 all-time meetings and shocking regional and ACC foe Boston College - the alma mater of head coach Tim O’Shea - 56-54, for the first time in five lifetime meetings. Sunday’s win over the Eagles marked Bryant’s first-ever victory over a BCS opponent and the first over an ACC member in six tries. Both wins came on the road as well.
• Bryant’s closest loss to the Eagles prior to Sunday’s contest was 16 points in 2009.
• With wins in their last three contests, the Bulldogs are on their first winning streak since Jan. 2011.
• Junior Alex Francis (Harlem, NY/Holderness Prep (NH)) pulled in his 500th-career rebound against the Eagles Sunday, just two games after becoming the 32nd 1,000-point scorer in program history. His eight boards at BC were a team best as the junior also registered his first double-double of the season (17th career) with an 18-point, 10-rebound outing against the Bears on Wednesday night.
• O’Shea approaches his 150th-career win, currently with 143 as a head coach.
• Senior guard Frankie Dobbs (Berea, OH/St. Edward) needs 109 points to join Francis as a 1,000-point scorer and is on pace to do so this season.

CENTRAL CONNECTICUT (3-3, 0-0 NEC)

Last Week: Nov. 20 at UMBC (W, 83-82 (OT)); Nov. 24 at Hartford (L, 80-77)
This Week: None

• The Blue Devils are 3-3 after losing at Hartford on Saturday. Central had scored 80 or more in three straight games heading into Saturday. They fell short and dropped an 80-77 decision against the Hawks.
• Sophomore Kyle Vinales (Detroit, MI/Phelps School) had another big week for the Blue Devils, averaging 30.5 points in a 1-1 week for the Blue Devils. He opened the week on Tuesday night hitting for 29 points, five assists, three rebounds and two steals in an overtime win over UMBC. Down five in overtime Vinales scored the final seven points of the game to lead CCSU to the win. He followed that up with a season-high 32 points, on 12-of-23 shooting and 4-of-8 from three, in a road loss to Hartford. Vinales also had two assists. The sophomore guard played all 85 minutes for CCSU last week. On the season he is averaging 25.7 points per game, and shooting 46 percent from the field and 40 percent form three, averaging over 40 minutes per game.
• Junior Matt Hunter (Detroit, MI/Odessa JC) averaged 22 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 3.5 steals and played 78 of 85 minutes last week for CCSU. He was 18-of-38 from the field, and 8-of-9 from the line.
• Sophomore Malcolm McMillan (Baltimore, MD/John Carroll) scored 12 points and grabbed four rebounds in the loss on Saturday. He averaged 11 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2 assists on the week, while committing only one turnover in 81 minutes of action. In his last four games McMillan has 17 assists and only two turnovers, and has played 156 of 165 total minutes.

FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON (2-3, 0-0 NEC)

Last Week: Nov. 20 at Illinois State (L, 91-58); Nov. 23 vs. Delaware State (W, 63-62); Nov. 24 vs. Prairie View A&M (W, 84-70)
This Week: Nov. 28 at Saint Peter’s; Dec. 1 at Lehigh

• FDU went 1-2 on the week in contests part of the South Padre Island Invitational. After falling to Illinois State on Tuesday, the Knights won back-to-back games on back-to-back days in South Padre Island, Texas.
• The second win on Nov. 24 was the earliest date the Knights had accumulated two wins since the 2006-07 season.
• The 84 points scored against Prairie View was the highest point total for the Knights since Feb. 24, 2011.

LIU BROOKLYN (0-4, 0-0 NEC)

Last Week: Nov. 23 at #8 Kentucky (L, 104-75)
This Week: Nov. 28 vs. Columbia; Dec. 1 vs. Lafayette

• LIU Brooklyn put up a fight with defending national champion and eighth-ranked Kentucky, holding a 43-40 lead with 3:44 remaining in the first half. But the Wildcats went on an 18-0 run to close out the half, and extended their home winning streak to 55 with a 104-75 win.
• Senior Jamal Olasewere (Silver Spring, MD/Springbrook) has been a handful for defenses through four games this season. Olasewere has been to the foul line 50 times, and his average of 12.5 free throw attempts per game leads the nation by 1.5/game over LeBryan Nash of Oklahoma State. Olasewere, Nash and Erick Green of Vermont are the only three players in NCAA Division I to average double-digit free throw attempts through the season’s first two weeks.
• Junior Jason Brickman (San Antonio, TX/Clark) dished out six assists against defending national champion Kentucky, running his season total to 32 over four games. His 8.0 assists per game ranks fifth nationally.

MONMOUTH (3-3, 0-0 NEC)

Last Week: Nov. 19 at Georgia State (L, 62-49); Nov. 20 vs. South Alabama (W, 73-71); Nov. 21 vs. Tennessee State (W, 81-70)
This Week: Nov. 26 vs. Lafayette

• Freshman guard Jalen Palm (Louisville, KY/Butler Traditional) and senior guard Stephen Spinella (Colts Neck, NJ/Apex Academy (South Carolina)) each earned their first career starts in Monmouth’s win over South Alabama.
• With its win over South Alabama, Monmouth moved to 3-5 all-time against teams from the Sun Belt Conference, and is now 2-1 against the Ohio Valley Conference after topping Tennessee State.
• Monmouth went 2-2 in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic in 2012.
• The Hawks are -23 points from the free throw line so far this season.
• The last time Monmouth opened a season at .500 after its first six games was 2003-04 when the Hawks also went 3-3, and went one to win their next three and the NEC Championship.
• Monmouth has forced 139 turnovers in six games so far (23.2), which the Hawks have turned into 137 points. The Hawks, who have forced 20+ turnvers in five of their six contest, caused a program-high 566 miscues in the 2000-01 season.

MOUNT ST. MARY'S (1-3, 0-0 NEC)

Last Week: Nov. 24 at Georgetown (L, 72-50)
This Week: Nov. 26 at George Washington; Dec. 1 at Binghamton

• The Mount defense forced Georgetown into 17 turnovers, including 11 in the first half. The Mount has forced the opponents into 20.0 turnovers over the past three games.
• Rashad Whack paced the Mount with 11 points. He has scored in double figures in each of the Mount’s four games this year and is averaging a team-best 13.0 points per game.
• The Mount concludes its three-game stretch of games in Washington, DC, on Monday at George Washington. The Mount also plays at Binghamton on Saturday next week.
• The Mount is 0-3 on the road this year and is 1-23 over its past 24 non-conference road games.
• Freshmen Shivaughn Wiggins (Charlotte, NC/North Mecklenberg) and Taylor Danaher (Fredericksburg, VA/Fredericksburg Christian School) had nice performances at Georgetown. Wiggins had five points and five rebounds while Danaher added six points in the loss.

QUINNIPIAC (2-3, 0-0 NEC)

Last Week: Nov. 19 vs. George Mason (L, 74-58)
This Week: Nov. 27 vs. Lehigh

• Quinnipiac was defeated by George Mason University in its 2012 Paradise Jam finale on Monday, November 19 in the US Virgin Islands. Dave Johnson (Jackson, NJ/St. Mark’s (MA)) led the Bobcats with 12 points, four rebounds and three assists, which concluded a stellar all-around tournament for the senior. Zaid Hearst (Bethesda, MD/Salisbury (CT)) joined Johnson in double-figures with 11, while eight other players made their way to the scoring column.
• The Bobcats claimed fifth place in the tournament - their first in-season tournament in program history.
• Coach Moore is five wins shy of 100 for his career at Quinnipiac.

ROBERT MORRIS (3-3, 0-0 NEC)

Last Week: Nov. 19 vs. Bowling Green (W, 71-60); Nov. 20 vs. Cleveland State (W, 71-62)
This Week: Nov. 26 at Savannah State; Dec. 1 vs. Ohio

• RMU finished 3-1 in the 2012 NIT Season Tip-Off thanks to home wins over Bowling Green and Cleveland State last week, marking the first winning record for the Colonials in 18 regular-season tournaments in the 37-year Division I history of the program.
• Redshirt senior guard Velton Jones (Philadelphia, PA/Northeast Catholic) averaged 15.5 points, 5.0 assists and 2.0 steals in the two wins last week and in four games of the 2012 NIT Season Tip-Off provided averages of 15.3 points and 5.5 assists while shooting 88.2 percent (30-for-34) at the free-throw line.
• Junior forward Mike McFadden (Newark, NJ/Technology) averaged 13.5 points and 4.5 rebounds last week while shooting 68.8 percent (11-for-16) from the field and 83.3 percent (5-for-6) at the free-throw line.
• Redshirt junior guard Coron Williams (Midlothian, VA/Christchurch School) averaged 10.5 points per game in two games last week and has converted 10 of his last 17 attempts (58.8 percent) from beyond the arc after starting the year 2-for-9 (22.2 percent) from deep.
• Sophomore forward Lucky Jones (Newark, NJ/St. Anthony) also averaged 10.5 points per game in two contests last week and averaged 10.5 points and 6.5 rebounds overall in four games of the 2012 NIT Season Tip-Off. He contributed 13 points and eight boards in the win over Cleveland State.
• In just six games junior forward Vaughn Morgan (Pittsburgh, PA/Southwestern Christian College) has compiled 14 blocks, an average of 2.3 per game that leads the NEC. Based on his current per game average, Morgan is on pace to shatter the RMU single-season record. Morgan is on pace to finish with 72 blocks, with the current single-season record of 35 coming from former Colonial Rob Robinson (2008-10) in 2008-09.

SACRED HEART (2-3, 0-0 NEC)

Last Week: Nov. 25 vs. Lehigh (L, 91-77)
This Week: Nov. 29 at Brown

• After playing four games in a week, the Pioneers had the Thanksgiving week off after their comeback win at Stony Brook. SHU welcomed Lehigh and All-American candidate C.J. McCollum to the Pitt Center for their 2012-13 home opener on Sunday. Lehigh led from post to post in dealing SHU a 91-77 loss dropping the Pioneers to 2-3.
• This was the first of three match-ups with the Patriot League this season. SHU is now 12-10 against the league and will face Lafayette and Holy Cross down the line.
• The loss ended a run of four straight wins in home openers for the Pioneers. SHU is now 10-7 in openers in the Pitt Center.
• Senior center Justin Swidowski (Cinnaminson, NJ/Holy Cross HS) recorded his first double double of the season in the loss, scoring 10 points with 10 rebounds. Junior Louis Montes (Brockton, MA/Brockton) had 13 points and is the only Pioneers to have scored in double figures in all five games this season.
• Sophomore guard Steve Glowiak (New Britain, CT/New Britain) came off the bench for a season high 13 points, hitting three of five from three point range.

ST. FRANCIS BROOKLYN (2-2, 0-0 NEC)

Last Week: Nov. 20 vs. Army (L, 67-59); Nov. 24 at Brown (W, 76-72 (OT))
This Week: Nov. 29 at Norfolk State

• St. Francis Brooklyn’s win at Brown was its first overtime triumph since winning at Bryant on 2/25/10. The Terriers scored 16 points in the extra session after scoring a total of just 20 points in the entire second-half.
• SFBK’s last overtime contest was a loss on opening-night last season at Seton Hall in the Prudential Center.
• Jalen Cannon (Allentown, PA/William Alllen) failed to record 10 boards for the first time this season but has now converted 19 of his last 26 field goal attempts (.731). He also recorded a career-high three assists and three steals against the Bears.
• SFBK hit a season-high 10 treys at Brown.
• The Terriers will play their next three games on the road beginning with a tilt at Norfolk State on Thursday.

SAINT FRANCIS (PA) (0-5, 0-0 NEC)

Last Week: Nov. 20 vs. Colgate (L, 85-76); Nov. 24 at #20 Notre Dame (L, 69-52)
This Week: Dec. 1 at Lafayette

• Umar Shannon (Atlantic City, NJ/Atlantic City) had a breakout week for the Red Flash, averaging 19.0 ppg, including a season-best 24 points vs. Colgate on Wednesday and a game-high 14 points at Notre Dame. Shannon missed all but one game of the 2011-12 campaign with an ACL tear.
• Rookie forward Stephon Mosley (West Orange, NJ/Seton Hall Prep) continued to shine for SFU, averaging 11.5 ppg. In Saturday’s loss to Notre Dame, Mosley chipped in eight points while helping to hold All-Big East player Jack Cooley to high second-lowest scoring total of the season.
• Point guard Dom Major (Woodbridge, VA/Forest Park) responded well to his first two collegiate starts, averaging 10 ppg last week. Major dished out three assists while committing none turnovers.
• Head coach Rob Krimmel announced on Tuesday that Patrick Wrencher (West Chester, OH/Archbishop Moeller) has signed a National Letter of Intent and will join the Red Flash basketball team for the 2013-14 season. The 6-6, 250 lbs forward/center averaged 1.9 points and 1.4 rebounds for nationally-renowned Cincinnati Moeller last season. He played in 23 games, including two starts, as a center/forward last season for coach Carl Kremer’s squad.

WAGNER (1-2, 0-0 NEC)

Last Week: Nov. 24 at NC Central (W, 38-36)
This Week: Nov. 26 at Albany; Nov. 28 vs. Princeton; Dec. 1 at Temple

• Wagner picked up its first win of the Bashir Mason era with a hard-fought 38-36 victory at North Carolina Central.
• The 38 points marked the lowest scored in a Wagner win since the Seahawks bested Brooklyn College 33-31 in February of 1946, while the combined 74 points are also the lowest since that game.
• Since Wagner moved to Division I in the 1976-1977 season, the 36 points allowed are the fewest in school history, while the 38 points scored are tied for the second-lowest. On December 10, 1988 the Seahawks scored just 36 points in a 43-point loss to Clemson.
• Over four career games against the MEAC, Jonathon Williams (Richmond, CA/Kennedy (City College of San Francisco)) is averaging 19.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game while shooting 59.2 percent (29-for-49) from the floor.
• Also having an outstanding performance was Tar Heel State native sophomore Marcus Burton (Charlotte, NC/David W. Butler), who scored 10 points with a career-best six rebounds in front of his friends and family.
• The victory was the second for Wagner in the state of North Carolina, with the first coming over Duke on January 5, 1983 against Coach K.