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NEC Men's Basketball Release (12/3)

Choice Hotels/Northeast Conference Co-Player of the Week
Karvel Anderson, Robert Morris
6-2, 190lbs
Jr., G, Elkhart, IN/Glen Oaks Community College
 
Anderson led the Colonials to a 1-1 record last week by averaging 19.0 points and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 63.6 percent from the floor, including 62.5 percent from beyond the arc. In his first career start in an RMU uniform, the junior transfer put on a show for the home crowd on Saturday with a career-high 28 points in an 84-76 victory over previously unbeaten Ohio, a team fresh off an NCAA Sweet 16 appearance  team and the 2012-13 MAC preseason favorite. Anderson couldn’t miss in the game as he hit all 10 of his shots against the Bobcats, including eight from long range. His three with 1:08 to play was a backbreaker that gave Colonials a seven-point cushion.  He became the first NEC player in the Stat Crew era (1997 to present) to convert eight trifectas without a miss in a game.  The 10-10 showing from the field and 8-8 effort from long range are also the top single-game performances in the nation this season. Earlier in the week on Monday, he knocked down 10 points and collected four boards in a setback at preseason MEAC favorite Savannah State. Overall, Anderson is averaging 12.0 points per game while shooting 46.7 percent from the field.  His 2.25 trifectas per game ranks ninth in the NEC, and his 40 percent shooting from beyond the arc is the 13th-best mark in the conference.  

Choice Hotels/Northeast Conference Co-Player of the Week
Jason Brickman, LIU Brooklyn
6-0, 165lbs
Jr., G, San Antonio, TX/Clark
 
Brickman became the first NEC player in almost 10 years to register double-digit assists without a turnover as he dished out 10 while netting 12 points in the Blackbirds’ 71-60 decision over Lafayette on Saturday. Saint Francis U guard Erick Willis was the last player to accomplish the feat on Dec. 14, 2002. Earlier in the week, Brickman knocked down four three-pointers in five attempts en-route to a 16-point, six-assist outing versus Columbia in a 70-61 win for LIU Brooklyn. The Second Team All-NEC selection from a season ago averaged 14.0 points and 8.0 assists, and shot .636 (7-11) from the field and .667 (6-9) from beyond the arc over the two wins .  Brickman ranks sixth in the nation with 8.0 apg, and ranks second in the NEC in both three-pointers made (2.7/game) and three-point percentage (.533).

Choice Hotels/Northeast Conference Rookie of the Week
Stephon Mosley, Saint Francis U
6-6, 212lbs
Fr., F, West Orange, NJ/Seton Hall Prep

Mosley tied his season-high with 15 points in a setback at American, 61-51, this past week. The two-time NEC Rookie of the Week shot 6-for-11 from the field, including 3-for-3 from the charity stripe, and added four rebounds in 24 minutes worth of action. This season, Mosley leads all NEC freshman with 10.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.

Perfect Night For Karvel, Super Win For Robert Morris
Over the first three weeks of the 2012-13 season, Northeast Conference teams have picked up some impressive wins, most notably Bryant’s triumph over ACC opponent Boston College on November 25.  But to those in the know, Robert Morris’s 84-76 takedown of Ohio University on Saturday was as impressive as they come.
 
Fresh off an NCAA Sweet 16 appearance, the Bobcats entered the Sewall Center with a perfect 6-0 record and a #30 Pomeroy rating, but there was reason for worry.  The Colonials had beaten Ohio in each of the last three years, including twice on the road.  In fact, RMU handed the preseason MAC favorite its lone home setback in 17 outings last season at the Convocation Center.

Besides, the Colonials had an ace up their sleeve.

In what proved to be a prophetic move, head coach Andrew Toole inserted junior guard Karvel Anderson (Elkhart, IN/Glen Oaks CC) into the starting lineup for the first time this season, and did he ever respond.  The transfer from Glen Oaks CC converted all 10 of his shots from the floor, including 8-8 from beyond the arc in a career-high 28 point effort.  In doing so, he became the first NEC player in the Stat Crew era (1997 to present) to convert eight trifectas without a miss in a game.  The 10-10 showing from the field and 8-8 effort from long range are also the top single-game performances in the nation this season.
 
Anderson, the Choice Hotels NEC Co-Player of the Week, drilled four consecutive three-pointers during a 19-2 first half run that gave RMU a 19-point edge, but his biggest shot was his last.  With the Bobcats within four points and the shot clock winding down, Anderson hit his eighth three-pointer to give the Colonials an 80-73 edge with 1:08 on the clock.
 
“Since (Saturday) morning, for some reason, it just felt like the rim was 10 feet wide,” Anderson said.  “I just felt like everything I shot was going to go in.”
 
Anderson is the sixth different Colonial to tie a Sewall Center record with eight three-pointers and the first since junior guard Coron Williams (Midlothian, VA/Christchurch School) hit eight in an 87-68 win over Monmouth in the 2012 NEC Tournament quarterfinals.
 
"A great, great win for us,” said Toole.  “I'm proud of the way we played defensively.  We were active on the switch and on close outs, and that was a key reason we won.  I hope it shows our guys what they're capable of if they give the right amount of effort."
 
NEC Fast Break…News You Need To Know
On The National Leaderboard
A number of NEC players are have distinguished themselves nationally thus far in 2012-13, ranking in the NCAA top-10 in various statistical categories.  CCSU sophomore guard Kyle Vinales (Detroit, MI/Phelps School) is a high-volume scorer who has been virtually unstoppable in the early stages of the season.  He currently ranks second in the country in point production, averaging 25.7 ppg.  Vinales sits just behind a very familiar name to NEC hoops fans, Lehigh's C.J. McCollum, who is putting up 25.9 ppg.  LIU junior point guard Jason Brickman (San Antonio, TX/Clark) holds the NEC freshman and sophomore records for assists, and there is a good chance he will eclipse the junior class mark for dimes as well.  Brickman is the sixth-leading distributor in the country at 8.0 apg.  Sacred Heart sophomore point guard Phil Gaetano (Wallingford, CT/Sheehan (Choate Rosemary)) is not far behind, ranking 12th nationally in assists with 6.6 per game.  CCSU newcomer Matt Hunter (Detroit, MI/Henry Ford (Odessa JC)) has posted solid numbers across the board in his first year in New Britain, most notably in the steals category where he ranks seventh in Division I with 3.2 per outing.  Monmouth is forcing a nation-high 23.7 turnovers per game, thanks in part to senior guard Dion Nesmith (Union, NJ/Union (Northeastern)), who is eighth nationally with 3.1 steals per game.  St. Francis Brooklyn sophomore forward Jalen Cannon (Allentown, PA/William Allen) has become nearly automatic in the paint, and currently ranks 14th in the country in field goal percentage at 66.7 percent.
 
Back On Track At The WRAC, Double-Double Trio
When two-time defending NEC champion LIU Brooklyn struggled coming out of the gate this season, dropping their first four outings, there was no sign of panic from this veteran group.  The Blackbirds returned home to the cozy confines of the WRAC last week, and not only gave first year head coach Jack Perri his first two victories, but also extended their win streak at the venue to 29 games.  LIU knocked off Columbia on Wednesday, 70-61, with the All-NEC trio of Julian Boyd (San Antonio, TX/William H. Taft), Jamal Olasewere (Silver Spring, MD/Springbrook) and Jason Brickman (San Antonio, TX/Clark) combining for 51 points .  Three days later, the trio went one better with all three posting double-doubles in a 71-60 triumph over Lafayette.  Boyd, who scored seven points in a decisive 10-1 run late in the second half, finished with 20 points and 10 boards, while Olasewere finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Brickman tallied 12 points and 10 assists.  Defensively, the Blackbirds limited the two opponents to 39.6 percent shooting from the floor.
 
Four & Counting For Bulldogs
Talk about a turnaround.  After winning just two games all of last season, Bryant has already doubled that total, and enters play this week as the NEC’s hottest team, having won four straight.  Following the program’s breakthrough win over Boston College on November 25, the Bulldogs had no trouble dispatching visiting Army on Saturday, winning 70-59.  The big three of Dyami Starks (Duluth, MN/Duluth East (Columbia)), Frankie Dobbs (Berea, OH/St. Edward (Ohio U.)) and Alex Francis (Harlem, NY/Holderness Prep (NH)) combined for 56 points and Bryant held Army to 39 percent shooting from the field.  The four-game win streak matches a Division I program record (originally set in January, 2011) with a potential record-setting fifth coming at home against Yale on Wednesday.
 
Elevation: WC’s Williams Goes Next Level
When Wagner’s Jonathon Williams (Richmond, CA/Kennedy (City College of San Francisco)) arrived on Grymes Hill a year ago, he brought a new dimension to the Seahawks.  A versatile skill set enabled him to face up and stick the jumper, or set up on the block and execute his dazzling array of post-up moves.  With leading returning scorer Latif Rivers (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth (Avon Old Farms (CT))) sidelined with an injury early on in 2012-13, Bashir Mason called upon Williams to become the focal point of the Wagner attack.  The 6’6” senior has not disappointed.
 
Last week alone, Williams averaged 20.3 ppg and 7.3 rpg while shooting 62.2 percent from the field and 93.3 percent from the line.  He dropped a season-high 26 points on 10-11 shooting in a three-point setback at Albany, and nearly sparked Wagner to a remarkable comeback victory after the Seahawks trailed by 15 points with under 15 minutes to play.  Williams added 20 points and nine boards in a 48-42 win over Princeton, then finished the week with 15 points and six caroms in a 70-62 loss to Temple on Saturday.
 
“He’s very strong,” noted Princeton head coach Mitch Henderson.  “We watched him on film, and knew he was good.  But he’s so strong.  You stop him on a drive and he has a way of getting an edge and still getting to the rim.”
 
On the year, Williams has paced the Green & White in scoring all six games and in rebounding five times.  He ranks in the NEC top-10 in scoring (fourth, 17.5), rebounding (fifth, 7.5), field goal percentage (fourth, .557) and free throw accuracy (sixth, .857).
 
Pefection For Brickman
Few may have realized it at the time, but LIU Brooklyn junior guard Jason Brickman (San Antonio, TX/Clark) pulled off a rare feat in his team’s 71-60 win over Lafayette on Saturday.  The NEC assist leader finished the game with 10 dimes and did not commit a single turnover.  In doing so, the Choice Hotels NEC Co-Player of the Week became the first player to finish with 10+ assists and zero turnovers in nearly a decade.  The last to do it…Saint Francis U’s Erick Wills, who finished with 10 helpers and zero TOs against Robert Morris on December 14, 2002.   On the week, he averaged 14.0 points, 8.0 assists and shot 63.6 percent from the floor and 66.7 percent (6-9) from outside the arc in a pair of LIU wins.
 
Hawk Hounds
Life on the offensive end of the floor hasn't been easy for Monmouth opponents this season.  The implementation of a trapping defensive scheme by King Rice has short circuited game plans and led to easy transition buckets for the Hawks in their 4-3 start.  Monmouth currently leads the nation with 23.7 turnovers forced per game, and ranks second in the country with 13.0 steals per game.  The Hawks also hold a 161-103 advantage in points off turnovers.  Last Monday, Monmouth established an NEC single-game season-high with 19 steals in a 65-60 win over Lafayette.

“We do a lot of trapping on defense,” said Dion Nesmith (Union, NJ/Union (Northeastern)), who ranks eighth in the nation with 3.1 steals per game.  “When we’re in those traps we see the ball, we’re flying to the ball, we’re trying to to get steals.  We’re not trying to deflect passes out of bounds. We’re trying to steal the ball and go all the way and score.  So every time we see the ball in the air we’re going after it aggressively.  Sometimes we get fouls but I think that’s why we win games because of our defense.  We have those steals and get points off the break.”
 
MU Opponent        Turnovers Forced          Steals
Hofstra            23                        17
Notre Dame         16                        8
Rider              28                        16
Georgia St.        21                        7
Tennessee St.      26                        11
South Alabama      25                        13
Lafayette          27                        19
 
The Hawks are over .500 after seven games for the first time since the 2003-04 season.

Mayhem Rules
Monmouth isn’t the only team creating offense with their defense.  Mount St. Mary’s has deployed its “Mayhem” style under first year head coach Jamion Christian, and it has already paid dividends with the Mountaineers out to a 3-3 start following road wins over George Washington (65-56) and Binghamton (71-70) last week.  The Mount has forced 19.0 turnovers per game on the year, including 25 against the Colonials and 21 more versus the Bearcats.  Likewise, Mount St. Mary’s finished with a season-high 15 steals against GWU, including four by junior guard Rashad Whack (Hyatsville, MD/Bishop McNamara), who ranks third in the NEC with 2.8 per game.

Against Binghamton on Saturday, it wasn’t a turnover, but a block that proved to be the decisive play as junior forward Kristijan Krajina (Osijek, Croatia/Blue Ridge School (VA)) rejected a Bearcat shot as time expired to preserve the one-point win.
 
"In any win on the road, no matter who the opponent, you have to gut out the victory," said Mount head coach Jamion Christian.  "This is another big step for our program as I am proud of our effort and passion throughout the game.  We showed the ability to make plays down the stretch today."
 
The Mount has now won back-to-back road non-conference games for the first time since November, 2009. The Mount had been 1-23 over its previous 24 non-conference road games prior to the wins over GWU and Binghamton.
 
Vinales 20-Point Tour
CCSU sophomore guard Kyle Vinales (Detroit , MI/Phelps School) is hotter than hot.  Second in the nation in point production with 25.7 ppg.  VInales has now netted 20+ points in five consecutive games, the longest streak for a Blue Devil since former great Rick Mickens did it six straight times during the 1997-98 season.  He has now reached the 20-point mark in 16-of-35 career games.
 
FDU Turnaround, Drama & Kinu
With FDU’s third win of the season, a 66-61 conquest of Saint Peter’s in Jersey City on Wednesday, the Knights matched last season’s win total just six games into the 2012-13 campaign.  The Knights have trailed in all three victories, including a seven-point second half deficit against the Peacocks.  FDU is also 3-0 in games senior forward Kinu Rochford (Brooklyn, NY/James Madison (Globe Institute)) has played.  Rochford posted his second double-double with 19 points and 10 boards versus SPC, and leads the Knights with 15.7 ppg and 9.3 rpg.
 
Super Saturday NEC Hoops Marathon
If you're not heading out holiday shopping this Saturday, just sit back in your favorite easy chair and make a day of watching NEC hoops.   There are seven games set to air beginning at 1:00 pm as Bryant hosts Binghamton on NEC Front Row.  At 2:00 pm, St. Francis Brooklyn takes on Boston College on ESPN3, while on Front Row, LIU Brooklyn welcomes Hofstra and Saint Francis U entertains Lehigh.  Fast forward to 4:00 pm to watch Quinnipiac against Vermont on NESN.  The 6:00 pm hour brings CCSU at #1 Indiana on the Big Ten Network and the day wraps with Monmouth at Syrcause on SNY and Time Warner Cable at 7:00 pm.
 
Best of the Week  
Frankie Dobbs (BRY): Season-high 19 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists in win over Army
Alex Francis (BRY): 17 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 7-11 FG in win over Army
Dyami Starks (BRY): 20 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 8-12 FG, 3-5 3PFG in win over Army
Kinu Rochford (FDU): Season-high 19 points, 10 rebounds, 6-11 FG in win over Saint Peter’s
Julian Boyd (LIU): 20 points, 10 rebounds, 9-14 FG in win over Lafayette
Jason Brickman (LIU): 12 points, 10 assists, 2-4 3PFG in win over Lafayette
Jamal Olasewere (LIU): 15 points, 11 rebounds, 5 steals in win over Lafayette
Andrew Nicholas (MU): 18 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals in win over Lafayette
Jesse Steele (MU): 18 points, 2 steals, 6-12 FG, 4-9 3PFG in win over Lafayette
Kristijan Krakina (MSM): Season-high 12 points, 8 rebounds, 6-7 FG in win over Binghamton
Ike Azotam (QU): Tallied 18th career double-double with 13 points, 13 rebounds in loss to Lehigh
Karvel Anderson (RMU): Career-high 28 points, 10-10 FG, 8-3 3PFG in win over Ohio
Lucky Jones (RMU): Career-high 18 points, 7 rebounds, 6-11 FG, 6-6 FT in loss to Savannah State
Louis Montes (SHU): 17 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, 10-10 FT in loss to Brown
Jalen Cannon (SFC): 16 points, 9 rebounds, 8-13 FG in loss to Norfolk State
Stephon Mosley (SFU): 15 points, 4 rebounds, 6-11 FG in loss to American
Umar Shannon (SFU): Season-high 20 points, 4 assists, 6-6 FT in loss to American
Kenneth Ortiz (WC): Season-high 15 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists in loss to Temple
Jonathon Williams (WC): Season-high 26 points, 7 rebounds, 10-11 FG in loss to Albany; 20 points, 9 rebounds, 7-11 FG in win over Princeton
 
By The Numbers
 
2 Wagner wins this season when scoring less than 50 points (over NC Central, Princeton) for the first time since the 1949-50 campaign.
 
3 statistical categories in which Saint Francis U's Stephon Mosley (West Orange, NJ/Seton Hall Prep) leads all NEC freshman.  The Choice Hotels NEC Rookie of the Week is tops in scoring (10.8), rebounding (4.6) and field goal percentage (.548).
 
3 double-doubles in a single game for LIU Brooklyn teammates Julian Boyd (San Antonio, TX/William H. Taft) (20 pts/10 reb) Jamal Olasewere (Silver Spring, MD/Springbrook) (15 pts/11 reb) and Jason Brickman (San Antonio, TX/Clark) (12 pts/10 asts) in Saturday’s 71-60 win over Lafayette.
 
5 straight wins at home for Monmouth dating back to last season.
 
6 steals, a career-high for Monmouth senior guard Dion Nesmith (Union, NJ/Union (Northeastern)) in the Hawks’ 65-60 win over Lafayette on Monday.
 
6 road games in seven outings this season for Saint Francis U when it faces Lafayette on Tuesday
 
8.5 assist-to-turnover ratio over the last four games for CCSU sophomore guard Malcolm McMillen (Baltimore, MD/John Carroll).  He has 17 assists and just two turnovers in that span.
 
10-10 from the free throw line for Quinnipiac's Garvey Young (Washington, D.C./Georgetown Prep (Vermont)) last Tuesday against Lehigh and for Sacred Heart's Louis Montes (Brockton, MA/Brockton) last Thursday versus Brown
 
14 point deficit that Mount St. Mary’s overcame in 71-70 win over Binghamton on Saturday.
 
14 rebounds, a career-high, for Wagner sophomore forward Mario Moody (East Orange, NJ/East Orange Campus) against Temple were the most by a Seahawk since Michael Orock grabbed 14 at NJIT  on November 24, 2009.
 
19.8 ppg scoring average over the last four games for Bryant sophomore guard Dyami Starks (Duluth, MN/Duluth East (Columbia)).
 
20 turnovers combined in the last three games committed by Saint Francis U.
 
29 consecutive wins for Robert Morris when shooting better than 50 percent from the floor.  The Colonials shot a season-high 56.4 percent from the field in Saturday’s 84-76 win over Ohio U.
 
29 consecutive wins at the WRAC for LIU Brooklyn dating back to a December 8, 2010 setback to Iona.
 
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.
 
50 three-pointers over the first six games for Mount St. Mary’s, a league-leading 8.3 per contest.
 
80 or more points scored by CCSU in three of its last four games. Last season the Blue Devils were 3-3 when scoring 80 or more points.  This season they are 3-0.
 
 
Quotable
“For us to be to be 3-3 right now, I'm ecstatic.  These guys toughed it out and we found a way to win. I can't speak enough about these guys and how they're coming together.” – FDU head coach Greg Vetrone after the Knights won at Saint Peter’s, 66-61, on Wednesday
 
“We didn’t solve it (Monmouth’s press), we didn’t do a god job with it.  The pressure, we melted.  Even sometimes when they weren’t pressing we threw the ball away.  It’s just that their constant pressure, we wilted under that.  We knew that (press) was going to come.  But it’s one thing to know it’s going to come and being able to handle it." - Lafayette head coach Fran O'Hanlon after Monmouth forced 27 turnovers and had 19 steals in a 65-60 win over the Leopards
 
“In the second half I was really impressed with the guys' effort, their effort to contest shots. They had 18 uncontested points at halftime and then that number evaporated in the second half.  We’re really proud of these guys’ effort defensively.” – LIU head coach Jack Perri, after the Blackbirds beat Lafayette, 71-60, on Saturday
 
“We lost (Karvel Anderson) early.  He got some clean looks and from there he got it going.” - Ohio U. coach Jim Christian after giving up eight three-pointers to the RMU sharpshooter. 
“Our guys battled again, we're in games.  With two-and-a-half minutes to go, American made some plays.  Our focus in the second half was much better than when we started the game but it was a tough loss.” - SFU head coach Rob Krimmel after falling at American on Saturday
“We definitely battled for 40 minutes.  We never rattled under the pressure of being on the road against a very solid team.  We got the looks we wanted.  We just needed a couple more to go down.” - Wagner head coach Bashir Mason after the Seahawks fell at Temple, 70-62
 
Tweets of the Week
 
@WarioKart64
Rmu beat the ohio bobcats tonight. Can't wait for this team to bust some brackets in march

Jim Ryan ‏@Jimryan015
#OhioMBB: Karvel Anderson shot 10-for-10, 8-for-8 from 3. I've covered basketball for 5 years but have never seen a performance like that.
 
Jamion Christian ‏@JamionChristian
So proud of our team... Each day they inspire each other to be more and to be driven towards greatness #MountMAYHEM .
 
Ryan Peters‏@pioneer_pride
Great to see the #NECMBB get four wins today, with Robert Morris and Bryant pulling off big victories. This is what the NEC is capable of!
 
Kelly Beidler ‏@KBeidler4
Big win for #TheMount tonight. @JamionChristian came in and brought life back to the program. The players & fans BELIEVE #MountMAYHEM
 
Jon Rothstein ‏@JonRothstein
King Rice has Monmouth at a very respectable 4-3 after tonight's win over Lafayette. Hawks have a new rep --- THEY PLAY HARDER THAN ANYONE!
 
Emily Sayre ‏@EmilySayre
I mean I guess Wagner just beat Princeton...for the second year in a row!!! @WagnerHoops @WagnerDanceTeam loves you! Keep making us proud!
 
Milestone Watch
LIU Brooklyn junior forward Julian Boyd (San Antonio, TX/William H. Taft) moved into a tie for 15th place on the NEC all-time rebounding last last week.  With 829 boards he has matched the total of Wagner’s Largest Agbejemisin (1983-87).  Boyd is 63 caroms shy of hitting the top-10.  He is also one point shy of tying Sherman White (1948-51) for 10th place on LIU's career scoring list.  Boyd has scored 1,434 points, and is now less than 400 points away from the top spot held by Joe Griffin (1,830 from 1991-95).
 
Just six games into his junior season and LIU Brooklyn sophomore guard Jason Brickman (San Antonio, TX/Clark) is already 26th on the NEC career assists chart.  With 477 dimes, he needs just one more to break into the top-25 and 57 more to reach the top-10.
 
Monmouth senior guard Jesse Steele (Milford, NJ/Oak Hill Academy (Army)) became the 18th player in Monmouth history to eclipse the 200 assist mark.  He has amassed 204 as a Hawk and 209 in his career.
 
Quinnipiac’s Tom Moore is five wins shy of 100 for his career.  Now in his sixth year, he has posted a 95-69 record in Hamden.
 
Robert Morris senior guard Russell Johnson (Chester, PA/Chester) eclipsed 900 career points last week and is 95 points shy of becoming the 21st member of the Robert Morris 1,000-point club.
 
With 1,534 career points, Sacred Heart senior guard Shane Gibson (Killingly,CT/Killingly) needs just 15 more to break into the top-50 on the NEC career list.
 
NEC Active Leaders
 
SCORING
Shane Gibson       SHU    1534
Julian Boyd        LIU    1434
Jamal Olasewere    LIU    1386
Velton Jones       RMU    1362
Alex Francis       BRY    1044
Russell Johnson    RMU    905
Latif Rivers       WC     883
Frankie Dobbs      BRY    850
Ed Waite           MU     830
CJ Garner          LIU    804

REBOUNDING
Julian Boyd        LIU    829
Jamal Olasewere    LIU    731
Russell Johnson    RMU    589
Ed Waite           MU     545
Ike Azotam         QU     526
Alex Francis       BRY    510
Jamee Jackson      QU     398
Kenny Onyechi      LIU    396
Akeem Johnson      SFNY   379
Shane Gibson       SHU    353

ASSISTS
Jason Brickman     LIU    477
Velton Jones       RMU    438
Frankie Dobbs      BRY    320
Dave Johnson       QU     316
CJ Garner          LIU    245
Anthony Myers-Pate RMU    244
Josh Castellanos   MSM    238
Jesse Steele       MU     204
Shane Gibson       SHU    170
Latif Rivers       WC     157

Team-By-Team Notes

Bryant (4-2, 0-0 NEC)

Last Week: Dec. 1 vs. Army (W, 70-59)
This Week: Dec. 5 vs. Yale; Dec. 8 vs. Binghamton

• The Bulldogs extended their winning streak to four games with a 70-59 win over Army Saturday, tying the program’s Division I record. The victory was the first for the Bulldogs over the Black Knights in six all-time meetings, marking the fourth-straight game Bryant has topped a previously unbeaten opponent.
• Sophomore guard Dyami Starks (Duluth, MN/Duluth East) scored a game-high 20 points despite playing through sickness, while sophomore Joe O’Shea (Burlington, VT/Burlington) added a career-best 12 points with six rebounds.
• Four Bulldogs recorded double-digit points for the first time this season, as senior Frankie Dobbs (Berea, OH/St. Edwards) added 19 points and junior Alex Francis (Harlem, NY/Holderness Prep) chipped in 17 to compliment Starks and O’Shea. Dobbs is now just 90 points away from 1,000 for his career.
• The Bulldogs will go for their longest winning streak in Division I history Wednesday at home against Yale.

Central Connecticut (3-3, 0-0 NEC)

Last Week: None
This Week: Dec. 5 at New Hampshire; Dec. 8 at #1 Indiana

• Sophomore guard Kyle Vinales (Detroit, MI/Phelps School) scored 32 points in the game at Hartford last week, his fifth straight 20+ point game of the season.  He is the first player to score 20 or more in five straight since former Blue Devil Javier Mojica did it at the beginning of the 2006-07 season.  Noone has done it in six straight since former Blue Devil Rick Mickens did it in six straight in the middle of the 1997-98 season.  Vinales has played in 35 career games with the Blue Devils.  He has three career 30+ point games, 16 at 20 or more and 29 in double-figures.  He has scored in double-figures in 11 straight dating back to last season.
• Sophomore Malcolm McMillan (Baltimore, MD/John Carroll) has posted 17 assists and only two turnovers in his last four games.  In those four games he has played 156 of a possible 165 minutes.  During the same stretch he has eight steals, 24 rebounds and is 9-of-11 from the free-throw line.  For the season McMillan has 24 assists and only eight turnovers, and is averaging 39.2 minutes per game.
• Junior Matt Hunter (Detroit, MI/Odessa JC) posted the first double-double of the season for the Blue Devils in the loss at Hartford last Saturday.  Hunter posted 22 points and a season-high 12 rebounds in the game.  Hunter is second on the team in scoring and leads the team in rebounding averaging 7.7 per game.  He also leads the team in steals (19) and is eighth in the country in steals per game at 3.17 on the season.  Hunter also has 15 assists and seven blocks in his first six games with the Blue Devils.

Fairleigh Dickinson (3-4, 0-0 NEC)

Last Week: Nov. 28 at Saint Peter’s (W, 66-61); Dec. 1 at Lehigh (L, 102-62)
This Week: Dec. 7 vs. Lafayette; Dec. 9 vs. Hartford

• With the win over Saint Peter’s the Knights matched their win total from last season and started the season with the best record since the 2010-11 team went 3-3 to start.
Kinu Rochford (Brooklyn, NY/James Madison (Globe Institute)) led the Knights again at Saint Peter’s with his second double double of the season.
• The Knights have come from behind in all three wins this season. At Saint Peter’s they trailed by seven points early in the second half.

LIU Brooklyn (2-4, 0-0 NEC)

Last Week: Nov. 28 vs. Columbia (W, 70-61); Dec. 1 vs. Lafayette (W, 71-60)
This Week: Dec. 8 vs. Hofstra

• The Blackbirds earned their first two wins of the year this past week, downing Columbia (11/28) and Lafayette (12/1) at the Wellness, Recreation and Athletic Center. The two victories extend LIU Brooklyn’s winning streak at the WRAC to 29 games.
•  Known much more for their prolific offense, the Blackbirds used rock-solid defense to pick up their two triumphs. LIU held Columbia to 34.8 percent from the floor in the first half and allowed Lafayette to shoot just 34.4 percent including a 1-for-12 performance from three-point range in the second half.
• Senior Julian Boyd (San Antonio, TX/Taft) led the Blackbirds in scoring in each of the two wins, going for 19 points on 5-of-8 from the floor against the Lions, and following that up with a 20-point, 10-rebound outing against the Leopards. Boyd is shooting .636 (14-22) from the field over his last two games.
• Three LIU Brooklyn players notched double-doubles in the win over Lafayette. In addition to Boyd, classmate Jamal Olasewere (Silver Spring, MD/Springbrook) had 15 points and 11 rebounds, and junior point guard Jason Brickman (San Antonio, TX/Clark) added 12 points and 10 assists.

Monmouth (4-3, 0-0 NEC)

Last Week: Nov. 26 vs. Lafayette (W, 65-60)
This Week: Dec. 3 at Binghamton; Dec. 5 vs. Navy; Dec. 8 at Syracuse

• Monmouth has now won five straight games at home in the MAC dating back to last 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 166 turnovers in seven games so far (23.7), which the Hawks have turned into 161 points. The Hawks, who have forced 20+ turnovers in six of their seven contest, caused a program-high 566 miscues in the 2000-01 season.
• Against Lafayette, Jesse Steele (Milford, NJ/Oak Hill Academy (Army)) added a season-high 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting, including 4-of-9 from three-point range, while Dion Nesmith (Union, NJ/Union (Northeastern)) added nine points, a career-high six steals and five rebounds.
• Monmouth’s 19 steals against Lafayette was a season-high for the Hawks.

Mount St. Mary's (3-3, 0-0 NEC)

Last Week: Nov. 26 at George Washington (W, 65-56); Dec. 1 at Binghamton (W, 71-70)
This Week: Dec. 7 vs. Navy

• Head coach Jamion Christian calls the Mount’s defensive style Mayhem, and Mayhem was out in full force this week, forcing 46 turnovers in the two wins, including 25 in the 65-56 victory at George Washington. The Mountaineers are forcing 21.2 turnovers per game over the past five contests.
• The Mount has won back-to-back road non-conference games for the first time since November 2009. The Mount had been 1-23 over the previous 24 non-conference road games prior to the wins over George Washington and Binghamton.
• The Mount made eight three-pointers in each of the wins this week, giving the team 50 three-point field goals over the first six games (8.3/game). For the season, 41.6 percent of the Mount’s points come on three-point field goals, second in the nation behind Illinois (42.5%).
• Mount St. Mary’s averaged 12.5 steals per game this week, including a season-high 15 at George Washington. Julian Norfleet (Virginia Beach, VA/Landstown) had five steals in the win over Binghamton while Rashad Whack averaged 3.5 steals per game this week. For the season, Whack leads the Mount with 17 steals (2.83/game).

Quinnipiac (2-4, 0-0 NEC)

Last Week: Nov. 27 vs. Lehigh (L, 77-66)
This Week: Dec. 5 vs. Colgate; Dec. 8 vs. Vermont

Ike Azotam (Boston, MA/Marionapolis Prep) scored 13 points and grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds for his second double-double of the season against Lehigh on Tuesday night. It was Azotam’s 18th career double-double.
• Quinnipiac will conclude its current three-game home stand next week against Colgate on Wednesday (Dec. 5) and Vermont on Saturday (Dec. 8).
• Saturday’s afternoon affair with the Catamounts will be televised on NESN.
• Head coach Tom Moore is five wins shy of 100 for his career at Quinnipiac.

Robert Morris (4-4, 0-0 NEC)

Last Week: Nov. 26 at Savannah State (L, 61-52); Dec. 1 vs. Ohio (W, 84-76)
This Week: Dec. 4 at Campbell; Dec. 8 at Hampton

• Robert Morris shot a season-high 56.4 percent (22-for-39) from the floor in an 84-76 win over Ohio (12/1/12), marking the 29th consecutive win for the Colonials when shooting 50 percent or better from the floor.
• Junior guard Karvel Anderson (Elkhart, IN/Glen Oaks Community College) averaged 19.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game last week, scoring a career-high 28 points in the win over Ohio on perfect 10-for-10 shooting, including 8-for-8 from beyond the arc.
• Sophomore forward Lucky Jones (Newark, NJ/St. Anthony) paced the Colonials @ Savannah State (11/26/12) with a career-high 18 points and averaged 13.0 points and 7.5 rebounds in two games while shooting 54.8 percent (7-for-13) from the field and a perfect 12-for-12 at the stripe.
• Redshirt senior forward Russell Johnson (Chester, PA/Chester) produced his first double-figure scoring game of the 2012-13 campaign with 14 points on the strength of an 11-for-12 performance at the free-throw line
• Sophomore guard David Appolon (Philadelphia, PA/Imhotep Charter), in just his second game of the 2012-13 campaign, tied a career-high with seven points and grabbed a career-high four rebounds in RMU’s win over Ohio
• Johnson eclipsed 900 career points thanks to his performance in RMU’s win over Ohio (905) and is 95 points shy of becoming the 21st member of the Robert Morris 1,000-point club.

Sacred Heart (2-4, 0-0 NEC)

Last Week: Nov. 29 at Brown (L, 69-56)
This Week: Dec. 5 vs. Holy Cross; Dec. 9 at Lafayette

• The Pioneers dropped their second-straight, falling at Brown University in their only action last week, 69-56. SHU was without guards Evan Kelley (Norwalk, CT/Norwalk) and Steve Glowiak (New Britain, CT/New Britain) in the loss due to injury and senior Shane Gibson (Killingly, CT/Killingly) had just three points before being forced to leave in the first half with an injury.
• SHU was dominated on the glass by the Bears, 46-31, and 24-7 on the offensive end. The Pioneers got 17 points from Louis Montes (Brockton, MA/Brockton) on 10-of-10 shooting at the free throw line. Montes has been the Pioneer’s leading scorer in four of six games and leads the team averaging 14.5 ppg. He is also SHU’s leading rebounder at 7.2 per game.
• Sacred Heart takes on a pair of Patriot League opponents this week, hosting Holy Cross on Wednesday and traveling to Lafayette on Sunday before taking a week off for final exams.

St. Francis Brooklyn (2-3, 0-0 NEC)

Last Week: Nov. 29 at Norfolk State (L, 85-79)
This Week: Dec. 5 at Albany; Dec. 8 at Boston College

• In their lone action of the week, St. Francis Brooklyn dropped an 85-79 decision at defending MEAC champion Norfolk State.
• Sophomore forward Jalen Cannon (Allentown, PA/William Allen) paced the Terriers with 16 points and nine boards and senior center Akeem Johnson (Brooklyn, NY/Susan McKinney) added 15 points and six caroms against the Spartans.
• The Terriers built a 61-50 advantage with 12:41 left but Norfolk State went on a 17-5 run to move ahead, 67-66, with 6:24 left.
• Cannon leads is sixth in the NEC in scoring (16.0 ppg.) and first in rebounding (9.6 rpg.) and field goal percentage (.667). He’s paced the Terriers in scoring and rebounding in three straight contests.

Saint Francis U (0-6, 0-0 NEC)

Last Week: Dec. 1 at American (L, 61-51)
This Week: Dec. 4 at Lafayette; Dec. 8 vs. Lehigh

• Redshirt junior Umar Shannon (Atlantic City, NJ/Atlantic City) notched second 20-plus point outing in three games with a 20-point effort at American.
• Rookie Stephon Mosley (West Orange, NJ/Seton Hall Prep) scored 15 points to tie his season-high on Saturday. He also collected four rebounds in 24 minutes of work.
• Saint Francis committed single-digit turnovers for the third straight game with nine against the Eagles.
• The Red Flash plays is on the road for the sixth time in seven games on Tuesday at Lafayette.

Wagner (2-4, 0-0 NEC)

Last Week: Nov. 26 at Albany (L, 66-63); Nov. 28 vs. Princeton (W, 48-42 (OT)); Dec. 1 at Temple (L, 70-62)
This Week: Dec. 4 at Hofstra

• Wagner improved to 26-11 with a 48-42 overtime victory over preseason Ivy League Champion Princeton on Wednesday, November 26 at the Spiro Sports Center.
• Wagner has won two games when scoring less than 50 points for the first time since the 1949-1950 season.
• The Seahawks are averaging 43.0 points per game in their two wins and 62.8 points in their four losses.
Jonathon Williams (Richmond, CA/Kennedy (City College of San Francisco)) had another big week, averaging 20.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game last week.
• Five of Wagner’s six games have been decided by 10 points or less, including four by six points or less.