Choice Hotels/NEC Rookie of the Week
Shivaugn Wiggins, Mount St. Mary’s
5-10, 160lbs
Fr., G, Charlotte, NC/North Mecklenberg
Wiggins had a breakout week for the Mount, averaging 16.0 points and shooting 61.1 percent from the field and 71.4 percent from three-point territory. In a 79-78 overtime setback at first place Bryant, Wiggins netted a career-high 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting, including a perfect 3-3 mark from long distance. Perhaps the biggest moment of his young career came when he hit the game-tying trifecta with just 12 seconds remaining to force overtime. He then followed the performance up with a 12-point effort in an 80-75 victory at Central Connecticut. With Mount St. Mary’s trailing by four, his three-pointer with 8:00 to play sparked a 12-0 run to give the Mount the lead for good. For the season, the Charlotte, NC product is averaging 5.8 points per game through 15 games played.
More Bite Than Bark: Bulldogs Continue To Roll, Earn Nation’s “Most Improved” Moniker
Just six games into the 2012-13 season and one team has already begun to separate from the pack.
At a perfect 6-0, Bryant is now two games ahead of Robert Morris, Sacred Heart and St. Francis Brooklyn, all tied for second with a 4-2 mark.
The Bulldogs extended their program-record winning streak to eight games last week, first
squeaking past Mount St. Mary’s, 79-78, in OT (see note below) on Thursday.
“These are the games that make your season,” said head coach Tim O’Shea after the victory over the Mount.
“When you win the two-pointer at Boston College and the one-pointer at Lehigh and the one-point overtime game tonight, boy that’s a powerful swing in your confidence and your momentum as a team.”
Two days later, the Bulldogs didn’t need to sweat out a victory,
using a big second half to down Wagner, 82-59.
“We’ve been building towards this type of win, based on what we’ve done in non-conference, against Lehigh and Boston College” said O’Shea after the game.
“In conference play we started out strong winning at probably the toughest place in the conference historically for us, Robert Morris.
So this is an extension of what we’ve been doing, but we just have to stay hungry and stay healthy.”
Junior forward
Alex Francis (Harlem, NY/Holderness Prep (NH)) had another huge week for the Bulldogs, finishing with 18.5 ppg and 8.5 rpg in the two wins.
He shot an eye-popping 77.5 percent from the floor, hitting 17 of his 22 shot attempts.
Now firmly entrenched in the
College Insider Mid-Major Top-25 poll, Bryant held on to its #21 spot last week, marking the third straight time the Bulldogs have been ranked.
"Just as everything had been an epic struggle prior to this year, what I had hoped to happen in Year 5 was for everything to come together," said O'Shea.
"We don't have a lot of depth.
But we have the right parts and we have just enough talent and just enough chemistry."
At 13-4, the Bulldogs continued to improve upon their DI single-season wins mark and the six league wins pulled them within one of their single-season record of seven established in 2010-11.
The superlatives don’t end there.
Entering play this week, Bryant is the most improved team in the nation, improving their win total by 11 games from the 2011-12 campaign.
The next-best turnaround belongs to Towson, which has improved by nine games.
"This is exactly what Coach O'Shea was envisioning in his mind," said sophomore guard
Dyami Starks (Duluth, MN/Duluth East (Columbia)).
"A lot of people are surprised, but when you go to the coaches' offices or our locker room, we're not surprised.
This is what we're trying to accomplish and now that it's here, it's almost like 'This is what we wanted. This is what we dreamed of three or four years ago.'"
NEC Fast Break…News You Need To Know
Tales From The Road
"You know what happiness is?
In coaching, happiness is winning on the road.- Al McGuire”
This famous quote from the loquacious coaching legend was tweeted by Mount St. Mary’s head coach Jamion Christian shortly after his team won at CCSU, 80-75, on Saturday.
Christian isn’t the only one whose team has found happiness on the road this season.
In fact, after three weeks and six games of NEC play, there are only two programs who are still unbeaten at home.
League leader Bryant is 3-0 at the Chace Center while second place Sacred Heart won both their games at the Pitt.
“The pathway, if you want to think in terms of winning a championship, is really you have to win games on the road,” said Tim O’Shea, Bryant head coach.
Though the sample size is small, NEC teams inability to defend their home court is a stat worth watching as the season progresses.
While playing at home carries many advantages, a 10-year study of records in league play prior to and including this season, indicate the home court edge in the NEC may not be as significant as most believe.
Since the start of the 2002 season, home teams have won 59.3 percent of the games during the NEC portion of the schedule.
Over the last seven seasons, that number dwindles to 56.9 percent and home win percentage has dropped each year since 2009-10.
Over the first 36 games of the 2012-13 conference season, home teams have won 55.6 percent of the contests with a 20-16 record.
To make a comparison, the national home win percentage stands at 71.5 percent.
10-Year Study: Home Records In NEC Play
2012-13: 20-16 .556
2011-12: 62-46 .574
2010-11: 63-45 .583
2009-10: 67-41 .620
2008-09: 60-39 .606
2007-08: 45-54 .455
2006-07: 57-42 .576
2005-06: 63-36 .636
2004-05: 60-39 .606
2003-04: 64-35 .646
2002-03: 69-39 .639
Totals 630-432 .593
Frantic Thursday
It was a wild and wooly Thursday night of NEC hoops.
The six games were decided by a combined total of 29 points, and for the first time in recorded league history, three games went to overtime on the same day.
In Hackensack, it was LIU Brooklyn senior guard
Brandon Thompson (San Antonio, TX/John Paul Stevens (South Plains College)) who broke the hearts of the FDU faithful
with a three-pointer as time expired to send the game to overtime.
The Blackbirds needed to go length of the court in 3.9 seconds, and
C.J. Garner's (Silver Spring, MD/Springbrook) long crosscourt pass to a waiting Thompson gave the senior a good look, just over the outstretched hands of FDU's
Melquan Bolding (Mt. Vernon, NY/Bishop Stepinac (Duquesne)).
With the score tied at 75 in the extra session, Garner hit a fast break layup with 1:51 to go, then sealed the 79-75 win by hitting two free throws with 11 ticks remaining.
Up in Smithfield, an unlikely hero emerged for first place Bryant.
With Bryant trailing Mount St. Mary's by one, freshman guard
Shane McLaughlin (Old Tappan, NJ/Choate Rosemary Hall), who entered the game averaging 1.1 ppg, found himself with the ball and time running down in overtime.
The Old Tappan native drove from the left wing to the free throw line, put the ball behind his back and
snaked his way in for an off-balance layup with 6.6 seconds to go.
When the Mount's
Julian Norfleet (Virginia Beach, VA/Landstown) hit back rim on a jumper just before the buzzer, the Bulldogs had escaped with a 79-78 victory and remained the only unbeaten team in NEC play.
In Loretto, Saint Francis U found itself in its second consecutive overtime contest, but needed to rally from 13 down in the second half to get there.
Quinnipiac was up 13 early in the second half, but the Red Flash were able to chip away, thanks in part to the effort of sophomore forward
Earl Brown (Philadelphia, PA/Imhotep Charter), who finished the game with 14 points and 18 rebounds and had a key block in the final minute.
But it was Quinnipiac that dominated the overtime period and junior forward
Ike Azotam (Boston, MA/John D. O'Bryant (Marianapolis Prep)) - who finished with a game-high 22 points and added 10 boards - put the game away with a layup with just over a minute to play in a 75-66 victory for the Bobcats.
Stat Line of the Week
LIU senior forward
Jamal Olasewere (Silver Spring, MD/Springbrook) did this against FDU on Thursday.
FG 3PFG FT TP REB A BLK STL MIN
8-17 3-4 11-15 30 16 2 4 2 43
Among the superlatives for the
Choice Hotels NEC Player of the Week were a season-high in points and career-bests in rebounds and blocks.
Interestingly, it marked the third time this season an NEC player recorded a 30/15 game, but just the ninth in the last 16 years.
In December, FDU senior forward
Kinu Rochford (Brooklyn, NY/James Madison (Globe Institute)) also finished with 30 points and 16 boards against VCU, and Wagner senior forward
Jonathon Williams (Richmond, CA/Kennedy (City College of San Francisco)) talied 33 points and 17 caroms versus Coppin State.
30/15 Games By NEC Players (1997 - present)
Jamal Olasewere (LIU): 30 points, 16 rebounds vs. FDU (1/17/13)
Kinu Rochford (FDU): 30 points, 16 rebounds vs. VCU (12/29/12)
Jonathon Williams (WC): 33 points, 17 rebounds vs. Coppin State (12/15/12)
Ken Horton (CCSU): 30 points, 15 rebounds vs. Brown (12/10/11)
Justin Rutty (QU): 30 points, 15 rebounds vs. URI (12/8/09)
A.J. Jackson (RMU): 30 points, 15 rebounds vs. Marshall (11/17/06)
James Felton (FDU): 31 points, 15 rebounds vs. St. Francis Brooklyn (2/2/02)
Corsley Edwards (CCSU): 36 points, 17 rebounds vs. UMBC (12/9/00)
Emmanuel Adekunle (SFU): 33 points, 22 rebounds vs. LIU Brooklyn (2/16/98)
Olasewere ranks third in the NEC in scoring (18.7 ppg), and sixth in rebounding (8.1 rpg) and steals (1.8 spg).
SFU's Earl Brown: The Next Chapter
One of the great stories in the NEC this season has been the emergence of Saint Francis U sophomore forward
Earl Brown (Philadelphia, PA/Imhotep Charter).
Consider this...
- In 474 minutes covering 26 games last season, Brown pulled down 78 rebounds.
- Over his first seven games in 2012-13, Brown played 100 minutes and grabbed 19 boards.
- In total, Brown recorded 97 rebounds over 575 minutes and 33 games to begin his SFU career.
Since that time, Brown has played 258 minutes over seven games and hailed in 108 boards.
Brown has posted double-doubles in each of those games, and during the seven-game stretch, he has averaged 13.6 ppg and a ridiculous 15.4 rpg.
The Philadelphia native has now raised his rebounding average from 2.7 per game on December 20th to 9.1 per game entering play this week, good for third in the NEC.
The last NEC player prior to Brown to record seven straight double-doubles was Quinnipiac's Justin Rutty, who did it from February 18 - March 10, 2010.
The only other player to match the feat in the last 15 years was CCSU’s Obie Nwadike, whose seven game streak occurred from January 25 – February 12, 2007.
Brown can now set his sights on former SFU great and current assistant coach Eric Taylor.
Since the conference started tracking the stat in 1997, Taylor holds the record with a 10-game (Nov. 10 , 1997 to Jan. 3, 1998) and eight-game double-double streak (Jan. 10, 1998 to Feb. 2, 1998) in his senior year.
Gibson’s Meteoric Chart Rise
Hit singles are known to rocket up the charts and you can say the same about Sacred Heart senior guard
Shane Gibson (Killingly, CT/Killingly).
The NEC's leading active scorer jumped a remarkable eight spots on the league's career scoring list last week, and now enters play this week ranked 12th all-time.
Gibson hit for 27 points against Robert Morris on Thursday, then added 23 versus Saint Francis U on Saturday to bring his career total to 1,776, four more than two-time NEC Player of the Year Charles Jones of LIU Brooklyn.
He is the 14
th leading scorer in SHU annals.
Gibson is now within 58 points of cracking the top-10.
NEC Career Scoring Leaders
10. Joe Griffin LIU 1,830 1991-95
11. Jeff Hamilton SFU 1,810 1981-85
12. Shane Gibson SHU 1,776 2008-12
13. Charles Jones LIU 1,772 1996-98
14. Gregory Harris MSM 1,760 1997-00
15. Alex Blackwell MU 1,749 1989-92
16. John Giraldo MU 1,749 1992-96
17. Kevin Booth MSM 1,742 1989-93
18. Landy Thompson MSM 1,733 2002-06
19. Corsley Edwards CCSU 1,731 1998-02
20. James Johnson QU 1,729 2008-12
Gibson is tied for the NEC scoring lead in league play with 24.0 ppg and is second overall with 19.0 ppg on the year.
Olasewere Jojns Elite NEC Group
When all is said and done, LIU senior forward
Jamal Olasewere (Silver Spring, MD/Springbrook) will not only be able to look back on his team's NEC titles and NCAA Tournament appearances, but he will also find his name plastered all over the NEC recordbook.
His latest accomplishment is joining the NEC's elite 1,500-point/750 -rebound club.
Only 12 players in the league's 32-year history have reached the milestone, with Olasewere joining Freddie Burton (1986-89) as Blackbirds who have turned the trick.
Olasewere has piled up 1,565 points and 818 boards during his career.
Interestingly, Olasewere's teammate, senior forward
Julian Boyd (San Antonio, TX/William H. Taft) would have beaten him to the punch, but went down with a season-ending injury in December.
Boyd has amassed 1,467 points and 843 rebounds during his time in Brooklyn.
NEC Players with 1,500 points/750 rebounds
Name School Points Rebounds Years
Jermaine Hall WC 2,278 777 1999-03
Rik Smits MAR 1,945 811 1984-88
Desi Wilson FDU 1,902 780 1988-91
Ken Horton CCSU 1,781 754 2007-12
Corsley Edwards CCSU 1,731 966 1998-02
Rahshon Turner FDU 1,637 927 1994-98
Jamie Latney FDU 1,666 786 1984-88
Jamal Olasewere LIU 1,565 818 2009-13
Freddie Burton LIU 1,540 836 1986-89
Devin Sweetney SFU 1,529 754 2006-10
Justin Rutty QU 1,521 1,032 2007-11
Alan Tomidy MAR 1,508 838 1991-96
Mr. January
When the holidays come to an end and the new year begins, that's when Sacred Heart senior guard
Shane Gibson (Killingly, CT/Killingly) goes to work.
Over the last three years, Gibson has absolutely terrorized NEC competition during the month of January, none more so than this season.
The All-NEC two-guard is averaging a league-leading 24.0 points in league play this month, including five consecutive 20+ point outings.
Since his sophomore year, Gibson has averaged 23.3 points over 23 January games.
Gibson in January
Year Jan. PPG Season PPG
2012-13 24.0 ppg 19.0 ppg
2011-12 26.0 ppg 22.0 ppg
2010-11 20.6 ppg 17.2 ppg
Terriers Hounding Foes
Over six NEC games, teams have started to develop distinct identities.
For St. Francis Brooklyn, a well-deserved reputation is being built for suffocating defense.
The Terriers are allowing a league-low 59.5 ppg in league play, nearly 7.0 ppg better than any other team.
Opposing teams have converted just 18 three-pointers against the Terriers over the six contests at a measly 21.7 percent clip, also best in the conference.
On Saturday, the Terriers allowed just 51 points – the single-game low in NEC play thus far 2012-13 – and harassed FDU into 0-16 shooting from three-point range on Saturday .
Team Effort Sparks Colonials
The RMU Men’s Basketball Twitter account will often tweet the following on game days:
Energy. Urgency. Synergy. #TEAM
In other words, check your ego at the door.
Robert Morris has managed to post a 12-7 overall record and win four straight games in league play to improve to 4-2 in the NEC without a single-player ranked among the top-15 scorers in the NEC.
In fact, the Colonials leading point producer – senior guard
Velton Jones (Philadelphia, PA/Northeast Catholic) - is averaging a modest 12.0 ppg, good for 19
th on the circuit.
Putting points on the board has been a team effort for RMU, which features four players scoring in double digits and no less than six performers averaging between 8.5 and 12.0 ppg.
Battle of Brooklyn Highlights Packed Week of NEC-TV
We have a huge week on the horizon for NEC-TV with five games on tap.
Most notably, the Battle of Brooklyn returns to MSG2 and Fox College Sports when neighborhood rivals LIU Brooklyn and St. Francis Brooklyn duke it out at the Pope Center on Thursday.
Tipoff is at 7:00 pm with Dave Popkin (play-by-play), Joe DeSantis (color) and Paul Dottino (sideline) on the call.
The game will include a halftime feature on LIU Brooklyn's
Jason Brickman (San Antonio, TX/Clark) and the journey that led him to Brooklyn, as well as his thoughts on the Blackbirds' back-to-back NEC titles.
Saturday brings a pair of doubleheaders from Connecticut.
At noon, the FDU and Quinnipiac men meet at the TD Bank Center.
The game will air live on MSG and FCS.
Popkin (play-by-play), Terry O'Connor (color) and Matt Harmon (sideline) are in the booth.
The women take the floor at 2:30 pm in a game to air on FCS and ESPN3.
Harmon (play-by-play), Phyllis Mangina (color) and Popkin (sideline) will bring you all the action.
A short drive away in Fairfield, Sacred Heart hosts Monmouth at the Pitt Center.
The women's game begins at 4:00 pm, also on FCS and ESPN3.
Dottino (play-by-play), Pam Roecker (color) and John Schmeelk (sideline) have the call.
Then at 7:00 pm, the men close out the day
on MSG+2 with Dottino (play-by-play), DeSantis (color) and Schmeelk (sideline) handling announcing duties.
The men's game will also air via delay on FCS.
Enjoy The Best Seat In The House With NEC Front Row
With the start of league play,
NEC Front Row is the place to catch all the action.
One of the only free conference webstreaming platforms in the country, all NEC games will air on Front Row aside from events hosted by Monmouth and Robert Morris, who are contractually obligated to other providers.
Through Front Row’s unique Control Room, which debuted in January, fans can catch up to six games at once.
Likewise, games can also be viewed at no charge on smartphones and tablets, including the iPhone, iPad and Android devices.
Vinales's Race To 1,000...Updated
Looking for the definition of a pure scorer?
Well then look no further than CCSU's scintillating sophomore guard
Kyle Vinales (Detroit, MI/Phelps School).
After averaging 25.0 ppg last week, Vinales upped his career point total to 892 in just his 46
th career game.
As the Detroit product races toward the 1,000-point mark, he has a chance to be the quickest NEC player to 1,000 since former Saint Francis U star Darshan Luckey.
Luckey reached the milestone in his 50th career game back in 2004.
For Vinales to match, he would need to average 27.0 ppg over his next six outings.
Two-time NEC Player of the Year Charles Jones of LIU Brooklyn holds the distinction as the fastest to 1,000 in NEC history, accomplishing the feat in just 33 games from 1996-97.
Vinales will almost certainly eclipse former
teammate Ken Horton, himself a former NEC Player of the Year, as the fastest Blue Devil to hit 1,000.
Horton crossed the plateau in 68 games.
LIU’s Jason Brickman: Top-10 Distributor
Just a few years ago, the NEC assist record appeared to be unbreakable as no player had come within 200 assists of challenging the mark established by former Marist great Drafton Davis from 1984-88.
That was until LIU’s
Jason Brickman (San Antonio, TX/Clark) arrived on the scene in 2010.
With 10 helpers in two games last week, the San Antonio native moved past Wagner's Courtney Pritchard (563 from 2000-04) to move into fifth place on the NEC career list with 572 to his credit.
He is second on the school's career chart behind Robert Cole (610 from 1979-83).
In all likelihood, Brickman will enter his senior season second in NEC history with just Davis to catch.
He currently leads the NEC and ranks fourth nationally with 7.9 apg.
NEC Career Assist Leaders
1. Drafton Davis MAR 804 1984-88
2. Jeremy Goode MSM 603 2006-10
3. Deon Hames RID 598 1992-96
4. Napoleon Lightning SFU 589 1981-85
5. Jason Brickman LIU 572 2010-12
6. Courtney Pritchard WC 563 2000-04
7. Andre Van Drost WC 560 1982-87
8. Forest Grant RMU 555 1981-84
9. Rob Monroe QU 541 2001-05
10. Jaytornah Wisseh LIU 538 2006-10
Stellar Numbers For SHU's Gibson
In the “stellar games” category, no NEC player is even close to Sacred Heart senior guard
Shane Gibson (Killingly, CT/Killingly). Gibson has racked up 43 games of 20+ points over the course of his career, nearly double that of his next closest competitor, CCSU sophomore guard
Kyle Vinales (Detroit, MI/Phelps School). Gibson has also tallied six games of 30+ points, also a league-leading mark.
This season, Vinales ranks first in the Conference with ten 20-point games.
NEC Active Leaders : 20 Point Games
Shane Gibson, SHU 43
Kyle Vinales, CCSU 22
Julian Boyd, LIU 20
Alex Francis, BRY 20
Jamal Olasewere, LIU 17
Velton Jones, RMU 16
Umar Shannon, SFU 15
Ike Azotam, QU 11
Latif Rivers, WC 11
Melquan Bolding, FDU 10
Frankie Dobbs, BRY 10
Julian Norfleet, MSM 7
Dyami Starks, BRY 7
Jonathon Williams, WC 7
Jalen Cannon, SFC 6
NEC Active Leaders: 30 Point Games
Shane Gibson, SHU 6
Kyle Vinales, CCSU 5
Jamal Olasewere, LIU 3
Melquan Bolding, FDU 2
Alex Francis, BRY 2
Velton Jones, RMU 2
Kinu Rochford, FDU 2
On The National Leaderboard
Below are a list of NEC players and teams who rank in the top-20 nationally in various statistical categories.
Category Name Team Stats Ranking
Scoring Kyle Vinales CCSU 21.9 ppg 5th
Assists Jason Brickman LIU 7.9 apg 4th
Phil Gaetano SHU 7.4 apg 6th
Steals Matt Hunter CCSU 2.6 spg 10th
FG% Jalen Cannon SFC .586 15th
Kinu Rochford FDU .585 16th
Doub-Doub Kinu Rochford FDU 8 16th
Rebounds QU 40.8 rpg 15th
FT% CCSU .755 16th
3PFG% FDU .386 20th
Steals MU 9.4 spg 19th
TOs Forced MU 19.4 2nd
Turnover Margin MSM +4.5 10th
MU +4.2 15th
Best of the Week
Alex Francis (BRY): 25 points, 7 rebounds, 11-12 FG, 3-3 FT vs. Mount St. Mary’s; 12 points, 10 rebounds, 6-10 FG vs. Wagner
Dyami Starks (BRY): 18 points, 2 assists, 6-11 FG vs. Mount St. Mary’s; 17 points, 3 rebounds, 5-8 FG, 3-6 3PFG vs. Wagner
Kyle Vinales (CCSU): 30 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 4-8 3PFG vs. Wagner
Melquan Bolding (FDU): 22 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists vs. LIU Brooklyn
C.J. Garner (LIU): 23 points, 4 rebounds, 5 steals, 7-14 FG vs. FDU
Jamal Olasewere (LIU): 30 points, 16 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 blocks, 2 steals, 3-4 3PFG vs. FDU
Jesse Steele (MU): 20 points, 5 rebounds vs. St. Francis Brooklyn; 16 points, 7 assists vs. LIU
Julian Norfleet (MSM): 18 points, 5 assists, 7-12 FG, 4-6 3PFG vs. CCSU
Xavier Owens (MSM): 18 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals, 6-9 FG vs. CCSU
Shivaughn Wiggins (MSM): 20 points, 8-10 FG, 3-3 3PFG
Rashad Whack (MSM): 17 points, 3 rebounds, 3 steals vs. Bryant
Ike Azotam (QU): 22 points, 10 rebounds vs. Saint Francis U
Zaid Hearst (QU): 13 points, 10 rebounds, 7-7 FT vs. Saint Francis U
Russell Johnson (RMU): 22 points, 2 steals, 2-3 3PFG, 12-13 FT vs. Quinnipiac
Lucky Jones (RMU): 18 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 3-5 3PFG vs. Quinnipiac
Mike McFadden (RMU): 15 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 6-9 FG vs. Sacred Heart
Shane Gibson (SHU): 27 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 8-13 FG, 7-8 FT vs. Robert Morris; 23 points, 5 rebounds, 2-4 3PFG vs. SFU
Jalen Cannon (SFC): 14 points, 10 rebounds, 7-13 FG vs. FDU
Earl Brown (SFU): 14 points, 18 rebounds, 2 blocks vs. Quinnipiac; 14 points, 15 rebounds, 6-12 FG vs. Sacred Heart
Ben Millaud-Meunier (SFU): 20 points, 4 rebounds, 6-12 FG vs. Sacred Heart
Kenneth Ortiz (WC): 18 points, 6 assists, 2 steals, 7-14 FG vs. CCSU
Jonathon Williams (WC): 17 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists vs. Bryant
By The Numbers
2 double-doubles last week for Quinnipiac junior forward
Ike Azotam (Boston, MA/John D. O’Bryant (Marianapolis Prep)).
He averaged 15.3 ppg and 10.0 rpg.
3 categories in which FDU senior forward
Kinu Rochford (Brooklyn, NY/James Madison (Globe Institute)) ranks in the NEC top-five.
He is first in rebounding (9.5), and third in field goal percentage (.585) and blocks (1.4).
4 straight home games in which Bryant has placed five players in double figures.
5 games of 10+ assists this season for Sacred Heart sophomore guard
Phil Gaetano (Wallingford, CT/Sheehan (Choate Rosemary)).
He ranks second in the NEC and sixth in the nation with 7.4 apg.
5 Mount St. Mary’s players averaged in double-digits last week (Wiggins, Whack, Norfleet, Prescott and Owens).
5 career games of 30+ points for CCSU sophomore guard
Kyle VInales (Detroit, MI/Phelps School) after a 30-point effort versus Wagner on Thursday.
5-6 shooting from three-point range last week for Monmouth freshman guard
Christian White (Rochester, NY/Aquinas Institute).
8 straight wins for Bryant is longest for an NEC team since Wagner rolled off nine straight from January 26 – February 23, 2012.
+
8.1 rebound margin for Quinnipiac, best in the NEC.
The Bobcats are shooting for an NEC record fifth straight year leading the NEC in the category.
9 straight games in double-digits for Mount St. Mary’s sophomore guard
Rashad Whack (Hyattsville, MD/Bishop McNamara (George Mason)).
He leads the Mount with 13.1 ppg.
+12.3 rebound margin for LIU Brooklyn during its three-game win streak.
18 points, a career-high for Mount St. Mary’s sophomore forward
Xavier Owens (Tampa, FL/Wharton) in the Mount’s 80-75 win over CCSU on Saturday.
He had scored a combined 16 points over his previous seven games.
26 points for CCSU sophomore guard
Malcolm McMillen (Baltimore, MD/John Carroll) against Mount St. Mary’s on Saturday was a career-high.
He hit his first six shots from three-point range and finished 6-7 from outside the arc, while also adding six rebounds and a season-best seven assists.
45 second half points, a season-high, for Monmouth in its 71-67 comeback win over St. Francis Brooklyn on Thursday.
53 combined points for former Springbrook High School and now LIU Brooklyn teammates
Jamal Olasewere (Silver Spring, MD/Springrbook) and
C.J. Garner (Silver Spring, MD/Springbrook (South Alabama)) in Thursday’s 79-75 overtime win over FDU.
Olasewere finished with 30 and Garner with 23.
55.6 percent shooting from three-point range over the last four games for St. Francis Brooklyn junior guard
Ben Mockford (Shoreham-by-Sea, England/Oak Hill Academy (VA) (Iona)).
He has hit 15-27 from long range in that span.
57.3 percent shooting from the field in two wins last week for Bryant.
57.9 percent shooting from three-point range for Robert Morris on Saturday in it’s 87-75 win over Quinnipiac.
The Colonials hit 11-19 from outside the arc.
71.4 percent shooting from three-point territory over the last four games for LIU Brooklyn senior guard
C.J. Garner (Silver Spring, MD/Springbrook).
He is 10-14 during the stretch.
Quotable
“I have to say that was a great, great performance. That’s the best game he’s ever played in a Central Connecticut uniform. It’s a shame to say, but when he gets those numbers (McMillan also had seven assists and six rebounds) and they shoot what [Mount St. Mary’s] did at the foul line, 12-of-22, we’re supposed to win the game.” – CCSU head coach Howie Dickenman, commenting on Malcolm McMillan’s career-high 26-point effort in the Blue Devils’ 80-75 loss to Mount St. Mary’s on Saturday
“We can all play basketball. We all stepped up. We upped the tempo a lot (in the second half) and we were getting after it on defense, fast breaking, and got a lot of easy buckets. I was just being aggressive. I know the coach wants the ball in my hands at the end of a game and I’ve got to get the bucket for the team. A huge win. Now we’ve got to get another one on Saturday.” – Monmouth senior guard Jesse Steele following his team’s 71-67 win at St. Francis Brooklyn on Thursday
"Overall, it was another good weekend for us. I thought Thursday night's win was a terrific gut-check win, if you want to go with a cliché, and then I thought [Saturday night] was another great team effort where we had multiple guys step up, make plays and contribute. - RMU head coach Andrew Toole following a home sweep for the Colonials last week
“We have to sit down and make whatever adjustments we need. We’re not panicking, but we’re not used to losing, either. Guys have to step up and play through things for us to get back on track.” - Wagner junior guard Kenneth Ortiz
"It's incredibly hard to win in that conference. It's a tough, underrated league. The games are tight and aggressive with a lot of tough kids from the cities in the Northeast." - Former Wagner head coach Dan Hurley, reflecting on his time in the league in Saturday’s
Providence Journal
Tweets of the Week
Bill Aquilante @WAquilante
Ok I'm all in with Bryant 6-0 in the NEC. #wewantduke
Daniel Wystepek @DanAtBryantU
Bryant wins a thriller!! Props to Jersey Shane for knocking in the game winner! @BryantAthletics
Hickory Pick. Fences @HickoryPFences
McLaughlin's entire NEC career stats before the winner: 2 pts on 1-2 FG. Unreal. #TMM9
Hickory Pick. Fences @HickoryPFences
Kyle Vinales 30 more in a win over Wagner. Score 30 against them, you can play.
Jamal Olasewere @MallyTheKid
Lol caught my first college oop today, thanks to @JayBrick15
Ben Wilkins @CoachWilkinsMSM
Few things feel better than a bus ride home after a great road win! Extremely proud of our effort & togetherness! #mountmayhem
Jimmy Langhurst @JLanghurst12
RMU got that the win tonight without their two best scorers on the court!! Definition of moxie #RMCMB #BeatSacredHeart
Craig Meyer @craig_a_meyer
It really feels like if any defense gives Karvel Anderson two feet of space on a shot, he's going to drain it #RMU
Peter Robert Casey @Peter_R_Casey
Jalen Cannon has a double-double for @SFCTerriers with 14 points (7-10 FG) and 10 rebounds, including a monster banger from the baseline.
Ron Ratner @NECHoopsRon
3 games in OT! FDU-LIU, QU-SFU, BRY-MSM. Can't beat Thursday night #NECMBB. http://necfrontrow.com/controlroom.php
Milestone Watch
Bryant junior guard
Corey Maynard (Adelaide, Australia/Sacred Heart College) surpassed the 500-point, 250-rebound, 200-assist mark for his career.
He now boasts 509 points, 256 boards and 206 helpers.
Bryant senior guard
Frankie Dobbs (Berea, OH/St. Edward (Ohio U.)) needs just two more points for his 1,000th point in a Bulldog uniform.
He is already a 1,000-point scorer in his college career - a benchmark he reached on January 10 against Quinnipiac - and has compiled 1,058 points.
Bryant junior forward
Alex Francis (Harlem, NY/Holderness Prep (NH)) surpassed the 600-rebound mark for his career (607) against Wagner on Saturday.
Monmouth senior guard
Jesse Steele (Milford, NJ/Millburn (Oak Hill Academy, Army)), following a seven assist game at LIU, one off his season-high, now has 239 in a Monmouth uniform, which is 18 helpers behind No. 12 Jason Krayl.
Monmouth senior forward
Ed Waite (Fort Lauderdale, FL/Pine Crest) cracked the 600 career rebound mark (601) for the Hawks on Saturday against LIU Brooklyn.
Quinnipiac’s
Tom Moore is one win shy of 100 for his career.
Robert Morris senior forward
Russell Johnson (Chester, PA/Chester) is just four points shy of becoming the 21st member of the RMU 1,000-point club as well as just the 12th player in school history to accumulate career totals of both 1,000 points and 500 rebounds.
Robert Morris senior guard
Velton Jones (Philadelphia, PA/Northeast Catholic) had his school record streak of consecutive games snapped at 121 by missing RMU's win over Sacred Heart on Thursday.
With its win over Quinnipiac on Saturday, Robert Morris became the second program in NEC history (joining FDU) to secure 300 wins in regular-season league play. A charter member of the conference, the Colonials possess an overall record of 300-240 (.556).
St. Francis Brooklyn sophomore forward
Jalen Cannon (Allentown, PA/William Allen) went over the 500-point mark (513) for his career against FDU on Saturday.
Wagner junior forward
Naofall Folahan (Cotonou, Republic of Benin/Wilbraham & Monson Academy (MA)) is seven blocks behind Miladin Mutavdzic for second place on the all-time Wagner rankings.
Wagner junior guard
Latif Rivers (Elizabeth, NJ/Avon Old Farms (CT)) now has 951 points.
He is 49 points away from becoming the 40th member of the Seahawk 1,000-point club and is the eighth leading active scorer in the NEC.
Active Leaders
SCORING
Shane Gibson SHU 1776
Jamal Olasewere LIU 1565
Velton Jones RMU 1475
Julian Boyd LIU 1467
Alex Francis BRY 1237
Frankie Dobbs BRY 998
Russell Johnson RMU 996
Latif Rivers WC 961
CJ Garner LIU 949
Ed Waite MU 913
REBOUNDING
Julian Boyd LIU 843
Jamal Olasewere LIU 818
Russell Johnson RMU 651
Ike Azotam QU 617
Alex Francis BRY 607
Ed Waite MU 601
Jamee Jackson QU 465
Akeem Johnson SFC 446
Kenny Onyechi LIU 423
Jalen Cannon SFC 421
ASSISTS
Jason Brickman LIU 572
Velton Jones RMU 489
Frankie Dobbs BRY 370
Dave Johnson QU 348
CJ Garner LIU 269
Josh Castellanos MSM 267
Anthony Myers-Pate RMU 265
Phil Gaetano SHU 254
Jesse Steele MU 239
Kenneth Ortiz WC 212
Team-By-Team Notes
Bryant (13-4, 6-0 NEC)
Last Week’s Games: Jan. 17 vs. Mount St. Mary’s (W, 79-78 (OT)); Jan. 19 vs. Wagner (W, 82-59)
This Week’s Games: Jan. 24 at Sacred Heart; Jan. 26 vs. LIU Brooklyn
• Bryant extended its program-record winning streak to eight-straight games with another 2-0 week and remained ranked in the College Insider Mid-Major Top-25 for the third-straight week (No. 21).
• Bryant is the most improved team in the nation when it comes to pure win turnaround, as the Bulldogs boast 11 more wins in 2012-13 than they had a season ago. The next highest number for win improvement is nine (Towson).
• The Bulldogs saw five players finish in double-figures in both outings, as the team has now achieved the feat in four-straight home games.
• Junior
Alex Francis (Harlem, NY/Holderness Prep (NH)) paced the Black and Gold, averaging 18.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game on the week while shooting 77.3 percent from the field. The forward scored a game-high 25 points off an 11-of-12 (.917) shooting clip against Mount St. Mary’s Thursday to mark his fifth 20-point game of the season before earning his fourth double-double of the year Saturday against Wagner (12p, 10r).
• The Bulldogs continue to improve upon not only their Division I win streak record, which now stands at eight straight, but also their DI single-season wins mark, now at 13 after the 2-0 week.
• Junior
Corey Maynard (Adelaide, Australia/Sacred Heart College) surpassed the 500-point, 250-rebound and 200-assist marks for his career this week alone, now boasting 509-career points, 256-career boards and 206-career helpers.
• Senior
Frankie Dobbs (Berea, Ohio/St. Edward (Ohio U.)) needs just two more points for his 1000th point in a Bulldog uniform. The starting point guard is already a 1,000-point scorer in his college career, a benchmark he reached Jan. 10 against Quinnipiac, and currently has 1058-career points. He is also just six rebounds shy of 300.
• Sophomore guard
Dyami Starks (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East) needs just seven points to reach 300 on the season and needs 19 for 400 in his career.
• Francis needs just 15 points for 300 on the year and has this week surpassed the 600-rebound mark on his career (607).
Central Connecticut (7-10, 3-3 NEC)
Last Week’s Games: Jan. 17 vs. Wagner (W, 73-66); Jan. 19 vs. Mount St. Mary’s (L, 80-75)
This Week’s Games: Jan. 24 at Quinnipiac; Jan. 26 vs. St. Francis Brooklyn
• Sophomore
Kyle Vinales (Detroit, MI/Phelps School) scored 50 points in two games last week, moving him to 892 career points through just 46 career games. His 30 point output on Thursday night in a win over Wagner was the fifth of his career. He scored 22 in the second half of Thursday’s win.
• Sophomore
Malcolm McMillan (Baltimore, MD/John Carroll) had the best game of his career in the home loss to Mount St. Mary’s on Saturday. McMillan hit his first six three-point shots and scored a career-high 26 points in the game. He finished the game hitting 6-of-7 from three, and 8-of-12 from the field. He also dished out a season-best seven assists and had six rebounds in 38 minutes of action.
• Central has a +9 rebound margin in its last five games. In the previous five the Blue Devils were outrebounded by 10 or more rebounds in each game.
• Freshman forward
Brandon Peel (Forestville, MD/Riverdale Baptist) continued to provide a spark for the Blue Devils this past week. The freshman averaged 9.5 rebounds and 5.5 points in a 1-1 week for CCSU. Peel started the week with five points, eight rebounds and three blocks in 34 minutes in a home win over Wagner. He backed that up with another double-figure rebounds effort vs. Mount St. Mary’s, 11 rebounds, to go along with six points and three assists. For the week he hit 5-of-7 from the field and averaged 35.5 minutes per game.
Fairleigh Dickinson (7-12, 2-4 NEC)
Last Week’s Games: Jan. 14 vs. NJIT (L, 66-63); Jan. 17 vs. LIU Brooklyn (L, 79-75 (OT)); Jan. 19 at St. Francis Brooklyn (L, 70-51)
This Week’s Games: Jan. 24 at Monmouth; Jan. 26 at Quinnipiac
• FDU fell to 7-12 this week with two of the three losses by fewer than five points. Prior to this week, the Knights were 3-0 in games decided by five points or less.
• After trailing by 16 points late in the first half, the Knights battled back against NJIT to tie the game and take a one-point lead in the final minutes. The Highlanders used strong free-throw shooting to outlast FDU, 66-63.
• Senior
Melquan Bolding (Mt. Vernon, NY/Bishop Stepinac) tied a season-high with 22 points against LIU on Thursday. He also pulled down six rebounds, dished out two assists and had no turnovers.
• Freshman
Xavier Harris (Philadelphia, PA/Contitution) started two games this past weekend. The rookie recorded 11 points, 13 rebounds and shot over 40 percent from the field.
• The loss at St. Francis Brooklyn was the Knights’ third consecutive loss, tying their season high in a losing streak.
LIU Brooklyn (8-10, 3-3 NEC)
Last Week’s Games: Jan. 17 at Fairleigh Dickinson (W, 79-75 (OT)); Jan. 19 vs. Monmouth (W, 75-65)
This Week’s Games: Jan. 24 at St. Francis Brooklyn; Jan. 26 at Bryant
• The Blackbirds have owned the boards in their recent three-game winning streak, holding a +12.3 edge (41.3-29.0) in the rebounding category, including a +3.7 advantage in offensive rebounding.
• Senior
C.J. Garner (Silver Spring, MD/Springbrook) has been on a tear from beyond the arc recently, registering 10 three-pointers in his last four games and shooting 71.4 percent from deep over that stretch.
• Garner’s classmate and fellow Springbrook HS alum
Jamal Olasewere (Silver Spring, MD/Springbrook) set career marks for rebounds (16), blocked shots (4) and matched his career best for three-pointers in a game with three against Fairleigh Dickinson. Olasewere closed with a game-high 30 points, which also stands as the high mark for a Blackbird this season.
• LIU held Monmouth to 38.3 percent shooting on Jan. 19, marking the third time this season that the Blackbirds have held an opponent under 40.0 percent. LIU is 3-0 in those contests.
• In one of the more exciting finishes to regulation of the season, senior
Brandon Thompson (San Antonio, TX/South Plains College) drained a buzzer-beating three-pointer at the end of regulation to force overtime with Fairleigh Dickinson on Jan. 17. The three-ball accounted for the only points for Thompson on the night.
Monmouth (7-12, 2-4 NEC)
Last Week’s Games: Jan. 17 at St. Francis Brooklyn (W, 71-67); Jan. 19 at LIU Brooklyn (L, 75-65)
This Week’s Games: Jan. 24 vs. Fairleigh Dickinson; Jan. 26 at Sacred Heart
• With his two rebounds at LIU Brooklyn, senior
Ed Waite (Fort Lauderdale, FL/Pine Crest) now has 601 career rebounds for the Hawks.
•
Jesse Steele (Milford, NJ/Oak Hill Academy (Army)), behind seven assists at LIU, which was one off his season-high, now has 239 assists in a Monmouth uniform, which is now 18 helpers behind No. 12 Jason Krayl.
• Monmouth is now 0-7 all-time at LIU’s Wellness and Recreation Center.
• In erasing a seven-point halftime deficit in a win at St. Francis Brooklyn (1/17), the Hawks posted their highest second half point total of the year of 45 points, connecting on 14-of-26 (53.8%)
from the floor.
• After its comeback win at SFC, Monmouth is now 2-9 when it trails at the half.
Mount St. Mary's (7-10, 2-4 NEC)
Last Week’s Games: Jan. 17 at Bryant (L, 79-78 (OT)); Jan. 19 at Central Connecticut (W, 80-75)
This Week’s Games: Jan. 24 vs. Wagner; Jan. 26 at Robert Morris
• The Mount averaged 79.0 points this week with five players averaging double figures in scoring.
• Freshman
Shivaughn Wiggins (Charlotte, NC/North Mecklenberg) had his best week in a Mountaineer uniform, averaging 16.0 points while shooting 61.1 percent from the floor and 71.4 percent from three-point range on the week. He scored a career high 20 points in the Mount’s 79-78 overtime loss at Bryant, hitting a game-tying three-pointer with 12 seconds left to force overtime.
•
Xavier Owens (Tampa, FL/Wharton) had career highs of 18 points and nine rebounds in the win over CCSU on Saturday. Owens, who scored a combined 16 points over the Mount’s previous seven games, was 6-for-9 from the field in the CCSU victory. He is averaging 5.2 points per game on the year.
•
Rashad Whack (Hyattsville, MD/Bishop McNamara) has scored in double figures in each of the past nine games, and in 15 of the Mount’s 17 games this year. Whack is averaging 16.5 points over the past four games, and leads the Mount in scoring this season at 13.1 points per game.
•
Sam Prescott (Philadelphia, PA/Imhotep Charter) has taken to the sixth-man role for the Mountaineers, averaging 10.0 points off the bench this year. He had 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists in the loss at Bryant.
Quinnipiac (6-12, 2-4 NEC)
Last Week’s Games: Jan. 14 at Hampton (L, 70-64); Jan. 17 at Saint Francis U (W, 75-66 (OT)); Jan. 19 at Robert Morris (L, 87-75)
This Week’s Games: Jan. 24 vs. Central Connecticut; Jan. 26 vs. Fairleigh Dickinson
•
Ike Azotam (Boston, MA/O’Bryant (Marianapolis Prep)) led the Bobcats in three games last week, averaging double-double with 15.3 points and 10 rebounds per game. In the middle game of three, he put together his best performance against the Red Flash, scoring game-high 22 points to go along with 12 rebounds. He was 9-of-17 in 35 minutes of action.
•
Shaq Shannon (Philadelphia, PA/Communications Tech (CSJC)) had 11 points including three, threes and Zaid Hearst finished with 10 points – all coming in the second half against the Pirates.
•
Jamee Jackson (Newark, NJ/St. Anthony’s) had 12 points and four rebounds and Ousmane Drame added 10 points and four rebounds against the Red Flash. Shaq Shannon and
Evan Conti combined for 15 points, 14 rebounds and six assists to pace QU’s backcourt.
•
Zaid Hearst (Bethesda, MD/Salisbury (CT)) went 7-of-10 from the floor – including two from downtown - for a total of 16 points against Robert Morris.
• Head coach
Tom Moore is one win against for 100 for his career at Quinnipiac.
Robert Morris (12-7, 4-2 NEC)
Last Week’s Games: Jan. 17 vs. Sacred Heart (W, 66-62); Jan. 19 vs. Quinnipiac (W, 87-75)
This Week’s Games: Jan. 24 at Saint Francis U; Jan. 26 vs. Mount St. Mary’s
• Robert Morris extended its winning streak to four with a pair of home victories last week, posting a 66-62 win over Sacred Heart (1/17/13) followed by an 87-55 victory over Quinnipiac (1/19/13).
• Sophomore forward
Lucky Jones (Newark, NJ/St. Anthony) averaged 16.5 points and 5.0 rebounds to lead the Colonials last week, tying for game-high honors with 15 points in the win over the Pioneers while tying a career-high for the second time in the last three games with 18 points against the Bobcats.
• Redshirt senior forward
Russell Johnson (Chester, PA/Chester) averaged 16.0 points in RMU’s two wins last week, including a season-high 22 points in the win over Quinnipiac.
• RMU was without its top two scorers in its win over Sacred Heart, as redshirt senior guard
Velton Jones (Philadelphia, PA/ Northeast Catholic) and junior guard
Karvel Anderson (Elkhart, IN/Glen Oaks Community College) both missed the game due to injury ... The duo returned in the win over Quinnipiac and combined for 22 points in the first half to bolster the Colonials to a 41-29 halftime advantage en route to the victory.
• Junior forward
Mike McFadden (Newark, NJ/Technology) tied for team-high honors in scoring with 15 points over the Pioneers and averaged 10.5 points in the two victories.
• A balanced attack, Robert Morris features six student-athletes that average between 8.5 and 12.0 points per game so far in 2012-13 while averaging between 24.6 and 27.1 minutes per contest ... In six NEC games, those scoring averages range from 9.2 to 13.0 points per game.
• Velton Jones had his school record streak of consecutive games snapped at 121 by missing RMU’s win over Sacred Heart ... Jones had established a new school record in the category just a week prior in an 84-55 win over Fairleigh Dickinson (1/10/13), breaking the old mark of 119 straight games that was held by former Colonial Wade Timmerson (1988-92).
• Redshirt senior forward
Russell Johnson (Chester, PA/Chester) is just four points shy of becoming the 21st member of the Robert Morris 1,000-point club as well as just the 12th player in school history to accumulate career totals of both 1,000 points and 500 rebounds.
• Thanks to an 87-75 win over Quinnipiac (1/19/13), Robert Morris became the second program in NEC history to secure 300 wins in regular-season league play. A charter member of the conference, the Colonials joined Fairleigh Dickinson and own an overall record of 300-240 (.556).
Sacred Heart (6-11, 4-2 NEC)
Last Week’s Games: Jan. 17 at Robert Morris (L, 66-62); Jan. 19 at Saint Francis U (W, 75-72)
This Week’s Games: Jan. 24 vs. Bryant; Jan. 26 vs. Monmouth
• The Pioneers closed out a season-long road trip (four games) with a split on the Pennsylvania swing, losing at Robert Morris and beating Saint Francis U on live TV (FCS Central, ESPN3). SHU went 2-2 on the trip and know return home to the William H. Pitt Center where they will play seven of their next 10 games. SHU returns to the TV screen next Saturday when they host Monmouth live on MSG+2. The Pioneers will host their annual “Pack the Pitt” day and it will also be the annual Coaches vs. Cancer event.
• Senior
Justin Swidowski (Cinnaminson, NJ/Holy Cross HS) was forced out of action missing the PA road trip. Swidowski re-injured his shoulder in practice last week and the time table for his return is undetermined at this time.
• Senior
Shane Gibson (Killingly, CT/Killingly) continues to rise up the SHU and NEC all-time scoring lists as he closes in on 1,800 career points. Gibson is now 14th all-time at SHU and has climbed to 12th on the NEC list with 1,776 points.
• Gibson is averaging 24.0 ppg in six NEC games this season while shooting at a 49.0 percent, including 46.2 percent from three.
• Sophomore point guard
Phil Gaetano (Wallingford, CT/Sheehan (Choate Rosemary)) didn’t take a shot in the loss at Robert Morris but he did record his fifth 10 assist game this season. Gaetano had 10 assists against just one turnover. On the year he has 125 assists against 58 turnovers. He improved to sixth in the NCAA in assists.
St. Francis Brooklyn (8-9, 4-2 NEC)
Last Week’s Games: Jan. 17 vs. Monmouth (L, 71-67); Jan. 19 vs. Fairleigh Dickinson (W, 70-51)
This Week’s Games: Jan. 24 vs. LIU Brooklyn; Jan. 26 at Central Connecticut
• St. Francis Brooklyn has won six of their last eight contests to get within a game of the .500 mark on the season.
• The Terriers led from start to finish for the first time this season in their 70-51 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday. The 51 points were the fewest St. Francis Brooklyn has allowed on the campaign, as the Terriers played stifling defense all day, holding FDU to just 34 percent shooting (18-of-53). The Knights were also an NEC season-worst 0-for-16 from three-point range.
• In the loss against Monmouth on Thursday, leading scorer and rebounder
Jalen Cannon (Allentown, PA/William Alllen) had to exit the game with 15:47 remaining after he suffered a cut near his eye. The hosts were leading 39-34 at that point and when he returned from the training room with 7:13 remaining, the Hawks’ suddenly were in front by a 59-48 margin, a 16-point turnaround.
• Cannon went over the 500-point mark against FDU on Saturday. He’s now 7th in the league in scoring (16.1 pg.), 2nd in rebounding (9.2 pg.), and is third in field goal percentage (.586).
The Terriers are yielding an NEC-low 59.5 points over the first five conference games. St. Francis has been stingy guarding the 3-point shot, allowing just 18-of-83 attempts (.217 percent).
• Junior guard
Ben Mockford (Shoreham-by-Sea, England/Oak Hill Academy (VA)) is 15-of-27 (56 percent) from 3-point distance over his last four contests and is averaging 16.3 ppg. 15 of his 16 field goals were from beyond the arc. He’s tied for third in the league with 2.71 treys per game.
• Sophomore forward
Lowell Ulmer (Staten Island, NY/ McKee (Staten Island Tech)) recorded a career-high eight points and four rebounds in 11 minutes off the bench against FDU. Ulmer hit 4-of-5 field goals and all of his caroms were on the offensive glass.
• Sophomore forward
Kevin Douglas (Bronx, NY/Frederick Douglass Academy) has missed three straight contests with an injured right-hand.
Saint Francis U (1-16, 1-5 NEC)
Last Week’s Games: Jan. 17 vs. Quinnipiac (L, 75-66 (OT)); Jan. 19 vs. Sacred Heart (L, 75-72)
This Week’s Games: Jan. 24 vs. Robert Morris; Jan. 26 vs. Wagner
• Saint Francis has dropped two NEC games by five points or fewer and two more games in overtime.
• Sophomore forward
Earl Brown (Philadelphia, PA/Imhotep Charter) continued his impressive mid-season tear with his sixth- and seventh-straight double-doubles; His 18 boards vs. Quinnpiac was his second-highest total of the season.
• Rookie
Ben Millaud-Meunier (Montreal, Quebec/Vanier) earned his first career start and responded with a season-high 20 points.
• Freshman
Stephon Mosley (West Orange, NJ/Seton Hall Prep) continued his oustanding first go-around in Loretto by averaging 12 points and six boards last week; The forward has scored in double figured in four of his last five outings.
• Junior guard
Umar Shannon (Atlantic City, N.J./Atlantic City) is day-to-day with a lower body injury.
Wagner (9-8, 3-3 NEC)
Last Week’s Games: Jan. 17 at Central Connecticut (L, 73-66); Jan. 19 at Bryant (L, 82-59)
This Week’s Games: Jan. 24 at Mount St. Mary’s; Jan. 26 at Saint Francis U
• Freshman E
ric Fanning (Trenton, NJ/Perkiomen (PA)) recorded double-figures in back-to-back games for the first time in his career en route to averaging a team-best 13.0 points per game while shooting 47.4 percent from the floor, including 50.0 percent from deep. Fanning scored a career-high 13 points at Central Connecticut, before quickly matching it with 13 at Bryant.
• Sophomore
Kenneth Ortiz (Newark, NJ/Science Park (Southern Mississippi)) paced Wagner in scoring for the fifth time this season at CCSU with 18 points, on 7-for-14 shooting, while handing out six assists, against just three turnovers.
• Junior
Latif Rivers (Elizabeth, NJ/Avon Old Farms (CT)) also notched double-figures for the 50th time in his career with 12 points against the Blue Devils and now has 951 points. He is now just 49 points away from becoming the 40th member of the Seahawk 1,000-point club and is the eighth leading active scorer in the NEC.
• Rivers was a perfect 7-for-7 from the line this week and has now converted on a blistering 87.8 percent (245-for-279) in his career.
• Senior
Jonathon Williams (Richmond, CA/Kennedy (City College of San Francisco)) had 17 points and nine rebounds against Bryant, marking the ninth time this season he has led the Green & White in both categories. He is now averaging 22.0 points and 10.5 rebounds per game over two match-ups at the Chase Athletic Center.
• Wagner concludes its four-game road trip at Mount St. Mary’s (1/24) and Saint Francis (PA) (1/26).