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RMU FIRST TO PUNCH NEC TOURNEY TICKET
 
There are still three weeks left in the regular season, but we already saw the first team punch its ticket to the eight-team NEC Tournament on Saturday.
 
With a 9-1 NEC mark, first place Robert Morris clinched a spot in the playoffs for the 11th straight year after sweeping its Brooklyn road trip for the first time since the 1999-00 campaign with a 65-56 win at LIU Brooklyn and 72-50 victory at St. Francis Brooklyn.  The Colonials allowed just 106 points in the two games, marking the fewest points the Colonials have allowed in back-to-back NEC road wins under fourth-year head coach Andrew Toole and the lowest overall since yielding just 98 points in victories at St. Francis Brooklyn (2/5/09) and Central Connecticut (2/7/09) during the 2008-09 campaign.
 
RMU holds a one-game lead over Bryant (8-2), but should the teams finish deadlocked for the NEC regular season title, the Colonials own the head-to-head tiebreaker via a season sweep over the Bulldogs.  Behind the play of senior forward Alex Francis (Harlem, NY/Holderness Prep (NH)), who averaged 23.5 ppg and 9.0 rpg to claim Choice Hotels/NEC Player of the Week honors, the Bulldogs won at CCSU (79-68) and at home against Mount St. Mary’s (78-75) last week.
 
Behind RMU and Bryant, there is a three-way logjam for third place between Mount St. Mary’s, St. Francis Brooklyn and Wagner, all with 6-4 records.
 
Right behind in sixth place with a 5-5 mark is Saint Francis U, one of the league’s hottest teams.  The Red Flash have now won four of their last five games, including a 74-58 road triumph at LIU Brooklyn on Saturday.  It marks the best 10-game start for the Red Flash since opening the 2009-10 season with a 5-5 record.
 
Fairleigh Dickinson (4-6) and CCSU (3-7) hold down the seventh and eighth spots, with LIU Brooklyn (2-8) and Sacred Heart (1-9) on the outside looking in.
 
BRYANT’S FRANCIS ABOUT TO JOIN PRESTIGIOUS 2K SCORING CLUB
It is a club so elite, only five players in the 33-year history of the NEC have been accepted for membership.
 
There is about to be a sixth member, and it could come as early as Thursday.
 
Bryant senior forward Alex Francis (Harlem, NY/Holderness Prep) is just 13 points shy of reaching 2,000 points for his career, and when he does reach the milestone, he will be in some good company.
 
Last week, Francis jumped three spots from ninth to sixth on the NEC’s all-time scoring list with 1,987 points, passing NEC Hall of Famers Rik Smits (1,945) of Marist and Myron Walker (1,965) of Robert Morris, along with CCSU’s Ken Horton (1,966).
 
With six games remaining in the regular season and any postseason games thereafter, Francis is well on his to ending his career in the NEC career top-five.
 
NEC Career Scoring Leaders
1. Terrance Bailey*      WC        2,591       1983-87
2. Joe Anderson          SFU       2,301       1987-91
3. Chris McGuthrie       MSM       2,297       1993-96
4. Jermaine Hall         WC        2,278       1999-03
5. Shane Gibson          SHU       2,079       2008-13
6. Alex Francis          BRY       1,987       2010-14
7. Ken Horton            CCSU      1,966       2007-12
8. Myron Walker*         RMU       1,965       1990-94
9. Rik Smits*            MAR       1,945       1984-88
10. Desi Wilson*         FDU       1,902       1988-91
 
* Member of NEC Hall of Fame
 
THE FRANCHISE GOES WHERE NO OTHER HAS GONE
As if approaching 2,000 points wasn’t enough, Bryant senior forward Alex Francis (Harlem, NY/Holderness Prep) is also the only player to occupy a position in the NEC top-10 in career points and rebounds.
 
Francis cracked the top-10 on the NEC all-time rebound list on Saturday and enters play this week tenth with 922 boards.
 
NEC Career Rebounding Leaders
1. Justin Rutty         QU        1,032       2007-11
2. Ron Robinson         CCSU      1,022       2000-04
3. Carey Scurry         LIU       1,013       1982-85
4. Obie Nwadike         CCSU      980         2003-07
5. Eric Taylor          SFU       967         1994-98
6. Corsley Edwards      CCSU      966         1998-02
7. Jamal Olasewere      LIU       963         2009-13
8. Rahshon Turner       FDU       927         1994-98
9. Ted Taylor           MAR       923         1981-85
10. Alex Francis        BRY       922         2010-14
 
Two other players of recent vintage came close to closing out their careers in the top-10 in both scoring in rebounding, most notably 2012-13 NEC Player of the Year Jamal Olasewere, who ranks seventh all-time in rebounding and 12th in scoring.
 
Recent Players Ranked In Top-20 In NEC Career Scoring & Rebounding
Ken Horton          CCSU       1,966 points/6th     842 rebounds/14th
Jamal Olasewere     LIU        1,871/12th           963/7th
Alex Francis        BRY        1,987/6th            922/10th
 
Last week Francis averaged 22.5 ppg, 9.5 rpg and shot 61.3 percent from the field, including a 25-point, nine-rebound game in a 78-75 win over Mount St. Mary’s on Saturday.  In NEC play, Francis leads the conference with 23.8 ppg, 9.4 rpg and 64.1 percent shooting from the field. 
 
Francis currently ranks in the NEC top-10 in scoring (19.9, second), rebounding (7.8, third) and field goal percentage (.591, 1st).
 
TOP-10 HIT: LIU’S BRICKMAN REACHES NCAA ASSIST PLATEAU
In a year filled with milestones and honors, LIU Brooklyn senior guard Jason Brickman (San Antonio, TX/Clark) reached another memorable plateau last week, moving up three spots to tenth place on the NCAA career assist list.  Brickman has now dished for 947 assists as he approaches the final stretch of his career over the next month.
 
One of the fascinating aspects of his chart climb is the caliber of names he is leapfrogging on a game-by-game basis.  Last Thursday, he hopped past Ohio U’s D.J. Cooper (934) and NBA Hall of Famer Gary Payton (939).  Then on Saturday, he tied CBS commentator Doug Gottlieb (947) to reach the top-10.
 
There are more high profile names for Brickman to jump in the next week or two beginning with former NBA star and current analyst Greg Anthony, who is in ninth place with 950 helpers.  Current Los Angeles Laker Steve Blake (972) and former NBA player Sherman Douglas (960) are also on the horizon.
 
Brickman’s march up the assist ladder has started to attract national attention, including some of these recent Tweets.
 
ESPN Stats & Info @ESPNStatsInfo
With his 10th assist tonight, LIU Brooklyn’s Jason Brickman passed Gary Payton for 11th all-time in career assists with 940.
 
Jon Sciambi @BoogSciambi
He’s comin DG, it’s over...LIU Brooklyn’s Jason Brickman needs 10 assists to pass @GottliebShow & @GregAnthony50 into 9th place All-time.
 
Doug Gottlieb @GottliebShow
.@BoogSciambi @GregAnthony50 Top 10 was fun while it lasted…congrats to Jason Brickman (though his last name should be mine!!!)
 
Greg Anthony ?@GregAnthony50
Good luck!!! @LIUBasketball @JayBrick15 @NCAA @GottliebShow @GaryPayton_20
 
Only three players in the history of the NCAA have made it to 1,000 assists.  Duke’s Bobby Hurley is first with 1,076, followed by NC State’s Chris Corchiani (1,038) and UNC’s Ed Cota (1,030).  To get there in the regular season, Brickman would need to average 8.8 per game.  He currently leads the nation with 9.9 apg, far outdistancing Louisiana Tech’s Kenneth Smith, second in the nation with 7.6 apg.  The last player to average at least 10.0 assists in a season was Baylor’s Nelson Haggerty (10.1) in 1994-95.
 
Brickman dished for 11 assists against Robert Morris on Thursday and six more versus Saint Francis U on Saturday.  He has reached double digits in assists in five of his last six games, averaging 11.2 apg in that span.  Brickman also has three double-doubles in that stretch and ranks first in the NEC with nine on the year.
 
NCAA Career Assist Leaders
1. Bobby Hurley (Duke)                      1,076        1989-93
2. Chris Corchiani (NC State)               1,038        1987-91
3. Ed Cota (UNC)                            1,030        1996-00
4. Keith Jennings (East Tennessee State)    983          1987-91
5. Steve Blake (Maryland)                   972          1999-03      
6. Sherman Douglas (Syracuse)               960          1985-89
7. Tony Miller (Marquette)                  956          1991-95
8. Aaron Miles (Kansas)                     954          2001-05
9. Greg Anthony (UNLV)                      950          1986-90
10. Jason Brickman (LIU)                    947          2010-14
11. Doug Gottlieb (Notre Dame/Ok. St.)      947          1996-00
12. Gary Payton (Oregon State)              939          1986-90
13. D.J. Cooper (Ohio)                      934          2009-13
 
WELCOME BACK KV
After missing eight straight games with a broken finger, the return of CCSU junior guard Kyle Vinales (Detroit, MI/Phelps School) was a welcome sight for the fans at Detrick Gymnasium on Saturday.
 
And it couldn’t have come at a better time for the Blue Devils, who started 1-6 in league play but have since won two-of-three games in dramatic fashion to get back in the NEC playoff race.
 
After rallying from 18 down in the final seven minutes to hand Robert Morris its lone conference setback of the season last Saturday, the Vinales-led Blue Devils pulled another one out of the hat this past Saturday, erasing a 12-point FDU lead in the final five minutes in a 91-86 overtime win over the Knights.
 
“We played inspired basketball,” said CCSU head coach Howie Dickenman.  “It’s nice to have Kyle back.  He was anxious as all get-out to play.  Talk about a happy guy.  He was a happy guy.  Happy coaches, too.”
 
Vinales came off the bench to score 20 points and dish a game-high seven assists in 34 minutes of play.  He hit 7-11 from the floor and 3-5 from outside the arc.  Vinales scored seven points in the final 4:18 of regulation, including the game-tying layup with 1:35 to play, then added four more in overtime as CCSU took over sole possession of eighth place in the conference with the win.
 
“When I first went in I was kind of nervous,” Vinales said after the game.  “Then [CCSU coach Howie Dickenman] took me out for a second.  I went back in and I felt like I was all right.  I made a shot and a free throw, then I felt like I was back at home.”
 
With 1,398 career points, Vinales is just three points shy of the 12th spot on the CCSU career scoring list (Tyrone Canino, 1,401).  Only 10 players have scored 1,500 points in school history.
 
YEAR OF THE POINT GUARD

“NEC fans might not realize it, but they’re quite spoiled this season. The league features some of the best point guard play in the entire nation.” - John Templon, Big Apple Buckets
 
It’s the year of the point guard in the NEC, and there are stats to back that up.
 
By taking a quick look at assist rate - the percentage of field goals a player assists while on the floor - you will see the NEC sports four of the top-nine players in the nation in the category.
 
LIU Brooklyn senior guard Jason Brickman (San Antonio, TX/Clark) is not only the nation’s runaway leader at this point, but he also sports the highest DI assist rate since NBA veteran Jose Juan Barea finished with a 54.21 mark in 2005-06 playing for Northeastern.
 
1. Jason Brickman (LIU)          53.02
3. Sidney Sanders, Jr. (FDU)     43.10
4. Brent Jones (SFBK)            42.64
19. Julian Norfleet (MSM)        37.23
 
For more on assist rate and NEC point guards, see this Big Apple Buckets article from last week: http://www.nycbuckets.com/2014/02/assist-trends-nec-point-guards/
 
FOLAHAN’S BLOCK PARTY
Get used to rejection when you are playing against Wagner’s Naofall Folahan (Cotonou, Republic of Benin/Wilbraham & Monson Academy (MA)).
 
Folahan not only leads the NEC in blocked shots by a wide margin averaging 2.7 per contest, but last Thursday the senior forward also broke into the top-five all-time in the conference in career blocked shots. 
 
NEC Career Blocks Leaders
1. Rik Smits             MAR         345        1984-88
2. Carey Scurry          LIU         291        1982-85
3. Alan Tomidy           MAR         267        1992-96
4. Julian McKelly        SFBK        244        1981-86
5. Naofall Folahan       WC          202        2010-14
 
Folahan swatted five shots in a 75-68 win over FDU on Thursday, marking the seventh time this season he has rejected at least four shots in a game.
 
The Cotonou, Republic of Benin native led the NEC in blocked shots as a sophomore, and ranked second in the league in his freshman and junior seasons.  He currently ranks 29th nationally in the category.
 
STAT OF THE WEEK
In a statistical oddity, each of the 27 points for Robert Morris junior forward Lucky Jones (Newark, NJ/St. Anthony) came in the first half of the team’s two victories last week, while all of senior guard Karvel Anderson’s (Elkhart, IN/Elkhart Memorial (Glen Oaks CC)) 29 points came after halftime.
 
Jones shot 76.9 percent (10-13) from the field in the first half last week, including 83.3 percent (5-6) from deep, while Anderson converted 62.5 percent (10-16) of his shots from the floor in the second half, including 70 percent (7-10) from downtown
 
BRYANT’S DYAMI STARKS REACHES 1,000 POINT CLUB AS MEMBER OF BULLDOGS
Membership continues to swell in the NEC’s 1,000-point club.
 
On Thursday, Bryant junior guard Dyami Starks (Duluth, MN/Duluth East (Columbia)) became the 194th player in league history to reach 1,000 points.  He has scored 1,023 points at Bryant and 1,101 in total with 78 of those points coming as a freshman at Columbia.
 
Starks is one of ten current NEC players who have reached 1,000 while playing at conference schools.  Next in line to hit the milestone figures to be Bryant senior guard Corey Maynard (Adelaide, Australia/Sacred Heart College), who has tallied 959 points, and St. Francis Brooklyn senior guard Ben Mockford (Shoreham-by-Sea, England/Oak Hill Academy), who has 945 points at St. Francis Brooklyn and 977 for his career.
 
THIS WEEK IN NEC-TV; CBS SPORTS NETWORK DEBUT
The biggest week of NEC-TV this season is upon us with four games slated to air.
 
It all starts on Thursday when St. Francis Brooklyn plays host to CCSU at the Pope Center.  Tipoff is at 7:00 pm on MSG and Fox College Sports.  Paul Dottino (PxP), Joe DeSantis (color) and John Schmeelk (sideline) have the call.
 
On Saturday, Saint Francis U visits Fairleigh Dickinson at 7:00 pm.  MSG and FCS will carry the game live, while Root Pittsburgh will air via tape-delay on Sunday.  Dottino (PxP), Tim Capstraw (color) and Schmeelk (sideline) are in the booth.
 
Sunday brings doubleheader action, including the NEC’s debut on CBS Sports Network.  In a battle of NEC contenders, Wagner entertains Bryant at noon.  Dave Popkin (PxP), Capstraw (color) and Schmeelk (sideline) are the commentators.  At 4:00 pm, it is the annual Battle of Brooklyn telecast between LIU Brooklyn and St. Francis Brooklyn.  This year’s game will be contested at Barclays Center with Dottino (PxP), DeSantis (color) and Schmeelk (sideline) on the call.
 
BATTLE OF BROOKLYN TV HISTORY
The Battle of Brooklyn not only spotlights the NEC’s fiercest rivalry, but almost without fail delivers some of the most compelling television when it is airs annually as part of the conference package.
 
When the LIU Brooklyn - St. Francis Brooklyn rivalry is renewed on Saturday at Barclays Center, there will be plenty of hype, and deservedly so.  But can the game top these recent TV thrillers?
 
2013 - LIU rallies from 14 down in the second half, scoring 57 points after intermission to win 78-68 at a packed Pope Center.
 
2012 - Julian Boyd hits the go-ahead jumper with 18 seconds left as the Blackbirds come back from five down with under three minutes to play and secure an 81-78 home win.
 
2011 - CJ Garner goes coast-to-coast and hits a runner at the buzzer to give LIU the 82-80 victory as pandemonium breaks out at the Pope Center.
 
2010 - In perhaps the most exciting game of the series in recent years, the Terriers take down the Blackbirds in triple overtime, 88-84.  SFBK twice had to hit late three-pointers to force the second and third OTs.
 
2009 - SFBK rallies back from 15 down in the second half to tie it up, but the Blackbirds are able to salt the game away at the line, winning 74-70.
 
2008 - The Terriers win at the Steinberg Wellness Center, 67-64, when a Kyle Johnson three-point attempt is just off the mark with four seconds to play.
 
2006 - LIU erases a 14-point second half deficit and survives a last possession by SFBK to win at home, 67-64.
 
2003 - This one wasn’t televised, but went down as perhaps the most memorable contest in NEC history.  LIU guard Antawn Dobie turned in the most brilliant single-game performance in league annals exploding for an NEC single-game record 53 points.  But that wasn’t all.  He also dished out 15 assists and was directly involved in 87 of LIU’s points that day.  One would assume those numbers would guarantee a victory for the Blackbirds.  Not on this night.  Not in this rivalry.
 
While Dobie was putting on a one-man show, the Terriers received stellar performances from a pair of Brooklyn products.  Freshman sharpshooter John Quintana (Lincoln) came off the bench to register a career-high 31 points and senior forward Clifford Strong (Bishop Loughlin) added 29 points.  Likewise, future All-NEC point guard Tory Cavalieri dished for 13 assists.
 
Carrying the Blackbirds on his back, Dobie played the role of hero on more than one occasion. His 40-foot runner as time expired forced overtime and sent the evenly split crowd into a frenzy.
 
His two free throws at the end of the first extra session sent the game into double overtime.  Dobie then scored five of his team’s 11 points in the second overtime.  One would think destiny would be on Dobie’s side as the game reached its final climax, but his potential game-winning 17-foot jumper went in and out with five seconds to play and the Blackbirds trailing by one.
 
It was one of the very few shots Dobie missed on the day.
 
In the end, St. Francis (NY) won the Battle of Brooklyn that year.  The score: 142-140.  To this day, it remains the highest scoring game in NEC history.  No single team has ever scored that many points in an NEC game before or since.
 
ON THE NATIONAL LEADERBOARD
Below are a list of NEC players who rank in the top-25 nationally in various statistical categories.
 
Category       Name                      Team        Stats           Ranking
Scoring        Sidney Sanders, Jr.       FDU         20.3 ppg        22nd
Assists        Jason Brickman            LIU         9.9 apg         1st
               Phil Gaetano              SHU         6.2 apg         10th
Steals         Sidney Sanders, Jr.       FDU         2.3 spg         20th
FG%            Alex Francis              BRY         .591            17th
3PFG/Game      Karvel Anderson           RMU         3.40/game       8th     
               Dyami Starks              BRY         3.21/game       15th
3PFG%          Karvel Anderson           RMU         .480            3rd
A/TO Ratio     Brent Jones               SFBK        2.81            24th
               Jason Brickman            LIU         2.80            25th
                           
NEC NOTABLES
 
• Bryant senior guard Corey Maynard (Adelaide, Australia/Sacred Heart College) averaged 14.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg and 3.0 apg in a 2-0 week for the Bulldogs.
 
• CCSU freshman guard Khalen Cumberlander (Washington, D.C./Coolidge) averaged 10.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg and 3.5 apg while committing only one turnover in a 1-1 week for the Blue Devils.  He shot 9-14 from the field and 2-5 from three-point range.  In a loss to Bryant on Thursday night he was 7-12 from the floor and scored 15 points while grabbing five rebounds and dishing out four assists in 38 minutes.  Cumberlander has made 55.1 percent (27-49) of his shot attempts the last seven games and is averaging 8.5 ppg in league play.
 
• CCSU junior guard Malcolm McMillan (Baltimore, MD/John Carroll) averaged 17.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg and 3.5 apg for the Blue Devils last week.  He hit 12-13 from the line.  McMillan scored a team-high 16 points against Bryant on Thursday.
 
• Fairleigh Dickinson senior guard Sidney Sanders, Jr. (Charleston, SC/Burke (Polk CC)) recorded his fourth 30-point game of the season after dropping 30 in a 91-86 overtime setback at CCSU on Saturday.  He has now scored 30 in two of his last three games, and has netted at least 20 in four straight and in an NEC-best 14 contests this year.  Sanders averaged 27.0 ppg, 5.5 apg and 4.0 spg on the week, and shot 54.1 percent from the floor, 60.0 percent from long distance and 84.6 percent from the line.  He matched a career-high with five steals versus CCSU and has recorded at least two thefts in eight straight contests.  Sanders leads the NEC in scoring (20.3) and steals (2.3), and ranks third in assists (5.8).
 
• LIU Brooklyn sophomore forward E.J. Reed (Dallas, TX/Mesquite) averaged 17.0 ppg and 9.0 rpg last week, including a 20-point, 10-rebound performance against Saint Francis U on Saturday.  Reed also averaged 3.0 blocks in two home contests and shot an even 50.0 percent from the field.
 
• Mount St. Mary’s senior guard Rashad Whack (Hyattsville, MD/Bishop McNamara (George Mason)) had another fantastic week for the Mount, averaging 18.5 ppg and 4.0 rpg in the two games.  He was on fire from three-point range, hitting 6-8 from beyond the arc en-route to a team-high 21 points in a 78-75 loss at Bryant on Sunday.  He hit three triples during an 18-6 run that helped cut a 12-point deficit to two.  His three with 53 seconds left made it a 76-75 game.  Whack is averaging a team-best 19.2 ppg in NEC play while chipping in 4.7 rpg.  He is 30-70 (.429) from three-point range in the Mount’s ten NEC games.
 
• Sophomore 7-0 center Taylor Danaher (Fredericksburg, VA/Fredericksburg Christian School) continues to develop for Mount St. Mary’s.  Danaher posted career-highs of 19 points and 12 rebounds against Bryant on Saturday.  He hit 9-9 at the charity stripe in the game.  Danaher is averaging 10.3 ppg and 6.0 rpg while shooting 65.1 percent from the field over the past seven games.
 
• Robert Morris sophomore forward Stephan Hawkins (Gary, IN/Bowman Academy) averaged 10.5 ppg and 4.0 rpg while shooting 57.1 percent (8-14) from the field and 83.3 percent (5-6) at the free-throw line in a pair of wins last week.  He finished with 10 points in the victory over LIU Brooklyn and 11 points versus St. Francis Brooklyn, marking the first back-to-back double-figure scoring games of his career.
• Sacred Heart senior forward Louis Montes (Brockton, MA/Brockton) averaged 15.5 ppg and 8.0 rpg last week.  He finished with 18 points and 10 boards on Thursday against Mount St. Mary’s.  It was his third double-double of the year.  Montes leads the Pioneers with 13.0 ppg on the year.
 
• St. Francis Brooklyn freshman guard Sheldon Hagigal (Westbury, NY/West Oaks Academy (FL)) came off the bench to tie his season-high with 23 points in a 78-52 win over Saint Francis U on Thursday.  The Choice Hotels/NEC Rookie of the Week scored 14 points in the opening-half and hit 9-11 shots on the afternoon, including 2-3 from behind the arc.  He also added five boards in 25 minutes of play.
 
• Saint Francis U junior guard Stephon Whyatt (Jersey City, NJ/St. Peter’s Prep) led the charge for the Red Flash last week.  He chipped in nine points in Thursday’s setback at St. Francis Brooklyn before exploding for a season-high 17 points in a 74-58 win over at LIU Brooklyn.  He made 4-5 from three-point range after entering the game having hit just three from distance all season.
 
• Wagner senior guard Kenneth Ortiz (Newark, NJ/Science Park (Southern Mississippi)) averaged 13.0 ppg, 6.0 apg, 3.5 rpg and 2.5 spg in a 2-0 week for the Seahawks.  He tallied 11 points, eight assists, three steals and three assists in a 75-68 victory over FDU on Thursday and added 15 points, four assists, four rebounds and two steals in a 62-55 win at Sacred Heart two days later.  For the week, the two-time NEC Defensive Player of the Year also helped the Wagner defense force opponents into 19.5 percent (8-41) shooting from long range.  On the year, the Garden State native ranks among the league leaders in scoring (12.4 ppg, 15th), assists (4.5, seventh), steals (1.8, third), assist/turnover ratio (1.49, ninth) and free throw percentage (.721, 14th).  Ortiz went over the 900-point and 400-assist plateaus for the Green & White and now has 905 markers (935 career) and 402 (424 career) helpers in his three years on Grymes Hill.             
 
• Wagner senior guard Latif Rivers (Elizabeth, NJ/Avon Old Farms (CT)) scored 20 points against FDU on Thursday.  Over the course of his career he has notched at least 20 points on 17 occasions while pacing the squad in scoring 34 times with Wagner going 14-3 and 22-12 in those contests, respectively.  The Garden State native also cracked the 1,400-point mark, and with 1,425 points, ranks fourth among active NEC players and 14th in school history.
 
NEC NUMBERS
 
Bryant needs just four more victories for its first 20-win season at the DI level.
 
Six CCSU players averaged in double digits last week.
 
CCSU junior forward Faronte Drakeford scored a career-high 25 points while grabbing eight rebounds in Saturday’s come from behind win over FDU.
 
FDU junior guard Mustafaa Jones knocked down a career-high seven 3PFG and matched a career best in scoring with 21 points versus CCSU on Saturday. The seven tryes are the second most in a game in FDU history, one shy of Manny Ubilla’s eight against URI on January 2, 2008.
 
FDU’s Scooter Gillette hit all seven of his FG attempts in a career-high 18-point effort versus CCSU on Saturday.
 
LIU Brooklyn’s four-game losing streak in NEC play is the longest for the three-time defending NEC champions since the 2007-08 season.
 
Mount St. Mary’s Julian Norfleet has moved into 10th place on the Mount’s all-time assist list with 372.  He needs 28 assists to become the eighth player in MSM history to reach 400 for his career.
 
Mount St. Mary’s ranks seventh nationally with 9.3 3PFG per game.
 
Robert Morris junior forward Lucky Jones cracked the top-20 all-time in scoring for RMU last week, moving into a tie for 19th with Derek Coleman (2003-07) with 1,042 points.
 
Robert Morris senior guard Karvel Anderson moved into a tie for third place on the school’s single season list for three-pointers with 85 on the year.
 
Sacred Heart junior guard Steve Glowiak has now hit 151 three-pointers in his career.  Glowiak ranks fourth in the NEC with 2.64 3PFG per outing.
 
St. Francis Brooklyn shot a season-high 57.4 percent (31-54) from the floor in Thursday’s win over Saint Francis U.
 
Saint Francis U picked up its first-ever win at LIU Brooklyn’s Steinberg Wellness Center this past Saturday with a 74-58 victory.
 
Wagner’s Bashir Mason, the youngest DI coach in the nation, turns 30 on Feb. 11th.
 
Wagner senior forward Orlando Parker pulled down his 500th career rebound on Saturday.
 
QUOTABLE
 
“We talk all the time, sometimes not even about basketball. I can share anything with him. He’s like a guru. We just ‘click.’ Maybe it’s because we’re both from New York City.” - Bryant’s Alex Francis on his relationship with assistant coach Al Skinner
 
“We said we had to get some effort and production from our seniors. I thought they answered the bell. I thought (DeAngelo) Speech was terrific on defense and made a couple of jump shots, and [Terrell Allen] went up and blocked a couple of shots. They stepped up and played like seniors today.” - CCSU head coach Howie Dickenman after CCSU rallied to beat FDU in OT on Saturday
 
“This win is big for us. We can continue to build on this one. I enjoyed having Kyle back. We definitely missed him.” - CCSU junior forward Faronte Drakeford on a returning Kyle Vinales in Saturday’s win over FDU
 
“Wagner was very, very good tonight. They guarded us really well, and we could just not keep them off the foul line. It is very hard to win on the road in any league, and I am finding that the NEC is no exception. Once again, Sid (Sanders) left his heart out on the floor, but we never had any consistent scoring around the basket to go along with his terrific play.” - FDU head coach Greg Herenda following Thursday’s loss at Wagner
 
“The crowd really helped us out. This was the first time since I’ve been here that we had a crowd like that. It really pumped us up and helped us and maybe rattled Mount in the first half, but we just didn’t keep that energy going in the second half.” - Sacred Heart senior forward Louis Montes on Thursday’s game vs. Mount St. Mary’s
 
“We talked to our guys about being able to bounce back. We knew LIU Brooklyn was going to be a difficult place to play. They were going to make a run at some point and when they did we responded.” - Saint Francis U head coach Rob Krimmel
 
“Since day one I’ve said that we are talented enough not just to win the NEC but to win games in the NCAA tournament. We just had to focus, and get past things that have nothing to do with basketball. I think we’ve done that.” - Wagner junior guard Jay Harris
 
“Kenny (Ortiz) lifts us with his intensity.  Sometimes when he’s playing the way he did today I just want to sit back and watch.  That’s how much fun it is.” - Wagner head coach Bashir Mason on Kenny Ortiz in Saturday’s win over Sacred Heart
 
TWEET DECK
 
SHU Pioneers @SHUBigRed
What a great crowd last night at #PackThePitt. Thanks To @SHUStudentGov for their efforts and everyone who attended! pic.twitter.com/uWkgNh0jqA
 
Ryan Peters @pioneer_pride
My goodness, Karvel Anderson. My goodness.
 
Conor McKiernan @cmckiernan3
@SportsCenter Kenny Ortiz from @WagnerAthletics with the absurd and one throw down #SCTop10
 
Ryan Peters @pioneer_pride
Watching LIU/RMU, but I have WAG/FDU on in the background. And I just heard Joey Wahler go nuts, so I guess Wagner is doing well. #TheyAre
 
John Templon ?@nybuckets
I’m not sure that Wagner is allowed to play defense this well in #NECMBB. Aren’t there regulations again that?
 
BryantMascot Tupper® @BryantTuppy
Can’t wait for the @BryantHoops game 2/13! Alex Francis 13pts from his 2,000th! There a #FanBus @BryantDawgPound? pic.twitter.com/quYxw87ndA
 
LIU Basketball @LIUBasketball
Reverse slam off the alley-oop, E.J. Reed from Jason Brickman! #SCtop10 worthy?! I think so!