Choice Hotels/NEC Player of the Week
Jesse Steele, Monmouth
5-8, 180lbs
Jr., G, Milford, NJ/Oak Hill (VA)
Steele averaged 19.0 points per game and led Monmouth to its first two victories of the season to earn this week’s Choice Hotels/NEC Player of the Week award. The junior guard shot the lights out in games against Navy and Fordham, accumulating 38 points while connecting on 62% of his shots from the floor and 67% beyond the arc. Against Navy on Tuesday, Steele recorded his fourth-career 20-point game with exactly that and proved to be clutch in the end, going 4 for 4 from the line in the final 65 seconds to keep the Hawks out in front and seal a 69-67 victory, their first of the season. In addition to that 4-for-4 mark from the free-throw line, Steele went 6 of 10 from the field and buried 4 of 6 treys taken. The former Oak Hill (VA) product then continued to pace MU on Saturday, adding a team-high 18 points while contributing six assists, five boards and a steal in a 15-point win over the Rams, 80-65. With his two-game effort, Steele increased his team-leading PPG game average to 11.3 for the season and also boosted his assist total to 33, a figure that ranks first on the Hawks’ squad.
Choice Hotels/NEC Rookie of the Week
Kyle Vinales, Central Connecticut State
6-1, 180lbs
Fr., G, Detroit, MI/Phelps School
Vinales, the leading freshman scorer in the nation, once again shined for the Blue Devils, averaging 19.5 points and 3.5 assists per game to earn his fourth Choice Hotels/NEC Rookie of the Week honor this season. Playing in his home state of Michigan against Michigan State on Wednesday, Vinales hit three shots from distance and accumulated 11 points and three assists in 21 minutes worth of action. He then exploded for 28 points against Rhode Island foe Brown on Saturday, with 23 of his points coming after the break. Through nine games thus far, Vinales is averaging 19.9 points per game to rank second in the NEC. He has scored 24 or more points in five of eight games this season.
AROUND THE LEAGUE
60 IS THE MAGIC NUMBER FOR NEC, ROBERT MORRIS: Over the first month of the season, Northeast Conference teams have posted a perfect 20-0 record when holding the opposition to 60 points or less. Robert Morris has been the most proficient team in that regard, going 6-0 in such games, followed by Central Connecticut and Wagner at 3-0.
A10 SUCCESS: The NEC is off to a 3-1 start against Atlantic 10 – currently rated as the seventh-best Conference in the nation according to the latest CollegeRPI.com rankings - competition this season. Last Tuesday, Robert Morris won at local rival Duquesne, 64-60, and Monmouth beat Fordham, 80-65, on Saturday. The Colonials have the NEC’s other win over the A10, a 51-44 triumph over La Salle back on November 25.
A KING’S WELCOME: MONMOUTH WINS PAIR, RETURNS HOME: After a rough start, Monmouth put it all together last week, winning the first two games of the King Rice era with a 69-67 road conquest at Navy last Tuesday followed by an 80-65 throttling of Fordham in the Hawks’ home opener on Saturday. Monmouth shot a season-high 58.0 percent from the field in the win over Navy, then had five players in double-figures against the Rams. NEC Player of the Week Jesse Steele (Milford, NJ/Oak Hill Academy), a junior guard, provided the scoring spark, averaging 19.0 ppg on 61.9 percent shooting from the floor and 66.7 percent (6-9) from three-point range, while junior forward Marcus Ware (Vineland, NJ/Vineland) provided an emotional lift. Ware, made his season debut against Navy, after missing the early portion of the season recovering from ACL surgery in the summer. The 2010-11 NEC All-Rookie Team selection played 12 minutes and converted a pivotal three-point play with 6:03 remaining in the game.
CCSU BIG THREE STILL ATOP NEC SCORING LEADERS, FORMS NATION’S HIGHEST SCORING TRIO: One month into the 2011-12 season and the Central Connecticut State trio of Ken Horton (Ossining, NY/Ossining), Kyle Vinales (Detroit, MI/Phelps School) and Robby Ptacek (Bay Shore, NY/Blue Point) refuse to relinquish their hold atop the NEC scoring chart. Horton, who is also fourth in the country in point production, leads the circuit with 23.3 ppg. Vinales, a freshman, is second with 19.9 ppg, with Ptacek next in line at 19.3 ppg.
Their scoring exploits are not just confined to the NEC. Horton, Vinales and Ptacek are the nation’s highest scoring trio entering play this week with a combined 62.5 ppg. All three players are ranked in the top-40 nationally in point production. No other Division I school has more than one player in that range. Along with Horton, Vinales ranks 27th and Ptacek ranks 37th.
The trio has accounted for 79.1 percent of CCSU’s total points on the year.
BEST IN CLASS: CCSU SCORING SENSATION KYLE VINALES: How good has Central Connecticut State freshman guard Kyle Vinales (Detroit, MI/Phelps School) been in his first year of collegiate ball? The Detroit, MI native and four-time NEC Rookie of the Week has emerged as the leading freshman scorer in the entire country, averaging 19.9 ppg. In fact, no other freshman across the nation is averaging more than 17.9 ppg (Maine’s Justin Edwards and UNC-Wilmington’s Adam Smith). Vinales poured in 28 points at Brown on Saturday and now has scored 20+ points in five-of-nine games on the year.
EATHERTON, MAYNARD AND AZOTAM HEAD UP NEC’S MOST IMPROVED: Which player has made the biggest offensive jump this season? That honor goes to Saint Francis (PA) sophomore forward Scott Eatherton (Hershey, PA/Hershey) , with Bryant sophomore guard Corey Maynard (Adelaide, Australia (Sacred Heart College HS)) and Quinnipiac sophomore forward Ike Azotam (Boston, MA/John D. O’Bryant (Marianapolis Prep)) right behind.
Eatherton came off the bench to average 3.9 ppg for the Red Flash as a freshman in 2010-11, but has quickly developed into the Red Flash’s top offensive option since a season-ending injury sidelined junior guard Umar Shannon (Atlantic City, NJ/Atlantic City). Eatherton has lifted his average 10.1 points to a team-leading 14.0 ppg in 2011-12. Maynard is a sharpshooter who ranks second in the league with 27 three-pointers and has added 8.6 points to his scoring average. The Australian native contributed 4.7 ppg as a freshman and is averaging 13.3 ppg this season. Azotam, the NEC’s leading rebounder (10.9/game), has also boosted his scoring average 8.3 points from 5.1 ppg to 13.4 rpg.
LIU’S OLASEWERE ANSWERS DOUBLE-DOUBLE CHALLENGE: Long Island junior forward Jamal Olasewere (Silver Spring, MD/Springbrook) had a memorable March last season, winning NEC Tournament MVP honors following a 31-point, 11-rebound performance in Blackbirds’ title game win over Robert Morris. With that in mind, the Silver Spring, MD was challenged by head coach Jim Ferry in the offseason to average a double-double for the year. Last week, Olasewere was up to the task, averaging 17.5 points and 10.0 rebounds as LIU won at Lafayette and dropped a road game at Columbia. He piled up 17 points and a season-best 14 rebounds against the Leopards last Monday, his second double-double of the season. Olasewere leads the Blackbirds and ranks ninth in the NEC with 15.4 ppg. He is also eighth in the league with 7.1 rpg.
STILL BLAZING: SFPA’S SCOTT “AUTOMATIC” EATHERTON UPDATE: To say Saint Francis (PA) sophomore forward Scott Eatherton (Hershey, PA/Hershey) has found a groove would be an understatement. The Hershey, PA native has been nearly automatic from the field this season, hitting an NCAA-best 77.6 percent of his shot attempts. Eatherton has misfired just 15 times in ten games, converting 52-67 opportunities. Those numbers seem rather pedestrian when you examine his numbers at home. Eatherton is 39-44 from the floor in the friendly confines of DeGol Arena, a remarkable 88.6 percent success rate, and has yet to miss more than one field goal attempt in a home game this season. Last week, Eatherton averaged 18.5 ppg and 6.0 rpg, including a career-high 21 points in a 66-61 win over American. In that game, he hit four straight free throws in the final 10 seconds to put the game on ice.
GOODE HOMECOMING: No one was more excited to play at #4 Louisville this season than Fairleigh Dickinson forward George Goode (Raytown, MO/Raytown South). Goode, a graduate student, played three years for the Cardinals before graduating last season with a degree in Communications. He returned to his former school on Saturday and what a homecoming it was. Goode finished with 17 points and matched a career-high with 12 rebounds in an 80-58 setback to the Cardinals. The Raytown, MO product has been on a tear as of late, posting three consecutive double-doubles. On the year, Goode is averaging 11.3 ppg and ranks fifth in the NEC with 8.0 rpg.
QU REBOUNDING CHECK: Its time for our weekly check-in on Quinnipiac’s dominant rebounding numbers. The Bobcats, who have led the NEC in rebound margin in each of the last three years and annually rank among national leaders in the category, are back on top in the league by a wide margin again this season. Quinnipiac has won the battle of the boards by as astounding 11.6 per game, a figure that ranks the program third in the nation behind Pittsburgh (+13.0) and Coastal Carolina (+12.2). Within the NEC, the Bobcats’ rebound margin is 6.5 per game better than second-ranked Robert Morris (+5.1 rpg). Sophomore forward Ike Azotam (Boston, MA/John D. O’Bryant (Marianapolis Prep)) has been the team’s driving force on the boards with an NEC-best 10.9 rpg.
AZOTAM DOUBLES FIELD IN DOUBLE-DOUBLES: Related to the previous note, Quinnipiac forward and NEC rebound leader Ike Azotam (Boston, MA/John D. O’Bryant (Marianapolis Prep)) paces the NEC with six double-doubles in 2011-12. That total doubles the next-best mark in the Conference, shared by Long Island junior forward Julian Boyd (San Antonio, TX/William H. Taft), Bryant sophomore forward Alex Francis (Harlem, NY/Holderness Prep (NH)) and Fairleigh Dickinson graduate student forward George Goode (Raytown, MO/Raytown South).
MOUNT’S NORFLEET KEYS UPSET BID OVER MARYLAND, ENJOYS CAREER WEEK: Mount St. Mary’s guard Julian Norfleet (Virginia Beach, VA/Landstown) is coming off the best week of his young career. The sophomore nearly led the Mountaineers to an upset over Maryland last Wednesday, finishing with a team-best 18 points to go along with a game-high six assists. In that game, the Mount rallied from a 16-point deficit to take a two-point lead over the host Terrapins, and had a chance to retake the lead with 20 seconds left, but Norfleet couldn’t convert his drive to the basket and Danny Thompson’s (Springdale, MD/C.H. Flowers) putback was off the mark. He followed with a career-best 23 points in an 11-point setback to Loyola (MD) on Saturday. For the week, he averaged 20.5 points, 5.0 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals.
BU’S DAN CALANDRILLO MAKES MOST OF OPPORTUNITY: Bryant junior walk-on Dan Calandrillo (Leonardo, NJ/Red Bank Catholic) played just 130 minutes over his first two seasons in a Bulldog uniform, and had logged 44 minutes of court time this season prior to earning his first two starts of the year last week. In the blink of an eye, Calandrillo went from seldom-used reserve to ironman, playing 39 minutes in each contest. He matched a career-high with eight points to go along with five rebounds against Yale last Wednesday, then established a new personal-best with 12 points on 5-6 shooting from the floor at Providence on Saturday. Calandrillo’s father, also named Dan, played basketball at Seton Hall from 1978-82. He led the nation in scoring and was named Big East Player of the Year as a senior in 1981-82.
CCSU’S KEN HORTON ROCKETING UP NEC ALL-TIME SCORING CHART: Central Connecticut State senior forward Ken Horton (Ossining, NY/Ossining) continued his chart climb last week, leaping nine more spots to 32nd on the NEC career scoring chart. Horton, who is now fifth all-time at CCSU, has accumulated 1,647 points in his star-studded career. The 2010-11 NEC Player of the Year needs just 61 points to break into the top-20.
WC’S TYLER MURRAY, SHU’S SHANE GIBSON SET TO JOIN NEC 1,000-POINT CLUB: The NEC began the 2011-12 campaign with three returning players already members of the 1,000-point scoring club, and a host of others set to join the ranks as the season progresses. There are 172 players in NEC history who have reached the 1,000-point plateau since the league began sponsoring basketball in 1981. CCSU senior forward Ken Horton (Ossining, NY/Ossining) is the leading active scorer with 1,645 points. Quinnipiac senior guard James Johnson (Brooklyn, NY/Bishop Loughlin) is next with 1,297 and CCSU senior guard Robby Ptacek (Bayport, NY/Blue Point) has accumulated 1,202 points. The next line of players on pace to reach 1,000 this season include Wagner senior guard Tyler Murray (Toronto, Ontario/Eastern Commerce) (978), Sacred Heart junior guard Shane Gibson (Killingly, CT/Killingly) (967), Wagner senior guard Chris Martin (Sicklerville, NJ/Winslow Township (Apex Academies)) (911) and St. Francis (NY) senior forward Stefan Perunicic (Belgrade, Serbia/Srednja Turisticka Skola) (906).
DID YOU KNOW?: At halftime of the Mount St. Mary’s game against Loyola (MD) on Saturday, John O’Reilly’s #51 was retired. O’Reilly helped lead the Mount to the 1962 College Division National Championship under NEC Hall of Fame coach Jim Phelan. He was a three-time All-America (Second Team in 1960, Honorable Mention 1961 and 1962) and finished his career with 1,508 points and 1,113 rebounds.
TEAM-BY-TEAM NOTES
Bryant (1-9, 0-2 NEC)
Last Week: Dec. 7 at Yale L, 76-59; Dec. 10 at Providence L, 72-61
This Week: Dec. 18 at Boston College
• The Bulldogs played arguably their best game of the season Saturday on the road at intrastate rival Providence College at the nearby Dunkin’ Donuts Center, maintaining a lead on its Big East foe for over 26 total minutes -- including more than 16 minutes of the second half -- to keep the Friars on the ropes all day long, but ultimately fell to PC, 72-61, in the final minutes. The Bulldogs held a 30-29 halftime lead in the contest and led, 56-49, with less than seven minutes to play before losing the lead for good with 3:37 left on the game clock.
• Bryant played an equally tight game Wednesday on the road at Yale. The teams were knotted at 27-27 at the break and stayed neither team led by more than three possessions leading up to the final tie with 8:01 to go in the game, 52-52.
• Sophomore Alex Francis (Harlem, NY/Holderness Prep) recorded his third double-double of the year and the 11th of his career with a team-high 17 points and game-best 13 rebounds in 38 minutes against the Friars and would pace Bryant on the week, averaging 13.5 ppg and 8.0 rpg following a 10-point outing against the Yale Bulldogs.
• Junior walk-on Dan Calandrillo (Leonardo, NJ/Red Bank Catholic) earning his first two starts of the season against Yale and PC and played his way to big minutes in both games, averaging a team-high 39 minutes per outing. The guard shot 66.7 percent on the week (8-12) and went 3-for-6 from downtown, while tying his then-career mark with eight points against the Bulldogs before setting a new career high with 12 points against the Friars Saturday.
• Freshman Ben Altit (Herzeliya, Israel/Rothberg) earned his first collegiate start Wednesday against Yale and played a career-high 25 minutes Saturday against PC, where he collected a career-best three blocks, the most from any Bulldog in a single game so far this season. Altit scored nine points on the week and shot 44.4 percent from the floor.
• Junior Corey Maynard (Adelaide, Australia/Sacred Heart College) recorded two more double-digit point performances to average 13.0 ppg on the week and now averages xxx ppg on the year. Maynard had a team-leading 15 points off 6-10 shooting against Yale and followed it up with 11 points off 4-6 shooting against Providence College to shoot 62.5 percent on the week and go 5-for-6 from beyond the arc. He also dished out a team-leading nine assists on the two-game week and averaged 34.5 minutes per game.
• As a team, Bryant shot 44 percent from the floor (47.9 against Yale; 41 against PC) and outshot its opponent for the fifth time this season against the Bulldogs. Against the Friars, Bryant was awarded just six free throw attempts to PC’s 24 and saw just 13 free throws to Yale’s 28 Wednesday against the Connecticut Bulldogs.
• Four Bryant players -- Corey Maynard (11), Dan Calandrillo (12), Frankie Dobbs (Berea, Ohio/St. Edward)(12) and Alex Francis (17) -- recorded double-figure points against Providence while Maynard (15), Francis (10) and sophomore Claybrin McMath (Adelaide, Australia/AIS) (10) do so against Yale.
Central Connecticut State (5-4, 2-0 NEC)
Last Week: Dec. 7 at Michigan State L, 89-69; Dec. 10 at Brown L, 90-80
This Week: Dec. 17 at Northwestern
• Senior Ken Horton (Ossining, NY/Ossining) scored 30 points in Saturday’s loss at Brown, putting him at 1,645 for his career, moving past CCSU Hall-of Famer Rick Mickens to fifth on the all-time scoring list. Mickens had 1,632. Up next is Bill Reaves, who has 1,647. Horton is 90 points away from becoming the school’s all-time leading scorer.
• Horton averaged 23.5 points and 12.0 rebounds per game last week for the Blue Devils. He had 17 points and nine rebounds in the loss at Michigan State. He followed that up with 30 points and a season-high 15 rebounds in the loss at Brown. The 15 rebounds is just one shy of his career-high set last season.
• Horton added nine steals last week, pushing his season total to 20 and his career total to 96.
• Horton has 25 threes this season, giving him 137 in his career, moving past former Blue Devil Javier Mojica for sixth on the all-time list for the Blue Devils. His 15 rebounds on Saturday give his 674 in his career, good for 10th all-time for the Blue Devils. He is now in the top-10 all-time in points, rebounds, blocks, scoring average, field goals, three-point field goals and free-throws made.
• Freshman Kyle Vinales (Detroit, MI/Phelps School) had 28 points, 23 after halftime, in the loss at Brown on Saturday. It was the sixth time in nine games that Vinales has scored at least 24 points in a game. He had 11 in the loss at Michigan State on Wednesday night, giving him an average of 19.5 points per game. He made six threes at Brown, the second time this season he has had six in a game. He has two or more threes in a game seven times this season.
• Senior guard Robby Ptacek (Bayport, NY/Blue Point) hit a pair of free-throws in the loss on Saturday, including the 300th make of his career, good for a top-10 spot in school history. He is 301-for-343 in his career, good for 87.8 percent.
Fairleigh Dickinson (1-8, 0-2 NEC)
Last Week: Dec. 7 at Stony Brook L, 80-58; Dec. 10 at #5 Louisville L, 80-58
This Week: None
• Grad Student George Goode (Raytown, Mo/Raytown South) has recorded three double-doubles over his last three games, averaging 17.0 ppg and 11.7 rpg. He tied his career-high in rebounds with 12 in his return to Louisville.
• Grad Student Mouhamed Lo (Port Chester, NY/Port Chester) started his first two games of the season last week and responded with season-highs in points (12) and rebounds (5) at Stony Brook.
• Junior Melquan Bolding (Mount Vernon, NY/Bishop Stepinac) broke out of a mini-slump at Louisville as he scored 23 points and tied a season-high with five three-pointers.
• Junior Lonnie Hayes (Cincinnati, OH/Harmony Prep) tied a career-high with six assists at Louisville.
• FDU will be off until December 21 for finals and will host Vermont for its first game since Nov. 18 after playing its last six games on the road.
Long Island (5-5, 2-0 NEC)
Last Week: Dec. 5 at Lafayette W, 82-80; Dec. 10 at Columbia L, 63-53
This Week: Dec. 14 at Norfolk State; Dec. 17 vs. Saint Peter’s
• Long Island went 1-1 for the week, continuing its grueling early-season schedule with an 82-80 win at Lafayette on Dec. 5 and a 63-53 loss at Columbia on Dec. 10. The Blackbirds are 5-5 with a 2-0 mark in conference play.
• LIU has played nine of its 10 contests this season away from home and will stretch that to 10 out of the first 11 when the Blackbirds visit Norfolk State on Dec. 14. Long Island will then begin a three-game homestand, hosting Saint Peter’s on Dec. 17.
• Junior Julian Boyd (San Antonio, TX/William H. Taft) scored 18 points in just 14 minutes of play at Lafayette. After tallying two points in four foul-plagued first-half minutes, he went off for 16 in 10 second-half minutes. Boyd poured in six layups and added a quartet of free throws.
• Fellow junior Jamal Olasewere (Silver Spring, MD/Springbrook) recorded his second double-double of the season at Lafayette. The 6-foot-7 forward scored 17 points and snared a season-high 14 rebounds. The 14 caroms are the most by a Blackbird this season.
• Sophomore Jason Brickman (San Antonio, TX/Clark) handed out nine assists at Lafayette, marking the third time he has dished at least nine dimes this season.
• Junior Kenny Onyechi (Sugar Land, TX/Kempner) made his first start of the season at Columbia. Onyechi scored a season-high 12 points. Classmate Brandon Thompson (San Antonio, TX/South Plains Col.) grabbed a game- and season-high seven rebounds against the Lions.
Monmouth (2-8, 0-2 NEC)
Last Week: Dec. 6 at Navy W, 69-67; Dec. 10 vs. Fordham W, 80-65
This Week: Dec. 12 at Rutgers
• Head coach King Rice won his first career game as a head coach in Monmouth’s 69-67 victory at Navy on Tuesday night.
In the win over Fordham, Monmouth had five players score in double-figures for the first time since an overtime win at Bryant on January 22, 2011.
• Monmouth posted a season-high 80 points in the win over Fordham.
• In MU’s back-to-back victories this week, the Hawks connected on at least 50.0% from the field for the first time all season.
• Junior forward Ed Waite (Fort Lauderdale, FL/Pine Crest) added 12.0 points and 7.0 rebounds for the Hawks this week, while hitting 78.6% from the field.
• Four Hawks averaged in double-figures in scoring this week.
• Freshman Andrew Nicholas (Wrightsville, PA/Eastern York), who posted a season-high six assists at Navy, led the team with 11 assists this week.
• Monmouth hit .536 from the field overall, and .400 from three-point range in the two wins.
• Monmouth’s road win at Navy (12/6) broke a ten-game road losing streak for the Hawks.
• Junior forward Marcus Ware (Vineland, NJ/Vineland) made his season debut on Tuesday at Navy, after recovering from ACL surgery in the summer. The 2011 NEC All-Rookie Team selection played 12 minutes, adding two rebounds, an assist and a pivotal three-point play with 6:03 remaining in the game.
• Before having a home game this season, the Hawks opened with nine straight road games, and have traveled a total of 4,652 miles before hosting a game in the MAC.
Mount St. Mary’s (1-8, 0-2 NEC)
Last Week: Dec. 7 at Maryland L, 77-74; Dec. 10 vs. Loyola (MD) L, 65-54
This Week: Dec. 18 at Penn State
• The Mount went 0-2 this week against a pair of local rivals. The Mount just missed on the upset at Maryland, falling 77-74, before losing to longtime rival Loyola, 65-54, on Saturday.
• Julian Norfleet (Virginia Beach, VA/Landstown) averaged 20.5 points, 5.0 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals for the week. He tallied a career-high 23 points with six rebounds and four assists against Loyola.
• The Mount lost to Loyola, 65-54, in the 167th meeting between the two schools on Saturday. Despite the loss, the Mount holds a 96-71 lead in the series that is the most played rivalry in the state of Maryland.
• At halftime of the Mount’s game against Loyola, John O’Reilly’s #51 was retired. O’Reilly helped lead the Mount to the 1962 College Division National Championship. He was a three-time All-America (Second Team in 1960, Honorable Mention 1961 and 1962). He finished his career with 1,508 points and 1,113 rebounds.
• The Mount is now 0-7 all-time at Maryland with the 28 points being the closest the Mount had come against the Terrapins over the first six matchups.
• Freshman Chad Holley (New York, NY/Blue Ridge School (VA)) had a strong week, averaging 8.5 points. He is 12-for-12 at the foul line this year.
• The Mount has been shorthanded as seven players (six scholarship and one walk-on) played in the two games this week.
• The Mount has exams this week and is off until Sunday, Dec. 18, at Penn State.
Quinnipiac (5-4, 1-1 NEC)
Last Week: Dec. 6 at Hartford W, 70-61; Dec. 11 at Vermont W, 62-58
This Week: Dec. 17 at Massachusetts
• The Bobcats went 2-0 last week which featured two wins on the road. On Tuesday night, QU defeated Hartford, 70-61, at the Reich Family Pavilion, followed by a 62-58 triumph at Vermont on Sunday.
• Against the Hawks, James Johnson (Queens, NY/Bishop Loughlin) finished with 15 points and three assists, which included two crucial buckets down the final stretch. Azotam returned to his double-double ways, as the power forward pulled down 10 rebounds in a 4-of-8 shooting performance. Zaid Hearst (Bethesda, MD/Salisbury (CT)) was also stellar on the offensive end. In just his third career start, he chimed in with a career-high 14 points and six rebounds. Dave Johnson (Jackson, NJ/St. Mark’s (MA) School) added 10 points to conclude a 39-point outing for the Bobcats backcourt.
• Junior Jamee Jackson (Newark, NJ/St. Anthony) put together another strong showing despite foul trouble. He finished with eight points and eight rebounds on the night. Garvey Young had four points and two others finished with two.
• Quinnipiac controlled the points in the paint, 30-20, and the glass, 41-28. Entering the game, the Bobcats ranked atop the nation in rebounding, second in offensive rebounding and third in rebounding margin. The statistic remained true throughout the contest, as the Bobcats turned 16 offensive rebounds into 17 second chance points and captured a plus-13 rebounding margin.
• Against the Catamounts, Jackson was dominant in all facets of the game, scoring 20 points to go with seven rebounds and two steals. He finished 8-of-15 from the floor, 4-of-5 from the charity stripe and was stellar behind the ball as well. James Johnson recorded 13 points, including two tallies from behind the arc. Ike Azotam (Boston, MA/O’Bryant (Marianapolis Prep)) and Garvey Young (Washington, DC/Georgetown Prep (Vermont)) each finished with eight points and combined for 12 rebounds. Dave Johnson chimed in with six points and Hearst added four.
• QU used a plus-nine edge on the boards for the game, collecting 42 of them including 16 on the offensive end. The Bobcats shot 39.7 percent from the floor and went 10-of-15 from the free-throw line. The Catamounts shot 46 percent from the field, but just 1-of-13 from behind the arc.
• QU returns to the hardwood on Saturday, December 11 at UMass for a 7 p.m. tip-off. The game will be televised on NESN.
Robert Morris (7-3, 2-0 NEC)
Last Week: Dec. 6 at Duquesne W, 64-60; Dec. 8 vs. Cleveland State L, 62-58
This Week: Dec. 17 vs. Louisiana-Lafayette
• Robert Morris returned to non-conference action by splitting a pair of games last week, earning a 64-60 victory at Duquesne before falling at home for the first time on the 2011-12 season with a 62-58 setback to Cleveland State
• Redshirt junior guard Velton Jones (Philadelphia, PA/Northeast Catholic) averaged 15.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists last week, tying for team-high honors against Cleveland State with 18 points … Jones chipped in with 13 points and five assists in the victory over the Dukes
• Jones has scored at least 10 points in each of RMU’s 10 games of the 2011-12 campaign as well as 16 straight dating back to last season, the longest streak since former forward Chaz McCrommon (2000-05) scored in double figures 16 straight games during in 2004-05
• Jones is RMU’s active leading scorer with 835 career points
• Junior forward Lijah Thompson (Philadelphia, PA/Monsignor Bonner) led the Colonials in their win over Duquesne with 17 points and five rebounds and tied a career high in blocks with four … Thompson contributed eight points, four rebounds and three blocks against the Vikings to average 12.5 points and 3.5 blocks per game while shooting 69.2 percent (9-for-13) from the field
• Redshirt junior forward Russell Johnson (Chester, PA/Chester) contributed 15 points and nine rebounds in the win over Duquesne, hitting a big three-pointer with 3:14 to play that gave the Colonials their first lead of the second half and was part of a 13-4 run to close out the game
• Johnson is RMU’s active leading rebounder with 446 career caroms
• Redshirt sophomore guard Coron Williams (Midlothian, VA /Christchurch School) tied for team-high honors in scoring with Velton Jones against Cleveland State, tallying 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the floor, including a 4-for-6 performance from long range.
• Robert Morris shot a season-high 83.3 percent (15-for-18) from the free-throw line its victory at Duquesne, then rebounding to convert just 56.5 percent (13-of-23) of its attempts against Cleveland State
• Through its first 10 games of the 2011-12 season, the Colonials have held six opponents to 60 points or less, with RMU a perfect 6-0 in those contests.
• Robert Morris has held its last six opponents to a shooting percentage of just 26.2 percent (27-for-103) from beyond the arc
• Sophomore guard Anthony Myers (Washington, DC/Charis Prep) came off the bench to supply 10 points, six rebounds, two assists and a pair of steals in the win at Duquesne, giving the Colonials four players in double figures scoring against the Dukes
• Robert Morris is 4-2 this season when at least four players reach double figures in scoring and are 10-5 under second-year head coach Andrew Toole when turning the trick
• The Colonials play just once this week, continuing a three-game homestand Saturday, Dec. 17, with a 7:00 p.m. tip against Louisiana-Lafayette
Sacred Heart (6-6, 1-1 NEC)
Last Week: Dec. 5 vs. Yale L, 73-71; Dec. 9 at Holy Cross L, 71-60; Dec. 11 vs. Lafayette W, 84-79
This Week: None
• The Pioneers opened the week with losses to Yale at home and on the road at Holy Cross, extending their losing streak to three-straight, their longest slide of the season. The loss also dropped SHU to 1-4 on the road this season, their only win coming at Quinnipiac. SHU bounced back with home win over Lafayette, giving SHU a split against the Patriot League this season.
• SHU will now take eight days off for final exams before returning to action at Notre Dame on Monday, 12/19 and Boston College, Wednesday, 12/21.
• SHU had their worst shooting performance of the year at Holy Cross, hitting just 34.3% (23-67). The loss also marked their fewest points this season at the half (20) and their largest deficit at the half (15).
• Junior Justin Swidowski (Cinnaminson, NJ/Holy Cross HS) poseted his second double double of the year scoring 14 with a season-high 11 boards at Holy Cross. He was held to a season-low two points battling foul trouble all game against Lafayette.
• Junior Shane Gibson (Killingly, CT/Killingly), SHU’s leading scorer, was held scoreless in the first half at Holy Cross. Gibson was held without a point over the first 20 minutes against Brown as well. In both cases, the junior guard still finished with double figures. He netted 14 in the second half against Holy Cross and 16 in the win over Brown.
• Gibson tallied 22 including SHU’s last six points in the final minute when up 78-77 to seal the win. Gibson has four games of 20 or more points this season.
• Gibson is closing in on the 1,000 point plateau for his career. He is just 33 points away from joining SHU’s 1,000 point club.
• Sophomore Chris Evans (Stamford, CT/Stamford (Taft School)) scored a season-high 16 points against Yale and also dished a career-best five assists. Evans answered that on Sunday with 16 in the win over Lafayette. Evans averaged 12.3 ppg with 12 assists over the three games this week.
• Senior Stan Dulaire (Bloomfield, CT/Watkinson School) posted a career-high 15 points off the bench in the win over Lafayette.
• Back-up freshman point guard Phil Gaetano (Wallingford, CT/Sheehan (Choate Rosemary)) continues to provide solid minutes for Dave Bike. This week, Gaetano average 5.7 points and dished 13 assists against just three turnovers.
• The loss at Holy Cross, coached by former Mount head coach Milan Brown, tied the all-time series at 4-4 between the two schools. Brown improved to 12-5 all-time vs. the Pioneers.
St. Francis (NY) (2-6, 1-1 NEC)
Last Week: Dec. 10 at Colgate L, 65-63
This Week: Dec. 12 at Howard
• St. Francis (NY) dropped a 65-63 decision at Colgate on Saturday in their lone contest of the week. The Terriers entered the game with a 4-0 all-time series record against the Raiders.
• The Terriers, who have yet to play a home game this season, are now 0-4 in games that have been decided by six or less points. St. Francis is shooting just 41 percent from the line and 18 percent from three-point range in the final five minutes of games this season.
• Freshman forward Jalen Cannon (Allentown, PA/William Allen) recorded a season-high 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting and also pulled down a team-high eight boards against Colgate. Cannon is 19-of-34 (.559 percent) from the floor on the season and is adding a team-high 6.6 rebounds per game.
• St. Francis forced a season-high 25 turnovers at Colgate.
• Senior forward Stefan Perunicic (Belgrade, Serbia/Dimitrise Tucovic) has moved into sole possession of second-place on the Terriers all-time three-point list with 223 career treys.
• Senior Justin Newton (Brooklyn, NY/Poly Prep) has started at the point the last three contests with Dre Calloway (Harlem, NY/Lincoln (CO)) out indefinitely with a shoulder injury.
• Junior forward Travis Nichols (Brooklyn, NY/Food & Finance), week one’s Co-NEC Player of the Week, failed to score a single point for the second straight game and is just 8-for-37 (.216) from the floor over the last five contests.
• The Terriers will travel to Howard this evening to complete the nine-game road stand to open the campaign.
Saint Francis (PA) (3-7, 2-0 NEC)
Last Week: Dec. 7 at Lehigh L, 71-50; Dec. 10 vs. American W, 66-61
This Week: None
• Kameron Ritter (Niskayuana, NY/Christian Boys Academy) posted a career high in assists with five and saw time at the points guard position in the second half for SFU.
• Scott Eatherton (Hershey, PA/Hershey) recorded a career high 21 points and again shot the lights out going 6-of-7 from the floor. For the season, the SFU sophomore forward shoots 88.6-percent on his home floor with just five missed shots in six games.
• SFU’s bench recorded its fifth game this season with 20 points or more led by Anthony Ervin’s (Chesterfied, VA/Fork Union Military Acadamy) 12. Jon Taylor (Bowie, MD/Montgomery College-Germantown) also posted a big night with six points, five rebounds and a steal.
• Ollie Jackson (Dallas, TX/Pinkston) lit up the nets from behind the 3-point arc going 4-of-5. On the season, the SFU freshman shoots 55.5-percent from 3-point land in DeGol Arena.
• The win against American ranks as the fourth, in the Don Friday era, when SFU was trailing with five minutes to play in regulation.
Wagner (7-3, 1-1 NEC)
Last Week: Dec. 6 vs. Hofstra W, 58-43; Dec. 10 vs. Lehigh L, 70-69
This Week: None
• Wagner went 1-1 on the week, posting a 15-point win over Hofstra (12/6) before dropping a one-point heartbreaker to Lehigh (12/10) ... The Seahawks are now 7-3 on the year, including 6-2 during non-conference play.
• Last week’s action wrapped up a grueling season-opening 10-game, 29-day stretch. The Green & White will not play again for almost two weeks, next seeing action against No. 14 Pitt on Friday, December 23 at 8:00 pm in a game that will be televised on ESPNU.
• Wagner win over the Pride was the Seahawks’ first over Hofstra since posting a 69-61 win on December 20, 1988. Additionally it was the first victory over a Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) team since defeating VCU 80-72 on November 30, 2002.
• The 43 points scored by Pride was the least allowed by a Green & White squad since Wagner defeated Mount St. Mary’s 61-42 on February 10, 2005.
• Hofstra, which is the only team to defeat Mid-Major power Cleveland State, did not convert a three-point attempt in the game, finishing 0-for-9 on the night.
• The last time the Seahawks did not allow a three-pointer dates back to at least the 1993-1994 season.
• Senior Tyler Murray (Toronto, Ontario/Eastern Commerce) had his 28-game streak of notching double-figures snapped against Lehigh. Despite that, the Canadian native is averaging 13.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game while shooting a NEC-best 54.5 percent (24-44) from long range. Murray is also just 22 points from notching 1,000 for his career.
• Junior Jonathon Williams (Richmond, CA/ Kennedy (CC of San Francisco)) scored a team-best 18 points with seven rebounds against the Mountain Hawks. He has paced the team in scoring in all four of his home outings, missing just the Pride game. In the four games, Williams is averaging 20.8 points and 6.0 rebounds per game while shooting a blistering 63.5 percent (33-52) from the floor.
• Sophomore Kenneth Ortiz (Newark, NJ/Science Park (Southern Mississippi)) led the way for Wagner on the week, averaging 11.0 points, 4.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 steals per game while shooting 52.9 percent (9-17) from the floor.