NEC Men's Basketball Weekly Release (12/19) PDF
Choice Hotels/NEC Player of the Week
Ben Mockford, St. Francis (NY)
6-2, 175lbs
So., G, Shoreham-By-The-Sea, England/Oak Hill (VA)
Mockford showed off why he is one of the best long-distance snipers in the Northeast Conference last week in a 73-71 road-victory over Howard. The sophomore transfer drained seven 3s, including the go-ahead trey in the final 35 seconds, to lift St. Francis (NY) to its third win of the season on Monday and earn this week’s Choice Hotels/NEC Player of the Week award. The league’s top three-point shooter with 3.3 makes per game, Mockford rallied the Terriers from a one-point deficit at the break by knocking down 3 of 4 shots from distance before making it 4 of 5 in the second half with a three that broke a 68-all tie and put SFC in front for good. He finished the evening with a game-high 24 points, 21 of which came on a 7-of-10 three-point shooting display. He also connected on three of his four free-throw attempts, missing the fourth on purpose with one second remaining in hopes of running out the clock.
Choice Hotels/NEC Rookie of the Week
Kyle Vinales, Central Connecticut State
6-1, 180lbs
Fr., G, Detroit, MI/Phelps School
It has become quite common to see Central Connecticut rookie Kyle Vinales’ name on the Northeast Conference’s weekly awards release and it is no different this week. With his performance over the weekend, the Detroit, MI product has now won the award five out of the six weeks it has been offered after leading the Blue Devils in scoring in a 70-64 setback at Northwestern. Vinales poured in a game-high 27 points in 37 minutes of action by sinking 11 of 22 shots from the field, including four from beyond the arc, as CCSU was within one possession of the Wildcasts in the final 20 seconds of play. In his last two games, the NEC’s second-ranked scorer and leading freshman point producer in the nation has combined for 55 points. Additionally, his outing against the team’s second test against a Big Ten foe in the past three games saw him put up at least 24 points for the sixth time this season.
AROUND THE LEAGUE
NEC ON TV: There are a number of televised games featuring league teams over the next two weeks, including a pair of games on ESPNU as Wagner visits Pittsburgh on Friday and Monmouth travels to Chapel Hill to meet North Carolina on New Year’s Day. Please view the PDF for more information.
ROLLIN’ AT THE WRAC: With an 82-80 win over Saint Peter’s on Saturday, defending NEC champion Long Island has now won 14 straight games at the Wellness, Recreation and Athletic Center. The Blackbirds’ last home setback came more than one year ago when they fell to Iona, 88-82, on December 8, 2010. The 14-game streak is currently tied for the 15th longest in the nation. For those curious, the school record for consecutive home wins is 47, set back in 1934-37 during the Clair Bee era.
VINALES’ SEASON IN PERSEPCTIVE: Just six weeks into the 2011-12 season, Central Connecticut State freshman guard Kyle Vinales (Detroit, MI/Phelps School) has already corralled five Choice Hotels NEC Rookie of the Week nods. His early season award haul has lifted him to a tie for fifth place on the league’s all-time list. Saint Francis (PA)’s Darshan Luckey (2002-03), Rider’s Charles Smith (1993-94) and Monmouth’s Alex Blackwell (1989-90) all share the record with eight Rookie of the Week honors. Not surprisingly all three of the aforementioned players were voted NEC Rookie of the Year at season’s end. This past Saturday, Vinales exploded for 27 points in CCSU’s near-upset of Northwestern. He hit 11-22 shots from the floor on the way to his sixth game of 24 or more points on the year.
IMPACT DEBUT FOR RMU’S MCFADDEN: With starting forward Lijah Thompson (Philadelphia, PA/Monsignor Bonner) sidelined with an injury, Mike McFadden’s (Newark, NJ/Technology (Iona)) debut for Robert Morris could not have been timed more perfectly. McFadden, a transfer from Iona, was inserted into the starting lineup and contributed 13 points, six rebounds, a block and a steal in 28 minutes of action as the Colonials improved to 8-3 on the year after turning back Louisiana-Lafayette, 72-64, at the Sewall Center on Saturday. The 6-8, 220 pound sophomore forward hit 5-10 shots from the floor.
SFNY’S MOCKFORD PUTS ON LONG DISTANCE CLINIC: Another Iona transfer who made an impact last week was St. Francis (NY) sophomore guard Ben Mockford (Shoreham-by-the-Sea, England/Oak Hill Academy (VA)), who hit 7-10 shots from beyond the arc, including 4-5 from long range in the second half as the Terriers won at Howard, 73-71, on Monday. Mockford, the Choice Hotels NEC Player of the Week, had the game’s biggest shot, connecting on a three-pointer with 35 seconds to play to break a 68-68 deadlock. The seven trifectas were the most by an NEC player this season and the highest single game total by a Terrier since teammate Stefan Perunicic (Belgrade, Serbia/Srednja Turisticka Skola) hit seven against Bryant on February 19, 2009. Mockford leads the league and ranks 12th in Division I with 3.33 three-pointers per game.
NATIONAL LEADER RESIDING IN LORETTO: While Saint Francis (PA) was idle last week, sophomore forward Scott Eatherton (Hershey, PA/Hershey) maintained his spot as the national leader in field goal percentage. Eatherton has been nearly automatic from the field this season, hitting 77.6 percent of his shot attempt and misfiring just 15 times in ten games (62-77). He has been even better at home, where he has hit 39-44 from the floor, an astounding 88.6 percent success rate. In fact, Eatherton has yet to miss more than one field goal attempt in a home game this season.
WAGNER’S DEFENSIVE STANCE: Wagner has forced opposing teams to shoot below 40 percent in each of the last five games after failing to do so once in its first five contests. As a result, the Seahawks ranks second in the NEC in field goal percentage defense at 40.3 percent. During the same five-game stretch, opponents are shooting just 30.6 percent (22-72) from long range, including 19.4 percent (7-36) in the second half.
SFNY’S CALLOWAY OUT FOR YEAR: St. Francis (NY) starting point guard Dre Calloway (Harlem, NY/Lincoln (CO)) will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery and will apply for a medical redshirt. The senior played in five games this season before going down, averaging 8.4 ppg and 3.4 apg.
AZOTAM HOPES TO EXTEND QU TRADITION: QU sophomore forward Ike Azotam (Boston, MA/John D. O’Bryant (Marianapolis Prep)) is not only the NEC leader in rebounding, but his 11.1 boards per game ranks him ninth in the country in the category. Following in the footsteps of former teammate Justin Rutty, Azotam is trying to make it four straight years that a QU player has led the league in rebounding. Rutty was the NEC’s premier glass sweeper in each of the past three seasons and ended his career ranked first on the NEC all-time list with 1,032 boards. On Saturday, Azotam finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds in a 72-67 setback at UMass. It was his league-best seventh double-double of the year, tying him for fourth on the national list.
FDU’S DOUBLE-DIGIT BRIGADE: FDU currently sports four players averaging double-figures, the most of any team in the NEC. Junior guard Melquan Bolding (Mt. Vernon, NY/Bishop Stepanic (Duquesne)) leads the way with 15.4 ppg, followed by junior guard Lonnie Hayes (Cincinnati, OH/Harmony Prep (Missouri State-West Plains)) with 14.1 ppg. Coming on strong of late has been graduate student forward George Goode (Raytown, MO/Raytown South (Louisville)) with 11.3 ppg. Junior forward Kinu Rochford (Brooklyn, NY/James Madison (Globe Institute)) rounds out the double-digit contingent with 10.1 ppg.
NEC TOP SCORING TANDEMS: The NEC currently features eight teams with duos who combine to score at least 25.0 ppg. Topping the list is the CCSU tandem of senior forward Ken Horton (Ossining, NY/Ossining) (22.5 ppg) and freshman guard Kyle Vinales (Detroit, MI/Phelps School) (20.6 ppg). The duo rank one-two in the league in scoring for a combined 43.1 ppg. The last time two NEC teammates combined to average 43.2 ppg in a season was in 1997-98 when Long Island’s Charles Jones (29.0 ppg) and Mike Campbell (19.7 ppg) totaled 48.7 ppg. Please view the PDF for a complete list of players.
HORTON’S DOUBLE DIGIT STREAK: Each week it seems a new superlative is uncovered to further bolster the credentials of reigning NEC Player of the Year Ken Horton (Ossining, NY/Ossining). In this instance, the key stat serves as a nod to his consistency. Horton has now scored in double digits in 36 straight games, the longest current streak in the Conference, and the longest in the NEC since DeMario Anderson put together a 49-game stretch from 2006-08. Speaking of Horton…
CCSU’S HORTON LEADS 20/30 PACK: In the “stellar games” category, no NEC player is even close to CCSU senior forward Ken Horton (Ossining, NY/Ossining). Horton has racked up 39 games of 20+ points over the course of his career, nearly double that of his next closest competitor in the NEC, teammate Robby Ptacek (Bay Shore, NY/Blue Point), who has 20. He has also tallied eight games of 30+ points, also a league-leading mark and six more than any other NEC player. This season alone, Horton ranks first in the Conference with seven 20-point games and three 30-point outings.
NEC Numbers By Class: Now more than five weeks into the season, it seems like an opportune time to examine which players have emerged as the conference class leaders in the three major statistical categories thus far in 2011-12. Please view PDF for a complete breakdown.
CCSU BIG THREE STILL ATOP NEC SCORING LEADERS, FORMS NATION’S HIGHEST SCORING TRIO: With just two weeks left of non-conference play, 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) and refuse to relinquish their hold atop the NEC scoring chart. Horton, who is also third in the country in point production, leads the circuit with 22.5 ppg. Vinales, a freshman, is second with 20.6 ppg, with Ptacek next in line at 19.1 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 62.2 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 20th and Ptacek ranks 38th.
The trio has accounted for 80.2 percent of CCSU’s total points on the year.
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, jumping four more spots to a tie for 28th on the NEC career scoring list. Horton, who is now fourth all-time at CCSU, has accumulated 1,660 points in his star-studded career. The 2010-11 NEC Player of the Year needs just 46 points to break into the top-20 and is 75 shy of becoming CCSU’s all-time leader. Please view the PDF for a complete list.
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. 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), St. Francis (NY) senior forward Stefan Perunicic (Belgrade, Serbia/Srednja Turisticka Skola) (921) and Wagner senior guard Chris Martin (Sicklerville, NJ/Winslow Township (Apex Academies)) (911).
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 1,660 points. Quinnipiac senior guard James Johnson (Brooklyn, NY/Bishop Loughlin) is next with 1,319 and CCSU senior guard Robby Ptacek (Bayport, NY/Blue Point) has accumulated 1,219 points.
DID YOU KNOW?: Wagner and Pittsburgh, who will meet this Friday, have squared off just once before on March 21, 2003 in a first round NCAA Tournament game. The second seeded Panthers advanced with an 87-61 victory over the 15th seeded Seahawks at the Fleet Center in Boston, MA. In that game, the Green & White were led by 2002-03 NEC Player of the Year and 2,000-point scorer Jermaine Hall, who notched a game-high 17 points with five rebounds. Current Pitt assistant coach Brandin Knight notched 10 points, five assists and four rebounds for the Panthers.
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
"Rebounding was good, defense was good, everything was good except for the final score. Often this year we have been a 20 minute team. I told them at halftime, down one, that we needed to focus and concentrate....we had a lot of positives out there, a lot of positives." – CCSU head coach Howie Dickenman following a six-point setback at Northwestern on Saturday
"Mike was pretty good. He gave us what we were hoping. He did a lot of good things and some things that we can correct." – Robert Morris head coach Andy Toole on forward Mike McFadden, who had 13 points and six rebounds in his RMU debut on Saturday
“It’s been a long and grueling stretch for us and now we have a chance to get on a roll at home. We’re not that far off from where we want to be in terms of our record and we just need to continue to work hard and get better.” – St. Francis (NY) head coach Glenn Braica on playing eight of the next ten games at home
"It's a time to evaluate what you've accomplished so far. Teams get worse when they don't have time to practice, and now we can work on the things that make you a better player. We also have some kids who are physically dinged up, so this is going to help." – Wagner head coach Dan Hurley on Wagner’s 13-day break in between games
BY THE NUMBERS
1st career double-double for St. Francis (NY) freshman forward Jalen Cannon (Allentown, PA/William Allen), who came off the bench to contribute 13 points and 10 rebounds in a 71-68 win over Howard last Monday.
4 field goals allowed by Robert Morris to Louisiana-Lafayette over the last 11:46 of regulation as the Colonials rallied from an eight-point deficit to win, 72-64, on Saturday.
11 players scored for Monmouth against Rutgers, the first time this season that every player who suited up for the Hawks made the scoring column.
11.6 rebound margin for Quinnipiac, the third-best mark in the nation behind Pittsburgh (13.0) and Coastal Carolina (12.2).
14 points, a career-high, for Bryant freshman forward Ben Altit (Herzeliya, Israel/Rothberg) at Boston College on Sunday.
17 rebounds by Long Island junior forward Julian Boyd (San Antonio, TX/William H. Taft) against Saint Peter’s on Saturday was a career-high and the second-highest total by an NEC player this season.
30 consecutive games in which Long Island has snared at least 10 offensive rebounds. Quinnipiac has done the same in 23 straight contests. The next longest streak by an NEC team is five games.
30 of Mount St. Mary's 43 points against Penn State were scored by its bench on Sunday.
32 free throws made by LIU in a 82-80 win over Saint Peter’s was an NEC single-game season-high and the most by the Blackbirds since draining 33 in a 66-54 conquest of St. Francis (NY) on February 28, 2009.
34 straight wins for Robert Morris dating back to 2001-02 when attempting at least 30 free throws in a game.
60.7 points per game allowed by Robert Morris this season, the lowest total in the NEC and 4.9 ppg lower than any other league rival.
73.0 percent free throw shooting for Sacred Heart this season, the top mark in the Conference. The Pioneers have led the NEC in free throw shooting once, back in 2007-08 (.734).
83 RPI for Robert Morris, the highest of any NEC team.
TEAM-BY-TEAM NOTES
Bryant (1-10, 0-2 NEC)
Last Week: Dec. 18 at Boston College L, 75-55
Next Two Weeks: Dec. 22 at Arizona; Dec. 31 vs. Lehigh
• Rookie Ben Altit (Herzeliya, Israel/Rothberg) got his second start of the year and capitalized on the opportunity, scoring a career-high 14 points off 6-of-11 shooting, including a pair of 3-pointers, in a career-high 28 minutes of action. He also recorded a block, he team-leading eighth of the year.
• Altit was one of three Bulldogs in double figures, joined by junior point guard Frankie Dobbs (Berea, Ohio/St. Edward), who posted a team-best 15 points off 5-of-8 shooting from the field, and sophomore Alex Francis (Harlem, NY/Holderness Prep), who added 13 points and a team-high eight rebounds.
• The Bulldogs were down by as many as 14 points with just over seven minutes to play in the first half, but finished the opening frame on an 11-2 run that cut Boston College’s lead to just two, 34-32, at the halftime break.
• Bryant got points from just five players on the contest, as sophomore Corey Maynard (Adelaide, Australia/Sacred Heart College HS) added nine, snapping his seven-game double-figure scoring streak, and fellow Aussie Claybrin McMath (Adelaide, Australia/AIS) chipped in four points.
Central Connecticut State (5-5, 2-0 NEC)
Last Week: Dec. 17 at Northwestern L, 70-64
Next Two Weeks: Dec. 22 vs. La Salle; Dec. 30 at Massachusetts
• CCSU lost its third straight game, falling 70-64 on the road at Northwestern on Saturday.
• Senior Ken Horton (Ossining, NY/Ossining) posted his third double-double of the season and the 21st of his career. He scored in double-figures for the 36th straight game, and moved into fourth place all-time on the CCSU scoring list with his first three of the game. He passed Bill Reaves (1,647) on the list. He currently has 1,660 career points, 75 shy of becoming the school’s all-time leader.
• Central returns home on Thursday night hosting La Salle at 7 p.m. They are 4-0 at home this season.
• Senior Robby Ptacek (Bayport, NY/Blue Point) had 17 points in the loss, giving him 1,219 points for his career, good for 21st on the all-time scoring list.
• Freshman Kyle Vinales (Detroit, MI/Phelps School) had another great game for the Blue Devils in a 70-64 loss on the road at Northwestern on Saturday. Vinales scored a game-high 27 points in 37 minutes of action to keep the Blue Devils close until the final minute on Saturday. He was 11-of-22 from the field, and hit four threes and led all scorers in the contest. It marked the fifth time this season he has hit four or more threes in a game. It also marked the sixth time this year he has scored 24 or more in a game. He has 55 points in his last two games.
Fairleigh Dickinson (1-8, 0-2 NEC)
Last Week: None
Next Two Weeks: Dec. 21 vs. Vermont; Dec. 28 at NJIT
• 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.
• 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.
Long Island (6-6, 2-0 NEC)
Last Week: Dec. 14 at Norfolk State L, 73-62; Dec. 17 vs. Saint Peter’s W, 82-80
Next Two Weeks: Dec. 20 vs. Texas State; Dec. 30 vs. NJIT
• Long Island finally wrapped up its gruelling travel schedule to open the season. The Blackbirds played 10 of their first 11 away from home, going 5-6. The Blackbirds concluded the stretch with a 73-62 loss at Norfolk State on Dec. 14.
• The Blackbirds improved to 2-0 at the Wellness, Recreation and Athletic Center with an 82-80 victory over Saint Peter’s on Dec. 17 in a battle of two 2011 NCAA Tournament teams. Junior Julian Boyd (San Antonio, TX/William H. Taft) turned in his fourth double-double of the season with 29 points and 17 rebounds.
• Boyd’s 29 points and 17 rebounds set new season highs among the entire Blackbirds roster. His 17 boards were also a career high, besting his 14-rebound performance at Fairleigh Dickinson on Jan. 27, 2011. Boyd was 14-for-17 at the free-throw line, establishing career highs for both makes and attempts.
• The Blackbirds’ last loss at home came on Dec. 8, 2010 against Iona. Long Island has won 14 straight home games.
• LIU’s record for consecutive home wins is 47, set from 1934-37.
Monmouth (2-9, 0-2 NEC)
Last Week: Dec. 12 at Rutgers L, 81-66
Next Two Weeks: Dec. 22 vs. Rider; Dec. 28 at Lafayette; Jan. 1 at North Carolina
• Monmouth fell to 0-40 all time versus teams from the Big East after its loss at Rutgers on Monday night. Monmouth is now 0-8 all-time versus Rutgers, despite holding a 10-point lead in the first half at the RAC.
• In the game at RU, senior Mike Myers Keitt (Waterbury, CT/ Fairfield Prep (Marianapolis Prep)) eclipsed the 2,000-minutes played mark for his career. Classmate Will Campbell (Willingboro, NJ/Paul VI) is 135 minutes away from eclipsing the mark as well.
• Myers Keitt has now played in 96 career games for the Hawks.
• Monmouth played 12 of its first 14 games of the year on the road.
• For the first time this season, at Rutgers, every Hawk that saw playing time scored for Monmouth, led by Campbell’s 13 points off the bench.
• MU hauled in a season-best 18 offensive rebounds against the Scarlet Knights.
• 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 (1-9, 0-2 NEC)
Last Week: Dec. 18 at Penn State L, 72-43
Next Two Weeks: Dec. 22 at Savannah State; Dec. 29 vs. American; Dec. 31 vs. Albany
• The Mount returned to action after a week off for finals with a 72-43 loss at Penn State on Sunday. The Mount trailed 28-25 at the half, but went cold after the break and the Nittany Lions pulled away for the victory.
• Thirty of the Mount’s 43 points were scored by the bench, led by Raven Barber’s (Edgewood, MD/Paul VI) 11 points and Chad Holley’s 10.
• Ja’Colby Wells (Emporia, VA/Greensville County) made his first appearance of the season after missing nine games due to injury. Wells had seven points and two rebounds in 15 minutes of playing time.
• The Mount has lost eight in a row to fall to 1-9 on the year.
• The Mount heads to Savannah State on Thursday before hosting American (Dec. 29) and Albany (Dec. 31) to round out the non-conference schedule.
Quinnipiac (5-5, 1-1 NEC)
Last Week: Dec. 17 at Massachusetts L, 72-67
Next Two Weeks: Dec. 22 vs. Niagara; Dec. 28 at Colgate; Dec. 31 vs. Boston University
• The Bobcats mounted a furious second-half comeback on Saturday night, but couldn’t overcome a 16-point deficit to the Minutemen of Massachusetts, snapping a three game winning streak. The final score of the game was 72-67, a prime time affair that was broadcasted on NESN.
• James Johnson (Queens, NY/Bishop Loughlin) led the Bobcats with 22 points on 8-of-16 shooting, including 5-of-9 from behind the arc. Ike Azotam (Boston, MA/O’Bryant (Marianapolis Prep)) posted another double-double with 22 points and 13 boards, as the duo accounted for 65 percent of the team’s total offense. Garvey Young (Washington, DC/Georgetown Prep (Vermont)) finished with five points and nine rebounds and Jamee Jackson (Newark, NJ/St. Anthony) also chimed in with five points. Dave Johnson (Jackson, NJ/St. Mark’s (MA)) had four points and seven rebounds and Ousmane Drame added four points and eight boards.
• UMass, a team that utilizes a deep bench, recorded 24 points from its reserves compared to 12 from QU’s bench. The Bobcats controlled the glass, 47-42, second chance points, 15-13, and points underneath, 32-28.
Robert Morris (8-3, 2-0 NEC)
Last Week: Dec. 17 vs. Louisiana-Lafayette W, 74-62
Next Two Weeks: Dec. 20 vs. Hampton; Dec. 22 at Youngstown State; Dec. 29 at Memphis
• In its lone game last week due to finals, Robert Morris returned from an eight-day layoff to post a come-from-behind win over Louisiana-Lafayette, 74-62, at the Charles L. Sewall Center.
• The Colonials trailed, 50-42, with 12:26 to play, but used a 20-5 run to open up a seven-point lead en route to the victory …RMU held the Ragin’ Cajuns to a shooting percent of just 21.1 percent (4-for-19) over the final 11:46 of regulation.
• Redshirt junior guard Velton Jones (Philadelphia, PA/Northeast Catholic) led the Colonials against Louisiana with 16 points on the strength of a 10-for-13 showing at the free-throw line … Jones scored just one point in the first half against the Ragin’ Cajuns.
• Jones has now reached double figures in scoring in each of RMU’s first 11 games this season and 17 straight back to last year, the fourth longest streak in school history.
• In his Robert Morris debut, sophomore forward Mike McFadden (Newark, NJ/ Technology), a transfer from Iona, finished with 13 points and six rebounds as a member of the starting lineup … McFadden finished 5-for-10 shooting from the field and was 3-of-6 at the charity stripe while adding a block and a steal.
• Freshman forward Lucky Jones (Newark, NJ/St. Anthony) contributed 12 points and five rebounds off the bench in the win over Louisiana, while redshirt sophomore guard Coron Williams (Midlothian, VA/ Christchurch School) finished with 10.
• RMU tied a season high in free throw attempts (35) against the Ragin’ Cajuns, converting 26 (74.3 percent) … The Colonials are 4-0 this season when attempting at least 30 free throws in a game and have won 34 straight when turning the trick dating back to the 2001-02 campaign.
• Robert Morris posted a +18 rebounding margin against Louisiana, its second highest margin of the season … Over its last four games the Colonials are +40 on the glass, an average of 10 per game.
• Robert Morris has a pair of games this week before the Christmas holiday, closing out a three-game homestand with a 7:00 p.m. tip against Hampton at the Charles L. Sewall Center Tuesday, Dec. 20, before opening a five-game road trip Thursday, Dec. 22, with a 7:00 p.m. tip at Youngstown State.
Sacred Heart (6-6, 1-1 NEC)
Last Week: None
Next Two Weeks: Dec. 19 at Notre Dame; Dec. 21 at Boston College; Dec. 29 at New Hampshire
• Junior Shane Gibson (Killingly, CT/Killingly) is just 33 points away from reaching the 1,000 point plateau for his career. He will become the 33rd player in school history to reach 1,000 career points. He will be the ninth player to reach the goal in the Division I era (1999-present).
• The Pioneers end an eight-day layoff facing Notre Dame. SHU will take eight days off again between facing Boston College and their trip to New Hampshire.
• SHU ended their longest losing streak of the season (3 games) with a win over Lafayette on Dec. 11th. SHU is now 3-1 at home this season.
• For the third time this season, the Pioneers shot 50.0% or better but for the first time won a game when hitting that mark. SHU hit 50.0% (30-60) vs. Lafayette. They previously hit the mark twice this season (51.1% at Rutgers; 54.5% vs. Lipscomb) but lost both games. The Pioneers have been held to under 70 points just twice this year.
• On the flip side, 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).
• Both Evan Kelley (Norwalk, CT/Norwalk) and Phil Gaetano (Wallingford, CT/Sheehan (Choate Rosemary)) sport positive assist/turnover ratios running the point. Gaetano has 38 assists on the year, ranking 14th in the NEC, against 23 turnovers, putting him fourth among league leaders in assist/turnover ratio. Kelley has 37 assists against 30 turnovers.
• The Pioneers are the top free throw shooting team in the NEC, making 73.0% at the charity stripe. SHU has gone to the line more than their opponent in seven of their 12 games and have made the same or more free throws than their opponents in eight of the first 12. Justin Swidowski (Cinnaminson, NJ/Holy Cross HS) and Gibson are 5th and 6th in the NEC in free throw shooting.
• Pioneers vs. the Big East... Sacred Heart is 0-15 against teams currently in the Big East. Monday’s game is SHU’s second meeting with the league this season after falling at Rutgers, 91-75.
• Facing Notre Dame - The Irish are 25-0 all-time against the NEC and carry a 26-game home winning streak at the Joyce Center into Monday night’s game.
St. Francis (NY) (3-6, 1-1 NEC)
Last Week: Dec. 12 at Howard W, 73-71
Next Two Weeks: Dec. 19 vs. Albany; Dec. 23 vs. Norfolk State; Dec. 29 vs. Brown Dec. 31 at Army
• St. Francis (NY) completed their nine-game road-trip to open the season with a thrilling, 71-68, victory against Howard last Monday in Washington D.C. The Terrier had been 0-4 in games decided by six or less points prior to the victory.
• Sophomore shooting guard Ben Mockford (Shoreham-by-the-Sea, England/Oak Hill (VA)) drained a three-pointer with 35 seconds left to break a 68-68 tie and finished with a career-high 24 points. Mockford drilled seven treys in the contest and is leading the NEC in three-point field goals per game (3.33 pg.)
• Freshman forward Jalen Cannon (Allentown, PA/William Allen) recorded his first career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds against the Bison. Cannon is eighth in the league in rebounding (7.0 pg.)and is tied for third in offensive rebounds per game (3.56) despite averaging just 18.6 minutes per game.
• Senior point guard Dre Calloway (Harlem, NY/Lincoln (CO)) will have season-ending shoulder surgery and will apply for a medical red-shirt. Senior guard Justin Newton(Brooklyn, NY/Poly Prep) and sophomore newcomer Brent Jones (Brooklyn, NY/Bedford Academy) will share the lead-guard duties for the remainder of the season. Newton has made four straight starts. Jones leads the team with 33 assists.
• Junior forward Akeem Johnson (Brooklyn, NY/Susan S. McKinney), who is just a 57 percent career shooter from the charity-stripe, is 19-24 (79 percent) from the free-throw line over the last five contests.
• The Terriers lead the NEC in three-point field goal percentage defense (.325).
• St. Francis will play eight of their next 10 contests in Brooklyn Heights, including their home-opener tonight against Albany. They will also host Norfolk State this Friday at 2:00 p.m.
Saint Francis (PA) (3-7, 2-0 NEC)
Last Week: None
Next Two Weeks: Dec. 20 at Pittsburgh; Dec. 23 at St. Bonaventure; Dec. 31 at Drexel
• Saint Francis has won three of its last four games including two conference triumphs and rallying from down 16 against American on Dec. 10.
• Scott Eatherton (Hershey, PA/Hershey) leads the nation in field goal percentage making shots at a 77.6-percent clip. The SFU sophomore shoot better making over 88 percent of his shot in DeGol Arena. On the road, Eatherton, a Hershey, Pa. native, shoots 56.5-percent from the field.
• Anthony Ervin (Chesterfied, VA/Fork Union Military Acadamy) enters the Pete riding a streak of five consecutive games with double-digit scoring off the SFU bench. The SFU forward has also seen a rise in his shoot over the past five games as he shot the ball at a 66.7-percent clip.
• Freshman Ollie Jackson (Dallas, TX/Pinkston) looks to take some of his success at home on the road as the Red Flash rookie shoots 54.5-percent from 3-point land at home and just 21.1-percent on the road.
• Rebounding the basketball has been keyed SFU success, In their three wins this season the Red Flash have won the rebounding battle. In their seven losses the rebounds have either been tied or favored SFU’s opponent.
Wagner (7-3, 1-1 NEC)
Last Week: None
Next Two Weeks: Dec. 23 at Pittsburgh; Dec. 29 vs. Air Force; Dec. 30 vs. Santa Clara/Eastern Michigan
• Wagner was idle last week and will return to action against #15 Pitt on Friday, December 23 at 8:00 pm on ESPNU.
• The teams have met just once before on March 21, 2003 in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament with the second seeded Panthers posting an easy 87-61 victory over the 15th seed Seahawks at the Fleet Center in Boston, MA.
• In that game, the Green & White were led by NEC Player of the Year and 2,000-point scorer Jermaine Hall, who notched a game-high 17 points with five rebounds. Current Panther assistant coach Brandin Knight notched 10 points, five assists and four rebounds in 25 minutes of action.
• Wagner is just 2-24, all-time, against BIG EAST teams and has lost 13-straight since defeating Rutgers 80-78 on December 16, 1995 at the RAC. The Seahawks’ first win came at current ACC member Miami 57-55 on December 29, 1993.
• All-time, against current BIG EAST institutions the Green & White are 8-66 - with five wins coming against Seton Hall, two vs. St. John’s and one over Rutgers - and most recently dropped a hard-fought 78-66 decision to then #4 UConn on November 14, 2011.
• This is the first year since their 2002-2003 NEC Championship season that the Seahawks have won played two BIG East Teams. That year, the Green & White also played UConn and Pitt.
• Wagner head coach Dan Hurley is 7-7, all-time, against Pitt as the Jersey City native went 3-4 as a player at Seton Hall and 4-3 as an assistant coach at Rutgers.
• The last win by a NEC school against the BIG EAST came on November 18, 2006 when Fairleigh Dickinson bested Seton Hall 76-71. This season the league is 0-12 vs. the conference.
• While this is the first meeting between the teams at the Peterson Events Center, this is not the first time Wagner has played in Pittsburgh as the Seahawks went 2-0 in 12,508-seat building during the 2003 Pittsburgh Holiday Hoops Classic, defeating Georgetown (KY) and Chicago State.
• The Green & White have not lost back-to-back games this season, winning both times following a loss.
• A victory over Pitt would give Wagner seven non-conference wins, matching the 2005-2006 Seahawks for the most since joining the NEC in the 1982-1983 season.
• The Green & White are 7-1 when leading at the half and with five minutes to go and are 4-0 in games decided by 15 points or more after going 2-5 in similar situations a year ago.
• Wagner has forced the opposition to shoot below 40 percent in each of the last five games after not doing so once in the first five. Also during that time, opponents are shooting just 30.6 percent (22-72) from long range - including 19.4 percent (7-36) after halftime.
• Senior Tyler Murray (Toronto, Ontario/Eastern Commerce) had his 28-game streak of notching double-figures snapped against Lehigh (12/10). 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.