Choice Hotels/NEC Player of the Week
Ken Horton, Central Connecticut State
6-6, 198lbs
Sr., F, Ossining, NY/Ossining

Horton was nothing less than spectacular this past week, as the reigning NEC Player of the Year averaged 31 points in a pair of wins to open league play and earn this week’s Choice Hotels/NEC Player of the Week award. It marks the second straight week a CCSU player has earned the honor, and the fourth straight week a Blue Devil has been recognized with an individual award. In Thursday’s game at Bryant, an NEC-TV broadcast, Horton gave the MSG-viewing audience a show, dropping a season-high 32 points and grabbing nine rebounds, eight of which came on the defensive end. He was 13 of 19 from the field, including 6 of 10 from beyond the arc, while playing 35 minutes of an 83-51 CCSU victory. He then followed that performance with another 30-point outing, scoring exactly that while recording his first double-double of the season with 10 boards in an 82-80 overtime thriller against Sacred Heart. The 6-6 forward knocked down 11 of his 21 field goals attempted, and earned six of his 10 rebounds while playing defense. Horton is the first NEC player to score 30+ points in back-to-back games since Quinnipiac’s Rob Monroe posted consecutive 32-point outings against Cornell and Robert Morris in December, 2004. He is the first to pull off the 30-point double in league play since Saint Francis (PA)’s Darshan Luckey tallied 30 against Sacred Heart and 38 versus Wagner in February, 2003.

Choice Hotels/NEC Rookie of the Week
Lucky Jones, Robert Morris
6-5, 195lbs
Fr., G/F, Newark, NJ/St. Anthony

Jones shined in a pair of wins for the Robert Morris Colonials, who improved to 6-2 overall, 2-0 in Northeast Conference action. Coming off the bench in both games, this week’s Choice Hotels/NEC Rookie of the Week averaged 12.0 points and 6.5 rebounds as the New Jersey native showed off his talents to a pair of home-state foes. Against Fairleigh Dickinson on Thursday, Jones netted nine points while recording six boards and four steals, helping head coach Andy Toole and the Colonials to a 66-54 decision. He then shot 4 of 7 from the field and totaled 15 points as RMU’s reserves combined for a season-high 37 points in Saturday’s 69-51 win over Monmouth. He also added seven rebounds, increasing his team-leading average to 6.0 per contest.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

WEEK ONE NEC RECAP: The NEC has annually played the first two games of its league slate in early December, squeezing them in prior to finals and in the midst of non-conference play. While that will change next year – the entire 18-game schedule will be contested from January thru early March – these early league games have served to add some spice to the opening month of the season. This past weekend there were four teams who emerged unscathed with 2-0 NEC marks: defending NEC champion Long Island, along with Central Connecticut State, Robert Morris and Saint Francis (PA), who will head into the holiday season at the top of league leaderboard. The Blackbirds picked up perhaps the most impressive win of the 12 league games contested, beating a Wagner team that had won four straight games and is 6-2 on the year. LIU was led by junior forward Jamal Olasewere (Silver Spring, MD/Springbrook), who finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds in just 18 minutes in a 78-73 home victory over the Seahawks. After a convincing victory over Bryant in an NEC-TV game on Thursday, CCSU needed an 82-80 overtime win (see below note) over an improved Sacred Heart squad on Saturday to come away with the weekend sweep. Blue Devil senior forward Ken Horton (Ossining, NY/Ossining) provided the spark, averaging 31.0 ppg to earn Choice Hotels NEC Player of the Week honors for the seventh time in his career. It was also a good week in western Pennsylvania as Robert Morris and Saint Francis (PA) each won a pair at home over Monmouth and Fairleigh Dickinson.

OUT OF THE STARTING BLOCK: BEST-EVER FOR RMU: With all the success the Robert Morris program has had over the years, it might surprise some that the team’s 6-2 start to the 2011-12 campaign is the best in school history through eight games. The Colonials had started the year 5-3 on six occasions in the first 35 years of its Division I program, including its NCAA Tournament seasons in 1988-89 and 1989-90, and when RMU qualified for the Postseason NIT in 2007-08.

30 SQUARED (CUBED): Central Connecticut State seniors Ken Horton (Ossining, NY/Ossining) and Robby Ptacek (Bay Short, NY/Blue Point) put on quite the show on Saturday in an 82-80 overtime win over Sacred Heart. Both players racked up 30 points in the win and combined for 73.2 percent of CCSU’s offensive production. How rare is it in the NEC that two teammates score 30 points in the same game? It hadn’t been accomplished in nearly six years. Back on February 21, 2005, Fairleigh Dickinson’s Tamien Trent (36) and Gordon Klaiber (34) each hit the 30-point mark in a 110-103 win over St. Francis (NY).

In CCSU’s aforementioned win over the weekend, it was Sacred Heart junior guard Shane Gibson (Killingly, CT/Killingly) who claimed game-high honors with a 32-point outburst. Ironically, the last time three players had registered 30 or more points in an NEC game was in the same FDU-St. Francis (NY) tilt back in 2005. Completing the high-scoring trifecta in that contest was the Terriers’ Tory Cavalieri, who finished with 30 points.

MORE 30-POINT TRIVIA: With 32 points against Bryant last Thursday, followed by his 30-point outing versus Sacred Heart t wo days later, CCSU senior forward Ken Horton (Ossining, NY/Ossining) became the first NEC player to score 30+ points in back-to-back games since Quinnipiac’s Rob Monroe posted consecutive 32-point outings against Cornell and Robert Morris in December, 2004. He is the first to pull off the 30-point double in league play since Saint Francis (PA)’s Darshan Luckey tallied 30 against Sacred Heart and 38 versus Wagner in February, 2003. Horton now has seven career 30-point games, the most among active NEC players.

BLUE DEVIL TRIO TOP THE CHARTS: We are now three weeks into the 2011-12 campaign and the high-scoring Central Connecticut State trio of Ken Horton (Ossining, NY/Ossining), Robby Ptacek (Bay Shore, NY/Blue Point) and Kyle Vinales (Detroit, MI/Phelps School) have emerged as the NEC’s top-three leading scorers. Horton ranks first in the league with 23.3 ppg, followed by Ptacek with 21.3 ppg and Vinales, who is averaging 20.0 ppg in his freshman season. The NEC has never had teammates finish a season one-two-three in scoring average. In fact, the last time teammates occupied the top two spots was back in 2000-01 when St. Francis (NY)’s Steven Howard (20.2 ppg) led the circuit with running mate Richy Dominguez (19.3 ppg) right behind. In fact, there haven’t been a trio of teammates who have finished in the top-10 in the Conference in scoring since the run-and-gun Blackbirds of Long Island sported national scoring leader Charles Jones (29.0 ppg), followed by Mike Campbell (19.7 ppg, third in NEC) and Richie Parker (15.9 ppg, eighth), and NEC champion Fairleigh Dickinson boasted Elijah Allen (17.8 ppg, fifth), Rahshon Turner (17.8 ppg, fifth) and Jermaine Slider (14.0 ppg, tenth), both during the 1997-98 season.

SFPA’S SCOTT “AUTOMATIC” EATHERTON: 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 80.4 percent of his shot attempts. Eatherton has misfired just ten times in eight games, converting 41-51 opportunities. Those numbers seem rather pedestrian when compared to his numbers at home. Eatherton is 33-37 from the floor in the friendly confines of DeGol Arena, a remarkable 89.2 percent success rate. How outrageous are those numbers? When Eatherton hit 8-9 attempts in an 73-69 win over Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday, his home field goal percentage actually went down!

TYLER MURRAY: WC’S LONG RANGE MARKSMAN: While Saint Francis (PA)’s Scott Eatherton has been nearly perfect shooting inside the arc, Wagner senior guard Tyler Murray (Toronto, Ontario/Eastern Commerce) has been tickling the twines at an impressive rate from long range. Murray, who has hit at least two trifectas in each game this season, leads the NEC and ranks seventh nationally in three-point percentage at 63.9 percent. He has shot 50 percent or better from beyond the arc in seven-of-eight games this year and is 23-36 overall. Murray drained 7-11 (.636) from three-point territory last week and matched his career-high with five against Long Island on Thursday.

GAMES TO WATCH THIS WEEK: The NEC returns to non-conference play this week with a number of appetizing matchups on the docket. Robert Morris makes the short trip to take on Steel City rival Duquesne on Monday. Tuesday is headlined by Wagner hosting CAA rival Hofstra at the Spiro Center. On Wednesday, CCSU travels to East Lansing to square off with Tom Izzo and Michigan State (TV: ESPNU), while Mount St. Mary’s stays in-state with a game at Maryland (TV: ESPN3). RMU is back in action on Thursday, hosting 8-1 Cleveland State. Friday brings a reunion of sorts as Sacred Heart heads to Holy Cross, a team led by former Mount St. Mary’s coach Milan Brown. On Saturday, the Mount and Loyola (MD) renew their longstanding rivalry (TV: MASN, see note), while Sunday brings a solid mid-major matchup as Quinnipiac visits Vermont.

MOUNT TO FACE LOYOLA (MD) AND RENEW ONE OF NATION’S OLDEST RIVALRIES: When Mount St. Mary’s and Loyola (MD) tip off on Saturday afternoon in Emmitsburg, it will mark the 167th meeting between the two schools. The Mount has won six of the last nine meetings between the two programs and holds a 96-70 advantage in a series that dates back to 1910 and is the longest running Division I rivalry in the state of Maryland. One of the classic games between the two programs was a 99-93 overtime win for the Mountaineers in the championship game of the Mason-Dixon Conference Tournament on March 5, 1955. That was former head coach Jim Phelan’s first of 49 seasons spent as head coach at the Mount.

CCSU’S KEN HORTON CRACKS TOP-50 ON NEC ALL-TIME SCORING CHART: Central Connecticut State senior forward Ken Horton (Ossining, NY/Ossining) continued his chart climb last week, leaping nine spots to 41st on the NEC career scoring chart. Horton, who is now seventh all-time at CCSU, has accumulated 1,598 points in his star-studded career. This week, he is set to pass former teammate Tristan Blackwood, who scored 1,605 points from 2004-08.

TALE OF TWO HALVES FOR FDU’S HAYES: Fairleigh Dickinson junior guard Lonnie Hayes (Cincinnati, OH/Harmony Prep (Missouri State-Western Plains JC)) scored 34 points last week, all in the second half. After being held scoreless in the opening stanza on Thursday at Robert Morris, he exploded for all of his game-high 25 points following intermission. Two nights later, Hayes tallied all nine of his points in the second stanza as the Knights staged a rally that ultimately came up four points short in a 73-69 setback at Saint Francis (PA). Hayes leads the Knights and ranks seventh in the NEC in scoring at 17.4 ppg.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: MONMOUTH READY TO RETURN HOME: Monmouth will open this year with nine straight road or neutral site games before finally debuting at home against Fordham on Saturday. In total, the Hawks will have made round trips totaling 4,644 miles this season prior to stepping onto the floor at the MAC.

DID YOU KNOW?: CCSU senior guard Robby Ptacek (Bay Shore, NY/Blue Point) moved ahead of head coach Howie Dickenman on the school’s all-time scoring list last week. He is the 10th player that Dickenman has coached to move ahead of him on the list. That list includes NEC Player of the Year winners Corsley Edwards, Rick Mickens, Ron Robinson and Javier Mojica, along with teammate Ken Horton (Ossining, NY/Ossining), Tristan Blackwood, Shemik Thompson, Obie Nwadike and Dean Walker.

CCSU’S KEN HORTON TOPS ACTIVE SCORING LIST: 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 1,598 points. Quinnipiac senior guard James Johnson (Brooklyn, NY/Bishop Loughlin) is next with 1,269 and CCSU senior guard Robby Ptacek (Bayport, NY/Blue Point) has accumulated 1,177 points. The next line of players on pace to reach 1,000 this season include Wagner senior guard Tyler Murray (Toronto, Ontario/Eastern Commerce) (962), Sacred Heart junior guard Shane Gibson (Killingly, CT/Killingly) (904), St. Francis (NY) senior forward Stefan Perunicic (Belgrade, Serbia/Srednja Turisticka Skola) (899) and Wagner senior guard Chris Martin (Sicklerville, NJ/Winslow Township (Apex Academies)) (884).

TEAM-BY-TEAM NOTES

Bryant (1-7, 0-2 NEC)

Last Week: Dec. 1 vs. CCSU L, 83-51; Dec. 3 at Quinnipiac L, 83-72
This Week: Dec. 7 at Yale; Dec. 10 at Providence TBA

• Sophomores Alex Francis (Harlem, NY/Holderness Prep) and Corey Maynard (Adelaide, Australia/Sacred Heart College) paced the Bulldogs on offense, both averaging 15.0 points per game in a pair of NEC losses. The pair are 1-2 on the team in a number of categories, including rebounding average (Francis-6.5, Maynard-5.5) and shooting percentage (Francis-.500, Maynard-.478).
• Three Bulldogs averaged over 32 minutes per game on the week, headlined by Frankie Dobbs (Berea, Ohio/St. Edward), who averaged 38 per outing. Maynard averages 35.5 while Francis averaged 32.5.
• Maynard paced the team with nine assists with three steals on the week, while Dobbs added eight helpers.
• Maynard lit it up from long range Saturday against the Bobcats, draining six 3s and going 60 percent from beyond the arc. The Bulldogs recorded 12 triples on the game.
• Rookie Ben Altit (Herzeliya, Israel/Rothberg) had a career day Saturday on the road against Quinnipiac, collecting a career-best 10 points in a career-high 21 minutes of action. Altit hit his first collegiate 3-pointer against the Bobcats and also took and made the first free throws of his collegiate career.
• After having a single home game Thursday night against CCSU and returning right to the road Saturday, the Bulldogs will stick to the highways until after the holiday, playing Yale (Dec. 7), Providence (Dec. 10), Boston College (Dec. 18) and Arizona (Dec. 22) before returning to the Chace Athletic Center Dec. 31.

Central Connecticut State (5-2, 2-0 NEC)

Last Week: Dec. 1 at Bryant W, 83-51; Dec. 3 vs. Sacred Heart W, 82-80 (OT)
This Week: Dec. 7 at Michigan State; Dec. 10 at Brown

• Central is 2-0 in Northeast Conference play after wins over Bryant and Sacred Heart last week.
• The Blue Devils topped Bryant 83-51 on Thursday night, marking the first time since the 1965-66 season that they won back-to-back games by 30 or more points. They had beaten Hartford 92-58 last Saturday.
• The Blue Devils have scored 80 or more points in three straight games for the first time since the 2006-07 season. They travel to play at Michigan State on Wednesday night, and haven’t scored 80 or more in four straight games since the 2001-02 season.
• Central is averaging a league-best 80.4 points per game this season, their highest scoring average through seven games in the 16 seasons under head coach Howie Dickenman.
• The league’s top three scorers all come from Central Connecticut, and all three are averaging better than 20 points per game. Ken Horton (Ossining, NY/Ossining) (23.3), Robby Ptacek (Bayport, NY/Blue Point) (21.3) and Kyle Vinales (Detroit, MI/Phelps School) (20.0) and first, second and third in the league in scoring for the second straight week.
• Ptacek moved up three spots on the all-time scoring list with his 30 point game on Saturday. He is now 22nd all-time with 1,177 career points. Horton is now two points shy of 1,600 for his career. He moved up to seventh on the all-time list with his 1,598 career points.
• Ptacek moved ahead of head coach Howie Dickenman on the all-time scoring list for CCSU last week, becoming the 10th player that Dickenman has coached to move ahead of him on the list. That list includes Corsley Edwards, Rick Mickens, Tristan Blackwood, Ken Horton, Shemik Thompson, Ron Robinson, Javier Mojica, Obie Nwadike, Dean Walker and now Robby Ptacek.
• Freshman Malcolm McMillan (Bel Air, MD/John Carroll) posted 13 assists in the victory over Bryant on Thursday night. It was the most assists in a game since Damian Battles also had 13 in a win over FDU on Feb. 7, 2002.
• Horton and Ptacek became the first NEC teammates to post 30 or more points in the same game since Tamien Trent (36) and Gordon Klaiber (34) for Fairleigh Dickinson in a 110-103 win over St. Francis (NY) on February 21, 2005.

Fairleigh Dickinson (1-6, 0-2 NEC)

Last Week: Dec. 1 at Robert Morris L, 66-54; Dec. 3 at Saint Francis (PA) L, 73-69
This Week: Dec. 7 at Stony Brook; Dec. 10 at Louisville

• FDU registered its best shooting night in the last two seasons against Saint Francis PA as the Knights shot a season-high 57.1 percent (season-best 28 FGs on 49 attempts) from the floor, including 5-of-9 from three-point range.
• FDU dished out a season-high 18 assits in the loss at Saint Francis PA which was a number they reached twice last season.
• The Knights scored a season best in bench points with 15 against the Red Flash with 10 coming from junior Lonnie Robinson (Deerfield Beach, FL/Deerfield Beach). All 15 points were scored in the first half.
• Grad Student George Goode (Raytown, MO, Raytown South) had a career night versus Saint Francis (PA), as he established new highs in points (21), rebounds (12) and field goals made (10 on 17 attempts). The double-double was the first of his career and the third by a Knights’ player this season (Kinu Rochford (Brooklyn, NY/James Madison)) picked up a pair of double-doubles in the first two games of the season at Providence and at home to Lehigh.
• Junior Lonnie Hayes (Cincinnati, OH/Harmony Prep), the Knights’ leading scorer at 17.4 ppg, averaged 17.0 ppg in the losses at Robert Morris and Saint Francis PA. However, his average was for the second half only as he failed to score in the first half in both games. Hayes scored 25 second-half points against the Colonials before scoring nine late points against the Red Flash as FDU’s comeback effort fell short.
• Hayes played all 40 minutes in both contests last week marking the third time this season he has played the entire game with the last time being in the season-opener at Providence (11/12). He tied his career highs in field goals made (8), free throws made (9 on 10 attempts) and rebounds (5) at Robert Morris. He then tied another career high against Saint Francis PA with six assists.
• Rochford has scored in double-figures in all but one game for the Knights (4 at Lafayette (11/22)). Last week he went 10-for-14 from the floor, including a 5-for-5 effort at Saint Francis PA to raise his field goal percentage to 60 percent (39-of-65).
• Hayes, Goode and Rochford are the only Knights to start all seven games this season.
• After playing 25 minutes off the bench against Robert Morris, freshman Dylan Moody (Philadelphia, PA/Abington Friends) earned his first career start against Saint Francis PA.
• FDU will play the final two games of a six staight away from Stratis Arena this week when they travel to Stony Brook on Wednesday before getting on a plane to fly to Louisville, KY to take on the top-5 Cardinals late Saturday afternoon.

Long Island (4-4, 2-0 NEC)

Last Week: Nov. 28 at Iona L, 100-84; Dec. 1 vs. Wagner W, 78-73; Dec. 3 vs. Mount St. Mary’s W, 85-76
This Week: Dec. 5 at Lafayette; Dec. 10 at Columbia

• Long Island went 2-1 on the week, opening up Northeast Conference play with a pair of victories of Wagner (78-73) and Mount St. Mary’s (85-76).
• Junior Jamal Olasewere (Silver Spring, MD/Springbrook) averaged 18.3 points and 8.7 rebounds over the three games, turning in 20 points and eight rebounds in a loss at Iona before recording his first double-double of the season with 18 points and 11 boards against Wagner. He closed out the week with 17 points and seven off the glass at Mount St. Mary’s.
• Fellow junior Julian Boyd (San Antonio, TX/William H. Taft) also excelled, averaging 15.3 points and 9.3 rebounds for the week. Boyd recorded his third double-double of the season with season- and game-highs of 22 points and 13 boards at Mount St. Mary’s.
• Sophomore Jason Brickman (San Antonio, TX/Clark) tied a career high with 11 assists at the Mount. Brickman also handed out 11 assists against Bryant on Feb. 24, 2011.
• The Wagner win marked the first home game of the season for the Blackbirds. Long Island opened the season with six straight contests away from the Wellness Center and return to the road for four straight, beginning with the win at Mount.
• The Blackbirds had four players score in double figures at Mount St. Mary’s, marking the sixth time that has happened this season.
• Senior guard Michael Culpo (Pittsfield, MA/St. Andrews (RI)) grabbed a career-high nine rebounds against Wagner.

Monmouth (0-8, 0-2 NEC)

Last Week: Dec. 1 at Saint Francis (PA) L, 71-49; Dec. 3 at Robert Morris L, 69-51
This Week: Dec. 6 at Navy; Dec. 10 vs. Fordham

• Monmouth has opened the season 0-8 for the first time since the beginning of the 1998-99 campaign when the Hawks started 0-19, and had the nation’s longest losing streak at the time.
• MU, now 0-2 in league play, last opened 0-2 in conference play in 2008-09, but won its next two.
• In its first eight contests of the season, Monmouth has led for a total of 8:05 of game action. The Hawks have held leads on seven occasions on the year, including twice against Albany. MU has led against Villanova, Albany, Brown and Vanderbilt.
• Monmouth is now 16-11 all-time in Northeast Conference openers, dating back to the Hawks’ first season in the league (1985-86), after its season-opening loss at Saint Francis on Thursday night. After winning five straight NEC openers, the Hawks have now dropped six straight. Over that span, the Hawks are 6-6 when they open on the road.
• Monmouth has not been victorious in both games of the PA swing since the 2002-03 campaign.
• The Hawks open this year with nine straight road games, and their first home game is on December 10.

Mount St. Mary’s (1-6, 0-2 NEC)

Last Week: Dec. 1 vs. St. Francis (NY) L, 64-54; Dec. 3 at Long Island L, 85-76
This Week: Dec. 7 at Maryland; Dec. 10 vs. Loyola (MD)

• The Mount lost a pair of home games to open Northeast Conference play, falling to St. Francis (N.Y.), 64-54, and Long Island, 85-76.
• Senior Danny Thompson (Springdale, MD/C.H. Flowers) had a career high 21 points while adding seven rebounds and four steals in the loss to Long Island. It was his first career 20-point game. He leads the team in both scoring (10.1) and rebounding (8.4).
• Lamar Trice (Philadelphia, PA/Imhotep Charter) averaged 10.0 points, 3.5 assists and 3.5 steals in his first two games of the season after sitting out the first five. Trice was the Mount’s leading scorer last season.
• The Mount had five players score in double figures against LIU, the first time since Feb. 13, 2010, the Mountaineers have done that.
• The Mount had a season-low seven turnovers against the Blackbirds. They came into the game averaging 20.7 per game this season.
• Kelvin Parker (York, PA/William Penn) scored a season-high 16 points against St. Francis (NY). The guard is averaging 8.4 points and 3.9 rebounds this year while shooting 48.8 percent from the field. He has started the past four contests.

Quinnipiac (3-4, 1-1 NEC)

Last Week: Nov. 28 vs. Lehigh L, 86-75; Dec. 1 vs. Sacred Heart L, 68-55; Dec. 3 vs. Bryant W, 83-72
This Week: Dec. 6 at Hartford; Dec. 11 at Vermont

• Led by senior guard James Johnson (Queens, NY/Bishop Loughlin) with 25 points, three other Bobcats joined Johnson in matching or setting season-highs in points on Monday, Nov. 28; but the Bobcats were outlasted, 86-75, by Lehigh University at Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, Pa.
• Johnson finished 8-of-18 from the field, grabbed three rebounds and dished out three assists against the Mountain Hawks. Dave Johnson (Jackson, NJ/St. Mark’s (MA)) finished with 14 points and three assists and Garvey Young (Washington, DC/Georgetown Prep (Vermont)) added 11 points and five boards. Ousmane Drame (Boston, MA/New Mission (Marianapolis Prep)) netted 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds.
• In its second game of the week, QU lost to Sacred Heart on Thursday night, 68-55, in their Northeast Conference opener at the TD Bank Sports Center. Ike Azotam (Boston, MA/O’Bryant (Marianapolis Prep)) led the way, as the sophomore forward scored 18 points and grabbed 16 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season. James Johnson also fared well offensively, registering 15 points in reduced minutes due to foul trouble. Young and Zaid Hearst (Bethesda, MD/Salisbury (CT)) added five points and two others finished with four.
• Junior Jamee Jackson (Newark, NJ/St. Anthony) led all scorers with a career-high 21 points on Saturday afternoon to lead the team past Bryant, 85-67, at the TD Bank Sports Center. The triumph marked the first Northeast Conference win for the Bobcats, who improved to 4-3 in the Division I era against the Bulldogs.
• The Bobcats used a balanced attack that featured nine players in the scoring column. In addition to his 21 points, Jackson added eight rebounds and two steals to his stat line, completing his best performance of the season. James Johnson added 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting, 3-of-7 from long-distance and three assists, while Ike Azotam finished with 11 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Dave Johnson also chimed in with double-digits, as the junior guard poured in 11 points, going 8-of-8 from the charity stripe.
• The QU triumph came due in large part to turning defense into offense. The Bobcats forced 14 turnovers which resulted in 22 points on the other end. Coupled with 19 second-chance points on 21 offensive rebounds, QU capitalized on both facets of the game. In addition, Quinnipiac dominated the boards, 45-25, and connected on 47.5 percent of its field goal attempts.
• The Bobcats return to the hardwood on Tuesday, December 6, with a non-conference showdown against Hartford. The team then concluded the week at Vermont on Sunday.

Robert Morris (6-2, 2-0 NEC)

Last Week: Dec. 1 vs. Fairleigh Dickinson W, 66-54; Dec. 3 vs. Monmouth W, 69-51
This Week: Dec. 6 at Duquesne; Dec. 8 vs. Cleveland State

• Robert Morris opened Northeast Conference action with a pair of home victories last week, earning a 66-54 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson (12/1/11) and a 69-51 win over Monmouth (12/3/11).
• At 6-2 to start the 2011-12 season, the Colonials are off to their best start in school history through eight games … RMU started the year 5-3 on six occasions in the first 35 years of its Division I program, including NCAA Tournament seasons in 1988-89 and 1989-90 and the year it made the NIT in 2007-08
• Redshirt junior guard Velton Jones (Philadelphia, PA/ Northeast Catholic) averaged 14.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals in RMU’s sweep last week, running his streak of double-figure scoring games dating back to last season to 14. Jones finished with 18 points in the win over the Knights and contributed 11 against the Hawks
• Jones owns the longest double-figure scoring streak by a Colonial since former forward A.J. Jackson (2003-08) scored at least 10 points in a game 14 consecutive games during the 2007-08 season
• Jones eclipsed 800 career points with 11 against Monmouth and enters this week’s action with 804 … Over RMU’s final 23 regular-season contests, Jones needs to average 8.5 points to become the 21st player in school history to join the 1,000-point club
• Redshirt sophomore guard Coron Williams (Midlothian, VA/Christchurch School) averaged 12.0 points last week, including a team-high 19 in the win over Fairleigh Dickinson … Against the Knights, Williams shot 7-for-10 from the floor, including a 5-for-6 performance from beyond the arc … The Colonials are a perfect 4-0 when Williams connects for at least five three-pointers in a game
• Freshman forward Lucky Jones (Newark, NJ/St. Anthony) averaged 12.0 points and 6.5 rebounds in the two victories last week, recording his first career double-figure scoring game with a game-high 15 points against Monmouth … He also tied for game-high honors against the Hawks with seven rebounds and posted a career-high four steals in the win over Fairleigh Dickinson
• The Robert Morris bench supplied a season-high 37 points in its win over Monmouth, combining to shoot 76.5 percent (13-for-17) from the floor while producing 15 rebounds, four assists and three steals
• Freshman forward Keith Armstrong (Raleigh, NC/Fishburne Military Academy) and sophomore guard Anthony Myers (Washington, DC/Charis Prep) each scored in double figures off the bench for RMU against the Hawks … Armstrong finished with 11 points on a perfect 5-for-5 shooting performance from the floor, while Myers chipped in with 10 points and a pair of steals.
• In the first half of its two games last week, RMU held the Knights and Hawks to a combined 39 points on 28.9 percent (13-for-45) shooting while forcing 21 turnovers … Overall through their first eight games the Colonials are allowing an average of just 25.9 points in the first half
• Robert Morris finished 22-for-31 (71 percent) at the charity stripe against Monmouth, marking the 33rd straight game the Colonials have won dating back to 2002 when attempting at least 30 free throws in a game
• The Colonials return to non-conference action this week with a pair of games, visiting Duquesne for Tuesday, Dec. 6, before returning to the Sewall Center to host Cleveland StateThursday, Dec. 8

Sacred Heart (5-4, 1-1 NEC)

Last Week: Dec. 1 at Quinnipiac W, 68-55; Dec. 3 at CCSU L, 82-80 (OT)
This Week: Dec. 5 vs. Yale; Dec. 9 at Holy Cross; Dec. 11 vs. Lafayette

• The Pioneers wrap-up a three game stretch in five days against schools from the Connecticut 6 Classic Monday against Yale. SHU beat Hartford in this year’s event and are coming off a win at Quinnipiac and overtime loss at CCSU. The only team SHU will not face from the tournament field is Fairfield.
• The Pioneers are 2-0 at home this season and will play just twice at home in the month of December, hosting Yale on Monday night and Lafayette on Sunday the 11th.
• Junior Shane Gibson (Killingly, CT/Killingly) scored a season-high 32 points in the overtime loss to CCSU. He made a career-best 13 of 22 shots and just missed matching his career-high of 34 points, set last season at Wagner. Gibson now owns a pair of 30-point games for his career. This season, Gibson has scored at least 20 three times and found double digits in every game.
• Junior Justin Swidowski (Cinnaminson, NJ/Holy Cross HS) notched the first double double of his SHU career with season-highs for points (21) and rebounds (10) at Central. Swidowski is shooting 57.1% (44-77) from the field to start the season, ranking fifth among NEC leaders. He is SHU’s top-rebounder at 5.8 rpg.
• Both Evan Kelley (Norwalk, CT/Norwalk) and Phil Gaetano (Wallingford, CT/Sheehan (Choate Rosemary)) sport positive assist/turnover ratios running the point. Kelley has a team best 30 assists against 24 turnovers while Gaetano has 25 helpers with 20 assists.
• The win over Quinnipiac snapped a five-game losing streak to the Bobcats while the loss at Central Connecticut marked three-straight losses to the Blue Devils. The Pioneers have matched their best Division I start with five wins in their first nine games, set during the 2009-10 season. SHU also improved to 8-5 in NEC openers since joining the league.
• The Pioneers rank second in the NEC in free throw shooting, making 74.2% at the charity stripe. SHU has gone to the line more than their opponent in six of their nine games and have made more free throws than their opponents in seven of the first nine.
• Offensively, the Pioneers have shot over 50.0% twice this season (51.1% at Rutgers; 54.5% vs. Lipscomb) but have lost both games. SHU has had four or more players score in double figures in four games this season and have been held to under 70 points just twice.
• Junior Femi Akinpetide (Sydney, Australia/Monteverde Academy (UMKC)), in his second-straight start, posted a season-high 11 points and six rebounds against QU. Akinpetide had 11 points combined in the previous seven games combined coming into Thursday night.

St. Francis (NY) (2-5, 1-1 NEC)

Last Week: Dec. 1 at Mount St. Mary’s W, 64-54; Dec. 3 at Wagner L, 90-50
This Week: Dec. 10 at Colgate

• St. Francis (NY) opened the Northeast Conference schedule with a 64-54 victory against the Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers, Thursday evening at Knott Arena.
• Sophomore guard Ben Mockford (Shoreham-by-the-Sea, England/Oak Hill (VA)) paced the Terriers with 19 points at the Mount. Mockford, who scored 13 points in the second-half, connected on 5-of-13 three-point field goals to lead the Terriers in scoring for the second consecutive contest. He leads the NEC in three-point field goals per game (3.14).
• Senior forward Stefan Perunicic (Belgrade, Serbia/Dimitrije Tucovic) added 14 points and three steals against the Mount. He is now second on the all-time school list with 223 treys.
• Freshman forward Jalen Cannon (Allentown, PA/William Allen) nearly recorded his first career double-double with 10 points, nine rebounds, and three blocks at the Mount. Cannon is eighth in the NEC in rebounding at 6.3 per game. He’s also tied for third in offensive rebounds per game (3.57).
• Senior Justin Newton (Queens, NY/Poly Prep) started at the point and recorded eight assists and six rebounds in place of the injured Dre Calloway (Harlem, NY/Lincoln (CO)) at the Mount. Calloway is out indefinitely with a left shoulder injury.
• The Terriers were handed a 90-50 defeat at Wagner on Saturday night on Staten Island. It was the largest margin of defeat since being a member of the Northeast Conference. The loss snapped a five-game winning streak against the Seahawks.
• Sophomore guard Brent Jones (Brooklyn, NY/Bedford Academy) scored a season-high nine points at Wagner.
• The Terriers will travel to Colgate next Saturday afternoon.

Saint Francis (PA) (2-6, 2-0 NEC)

Last Week: Nov. 28 vs. Niagara L, 65-63; Dec. 1 vs. Monmouth W, 71-49; Dec. 3 vs. Fairleigh Dickinson W, 73-69
This Week: Dec. 7 at Lehigh; Dec. 10 vs. American

• The Red Flash have shot 50% or better from the field in their past six halves at home and have shot under 50% in just one half at home this season.
• Jon Taylor (Bowie, MD/Montgomery College-Germantown) posted double-digits off the bench for the third time in four games. Anthony Ervin (Chesterfied, VA/Fork Union Military Acadamy) poured in 19 points as a reserve vs. FDU, marking his third consecutive game of double digit scoring off the bench for the Flash.
• Chris Johnson (Newport News, VA/Denbigh) ranks second in the NEC in assists and second in the NEC in assists to turnover ratio after a season-high nine assists against FDU.
• Scott Eatherton (Hershey, PA/Hershey) went 8-of-9 from the floor against FDU and is now 33-of-37 (89.2-percent) from the floor at home. The junior is also shooting over 80-percent from the floor this season, leading the NEC and the nation.
• SFU starts 2-0 in conference play for the second time under head coach Don Friday. The Red Flash have never lost to FDU in Loretto, under Don Friday.
• Everytime since 2000 that SFU has started 2-0 in NEC play the Flash have finished the season .500 or better in league play.

Wagner (6-2, 1-1 NEC)

Last Week: Dec. 1 at Long Island L, 78-73; Dec. 3 vs. St. Francis (NY) W, 90-50
This Week: Dec. 6 vs. Hofstra; Dec. 10 vs. Lehigh

• Wagner went 1-1 on the week and is now 6-2 and 1-1 in the NEC.
• Junior Jonathon Williams (Richmond, CA/C.C. of San Francisco) (17.0 ppg), senior Tyler Murray (Toronto, Ontario/Eastern Commerce) (16.5 ppg), senior Chris Martin (Sicklerville, NJ/Apex Academies) (12.0 ppg) and sophomore Latif Rivers (Elizabeth, NJ/Avon Old Fams (CT))(10.0 ppg) all notched double-figures on the week.
• Wagner outscored St. Francis (NY) 54-23 in the second half en route to a convincing 90-50 win. The 40-point margin is the most by a Seahawk team since besting Sacred Heart 116-63 on February 22, 2000.
• The Seahawks shot a season-best 56.1 percent (32-57) from the floor while placing five in double-figures for the second time this year and hitting the 90-point barrier for the second time in the Dan Hurley era.
•The Green & White improve to 4-0 on Saturdays and will play on the day a season-best 13 times this year.
• Wagner also posted +15 advantage on the glass, which is the largest of the Dan Hurley era.
• The Seahawks improve to 3-0 at home on the year. In each game Williams led the team in scoring and is averaging 21.7 points per game in the Spiro Sports Center. The Green & White also have won all three games by an average margin of 22.3 points per game.
• Murray went 7-for-11 (.636) from beyond the arc and is shooting a league-best 63.9 percent (23-36) from long range. He also matched his career-high with five at Long Island (12/1).
• For his career, Murray has converted a school-record 43.5 percent (138-317) from long range. The Canadian native has also hit for double-figures 27-straight times and in 43-of-45 dating back to his sophomore year.
• Freshman Mario Moody (East Orange, NJ/East Orange Campus) made his collegiate debut against the Terriers (12/3) and slammed home the last Seahawk bucket of the night, putting the exclamation point on the 40-point win.
• Wagner’s win over St. Francis (NY) (12/3) snapped a five-game losing streak to the Terriers.
• The Seahawks will continue their three-game homestand this week with games against Hofstra (12/6) and Lehigh (12/10).