Choice Hotels/NEC Player of the Week
Latif Rivers, Wagner
6-1, 175lbs
So., G, Elizabeth, NJ/Avon Old Farms (CT)
Sophomore guard Latif Rivers averaged 19 points in a pair of double-digit home wins over western Pennsylvania foes Robert Morris and Saint Francis (PA) to extend Wagner’s winning streak to four games and earn his second Choice Hotels/NEC Player of the Week honor of the season. Playing Robert Morris in front of an MSG-viewing audience on Thursday, the 6-1 guard led all scorers with 28 points, including 17 in the first half and 15 from the charity stripe (15-17) for the game, as the Seahawks prevailed 80-69. The 15 free throws matched an NEC single-game season-high and were the most by a Wagner player since NEC Hall of Famer Terrance Bailey converted a school-record 18 against Marist way back on February 1, 1986. He also shot 50% from downtown, sinking three of his six 3-point attempts, and grabbed four boards, all of which came on the defensive side. It was more of the same from Rivers two days later as he scored in double-figures again, this time chipping in 10 while collecting four rebounds and a pair of steals in a 72-54 triumph over Saint Francis (PA). Rivers is currently the NEC’s 11th-leading scorer at 15.0 ppg. He is also the league’s second-ranked free throw shooter at 89.6 percent, a figure that ranks him 11th in the nation.
Choice Hotels/NEC Rookie of the Week
Kelvin Parker, Mount St. Mary’s
6-3, 180lbs
Fr., G, York, PA/William Penn
Mount St. Mary’s freshman walk-on Kelvin Parker continued his hot play this past week by averaging 18.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists as the Mount went 1-1 against the western Pennsylvania teams at home. He shot 51.9 percent from the floor and 50.0 percent from three-point range, making 7-of-14 shots. In a 64-51 victory over Saint Francis (PA) on Thursday, Parker poured in a career-high 20 points on 8-for-13 shooting from the field and 4-for-7 from long distance. Two days later, the York, PA native was back to his old tricks, adding 17 points in a 67-62 setback to Robert Morris. By scoring in double-figures in both games, Parker has now accomplished the feat in his last four straight, averaging 16.0 points over that span. On the season, he is the Mount’s second-leading scorer at 8.7 ppg.
AROUND THE LEAGUE
February Fallout: LIU Stays One Game Ahead of Local Rivals St. Francis (NY), Wagner
As teams jockey for playoff position heading into the stretch run of conference play, the top of the NEC pecking order remained unchanged last week with LIU Brooklyn (11-1 NEC) keeping local rivals St. Francis (NY) (10-2 NEC) and Wagner (10-2 NEC) at bay. All three teams earned home sweeps last week.
This sets up one of the most intriguing weeks in quite some time as the Battle of Brooklyn series between LIU and St. Francis (NY) will not only determine neighborhood bragging rights, but could also go a long way in determining the NEC regular season championship with first place on the line. In fact, it will be the first time in NEC history that the two programs will meet in February with first place at stake. Adding even more spice to the NEC Rivalry Week showdown is the fact Wednesday’s matchup will take place in Madison Square Garden and Sunday’s tilt will air on MSG Network via NEC-TV. While the two Brooklyn schools battle it out, Wagner will play a pair against Mount St. Mary’s.
LIU has won three in a row and 12 of its last 13 after beating Bryant (75-70) and Central Connecticut (95-80) at the WRAC last week. In the process, the Blackbirds clinched an NEC playoff berth and stretched their home win streak to 21 games (see below note). St. Francis (NY) knocked off the Blue Devils (73-67) and Bulldogs (80-67) as well to push its win streak to five and make it nine wins in ten outings for the Terriers. Wagner is also red hot, having won four straight and 12-of-13 dating back to December. The Seahawks defeated Robert Morris on Thursday, 80-69, in a marquee matchup of NEC contenders, then knocked off Saint Francis (PA) two days later, 72-54. Wagner’s 10-2 NEC mark matches the program's best-ever conference start from the 2002-03 and 2007-08 seasons .
With the NEC playoff format ensuring home games to the top four seeds, keep an eye on the race in the middle of the pack. Robert Morris earned a split on the week with a 67-62 triumph at Mount St. Mary’s on Saturday and now sits alone in fourth place with an 8-4 mark. CCSU dropped one spot to fifth place at 7-5 on the season.
Making a move last week was sixth place Quinnipiac, winner of four of its last five outings. The Bobcats are now 6-6 on the year after a pair of convincing victories on its Garden State swing over FDU (65-48) and Monmouth (71-48). Two key games loom ahead for Quinnipiac against Constitution State rival CCSU this week as the Bobcats aim to make a February run up the NEC standings.
With eight teams qualifying for the NEC playoff field, there could be quite a dogfight for those final playoff berths. Monmouth and Sacred Heart are currently tied for seventh with 5-7 records, but sitting one game back are Mount St. Mary’s and Saint Francis (PA) at 4-8. Monmouth had won three straight and four-of-five before being cooled off by Quinnipiac on Saturday.
At 1-11, Fairleigh Dickinson is on the outside looking in at this point. Bryant, also at 1-11, is in its final year of DI reclassification and will be eligible for NEC postseason play next season.
The City Game
Let’s hear it for New York. The NEC’s three New York City based teams are tearing it up in league play this season with a combined 31-5 record against conference opposition. With four of those of those five setbacks coming in head-to-head matchups among the three schools, an even more remarkable stat emerges:
St. Francis (NY) (10-0), LIU (9-1) and Wagner (8-0) are a combined 27-1 against the other eight teams in the NEC.
In no other season since the NEC was founded in 1981 have the three NYC schools approached this level of success within the conference.
Best Combined NEC Records – LIU, SFNY and WC (1981-present)
Year Combined Record LIU Brooklyn St. Francis (NY) Wagner
2011-12 31-5 (.861) 11-1 10-2 10-2
2000-01 39-21 (.650) 12-8 16-4 11-9
1997-98 31-17 (.646) 14-2 10-6 7-9
2002-03 30-24 (.556) 7-11 9-9 14-4
2001-02 33-27 (.550) 5-15 13-7 15-5
1998-99 33-27 (.550) 10-10 16-4 7-13
2004-05 29-25 (.537) 10-8 9-9 10-8
1996-97 29-25 (.537) 15-3 7-11 7-11
NEC-TV Gears Up For NEC Rivalry Week
With bragging rights at stake, the third NEC Rivalry Week is set to take flight with six pairs of men's and women's hoops rivals set to meet in home-and-home contests from February 8th to the 15th. The pairings are as follows:
Battle of Brooklyn: Long Island-St. Francis (NY)
Connecticut Collision: CCSU-Quinnipiac
Garden State Rivalry Series: Fairleigh Dickinson-Monmouth
Keystone Clash: Robert Morris-Saint Francis (PA)
New England Knockout: Bryant-Sacred Heart
North-South Showdown: Mount St. Mary’s-Wagner
The innovative concept of playing back-to-back games against a local rival the same week is the only one of its kind among the nation's 31 NCAA Division I conferences.
As part of Rivalry Week, there will be four NEC-TV games airing in five days from February 8-12. Rivalry Week tips off on Wednesday with the Garden State Rivalry Series as Fairleigh Dickinson hosts Monmouth on FCS and ESPN3, and follows with an MSG tripleheader on Sunday. Leading off the day will be the Connecticut Collision as Quinnipiac visits Central Connecticut State at noon, followed by a Battle of Brooklyn doubleheader pitting Long Island and St. Francis (NY) at the WRAC in Brooklyn. The women tip at 2:00 pm and the men at 4:30 pm. The Quinnipiac-CCSU game will also air live on Cox Sports (CT/RI).
Rivalry Week Announcing Assignments:
Feb. 8 - Monmouth at FDU - Paul Dottino (play-by-play), Terry O'Connor (color), John Schmeelk (sideline)
Feb. 12 - Quinnipiac at CCSU - Paul Dottino (play-by-play), Terry O'Connor (color)
Feb. 12 - St. Francis (NY) at LIU (w) - Joey Wahler (play-by-play), Pam Roecker (color), John Schmeelk (sideline)
Feb. 12 - St. Francis (NY) at LIU (m) - Dave Popkin (play-by-play), Tim Capstraw (color), John Schmeelk (sideline)
CCSU’s Ken Horton Cracks Top-10 on NEC Career Scoring Chart
Central Connecticut State senior forward Ken Horton’s (Ossining, NY/Ossining) star-studded career reached new heights last week when he entered the top-10 on the NEC’s career scoring list. Horton reached the milestone on a dunk just 1:31 into Thursday’s game against St. Francis (NY), passing Saint Francis (PA)’s Jeff Hamilton (1,810 points). By week’s end, Horton had also leapfrogged LIU Brooklyn’s Joe Griffin (1,830) to move into ninth place. The Ossining, NY native can now set his sights on former NEC rival Jeremy Chappell (1,875) from Robert Morris. Should Horton maintain his 20 ppg scoring rate, he would crack the 2,000-point mark if the Blue Devils were to reach the NEC semifinals.
NEC Career Scoring Leaders
1. Terrance Bailey WAG 2,591 1983-87
2. Joe Anderson SFPA 2,301 1987-91
3. Chris McGuthrie MSM 2,297 1993-96
4. Jermaine Hall WAG 2,278 1999-03
5. Myron Walker RMC 1,965 1990-94
6. Rik Smits MAR 1,945 1984-88
7. Desi Wilson FDU 1,902 1988-91
8. Jeremy Chappell RMU 1,875 2005-09
9. Ken Horton CCSU 1,809 2007-11
10. Joe Griffin LIU 1,830 1991-95
11. Jeff Hamilton SFPA 1,810 1981-85
Not just a scorer, Horton has upped his career rebound total to 788, which ranks 16th in NEC history. He has a chance to become the first player in league annals to finish his career in the top-10 in both scoring and rebounding.
NEC Career Rebounding Leaders
10. Durell Vinson WC 893 2003-08
11. Alan Tomidy MAR 838 1991-96
12. Freddie Burton LIU 836 1986-89
13. Nigel Wyatte WC 834 2000-04
14. Largest Agbejemisin WAG 829 1983-87
15. Rik Smits MAR 811 1984-88
16. Ken Horton CCSU 788 2007-11
LIU In Good Company With Home Win Streak
What does LIU Brooklyn have in common with three of the nation’s top-five teams? All have been unbeatable on their home court for quite some time. The Blackbirds extended one of the longest Division I home win streaks last week with victories over Bryant (75-70) and Central Connecticut (95-80). The Blackbirds have now won 21 straight at the WRAC, the fifth-longest home unbeaten string in the nation. LIU was last tripped up at the WRAC on December 8, 2010 in an 88-82 setback to Iona.
Nation's Longest Home Win Streaks
1. Kentucky 48
2. Ohio State 38
3. North Carolina 30
4. Harvard 25
5. LIU Brooklyn 21
Consistency for Colonials
Now 17-8 on the year, Robert Morris clinched its seventh consecutive winning season last week, extending a school record. Since the 2005-06 campaign, Robert Morris owns a record of 140-78 (.642), best in the NEC over that time span. In fact, the seven straight winning campaigns is the second-longest streak in league history behind FDU’s 10 from 1981-91.
Consecutive Winning Seasons (5+)
1. Fairleigh Dickinson 10 1981-91
2. Robert Morris 7 2005-12
3. Monmouth 6 2000-06
4. Monmouth 5 1987-92
Coincidence?
The common thread that runs through the three teams at the top of the NEC standings is their long distance marksmanship. St. Francis (NY) leads the NEC in three-point shooting at 37.6 percent with LIU Brooklyn and Wagner right behind in a virtual deadlock at 37.1 percent. Conversely, the same three teams rank one (St. Francis (NY), .305), two (Wagner, .318) and four (LIU, .329) in three-point percentage defense.
St. Francis (NY) Did You Know?
St. Francis (NY) has already equaled its 10-game conference win total from last season with six games still to play. The 10-2 Terriers have won five in a row, and are seeking their first six-game win streak since the 2003-04 campaign.
Wagner Did You Know?
Wagner's 19 wins this season eclipse its combined total of 18 from the last two seasons. With two more NEC victories, the Seahawks will equal their combined league wins (12) from the last two seasons.
Defense, Rebounding Spark Quinnipiac Surge
After a 2-5 start in NEC play, Quinnipiac has relied on a lockdown defense to reverse its fortunes. In winning four of its last five games, the Bobcats have allowed just 56.8 ppg and limited opponents to 38.0 percent shooting from the floor. Last week, Quinnipiac yielded just 48 points to Fairleigh Dickinson and Monmouth en-route to a road sweep on its New Jersey swing. The Knights and Hawks combined to shoot just 2-26 from three-point range. In the same five game stretch, the Bobcats are outrebounding their NEC rivals by an astounding 13.6 per game. On the year, QU ranks second in the nation in rebound margin at +11.1 per game.
Fire Away: Terriers Duo Blazing From Long Range
St. Francis (NY)’s resurgence this season can be attributed to a number of factors, but sporting a pair of three-point bombers the caliber of sophomore Ben Mockford (Shoreham-by-Sea, England/Oak Hill Academy (VA)) and senior Stefan Perunicic (Belgrade, Serbia/Srednja Turisticka Skola) has to be near the top of the list. Mockford (2.83) and Perunicic (2.70) rank one-two in the NEC in triples and have combined for 127 shots from beyond the arc on the year. As a team, the Terriers lead the NEC with 8.35 three-pointers per game.
Monmouth Rally Rocks MAC
Monmouth recently put together a three-game win streak for the first time since last February, but it didn’t come without a dose of drama. Trailing Sacred Heart, 54-46, with 2:31 to play last Thursday at the MAC, the Hawks staged an incredible comeback. The Blue & White scored 13 straight points over the next 2:13 and ended the game on a 17-2 run to win, 63-56. Over the course of the run, the Hawks went 6-6 from the field and 4-4 from the line, with five different players scoring.
Rivers Delivers for Wagner
There was a big-game atmosphere at the Spiro Center last Thursday with NEC-TV cameras on hand and a top-level opponent in Robert Morris in the house. With Dan Hurley looking for an offensive catalyst against one of the NEC’s premiere defenses, it was sophomore guard Latif Rivers (Elizabeth, NJ/Avon Old Farms) who answered the call. Rivers, who has delivered time after time for the Seahawks this season against high caliber opponents, matched a season-high with 28 points. The Choice Hotels NEC Player of the Week converted a career-best 15 free throws in the 80-69 triumph, which tied for the most by a NEC player this year and are the most by a Wagner player since NEC Hall of Famer Terrance Bailey converted a school-record 18 against Marist way back on February 1, 1986. In other “Big-Game” situations this season, Rivers tallied 18 against Penn and Pittsburgh, 21 against Air Force, 17 against Santa Clara and LIU Brooklyn along with the aforementioned 28 versus Robert Morris. On the year, Rivers is averaging a team-best 15.0 ppg (11th in NEC) and is shooting 89.6 percent (second in NEC, 11th in nation) from the line.
Road Warriors
Winning on the road is not an easy task, but over the last two years, a trio of NEC programs have excelled in that regard. In 2010-11, LIU Brooklyn led the nation with 13 road wins en-route to a 27-6 record. This season, it is Wagner and Robert Morris that have found the magic formula away from home.
Wagner has won seven straight on the road, and its 10 road triumphs are the second-most in the nation this season (behind Cleveland State's 11) and match the school’s DI record. Similarly, the eight straight wins away from home (includes one neutral site win over Air Force) is the longest streak for the Seahawks since the 1978-79 season.
Robert Morris has won is now 9-4 on the year away from the Sewall Center. The nine road wins are tied for fifth in Division I.
LIU: Behind The Numbers (2011-12 Version)
Long Island’s prowess on the offensive end of the floor has been well documented the last two seasons. In 2011-12, the Blackbirds lead the NEC and rank 11th in the country with 79.8 points per game. LIU also sits among the nation’s leaders in a number of lesser-known statistical categories that have played in a role in the team’s prolific point production. The Blackbirds currently rank third in Division I in possessions per 40 minutes (76.6) and sixth in effective points (80.0). Effective points takes a team’s offensive possessions per 40 minutes and multiplies it by points per possession. LIU, which has made more free throws (489) than its opponents have attempted (379), is also second nationally in free throw production (.356) and sixth in free throw rate (.237). Free throw production is an indication of a team’s ability to get to the line and is calculated by dividing the number of free throws made by total field goal attempts. Free throw rate is the number of point scored from the stripe per possessions used (FTM/(FGA + TO + (0.44 x FTA)) and was developed as a measuring took by the Boston Celtics. Finally, LIU ranks second in Division I in both free throws made (20.4) and attempted (27.8) per game.
A Season in Perspective: SHU’s Shane Gibson
NEC coaches have been spending hours upon hours devising defensive plans designed to slow down Sacred Heart junior guard Shane Gibson (Killingly, CT/Killingly). Very few have succeeded in this regard as the Killingly, CT native leads the NEC and ranks seventh in the nation with 21.4 ppg. Gibson has dwarfed those numbers in NEC play, averaging 24.9 ppg. He has scored 20 or more points in 11-of-13 league games this season.
How does Gibson’s point production in conference play compare to recent NEC high scorers? Gibson currently maintains the highest single-season average since 1998-99 when Ray Minlend netted 25.9 ppg against NEC rivals.
Top Scoring Averages in NEC Play (1998-12)
1. Ray Minlend (SFNY) 25.9 1998-99
2. Shane Gibson (SHU) 24.9 2011-12
3. Rob Monroe (QU) 23.9 2004-05
4. Darshan Luckey (SFPA) 23.4 2004-05
5. DeMario Anderson (QU) 23.3 2007-08
6. Darshan Luckey (SPFA) 23.1 2002-03
7. Antawn Dobie (LIU) 22.2 2001-02
8. Manny Ubilla (FDU) 21.9 2007-08
9. Jermaine Hall (WC) 21.6 2001-02
10. Ken Horton (CCSU) 21.4 2010-11
Here is a look at Gibson's NEC games this season:
Date Opponent Points 3PFG
Feb. 4 Fairleigh Dickinson 16 2-5
Feb. 2 Monmouth 22 3-6
Jan. 28 Mount St. Mary’s 41 6-13
Jan. 26 Wagner 20 1-7
Jan. 21 CCSU 26 2-5
Jan. 19 Quinnipiac 23 2-4
Jan. 14 Robert Morris 29 7-11
Jan. 12 Saint Francis (PA) 26 3-4
Jan. 7 St. Francis (NY) 15 1-8
Jan. 5 LIU Brooklyn 28 6-9
Dec. 3 CCSU 32 3-7
Dec. 1 Quinnipiac 21 3-5
24.9 ppg 39-84 (.464)
Blackbirds Excel In Crunch Time
Part of the reason LIU Brooklyn has posted a 17-7 record and leads the NEC with an 11-1 mark is its ability to close out games. The Blackbirds are a perfect 6-0 this season and dating back to the 2010-11 campaign have won 13 straight games decided by five points or less. Monmouth is the only other team that has yet to drop a “close” game this year with a 2-0 mark. Quinnipiac has played an NEC-high 11 games with a five or fewer point margin.
Latest Chapter of Robert Morris-Mount St. Mary’s Rivalry
When Robert Morris and Mount St. Mary’s battled on Saturday, it marked the 18th meeting between the two programs over the last seven seasons. The teams met in the NEC Tournament each year from 2006-10, including the 2009 NEC title game, won by the Colonials, 48-46. Robert Morris owns a 13-5 record over that span with 11 of the 18 games being decided by five points or less. On Saturday, the Colonials rallied from a five-point halftime deficit to secure a 67-62 win in Emmitsburg.
Mount’s Kelvin Parker: Walk-On to Starter to NEC Rookie of the Week
As freshman walk-ons go around the country, are there any who have had a better year than the Mount’s Kelvin Parker (York, PA/William Penn)? The York, PA native earned his first Choice Hotels NEC Rookie of the Week award after averaging 18.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg and 2.5 apg, including a career-high 20 in the Mountaineers’ 64-51 win over Saint Francis (PA) on Thursday. He also hit 7-14 from three-point range. Parker has scored in double figures in each of the past four games, averaging 16.0 ppg and 4.0 rpg over that stretch to improve his season totals to 8.7 ppg and 4.0 rpg.
Red Flash's Scott Eatherton Excels Against NEC Elite
Saint Francis (PA) forward Scott Eatherton's (Hershey, PA/Hershey) terrific sophomore season includes a number of noteworthy performances against the NEC's elite teams. In games against CCSU, LIU Brooklyn and Wagner, Eatherton has averaged 19.0 points, 9.3 rebounds and shot 61.5 percent from the field. His best game of the bunch was a 24-point, 12-rebound outing at CCSU on January 5th. The Hershey, PA native currently ranks first in the nation in field goal percentage (.627), sixth in double-doubles (five), eighth in blocks (1.1), 10th in rebounding (7.1) and 12th in scoring (14.8).
Quite a Saturday for Bryant's Frankie Dobbs
Bryant junior point guard Frankie Dobbs (Berea, OH/St. Edward) averaged a team-leading 20.5 points last week and established a pair of new career-highs with 26 points and 14 free throws (in 15 attempts) in an 80-67 setback to St. Francis (NY) on Saturday. Just as impressive was the one-man show he put on in an attempt to lead the Bulldogs to an improbable comeback win against one of the NEC's best teams. Dobbs scored 15 straight points late in the second half against St. Francis, including nine in an 11-0 Bryant run over an 83-second span that trimmed the Terrier lead from 20 to nine with 3:01 to play. Dobbs, who shot 19-20 (.950) from the line in the two games, ranks, seventh in the NEC in free throw accuracy (.805) and is second in assists (4.5/game).
Terrier Sharpshooter Stefan Perunicic Continues Rise Up NEC Career Three-Point List
St. Francis (NY) senior forward Stefan Perunicic (Belgrade, Serbia/Srednja Turisticka Skola) climbed one spot to ninth all-time in the NEC in career three-pointers last week. He passed the Mount’s Landy Thompson on Saturday and will resume play on Wednesday with 269 trifectas. Perunicic leads all active NEC players in made three-pointers and is second in St. Francis history, 25 behind all-time Terrier great Angel Santana (1996-00). Perunicic is shooting 44.0 percent from long range on the year, the third-best mark on the circuit. He also ranks second with 2.7 three-pointers made per game.
LIU Brooklyn, Wagner Ranked in Mid-Major Poll
LIU Brooklyn and Wagner were both ranked in the January 30th edition of the College Insider Mid-Major Top-25 poll. The Blackbirds were voted 23rd, with the Seahawks one spot behind in the 24th slot. Wagner has been ranked six straight weeks, while the Blackbirds have been in the top-25 the last two weeks. The NEC is one of only six conferences with multiple teams ranked.
NEC’s RPI Leaders
The NEC currently sports three teams ranked in the top-120 in the RPI. Wagner is currently 75th, while Robert Morris ranks 107th and LIU Brooklyn 113th.
Best of the Best: NEC National Leaders
A host of NEC players rank among national leaders (top-20) in various statistical categories, including CCSU senior guard Robby Ptacek (Bay Shore, NY/Blue Point), who leads the country in free throw shooting at 93.0 percent.
Name Category # Rank
Robby Ptacek (CCSU) FT% .930 1st
Shane Gibson (SHU) Scoring 21.4 7th
Scott Eatherton (SFPA) FG% .627 7th
Jason Brickman (LIU) Assists 6.3 11th
Latif Rivers (WC) FT% .896 11th
Ken Horton (CCSU) Scoring 19.8 16th
Ike Azotam (QU) Double-Doubles 11 17th
Team Category # Rank
Quinnipiac Rebounds 44.0 2nd
Quinnipiac Rebound Margin +11.1 2nd
LIU Brooklyn Home Win Streak 21 5th
CCSU Free Throw Percentage .761 11th
LIU Brooklyn Scoring 79.8 11th
Wagner Won-Loss Percentage .826 17th
Wagner Turnover Margin +3.7 18th
CCSU's Ken Horton Leads NEC Active Scorers; Wagner's Chris Martin Next to Join 1,000-Point Club?
There are 178 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 1,851 points. Quinnipiac senior guard James Johnson (Brooklyn, NY/Bishop Loughlin) is next with 1,602 and CCSU senior guard Robby Ptacek (Bayport, NY/Blue Point) has accumulated 1,434 points. This year, Sacred Heart junior guard Shane Gibson (Killingly, CT/Killingly) (1,282), LIU junior forward Julian Boyd (San Antonio, TX/William H. Taft) (1,135), Wagner senior guard Tyler Murray (Toronto, Ontario/Eastern Commerce) (1,127), St. Francis (NY) senior forward Stefan Perunicic (Belgrade, Serbia/Srednja Turisticka Skola) (1,118), LIU junior forward Jamal Olasewere (Silver Spring, MD/Springbrook) (1,090) and Robert Morris junior guard Velton Jones (Philadelphia, PA/Northeast Catholic) (1,087) have also made it to 1,000 points.
The next line of players closing in on 1,000 this season include Wagner senior guard Chris Martin (Sicklerville, NJ/Winslow Township (Apex Academies)) (964) and Monmouth senior forward Mike Myers Keitt (Waterbury, CT/Fairfield Prep (Marianapolis Prep)) (867).
CCSU's Ptacek: Best Ever At The Line?
Central Connecticut State senior guard Robby Ptacek's (Bay Shore, NY/Blue Point) near perfection at the charity stripe is not a one-year phenomenon. In fact, Ptacek has a chance to close out his career as the top-ranked free throw shooter in the history of the conference. The Bay Shore, NY native has hit 88.8 percent of his attempts over the course of his career, including an NCAA-best 93.0 percent this season. The only player in league annals with a higher percentage is former CCSU star Tristan Blackwood, who shot 89.1 percent from the line from 2004-08.
CCSU’s Horton Leads 20/30 Pack
In the "stellar games" category, no NEC player is even close to Central Connecticut senior forward Ken Horton (Ossining, NY/Ossining). Horton has racked up 43 games of 20+ points over the course of his career, with his next closest competitor in the NEC being Sacred Heart’s Shane Gibson (Killingly, CT/Killingly) with 29. He has tallied eight games of 30+ points, also a league-leading mark and five more than any other NEC player. This season alone, Horton has put up three 30-point outings.
Most Games - 20+ Points (active players)
Ken Horton, CCSU 43
Shane Gibson, SHU 29
Robby Ptacek, CCSU 26
James Johnson, QU 16
Alex Francis, BRY 13
Umar Shannon, SFPA 12
Julian Boyd, LIU 11
Velton Jones, RMU 11
Tyler Murray, WC 11
Latif Rivers, WC 9
Will Campbell, MU 8
Chris Martin, WC 8
Stefan Perunicic, SFNY 8
Kyle Vinales, CCSU 8
Ike Azotam, QU 7
Frankie Dobbs, BRY 6
Mike Myers-Keitt, MU 6
Jamal Olasewere, LIU 6
Jesse Steele, MU 6
Scott Eatherton, SFPA 5
Julian Norfleet, MSM 5
Russell Johnson, RMU 4
Most Games - 30+ Points (active players)
Ken Horton, CCSU 8
Shane Gibson, SHU 3
Alex Francis, BRY 2
Velton Jones, RMU 2
Robby Ptacek, CCSU 2
Ike Azotam, QU 1
Melquan Bolding, FDU 1
Julian Boyd, LIU 1
James Johnson, QU 1
Chris Martin, WC 1
Jamal Olasewere, LIU 1
Latif Rivers, WC 1
Umar Shannon, SFPA 1
Kyle Vinales, CCSU 1
High-Fives
- Bryant sophomore forward Alex Francis (Harlem, NY/Holderness Prep (NH)) averaged 17.5 points per game last week, including a 20-point, 11-rebound performance against LIU Brooklyn last Thursday. In three career games against the Blackbirds, Francis has put up some stellar numbers, averaging 27.0 ppg and 10.0 rpg, while shooting 66.1 percent from the floor.
- CCSU senior forward Ken Horton (Ossining, NY/Ossining) averaged 21.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 60.7 percent from the field last week. He posted 29 points and 10 rebounds against LIU Brooklyn on Saturday.
- Fairleigh Dickinson graduate student forward George Goode (Raytown, MO/Raytown South (Louisville)) averaged 17.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in two games last week. Over his last 11 contests, Goode is averaging 15.5 ppg and 8.2 rpg, while scoring in double figures in 10 of those outings.
- Quinnipiac sophomore forward Ike Azotam (Boston, MA/John D. O’Bryant (Marianapolis Prep)) contributed 15.0 points and 9.0 rebounds last week. The NEC rebound leader finished with 22 points and 12 rebounds in a 65-48 win over FDU on Thursday.
- Robert Morris freshman forward Lucky Jones (Newark, NJ/St. Anthony) averaged 13.0 points and 5.5 rebounds in RMU’s split last week, converting 60 percent of his shots from the field. Jones scored a career-high 17 points in a 67-62 win over Mount St. Mary’s on Saturday.
- St. Francis (NY) junior forward Travis Nichols (Brooklyn, NY/Food & Finance) had failed to reach double-digits in six-of-seven outings, but has bounced back with four straight games of 11 or more points. Last week, he averaged 14.5 ppg and hit seven shots from downtown.
Quotes of the Week
“I can’t tell you how much I smiled today just on [sophomore Jason Brickman’s] passes. I try to not let people see me, but it’s like ‘Wow, how about that.’” – LIU Brooklyn head coach Jim Ferry on point guard Jason Brickman
“Our kids kept competing so we went on a crazy run. I think we got a little bit lucky tonight. We got some steals late. I’m so proud they kept fighting. I was on their back. We didn’t have our best game at the start of the game.” – Monmouth head coach King Rice after his team rallied from eight down late to beat Sacred Heart, 63-56, on Thursday
"It's one of those things where nobody knows who he is. Nobody cares about him in the scouting report. But then he starts to play better, people start caring about him and it's like, 'Whoa. Someone is actually guarding me.’ For some guys, that can take a year. That can take a long time. But he's been able to figure some things out." – Mount St. Mary’s head coach Robert Burke on the play of freshman guard Kelvin Parker, the Choice HotelsChoice Hotels NEC Rookie of the Week
“We sort of do what we do on the backboards. I don’t know if we out-toughed them or not. But we were pretty tough.’’ – Quinnipiac head coach Tom Moore on the Bobcats’ 50-29 rebound advantage in a 71-48 win over Monmouth on Saturday
"I thought a good start was essential for us against a very good team, and our defensive intensity got us that. We've played 22 games together now this season, and our guys know what to do. And Kenny's (Oritz) defensive play was huge. He was patient against a guy (Velton Jones) who is the heart of their team." – Wagner head coach Dan Hurley after his team beat Robert Morris, 80-69, on Thursday
NEC By the Numbers
6 double-doubles this season for St. Francis (NY) forward Jalen Cannon (Allentown, PA/William Allen), most among NEC freshman. He leads all NEC freshman and ranks fourth overall with 7.9 rpg.
6 times this season LIU Brooklyn has had five players reach double-digits in the same game.
6 straight double-digit games for Monmouth junior guard Dion Nesmith (Union, NJ/Union). He has averaged 13.5 ppg over the stretch.
7 20+ point outings for
10 more boards and Quinnipiac forward Ousmane Drame (Boston, MA/New Mission (Marianapolis Prep)) will break the school’s single-season freshman record for rebounds. He has 157 on the year and has posted double-digit rebound totals in four of his last five outings.
11 double-doubles, a league-leading figure for Quinnipiac sophomore forward Ike Azotam (Boston, MA/John D. O’Bryant (Marianapolis Prep))
13 different starting lineups used by Fairleigh Dickinson this season.
14 double-doubles in the young career of Bryant sophomore forward Alex Francis (Harlem, NY/Holderness Prep (NH)). He has posted six this season to tie for fourth in the NEC.
16-0 record for Wagner this season when holding opposing teams under 70 points.
23 points, a career-high for Mount’s Julian Norfleet (Virginia Beach, VA/Landstown) against Robert Morris on Saturday.
25 consecutive wins for Robert Morris when shooting 50 percent or better from the field.
29 points for CCSU senior forward Ken Horton (Ossining, NY/Ossining) against LIU Brooklyn on Saturday was his best single-game performance since dropping 30 at Brown on December 10. Horton ranks second in the NEC with 19.8 ppg.
41st, the NEC career scoring rank for Quinnipiac senior guard James Johnson (Brooklyn, NY/Bishop Loughlin). Johnson is also second among active NEC players with 1,602 points.
59.5 percent shooting from three-point range (22-37) for LIU Brooklyn sophomore guard Jason Brickman (San Antonio, TX/Clark) in NEC play.
95, a number LIU Brooklyn has either hit or exceeded in four games this season. The only other NEC team to reach 95 this season is St. Francis (NY), which did it on one occasion.
487 career rebounds for Robert Morris junior forward Russell Johnson (Chester, PA/Chester). He is 13 shy of becoming the 16th player in school history to join the 500-rebound club.
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TEAM-BY-TEAM NOTES
Bryant (2-22, 1-11 NEC, RPI: 341)
Last Week: Feb. 2 at LIU Brooklyn L, 75-70; Feb. 4 at St. Francis (NY) L, 80-67
This Week: Feb. 8 at Sacred Heart; Feb. 11 vs. Sacred Heart
• Junior point guard Frankie Dobbs (Berea, OH/St. Edward) averaged a team-leading 20.5 points per game last week and set a number of new career highs. Dobbs scored a game-high and career-best 26 points Saturday against St. Francis (NY) and converted a career-high 14 free throws (14-15) in 40 full minutes of action. The guard scored 15 Thursday in a tight 75-70 loss at LIU Brooklyn and went 5-for-5 from the line for a 19-of-20 (.950) mark on the two-game week.
• Sophomore Alex Francis (Harlem, NY/Holderness Prep (NH)) averaged 17.5 points per game, recording his seventh 20-point outing and sixth double-double of the 2011-12 season with 20 points and 11 rebounds Thursday against the Blackbirds. The double-double is the 14th of his young career. He also averaged a team-best eight boards per outing on the week and shot an impressive 68.4 percent (13-19) from the floor on the week.
• Junior guard Raphael Jordan (Bel Air, MD/John Carroll) also averaged double-figures with 15.0 points per game, posting 16 Saturday against the Terriers and 14 Thursday at LIU. Jordan shot 63.2 percent (12-19) from the field and earned the Saturday start, picking up four steals and a block.
• Junior guard Erick Smith (Bel Air, MD/John Carroll) earned the first two starts of his career this week, averaging 16 minutes per game.
• Against league-leading LIU Brooklyn, the Bulldogs never fell behind by more than eight and led by nine in the first half before taking just a single-point deficit into halftime, 37-36. In a game that went down to the wire, Bryant shot 85.7 percent (12-14) from the free throw line and 42.1 percent from the field, outrebounding the Blackbirds, 39-33.
• Saturday against the Terriers, Bryant continued its hot streak from the line, going 25-32 (78.1 percent) while shooting 44.2 percent from the floor. St. Francis led by 20 with under four minutes to play before 15-straight points from Frankie Dobbs and four-consecutive Terrier turnovers within a 58-second span cut the score to nine points, 69-60, but the Bulldogs couldn’t complete the comeback.
• On the week, the Bulldogs shot 43.5 percent from the field and 80.4 percent from the line.
Central Connecticut (10-12, 7-5 NEC, RPI: 252)
Last Week: Feb. 2 at St. Francis (NY) L, 73-67; Feb. 4 at LIU Brooklyn L, 95-81
This Week: Feb. 8 at Quinnipiac; Feb. 12 vs. Quinnipiac
• The Blue Devils dropped both games on the road last week and have lost four of their last five, dropping to 7-5 in Northeast Conference play after a 6-1 start. The Blue Devils are now 2-9 on the road this season.
• Senior Ken Horton (Ossining, NY/Ossining) had an efficient week in averaging 21.5 points and 9.5 rebounds in the two losses for the Blue Devils last week. Horton shot 17-of-28 from the field, 3-of-4 from three, and hit 5-of-5 from the line. He had 13 points and nine rebounds in the loss at St. Francis (NY) on Thursday night. He followed that up with one of his most complete games of the season in the loss to Long Island on Saturday. Horton was 11-of-15 from the floor, 2-of-3 from three, and 5-of-5 from the line, while posting 29 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. The 29 points was his best output since Dec. 10. Horton’s double-double is the 28th of his career and his 10th this season. His 20-point output is his league-leading 43rd career game with 20 or more points and the 91st time in his career that he has scored in double-figures. Horton’s 29 points give him 1,851 for his career, moving into ninth place on the all-time NEC scoring list. His 10 rebounds put him at 788 for his career.
• Senior Robby Ptacek (Bayport, NY/Blue Point) had a pair of 20 point outputs on the week, averaging 23 points, four rebounds and 3.5 assists in the two loss. He had 22 points on 9-of-18 shooting in the loss to St. Francis (NY), he was 4-of-4 from the line. On Saturday he had 24 points, on identical 9-of-18 shooting, but was 5-of-5 from the line. He had four rebounds in each game and five assists at St. Francis (NY). Ptacek improved his nation’s-best free-throw average to 93 percent, he is 106-for-114 on the year.
Fairleigh Dickinson (2-21, 1-11 NEC, RPI: 328)
Last Week: Feb. 2 vs. Quinnipiac L, 65-48; Feb. 4 vs. Sacred Heart L, 66-57
This Week: Feb. 8 vs. Monmouth; Feb. 11 at Monmouth
• Gradaute student George Goode (Raytown, MO/Raytown South) is the only Knight to start all 23 games this season.
• Goode led the Knights in scoring in both contests this past week as he scored all 16 of his points after halftime, grabbed six rebounds and tied his season high in blocks with three in the loss to Quinnipiac. He then scored a game-high 19 points, grabbed nine rebounds and dished out a career-best six assists in the loss to Sacred Heart.
• Over his last 11 game, Goode is averaging 15.5 ppg and 8.2 rpg, while scoring in double figures in 10 of those contests.
• The Knights used their 13th different starting lineup of the season in the loss to Quinnipiac.
• The Knights tied their season low in made field goals with 17 in the loss to Quinnipiac but tied their season low in turnovers with 11.
• In the loss to Sacred Heart, the Knights had their most efficient passing game of the season as they recorded 19 assists on their 22 made baskets. The 19 assists tied their season best.
• Percentage-wise, the Knights had their best shooting performance from the charity stripe as they nailed 90 percent (9-of-10) of their freebies.
• Senior Briahn Smith (Detroit, MI/Madison) tied his season-high with 14 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished out three assists in the loss to Sacred Heart. He is averaging 11.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game over his last six contests which have resulted in five-double digit scoring outputs.
LIU Brooklyn (17-7, 11-1 NEC, RPI: 113)
Last Week: Feb. 2 vs. Bryant W, 75-70; Feb. 4 vs. Central Connecticut W, 95-81
This Week: Feb. 8 at St. Francis (Ny) (at Madison Square Garden); Feb. 12 vs. St. Francis (NY)
• LIU Brooklyn earned a pair of conference home wins, defeating Bryant by a 75-70 margin on Feb. 2, before dealing Central Connecticut State a 95-80 defeat on Feb. 4.
• The Blackbirds have scored 95 or more points on four occasions this season.
• Dating back to last season LIU Brooklyn has won 21 consecutive home games. That streak is the fifth-longest active one in the country behind Kentucky (48 games), Ohio State (38), North Carolina (30) and Harvard (25).
• The Blackbirds shot 94 percent from the foul line against the Blue Devils. LIU converted 29 of their 31 attempts at the charity stripe.
• Junior Kenny Onyechi (Sugar Land, TX/Kemper) came off the bench to grab a career-high 13 rebounds against Central Connecticut. He added seven points, including a dunk that ignited the game’s decisive 11-0 run.
• Five players scored in double figures for the Blackbirds in the CCSU win, marking the sixth time LIU has had five double-digit scorers this season.
• LIU is second in the nation in both trips to the foul line (27.8 per game) and free throws made (20.4 per game).
• The Blackbirds featured a balanced scoring attack for the week, with four players averaging at least 14 points per game. Juniors Jamal Olasewere (Silver Spring, MD/Springbrook), Julian Boyd (San Antonio, TX/William H. Taft) and C.J. Garner (Silver Spring, MD/Springbrook) all averaged 14.0 ppg while sophomore Jason Brickman (San Antonio, TX/Clark) turned in a team-high 14.5 ppg.
Monmouth (7-18, 5-7 NEC, RPI: 264)
Last Week: Feb. 2 vs. Sacred Heart W, 63-56; Feb. 4 vs. Quinnipiac L, 71-48
This Week: Feb. 8 at Fairleigh Dickinson; Feb. 11 vs. Fairleigh Dickinson
• Monmouth is now 7-18 overall and 5-7 in the NEC, while moving to 4-5 at home on the year after going 1-1 in the MAC this week.
• MU’s victory over Sacred Heart gave the Hawks a third straight victory, their first three-game win streak since a stretch in mid-February a year ago.
• MU erased an eight-point deficit in the final 2:31 of the game, to earn a seven-point victory over Sacred Heart for its third straight win. In the final five minutes, MU went 4-4 from the FT line, while SHU went 2-8.
• Monmouth junior guard Dion Nesmith (Union, NJ/Union (Northeastern)), who is in his first year playing college basketball, scored in double-digits for a sixth straight game against Quinnipiac on Saturday.
• The Hawks committed a season-low 10 turnovers against the Bobcats on Saturday.
• Monmouth is now 3-1 against the four teams it will face only once this season. With the NEC’s unbalanced schedule, the Hawks faced CCSU (W in OT), Bryant (W), Sacred Heart (W) and Quinnipiac (L) only once in the regular season.
Mount St. Mary's (6-17, 4-8 NEC, RPI: 292)
Last Week: Feb. 2 vs. Saint Francis (Pa) W, 64-51; Feb. 4 vs. Robert Morris L, 67-62
This Week: Feb. 8 vs. Wagner; Feb. 11 at Wagner
• The Mount went 1-1 this week, downing Saint Francis (PA), 64-51, at home before falling to Robert Morris, 67-62, on Saturday. The Mount has won five in a row and 13 of the past 14 matchups with the Red Flash.
• The Mount and Robert Morris met for the 18th time since the start of the 2005-06 season on Saturday. The teams met in the NEC Tournament each year from 2006-10. Robert Morris owns a 13-5 record over that span with 11 of the 18 games being decided by five points or less.
• Freshman Kelvin Parker (York, PA/William Penn) had a sensational week, averaging 18.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.0 steals. The walk-on guard posted a career high 20 points in the Mount’s 64-51 victory over Saint Francis (Pa.), hitting 8-of-13 from the field and 4-of-7 from three-point range in the game. He followed with a 17-point effort against Robert Morris, hitting three three-pointers while adding three dunks in the contest.
• Sophomore guard Josh Castellanos (Orlando, FL/Orlando Christian Prep) dished out 15 assists in the two games this week, giving him 97 assists on the year. Castellanos is averaging 10.5 points and 6.3 assists over the past four games.
• Guard Julian Norfleet (Virginia Beach, VA/Landstown) tied a career high with 23 points in the loss to Robert Morris. Norfleet averaged 17.0 points on the week. He has reached double figures in 11 of the past 12 games, including three 20-point efforts. He is averaging 15.1 points over that 12-game stretch while hitting 26-of-65 (.400) from three-point range.
Quinnipiac (13-10, 6-6 NEC, RPI: 188)
Last Week: Feb. 2 at Fairleigh Dickinson W, 65-48; Feb. 4 at Monmouth W, 71-48
This Week: Feb. 8 vs. Central Connecticut; Feb. 12 at Central Connecticut
• The Bobcats, now winners of five of their last six games, defeated Fairleigh Dickinson, 65-48, on Thursday night before handing Monmouth a 71-48 loss in West Long Branch, NJ.
• Quinnipiac’s defense was the driving force to the team’s success, holding opponents to 32.4 percent shooting (34-105) from the floor and an average of 48 points per game. Furthermore, opponents went just 2-of-26 from behind the arc at a dismal 7.7 percent clip and suffered 11 rejections on the week.
• The Bobcats were also tremendous on the boards, averaging 47.5 in the 80 minutes of competition. Opponents were held to 29.5 rebounds, leaving a plus-18 margin for the week. QU corralled 36 on the offensive end.
• Ike Azotam (Boston, MA/O’Bryant (Marianapolis Prep)) led the way for the Bobcats, averaging 15 points and nine rebounds, including a 22-point, 12-rebound effort at FDU. James Johnson (Queens, NY/Bishop Loughlin) weighed in with 14 points and two rebounds per game, which also incorporated an 18 point performance against the Hawks.
• Garvey Young (Washington, DC/Georgetown Prep (Vermont)) added 10 points per outing and Ousmane Drame grabbed 10 rebounds per contest. Zaid Hearst (Bethesda, MD/Salisbury (CT)) averaged six points and six rebounds as well. 11 Bobcats contributed to the scoring column on the week.
• The Bobcats went 26-of-37 (.703) from the stripe and recorded a scoring margin of plus-20.
• The Bobcats will take on Central Connecticut as part of Rivalry Week in the NEC. QU welcomes the Blue Devils to the TD Bank Sports Center on Wednesday night before heading to New Britain on Sunday afternoon.
Robert Morris (17-8, 8-4 NEC, RPI: 107)
Last Week: Feb. 2 at Wagner L, 80-69; Feb. 4 at Mount St. Mary’s W, 67-62
This Week: Feb. 8 at Saint Francis (PA); Feb. 11 vs. Saint Francis (PA)
• Robert Morris opened the month of the 2011-12 regular season by splitting a pair of road games last week, dropping an 80-69 decision @ Wagner (2/2/12) before rebounding to earn a 67-62 win @ Mount St. Mary’s (2/4/12).
• RMU’s win over the Mount helped the Colonials clinch their seventh consecutive winning season, extending a school record … Since the 2005-06 campaign, Robert Morris owns a record of 140-78 (.642).
• The loss at Wagner for Robert Morris, coupled with its previous defeat to St. Francis (NY) (1/28/12) at home, 81-68, marked the first time since the first two games of the 2009-10 campaign the Colonials allowed consecutive opponents to reach the 80-point plateau, a span of 89 games.
• The Colonials shot 53.3 percent (24-for-45) from the field in their victory @ the Mount, their 25th consecutive victory when shooting 50 percent or better from the floor.
• Freshman guard Brandon Herman (Chattanooga, TN/Charis Prep) came off the bench to lead Robert Morris with 11 points at Wagner, while sophomore forward Mike McFadden (Newark, NJ/Technology) contributed 10 points and a game-high six rebounds.
• Herman, who had scored 15 points in his previous 17 games prior to his outburst against the Seahawks, tied a career-high in points that he originally established in RMU’s 2011-12 season opener, an 83-57 win over Rider (11/11/11).
• Freshman forward Lucky Jones (Newark, NJ/ St. Anthony) averaged 13.0 points and 5.5 rebounds in RMU’s split last week, converting 60 percent (9-for-15) of his shots from the field while going a perfect 5-for-5 at the free-throw line.
* Lucky Jones paced the Colonials in their win @ Mount St. Mary’s, establishing a career high with 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field and going 2-for-2 at the chalk.
• Sophomore guard Anthony Myers (Washington, DC/Charis Prep) contributed 15 points, four assists and two steals in the win over the Mount, while redshirt junior guard Velton Jones (Philadelphia, PA/Northeast Catholic) scored 10 points and had four dimes.
• Robert Morris is 6-1 this season when both Velton Jones and Lucky Jones score in double figures in the same game.
• Over his last seven games, Myers owns 29 assists against just 12 turnovers, an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.42.
• Senior forward Lawrence Bridges (Detroit, MI/Columbus State Community College) saw his streak of 34 consecutive starts dating back to the 2010-11 campaign snapped by coming off the bench in each of RMU’s two games last week … Williams now owns the longest active streak for consecutive starts with 29, as he’s the only Colonial to start each of RMU’s 25 games this season.
• Redshirt junior forward Russell Johnson (Chester, PA/Chester) returned to active duty @ Wagner after missing five games with a thumb injury and finished with five points and two rebounds before suffering an injury to his ankle in the second half and missing the win @ Mount St. Mary’s.
• Johnson is RMU’s active leading rebounder with 487 and is 13 caroms shy of becoming the 16th player in school history to join the Robert Morris 500-rebound club.
• Robert Morris established a season high with 36 points in the paint @ Wagner as the starting frontcourt of Lucky Jones, McFadden and junior center Lijah Thompson (Philadelphia, PA/Monsignor Bonner) combined to shoot 52.4 percent (11-for-21) from the field … Despite a record of 4-6 when scoring at least 30 points in the paint in two years under head coach Andrew Toole, Robert Morris is 44-12 (.786) over the last five years when turning the trick.
Sacred Heart (11-14, 5-7 NEC, RPI: 241)
Last Week: Feb. 2 at Monmouth L, 63-56; Feb. 4 at Fairleigh Dickinson W, 66-57
This Week: Feb. 8 vs. Bryant; Feb. 11 at Bryant
• The Pioneers closed out a four-game stretch against NEC teams they will face just once this season. SHU beat FDU but lost to Wagner, Mount St. Mary’s and Monmouth heading into Rivalry Week.
• The Pioneers saw an eight-point lead (54-46) with 2:31 left erased in a 63-56 loss at Monmouth Thursday night. It was the first time this season SHU lost when leading with 10 minutes to play and the second time they’ve lost when leading with five minutes to play. The other being the 82-80 overtime loss at CCSU.
• Junior Shane Gibson (Killingly, CT/Killingly) rebounded from a six point first half and finished with 22 in the loss at Monmouth. He exented his streak of scoring 20 or more points in seven straight and 12 of his last 13 games, averaging 24.7 ppg in that span. On Saturday, Gibson saw that streak snapped being held to 16 points in the win over FDU. Gibson continues to lead in the NEC scoring race, averaging 21.6 ppg. That figure also ranks him sixth in the nation.
• Sophomore Louis Montes (Brockton, MA/Brockton) notched his second double double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds at MU. He finished with 16 in Saturday’s win.
• Junior Justin Swidowski (Cinnaminson, NJ/Holy Cross HS) failed to score for the first time this year in the loss at Monmouth. Swidowski did match his season-high with 11 rebounds and set a new high of four blocks. On Saturday, he scored 10 points, all in the first half at FDU.
• Swidowski (11) and Montes (10) where the first teammates to pull down double digit rebounds in a game since Corey Hassan (12) and Liam Potter (10) accomplished it against CCSU in the 2009-10 season.
• At Monmouth, sophomore Evan Kelley (Norwalk, CT/Norwalk) returned to the starting line-up for the first time since the LIU Brooklyn game on January 5th (7-game stretch). Evans did miss three games with an ankle injury.
St. Francis (NY) (13-10, 10-2 NEC, RPI: 204)
Last Week: Feb. 2 vs. Central Connecticut W, 73-67; Feb. 4 vs. Bryant W, 80-67
This Week: Feb. 8 vs. LIU Brooklyn (at Madison Square Garden); Feb. 12 at LIU Brooklyn
• St. Francis (NY) defeated Central Connecticut State and Bryant last week and have now won five straight and nine of their last 10 contests.
• The Terriers will be seeking their first six-game winning streak since the 2003-2004 season when they host LIU Brooklyn on Wednesday evening at Madison Square Garden. St. Francis and LIU Brooklyn will also meet at the Wellness Center on Sunday afternoon as part of Rivalry Week, a game which will be televised live on MSG.
• St. Francis has already equaled their 10-game conference win total from last season with six contests still to play.
• Two early-season NEC Players of the Week who had been struggling for St. Francis during the mid-season are beginning to heat-up once again. Sophomore guard Ben Mockford (Shoreham-by-Sea, England/Oak Hill Academy (VA)) averaged 17.5 points last week and drained 9-of-21 treys. Mockford, who leads the circuit in 3-point field goals per game (2.73), has now reached double-figures in four straight contests after failing to do so in his previous four games.
• Junior forward Travis Nichols (Brooklyn, NY/Food & Finance) averaged 14.5 ppg. with an impressive shooting performances against the Blue Devils and Bulldogs. Nichols erupted for 14 first-half points en route to 16 points against Central Connecticut State as he hit 5-of-6 field goal attempts, including 4-for-4 from downtown in the opening stanza. He followed that up by scoring all 13 of his points in the second-half against Bryant. Nichols has reached double-figures in scoring in four straight contests after failing to do so in six of his previous seven outings.
• Freshman power forward Jalen Cannon (Allentown, PA/William Alllen) picked up his sixth double-double of the season against Bryant with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Cannon, who leads all NEC freshmen in the category, also added 10 caroms against Central Connecticut State last Thursday. Cannon is now fourth in the league in rebounding at 7.8 per contest. He was a monster on the offensive glass against the Bulldogs as he picked up seven boards to also move up to fourth in the NEC in offensive boarding at 3.09 per contest. The Terriers are 9-2 since Cannon was inserted into the starting line-up on December 31st at Army.
• Junior forward Akeem Johnson (Brooklyn, NY/Susan S. McKinney) continues to be one of the steadiest players on the squad. Johnson averaged 13.5 points and 5.0 rebounds last week and has reached double-figures in eight of his last 10 contests. He converted 11 of his 15 field goal attempts and has increased his field goal percentage to 60 percent on the season. Johnson is second in the NEC in the category. He also tied his career-high with three rejections in the victory against CCSU on Thursday.
• Senior forward Stefan Perunicic (Belgrade, Serbia/Dimitrije Tucovic High School) is now all alone in 10th-place on the NEC’s all-time three-point field goal list with 269 career makes. He splashed 4-of-6 attempts in the victory against Bryant on Saturday. Perunicic is now 25 shy of becoming the Terriers all-time leader in the category.
• Sophomore Brent Jones (Brooklyn, NY/Bedford Academy) has started six straight contests at the point, and has averaged 9.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 5.0 assists during the stretch. Jones recorded six assists in both games last week. He’s reached double-figures in scoring in six of his last 10 contests after not hitting the mark in his first 13 contests.
Saint Francis (PA) (5-18, 4-8 NEC, RPI: 305)
Last Week: Feb. 2 at Mount St. Mary’s L, 64-51; Feb. 4 at Wagner L, 72-54
This Week: Feb. 8 vs. Robert Morris; Feb. 11 at Robert Morris
• The Red Flash will play three of their next four games at DeGol Arena. It will be the longest home stretch for SFU since December.
• Scott Eatherton (Hershey, PA/Hershey) continues to prove himself against the NEC’s best. In his meeting with NEC Preseason Player of the Year Ken Horton, Eatherton posted a double-double with 24 points while holding Horton to just 10. When the SFU sophomore took on Julian Boyd of LIU Brooklyn, Eatherton outscored and out rebounded Boyd. Eatherton still ranks in the top six in the NEC in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage and blocks. Eatherton continues to post these numbers while ranking outside the Top 10 in the NEC in minutes played.
• Eatherton has five double-doubles on the season, all of which have come on the road.
• Earl Brown (Philadelphia, PA/Imhotep Charter) has posted nine or more points in his last three games and four games ago posted a career high eight rebounds. In the past three games the SFU freshman has also tallied better than 50-percent shooting from the floor.
• Stephon Whyatt (Jersey City, NJ/St. Peter’s Prep) continues his improved play as the freshman holds double-digit efforts in three of this last four games with two of his double-figure efforts coming off the bench.
• Kameron Ritter (Niskayuna, NY/Christian Boys Academy) posted 10 turnovers on the weekend after recording just 30 turnovers in the first 20 games of the season. This was also the first week this season the sophomore has had a cumulative assist-to-turnover ratio below 1.
Wagner (19-4, 10-2 NEC, RPI: 75)
Last Week: Feb. 2 vs. Robert Morris W, 80-69; Feb. 4 vs. Saint Francis (Pa) W, 72-54
This Week: Feb. 8 at Mount St. Mary’s; Feb. 11 vs. Mount St. Mary’s
• Wagner defeated Robert Morris (2/2) 80-69 before a MSG audience and dominated Saint Francis (PA) 72-54 while running its winning streak to four games in improving to 19-4 and 10-2 in the Northeast Conference (NEC).
• The 10-2 NEC start matches the 2002-2003 and 2007-2008 Seahawk teams for the best-ever conference start. After halftime in those 12 games, the opposition is converting on just 17-of-83 (.205) from long range.
• During its current four-game run, the Green & White are holding the opposition to just 56.8 points per game while forcing the teams to just 37.4 percent shooting, including a miniscule 21.1 percent (12-57) from long range.
• Wagner’s 19 wins supersede its combined total of 18 from the last two seasons.
• The Seahawks are 16-0 when holding opponents under 70 points, 14-1 when scoring at least 70 and 19-1 when leading with five minutes to play.
• The Green & White were ranked in the CollegeInsider.Com Mid-Major Poll for the sixth-straight week, checking in at #24 and are the league’s top-ranked team in the weekly NCAA RPI rankings (75).
• Wagner also continues to lead the NCAA Division I ranks with 10 road victories.
• With one more win the Seahawks would become just sixth team in school history to win 20 games and just the fourth in the Division I era (since 1976-1977).
• Head coach Dan Hurley has led a remarkable turnaround that has seen the Green & White go from 4-19 two years ago to 19-4 this season. Over his two years on Grymes Hill, Hurley holds a 32-22 (19-11 NEC) record.
• Against the Colonials, Latif Rivers (Elizabeth, NJ/Avon Old Farms (CT)) scored 17 of his season-best matching 28 points in the first half and converted a NEC season-best matching 15 free throws (5th school history), which are the most by a Wagner player since NEC Hall of Famer Terrance Bailey drained a school-record 18 on February 1, 1986 at Marist.
• The 28-point performance was Rivers’ 10th career 20-point game and the fourth of the year, as the Seahawks improve to 9-1 over the last two years when Rivers hits for at least 20 and 4-0 this season.
• Additionally, Rivers hit for 28 points in each one of the Green & White’s MSG telecasts, previously dropping a game-high 28 at Monmouth back on January 7. He now has 760 career points in just 53 games.
• Wagner is now 10-2 in televised games, including a perfect 6-0 on Time Warner Cable after its latest victory over SFPA.
• In the win over the Red Flash, junior Josh Thompson (Richland, NJ/St. Augustine Prep) led four double-figure scorers with 11 points and 10 rebounds, for his first career double-double. Sophomore Orlando Parker (Orlando, FL/Orlando Christian Prep) chipped in with 10 points and six rebounds in just 16 minutes.
• Against RMU, Wagner jumped out to a 14-2 lead before opening up a 12-2 advantage against SFPA while forcing the teams into a combined 2-for-22 over 18:50 in building up insurmountable leads in both games.
• The Seahawks’ offense scored 44 first-half points against the Colonials, which were the most allowed by RMU this year. Additionally, Velton Jones and Coron Williams were held to just 17 points, on 4-of-21 shooting by the Green & White defense. Last year in the NEC Tournament, the duo combined for 45 points, on 12-of-17 shooting.