NEC Player of the Week
Rich Pittman, Central Connecticut State
So., F, 6-6, 210 lbs., Boston, MA/Thayer Academy
Pittman, a first-time NEC Player of the Week honoree, turned in his
two best performances of the season as the Blue Devils improved to 3-1
in league play with an 85-80 win over Sacred Heart and a 68-67 victory
over St. Francis (PA). Pittman averaged 19.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and
shot 12-18 (.667) from the field and 15-20 (.750) from the charity
stripe. He netted a career-high 22 points (6-8 FG, 10-15 FT) against
Sacred Heart and came back with 17 points (6-10 FG, 5-5 FT), a
season-high nine rebounds and two assists in the one-point victory
over the Red Flash. In that latter contest, Pittman hit a key putback
with 1:05 to play to give the Blue Devils their first lead since
midway through the second half. On the season, the Boston, MA product
is averaging 8.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and is shooting a team-high .567
from the floor.
NEC Rookie of the Week
Justin Chiera, Central Connecticut State
Fr., G, 6-1, 170 lbs., Colonia, NJ/Colonia
Chiera collects the first NEC Rookie of the Week award of his career
by virtue of terrific shooting performances in Central Connecticut
State’s two league victories. Chiera averaged 19.5 points, 2.0
rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.5 steals and hit 14-25 shots from the floor
(.560) and 9-14 from three-point range (.643). In the Blue Devils’
85-80 win over Sacred Heart, he popped for a career-high 26 points,
drilling six three-pointers in nine attempts. Three days later, the
Colonia, NJ native added 13 points, two rebounds and two steals in a
68-67 triumph over St. Francis (PA). Chiera continued to shine from
downtown against the Red Flash, hitting 3-5 shots from beyond the
arc. In CCSU’s four league games, Chiera has converted 16-22
three-point attempts (.727) and 27-41 field goal attempts (.659),
while averaging a team-high 18.0 ppg, a figure that ranks him sixth in
the conference. On the season, he stands fourth on the Blue Devils
with 10.4 ppg and is the NEC’s fourth most prolific three-point
shooter at .438 (26-64).
Around The NEC
Mount St. Mary’s Phelan Resigns After Record 49 Years As Head
Coach
Mount St. Mary’s men’s basketball coach Jim Phelan announced that he
will retire at the end of the 2002-03 season at a press conference
last Thursday at Knott Arena. The legendary Phelan is in his NCAA
record 49th season at the Mount and is third all-time on the NCAA
Division I career win list with 824, behind North Carolina’s Dean
Smith (879) and Kentucky’s Phog Allen (876) He has coached an NCAA
record 1,340 games.
“The decision to step down was made much earlier,” said Phelan. “I
had discussed it with several of my close friends and decided that the
time was right. Certainly, healthwise I feel fine, but the energy
needed for the virtual year-round recruiting just isn’t there.”
Phelan has guided 16 Mount teams to NCAA Tournaments, including
five trips to the NCAA Division II Final Four and the College Division
national championship in 1962. Nineteen of his teams have reached the
20-win plateau, one more than UCLA’s John Wooden. Phelan can boast of
two NCAA Division I tournament teams, one National Invitation
Tournament bid and Northeast Conference championships in 1995 and
1999. He earned National Coach of the Year honors in 1962 and 1981.
Phelan assumed the title of winningest active coach in the NCAA
when Dean Smith retired in 1997. In the Northeast Conference
championship game on March 1, 1999, Phelan became the third person in
NCAA Division I to coach 800 college basketball victories, and put his
team into the NCAA Tournament. With the win, he joined Smith and Rupp
on that exclusive list.
After a distinguished playing career at La Salle and serving in the
Korean War, Phelan played briefly with the Philadelphia Warriors of
the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Pottstown Packers of
the old Eastern League.
After spending one year as an assistant at his alma mater, Phelan
made the move to rural Maryland for an anticipated short stay.
However, the Mountaineers placed fourth in the 1961 National College
Division Tournament and won the school’s first-ever NCAA championship
in 1962. His 1981 squad recorded a school-record 28-3 mark, losing to
Florida Southern in the NCAA Division II Championship game. Phelan’s
1985 group returned to the Final Four, going 28-5 and finishing third
in the nation, and his 1986 and 1987 teams each logged 26 victories.
It was this surge that led to the Mount’s move to Division I in 1988.
In 1991, Phelan was one of 15 nominees to pass the screening
committee for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He is
now the only college basketball coach ever to reach 800 wins without a
plaque in Springfield.
Milan Brown To Take Over For Phelan In 2003-04
Current Mount St. Mary’s men’s basketball associate head coach Milan
Brown will take over as the new head men’s basketball coach after Jim
Phelan retires at the conclusion of the 2002-03 campaign. The
announcement came on Friday, one day after Phelan announced he would
be leaving his post after a record 49 years at the helm. Brown, who
signed a three-year contract that will take effect July 1, 2003, will
become the 21st coach in Mount history.
“We had a great opportunity of finding an energetic, talented and
resourceful young professional right in our own backyard that is
highly capable of continuing to build on the strong foundation that
already exists,” said Mount St. Mary’s Athletic Director Dr. Harold P.
Messenger. “We have been able to witness the resourcefulness of
Brown, with the immediate impact of this year’s recruiting class and
the signing of two very talented players for next year.”
Said Brown of his promotion, “This is an exciting time in my
coaching career because to become a head coach, especially at a place
like Mount St. Mary’s, is what I have been working towards. This
place is like family and I am very comfortable with the athletics,
academics and the entire Mount community. I see a bright future for
the Mount men’s basketball program and look forward to leading these
young athletes while building a strong program that will carry on the
legacy Jim Phelan has built the past 49 seasons.”
Brown has spent time as an assistant at Old Dominion (1995-97),
Mount St. Mary’s (1997-99) and William & Mary (2000-02) before
returning to the Mount this season.
Wagner’s Boylan Jinx
When Wagner plays Monmouth on Monday, the Seahawks will be looking to
snap a 15-game losing streak to the Hawks at Boylan Gymnasium. The
last Wagner win in West Long Branch came during the 1986-87 campaign.
Sullivan Picks Up 250th Career Victory
It took him ten tries, but UMBC head coach Tom Sullivan finally
registered the elusive 250th victory of his coaching career on
Saturday when the Retrievers upended St. Francis (NY), 73-58. After a
3-0 start, UMBC had lost nine straight entering Saturday’s contest,
but rolled to victory over a slumping Terrier squad. Sullivan has
posted a 96-114 record in eight seasons at UMBC and is 250-239
overall. Prior to arriving at UMBC, Sullivan also had head coaching
stints at New Hampshire (152-109 from 1976-85) and Manhattan (2-16 in
1985-86).
Green Day
With Fairleigh Dickinson’s 83-79 victory over Wagner on Thursday, Tom
Green became the first coach in NEC history to register 200 league
victories. Already the winningest coach in conference annals against
league competition, Green improved to 200-131 (.604) all-time in NEC
regular season outings. His teams have also gone 18-15 (.545) in NEC
postseason play for an overall mark of 218-146 (.599).
Wagner’s Dye Breaks Long Distance Shooting Mark
Wagner senior guard Dedrick Dye (Clinton, TN/Clinton), one of the
nation’s top three-point marksman this season, set a new school record
for career trifectas in the Seahawks’ 83-79 loss to Fairleigh
Dickinson on Thursday. Dye, who has drilled 221 three-pointers,
passed Dean Borges, who hit 218 treys from 1986-91. Dye currently
leads the NEC in 3PFG made (3.36/game) and 3PFG% (.500). The last NEC
player to shoot 50 percent from three-point range in a season was St.
Francis (PA)’s Mike Iuzzolino, who turned the trick in both 1989-90
(.516) and 1990-91 (.528). Current Monmouth head coach Dave Calloway
holds the record in the category, sinking 58.5 percent of his shots
from downtown for the Hawks in 1988-89. In the latest NCAA statistics
report, Dye is tenth in 3PFG% and 22nd in 3PFG made.
Hall Remains In Seventh Place All-Time On NEC Scoring List
Wagner senior forward Jermaine Hall (Dublin, GA/Dublin), a two-time
first team all-NEC performer, held steady in his climb up the NEC
career scoring chart. By averaging 15.0 points over two games last
week, Hall pulled to within ten points of surpassing Fairleigh
Dickinson’s Desi Wilson (1,902; 1988-91) to move into sixth place
all-time. Hall is also attempting to become just the fourth player in
league history to reach the 2,000 point mark.
NEC Career Scoring List
1. Terrance Bailey Wagner 2,591 1983-87
2. Joe Anderson St. Francis (PA) 2,301 1987-91
3. Chris McGuthrie Mount St. Mary’s 2,297 1993-96
4. Myron Walker Robert Morris 1,965 1990-94
5. Rik Smits Marist 1,945 1984-88
6. Desi Wilson Fairleigh Dickinson 1,902 1988-91
7. Jermaine Hall Wagner 1,893 1999-02
8. Joe Griffin Long Island 1,830 1991-95
9. Jeff Hamilton St. Francis (PA) 1,810 1981-85
10. Charles Jones Long Island 1,772 1996-98
NECtoids
St. Francis (NY) forward Clifford Strong (Brooklyn, NY/Bishop Loughlin)
scored the 1,000th point of his career on Saturday in a Terrier loss
to UMBC. Strong has totaled 1,014 points in three years with St.
Francis (NY) (844 points) and one at Loyola (MD) (170
points)...Wagner’s 22-point win over Quinnipiac last Monday marked the
first time in ten lifetime meetings between the two schools that the
final margin reached double digits. The average victory margin had
been a mere 4.5 points...Robert Morris is 0-5 in afternoon games this
season...FDU has played two overtime games this year. The Knights have
won both contests, both on Monday nights and both in double-overtime
at the Rothman Center.
Quotes Of The Week
Mount St. Mary’s head coach Jim Phelan, during the press conference at
Knott Arena where he announced his retirement at the conclusion of the
2002-03 season:
“I have had a remarkable run for 49 years,” Phelan said. “I
never meant it to be that. I was hired when I was 24 and it seems just
like yesterday. I went through seven college presidents and 10 U.S.
presidents. It has been a run like you could not believe. I knew it
had to end. People say, ‘Why don’t you go for 50 (seasons)?’ To me
50 is just a number, and numbers are numbers. It doesn’t mean a thing
to get to this number or that number, or to catch the next person in
line.”
The day before this big announcement, Phelan was at the Mother
Seton School with his granddaughter, Erin. He was her third-grade
show-and-tell project.
“I was in between two dogs,” said Phelan.
More from Phelan:
“Someone asked me if I felt guilty recruiting the freshmen and
then leaving, Phelan said, laughing. “They knew how old I was when I
recruited them.”
NEC Team-By-Team Notes
Central Connecticut State (6-7, 3-1 NEC)
Last Week’s Results: CCSU 85, Sacred Heart 80; CCSU 68, St. Francis
(PA) 67
This Week’s Schedule: vs. Robert Morris (Monday); at FDU (Saturday)
• After losing four straight, the Blue Devils have now won
three-of-five, including a five-point win over Sacred Heart and a
one-point squeaker over St. Francis (PA) last week.
• CCSU is 6-3 in games decided by ten points or less and 5-1 in games
decided by five points or less.
• Junior forward Ron Robinson (Bronx, NY/Winchendon School) had his
second straight double-double and third in four NEC games with 14
points and 11 rebounds in the win over the Red Flash. He averaged 15.5
ppg and 10.5 rpg last week.
• Freshman guard Justin Chiera (Colonia, NY/Colonia) continues to
shine in NEC play, averaging 19.5 points in the two wins last week.
The NEC Rookie of the Week popped for a career-high 26 points in the
win over Sacred Heart, converting 9-12 shots from the floor and 6-9
from three-point range. On the week, he drilled 9-14 (.643) from
beyond the arc.
• Sophomore forward Rich Pittman (Boston, MA/Thayer) averaged 19.5 ppg
and 5.5 rpg last week to earn NEC Player of the Week honors. He hit
12-18 from the field, 15-20 from the stripe and dropped a career-high
22 points in the win over Sacred Heart.
• In his last four games, all league contests, Chiera has hit 16 -22
three-point attempts (.727), 27-41 field goal attempts (.659) and is
averaging a team-high 18.0 ppg. He is sixth in the NEC in scoring in
league affairs.
• As a team, the Blue Devils have shot over 50 percent from the floor
in each of their conference games and rank second in the NEC with a
.535 percentage in these contests.
• After allowing five straight opponents to shoot over 50 percent from
the field in December, CCSU has now kept four of its last five
opponents under the 50 percent mark.
Fairleigh Dickinson (8-6, 3-2 NEC)
Last Week’s Results: FDU 76, St. Francis (NY) 71 (2 OT); FDU 83,
Wagner 79; Sacred Heart 74, FDU 62
This Week’s Schedule: vs. CCSU (Saturday)
• The Knights downed St. Francis (NY) at home on Monday and upset
Wagner on the road on Thursday, before having their win streak snapped
at three by Sacred Heart on Saturday.
• FDU has already doubled its win total from a year ago and needs just
one more victory in league play to equal last year’s total.
• The Knights have been outrebounded in every game this year and 19
straight dating back to last season, but have made up for it with a
balanced scoring attack, by taking care of the ball and strong
shooting from three-point range. Senior forwards Lionel Bomayako
(Paris, France/La Coloniere) and Matt Hammond (Burlington,
NJ/Burlington) rank one-two on FDU in scoring with 12.5 ppg and 11.8
ppg, respectively. Bomayako has hit 31-83 (.373) from long distance,
while Hammond is shooting .496 from the field. The Knights are
averaging just 13.5 turnovers per contest, while forcing 16.9 and have
a 1.0 assist/turnover ratio.
• Junior guard Brandon Edwards (Southfield, MI/Southfield Lathrup) put
together three of the best performances of his collegiate career in
averaging 15.3 ppg and 3.3 rpg last week. He scored a career-high 20
points and collected four steals in FDU’s double-overtime win over
SFNY.
• Edwards had made eight straight treys until missing one vs. SHU. For
the week, he was 6-7 (.857) from beyond the arc.
• The Knights upended Wagner by shooting .544 from the field, while
turning the ball over a season-low nine times. FDU sharpshooters
drilled 12-18 3PFG attempts. Junior guard Marcus Whitaker (Trenton,
NJ/Trenton Central) was a perfect 4-4 from long range in the win.
• In four games since returning from a stress fracture in his foot,
junior guard Mensah Peterson (N. Brunswick, NJ/N. Brunswick) is
averaging 10.8 ppg and 3.0 rpg.
Long Island (4-9, 2-2 NEC)
Last Week’s Results: Long Island 82, Mt. St. Mary’s 69
This Week’s Schedule: at UMBC (Monday); vs. Mt. St. Mary’s (Thursday);
vs. UMBC (Saturday)
• The Blackbirds defeated Mount St. Mary’s, 82-69, in their only
game of the week. The win snapped a season-high five-game losing
streak and evened their league mark at 2-2.
• Graduate guard Antawn Dobie (Corona, NY/Msgr. McClancy) returned
after missing two games to rest his injured right shoulder and
delivered 27 points (16 in the second half), along with eight assists.
• Dobie moved into 11th place on the school's all-time scoring list
with 1,330 points. Next on the list is Albie Grant (1963-66), who
tallied 1,403 points.
• Dobie ranks seventh in the nation in assists (7.5/game).
• The Blackbirds shot .519 from the floor in the game, including a 61
percent effort in the second half. LIU held the Mount to just .309
shooting for the contest.
• Next up for Long Island is a matchup with UMBC on Monday. Seven of
the eight all-time meetings between the school's have been decided by
eight points or less. The Blackbirds last swept its Maryland swing to
close out the 1998-99 season.
• Sophomore forward Derek Bell (Brooklyn, NY/Milford (CT) Academy)
posted his fifth career double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds
at the Mount.
• Senior forward JaJa Bey (Corona, NY/Cheshire Academy (CT)) needs 42
points to become the 25th player in LIU history to score 1,000 career
points.
• LIU did not post its fourth win last season until defeating Sacred
Heart on Feb. 20.
• Over their last three games, the Blackbirds are shooting just .557
(49-88) from the line.
• It must be quite an adjustment for LIU head coach Jim Ferry. In his
final two years at Adelphi, his teams posted a 59-4 record.
UMBC (4-9, 2-2 NEC)
Last Week’s Results: St. Francis (PA) 73, UMBC 68; UMBC 73, St.
Francis (NY) 58
This Week’s Schedule: vs. LIU (Monday); at LIU (Saturday)
• The Retrievers snapped a nine-game losing streak with a 73-58 win
over St. Francis (NY) on Saturday. Earlier in the week, the Retrievers
fell at St. Francis (PA), 73-68. UMBC held a 68-64 lead over the Red
Flash with 44 seconds to play, but St. Francis (PA) scored the final
nine points of the contest.
• Head coach Tom Sullivan finally secured his 250th career victory on
Saturday. Sullivan’s next milestone will be his 100th win at UMBC, as
he currently stands at 96-113.
• In the win over the Red Flash, junior guard Kareem Washington (White
Plains, NY/White Plains) scored a career high 27 points and tied a
career-best with eight rebounds.
• UMBC benefitted from an excellent night at the charity stripe
against St. Francis (NY), hitting a season high 28 free throws in 33
attempts. Senior guard Justin Wilson (Brooklyn, NY/Archbishop Molloy)
sank 10-10 from the line to come within one of Peter Mulligan's school
record of 11-11 set last season vs. Wagner.
• Wilson has become just the fifth player in school history to amass
800 points (837, 22nd place) and 300 assists (302, eighth place).
• Freshman John Zito (Windsor, CT/St. Thomas More) returned to
full-time duty last week after missing eight games with a broken bone
in his foot. He scored 13 points in 22 minutes vs. the Red Flash and
followed up with eight points and a team-high nine caroms in 32
minutes off the bench vs. the Terriers.
• Despite starting just one player over 6-4 and playing with Zito
(6-6) as the tallest player on the court for much of the night, UMBC
outrebounded St. Francis (NY), 38-34, and has outboarded all four NEC
foes (+7.3 margin) to date.
• In the loss at St. Francis (PA), sophomore center Andrew Feeley
(Scotch Plains, NJ/Scotch Plains-Fanwood) scored a career high 22
points, hitting 10-11 shots from the floor.
Monmouth (5-7, 3-0 NEC)
Last Week’s Results: Penn 98, Monmouth 54
This Week’s Schedule: vs. Wagner (Monday); at Sacred Heart (Thursday);
vs. Quinnipiac (Saturday)
• The Hawks played just once last week, dropping a 98-54 decision
to Ivy League power Penn in a game played at the Asbury Park
Convention Hall. The loss snapped a four-game winning streak.
• Monmouth’s last game at Convention Hall prior to Saturday’s loss was
on February 4, 1965 when the Hawks dropped a 97-88 decision to
Montclair State.
• Monmouth remains in first place with a 3-0 record, one-half game
ahead of CCSU, St. Francis (PA) and Wagner, who are 3-1.
• Monmouth’s three conference wins have been by a combined eight
points. Two of MU’s three league wins have featured a game-winning
play in the final 10 seconds, including a tip-in basket with eight
seconds remaining vs. Fairleigh Dickinson and a made free throw with
0.4 seconds on the clock against Long Island.
• The Hawks are off to a 3-0 start in NEC play for the eighth time in
school history. The program’s last 3-0 start came during the 2000-2001
season. Monmouth is looking to go 4-0 in the conference for the first
time since 1995-96.
• Senior center Kevin Owens (Haddonfield, NJ/Camden Catholic) had 13
points, seven rebounds and three steals vs. Penn.
• The Hawks shot just .302 from the field against the Quakers, while
Penn hit at a .621 clip from the floor.
• Next up for Monmouth is a home date with Wagner on Monday. The Hawks
have defeated the Seahawks 15 consecutive times at Boylan Gymnasium
dating back to the 1986-87 season.
• Sophomore forward Blake Hamilton (Harrisburg, PA/Central Dauphin)
has averaged 16.3 points over the last three games to lift his season
average to 10.1 ppg. He hit for a team-high 14 points vs. Penn.
Mount St. Mary's (5-8, 0-4 NEC)
Last Week’s Results: Robert Morris 73, Mt. St. Mary’s 67; Long Island
82, Mt. St. Mary’s 69
This Week’s Schedule: vs. St. Francis (NY) (Monday); at Long Island
(Thursday); at St. Francis (NY) (Saturday)
• While the Mount has now dropped five straight, including league
setbacks to Robert Morris and Long Island last week, the big news last
week was head coach Jim Phelan’s announcement on Thursday that he
would be retiring at the conclusion of the 2002-03 campaign, his 49th
year at the helm of the program.
• On Friday, it was announced that associate head coach Milan Brown
would take over for Phelan next season. Brown assumes duties on July
1, 2003.
• Phelan (824 wins) needs five more victories to overtake Clarence
"Big House" Gaines for third place on the all-time collegiate wins
list.
• Freshman guard Landy Thompson (Germantown, MD/Archbishop Spalding)
averaged 18.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in the Mount’s two losses. He
tallied 18 points and a career-high nine boards vs. Long Island.
• Thompson, who ranks second among NEC freshman and tenth overall in
scoring, is the only Mountaineer averaging in double digits.
• Mount St. Mary’s has lost 18 of its last 19 road games.
• The game vs. Long Island on Jan. 18 was the latest NEC home opener
for the Mount since joining the league in 1989.
• Poor shooting cost the Mountaineers is the loss to LIU. The team
shot 10-40 in the second half and 2-21 from three-point range for the
game.
• Freshman forward Kiel Butler (Temple Hills, MD/Laurinburg Institute
(NC)) scored a career-best 13 points (4-6 FG) against the Blackbirds.
• After beginning the season 26-42 (.619) from the charity stripe,
Thompson has converted 17 of his last 20 attempts (.850).
Quinnipiac (7-6, 1-3 NEC)
Last Week’s Results: Wagner 91, Quinnipiac 69; Quinnipiac 90, Robert
Morris 76
This Week’s Schedule: vs. St. Francis (PA) (Monday); at Monmouth
(Saturday)
• Quinnipiac finally got back on the winning track with a 90-76
win over Robert Morris on Saturday afternoon. The win ended a
five-game losing streak for the Bobcats. Earlier in the week, QU
suffered a 22-point setback at Wagner.
• Junior forward Rashaun Banjo (Far Rockaway, NY/Lawrence Woodmere
Acad.) had a monster day against RMU, matching a career-high with 28
points and setting a new career-best with 12 boards for his second
double-double of the season.
• Senior forward Jeremy Bishop (Cohoes, NY/Shaker) tallied his fifth
double-double of the year with 22 points and 12 rebounds in the same
game. His 18 career double-doubles ties him with SFNY’s Clifford
Strong for first among active NEC players.
• Both Bishop and Banjo are tied for the team lead with four 20+ point
games this year. The win over Robert Morris marked the first time that
two QU players reached the 20-point mark (Romano, Monroe) in the same
game since March 1, 2002, the Bobcats’ quarterfinal win over Wagner in
the NEC Tournament. It was also the first time two Bobcats had double
figure rebound games (Bishop, Romano) in the same contest since QU’s
NEC Tournament semifinal win over UMBC on March 2, 2002.
• In an interesting statistic, Bishop is averaging 19.0 ppg and 9.9
rpg when he does not foul out, but just 4.5 ppg and 3.5 rpg in the
four games when has been disqualified.
• This is just the third Quinnipiac team in history to have a winning
streak and a losing streak of five or more games in the same season,
to go along with the 1989-90 and 1970-71 squads. • Junior Kason Mims
(Astoria, NY/Milford Academy) averaged 15.5 ppg last week, including a
team-high 18 vs. Wagner.
• Mims is third in the conference with 4.9 apg.
Robert Morris (5-8, 2-2 NEC)
Last Week’s Results: Robert Morris 73, Mt. St. Mary’s 67; Quinnipiac
90, Robert Morris 76
This Week’s Schedule: at CCSU (Monday); vs. Wagner (Saturday)
• The Colonials split a pair of conference games last week,
defeating Mount St. Mary’s. 73-67, and dropping a 90-76 decision at
Quinnipiac.
• Junior Chaz McCrommon (Pittsburgh, PA/Schenley) had an outstanding
week, averaging 24.0 points and 6.0 rebounds. He scored a career-high
29 points (12-18 FG) against Quinnipiac and is averaging 20.3 ppg over
his last four contests. He leads the team in rebounding (5.9 per game)
and ranks second in scoring at 16.2 ppg. Against league competition,
McCrommon is netting 19.5 ppg, third in the NEC.
• Senior guard DaMarcus Ellis (Dallas, TX/Los Angeles Valley CC)
averaged 15.5 ppg in two games last week. He poured in a career-high
17 points against the Mount, including 11-12 from the charity stripe.
• Sophomore guard Maurice Carter (Richmond, VA/Eleanor Roosevelt (MD))
has scored in double figures in 10 straight games and is averaging
17.2 points per game over those contests. That includes five games
scoring 20 or more points, including 21 at Quinnipiac on Saturday. He
is fourth in the NEC with 18.2 ppg.
• RMU has been outrebounded by double-digits in five of its last six
outings, including a 19-board deficit in the loss to QU.
• The Colonials have struggled on the road in recent years, as RMU has
failed to post a winning road trip since closing out the 1999-2000
regular season with victories at St. Francis (NY) and Long Island.
• For the second time this season a pair of Colonials were able to
eclipse the 20-point plateau in the same game when McCrommon hit for
29 and Carter reached 21 vs. Quinnipiac.
Sacred Heart (4-11, 2-2 NEC)
Last Week’s Results: CCSU 85, Sacred Heart 80; Sacred Heart 74, FDU 62
This Week’s Schedule: vs. Monmouth (Thursday); at St. Francis (PA)
(Saturday)
• After an 0-7 start, Sacred Heart has posted a 4-4 record. Last
week, the Pioneers fell by five at defending champion CCSU, but
bounced back with a convincing 74-62 win over Fairleigh Dickinson for
the team’s first victory of the season at the Pitt Center. Sacred
Heart evened its league ledger at 2-2.
• Junior guard Maurice Bailey (Hempstead, NY/Southside) is first in
the NEC in scoring against league competition, averaging 21.2 ppg.
Last week, he averaged 20.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg and 3.0 apg. He hit 11-19
shots and netted a season-high 26 points in the loss to the Blue
Devils. Bailey totaled 14 points, eight boards and six assists in a
strong all-around effort vs. FDU. He is sixth overall in scoring with
16.7 ppg.
• Junior guard Chris Assel (Eagan, MN/Eagan) has lifted his season
scoring average to 8.1 ppg after averaging 16.0 ppg last week. He sank
7-16 shots (.438) shots from beyond the arc and has hit a team-high 30
treys on the season.
• Junior forward Justin James (Tampa, FL/Lutheran Academy) made his
most meaningful contributions of the season last week, averaging 13.5
ppg, 7.5 rpg and 3.0 spg off the bench. He recorded a season-high 15
points, and added eight boards and four steals vs. CCSU. James
converted 11-20 shots (.550) from the floor.
• Over his last five games, junior point guard Omar Wellington
(Pennsauken, NJ/Bishop Eustace Prep) has dished for 24 assists, while
turning the ball over just nine times.
• Wellington is second in the NEC with 2.3 steals per game and ranks
fifth in assists with 4.6 per contest.
• The Pioneers have outrebounded their last three opponents after
losing the battle of the boards in 11 of the previous 12 games. They
have amassed a +7.2 rebound margin against NEC foes.
St. Francis (NY) (3-10, 0-4 NEC)
Last Week’s Results: FDU 76, St. Francis (NY) 71 (2 OT); UMBC 73, St.
Francis (NY) 58
This Week’s Schedule: at Mt. St. Mary’s (Monday); vs. Mt. St. Mary’s
(Saturday)
• The Terriers’ slide has reached five games, the program’s longest
streak since suffering through five and seven game losing skids in
1995-96. Last week, St. Francis fell to FDU in double-overtime and was
defeated five days later by UMBC.
• Senior forward Clifford Strong (Brooklyn, NY/Bishop Loughlin) has
been one of the NEC’s hottest players over the last few weeks. Strong
has recorded five straight double-doubles to tie him for the league
lead in the category. During this stretch, he has averaged 15.2 points
and 14.6 rebounds per contest.
• Strong cracked the 1,000-point mark for his career against UMBC. The
senior has amassed 1,014 points, with 844 coming as a Terrier and
another 170 playing for Loyola (MD) as a freshman.
• Strong now leads the NEC with 9.1 rebounds per game. He has notched
18 career double-doubles, tying him for first among active NEC players
with Quinnipiac’s Jeremy Bishop.
• Senior center Chris Sockwell (Brooklyn, NY/Jim Thorpe (PA))
registered season-highs in points (20) and rebounds (12) in the
setback at FDU.
• Sockwell is the NEC leader in field goal percentage (.617) and was
the 11th most prolific field goal shooter in the nation according to
the latest NEC statistics release.
• Junior guard Mike Wilson (Naugatuck, CT/Naugatuck) averaged 16.5
points and drilled nine three-pointers last week. He canned six treys
in 15 attempts vs. FDU.
• In the midst of a 14-game road stretch to begin the season, St.
Francis will play its first home contest on Saturday against Mount St.
Mary’s. The extended road swing is due to renovation of an auxiliary
gymnasium located directly above the Pope Center.
St. Francis (PA) (7-6, 3-1 NEC)
Last Week’s Results: St. Francis (PA) 73, UMBC 68; CCSU 68, St.
Francis (PA) 67
This Week’s Schedule: at Quinnipiac (Monday); vs. Sacred Heart
(Saturday)
• The Red Flash improved to 3-0 in league play with a 73-68 win
over UMBC, but suffered their first conference defeat five days later,
losing a one-point decision at CCSU, 68-67. The setback also snapped a
four-game winning streak, the program’s longest since winning four in
a row from Jan. 8 - Jan. 17, 1998.
• St. Francis scored nine points in the final 44 seconds to rally from
a four-point deficit in the win over UMBC.
• St. Francis is off to its best start in NEC play since posting a
similar 3-1 start in 2000-01.
• The Red Flash have already surpassed their victory total from a year
ago when they finished the season 6-21.
• St. Francis is 7-0 when scoring 60 or more points.
• Since being inserted into the starting lineup five games ago, senior
guard Dan Swoger (East Liverpool, OH/East Liverpool) has averaged 13.8
ppg and shot 23-40 (.575) from the floor and 18-33 (.545) from
downtown. The Red Flash are 4-1 in these games.
• Freshman guard Darshan Luckey (Baltimore, MD/Baltimore Southern)
averaged 23.5 ppg and 5.5 rpg last week.
• Luckey tops all NEC freshman and ranks second in the league with
19.5 ppg. Newcomers Luckey and junior point guard Erick Wills (Laurel,
MD/Newport Prep) have combined for 49.1 percent of the Red Flash’s
scoring output.
• Sophomore forward Jason Osborne (Randallstown, MD/Rice (NY))
averaged 11.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and converted 11-21 (.524) shots
from the floor last week. He pulled down a career-best nine boards vs.
CCSU.
• Junior forward Steveroy Daley (North York, Ontario/North Marion) hit
all five of his shots and contributed 11 points in 15 minutes off the
bench in the win over UMBC.
Wagner (7-7, 3-1 NEC)
Last Week’s Results: Wagner 91, Quinnipiac 69; FDU 83, Wagner 79
This Week’s Schedule: at Monmouth (Monday); at Robert Morris
(Saturday)
• Wagner won its third straight NEC contest on Monday, knocking off
Quinnipiac at home by 22, but were cooled off by a red hot FDU team on
Thursday, 83-79. The Seahawks did rally from a 17-point second half
deficit against FDU to cut the lead to three with under a minute to
play. The Knights shot 12-18 from three-point range.
• Senior guard Dedrick Dye (Clinton, TN/Clinton) became Wagner's
all-time leader in made three pointers in the loss to FDU. He now has
221 for his career, breaking the old mark of 218 set by Dean Borges
(1986-91). Dye leads the NEC in 3PFG made (3.36/game) and 3PFG%
(.500). In the latest NCAA statistics report, he is tenth in 3PFG% and
22nd in 3PFG made.
• Five Seahawks averaged in double figures last week.
• Junior center Nigel Wyatte (Staten Island, NY/Curtis) averaged 16.5
ppg and 13.0 rpg last week. He posted two double-doubles (15 points,
13 boards vs. QU and 18 points, 13 rebounds vs. FDU) to raise his
league-leading total to five.
• Senior forward Jermaine Hall (Dublin, GA/Dublin) averaged 15.0 ppg
and shot 13-23 (.565) from the field. Hall has reached double-figures
in scoring in 29 straight games.
• Hall raised his career scoring total to 1,893 and remains seventh on
the NEC’s all-time list.
• Lafayette transfer Sean Munson (Berryville, VA/Clarke County)
averaged 13.5 points and 9.0 rebounds off the bench last week. He
tallied 17 points and 12 rebounds vs. QU, his first career
double-double.
• Since joining the starting lineup vs. American seven games ago,
junior guard Teoine Carroll (Baltimore, MD/Lake Clifton) has averaged
12.1 points and shot .533 (32-60) from the field and .500 (13-26) from
beyond the arc.
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