Making sense of Merrimack as MAAC opening week looms

PHILADELPHIA — Joe Gallo has always challenged his Merrimack teams in non-conference play, no matter the level.

Now a proven winner in the Division I ranks, Gallo’s approach is no different from when he transformed the Warriors into a nationally ranked Division II outfit. This season, the tuneup for Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play featured a pair of Final Four participants in Auburn and reigning national champion Florida.

But because of the arduous schedule, comprised partly to test his players but also to keep the program afloat with buy game revenue that becomes increasingly precious in the age of NIL, Gallo has had to deploy his roster in unorthodox situations through the non-league slate. Transfer Todd Brogna, who was brought in from former conference rival Stonehill in the offseason, is a prime example having become a de facto center away from his more traditional post position.

“Because of the schedule, we’ve been playing him at the five and we’ve been punching up,” Gallo said Sunday after Merrimack ended a three-game losing streak by defeating La Salle. “Todd Brogna is a really good post player, he was one of the most efficient post players in the country last year. There hasn’t been as much post opportunity. I think we’ve gotta find a way, when the shots aren’t falling, to keep up our defensive intensity but figure out ways to get Todd in the post, put a little more pressure on the rim to where we’re not feast or famine with the three-ball.”

Merrimack (3-6) was able to feast from beyond the arc Sunday, making 10 of its 28 attempts from deep. The proficiency is something that has not consistently revealed itself through the first month of the season, but Gallo praised his squad for weathering the storm and allowing the offense to dictate the strong effort turned in by the Warriors’ 2-3 zone defense.

“I knew we’d come out with some energy,” he admitted. “I think we’re a really good shooting team and the ball’s just not falling right now. We made some shots early and it dipped off a little bit, and I thought in the prior games, our misses affected our defense. We’ve been winning games — we won a Northeast-10 final, like, 42-39, ten years ago against New Haven. Guys have to get more comfortable in these rock fight games. And then when the shots are falling, maybe we win, 75-62.”

“We have way too many long bad stretches. If we get seven or more (instances with) three stops in a row, we win 90 percent of our games. We’ve done it a bunch. The problem is, we’ve had about six reverse turkeys, where people score three times in a row. So it’s been feast or famine instead of, three stops in a row, they score. We’ve had way too many 10-0 runs against our defense, and it deflated us a little bit.”

The biggest strength of the Merrimack zone has been its adaptability. Gallo proudly notes on a yearly basis that his defense is not a one-size-fits-all system, that it can be tailored to his personnel and take on a different look than the previous season. This year, with taller guards in Kevair Kennedy and Tye Dorset anchoring it, the ball pressure is more prevalent and thus, an added facet that makes the scheme harder to solve, as La Salle found out Sunday.

“When Kevair and Tye are up there, it’s a little more size than we’re used to,” Gallo shared. “We’ve always had a smaller guard, so we feel that with their length, they can pressure and get to the next pass. But sometimes, it’s also game-to-game. We knew (La Salle) wanted to attack us down the floor, so we were trying to take away vision so they couldn’t bullet the ball to one of those bigs and run us over.”

The other positive to Sunday’s defensive effort was the underrated presence of KC Ugwuakazi in the middle, something Gallo regrets not exposing more frequently to start the season. Still searching for a rim protector following Bryan Etumnu’s transfer to Wright State, Gallo may have found something in the 6-foot-8 East Texas A&M transfer, a more physical specimen than his predecessor and bigger body to collect the ball in the post. 

“I’ve been telling myself I’ve gotta play him more,” he said of Ugwuakazi, the junior forward. “He earned that. We’ve always had that kind of motor guy in the middle, and with Todd at the five, it’s been a little more offensive. But we’ve gotta get back to that. KC and Dylan Veillette, I thought they both battled in there.”

“Bryan was so long that he would actually block some of those high-post jumpers and short corner jumpers. KC blocks a little more at the rim, but KC’s a little bigger and stronger than (Etumnu). He doesn’t get moved around like Bryan did at times. I’ve just gotta find more minutes, because he makes a difference defensively.”

A much-needed confidence boost comes out of Sunday’s win, perhaps at the most opportune time. Merrimack begins MAAC play this week with two home games against Rider (Thursday) and Fairfield (Sunday). If the Warriors are to start the conference slate 2-0 as they did last year after the Buffalo trip to Canisius and Niagara, they will have been able to sustain valuable goodwill coming from the road that led them there.

“You need this,” Gallo reiterated. “The one thing when you play a tough schedule, is I’m used to it, but when you have ten new guys, I think they’ve adjusted to the basketball just fine. You don’t want residual effects of playing a tough schedule. If we lose this game, you’re sitting on your phone, staring at a screen for seven hours texting people. (Winning) makes that ride home so much more enjoyable, and you roll up to campus with some momentum.”

Hofstra guards key strong second half as Pride sweeps Cathedral Classic

Cruz Davis led five Hofstra players in double figures as Pride capped off sweep of Cathedral Classic Sunday against Penn. (Photo by Nick Textores/Hofstra Athletics)

PHILADELPHIA — Due to its proclivity for producing a Who’s Who of mid-major backcourt stars since the turn of the century, Hofstra University has come to be affectionately dubbed Guard U.

Those closer to the program remember the halcyon days of the 2000s, when the likes of Antoine Agudio, Loren Stokes and Carlos Rivera — and before them, Speedy Claxton, Norman Richardson and Jason Hernandez — bequeathed a four-word credo around Long Island: In Guards We Trust.

No matter who suits up in the Pride blue and gold, one thing is certain, that those in the backcourt will find a way to ignite enough of a fire to succeed. That much was true Sunday, when Cruz Davis and Preston Edmead — the latest iteration of Guard U — combined for 29 points and 13 assists as Hofstra used their firepower to pull away from Penn in the second half, coasting to a 77-60 victory over the Quakers.

With the win, Hofstra’s third in as many days, the Pride swept the Cathedral Classic at The Palestra, having defeated La Salle and Merrimack on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

“Those two guys have been outstanding, man,” Claxton — now in his fifth season as the head coach of his alma mater — said of Davis and Edmead. “Starting from the summertime, I knew that they were gonna be our leaders, and I can’t say enough about those guys. The way they approach the game, the way they approach every single day, they’re always the first ones on the court, last ones to leave. They’ve put so much work into it and they’re starting to see their hard work pay off. I’m so happy for them.”

“That’s the really good thing about this team. You never know where the points are going to come. They really play team basketball, they let the offense dictate who’s gonna get the shot. We put Cruz in positions to make plays for himself and others down the stretch, because he’s our go-to guy. He came through for us and he always made the right reads. Cruz has been great all year.”

The coach knew what to expect from Davis, in his second season at Hofstra after following Rick Pitino from Iona to St. John’s. But in Edmead, even Claxton had no idea the youngest of three brothers to play college basketball would be so good so soon.

Preston Edmead (1) continued stellar start to freshman season Sunday, with 11 points, eight assists and six rebounds. (Photo by Nick Textores/Hofstra Athletics)

“I did not envision this,” he admitted. “(Edmead) works extremely hard on his game. When I say he’s our hardest worker, he’s by far our hardest worker. He loves basketball, he eats, sleeps and dreams basketball. So I’m not surprised at his success right now.”

After a first half in which Penn — who, like Hofstra, had won both of its first two games in the multi-team event — took a two-point advantage into the locker room, Claxton made one aspect of the game plan clear to his team over the final 20 minutes, urging the Pride to remain aggressive.

“I think our pressure wore them down, and that was one of the biggest things that we wanted to do coming into the game,” he said. “We didn’t think they could handle our pressure, and I think overall, we kind of just wore them down. We just told them to stay with the pressure, and we would wear them down eventually. That’s all that happened.”

Fifth-year senior German Plotnikov, one of five Hofstra players with 10 or more points, ultimately put the Pride in front to stay, and needed just 12 seconds to do so when his left corner three gave the visitors a 34-33 lead immediately out of the intermission.

“German’s solid,” Claxton remarked. “He’s been here for a couple years now, so he knows our system. He knows what we expect from him, and he just goes out there and does it. He’s always approached it businesslike, and I don’t expect anything less from him.”

Now 5-3 through the first month of the season, Hofstra’s next challenge comes Wednesday on the road against a veteran Columbia team that has looked strong under first-year coach Kevin Hovde. While Claxton is still learning about his next opponent, he has also taken the time to educate himself on what he has in his own locker room, with a positive read on a roster blended with experience and youth.

“I think I’m finding out a lot about my team right now,” he admitted. “We’re pretty good. I’m happy with the way we played. I’m not gonna say (we made) a statement, but we did beat two really good teams. These kids, they played hard. The thing with this team is they listen and they’re learning. I’m still learning about them, but I do like what I’m seeing right now.”

Princeton’s three at buzzer off the mark as Tigers fall to St. Joe’s

Jackson Hicke (33) led Princeton with 20 points, but Tigers lost nailbiter to Saint Joseph’s Sunday. (Photo by Princeton Men’s Basketball)

By Andrew Hefner (@Ahef_NJ)

TRENTON, N.J. — The perennial Jersey Jam at the Cure Insurance Arena in New Jersey’s capital was a story of closure for both Saint Joseph's and head coach Steve Donahue, as the Hawks collected a much-needed win over the Princeton Tigers.

The game came down to the wire, as the back-and-forth battle ended with St. Joe’s taking the win over an injury-plagued Princeton squad, 60-58, as Jackson Hicke’s three-point attempt at the buzzer misfired.

The Tigers, coming off a 0-3 week at the ESPN Events Invitational in Orlando, were already without star guard Dalen Davis, and in addition, lost sophomore starter CJ Happy to illness and big man Malik Abdullahi to a foot injury midway through the first half.  

“Yeah, we're banged up, and the timing of the games has been rough,” said Princeton head coach Mitch Henderson. “But we're right there, we're knocking on the door, finding lots of different ways to shoot ourselves in the foot. But, these games are gonna help us in the long run.” 

Princeton did get off to a hot start in the game, though, climbing to a 14-5 lead in the first off of huge Jack Stanton threes to open the scoring. Stanton, a breakout sophomore for Princeton, has been on a tear to open the season and has become one of the top three-point shooters for a pretty long-range dependent program. 

Alongside Stanton in the early game was Hicke, who has also come into his own early on in the season, cementing himself as one of the biggest weapons and leaders of the team, alongside Davis. The junior finished his night with 20 points, his third straight game reaching that plateau.

“Without those two guys, we'd be in big trouble,” remarked Henderson. “We aren't experienced, but each one of these games is a notch, and we get a little bit better and stronger and more experienced. It's helping us.” 

Henderson’s squad is without any seniors for this year’s campaign, as both Xaivian Lee (transferred to Florida) and Caden Pierce (sitting out) departed the program ahead of the season. As a result, Henderson has relied heavily on his young core of sophomores and especially freshmen to carry him and the team through a difficult stretch. 

“We had five freshmen play, they gotta keep getting better,” he said. “This is unusual. I don't see many people playing a lot of freshmen, but we're asking a lot of them. We gotta find the right balance of being supportive and being demanding. Practice time will help with that.”

Landon Clark was one of those freshmen who kept Princeton fighting deep into the second half, as a big three coming down the stretch was able to bring the game level for the Tigers late in the second half. He finished with a career-high nine points and played 33 minutes. On the flip side, St. Joe’s was the beneficiary of an excellent transfer class led by Deuce Jones, the Jersey Jam player of the game. Jones, who grew up in Trenton, transferred to the Hawks from La Salle and has made a name for himself early on. 

“I thought a couple of the best things he did today is he got downhill and he stopped and pivoted and found cover,” Donahue said of Jones. “The other thing is he has nine rebounds for a guy that does those kinds of things. He can impact the game on the defensive end, rebounding, make plays. Scoring, to me, should be a bonus.” 

Donahue, the longtime coach of the Tigers’ Ivy League foe Penn, picked up his first win over Princeton in his last 13 tries, while St. Joe’s got its revenge after a tough loss at home in last year's contest between the two sides. The game came down to the final buzzer, as Hicke was able to win a three-point play with less than a minute to go to make it a two-point game, before the Hawks missed a three-pointer, giving the Tigers one more shot to tie it up. With seven seconds on the clock, Princeton set up in its own end, but fantastic defensive pressure forced Hicke to take a three just shy of the logo that bounced off the rim and out to seal a St. Joe’s win at the buzzer. 

“Could you blame me for thinking that it was going in?” Donahue joked, “because it's gone in quite a few times. I have great respect for the program, and we've all had injured guys. I've had numerous guys hurt when I went against them, and they were shorthanded today.”

Donahue and St. Joe’s rise to 4-3 on the season with the win. 

After four games in a week, Henderson and the Tigers have another tight turnaround before a New Jersey battle at Monmouth on Wednesday.

Inside the Numbers: App State vs. Asheville

 

Asheville forward Toyaz Solomon had a huge day Sunday, logging 25 points in a gritty win over App State. (Photo:  Asheville Athletics)

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ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Former Manhattan and Seton Hall coach Bobby Gonzalez used to have a phrase – I’m paraphrasing here, while blending with an old coach of my own – about some games not being oil paintings.

Sunday’s game between Asheville and App State won’t be the kind of story told in history books, but there was a lot to break down from what took place inside the Harrah’s Cherokee Center on a cold, dreary afternoon. Asheville claimed a 67-55 decision over App State in a game that could be lovingly described as a slugfest.

Now that you know what happened, let’s take no one’s favorite trip…Inside the Numbers!

• Asheville (3-4) raced – almost literally – out to a 19-2 lead in the game. The Bulldogs hit eight of their first 13 shots, booking three from distance. When Asheville weren’t making shots, they were rebounding – hauling in nine boards in the first eight minutes of the contest. App State, conversely, went just 1-for-8 in those first eight minutes, before a Michael Marcus triple led the game into its second media stoppage.

App State (4-5) punched back, quickly snipping the Asheville lead to 21-15 on the strength of five straight makes. Jalen Tot splashed a pair of triples during the run to provide a boost off the bench. The Mountaineers then cut it to two on a Kasen Jennings bucket with 5:09 left in the first half. Asheville countered with back-to-back buckets from David Hermes and Kam Taylor, however, and App State could never seize the lead.

• App State had another surge in the second half, slicing the Asheville advantage to 41-38 on an Alonzo Dodd jumper with 9:56 to play. Asheville quickly countered with an 8-0 run, though, swelling the lead back to 11. App State could never again draw closer than nine.
  
  
• Kam Taylor logged a 12-point, 10-board double-double for the Bulldogs, but possibly at a cost. Taylor was noticeably limping and had to be removed from the game late. Taylor was able to leave the floor under his own power, but the Bulldogs can ill afford to be without their sophomore standout for any period of time.
  
  
• Big South Preseason Player of the Year Toyaz Solomon also had a strong game, scoring 25 and snatching eight misses in 35 minutes of play. Solomon needed 16 shots to get those 25 points, along with 9-of-11 from the line.
  
  
• Justin Wright (13) and DJ Patrick (11) joined the Bulldog pair in doubles. Patrick battled foul trouble, finishing with four. There was also a bit of a discussion between Wright and Morrell after the game, after Wright was assessed a technical late in the game for a “conversation” he had with an App State player following a slight fracas. Morrell and Wright stayed on the floor after the game, with the Bulldogs’ head man appearing to remind Wright of the importance of keeping his composure before the two shared a hug near center court.
  
  
• App State got a tremendous effort from Marcus and Tot off the bench. Marcus scored 13 in 26 minutes of reserve duty, knocking down 5-of-8 from the field (3-of-5 from deep), while Tot added eight. Dodd also finished in doubles for the Mountaineers, hitting 5-of-9 from the deck and booking 11.
  
  
• The Mountaineers held Asheville to 33 percent from the floor in the second half, with the Bulldogs hitting just six of the 18 shots they tried in the period. Asheville was held without a three in the second half, going 0-for-6 from beyond the arc.
  
  
• Asheville coach Mike Morrell was his usual quotable self. In fact, let’s give you a Quotables section just on Mike.

QUOTABLES

On the win:  “I’m really proud of the guys and how they responded. (App State) is a good team. In my eight years, I’m not saying that’s the best win we’ve had, but that’s as tough as we’ve played – as physical as we’ve played.”

On the team:  “We’re just a mess right now, man. I mean, we’ve got guys falling all over the place. I give (forward) David Hermes a lot of credit. We told him a couple days ago he was going to play. He got himself ready and I thought he was the difference, just from a physicality standpoint, so he’s going to keep playing.”

“It’s not as easy as you think just to throw guys back in the lineup once you get playing and things of that nature, so we’re still trying to get healthy and see if we can find a way to get another one here in 48 hours.”

On Asheville’s defense:  “It’s not honestly how I love to play – the kind of grind it out, get in the gaps, and low-scoring, but I’m just – given the circumstances in which we find ourselves with our team right now, I’m not sure that’s not how we’re going to have to play for a little bit.”

On Solomon:  “He played like one of the better players in the league today, and he drew – the stat that’s the best is that he drew eight fouls. He’s not been getting to the free throw line. He’s got to make the game come a little bit easier for him, and getting to the free throw line has got to be a part of that. I show him clips of Drew (Pember) all the time. That’s how Drew was able to rest and play 36 minutes (a game).”

“Maybe one day, he’ll get us double-digit rebounds. That’s an inside joke between me and him.”

Next up:  Asheville continues its downtown run, hosting UNCG in the Harrah’s Cherokee Center Tuesday night. Game time is set for 7:00, with ESPN+ handling the coverage. App State returns home to the Holmes Center in Boone, N.C., to take on Virginia-Lynchburg Wednesday night. ESPN+ will air the 6:30 tip.

Hustle Stats:

Points off turnovers:  App State 11, Asheville 9

Points in the paint:  Asheville 28, App State 24

Second-chance points:  Asheville 13, App State 8

Fast-break points:  App State 8, Asheville 8

Bench points:  App State 26, Asheville 4

ASHEVILLE 67, APP STATE 55

APP STATE (4-5)

Dodd 5-9 1-1 11, Wilson 2-4 5-8 9, Jennings 3-10 0-0 6, Banks 1-6 0-2 3, Njock 0-0 0-0 0, Marcus 5-8 0-0 13, Tot 3-10 0-0 8, Moodie 2-2 1-4 5, Clarke 0-4 0-0 0, O’Kelley 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-53 7-15 55.

ASHEVILLE (3-4)

Solomon 8-16 9-11 25, Wright 3-9 7-7 13, Taylor 4-10 3-5 12, Patrick 3-8 3-4 11, Mayfield 1-1 0-0 2, Hermes 1-2 0-0 2, Jones 1-3 0-0 2, Clarke 0-0 0-0 0, Thomas 0-1 0-0 0, Tolentino 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-50 22-27 67.

Halftime:  Asheville 33-26. 3-Point goals:  App State 6-25 (Dodd 0-1, Jennings 0-2, Banks 1-5, Marcus 3-5, Tot 2-9, Clarke 0-3), Asheville 3-18 (Solomon 0-2, Wright 0-4, Taylor 1-5, Patrick 2-5, Jones 0-2). Fouled out:  Jennings (ASU), Hermes (AVL).  Rebounds:  Asheville 36 (Taylor 10), App State 25 (Jennings/Marcus 4). Total fouls:  App State 23, Asheville 22. Technicals:  Dodd (APP), Wright (AVL).

 

 

Inside the Numbers: SC State at Winthrop

 

Winthrop's Kody Clouet led all scorers with 21 in Saturday's victory.  (Photo:  kody_clouet/Instagram)

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ROCK HILL, S.C. – South Carolina State ventured into the Winthrop Coliseum Saturday with an 0-7 record, having suffered six of those losses on the road. A shorter trip was in store for the Bulldogs on this day, but the second half proved to be all Winthrop.

The Eagles turned a nine-point halftime advantage into an absolutely dominant  victory in a post-Thanksgiving outing.

Now that you know what happened, let’s go…Inside the Numbers!

• That second half was one of Winthrop’s better halves of the still-young campaign. The Eagles got a bit sloppy at the end of the period but still hit 61.1 percent (22-for-36) of their tries in the stanza. Winthrop canned seven triples in the second 20, booking 1.556 points per possession in 36 trips. Tommy Kamarad paced the Eagles in the period, logging 12 of his 19 on the day. It wasn’t all perfect for Kamarad – he was rung up after a one-handed dunk on which he celebrated a bit – but his impact was clearly felt.

“He’s an experienced guy. He knows the system well,” Winthrop coach Mark Prosser said of Kamarad. “He had a confidence against the pressure today. He made shots. He made open shots. He was a very good version of himself today. We’re going to need that 100 percent from him, across the board.”

• Despite its struggles at times, the Bulldogs still notched four double-figure scorers. Noah Treadwell led SC State with 17 on 5-of-7 shooting, with Owen Bronston adding 14, Jayden Johnson 13, and Chris Parker 11. Johnson showed signs of being an incredibly helpful piece for the Bulldogs, though he added three of his own turnovers to the three steals he compelled.
  
  
• Winthrop again flexed its muscle on the boards. The Eagles outboarded the Bulldogs, 40-27, including a 15-10 advantage on the offensive glass. Logan Duncomb snagged nine of those misses, finishing one rebound shy of a double-double. Duncomb also committed just one foul in over 26 minutes of playing time, which was big for a Winthrop side that was already without Tai Hamilton and lost Ed Nnamoko to a thumb injury in the second half.
  
  
• That extra help on the boards turned into points for the Eagles. Winthrop logged 52 of its 101 points in the paint, with half that total coming on second-chance points. The Eagles outpaced the Bulldogs, 26-13, in that category.

“They’re well-coached. They have that identity of some of the West Virginia teams over the years,” Prosser said. “You better have a toughness to you. You better be able to answer the bell physically.”

• Graduate transfer Kody Clouet guided Winthrop with 21 points on the day, dropping 8-of-13 tries (5-of-9 from distance). Clouet and Duncomb combined for 25 of the Eagles’ 69 attempts, making 16 of those shots. The result was not Clouet’s career-high – that was 35 in a game while he was still at San Diego – but it was a Winthrop-best for the Californian.
  
  
• Guard Kareem Rozier was the other Eagle in doubles. After some initial struggles to start the season, the Duquesne transfer has paid dividends. Dozier scored 15 on 5-of-9 shooting, including a trio of triples on six tries. Rozier also grabbed three boards and dished out six assists. Rozier and guard Daylen Berry each helped on six buckets, with the Eagles totaling 23 assists on the day.
  
  
• SC State scored 54.4 percent of its points off the bench. Treadwell, Johnson, and Parker combined for 41 of those 43 reserve points. The Bulldogs had just 10 active players on the day, so Treadwell, Johnson, and Parker combining for over 76 minutes provided a boost to Erik Martin’s squad.
  
  
• Reserve wing Braylhan Thomas had a strong day in some extended run for Winthrop. Thomas hit 3-of-7 attempts (1-of-3 from deep) in just shy of 10 minutes, scoring seven points to go with a rebound.  The Eagle bench scored 25, with Josh Meo (six), Nnamoko (two), and Seif Hendawy (six) contributing 15 points of that total.
  
  
• Two of the bench points drew the loudest cheer of the day. Walk-on guard Cam Christy stuck back an Eagle miss at the bucket to put Winthrop over the century mark. Christy and fellow walk-on Henry Harrison are both fan favorites and their entries into a game always draw a strong reaction.
  
  
• SC State employed a variety of press looks on the Eagles, including going completely full-court at times. Winthrop struggled in its first couple possessions against the extended defense, but quickly adjusted and had its way in transition and with numbers advantages.

“It was really good for us,” Prosser said. “If we find ourselves in a game where we’re being pressed late, there’s a lot of really good things to put on film and to learn from, but I thought we handled it pretty well.”

Next up:  Winthrop travels to Brooklyn, N.Y., to take on LIU Tuesday night at 7:30. ESPN+ will carry the coverage. SC State visits Chicago State for a noon tip Monday.

Hustle Stats:

Points off turnovers:  Winthrop 14, SC State 13

Points in the paint:  Winthrop 52, SC State 30

Second-chance points:  Winthrop 26, SC State 13

Fast-break points:  Winthrop 18, SC State 15

Bench points:  SC State 43, Winthrop 25

Winthrop:  1.347 points per possession (75 trips), 58.7% scoring, 18.7% turnovers

SC State:  1.082 points per possession (73 trips), 47.9% scoring, 19.2% turnovers

WINTHROP 101, SC STATE 79

SC STATE (0-8)

Tindal 1-3 1-2 3, Tenebay 4-9 0-0 9, Bronston 5-14 2-2 14, Wright 3-6 0-0 6, Clark 2-4 0-0 4, Treadwell 5-7 3-4 17, Johnson 6-10 0-1 13, Parker 4-9 2-2 11, Okojie 1-1 0-1 2. Totals 31-63 8-12 79.

WINTHROP (4-4)

Kamarad 7-9 3-3 19, Duncomb 8-12 3-4 19, Wilson 0-1 2-2 2, Rozier 5-9 2-2 15, Clouet 8-13 0-0 21, Meo 3-4 0-1 8, Nnamoko 0-0 2-2 2, Hendawy 2-8 1-1 6, Boyogueno 0-1 0-0 0, Berry 1-2 0-0 2, Thomas 3-7 0-0 7, Christy 1-2 0-0 2, Harrison 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 38-69 13-15 101.

Halftime:  Winthrop 45-36. 3-Point goals:  Winthrop 12-32 (Kamarad 2-3, Wilson 0-1, Rozier 3-6, Clouet 5-9 , Meo 0-1, Hendawy 1-6, Boyogueno 0-1, Berry 0-1, Thomas 1-3, Harrison 0-1), SC State 9-21 (Tenebay 1-2, Bronston 2-7, Treadwell 4-6, Johnson 1-4, Parker 1-2). Fouled out:  NA.  Rebounds:  Winthrop 40 (Duncomb 9), SC State 27 (Parker 5). Total fouls:  SC State 19, Winthrop 19. Technicals:  Tenebay (SCSU), Kamarad (WU).

Mali’s world is home to stabilizing force on UConn’s bench

Malachi Smith launches desperation three that turned into four-point play and dagger for UConn against Illinois. (Photo by Fox Sports)

NEW YORK — Malachi Smith’s first true Husky moment, to steal a phrase descriptive to his hometown New York Yankees, came rather unexpectedly.

With UConn clinging to a 66-59 lead in the final minutes of its battle with Illinois, the senior point guard found himself the recipient of an offensive rebound tipped out by Eric Reibe. With the shot clock set to expire, Smith needed to launch an attempt, any attempt.

The Dayton transfer pushed a deep three toward the rim, with zero margin for error. Somehow, the shot splashed through the Madison Square Garden net. Even more stunning than that was Smith drawing a foul on Jake Davis in the act of shooting, sinking the ensuing free throw for UConn’s second four-point play of the day and the final nail in the coffin for the fifth-ranked Huskies, who walked off their quasi-home floor with a 74-61 win over the No. 13 Fighting Illini.

The lengthy monitor review to determine whether the shot clock had expired and not been reset only heightened the tension. Ultimately, it was ruled that the timer would have hit zero with 2:10 remaining in regulation, whereas Smith’s shot and foul drawn occurred at the 2:11 mark. Long story short, it counted.

“Yeah, I didn’t know the shot clock was going off,” he recounted. “So I just looked at the sideline and everybody told me, ‘shoot it.’ (Reibe) found me, so I tried to concentrate at least a little bit. It hit the rim and it went in. I’m glad that they reviewed it and it counted.”

“I’ve never seen that, I’ve never been a part of that,” Solo Ball — who accounted for UConn’s first four-point play Friday afternoon — said. “That gave us a big lift, too, at a time that we needed it, when we were only up eight and we had the lead at 17 at one point. Getting that was huge momentum for us, and it helped us finish out the game.”

Smith ended his Thanksgiving homecoming with 14 points and nine assists in an effort that became all the more important for a UConn backcourt that had to navigate Silas Demary, Jr. being hindered by foul trouble. Demary picked up his third foul early in the second half, forcing Smith into a larger role than usual, but the increased responsibility did not faze the veteran.

“I just want to make sure I’m ready whenever my number’s called,” Smith calmly asserted. “Silas got in some foul trouble, my number was called, they needed me to come in early in the second half. I just wanted to make sure I made plays, controlled the game, got my shooters some good shots, attacked the paint. When my shot is there, I make it count.”

Smith’s presence on this UConn team is reminiscent of a prior Husky floor general who served a similar purpose before moving into the starting lineup. Like Smith, Hassan Diarra was a secondary point guard behind Tristen Newton on UConn’s two national championship teams. Also like Smith, Diarra was a tough New York City guard who steadied the ship when Newton was unable to affect the game for whatever reason. Together, the two offered a similar temperament and change of pace that made the Huskies even more formidable beyond their starting five. And when asked how much more Smith’s growth as Demary’s understudy has helped UConn traverse a non-conference gauntlet rife with landmines, Dan Hurley did not shy away from its value on the team as a whole and its parts.

“It’s important,” he admitted. “I still think point guard play is so critical. I think it looked tonight kind of like the guard play looked that way in ’23 and ’24. Malachi made a huge difference off the bench, 14 and 8 and then to make that crazy three there to get it back to (double digits) when we were wavering. He’s the story of the game.”

“Malachi’s huge for us,” Ball echoed. “He’s an incredible playmaker. You see him come off the bench, and the guy just gets in the game and puts up 11 points and 10 assists. That’s unheard of, a guy who can just put up numbers like that coming off the bench. That just shows his impact, and defensively, he’s a pest. He’s just a great player to be around, it just makes us so much harder to guard.”

UConn, now fully healthy with Tarris Reed, Jr. returning on Friday and Braylon Mullins making his long-awaited season debut, now heads to Kansas to take on a Jayhawks unit that may be without its potential No. 1 NBA Draft pick in freshman wunderkind Darryn Peterson. Should the rookie prodigy be unavailable, Smith’s emergence alongside Demary will pose a greater matchup advantage for the Huskies, who now seem more confident with a veteran guard helping direct traffic.

“He’s a huge spark off the bench for us,” Alex Karaban said of Smith. “Just that energy that he has on and off the court, how unselfish he was today, he really changed the game for us. It’s Mali’s world.”

Ball spurs UConn’s early run as Huskies dispatch Illinois at MSG

Solo Ball (1) finishes layup during UConn’s win over Illinois. Huskies’ junior guard scored 13 of his 15 points in first half. (Photo by Wendell Cruz/Imagn Images)

By Sam Federman (@Sam_Federman)

NEW YORK – As Illinois emerged from its locker room before the game, the Notorious B.I.G. classic “Hypnotize” blared from the team’s speakers. It’s a tune that many programs, including UConn, have used during the Big East tournament at Madison Square Garden, but we heard it a few months early today.

The Fighting Illini may have entered the game feeling the New York energy, but by the middle of the first half, that vibe had completely shifted. UConn’s crowd took every chance it got to make noise, and in the early going, it had a lot of chances.

The Huskies rode a hot start from Solo Ball to a double-digit first-half lead, winning their fifth consecutive non-conference game over the last three seasons at the Garden, 74-61. UConn led by as many as 21 early in the second half, but had every answer for Illinois’ surge to cut the lead to seven late.

For Ball, who entered the game shooting just 23 percent from deep, starting off the game with a three-pointer on UConn’s first possession set the tone. He continued to shine in the first half, with a four-point play as part of his 13 points.

“He got us going,” Alex Karaban said of Ball. “He really got us that cushion offensively. He draws so much attention when he’s on fire that it just opens everything on for us. He’s too good of a shooter to be struggling, and we’re all by his side, we all want him to shoot. If he don’t shoot, we’re going to be on him.”

“Guys got me open, set good screens,” Ball said. “Definitely, you need a lift at times, but that’s just what it is for this group that we have.”

And Ball kept shooting, attempting nine three-pointers. Even though he only made two of them, the two that he made were enough to give UConn the breathing room it needed on an afternoon where Illinois really struggled to hit shots. He led the way with 15 points, but only scored two in the second half.

After making a run to close the gap to nine, UConn pushed it all the way out to 21, 64-43, as Illinois missed its first 11 field goal attempts of the second half. Many of them were threes that UConn was pleased with the Illini big men – like Zvonimir Ivisic – taking.

“They were just going to one-on-ones,” Eric Reibe said. “Even the guards were going for post-ups, so then we just stunted a little bit and just tried to get deflections, because in the beginning, they hadn’t really proven to us that they were gonna make shots in this game.”

Reibe has continued to grow throughout his rookie campaign with the Huskies, scoring eight points and grabbing seven rebounds off the bench with Tarris Reed, Jr. back in the fold. The Huskies gave Reed 15 minutes, as he was on a pitch count, and Braylon Mullins his first ten minutes in a UConn uniform.

While Mullins took some time to adjust, and was a minus-12, this was still the first chance we got to see the Huskies at full strength. With more tough matchups coming up against Kansas and Florida, the next version of this Husky team will continue to evolve.

Illinois made a final push, cutting the lead to seven with a few minutes left, but New York native Malachi Smith had the final word. He made a play that is sure to be one of the most iconic of the Huskies’ season, drawing a foul well beyond the arc and throwing the ball up near the hoop, banking it in for a four-point play.

That was the knockout blow in front of his friends and family.

“That gave us a big lift,” Ball said. “I’ve never seen (a play like that).”

“My favorite moment was Mali’s and-one,” Reibe said. “That was really like, ‘oh yeah, this place can really rock.’”

Immediately following Reibe and the newcomers’ first experience at a venue affectionately dubbed Storrs South, they’ll have their first experience at Allen Fieldhouse when UConn visits Kansas on Tuesday. While the Jayhawks may still be without star freshman Darryn Peterson, it’s hard to imagine that the crowd won’t be just as wild as it was when the Huskies came to Lawrence two years ago.

“We gotta start learning sign language now,” Reibe said.