Pankey's evolution a key to Jaspers' surge

Ashton Pankey's surge has helped Manhattan win four straight and 10 of 13 going into pivotal matchup at Rider. (Photo courtesy of Kevin Fuhrmann of the Manhattan College Quadrangle)

More than halfway through his junior season, Ashton Pankey is not only living up to expectations, he is also playing some of his best basketball.

With double-figure scoring games in all but one game over the last month, the casual basketball fan will no doubt concur that this is what Manhattan recruited the Bronx native for following his transfer from Maryland three years ago, when the 6-10 forward looked for a change of scenery following Mark Turgeon's first season of replacing Hall of Fame coach Gary Williams in College Park. But as any close follower of the Jaspers will tell you, there is more than meets the eye when discussing Pankey's emergence this season; not just as the tag team partner of Emmy Andujar when leading Manhattan's offense, but also in terms of his mental development and basketball acumen.

"A lot of the teams, what they're doing is stacking in," Pankey revealed with regard to how he has been defended in recent games, his last being an 18-point, 9-rebound effort to help the Jaspers defeat Canisius on Friday. "I can't really get offense on that, because it's so hard. We have to have shooters in the game, and the spacing's not always right, but I let the game come to me. Defensively, I just wanted to set the tone."

Pankey's maturity in games is not the first time a Manhattan forward has had a renewed outlook on what lies in front of him, either, as the Jaspers got a similar perspective from Rhamel Brown on their interior last season en route to the NCAA Tournament, something that is not lost on the man overseeing it all.

"He (Pankey) is a much more dominant low post player offensively," Steve Masiello differentiated, "and that's no knock on Rhamel. Rhamel was a shot blocker. Rhamel had an unbelievable craft that he was just one of the best I've ever seen at, but you look at AP's line tonight, (Friday) he goes and gets you 18, nine, and three blocks. I'll take that as much as I can get it from him. That's phenomenal, and a phenomenal attitude. You look in the first half, yeah, he had 10 in the first half, but he was getting everyone involved."

Since a season-low two points at Canisius on January 4 dipped his scoring average below 10 points per game, Pankey has become a machine, amassing at least 11 points in eight of Manhattan's last nine games, going for 18 or more in six of them as the Jaspers have won four straight and ten of their last thirteen. With an average of over 16 points and six rebounds in that stretch, as well as nearly two blocked shots and a 56 percent success rate from the field, the concerns about finding a third scorer behind Andujar and Shane Richards have been mitigated, and could not have come at a better time. Now, Pankey takes his resurgence to southern New Jersey this afternoon, where the Jaspers will look to avenge a bitter overtime loss to Rider three weeks ago in which the Broncs shot 57 percent from the floor at Draddy Gymnasium and got a balanced scoring effort to barely squeak by the reigning MAAC champions. In that game on January 18, Pankey registered 18 points and seven rebounds on 7-of-10 shooting, and arguably got the better of a challenging matchup in seven-foot center Matt Lopez, Rider's leading scorer and rebounder.

Sitting to his immediate left in Manhattan's postgame press conference two nights ago, Pankey's coach; as he has done with the program he inherited in 2011, built the foundation laid before him, and offered a more intimate look at the improvement of his pupil.

"The difference in him," Masiello began, "is he's coming to me now in timeouts and he's saying 'Mas, the weak side's sitting there. Let's get Shane on the weak side and get him a three.' A year ago, it was 'throw me the ball.' Now, he's coming to me, telling me, 'Hey, let's all just be calm. We're gonna get this win.' He's calming us down at times, so that's the maturity of Ashton Pankey now. You talk about becoming a student of the game, I couldn't be prouder of him."

Fordham 54, St. Bonaventure 51: Ray Floriani's Tempo-Free Analysis

Fordham cheerleaders entertain the crowd at Rose Hill Gym. (Photo courtesy of Ray Floriani)

Bronx, NY - The Fordham women led for 35 minutes, and were ultimately forced to pull out a 54-51 victory over St. Bonaventure at Rose Hill on Thursday. The Bonnies came back to lead by three with just under two minutes to play before the Rams rallied to seal the verdict. The pace and efficiency:

Possessions: St. Bonaventure 69, Fordham 68

Offensive Efficiency: Fordham 79, St. Bonaventure 74

The Four Factors:

eFG%: Fordham 39, St. Bonaventure 35

FT Rate: Fordham 33, St. Bonaventure 22

OREB%: Fordham 28, St. Bonaventure 28

TO Rate: Fordham 22, St. Bonaventure 22

What St. Bonaventure did well: Enjoy a more efficient second half. At intermission, the Bonnies trailed 24-17. It could have been worse. Their offensive efficiency was 46. The turnover rate almost matched with a 32% mark. The second half saw the Bonnies post a 102 efficiency and commit just three turnovers.

What Fordham did well: Defend Katie Healy. The Bonnies' leading scorer, at just shy of 15 points a game, was held to four points on a 2-of-11 shooting performance from the floor. The Rams also got themselves in a position to get to the line as they clearly came out ahead in free throw rate.

Scoring and Efficiency Leaders:

St. Bonaventure: Imani Outlaw (14 points, OE .600)

Fordham: Hannah Missry (15 points, OE .625)

Emily Tapio had a solid 13-point, game-high 17-rebound effort for Fordham. Samantha Clark added a strong 14-point, 8-rebound, 2-assist, zero-turnover effort in the post for the Rams. Clark was an extremely efficient .727 (OE) while Tapio was impressive as well at .667.

St. Bonaventure’s Healy, a 6-1 junior, had a rough going. She committed four turnovers in addition to the aforementioned struggles from the field. Healy finished with an OE of .267, which further illustrates the off night she had. The Bonnies led 23-6 in bench scoring, a good sign despite Healy's offensive struggles.

St. Bonaventure is 2-8 in Atlantic 10 play, while Fordham is now 8-2 in conference play.

“They (Fordham) did a good job shutting Katie (Healy) down, but we had several players step up, which was a good sign for us.” St. Bonaventure coach Jim Crowley

“We did a good job on (Katie) Healy in the lane. Then Jim (coach Crowley) went small, and that helped them get back in it.” – Fordham coach Stephanie Gaitley

Marquette 57, Seton Hall 54: Tempo-Free Recap, Nuggets of Note

Steve Taylor's 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting got Marquette past Seton Hall. (Photo courtesy of Anonymous Eagle)

Playing one man down, as Matt Carlino was ruled out of this afternoon's game due to aftereffects resulting from a concussion against Villanova, Marquette was able to overcome his absence to post a 57-54 victory on the road against a Seton Hall team that needed a win against the shorthanded Golden Eagles. Here's a look at the final numbers:

Possessions: Seton Hall 66, Marquette 64

Offensive Efficiency: Marquette 89, (0.89 points per possession) Seton Hall 82 (0.82 PPP)

Four Factors:

eFG%: Marquette 48, Seton Hall 36

FT Rate: Marquette 48, Seton Hall 34

OREB%: Seton Hall 43, Marquette 19

TO Rate: Marquette 22, Seton Hall 21

What Marquette did well: Attack the paint. Even with Angel Delgado and Brandon Mobley playing 31 and 22 minutes, respectively, the Golden Eagles pounded the ball inside to the tune of a 42-22 edge on interior scoring against the Pirates, whose offense was largely predicated on three-pointers after the vast majority of their shots inside were missed layups.

What Seton Hall did well: Rebound. Granted, most of the Pirates' 17 offensive caroms were putback opportunities from point-blank shots that would not go in, but Seton Hall still ended the afternoon at plus-4 on the boards against Marquette, neutralizing Luke Fischer's 10-point day by only allowing him two rebounds.

Scoring and Efficiency Leaders:

Marquette: Steve Taylor Jr. and Jajuan Johnson (14 points each)

Taylor's OE: .778, Johnson's OE: .467

Seton Hall: Sterling Gibbs (game-high 16 points) and Jaren Sina (12 points)

Gibbs' OE: .400, Sina's OE: .500

Nuggets of Note:

- Marquette's seven-man rotation was primarily a basic man-to-man defense for most of the first half, and it confounded Seton Hall enough to yield only 22 points in the opening stanza, and just a scant 0.67 points per possession over the first 20 minutes, in 33 trips down the Prudential Center floor.

- Only one player on the Seton Hall roster, Jaren Sina, shot better than 50 percent from the field on a day in which the Pirates managed a collective 31 percent clip (18-for-59) from the floor. The talented freshman trio of Isaiah Whitehead, Khadeen Carrington and Angel Delgado were a combined 5-for-26, and Sterling Gibbs could do no better than a 4-for-12 effort.

- While Marquette drew a very favorable free throw rate, the Golden Eagles unfortunately could not convert on all of their attempts, keeping Seton Hall in a game the Pirates arguably had no business being within earshot in for the first 38 minutes. In fact, neither Marquette nor Seton Hall fared well at the charity stripe, joining forces to shoot 23-for-42 collectively on foul shots.

- The loss to Marquette, who picked up only their third conference win in 11 attempts, dropped the Pirates to 15-8 overall, and 5-6 in Big East play. In a game that was widely considered a "must-win," and one that friend of the site Jerry Carino will likely have a much more detailed take on in his recap, the Pirates came up empty in quite possibly the flattest performance of the season, and one of the more questionable coaching jobs that Kevin Willard; who has done a remarkable job getting this roster to remain in contention this year, has done in his five years at the helm. 

- After a season sweep at the hands of DePaul, and now this afternoon's setback to Marquette, Seton Hall now has three glaring losses on their resume heading into a four-game stretch that will make or break the Pirates. Beginning with Georgetown coming into Newark on Tuesday, followed by a three-game road swing against Providence, Villanova and St. John's, the last of those three on the Red Storm's campus at Carnesecca Arena, Seton Hall needs to go 3-1 in those games just to get back into consideration for a spot in the field of 68, barring anything unexpected. Even a split of the next four games would still place the Pirates in a position where they would need two wins at Madison Square Garden in the Big East tournament just to maintain their spot on the bubble.

Final Thoughts
"Our post defense is probably our biggest Achilles' heel over the last five games. We're defending the threes, but we're giving up layups, and that's probably the most disheartening thing about it. I have to figure out how to defend the interior."

"We have to get back to being a very good defensive team. It's really been, since DePaul at home, (January 22) where we kind of slipped defensively."

"You've got to score the basketball, and that's something we're just not doing right now."

- Seton Hall head coach Kevin Willard

"We were men today. We were men today." - Marquette guard Jajuan Johnson, as told to Matt Velazquez of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Manhattan 78, Canisius 69: 5 Observations

Ashton Pankey's understated effort provided Manhattan with the composure Jaspers needed to put Canisius away. (Photo courtesy of Manhattan College Athletics)

The traditional handful of observations and nuggets of note from Manhattan's 78-69 win over Canisius, the Jaspers' fourth straight, tenth in their last thirteen games, and ninth in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play:

• Manhattan's defense won the game, but in a deceptive fashion.

The Jaspers' 21-3 run to start the second half, one where they forced seven Canisius turnovers and nine missed shots from the Griffs before Zach Lewis finally stopped the bleeding 9:17 later, may have looked impressive from the casual observer's perspective, but Steve Masiello quickly diffused that opinion. "I'm fine with a lot of shots that go in," the coach admitted. "The reality of it was, our defense in the first half was the exact same the first six minutes of the second half. The difference was, statistically, which I've studied for 17 years, I know those shots aren't going to beat you. To the casual observer eye, you say 'oh, they're getting shredded up.' Over a 40-minute game, it's not going to beat you, and we had our run when they didn't make those shots, and we capitalized on it. That's what you're supposed to do."

• Trap game?

On paper, tonight's contest may very well have been categorized under that proverbial adage, and Masiello even embraced that notion when describing how the Jaspers came in off two momentum-gaining victories against Siena and Monmouth. "We didn't fall prey to it," he proclaimed, "and I'm really proud of the maturity of this team."

• Rich Williams continued his surge since coming off the bench.

Chronicled last week before Manhattan defeated Monmouth for the second time this season, the sophomore guard kept his newfound spark alive with 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including four three-pointers and inciting a refreshing view of how social media affects a player's psyche. "I think there's so much unfair expectations," Masiello revealed when discussing what players are subjected to via the likes of Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and various other networking tools. "I think what's happened with Rich is he finally said, 'You know what? I'm not into this stuff.' He's grown up. He's playing for the man next to him now, and I love him for that. I think he's been a new man. I think the pressure's off him, (and) he's just playing the game for the right reasons."

• Miscellaneous stats from tonight's game:

Manhattan held Canisius to the second-lowest shooting percentage for a Jasper opponent this season, as the Golden Griffins managed just a 31 percent (19-for-61) clip from the floor. The Jaspers also forced at least 20 turnovers for the seventh time this season, and further solidified their transition efforts with their third consecutive game featuring at least 11 steals. Furthermore, Emmy Andujar's 20-point evening marked the seventh time in the senior's last nine games in which he has reached that plateau.

• Ashton Pankey: Cool, calm, and collected.

Pankey displayed veteran poise far beyond just his third season in college, anchoring Manhattan's interior efforts and admitting he let the game come to him; even though one could consider Canisius' lineup to be somewhat of a mismatch in his favor, and his mental acumen was hailed by his coach. "A year ago, it was 'throw me the ball,' Masiello stated. "Now, he's coming to me, telling me 'hey, let's be calm.' He's calming us down. You talk about becoming a student of the game, I couldn't be more proud of him."

Andujar, Pankey lead Manhattan to sweep over Canisius

Emmy Andujar came just short of a triple-double, but his 20 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists helped Manhattan fend off Canisius in 78-69 Jasper win. (Photo courtesy of Vincent Simone via Big Apple Buckets)

Coming off two hard-fought wins against fellow MAAC contenders, the stage was set for Manhattan to fall victim to the proverbial trap game against a Canisius team that nearly defeated the Jaspers last month.

For the lions on the home bench, tonight provided another opportunity to go for the kill, as opposed to letting it come to them.

With four players scoring 16 or more points, led by 20 from Emmy Andujar, Manhattan (12-10, 9-4 MAAC) was able to survive a late Canisius (12-10, 7-6) rally, surging past the Golden Griffins by the final of 78-69 at Draddy Gymnasium for the Jaspers' third season sweep of a conference opponent this season.

"This is one of the best wins we've had since I've been here," a fired-up Steve Masiello passionately declared after the Jaspers won their fourth straight game and tenth in their last thirteen. "This is one of the best wins, and we talk about being lions. We were lions tonight. We came out with urgency, we didn't wait to get hit. We hit."

Complementing Andujar's effort was Ashton Pankey's 18-point, 9-rebound outing, while Shane Richards and Rich Williams chipped in with 16 points apiece. Zach Lewis' 25 led Canisius, and all scorers, in the losing cause for the Griffs, who began their two-game road trip on a down note.

A nip-and-tuck first half that ended with Manhattan taking a 30-28 lead into the locker room gave way to a 21-3 Jasper run that saw Canisius miss their first nine shots after the intermission. When Calvin Crawford's layup with 11:35 to go put the Jaspers up 51-31, the Griffs slowly began to chip away, coming within four points of the lead before Manhattan drained five consecutive free throws to provide the final margin of victory; the last of which from Pankey, who displayed patience far beyond his years in the win.

"I let the game come to me," said the junior forward. "Most of my points had to come off the offensive glass. A lot of teams, what they're doing is stacking in, a lot of guards are stacking in the paint, and I can't really get offense off of that because the spacing's not always right. Defensively, I just wanted to set the tone."

LIU Brooklyn 72, Robert Morris 65: Tempo-Free Recap, Nuggets of Note

Joel Hernandez's transition game keyed LIU Brooklyn's upset of Robert Morris. (Photo courtesy of Bob Dea for Nelson Castillo's Blackbirds Hoops Journal)

A 12-1 run in the early portion of the second half provided LIU Brooklyn with the boost it needed to eclipse perennial Northeast Conference power Robert Morris by the final of 72-65 at the Steinberg Wellness Center in Brooklyn. Here's a look at the final tempo-free numbers:

Possessions: LIU 74, Robert Morris 74

Offensive Efficiency: LIU 97, (0.97 points per possession) Robert Morris 88 (0.88 PPP)

Four Factors:

eFG%: Robert Morris 48, LIU 41

FT Rate: LIU 50, Robert Morris 21

OREB%: LIU 43, Robert Morris 22

TO Rate: LIU 23, Robert Morris 23

What LIU did well: Take advantage of an undersized Robert Morris lineup, which was without the services of leading rebounder Lucky Jones and backup point guard David Appolon. Not only did the Blackbirds end the evening with a plus-10 offensive rebound margin by imposing their larger, more physical style upon the Colonials, they were able to get to the free throw line seemingly at will, with 30 attempts at the charity stripe. What is even more impressive is that LIU seemed to do all of this at Robert Morris' pace, adjusting to a slower style than what Jack Perri's offense has been accustomed to over the years.

What Robert Morris did well: Defend, at least in the first half. Andy Toole's trademark zone defense caught LIU off guard for most of the opening stanza, which ended with the Colonials taking a 27-24 cushion into the locker room. Furthermore, two guards took control at different stages for Robert Morris, with Marcquise Reed setting the tone with 14 points in the first half before Rodney Pryor scored 15 of his 17 after the intermission.

Leading scorers: Robert Morris, Marcquise Reed (game-high 22 points)

LIU Brooklyn, Martin Hermannsson (17 points)

Nuggets of Note:

- Despite shooting only 38 percent from the field for the night, LIU Brooklyn (9-13, 5-6 NEC) used a stifling transition defense that harkened back to the three consecutive Northeast Conference championships won by the core of Julian Boyd, Jamal Olasewere, C.J. Garner and Jason Brickman. The Blackbirds managed to procure 10 steals against Robert Morris, (11-12, 7-4) and turned 17 Colonial turnovers into 23 points. Dunks by Joel Hernandez and Gerrell Martin (15 points apiece) in the latter stages of the first half proved that LIU was more than competitive enough to stay with the Colonials, and the aforementioned 12-1 run approaching the midpoint of the second half effectively decided the proceedings.

- The win for LIU was their first over Robert Morris since a 90-73 victory on March 7, 2012, the night where the Blackbirds won their second NEC crown one year after needing overtime and a 31-point, 11-rebound masterpiece from Jamal Olasewere to dispose of the Colonials. It was also the third win in the last four games for Jack Perri's team, who remains at home this Saturday to take on a Saint Francis University team that has won three straight, including their most recent contest Thursday evening against Fairleigh Dickinson. If the season ended today, the Blackbirds would meet Bryant University in the No. 2 vs. No. 7 quarterfinal matchup of the Northeast Conference tournament.

- For every bit as impressive as Marcquise Reed was on the offensive end, he was just as careless when holding on to the ball. The freshman, who is a frontrunner for NEC Rookie of the Year honors, ended the night with 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting, doing his No. 2 previously worn by all-time Colonial great Velton Jones proud. However, Reed also committed nine turnovers, or 53 percent of the total Robert Morris miscues.

- Four LIU players ended the night in double figures, led by 17 points from Martin Hermannsson. Besides the 15 points from Hernandez and Martin, respectively, Nura Zanna also contributed 10 points to a cause in which he added six rebounds as well.

- Although both point guards shot a combined 1-for-14 from the field, Robert Morris' Kavon Stewart and Elvar Fridriksson of LIU Brooklyn proved adept in the facilitator department, with Stewart's eight assists just one helper better than the seven posted by Fridriksson.

- Last, but not least, Thursday night's upset was good news not just for the Blackbirds, but for their crosstown rivals as well. Not too long after defeating Central Connecticut State behind 35 points and 13 rebounds from Jalen Cannon, St. Francis Brooklyn saw perhaps their stiffest competition fall two games behind the surging Terriers when LIU closed the Colonials out.

Final Thought

"We knew what was at stake, so we came out hungry, we just had that aggression. That was probably our best second half of the year." - LIU Brooklyn guard Gerrell Martin

UMass 78, Fordham 72: Quotes, Takeaways & Nuggets

Fordham head coach Tom Pecora's opening statement:
"Well, you know, there was a stretch there at the beginning of the second half (where) we went from up six to down six, and I think that was the game right there, and the separation at the end ends up being six. You know, (Derrick) Gordon did a great job on the backboard, he beat us up on the glass. I thought we did a great job on (Cady) Lalanne, we did a good job having other guys step up. Ryan Rhoomes, Dekeba (Battee-Aston) did a good job defending in the post, our weak side help was there, but you know, Lalanne's a good player; he didn't force things, he made sure he kicked it out, and in the second half, you know, there's that little, like, four-minute stretch, I watch the film now, and that's really what kind of killed us there, I think. We did a decent job taking care of the basketball, a couple of turnovers, you know, hurt us at about the eight-minute mark, I think, when we were making a run at them, and then (Trey) Davis was great tonight. He didn't miss from the foul line and he was solid from the floor. Those threes he made were deep and big, so...but we competed, and I told them we're right there. I said 'don't you dare lay down, don't you dare quit.' Last week's effort against Rhody, we come up a little short, today, we come up a little short, against two teams that are at the top of the league and have thirteen wins each, and we're there. We just have to continue to get better and continue to make a couple (of) plays, but once again: I'm looking at, you know, Eric Paschall and Christian Sengfelder and Jon Severe to make those plays. I thought Mandell Thomas did a decent job at the point again, he continues to grow. He didn't get enough shots for himself tonight, you know, but five assists and one turnover, that's a darn good ratio for a guy who's been playing the point for, you know, four, five games. We're just going to continue to grind. Like I said, we're halfway through the conference schedule, there's a lot of games left, and the A-10 tournament, and we're going to continue to get better, and we're going to find some wins."

On Christian Sengfelder (9 points, 16 rebounds) and whether he can still be considered a pleasant surprise:
"Without a doubt. Without a doubt, I mean, you know, we recruited him like a football player in the sense that I never saw him live. Tommy Parrotta saw him, and I watched film, and you know, we looked at his size, his ability to do things, and you know, he really didn't shoot the ball great tonight, (but) he made a couple of big shots, but...I was kidding with him because his national coach from Germany came to watch him, so I said 'do I have to get him an apartment to get you to get 16 rebounds every night, does he have to live in New York for the rest of the season?' But, you know, look: The freshmen, how much more can we ask, you know what I mean? They're making mistakes, but they're making aggressive mistakes, and when Eric attacks the rim, it's either a dunk, a layup or a whistle, but at times he still settles, you know, and I think that's the difference between him having a great shooting night and not. He's 4-for-15, a couple of fadeaways, you know, but there's a learning curve for freshmen, and Jon's playing again. I think Severe's playing again. You know, we've still got to work on his defensive effort for stretches, but he's playing, and that's why we've been in these last couple of games. We have another offensive option."

On Fordham's defensive effort:
"Yeah, and you know, we didn't have that many turnovers. You know, turnovers can be deceiving because it's where they occur, how they occur. Are they turnovers that go out of bounds? You know, now all of a sudden you're not leading the other way, but they were live turnovers. I thought the one out at halfcourt hurt us, I'm not sure if it was Mandell or Antwoine, (Anderson) but there was one on a crossover where we got sloppy with it, and boom, they go the other way, you know? So, we didn't have a lot of turnovers, but they were costly ones in the sense that they were live turnovers."

"Look, we executed a good defensive plan against them. Our thing was we had to make sure Lalanne didn't get the ball, because they can just pound you in the paint, you know, on post-ups. They did a good job of scoring in the paint driving the basketball, but we outscored them in the paint. We wanted to make sure they had to beat us over the top, and in the second half, the difference was Davis, you know? Davis made those two or three threes in the first half, they weren't making anything on the perimeter, and that ends up being the difference, those two threes, when you look at a six-point game."

On whether or not Fordham missed Branden Frazier more in a game like this against UMass' backcourt:
"Yeah, well they miss Chaz, (Williams) we miss Branden, you know? There's always that 'well, (if) we had this guy one more year, you know?' Kervin Bristol, when he was here our first year, we were like 'damn, we should have redshirted him,' because he could have been really good in year three, you know, but you've got to let them go after four years, you've got to set them free. So, but once again, I think the success Branden Frazier had morphing from a combo guard to a point guard is helping Mandell tremendously, because he sees his future with the ball in his hands, and he's working really hard, watching film and doing things on the floor as a point guard and making sure we don't have empty trips, and that's important. You can't afford to have empty trips. You know, we had seven more shot attempts than they did this evening, but a couple of them rattled halfway down, you know, and (if) a couple of them go down, it's a different game."

On shot selection and the looks Fordham is getting:
"Oh, no doubt, no doubt. I think, you know, we've made some adjustments to what we're doing offensively, we're sharing the ball better, and I think having Jon on the floor making some shots creates space, and when you have space, you become a better offensive team."

On confidence in one-possession games:
"Hey, look: When we first got here, we were getting blown out all the time, guys. I mean, thank God I'm friends with guys in the league. I mean, the first couple of years, there were guys that could have put the wood to us by 40 every night, and out of the goodness of their heart, we were losing games by 20, 25, just about every night, you know what I mean? So now, you know, we're there. The young talent level's good enough, and it's there, so we just have to continue to coach them up, you know? Tomorrow, we're going to be right here where you guys are sitting now, we're going to watch a bunch of film of this game, we're going to start watching some Saint Louis, we're going to go out (and) walk through some things, but a lot of guys played a lot of minutes tonight, so we won't go live, and then we'll get ready Friday and prepare for Saint Louis on Saturday, who's playing very well, (and) beat St. Joe's at home last night."

On only committing 10 turnovers tonight, and how it is encouraging going up against Saint Louis' defense:
"Yeah, they're just tough as nails, and Jimmy Crews, I'm old enough to remember him as a player. He was a tough son of a gun, and they play a lot like Indiana defensively. It's going to be a much different game than this in the sense that you're not giving them any space to shoot the ball on the perimeter. They shoot the ball well and they defend really tough in a tough man-to-man concept, so it's going to be a different game and a different challenge for us."

On rebounding and executing the game plan:
"It was good. Well, that's what I said at halftime. I said, 'guys, the reason we're in this game is we're doing a great job executing the game plan,' and that's a sign of maturity. So hopefully, we're maturing in that sense. But that is exactly why we were able to stay in the game. I mean, hey, we lost our way for about four or five minutes, and that cost us the game, and they didn't. They continued. That was their speed. All of a sudden, there were turnovers, they were getting out on the break, they were doing this, you know, and the pace of the game; we came down, shot a quick three one time. Miss, long rebound, it's like an outlet for them, boom, and they're off and running. Now, I'm happy about the job on the boards, but our guards (have) got to do a better job rebounding, you know? I mean, I just said to them, Derrick Gordon's 6-2 1/2, you know, Eric's 6-6. Bryan Smith, you know, played 25 minutes, had one rebound. He's the same size as him. We've got to put a body on him, we've got to make, you know, he gets 10 rebounds, we maybe win this game, you know what I'm saying? So it's those little things, and obviously, you guys, it drives a coach crazy, because you see those things, and some people say, you know, 'I'd rather get blown out than lose a close game.' Not for me. I want to compete, and I want to look at this and be able to show my team tomorrow 'here's a handful of things that we could have done that could have changed the game,' and they're little things, and you know, the little things add up, and they become big things."

Nuggets of Note:
- The loss, Fordham's 15th of the year against just five wins, not only dropped the Rams to 0-9 in Atlantic 10 play, it was also Pecora's 100th defeat since replacing interim coach Jared Grasso in 2010. With just 39 wins in that same time span, Pecora has a .281 winning percentage that has dropped his career record 32 games below .500 since arriving at Rose Hill from Hofstra five years ago.

- While Trey Davis' 26 points led all scorers, it was Derrick Gordon who set the tone with a 17-point, 13-rebound double-double. By Gordon not having a true matchup at the point guard position, it enabled him to create advantages in UMass' favor by attacking the lane and picking up the pieces on the defensive glass, similar to how Chaz Williams was able to raise his rebound totals not just for the Minutemen, but also for Pecora at Hofstra before transferring.

- Leading 41-35 after 20 of the Rams' best minutes of the season, Fordham came out flat to start the second half. A 25-8 UMass run, started by the pair of Davis threes Pecora mentioned in his press conference; and one which culminated in a one-handed Jabarie Hinds dunk, essentially iced the game. Fordham resumed a slight advantage shortly thereafter, but essentially traded baskets with the Minutemen rather than capitalizing off misses and empty possessions.

- Ryan Rhoomes and Bryan Smith were the only Rams to shoot 50 percent or better from the field, combining for a 10-for-15 effort. The rest of the team was a paltry 14-for-49, just one more field goal than the duo of Gordon and Davis, who went 13-for-22, shooting 59 percent from the field.

- Finally, in a sport where officials are criticized far too often than praised, the work of Jeff Anderson, who worked the game alongside two fellow respectable referees in ACC veteran Ray Styons and local regular Ron Tyburski, was exceptional yet again. Anderson, who was part of last season's NIT championship crew, has proven on several occasions that his vision and ability to judge the legitimate calls from those that fans and media like to nitpick is deserving of high-profile assignments. Perhaps his work will be rewarded with another long run into the NCAA Tournament.

Manhattan 87, Monmouth 76: 10 Observations

A 27-point performance from Emmy Andujar places him firmly in conversation for MAAC Player of the Year honors. (Photo courtesy of Kevin Fuhrmann of the Manhattan College Quadrangle)

In honor of yesterday's Super Bowl, here is a belated, super-sized list of observations and nuggets of note from Manhattan's 87-76 win over Monmouth, the Jaspers' third straight victory:

• Emmy Andujar.

Simply put, the senior from the Bronx was at his best Sunday afternoon, and the only hurdle that kept him from setting a career-high point total was fouling out with 2:27 to go. Andujar ended his day with 27 points, one marker shy of his personal best of 28, set last February against Iona. Even more astounding was his ability to score the 27 on just ten shots from the field, relying on drawing fouls and an 11-of-15 effort at the free throw line to bolster his totals. With all due respect to A.J. English and David Laury of Iona, and maybe Quinnipiac's Zaid Hearst, each of whom hold a viable claim to a title among the MAAC's elite, no player is as valuable to their team or their position as Andujar; who not only does a little bit of everything inside and outside the box score, but also recognizes when to step back and allow his teammates to make contributions that are needed more than his own. Let's put it this way: If the season ended today and Andujar was not in the mix as the MAAC Player of the Year, it would come as somewhat of a surprise to us, and his head coach echoes our sentiment. "In my opinion," Steve Masiello started his defense of Andujar, "I love David Laury, I love A.J., a lot of guys I like, but for me, if Emmy's not right there with those guys, for him not to be in the conversation every day, I question the credibility of people who are doing this job," he boldly declared.

• For all the talk of finding a third or fourth scoring option...

The Jaspers may have found one in RaShawn Stores. Lightly regarded in opposing scouting reports due to the presence of Andujar, Shane Richards and Ashton Pankey, Stores is quietly torching the nets on a regular basis, and providing stellar ball handling to set the tone for a deceptively strong Manhattan offense to boot. The senior point guard registered nine points, all from three-point range yesterday, and matched that number with a career-high nine assists. In his last six games, Stores is averaging 4.5 assists per game and validating that number with a scorching 55 percent clip from downtown. Furthermore, in MAAC play, Stores has amassed 45 helpers against just 13 turnovers, good enough for a 3.46:1 assist to turnover ratio.

• "That's our 'C' game."

That was how Masiello described the on-court product, admitting there were stretches that were not perfect, but in his postgame interview, associate head coach Matt Grady called the first half; which included a total of 19 deflections from the Jaspers, the team's best defensive stanza of the year. "If we can get that to our 'A' game by March 1," Masiello proposed, "I think we have a chance. If we're playing that type of basketball, I think we're a tough out, we're a good team."

• Monmouth may not have come away with a win, but the Hawks were still impressive.

In much the same way that Andrew Luck took a major step toward becoming one of the best active quarterbacks in the NFL even after losing handily to the eventual Super Bowl champion New England Patriots in the AFC championship game, the same could be said of Monmouth, who; for the third time in their last four meetings with Manhattan, battled the Jaspers much harder than the final score let on. "Today's a disappointing day for how we played," head coach King Rice assessed, "but it's not the end of the world. We're a team that's trying to become one of the best teams in the MAAC. You can't do that without beating one of the best teams in the MAAC, and Manhattan has been one of the best teams for a while. We're trying to come up and be in their area. Today, they showed us that we weren't ready to be in their area yet, and as a man, you've got to shake their hand and accept it, and then go back to work and see what we can do to get closer."

• If there were an award for Most Improved Player in the MAAC...

The frontrunner on that list would be Justin Robinson. The sophomore spark plug had another warrior-like showing, fighting his way to 19 points to lead four Hawks in double figures, including Austin Tilghman and Chris Brady off the bench. Robinson said before the game that "no one man does it alone" when asked about scoring, but with an average of 16.5 points over his last six contests, the second-year stud is picking up more of the pieces than some others.

• King Rice on facing Manhattan again should the two teams play one another in next month's MAAC Tournament:

"I pray that we get to play them again, because we'll stand up at least. We stood up last week, that's why it's a good game. They're not that much better than us."

• Steve Masiello when asked the same question about facing Monmouth again:

"I couldn't be happier to sweep Monmouth, but I don't want to see them in the MAAC Tournament. I equate it to us against Quinnipiac, (last year) it's like 'okay, you know how hard it is to keep your team up to play a team you beat twice, who you know how good they are?' I know how good Monmouth is, but human nature is, you relax, you let your guard down. Now, Monmouth, those kids, they hate us, they should hate us. They are starving to see us, so now the mental part of the game swings to them, especially in a one-game deal. For me, I don't want to see Monmouth again. They're terrific, I think they're the best team, all-around team. I think from one to ten, I think Monmouth's the best team, because there's not a guy you could come out, you've got to come out and stop Emmy, you've got to stop David (Laury) and A.J. (English) They're a team. One to ten, I think they're terrific, and I have a lot of respect for them."

• The stakes get raised higher for both sides.

For Monmouth, a battle with former Northeast Conference rival Quinnipiac awaits Thursday night in Hamden, while Manhattan faces arguably their biggest game of the season against a Canisius team that is comprised of a unit whose whole is greater than the sum of its parts, similar to Monmouth. "You can't have a letdown," Masiello advised. "This win is terrific, but only if you take care of business on Friday. You can't have a phenomenal win like this and have any type of letdown come Friday night, so Friday becomes a bigger game for us."

• Some postgame stats and trends:

Manhattan is now 9-0 when leading at halftime this season, and 8-1 when posting 70 points or more. In addition, Emmy Andujar eclipsed the 20-point plateau for the eighth time this season, and is now averaging 20.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game over his last eight contests, shooting 55 percent from the field in that span. Moreover, the Jaspers are 29-for-59 from three-point range in their last three games, and have won nine of their last twelve since a 65-56 loss to Pittsburgh on December 17 at the Petersen Center. Finally, in February and March, dating back to 2014, Manhattan is 12-2, with both losses (to Siena and Louisville) coming by a grand total of only 11 points.

• Manhattan's aggression and stamina drew a different source of motivation, and it paid off.

Steve Masiello's pregame preparation yesterday had an unusual wrinkle: He showed his players a Discovery Channel documentary on lions in the locker room yesterday, reminding the Jaspers that the kings of the jungle do not wait to attack, but rather go out for the kill. The reigning crown-bearers in the MAAC received the message, opening up a nearly insurmountable 18-point lead at halftime that soon became a 25-point cushion before a Monmouth run tested the Jaspers and forced them to weather the storm, something the leader of the Manhattan pack was ultimately satisfied with. "You're not going to knock us out," Masiello proclaimed, "so you've got to kill us. And if you don't kill us, you're going to be in for it, because knocking us down isn't going to do anything, hitting us isn't going to do anything. You have to kill us. You have to take Manhattan, stab us in our hearts, and make sure the body, mind, and soul is all dead, because if there's an ounce of breath left in us, we're going to get you."

Seton Hall 78, St. John's 73: Ray Floriani's Photo Essay

South Orange, NJ - They make it so difficult. You wear the press credential around your neck. The seat is courtside. With that comes the price of impartiality. ’No cheering in the press box’ is the oft-quoted axiom turned directive. All that considered, they still make impartiality an arduous task.

The Seton Hall women are battling St. John’s on a Sunday afternoon. The Big East meeting at Walsh Gym on the Seton Hall campus sees the Pirates in quest of win number twenty. Through it all, not just today, one finds this Seton Hall team is one you really admire, one you want to root for.

Maybe it stems from the family-type atmosphere; postgame interviews in coach Tony Bozzella’s office, assistants with their offices open as well, an obligatory stop and chat with Director of Operations Marissa Flagg as we discuss the game in general and lament our beloved Knicks.

Maybe it is the players. Competitors on the floor. Off the floor, polite and willing to give interviews or just talk basketball or school in general in a cordial manner. Wonderful representatives of their university especially with their time, meeting and/or giving autographs to youth groups.

Then there are the spirit groups, the Sapphire Dance team and cheerleaders; the latter coached by alum Jean Marie Romanella, who graced the baseline herself as a Seton Hall cheerleader, during the Louis Orr days. Both squads talented, entertaining, and also outstanding ambassadors of Seton Hall athletics.

On this afternoon, things were going well for the Hall. Suddenly, a 70-50 Seton Hall lead with eight minutes left begins to evaporate. St. John’s has the hot hand. Clock watching by those clad in blue at Walsh, is in vogue. The seconds seem in slow motion like tantalizing sands in an hourglass as St. John’s shots continue to find the bottom of the net. The deficit dwindles.

Notes are being taken on my charts on press row. Meanwhile, the pulse quickens and heart is racing. These reactions do not even happening covering my St. Bonaventure alma mater, well, maybe when they face Canisius. Thirty-two seconds to go. A St. John’s player penetrates. Foul.

The ‘rooting’ side may say charge, but my officiating side overrules. It’s a block and a good call. It doesn’t affect anything. Seton Hall never relinquishes the lead and holds on to win.

No cheering by yours truly, but there is a definite feel-good mindset over this group securing win number twenty. Truly, this Seton Hall team has captured the imagination and emotion. Mine definitely, but I am not alone by any stretch.

St. John's coach Joe Tartamella in deep thought studying the action:

Defending Aliyyah Handford was a Seton Hall priority:

Aaliyah Lewis sets up the St. John's offense:

During a timeout, Seton Hall coaches huddle prior to addressing the players:

Ka-Deidre Simmons looking for an open lane in the St. John's defense:

The scoreboard tells it all for the 9-1 (in Big East play) Seton Hall Pirates:

The alums are coming back, as yours truly poses with a Seton Hall All-American from the 1990s, Jodi Brooks:

Seton Hall 78, St. John's 73: Ray Floriani's Tempo-Free Analysis

The one and only Seton Hall cheer squad during an in-game routine. (Photo courtesy of Ray Floriani)

South Orange, NJ - Win number 20 is in the books. Seton Hall defeated St. John’s 78-73 at Walsh Gym on Sunday. The Pirates, enjoying a 70-50 lead with 8 minutes to play, held off a surging Red Storm. The pace and efficiency:

Possessions: 72

Offensive Efficiency: Seton Hall 108, St. John's 101

The Four Factors:

eFG%: Seton Hall 52, St. John's 43

FT Rate: St. John's 43, Seton Hall 33

OREB%: Seton Hall 34, St. John's 31

TO Rate: Both 18

What St. John's did well: Care for the ball with a turnover rate below the 20% cutoff. Joe Tartamella’s group also competed very well. Down 20 with eight minutes to play in a tough road environment, St. John’s went on a run that cut it to a one-possession game with just under a minute to play.

What Seton Hall did well: Rebound. The glass was a priority for Tony Bozzella. Seton Hall ‘won’ the offensive rebounding percentage category and had a slight, but satisfying, 39-38 advantage in total rebounds.

Leading scorers and OE:

St. John's: Aliyyah Handford (26 points, OE .600)

Seton Hall: Ka-Deidre Simmons (22 points, OE .609)

Both teams scored 32 points in the paint. Tabatha Richardson-­Smith scored 14 points and was a force on the boards for Seton Hall. She led all rebounders with 13, five on the offensive end. Amber Thompson scored 15 with 8 rebounds. Bozzella was pleased the Pirates were able to keep her from doing the damage she’s done in the past.

How did St. John's come back? No full court pressure, simply making shots. “At one point they made nine straight shots,” Bozzella said. "They have two great players (Handford and Thompson) and we knew they were not going away." Seton Hall scored one field goal, a Ka-­Deidre Simmons pull up in the lane, in the final eight minutes. St. John’s scored seven.

The Red Storm outscored the Hall 21-8 in the final eight minutes. The efficiencies over that time:

St. John's 162, Seton Hall 53

The numbers illustrate the numbers of the Red Storm comeback.

St. John's is 15-6, 6-4 in the Big East. Seton Hall is 20-2, 9-1 in conference.

“Even during their run, our team never lost confidence. They just got in the huddle and said ‘let’s finish this’.” – Seton Hall coach Tony Bozzella

As Rich Williams voluntarily steps out of spotlight, results have paid off thus far for Manhattan

Since returning to a supporting role, Rich Williams has helped push Manhattan back toward top of MAAC standings as Jaspers further their championship defense. (Photo courtesy of Manhattan College Athletics)

At this time two years ago, Rich Williams was not even on Manhattan's radar.

The guard from Brooklyn, coincidentally a product of the same Transit Tech High School program that sent Rhamel Brown to Riverdale, was on his way to Hofstra, having committed to Mo Cassara as the Pride attempted to return to the top of the Colonial Athletic Association following two years of rebuilding in the wake of Charles Jenkins entering the NBA.

Yet fate, as it almost always has a knack of doing when one least expects it to, intervened. Cassara was fired at the end of a 7-24 season marked by the dismissals of four players during the year at Hofstra, and his prospective recruits, Williams included, each went their separate ways.

With Hofstra in yet another transition, Williams landed at Manhattan, with his former teammate Brown on the roster to help mentor him through his freshman year, one in which the 6-5 marksman shot 52 percent from the field as the Jaspers won their first Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship since 2004. With a stable of guards headlined by George Beamon, Michael Alvarado and RaShawn Stores, Williams' role was perfect for a player of his caliber to make just the right type of contributions and not have to be saddled with the burden of having to carry the load despite a lack of experience at the Division I level.

One year, and the graduations of Beamon, Brown and Alvarado later, Williams' role increased, and head coach Steve Masiello went so far as to declare that his now-sophomore backcourt member would have the impact of a first team all-conference player based largely on his potential and performance in offseason workouts and preseason practices. However, through an adversity-laden start to Manhattan's conference championship defense, Williams struggled. His field goal percentage dropped nearly 20 points below his mark as a freshman, even with an increase in minutes and the privilege of starting 12 games for the Jaspers.

Then, in an act of selflessness rarely seen from college sophomores, Williams went to Masiello and proposed a change.

"You know, he came to me a week ago and said, 'Coach, I think we're a little flat when we go to the bench,'" Masiello recounted after Manhattan's 87-79 victory over Siena Friday evening. "He said, 'what do you think of me coming off the bench and trying to get some life, some spark to us?'"

After a seven-point effort against Monmouth last Sunday, Williams appeared as a reserve again Friday, this time torching the nets from three-point range and rediscovering his lethal stroke from beyond the arc on his way to a 13-point effort that was one of five double-figure outings for the Jaspers as they improved to .500 for the first time in an up-and-down season, winning for the eighth time in their last eleven games.

"I think that says a lot about his character that he wants to do what's best for the team," Masiello said of Williams. "It was his idea, and I think you've seen our bench production go way up now with him coming off the bench. When we go with Tyler, (Wilson) Donovan (Kates) and Rich, it really gives us a nice lineup to get after you with."

With an average of 10 points per game in the Jaspers' last two contests as a sixth man of sorts, the change in course has worked out for Williams on paper, in much the same vein as it did for one of Manhattan's upperclassmen who requested to be used in a similar capacity his first two seasons.

"Similar to Shane, (Richards) Rich is unique in the way that he doesn't want the limelight," Masiello revealed. "He doesn't want to start, he wants to do what it's about for the team, so I'm really happy, and I think he set the tone for us from the Monmouth game on about just kind of getting us going."

With a weight being lifted from him in some regards, Williams, who is always one of the more refreshing personalities on the Manhattan roster in terms of his outgoing nature and gregarious smile, displayed a similar body language when echoing his coach's words.

"I just made up my mind that I'll just do anything to help the team," he proclaimed after Masiello deferred the opening statement of Manhattan's postgame press conference Friday to his young prodigy. "The all-league stuff really don't matter to me, to be honest. It did, but now that I let it go, I'm starting to play well."

As February arrives, Masiello's goals remain the same

Even after seeing his Jaspers even their record by going 8-3 in their last 11 games, Steve Masiello is still confident that Manhattan's best basketball is yet to come. (Photo courtesy of Ray Floriani)

The changing of the calendar from January to February is usually accompanied by several different signs in the sports universe. From the fervor of Super Bowl week to the reporting of pitchers and catchers to spring training, and even NASCAR's annual SpeedWeeks at Daytona International Speedway, these occurrences are marked not only by the anticipation of what fans have clamored for, but also more often than not, some moments in each sport that may eventually earn a place on a collective highlight reel spanning the entire season.

Last year, Manhattan College basketball occupied such a distinction, with the Jaspers using February and March to power their way past local adversary Iona en route to a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship. This season, despite the loss of Manhattan's three leading scorers from the title run, the Jaspers may only be 10-10 through 20 games, four games behind last year's pace, but the hope around Riverdale is as high as it was on this date in 2014.

"I think we're a little behind," Steve Masiello admitted of how far his team has progressed toward his vision of where it would be, even after Manhattan ended January with an 87-79 victory over Siena at Draddy Gymnasium Friday night, one in which five Jaspers scored 10 or more points. "You guys keep talking about everyone else. Forget about us. We haven't accomplished anything this year. We don't want any praise now."

Despite a surge that has seen the Jaspers win eight of eleven since a nine-point loss to Pittsburgh on December 17, Masiello has been down this road before. On January 31 of last year, Manhattan dropped an 85-73 decision to Iona at the Hynes Center to fall to 14-6 on the season and 7-4 in MAAC play, the only time all season in which the Jaspers lost two games in a row. What followed was a run that would make even the 2007 New York Giants blush, as Manhattan finished their championship campaign 11-2 in their last 13 games, with the only two defeats coming by a grand total of just 11 points, at Siena in February; and more notably, the high profile near-miss against Louisville in the NCAA Tournament last March.

"We know where we need to be come March," Masiello steadfastly declared, "and we will be there. We will do what we need to do to be where we need to be. That's the makeup of these kids, that's the makeup of this team."

The second month of the calendar year begins with an arduous task for Manhattan, as the Jaspers travel down the Garden State Parkway into West Long Branch, New Jersey, where awaiting them this afternoon will be a Monmouth team that was narrowly upended by Manhattan just a week ago today in Riverdale, and one eager to even the score.

"They have that mentality now where they're not only coming out and trying to make a statement every night," Masiello told Josh Newman of the Asbury Park Press in advance of today's showdown with the Hawks; a team that Manhattan's coach has been raving about since the summer workout period began, "they know they belong, and they do. You look at that team, and it's the sign of a winner."

When Manhattan and Monmouth last took the floor at the Multipurpose Activity Center, the Jaspers emerged victorious, thanks in large part to a scintillating scoring display by George Beamon, who scored 24 of his game-high 31 points in the first half. However, Masiello heaped mounds of praise on his counterpart, King Rice, after the game, stating that he felt Monmouth's head coach should be considered for Coach of the Year honors in the MAAC for the way he had gotten his young roster to not only compete, but relentlessly fight their way through each game in their first season removed from the Northeast Conference.

Twelve months have since come and gone, and now Monmouth is the first of several more hurdles standing in Manhattan's way. Nevertheless, while the contenders and landscape of their conference may look different from the picture painted last February, what remains constant is how the Jaspers will approach the final twists and turns before converging upon the Times Union Center for the MAAC tournament.

"We have no problem with not being champions in January or February," Masiello assuredly stated. "We have no issues with that at all, it's not what it's about for us. It's not about bracketology, not about who's picking what, that's never won me."

"I think we're behind where we need to be right now," he continued. "From a defensive standpoint, we need to improve in that area. If we get that, which I think we can because of the character of the kids I coach, I think we have a great chance to be who I think we are."