CCSU can’t overcome slow start, drops second straight NEC home game

By Connor Wilson (@Conman_815)

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. — After falling at home for the first time this season on Friday against Wagner, Central Connecticut State lost its second straight game on Sunday when LIU came to Detrick Gymnasium and pulled off a narrow 54-52 victory.

“Gotta give LIU credit, they did a really good job,” head coach Patrick Sellers said. “They changed their defense in the second half of their game against Stonehill and started the game like that against us, and threw us out of rhythm, too.”

It was a very sloppy first half for both teams, a half that saw the visiting Sharks lead by eight at its conclusion, at 24-16. CCSU shot 5-for-25 as a team and only had three players make field goals. It wasn’t necessarily true that the Blue Devils were taking bad shots, they just weren’t falling.

“We got disjointed offensively and were missing many, I think, makeable shots,” Sellers said.

The lone bright spot in the scoring department for Central was Devin Haid. The junior guard scored 20 points, 15 in the second half, and hit the running triple that gave the Blue Devils their first lead of the second stanza.

“I was taking a lot of settled shots in the first half,” Haid said. “My coaches were telling me to attack the rim more and attack their players, so that’s what I did in the second half.”

In that second half, the level of shotmaking increased on both sides. Terell Strickland, son of LIU head coach Rod Strickland, and Malachi Davis stepped up their production for the Sharks, as well as freshman Shadrak Lasu. For Central, Haid hit some difficult shots and Max Frazier had a sequence where he blocked a shot on one end and had a putback dunk on the other.

“(The) second half was definitely a better effort for us offensively,” Sellers said. “Defensively, these guys really put their hard hats on and went to work.”

Jordan Jones was the only other player for Central in double figures. Many players finished well below their season averages, including just four points for Jayden Brown and a scoreless outing for Joe Ostrowsky. Even with a low scoring effort, the Blue Devils still showed great willingness to come back from down as many as nine points in the second half.

“We came out stronger in the second half and did what the coaches asked us to do,” Haid said. “We should have been ready to do that in the first half, and that’s what got us in that hole early.”

Things got quite interesting down the stretch. LIU had the ball with 40 seconds left up by two and CCSU chose not to foul, opting to go for the defensive stop. The Blue Devils ended up getting it after a missed jumper and had the ball with 12.1 seconds to play, needing to go the length of the court. On their first attempt, Jones had his tying layup attempt blocked out of bounds. The clock sat at 5.6 seconds and the Blue Devils had another chance. The inbounds pass was bobbled by Jones and turned over.

“They bottled us up in the corner and I don’t know if Jordan thought the clock was running out, but he kinda just stopped playing,” Sellers said. “Right away, we should have been fouling. Right away, we should have had a chance with at least three or four seconds left on the clock.”

Jones turned the ball over with over four seconds remaining, but the entire Blue Devils team froze like the game had ended and didn’t foul until 1.2 seconds were left. LIU wasn’t in the bonus yet, so all the Sharks did was pass the ball in and the game was over.

The loss, and weekend as a whole, was really a reality check for a CCSU program that was off to an historic start to the season. The Blue Devils were unbeaten at home before Friday and started league play 2-0, with wins on the road at Saint Francis and Mercyhurst. Now, they’re 2-2 and have two home losses on the ledger.

“We’re gonna have a really good film session on Tuesday,” Sellers said. “The film really helps us because the guys can see what’s going on and it helps us get into a faster mode. We have to move the ball and move faster.”

There’s still plenty of time left in the season for a team with NCAA tournament goals to overcome a rough weekend. Being two games back in the loss column of LIU isn’t ideal, especially having lost to the Sharks at home, but it isn’t time to hit the panic button quite yet in New Britain.

Up next for CCSU is a road clash with FDU in New Jersey. Tip is set for 4 p.m. Saturday at the Bogota Savings Bank Center in Hackensack.

Seton Hall handed first Big East loss by Creighton in heavyweight conference showdown

By Ray Floriani (@rfloriani)

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. — In a battle of unbeaten Big East teams Saturday, Creighton edged Seton Hall, 72-64. The Saturday afternoon game at Walsh Gymnasium saw the visiting Bluejays improve to 14-3 overall, and 6-0 in league play, while Seton Hall dropped to 12-4 and 4-1, respectively.

Points of emphasis:

Morgan Maly came up big: The 6-foot-1 senior led Creighton, and all scorers, with 23 points. Maly also

buried two three-pointers in the waning moments of regulation that both coach Jim Flanery of Creighton and Seton Hall’s Tony Bozzella agreed were daggers. Maly also had a vital contribution in the way she helped the Bluejays handle Seton Hall’s pressure.

“Morgan helped in the backcourt a great deal against the press,” Flanery said. “If you told me three or four years ago Morgan would have helped to break the press, I would have fallen over. That’s a testament to how far she’s come as a decision maker.”

For the game, Creighton had 11 turnovers, an

excellent 15 percent turnover rate. Seton Hall has forced opponents into at least 20 turnovers ten times this season. The Bluejays also led in points off turnovers, 14-9.

Another tough Big East matchup: “It was very

competitive, we ran out to lead and they made a run,” Flanery said.

Creighton led 39-27 at halftime. The Bluejays scored the first five points after the break to increase the difference to 17. The Pirates immediately responded with a 7-2 run. Creighton would respond by pushing the lead back to 10 early in the fourth period. Once again, the Pirates would respond, cutting the deficit to two with just over two minutes remaining. Maly would can her first of her two crucial threes from there as Creighton was able to close it out.

Seton Hall gave a valiant effort: “Without

(Savannah) Catalon, they were still difficult to guard,” Flanery praised. “(Faith) Masonius (Seton Hall’s leading scorer, with 18 points) just gave us fits inside.”

“Down two starters (Catalon and Shailyn Pinkney),”

Bozzella said, “we didn’t give up. You can’t turn the

ball over six times in the first period like we did.”

For the game, the Pirates were guilty of 12 turnovers, a still credible 15 percent turnover rate.

Bozzella was asked if there was a concentration on

Creighton’s three-point shooting. The Bluejays lead

the Big East with a 37 percent mark from three.

“Our goal coming in was getting the advantage in points in the paint,” Bozzella said. Seton Hall did just that, 38-34. “Unfortunately, we gave up some easy layups late in the second period.”

The last two conference games saw Seton Hall win

a pair of one-possession games. There was the 56-55 victory over Villanova on New Year’s Day, and most recently, an overtime victory last Saturday against Georgetown.

“We need these games,” Bozzella said. “Even our earlier wins over Providence and Butler were, for the most part, close games.” No excuses, but Bozzella said, “we’ve had injuries and setbacks we haven’t experienced the last few seasons.”

With still a good portion of conference play remaining, Bozzella promised, “if we do the things we are good at, we’ll be good.”

Honors: Faith Masonius was named Big East Player of the Week and one of five USBWA Players of the Week the previous Monday. On the same day, Jada Eads, an 11-point scorer against Creighton, was cited Big East Freshman of the Week for the third time this year.

Several options: The Bluejays showed how dangerous a team they are, given several different

options in the lineup.

“Molly (Mogensen, 18 points, six assists) was great, Flanery said. “Mogensen’s and Maly’s contributions were essential given the fact Lauren Jensen struggled. It didn’t feel like Lauren was in rhythm and she was kind of forcing some stuff.”

Jensen, a senior guard and Creighton’s leading scorer at 17.9 points per game, finished with nine points on 3-of-14 shooting from the floor.

“She gets a good defender every night,” Flanery added. “She needs to get her confidence back to where it should be.”

Style: Creighton’s offense features a series of on and off-ball screens, backdoor cuts and ball reversals. It reminds a number of observers of the Princeton offense. Flanery has no name for his very efficient offense, which measures a 106 efficiency good enough for 28th-best in the nation to date, but the coach did shed some light on it Saturday.

“We do a lot of shooting drills, moving shooting drills,” he said. “It’s less structured than people think. It’s not five-out or Princeton. It’s much simpler, we play positionless, we can just plug and play. I don’t have to say, ‘she’s our three and she’s our four, and we have only two fours.’ That’s not the case. I mean, it gives you a lot of flexibility.”

Notes: In a 69-possession contest, Creighton held a

104-93 edge in offensive efficiency. Creighton also shot 47 percent, including 36 percent (8-of-22) from three-point range. Seton Hall checked in at 38 percent with a 15 percent (3-for-20) performance

from long distance. The Pirates won the battle of the boards by a 39-34 count. Molly Mogensen of Creighton pulled down a game-high eight rebounds. Faith Masonius, Yaya Lops and Kaydan Lawson had six each to pace Seton Hall. Masonius also handed out a team-high five assists.

Bluejays are road warriors: “Seven road wins this

season and we’re tied for the most road win in the

country over the last three years,” Flanery said. “We

play a lot of road games partly because we can’t get

buy games.”

Next up for Seton Hall is a visit to Marquette on

Wednesday. Creighton hosts DePaul next Saturday.

Hofstra’s defense surging at opportune time as Pride picks off UNCW

TJ Gadsden (1) and Silas Sunday (33) double-team UNCW’s Harlan Obioha. In last three games, Hofstra has held opposing teams to 55.7 points per game and just 23 percent shooting from 3-point range. (Photo by Lee Weissman/Hofstra Athletics)

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. — Nine days ago, Hofstra started the new year on the short end of an 18-point loss to a William & Mary team that simply outplayed the Pride in every facet of the January 2 encounter between the two programs.

Since then, Hofstra has gone back to basics, relying on the defense that sometimes gets lost in the shuffle when assessing how consistent the Pride has been for the majority of the past decade under both Speedy Claxton and his predecessor, Joe Mihalich.

Hofstra resoundingly turned the page last Saturday in its first action since the William & Mary loss, holding Northeastern to just 37 points while winning by the same 18-point margin it had fallen victim to less than 48 hours prior. This past Thursday, the Pride held a halftime lead against reigning CAA champion and league favorite Charleston, yet fell six points short as the Cougars were taken to the limit. On this day, against a UNCW team that got 30 points from Donovan Newby, Hofstra replicated the same effort of the previous two games, fending off the Seahawks in a gritty 66-63 decision that assistant coach Mike DePaoli insisted the Pride earned every second of.

“The defense is a foundation of our program,” DePaoli—filling in on the bench for Claxton, who missed Saturday’s game for personal reasons—said. “Defense is what allows you to win games, offense determines how much you win them by. As coaches, good teams are led by coaches, great teams are player-led. What allows us to defend is these guys taking ownership in it.”

“It’s getting to the point now where we don’t even need to say anything and they’re holding each other accountable. The energy has been off the charts in practice. We’d lost four of five, and if you come to our practice, you wouldn’t know that. When they take it over, that’s what brings the defense to life. These guys have really bought into making that our DNA.”

Since the William & Mary game—where the visiting Tribe buried 12 three-pointers and shot over 52 percent from the floor—Hofstra has put each of its last three opponents in the proverbial vise, particularly from beyond the arc. Against Northeastern, the Pride held the Huskies to 21 percent shooting on the day and 3-for-25 from deep. Even in the win Thursday, Charleston connected on just five of its 23 three-point attempts. UNCW shot a respectable 10-for-30 from 3-point range Saturday, but if Newby’s 8-for-14 performance is isolated, the rest of the Seahawks missed 14 of 16 from behind the line. When asked if the win Saturday would instill more confidence in a Hofstra team entering a stretch where four of its next six games will be played away from home, DePaoli was candid in his response, wishing the outcome could be a pick-me-up of sorts.

“I hope a lot, because these guys should feel really good about themselves,” he said. “We have shown resolve this year. You look at some games that have went to overtime this year, we’ve had resolve, we’ve had good response. We lose a tough one the other night to Charleston, we felt like we could have won the game. If you were at our walkthrough (Friday), you would have thought we won the game. And that’s it. As long as you can have those types of responses, you put yourself in this kind of position.”

“We want these guys to be confident. Speedy talks about that a lot. We want them offensively to be confident in who they are as players. (Speedy) lets talent be talent and he really gives them a lot of life to believe in themselves.”

Two years ago this month, it was a defensive masterpiece against UNCW that started Hofstra’s run to a regular season CAA championship. The Pride limited the Seahawks to just 16 second-half points in 2023 en route to a 70-46 victory on that 2023 night on Long Island. The stranglehold has not been as profound in this recent stretch, but Hofstra has rendered its opposition to less than 56 points per game in the past week and two days, reinforcing the message that the victory does not have to be gaudy or glamorous, but merely existent.

“We talk to our guys all the time about gritty, not pretty,” DePaoli said. “Defensively, we gotta roll up our sleeves and be ready to get gritty. We’re not gonna be perfect, but we’re after perfect effort, and I thought for the most part tonight, we were pretty good. Hopefully it can reaffirm everything that we’re about.”

Winthrop bounces back, dominates Longwood in Saturday win

 

Winthrop freshman Paul Jones led four double-figit scorers with 24 in Saturday's Big South victory over Longwood. (Photo:  Winthrop Athletics/Professional Photography Group)

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ROCK HILL, S.C. – Longwood coach Griff Aldrich –understandably -- didn’t have much to say after Saturday’s Big South Conference game at Winthrop. What he did say, though, told the story.

“We got out-competed. We got out-toughed,” Aldrich said. “We had a group who just showed up, but didn’t show up to try to win the game. We were lethargic. Credit Winthrop. They came with energy and juice, and not only were we not trying to match it, we weren’t close.”

Winthrop controlled the contest wire-to-wire Saturday, leading by as many as 26 points in a dominant, 95-76 victory before an announced crowd of 2,004 at Winthrop Coliseum.

“I thought, as a collective, we were ready to go today,” Winthrop coach Mark Prosser said. “A lot of that comes from (guard) Kasen (Harrison), (forward Kelton Talford), (guard) Nick (Johnson), K.J. (Doucet), and those guys as leaders over the last couple of days. Our readiness and the things that we talked about pre-game or we talked about post-game (Wednesday, after a loss at Gardner-Webb) – we had a different look in our eyes today. They want to be special – all of them. They played with a different sense of desperation today. We competed, and that’s the biggest thing.”

Winthrop (12-7, 2-2 Big South) fittingly took the lead it would never relinquish on an early three by the player who would dominate the first half. Freshman Paul Jones splashed a triple just over a minute into the game, marking the first three of the 22 points he would score in the opening stanza. The Eagles and Lancers embarked on their customary battle, with the next 10-plus minutes a tug-of-war that allowed the Eagles a lead of between three and five for much of that stretch.

Winthrop then let loose the run that arguably broke the Lancers. Nick Johnson dropped a pair of free throws and put home a layup, then a Jones three capped a 7-0 burst that put Winthrop ahead 12 with 8:32 to play in the period and induced an Aldrich timeout. The onslaught continued despite the respite, with the Eagles closing the first half on a 30-12 burst that gave the home side a 53-30 advantage at the interval.

“If some of Mike (Christmas)’s shots and Angelo (Brizzi)’s shots had gone in early, maybe we get some juice or something,” Aldrich said. “Their approach was that they were coming out hungry trying to win a game. We were not. That’s what happens in this conference. If you don’t come ready to compete and battle, you’re going to get popped.”

Longwood (13-6, 2-2) responded with a burst of its own as the second half got underway. Colby Garland booked a pair of buckets, Kyrell Luc hit a pair of threes, and Brizzi was good on a layup that sparked a 17-6 Lancer run which sliced the Eagle margin to 15 with 15:47 to play.

That run, though, proved to be a bit of a mirage.

K.J. Doucet splashed a three, Kelton Talford threw down a forceful dunk, and Jones converted a layup to push the lead back to 22. The lead would eventually stretch back to 24 on a Nick Johnson three.  Longwood could never again draw closer than 16, as Winthrop shot 55.6 percent in the second stanza and prevented the Lancers from gaining much ground.

“I thought we played harder in the second half,” Aldrich said. “I thought we were more aggressive and more attacking. We were just out there playing in the first half. There wasn’t a whole lot of physicality to our game. We were very low-urgency.”

“You better play and be ready to go against that team,” Prosser said. “They’re experienced. They’re very well-coached. Our attention to detail over the last couple of days, our sufficient aggravation and disappointment from the last calendar week leading into today has been present. They were ready to go. Hopefully, that’s a sign of things to come.”

Jones finished with 24, just one off his career-high from earlier this season against Averett. The freshman from Suffolk, Va., found the net on 9-of-14 tries Saturday, including 6-of-11 from beyond the arc.

“It’s been such a high growth curve for him, especially at the defensive end of the floor,” Prosser said of Jones. “He’s wired to score. He scores like he breathes. He’s really – and this started before the season – is committed to the defensive end of the floor. He loves basketball. He’s got such a huge career ahead of him. He’s been terrific and he was terrific today.”

Three other members of Winthrop’s “leadership council” joined Jones in double figures. Talford tallied 17 points and finished one rebound shy of a double-double, while Johnson registered 16 and boarded seven misses. Harrison also narrowly missed a double-double, scoring 14 points and dishing nine of Winthrop’s 14 helpers – a career-high in assists for the Texas native.

“To me, it’s just all about making my teammates better and getting wins,” Harrison said. “I don’t care if I have zero points and we win. It’s a win for everybody. The win is more important than points and stuff like that.”

Winthrop shot 56.7 percent (34-for-60) on the day, with a 48.3 effort (14-for-29) from distance. The Eagles scored 40 of their points in the paint and added 16 points on second chances.

Luc paced the Lancers with 18, knocking down 5-of-9 from the deck and 6-of-9 from the stripe. Garland made 6-of-14 to add 15 points to his team-leading six boards, while Brizzi connected on 5-of-9 to total 13. Longwood shot 41.4 percent (24-of-58) from the field, adding 9-of-21 (42.9 percent) from distance. The Lancers hit 14-of-30 (46.7 percent) in the second stanza.

The sides return to conference action later in the week. Winthrop hosts Charleston Southern Wednesday evening in a 6:30 (Eastern) tip. Streaming coverage will be available over ESPN+. Longwood welcomes High Point to the Joan Perry Brock Center in Farmville, Va., for the league’s Thursday night Wildcard game. Tip time is set for 7:00, with coverage on ESPNU.

WINTHROP 95, LONGWOOD 76

LONGWOOD (13-6, 2-2 BIG SOUTH)

Christmas 2-7 2-2 8, Tucker 0-1 0-0 0, Luc 5-9 6-9 18, Garland 6-14 2-2 15, Brizzi 5-9 2-4 13, Nziemi 2-3 4-4 8, McClurg 2-6 0-0 6, Jefferson 1-2 0-0 3, Benard 1-3 3-3 5, Hicks 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 24-58 19-24 76.

WINTHROP (12-7, 2-2)

Talford 7-10 3-4 17, Doucet 2-3 0-0 6, Jolly 2-3 0-0 6 Jones 9-14 0-0 24, Harrison 6-12 2-3 14, Wilson 2-2 0-1 5, Johnson 4-8 6-8 16, Hamilton 0-1 0-2 0, Baker 2-6 0-0 5, Duncomb 0-1 2-2 2, Diallo 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 34-60 13-20 95.

Halftime:  Winthrop 53-30. 3-Point goals:  Winthrop 14-29 (Doucet 2-3, Jolly 2-3, Jones 6-11, Harrison 0-2, Wilson 1-1, Johnson 2-5, Baker 1-4), Longwood 9-21 (Christmas 2-5, Luc 2-3, Garland 1-4, Brizzi 1-2, McClurg 2-3, Jefferson 1-1, Benard 0-3). Fouled out:  Doucet (WU).  Rebounds:  Winthrop 38 (Talford 9), Longwood 29 (Garland 6). Total fouls:  Winthrop 20, Longwood 19. Technicals:  NA

Points off turnovers:  Winthrop 16, Longwood 11.  Points in the paint:  Winthrop 40, Longwood 28. Second-chance points:  Winthrop 16, Longwood 7.  Fast-break points:  Winthrop 9, Longwood 5.  Bench points:  Winthrop 28, Longwood 22.

 

Karaban, UConn pull off redeeming win at Georgetown

By Connor Wilson (@Conman_815)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Losing a game in the fashion UConn did Wednesday at Villanova may be the worst way to take a defeat in basketball. To have a victory in your hand just for something that had never happened before to occur is a situation you just don’t think of happening. It can be draining.

It could also be easy to lose all confidence for games going forward, or it could be the complete opposite and give you motivation to complete the job the next opportunity you get.

The Huskies went with the latter on Saturday.

UConn trekked down to Washington, D.C. and handled a talented Georgetown team, 68-60, a game that wasn’t as close as the final score depicted.

“We had a heartbreaker in the last one, but it was great,” Dan Hurley said. “What helped us a lot was coming into a UConn-Georgetown game. Walking through the tunnel today was just an awesome feeling with where the Georgetown program is, and to be able to play a big road game against Georgetown, that kind of energized us.”

If you don’t know how UConn’s last game ended and are confused by the opening paragraphs, Alex Karaban missed two free throws with 3.1 seconds remaining Wednesday, with the Huskies trailing by one. It was the first time Karaban had ever missed two consecutive free throws in his college career. Naturally, the redshirt junior responded Saturday with 19 points on an efficient 7-of-10 shooting and 4-for-6 three-point display. He played all 40 minutes and left everything he had on the court.

“(He’s) one of the greatest players in UConn history,” Hurley praised. “When we get this type of response from him today, it shows that he’s one of the best players in college basketball.”

“That was probably the lowest of lows in my UConn career,” Karaban said. “(You) have to have a quick turnaround and respond. That’s the type of player I am.”

In the first half, the game was neck and neck. A packed Capital One Arena, the largest Georgetown crowd at the arena since 2015, was really into it. The visiting Huskies only led by four at the break and both teams traded punches. A switch flipped in the visiting locker room, however. The Huskies stormed out to an 11-1 run out of the intermission before Ed Cooley was forced to call a timeout. By that point, the run had expanded to 17-2.

“We wanted to respond and play championship basketball,” Karaban said. “That’s who we are as a program and we did that exactly. We built off that run into the rest of the second half.”

The shots kept falling early in the second stanza for the Huskies. Solo Ball added some tough buckets and Samson Johnson had some vicious slams. Jayden Ross caught a lob from Hassan Diarra from near halfcourt. The first 12-13 minutes or so looked like 2022-24 UConn against 2022-24 Georgetown, or at least something similar, with complete domination from the visitors in white (the Hoyas were sporting their tidal blue uniforms, hence the home attire for the Huskies). Then, the Huskies took the foot off the gas.

Numerous possessions over the final 7-8 minutes ended in poor shot attempts, airballs that turned into shot clock violations, or turnovers. After getting the lead to its largest margin of 23, UConn was outscored 19-4 the rest of the game and looked very uncharacteristic of what the Huskies have been like over the past few seasons. Even with that, they still held on for a much-needed victory.

“Sometimes when you win eight in a row, you forget how brutal you feel when you lose one,” Hurley said. “We’d forgotten that feeling of Maui and what that felt like. I thought we played with hunger today.”

Even when the offense hit a standstill, Karaban stayed consistent and poised. One of the winningest players in program history, even after a tough defeat, he keeps his head up and rallies the troops, something a leader should do.

“This is a completely different Georgetown team than it was last year,” Karaban said. “We had to respond and show up, really had to leave that tough loss behind and lock in for the win.”

The relationship that Karaban has built with Hurley was another major reason he was able to contribute in the way he did against the Hoyas. After the Villanova loss, Hurley joked that Karaban should “play with his championship rings” once he gets back, which Karaban jokingly confirmed he did. It may have been a rare negative moment on his ledger, but he was able to put it behind him.

“I work my ass off, and for that to happen, it sucked,” Karaban said. “Credit to Coach. He was supportive and by my side the entire time. I don’t think I’d be able to have the performance I had today without him.”

Hurley usually has high praise for the opponents after games, but he especially had some for Cooley and Georgetown, and the direction in which the Hoya program is going.

“I came in here as a player,” Hurley said. “I had my shot blocked by (Alonzo) Mourning and (Dikembe) Mutombo, then I got destroyed by (Allen Iverson),” Hurley said. “The Big East cannot survive and continue to compete for NCAA championships and tournament bids without Ed Cooley here. They’re coming.”

The last time Hurley used a rendition of “it’s coming” in a press conference, we all know what happened next. With young stars such as Thomas Sorber and Malik Mack, the Hoyas may not be far off.

The Huskies have a bye in the Big East schedule this week before returning to action next Saturday for a noon tip at Gampel Pavilion against Creighton.

Selfless relationships, connection with one another driving force behind Donny Lind’s first-year success at Mount St. Mary’s

Donny Lind has guided Mount St. Mary’s to 10-5 record in first season as head coach. (Photo by the Marietta Daily Journal)

NEW YORK — At 38 years old, Donny Lind ranks among the younger coaches in the nation, and THE youngest in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

But what Lind lacks in age and life experience compared to his coaching brethren, he more than makes up for by being an old soul, and a throwback to a coach from what becomes more of a bygone era with each passing day.

Lind, in his first season as a head coach after succeeding Dan Engelstad at Mount St. Mary’s, is a rare breed in the transactional nature of the business today. A branch of the Shaka Smart tree from his decade-plus alongside fellow former Smart assistant Mike Jones at Radford and UNC Greensboro, Lind has learned in the same vein the importance of relationships off the floor and development of self more than skill. The holistic emphasis has translated well at The Mount thus far, to the tune of a 10-5 record and 3-1 mark in MAAC play, highlighted by a non-conference win over Miami.

“It’s easy to care about these guys,” Lind gushed after the Mountaineers picked up a road win at Manhattan Friday. “We spent a ton of time getting to know each other and really trying to develop real relationships, and these guys are willing to do that. There’s a lot of guys in college basketball right now that just want to be coached for two hours a day and left alone, and we’ve got a group of guys that value relationships with each other and value relationships with us as coaches, and see the value that we bring to them. We see each other as way more than basketball players, and I think that connection that we’ve built shows on the court.”

“It feels amazing,” Xavier Lipscomb said of being trusted with the responsibility of leading the Mountaineers. “Last year, I was out with the foot injury but it feels great to be back out there with the guys, reunited and competing every day. It varies. Some days, I need to be more vocal than others and sometimes I need to lead by example, but I’m very honored to lead this group of guys into battle every day. I just try to give maximum effort whenever I’m out there. If that means I need to score or facilitate for my team, whatever they need me to do to win games. It’s just building relationships on and off the court. Once we have trust in each other, we can go out and win games.”

Xavier Lipscomb has been integral piece to Mount St. Mary’s attack as point guard. (Photo by Mount St. Mary’s Athletics)

What makes the relationship between Lipscomb and his coach unique is the history each had with one another before Lind arrived in Emmitsburg. Although Lind followed Jones to UNCG in the 2021 offseason, he recruited Lipscomb to Radford, where the point guard remained before transferring to The Mount. Still, Lipscomb listened intently when his new coach addressed the team for the first time in April, crediting Lind’s desire to establish a connection behind a veteran core that also includes the likes of Dola Adebayo, Terrell Ard and Jedy Cordilia to the early returns of what could be a positive first step this season.

“It’s awesome, but that speaks volumes to Coach Lind,” Lipscomb said of the fulfillment of returning to The Mount. When he first came in and talked to us as a group, he just wanted us to be a family. He wanted all of us to come back. He had an open-door policy, and it’s just awesome.”

“X is my guy, I love this guy,” Lind gushed. “We’ve got a long history together, and so to see him have success and see the growth he’s had—as a person and as a player—is awesome. When he can have success in big moments, I just have ultimate confidence when the ball’s in his hand. He’s gonna make the right play. Sometimes that play means for him to score, sometimes it means for somebody else to score, but he’s gonna give maximum effort and just try to make the right play for our team. And we’ve got a bunch of guys that are willing to do that. We’ve got a bunch of guys that want to be the guy, but everybody’s okay with somebody else being the guy in that moment. It’s rare in today’s day and age that guys are willing to do that and be unselfish. I’m fortunate that they listen to what we tell them to do, and that they’ve bought into the culture we’re building. We’ve got a long way to go, but if we can continue to trust each other and care about each other, we’ll be alright.”

Pecora still not thrilled despite Quinnipiac’s 19-point win over Siena

Quinnipiac’s Jaden Zimmerman watches shot follow-through as Bobcats rout Siena Friday. (Photo by Quinnipiac Athletics)

By Ethan Hurwitz (@HurwitzSports)

HAMDEN, Conn. — One would think after going into halftime up 28 points, Quinnipiac head coach Tom Pecora would have been a lot happier in his postgame press conference.

Instead, a sloppier—relative to the game—second half let Siena back into the game, and the Bobcats left M&T Bank Arena with a 72-53 victory Friday night.

“You win by 20, great,” Pecora said. “But when you’re a coach and you looking at the big picture, adding on a Sunday (game) and then games down the road, if you don't nip this shit in the bud and stop being selfish at times out there, which is really what it came down to, it’ll bite you in the tail again later in the year.”

The first 20 minutes were some of the best basketball the Bobcats had played all year. Entering the game in the bottom five nationally in three-point shooting, underclassmen Jaden Zimmerman (13 points, career-high five rebounds) and Khaden Bennett (14 points) knocked down a pair of threes to kick things off. A few minutes later, Quinnipiac's lead had ballooned all the way up to 31.

“(It’s) still early, I’m excited,” junior forward Amarri Monroe said. “We show spurts of how good we can be. Today, we really showed how good we can be.”

Monroe grabbed 10 rebounds to go with his team-high 16 points, good for his fourth double-double on the season. Right alongside him was graduate forward Paul Otieno. He also tacked on 12 points and 10 rebounds, eight of which came on the defensive end of the floor.

“That’s my job, that’s what we get paid to do,” Otieno said. 

The second half was a lot closer, relative to the blowout first half. Siena—led by junior guard Justice Shoats—started to make shots and within a quick amount of time, the once-insurmountable Bobcat lead had dwindled down to 15.

“It's kind of hard playing when you're up 30 points in the second half,” Otieno said. “It's really hard to play the same with the same consistency.”

“We just have to be that much more disciplined, that much more attention to detail and everything we do, and not play selfish,” Monroe added. “You know, you got to continue to play as a team, and I think that's pretty hard for a lot of guys, including myself at times.”

Despite strong showings from Monroe, Otieno and Zimmerman, who played a whopping 36 minutes on the floor, there were still a few holes in the backcourt. Junior Ryan Mabrey put in his fourth straight game without hitting a field goal, and junior Doug Young was a DNP.

“(Ryan’s) a shooter. He's not making shots, but he's a good passer,” Pecora said on Mabrey’s diminished role. “Next time you get good looks, (if) you're taking good shots. I'll be fine with it. He's just got to keep working.”

Instead of those two veteran guards, Quinnipiac got major minutes off the bench from forward Grant Randall, one who Pecora thinks will be taking a massive leap during the next few months.

“I thought (he) was outstanding, did a good job. (He) got six rebounds as well, and 16 minutes. He's going to be really good,” Pecora said. “He's got a chance to be really, really special. And he's such a great kid, just the way he handles it, goes about his business.”

Next up on the Bobcats’ docket is a feisty Iona team, one that Pecora knows will require a full 40 minutes of consistency. 

“Can we do it again on Sunday at Iona?” Pecora asked. “That's going to be mayhem, because they're going to run and press every possession, and they're going to try to make it look like a pickup game. We got to punish them for their pressure.”

As for the players on Pecora’s team? They just know Friday was just a glimmer of what they hope to prove and build on.

Otieno said it best.

“We’re never complete.”

Vermont alive and well in America East after resilient win at UMass Lowell

By Ray Curren (@currenrr)

LOWELL, Mass. — Those that threw dirt on the 2024-25 Vermont basketball team’s grave probably should have checked to see if it was dead first.

Yes, there were some dreadful non-conference results, but Thursday night, the eight-time defending America East regular season champion Catamounts showed—even if they’re a bit wounded—they aren’t giving up their crown without a fight, stopping new favorite UMass Lowell, 67-63, at a sold out Costello Athletic Center.

“It’s been interesting, for sure,” Vermont coach John Becker (now 179-31 in America East play), said. “Obviously we’ve gone through a lot this year, ups and downs, injuries. But we’re still the defending champs until someone beats us. I see on social media and people talking about everyone else. That’s fine, but we’re still here and we’ll let our play do the talking. I’m really proud of how we played tonight.”

Vermont’s offense is still a work in progress, but its defense was spectacular Thursday. The River Hawks (12-5, 1-1) entered 72nd nationally in offensive efficiency and 31st in two-point shooting (57.3 percent), but there was nothing easy getting to the rim against the Catamounts, the hosts going just 12-for-30 from inside the arc, seemingly every shot contested by multiple defenders.

“We’ve been able to score in the paint, either posting up or driving the ball, but they did a great job walling up and keeping us out and not giving us open paths to the basket,” UMass Lowell coach Pat Duquette said. “They did as good a job as anybody we’ve faced this year. We labored to score all game and that was a big part of it.”

The loss was the first at home this season for UMass Lowell and the last time it lost at the Costello Center was January 25, 2024 to—you guessed it—Vermont in overtime.

Still, thanks to Vermont’s poor shooting and a 12-for-12 performance at the free throw line (that included a technical on Becker), the River Hawks held a 31-28 halftime edge and figured to pull away at some point in the second half. But after a Yuri Covington three-pointer made it 34-28, that would be UMass Lowell’s largest lead. In fact, the River Hawks would have just one more lead, 51-50 on a Max Brooks’ layup with 9:35 left.

And when the Catamounts needed a big play or shot, someone stepped up. Down the stretch, it was T.J. Hurley, who did not shoot it well in the first half, but still finished with 23 points, the biggest three coming to snuff out a late River Hawk comeback. With the shot clock running out and Vermont leading 62-60 with 17 seconds left, Hurley hit a contested three to all but seal his team’s 29th victory in its last 30 America East regular season contests. Ileri Ayo-Faleye added 17 points and 11 rebounds for Vermont, who also got big defensive performances from Shamir Bogues and Sam Alamutu. The Catamounts shot only 34 percent from the field and 7-for-31 from three, but did collect 17 offensive rebounds while playing without regular starters TJ Long and Jace Roquemore. Becker hopes Roquemore will return soon, but Long’s injury is more long-term.

“We knew they attack the paint, so we just wanted to make them be passers,” Becker said. “We really wanted to crowd the paint and make them work for everything.”

It’s possible this result becomes a blip in the 2024-25 season, as we all know one-bid conferences are not won in January. Vermont is still 328th nationally offensively and 315th in effective field goal percentage, numbers that could bite the Catamounts against any upcoming America East opponent, starting with a hot and rested Bryant team on Saturday.

The loss broke a seven-game winning streak for UMass Lowell (who were led by freshman Martin Somerville's 17 points off the bench), who the computers say is still the favorite in the conference. The River Hawks will get another shot at Vermont on February 22, and would love to get a third with much more on the line a couple of weeks after that. 

“They’ve been the top team in this league seems like forever, and they proved that tonight,” Duquette said. “We just have to get better from here. Every game counts the same, so we have to get excited for Saturday (NJIT) and be ready to go. We’ll see them again.”

But on Thursday night, at least, this felt like more. Vermont, left for dead after a 30-point loss to Ivy League bottom feeder Dartmouth just three weeks ago, is back where it should be: the hunted in America East.

“I think the Dartmouth game was a good wakeup call, honestly,” Becker said. “We made some changes to how we’re playing. We needed to find a way to have our defense help our offense, and whether that’s turning people over or getting stops, playing a little looser in transition. We’ve been pretty methodical and slow paced through the years and this team just isn’t built that way. We’ve won eight straight titles playing a certain way, but that might not be best for this group.”

Hofstra battles, takes Charleston to limit before falling short in narrow loss

Jean Aranguren (7) flirted with triple-double as Hofstra fought valiantly, but fell just short against Charleston. (Photo by Matteo Bracco/Hofstra Athletics)

By Jason Dimaio (@Jaydimaio)

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. — Following Hofstra's loss last week against William & Mary, Speedy Claxton said his team had to get in the gym and get extra shots up from the three-point line following a poor shooting night.

As the Pride returned home Thursday on the heels of a defensive masterpiece in a win over Northeastern, that sentiment stayed the same. However, Hofstra’s shots did not fall as often as Claxton or fans would have hoped, with the Pride only finding the mark from deep at a 26 percent clip in a 67-61 loss to College of Charleston at the Mack Sports Complex.

“I can't be mad at our guys tonight,” an encouraged Claxton conceded despite the shooting struggles. “I thought we played great.”

A rare underdog on its home floor, the Pride answered the challenge from Charleston at the tip, breaking down the two-time reigning CAA champion Cougars’ defense. Hofstra (9-7, 1-2 CAA) attacked the rim in the opening half, going at CAA Preseason Player of the Year Ante Brzovic early and often. With five seconds left before the intermission, the Pride went the length of the court, finding Jean Aranguren for a corner three, establishing a seven-point lead, matching the largest of the night. But before the hosts could really flex their muscles, Deywick Tavarez hit a half-court shot at the horn, silencing the home crowd and cutting Charleston’s deficit back down to four entering the locker room, at 31-27.

What was arguably the Pride's best half of the season given the opponent, felt a bit lessened after the buzzer-beater, and from there, the momentum changed. Out of the halftime break, Charleston blitzed Hofstra for an 8-0 run as Brzovic awoke. The senior scored 14 of his 23 points in the final period, also finishing the game with 11 rebounds. Hofstra would not lead again after the Cougars’ run to begin the second stanza.

Charleston's defense was key. After the intermission, head coach Chris Mack made the adjustment to pack the paint and force Hofstra to shoot. Hofstra would hit just two threes in the second half, going 6-for-23 for the game from behind the arc.

“We were right there, we were in position to win,” Claxton remarked. “We just had a two-minute stretch to start the second half where they went on an 8-0 run, and that was the game.”

While the Charleston lead stayed within striking distance, never reaching more than nine, Hofstra could just not get over the hump despite heroics from Aranguren, who finished just three assists shy of a triple-double, posting 19 points, 11 rebounds and seven helpers. The only other member of the Pride to score in double figures Thursday was Michael Graham, who posted 16 points. Starting guard Jaquon Sanders did not play Thursday due to personal issues, but Claxton told the media he expects the junior to return to the team shortly.

Hofstra continues its homestand Saturday, when the Pride welcomes UNCW to Long Island. Tipoff for that contest is slated for 1 p.m.