FDU turns back LIU to remain undefeated in NEC

By Ray Floriani (@rfloriani)

TEANECK, N.J. — FDU entered undefeated in Northeast Conference play. The Knights had not seen the short side of the final score since December 11 at Rutgers.

As Northeast Conference play unfolded, the wins kept coming. All through it, coach Stephanie Gaitley warned this is a balanced conference, meaning anyone is capable of knocking another team off regardless of their record or standings, a parity the late great NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle would have loved.

On Saturday, it was evident that FDU has taken Gaitley’s words to heart, as the Knights defeated LIU, 75-45, at the Bogota Savings Bank Center. With the victory, FDU improved to 21-3 (11-0 NEC), while LIU has dropped four of their last five and now stands 6-19 (3-9 NEC).

“I was concerned,” Gaitley admitted. “We could see on tape LIU is very athletic and I was concerned because we sat at the airport (in Chicago the morning after a tough 74–70 win over Chicago State) for four hours yesterday. We didn’t leave until 11 and got back here to do a walkthrough, so I was very proud of the resilient effort today.”

FDU quickly jumped out to a 10-2 lead. The

inside-outside combination of Teneisha Brown and Ava Renninger sparked the fast start.

“It’s hard to beat that,” Gaitley said. “And once those two are hitting and we get everybody on the same page, we are tough to beat.”

The Knights closed the first period with a 19-9 lead.

The visiting Sharks began the second stanza on a 6-0 run to close within two possessions. The hosts immediately answered, getting the lead back to 10. The score was 34-19 in FDU’s favor at halftime. Renninger came out hitting two threes in the first minute to increase the lead to 21 points, and FDU never looked back.

“I thought going in LIU was a team that could beat

you off the dribble,” Gaitley said. “They are aggressive and lead the conference in steals. The big thing today was to keep them out of the paint and off the boards.”

The Knights did the job, owning a superlative 21-0

advantage in second chance points as well as 34-20 in points in the paint. LIU shot 39 percent for the game. The Sharks were 2-for-7 from three and did not hit their second triple until a minute remained and the verdict was all but sealed.

“As good as our offense was,” Gaitley said, “I thought we won this game with defense. We did a pretty good job of keeping them from getting easy looks.”

Points of Emphasis:

More than the stat sheet: On the afternoon, Abaigeal Babore had a nine-point, three-rebound showing. The numbers do not tell the entire story. She defended LIU’s top scorer, Sirviva Legions, and did an excellent job. Legions scored 18 points, but was held to 7-of-15 shooting. FDU’s graduate guard fought through screens and basically made Legions work extra hard for everything.

“Abby is so steady,” Gaitley praised. “She’s our lockdown defender.”

Babore, from Merchantville, New Jersey, played at powerful Paul VI High School. When Babore was a senior, her backcourt mate was one Hannah Hidalgo. The Notre Dame standout is often mentioned in the same sentence as JuJu Watkins and Paige Bueckers when discussing the nation’s elite players.

“It was amazing,” Babore said when asked about

playing alongside Hidalgo. “She made me more

aggressive. Just as a freshman, I like to think I taught her a few things. I know she had just an incredible talent that is continuing to be shown at Notre Dame. Just playing with her, we got to play a lot on and off the ball. We played really well together and I’m happy to see her success now.”

Babore was asked if she thought this prodigious

freshman could someday reach an elite level.

“Yes,” she replied. “Just knowing the work she put in and what she did on the court. She has such a knack for defense and her instincts are amazing. She’s just as competitive as she was as a (high school) freshman.”

Efficiency: Entering the contest, FDU’s offensive

efficiency was a conference-leading 105 while LIU

checked in at 81. The 17-possession first period saw FDU lead, 19-9, holding a 112-53 edge in offensive efficiency. In a 65 possession game, the Knights held a 115-70 advantage.

Play 4 Kay: On Play 4 Kay Day, to promote breast

cancer awareness and research, FDU warmed up in

pink shirts. The back of the shirts said, “Tara.” That was in memory and honor of Gaitley’s sister, who succumbed to cancer this past fall. Postgame, there was a celebration and remembrance in Tara’s memory. A number of Gailey’s siblings, husband Frank, friends, as well as the FDU staff and team attended this special event to celebrate a life well lived.

Notes: Ava Renninger led the way with a game-high

25 points. Teneisha Brown added 23 for FDU. Sirviva Legions paced LIU with 18. Brown was also the game-high rebounder with 10 boards. Janessa Williams led LIU with nine.

FDU won the rebounding battle by a 37-28 margin.

The Knights forced 17 LIU turnovers, a 25 percent turnover rate, while committing just eight for an excellent 10 percent showing. FDU held a resounding 25-4 lead in points off turnovers.

NEC supervisor of officials Jon Levinson and observer Steve Rubinaccio were on hand to evaluate the crew.

Manhattan back in a zone after Jaspers solve Merrimack’s 2-3 in MAAC upset

Manhattan’s Swish Gilyard (10) hit go-ahead basket for Jaspers on Friday to down Merrimack, the fourth win in last five games for John Gallagher’s team. (Photo by Vincent Dusovic/Manhattan Athletics)

NEW YORK — For John Gallagher, Friday was—to steal a line from Ice Cube, who the Manhattan coach actually quoted in his postgame press conference—a good day.

It began with Gallagher’s beloved Philadelphia Eagles commemorating their Super Bowl LIX victory with a parade through the City of Brotherly Love. The coach was unable to enjoy it in person, although his four children attended with several other family members, because he had other business to tend to Friday. The circumstances keeping him away? The Jaspers hosted MAAC leader Merrimack in a game that had significant conference implications.

For most of the night, it looked as though the visiting Warriors would further their grip on the top of the standings, leading by 11 points with seven minutes remaining in regulation. But a change in tactics on the part of Gallagher sparked a run for Manhattan, who stifled Merrimack with a taste of its own medicine to walk off the Draddy Gymnasium floor with a 79-75 win, holding its opposition to just eight points down the stretch.

“The tide turned when (Gallagher) did go zone,” Merrimack head coach Joe Gallo remarked. “It wasn’t as much our misses. Our transition defense was not very good. We took some long threes that led to long rebounds and points for them.”

“Jeff Van Gundy said, sometimes it’s just a make-miss game. Devon Savage and Matt Becht got some really, really good looks when (Manhattan) went to that zone and it could have put the game away, but we missed some free throws and we missed some threes down the stretch.”

Becht and Savage, the Warriors’ top two supporting options behind leading scorer and MAAC Player of the Year favorite Budd Clark, were a combined 7-for-25 from the floor Friday. And after battling Merrimack to the wire in the first meeting between the two teams in January, the Jaspers were better prepared to go over the top to beat one of the more unorthodox—yet suffocating—defenses in college basketball.

“You can’t shoot threes against this zone,” Gallagher commented. “We shot 48 twos, we shot 13 threes. I’m just saying this off the cuff, that might be the lowest total of threes that a John Gallagher team has ever shot. Everything we run had to be about elbows and baseline.”

As for the defense? In Gallagher’s own words, it was literally an audible that he admittedly was saving for later in the season, but the switch to a mirror image against Merrimack proved to be the deciding factor.

“We really, on the fly, have been working on it,” he said of playing zone. “Our 22 call, which is our 2-2-1 back to 2-3, I think that slowed them down. We got six or seven consecutive stops, and that sort of shifted the game. When we got stops, we really ran good half-court offense.”

“Maybe we should have done it earlier. We’re gonna have to play different defenses, but we’ve been working on all different types of zones, so we just went with it, and you saw—I even thought our slides were excellent in it—they really, really bought into it. We threw it out there and they executed, so they deserve the credit.”

With the win, Manhattan is back over .500 in MAAC play at 7-6, looking to avenge a loss to Fairfield when it visits the Stags on Sunday. Merrimack, now tied for the conference lead with Quinnipiac but on the wrong side of the tiebreaker, hosts Marist in a matchup Gallo said would be a test where the the team that resists blinking would likely prevail. With six games to play in the regular season, the Warriors have experienced their current perch in the Northeast Conference, so the waters in which they presently swim have not fazed them just yet.

“I don’t think these guys are looking too far ahead,”

Gallo intimated. “The end is near, but it’s not that near. There’s a lot of basketball to be played. We’ve been through every scenario all year now. It’s a really mature group, older kids who know how to win, so it’ll just make them a little bit hungrier coming down the stretch here, a little bit of a reset.”

On the other side of the coin, Manhattan seems to be taking shape having won four of its last five and rounding into a form that its leader grew accustomed to overseeing at his previous stop.

“What you’re seeing is in February, we just feel like we’re pitching good,” Gallagher proclaimed. “We made plays, and (Merrimack was) gonna have to make two or three more plays to beat us. That felt, to me, like the last five years at Hartford. It feels like we’re there. I think it makes us a team, come March, we’re a team that in certain ways, is fun to coach because the scoreboard doesn’t matter. When we get stops, it really energizes our offense. If you don’t do that, you’re not going to win.”

ROAD KILL: Simmons scores 27 as GWU holds off Upstate

By Jacob Conley (@gwujake)

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Gardner-Webb’s Buddy Simmons and USC Upstate’s Karmani Gregory both scored 27 points, but it was the Runnin’ Bulldogs who got more help from their supporting cast as they held off the Spartans, 96-87, in a high-scoring affair.

“Upstate is a lot better than their record shows,” Gardner-Webb head coach Jeremy Luther said. “They are a lot like us in that they have been in pretty much every game, Every time we would try to pull away from them, they would come right back. Full credit to them.”

USC Upstate started 4-for-5 from the floor, but only led 12-11 thanks to a trio of triples from Gardner-Webb. The Runnin’ Bulldogs took their first lead on a drive by Anthony Selden, and by the time he scored again, GWU led at the first media stoppage, 18-12. That run continued with a bucket from Isaiah Richards and a pullup jumper from Simmons. As a result, GWU led, 23-12.

Mister Dean and Gregory broke the run and scored six straight for the Spartans. When Dean hit a foul shot, the game was tied at 25 with 9:20 left in the first half. The game continued to swing back and forth until Selden sparked a 9-0 run with a rebound and a reverse layup. Simmons hit a three in the stretch before Pharrell Boyogueno converted a three-point play, reestablishing a double digit lead for Gardner-Webb. Dean reentered the game with two fouls and scored four quick points, helping USC Upstate cut its halftime deficit to 50-43.

Jamaine Mann opened the second half with a bucket, but Gregory hit a three and GWU was hit with a flagrant-1 foul that drew the game closer. Mann took over with a pair of post moves to push the lead back to nine, but Upstate hit back-to-back threes to cut the deficit to 64-61.

Richards answered with a three-point play and Shahar Lazar hit a three from the corner. Dean came back in the game to key a 5-0 Spartan run, but he quickly picked up his fourth foul. That allowed GWU to go on a 7-0 run, with Selden doing most of the damage. By the time he hit a deep three, the visitors’ 10-point lead had been restored at 71-61. The lead grew to as many as 15 on a dunk by Boyogueno with 3:47 left, but Upstate would go away. Gregory led the Spartans back and by the time he hit a pair of free throws, the hosts had pulled to within 88-83 with 27 seconds left.

Simmons was fouled, and GWU pulled everyone off of the line for the 95 percent foul shooter. He missed the front end, but somehow managed to grab the rebound among three white shirts and was fouled again. From that point, Simmons and others were able to salt the game away from the foul line.

Stat Sheet Stuffers: As you might expect with such a high-scoring game, there were plenty of outstanding performances on both sides. Gardner-Webb placed all five starters in double figures. In addition to Simmons’ 27, Selden had 19, Mann garnered 17, Boyogueno picked up a double-double with 12 and 11 rebounds and Richards rounded things out with 11 points. For Upstate, Gregory had 27, Dean chipped in with 15, Carmelo Adkins with 14 and Daniel Helterhoff finished with 11 points. GWU shot over 50 percent from the field for the game and outrebounded the Spartans at a 44-32 clip, leading to a 20-7 edge in second chance points.

Road Kill: With the win, GWU has its first conference road win of the season and the first victory away from Boiling Springs since December 21 against East Carolina.

“It’s hard to win on the road,” Luther said. “We have been close in the past with late leads, but could not finish. That was the difference in the game. Today we finished, but we can’t be satisfied with this one. We have to build on it and try to get another one next week at Longwood.”

Getting Defensive: While Upstate coach Marty Richter is pleased with his team’s offense, he says the Spartans have to play better on the defensive end of the floor.

“When you play fast and aggressive like we do, you are going to see a lot of points and that’s great,” he said. “I’m not taking anything away from that. But we have to get stops defensively. We let their guard (Simmons) go off for 27 and we gave up a 15-0 run in the first half. That was the difference in the ballgame. We were playing catchup all night long after that. We fought so hard to get back in it and then boom another run. If we could get some stops, we would start flipping these games to wins.”

Up Next: GWU travels to Longwood to face the Lancers for a big game Wednesday. Both teams are tied for sixth in the Big South with 5-7 records. Meanwhile, the Spartans will enjoy a bye before they travel to Charleston Southern on Saturday.

Inside the Numbers: High Point at Winthrop

 

High Point forward Terry Anderson (0) had a stellar day for the Panthers in a Saturday victory.  (Photo:  High Point Athletics)

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ROCK HILL, S.C. – It’s not common for Winthrop to lose at home. It’s especially uncommon for the Eagles to lose by a significant margin at home.

High Point made a strong case for back-to-back Big South regular-season titles Saturday, shaking off short rest and a boisterous crowd in Winthrop Coliseum. The visiting Panthers logged four double-digit scorers and used two massive scoring runs to put away the Eagles, 88-66, before an announced crowd of 2,736.

“You’ve got to keep pace, and today, we weren’t able to,” Winthrop coach Mark Prosser said. “We haven’t lost in this building, so that’s not what we want. Obviously, this stings. We’ll be better on Monday. We’ll look at it and we’ll make the proper adjustments. Today, we just didn’t shoot the basketball well.”

You know what happened. To find out how it happened, let’s go…Inside the Numbers!

• Two of the biggest numbers in the game were somewhat related. Let’s start with the first and head to the last.

High Point center Juslin Bodo Bodo played 11 minutes. The dominant big man hauled in two boards and did not attempt a shot. Forward Kimani Hamilton played nine minutes. Preseason Big South Player of the Year Kezza Giffa played just over 17. The trio combined for 18 points – 16 of those from Giffa.

Conversely, forwards Terry Anderson and Josh Ibukunoluwa joined with guard Bobby Pettiford to score 35 points, snag 16 boards, and dish seven dimes. The High Point bench scored 49 points to Winthrop’s 13, keyed largely by the aforementioned trio. The edge was as large as 47-8 for the Panther reserves before a late flurry from the end of Winthrop’s bench.

I presented the question to High Point coach Alan Huss after the game of what he would have said if I’d told him before the game that this would be the scenario.

“I would have told you that you needed to have your head checked,” Huss said with a laugh. “We had an absolute plan to go deeper (into the bench) earlier, given the quick turnaround (High Point defeated Longwood at home Thursday night). For them to produce (like that), no way. Those guys are awesome.”

On the topic of Pettiford, Huss drew a comparison between him and Giffa.

“I wish I could play him more,” Huss said. “He’s terrific when he’s out there every game. He’s good defensively, he’s such a willing facilitator, and when you have talented players around him, having a guy that facilitates to the level he does, that’s so important. I think he’s the difference between our team and a lot of other teams. It’s the fact that we have that punch off the bench – a lot like Kezza gave us last year in a different way. He comes off the bench and he elevates what we do.”

Huss added a story about Anderson and Hamilton.

“The best part about it was that I had kind of gone over to Kimani and told him to get on the stationary bike and get ready, because he’s been a little nicked up. He came back to me and Terry had just gotten a bucket and a stop on the other end. Mani came right up to my ear and was like, ‘Coach, you’ve got to let him finish.’ You’re starting to get somewhere when your best player does that.”

• The bench numbers made Huss happy but not surprised.

“That’s what we thought we were going to be most of the year,” Huss said. “I played for Dana Altman in college, and that’s what we did. I was a boarding school coach forever and I had five spots, and there was usually a big drop-off (after the starters). The first year (at High Point), we had a big drop-off after our starters. Now, we’re kind of where we want to be. When you want to win big, you have to have a bench, so like on days like today when Bodo didn’t have it on a quick bounce-back and Kimani didn’t have it on a quick bounce-back, those guys are ready.”

• High Point had two significant runs after two significant events in the game. In the first half, Winthrop forward Kelton Talford was assessed his second foul and exited the game. The visiting Panthers tore off a 17-2 run after Talford’s exit. In the second half, Winthrop used a 13-2 run out of the locker room to snip the High Point advantage to one at 45-44. High Point again counterpunched, burying the Eagles with a 20-5 burst that largely put away the home side. Winthrop would cut that 16-point deficit by two but could draw no closer.

“If you look at the quality of their shots during the initial five minutes of both halves, they capitalized in the start of the second half and didn’t in the start of the first. Our level of play wasn’t high enough. To respond both times, that’s awesome. That’s what it’s about.”

“There was a lull in the first half where it went from a one-possession game to a three or four possession game,” Prosser said. “Then it was a one-possession game at the 16-minute mark and it turned into a four, five, 27-possession game or however it ended up. In critical moments, I thought we got some pretty good looks, We missed a couple front ends of one-and-ones at the free throw line that – those are big, game-changing – it gives energy to the opponents. We picked a poor time for that to happen today.”

• Talford and Winthrop guard Kasen Harrison combined for 33 points in the game. Harrison enjoyed early success in driving the paint, but the Panthers responded to space the floor a bit better defensively. Talford scored 12 and grabbed seven boards but struggled with a 2-for-8 performance from the free throw line.

“(Harrison’s) just too good – when you talk about either one of those guys, they’re so good as a tandem,” Huss said. “They know all the little details of screening angles, when to flip the screen, when they go under what to do, sealing the switch, offensive rebounding when they overcommit to Harrison. They have so much chemistry that you can’t just assign two bodies to that. When you give those two the middle third of the floor, you get what happened at our place a year ago. I think Kasen had a career-high and Talford may not have been far off. They just crushed us.

“There are just certain guys that you can’t play two-on-two against. Those two guys are certainly of that caliber.”

• Winthrop made just 2-of-21 from beyond the arc Saturday. This was the lowest performance from distance by an Eagle side in over three years, as Winthrop made just two against Radford in February of 2022.

“Our deal was to keep them in short close-outs. I thought we did a decent job of that,” Huss said. “I also think they missed some shots. It’s a make or miss game sometimes. I’d love to say it was all our defense, but we both know better. There’s some luck involved. We were lucky that they – that game could have gotten away from us in the first five minutes, because we gave them the looks they wanted. They probably didn’t finish some plays they’d like to have back.”

• High Point scored another sizable number in points off turnovers. The Panthers outpaced Winthrop, 21-4, in the category, helping flip around a number that has haunted High Point.

“We have a really hard time after turnovers and we have a really hard time after missed free throws,” Huss said. “We’re in the bottom five percent nationally in guarding in both of those situations. We’re not going a good enough job of self-policing and re-centering as a group without the coaching staff.

“(The four points off turnovers) is especially (significant) in this building. They’re a different defensive team here. They’re more active, they’re more aggressive, and they’re more physical. I thought that was the difference in the game.”

“I think we turned it over a lot trying to throw into the post today,” Prosser said. “KT’s an elite player and we’re going to make efforts to get him the basketball. We’ll see on film where they came from.  It felt like – and I know the final score doesn’t indicate it – we guarded them. For the vast majority of (the game) we guarded them.”

• Huss offered his assessment of his team after the game.

“I think we were good today,” Huss said. “I liked the way we won. I liked the fact that we got punched and responded. I like the fact that our bench stepped up. I like the fact that Laye Thiam, who’s done all the right things and was sick the other night and didn’t get to play – Terry’s been capable. He was one of our best players in the summertime. He had knee surgery and missed three months and has just been a shell of himself. It was just awesome for him, who’s kept the right attitude, and Laye Thiam, who’s kept the right attitude, just to watch those guys. It touches you a little bit as a coach when the guys who handle things that way are the ones that finally get to have some success. That was awesome.”

• One final nugget, courtesy of our great friend Brett Redden in the Winthrop sports information department. Saturday's contest featured the second-highest wins total of any game played in Division 1 basketball. Only Auburn and Alabama's 43 combined wins eclipsed High Point and Winthrop's combined 40 wins. 

Quick tempo numbers:

High Point:  1.239 PPP (71 trips), 54.9% scores, 8.5% turns, 46.3% shooting (31-67), 36% three-point shooting (9-25), 85% free throw shooting (17-20)

Winthrop:  .930 PPP (71 trips), 46.5% scores, 19.7% turns, 39.7% shooting (23-58), 9.5% three-point shooting (2-21), 64.3% free throw shooting (18-28)

Both teams resume play Wednesday. High Point hosts Charleston Southern at the Qubein Center, while Winthrop travels to the Templeton Center in Clinton, S.C., to square off with Presbyterian. Both games are set for 7:00 tips, with streaming coverage over ESPN+.

HIGH POINT 88, WINTHROP 66

HIGH POINT (23-5, 11-2 BIG SOUTH)

Hamilton 0-3 2-2 2, Bodo Bodo 0-0 0-0 0, Giffa 5-8 4-5 16, Johnston 2-6 0-0 6, Williams 4-9 5-5 15, Anderson 6-10 2-4 14, Pettiford 4-7 0-0 8, Hildebrandt 1-3 2-2 4, Benham 0-2 0-0 0, Thiam 3-8 0-0 8, Ibukunoluwa 5-8 2-2 13, Sargiunas 0-2 0-0 0, Irving 0-0 0-0 0, Carney 0-0 0-0 0, Sineway 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 31-67 17-20 88.

WINTHROP (18-10, 8-5)

Talford 5-8 2-8 12, Doucet 2-7 2-3 7, Kamarad 2-4 0-0 4, Johnson 2-9 5-6 9, Harrison 7-14 7-8 21, Wilson 0-2 0-0 0, Jones 2-7 1-2 6, Baker 0-2 0-0 0, Duncomb 1-1 1-1 3, Diallo 2-3 0-0 4, Van Bibber 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 26-55 16-19 78.

Halftime:  High Point 43-31. 3-Point goals:  High Point 9-25 (Giffa 2-4, Johnston 2-6, Williams 2-2, Anderson 0-2, Hildebrandt 0-2, Benham 0-1, Thiam 2-6, Ibukunoluwa 1-2), Winthrop 2-21 (Doucet 1-3, Kamarad 0-2, Johnson 0-5, Harrison 0-1, Wilson 0-1, Jones 1-6, Baker 0-2, Van Bibber 0-1). Fouled out:  NA.  Rebounds:  Winthrop 40 (Talford 7), High Point 37 (Ibukunoluwa 8). Total fouls:  High Point 23, Winthrop 19. Technicals:  NA.

Points off turnovers:  High Point 21, Winthrop 4.  Points in the paint:  High Point 44, Winthrop 42. Second-chance points:  High Point 11, Winthrop 11.  Fast-break points:  Winthrop 13, High Point 9.  Bench points:  High Point 49, Winthrop 13.

UConn unable to close out as insecurities mount up in OT loss at Seton Hall

NEWARK, N.J. — After a January that Dan Hurley would sooner want to forget than relive, February has not proven any easier for him or his UConn team.

The second month of the year has largely been a case of one step forward, two steps back for the Huskies. A massive win at Marquette to begin what looked like a get-right stretch was followed by a home loss to St. John’s six days later. And after Hurley channeled Captain Ahab this past Tuesday in Omaha, his white whale of a victory at Creighton was beached on his home turf of New Jersey four days after that, as the Huskies were left searching for answers after two leads of two or more possessions in the final minute of both regulation and overtime evaporated in a 69-68 loss to Seton Hall.

“I feel like we, in the end, got what we deserved in this one,” Hurley lamented as UConn (17-8, 9-5 Big East) walked off the floor at the Prudential Center on the losing end of a road battle with the Pirates for a fourth consecutive season. “We should have won it in regulation, should have won it in overtime, but just did a lot of things that make you look like you’re a poorly-coached team to close out the game multiple times. Credit Shaheen (Holloway) and credit their guys for fighting back at the end of regulation, fighting back at the end of overtime, and just credit us for just really putting forth a regrettable performance.”

In a game where neither side led by more than eight points at any given time, where exactly did it go wrong for UConn? The Huskies recovered from deficits of 25-17 and 35-28, erasing the latter on an 11-2 run capped off by a Solo Ball three that put them ahead by a 39-37 margin with 8:36 to play in regulation. Seton Hall responded, as it would numerous times after that, but a 10-2 UConn spurt seemed to put the game away when Hurley’s team found itself ahead by seven with 45 seconds left in regulation. Then, Dylan Addae-Wusu, making his first appearance since January 28, scored the last eight points of regulation for the homestanding Pirates. The fifth-year senior drew contact from Ball on a 3-point attempt, then drove for a layup after Ball split two free throws. While this went on, UConn’s inbounding issues gave the Pirates new life, as Liam McNeeley committed a 5-second violation after Alex Karaban needed a timeout to extricate himself from Seton Hall’s ball pressure.

Addae-Wusu’s final points of that stretch came after the turnover, when Seton Hall’s hustle led to the veteran draining a game-tying three after Godswill Erheriene’s missed dunk was tipped out to the backcourt and into the hands of Isaiah Coleman, who found an open Addae-Wusu in the left corner. Ball’s running heave at the buzzer fell short, necessitating overtime.

In the extra session, UConn went up five with a minute to go, but was again done in by mental and physical miscues, most notably McNeeley attempting a home run pass off an inbounds following two fortuitous bounces on Erheriene free throws. Karaban tracked down McNeeley’s pass, but his momentum carried him out of bounds, giving Seton Hall another chance to tie the game.

“It’s tough, because Alex is the smartest player and he’s the guy we trust the most with the ball,” Hurley said as he explained the machinations behind the inbounds play. “If it was there, throw it. Obviously a two-hand overhead is not how we wanted (McNeeley) to throw it, but it was Alex going deep and to be honest with you, we were making such weak cuts to get the ball that it was an option. But we didn’t have to throw it.”

Hurley then elected to foul with a three-point lead, an option he eschewed at the end of regulation. Coleman proceeded to make both free throws, cutting the UConn lead to 68-67. But in a flashback to the January 2023 game in Newark, when KC Ndefo completed a double-digit comeback for Seton Hall, Garwey Dual and Scotty Middleton played heroes for the Pirates. Dual stripped Ball off the inbounds, with Middleton picking up the pieces and then getting his own rebound and putback after an initial layup attempt misfired. Hassan Diarra’s ensuing halfcourt attempt clanked off the front rim, leaving the Huskies to contemplate what could have been.

“I just thought (Ball) should have kept the ball there and not tried to split,” a morose Hurley admitted. “He had the one in front of the bench that he turned over. We were soft in the first half offensively. We were weak at the rim with our finishes, and just finding ourselves down eight in the first half, I felt like it was justice today. They deserved to win. We got what we deserved.”

At 9-5 in the Big East, UConn now sits three games behind conference leader St. John’s with six games to play, making a successful defense of its regular season championship improbable, but still not impossible. And while the Huskies’ NCAA Tournament hopes are not entirely damaged even with the magnitude of a loss to a 7-18 Seton Hall team, Hurley knows the aftertaste will linger considerably.

“I’ve never been involved in a game like this,” he said. “The chaos and missing a dunk, and the ball bouncing out and skipping it, then hitting a three and the 26 percent free throw shooter bounces one off the front rim and it goes in, and then banks the other one in…some of the things that went on were beyond description. I sat back there and I didn’t even know what I could possibly say in here, just based on the overall performance and the Keystone Cops shit that went on at the end of regulation, at the end of overtime.”

“When another team’s fouling you and it’s a multiple-possession game, and it’s 40 seconds or whatever, all you gotta do is take care of the ball and make free throws, not foul 3-point shooters. We did all the things that lead to a meltdown like this, and the ramifications of this one will be felt because of all of it.”

Sha Sounds Off: UConn

On Seton Hall’s toughness:

“That’s who I am, that’s who we are, that’s what I want to be. I’ve always had teams that out-tough people and outplay people, so I thought we had a good stretch when we had some really good intensity on defense. We had a couple breakdowns, but for the most part, I just feel happy for those guys in the locker room. Those guys worked their butt off this week. Shoutout to Scotty and Dylan, those guys put in overtime to get back. They weren’t supposed to play that much today, but it was a feeling. I asked them how they felt and they just continued to want to play. Tony Testa’s been sleeping at Seton Hall the last week and a half trying to get these guys back on the court for me.”

On building confidence:

“I’ll be honest with you, it was just good to have some subs. It’s been a tough five, six games without having those subs. It’s good to just have some subs. I told these guys, though, to tell you the truth: We didn’t win the game today, we won this game this week. This bye week was tremendous for us. I thought guys had a lot of energy, Scotty and Dylan back gave us a shot in the arm, and I thought we came out with the mindset of just trying to play. I thought the crowd was unbelievable.”

On late inbounds plays:

“You know what, I thought we did a really good job of paying attention to detail the last week. We started preparing for these guys way earlier than we normally do, and I thought guys were just locked in. They understood this team and the strength of the team, and for the most part, I thought we took it away, but guys just wanted to win and like I said, I’m happy for those guys just to get this win.”

On Godswill Erheriene:

“You know what? I said this in the beginning of the year—it’s like it was last year, right—but I said him playing early is gonna help him down the stretch. Him playing those minutes early on was gonna help him down the stretch. I thought he’s been battling and battling and battling, playing against a lot of good bigs in this league, and he’s starting to get it a little bit and that’s kind of what freshmen do. Freshmen kind of battle, struggle early, then they play and get better and better. He’s getting better, and I’m proud of him because he just made some plays down the stretch—through the whole game, to tell you the truth. He gave us toughness, like what we need. He was our anchor down there, and if he didn’t block the shot, he was gonna alter the shot and that was really, really good for us.”

On Scotty Middleton’s game-winning putback:

“I didn’t really see the play yet, but it was a crazy eurostep. One of the best things about Scotty is his desire to want to play basketball. Like, this is why him and I get along so well. He just cares about winning and he just cares about playing, and he made some plays down the stretch like that for us. Think about it: They’re probably not gonna tell you guys, but Scotty’s probably like, 65 percent (healthy), Dylan is clearly like 65-70 percent, and those guys are playing and diving and pressing and doing all this type of stuff. Now, the kicker is, do I have these guys Tuesday? But it was good to get a win at home, man, because we haven’t won here in a long time.”

On the crowd:

“It was good. It was needed. It was positive, it was good energy, they were our sixth man. It was like this building always was. But we gotta give them something to cheer about too, right? And we really haven’t been, but I thought they came out today with the mindset that they were gonna cheer for us and get after it with us. And like I said, it was great having them out.”

On Seton Hall’s resilience and not giving up:

“That’s not my teams. In the past, this year is probably hard to see it, but my teams always battle. The game is never over. You go back to—and I hate to do this—but you go back to last year in the (NIT) championship, we’re down seven with two minutes left and it’s like, ‘okay, let’s get right to it.’ The huddle was the same way. I let the guys talk today, I’m like, ‘you guys tell me what we need to do,’ before the game, halftime and during timeouts, and I thought it was great for those guys to take ownership of some of the things that were going on. But the big thing is it was just great to have subs and great to have guys back. Like I said before, all we needed was one to kind of turn it around, and hopefully this is the one we needed to just get some good momentum going into the Big East tournament. But it was good to get this win. Today, I wanted to try something different. It started at the beginning of the game, before we went out. I’m like, ‘tell me what the game plan is,’ and I thought they did it. And the same thing at halftime, and I did it in some timeouts. I thought it was great. I thought the guys really understood what it took to win, plus by them talking, they gotta back it up and I thought that was the biggest thing.”

On the energy during Seton Hall’s bye week:

“This week was energy that we didn’t have in a long time. I thought it was because of Dylan and Scotty coming back, to tell you the truth. They brought a tremendous amount, and I thought Isaiah and Garwey and Jah were happy to have some people so they could get a little bit of rest, because they haven’t gotten any rest in a while. But the energy was unbelievable this week, like really, really high. It reminded me of back before the season started, how everybody was excited to practice and excited to be there, and as a coach, that’s all you ask for.”

On Chaunce Jenkins:

“You know what, Adam, to be honest with you, I’m gonna tell you like I always tell you guys: Whenever guys can play, they can play. I didn’t know how much Dylan was gonna be able to play today because he practiced one day and then had to sit out. Scotty, too. I know (Jenkins) did some spot shooting the other day, so that’s a good sign, but I don’t know when. Do we need him back? Absolutely. For me, fellas, it was just good to have subs and be able to complete, and I was able to press a little bit and do some full-court defense. I couldn’t do that the last five games, so it was good.”

On Seton Hall’s response amid adversity:

“It was good. Obviously, this year isn’t going the anybody wanted, you know? For myself, for the players, for the fans. For (the crowd) to be here tonight, this afternoon, especially with a snowstorm coming, for them to be here for this game and cheer the way that they cheered, it was great. I’ve been getting a lot of support from a lot of our fans, a lot of e-mails, a lot of, ‘Coach, we’re still with you,’ ‘we got your back,’ stuff like that. And that goes a long way. And I’ll be honest with you guys: Danny (Hurley)’s been unbelievable to me. Unbelievable. I’m not gonna tell you what he said, but he called me a few times, giving me advice on stuff, just keeping my head up and even before the game, before I came in here. He’s been an unbelievable person for me to lean on at this time, so shoutout to Danny for that. He does an unbelievable job.”

Sacred Heart sees win streak snapped, but still takes positives from loss to Quinnipiac

By Connor Wilson (@Conman_815)

FAIRFIELD, Conn. — Coming into Friday night’s in-state clash with Quinnipiac, Sacred Heart was without a doubt the hottest team in the MAAC over the past three weeks. Winners of five in a row, the Pioneers entered the day fifth in the conference after being predicted by the coaches to finish last of 13 in the preseason poll. 

While the Bobcats were able to pull off a comeback 99-90 win, there are still positives to be had about Anthony Latina’s Pioneers, who now sit at 7-6 in the MAAC in a three-way tie with Mount St. Mary’s and Manhattan for fifth in the league standings.

“We were hoping it was high-scoring because usually that’s to our advantage,” Latina said. “They have two grown men (Amarri Monroe and Paul Otieno) who look like grown men. You have to give the other team credit. They stepped up their will and physicality.”

One clear positive was the play of Tanner Thomas, as the Pioneers’ leading scorer poured in 19 points and was a major factor in Sacred Heart’s 51-point first half, where he chipped in 15. In that first half, the team as a whole connected on nine threes and it felt like the Pioneers couldn’t miss, but the wheels fell off on the offensive end after the 10-minute mark of the second stanza, in which Quinnipiac had a plus-12 advantage.

Late in the second half, when Sacred Heart was in the midst of that major scoring drought, Thomas rolled his right ankle and had to depart, ultimately not returning while the Pioneers were trying to crawl back into it.

“He’s a tough kid,” Latina said of Thomas. “He’s got 48 hours and we need him. He was not himself after he tweaked his ankle.”

Another positive to take is the pressure that the Pioneers gave to the Bobcats, forcing 17 turnovers, 13 of which resulted in steals. In a game that was high-scoring with quick possessions on both ends of the floor, Sacred Heart—anchored by Mekhi Conner and Amiri Stewart—was able to be disruptive, picking the pockets of Quinnipiac passers and intercepting errant passes.

“(Quinnipiac) had seven more turnovers (than us),” Latina said. “Where’s the difference? Twenty-nine rebounds to 52. They physically imposed their will and they deserve credit for that. Coach (Tom) Pecora is a great coach and we just weren’t up for the challenge today.”

Overall, if you were to tell Latina that on Valentine’s Day, his team would be sitting right in the middle of the pack in the MAAC with a record over .500 in league play, he’d definitely have to take it.

“We had some injuries early and were trying to figure it out, but I think we’re in a decent place,” he said. “To say, ‘did I think we’d be here,’ I’d say to that, I hoped we’d be here because you just don’t know.”

With returning only one rotational player—Thomas, who only played eight games last season due to injury—there was certainly reason for Latina to have some hesitation going into the year seeing he had nearly an entire new roster to work with. The result has been relieving for the longtime head coach, but he still feels like his team hasn’t reached its full potential for this year and years to come.

“The key going forward is who’s gonna retain some guys,” Latina said. “It’s no secret why those three teams (Quinnipiac, Merrimack and Marist) are at the top. They have veteran guys back where there’s a comfort level and a trust level.”

The Pioneers will look to get back to their winning ways on Sunday, when they host Siena at the Pitt Center at 1 p.m.

Doug Young shines, sparks Quinnipiac in comeback win over Sacred Heart

Doug Young had best game of his season Friday, scoring 18 points as Quinnipiac rebounded from early deficit to down Sacred Heart. (Photo by Quinnipiac Athletics)

By Ethan Hurwitz (@HurwitzSports)

FAIRFIELD, Conn. — Doug Young hasn’t had the easiest second season with Quinnipiac. 

The senior guard has had nights where he struggles shooting the ball. There have been other times—like November 23 at UMass Lowell, January 10 against Siena and last Saturday against Niagara—where he’s relegated to the bench for the entirety of the game.

But in Friday’s nationally-televised, come-from-behind 99-90 win over Sacred Heart, Young played the best he’s played all year, and it’s a personal testament to the work he’s put in behind the scenes. 

“Just playing hard, staying ready, just being the vet that I am, you gotta stay ready, and that’s what I did today,” Young said postgame, describing his work ethic. “I work really hard. I don’t get down on my stuff. I know I don’t play a lot, but I mean, I'm not trying to be an energy sucker. I want to be somebody the younger guys can look up to when they're not doing well.”

He scored a season-best 18 points, drilled a pair of massive threes to swing the momentum right back in Quinnipiac’s direction, and used his perimeter defense to stifle a number of chances the Pioneers had in building their lead. 

“I’m on Doug's tail, man, like he hasn’t played in a lot of games,” head coach Tom Pecora said. “I love him. I want him to be great here, and I want him to be even better when he leaves here. And you know, sometimes, as a coach, you gotta discipline guys and you gotta let guys know what life’s all about if you want them to reap their potential.”

So what did Young do in the recent weeks to earn his coach’s trust?

“Doug was worthy of getting in the game tonight because he’s been handling his business,” Pecora said. “He’s been practicing hard and doing all the things we need him to do to win games.”

“He had a great week of practice and it showed,” junior forward Amarri Monroe added. “You know we can depend on Doug. He doesn’t play one night, that won’t affect him. He’s ready to go whenever his name is called.”

Monroe himself had a career night, as did what seemed like most of the Bobcats’ roster. Monroe grabbed a career-best 19 rebounds to go with his 29 points. Freshman guard Jaden Zimmerman—who came off the bench and played most of the second half—tied Monroe with 29 points, which set his career high. And graduate forward Paul Otieno recorded yet another double-double (20 points, 16 rebounds) to outman Sacred Heart’s interior defense. 

“I’m just so happy for them, all of the guys, they needed this win,” Pecora said. “I’m tough on them when we lose. Potential is a scary word, but we’ve seen how good we can be in various halves of games. We’ve never really seen how good we can be for 40 minutes, so I’m hoping that we hit our stride mid-month and we carry it through mid-March.”

Halfway through the second half, Young began to replace sophomore Khaden Bennett as the Bobcats’ traditional shooting guard. Bennett had struggled Friday, missing all three shots that he took and had a season-high four turnovers, the third time he’s done that. When Young took his place, the offense—and by and large, the defense—picked up the pace. The tempo started to speed up and Young, who went 6-for-9 shooting from the field, was a key cog in that machine. 

“I take a lot of pride in my defense because that’s gonna get me on the court,” Young said.

The rest of the Quinnipiac roster sensed his effort, and the pride that Young has in his defense, his teammates have in him.

“He gets in there, he works,” Monroe said. “It showed on the national stage today, and I’m just super happy for him.”

CCSU overcomes slow start to defeat Mercyhurst for seventh straight win

By Connor Wilson (@Conman_815)

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. — If you haven’t paid much attention to Central Connecticut State this season, it might be time to.

The Blue Devils trailed by as many as 11 in the early portion of the first half, but still found a way to will out a 73-63 victory over Mercyhurst, their seventh consecutive win in Northeast Conference play.

“They play a hard style of defense and they’re the number-one three-point shooting team in the league,” CCSU head coach Patrick Sellers said in praise of the Lakers. “They’re well coached and you know they’re gonna get better going forward.”

The three point shooting and defense were both on display early for Mercyhurst, but the team was unable to sustain it for the full 40 minutes, allowing the Blue Devils to get back in the game and ultimately pick up the win. Leading the comeback was Jordan Jones, as the senior guard scored 19 points on an efficient 7-of-11 night from the field. It’s been an up-and-down season for Jones, tapped by many as the best player on the team coming into the year, but as of late he’s started to hit his stride again and look like his old self.

“He wants to feed his teammates and get them open shots,” Sellers said of Jones. “When the ball goes in for those guys, it makes him feel comfortable and he’s really good.”

Jones also dished out a Central career-high eight assists, finding open teammates left and right in transition. Two of those eight assists set up a pair of wide open corner threes for Darin Smith, Jr., who connected on three triples and scored 11 points off the bench.

“My coaches tell me all the time that if I get my teammates involved, my game automatically comes (with it),” Jones said. “It’s usually natural for me to get my teammates involved.”

“He sees everybody on the floor,” Smith added. “He’ll see you when you’re open.”

Mercyhurst held a 38-35 lead at halftime, mostly thanks to the strong play of veteran guard and Quinnipiac transfer Bernie Blunt III. Blunt scored 13 points in the first half and finished with a team-high 16 for the game. After the break, it was all CCSU. Jumping out to a quick four point advantage, Laker head coach Gary Manchel burned a timeout. Not even three minutes later, he burned another. The Blue Devils never trailed again once they took the lead back in the second.

“We just made defense our number one mentality,” Jones said. “Also had to keep sharing the ball on offense.”

Credit goes to Mercyhurst for cutting its deficit to as few as four points after Central got the lead to double figures. Right when it looked like the Lakers had momentum, in came Smith to silence the rally. All three of his triples came with less than eight minutes remaining, and after he buried them the game, felt firmly out of reach.

“Smitty is a special player, we just believe in him to make the open shots,” Jones said. “He’s gonna play hard on defense, so we’re gonna reward him on offense.”

Other Blue Devils of note: Jayden Brown scored 16 points and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds, and while Devin Haid didn’t have his best scoring game, he still stuffed the stat sheet with 11 points, seven rebounds and four assists. 

CCSU is back in action on Saturday, when the Blue Devils face off against Saint Francis University at 1 p.m. in New Britain, looking to extend their win streak to eight.

Winthrop overtakes Radford behind its veteran guards

 

Winthrop guard Nick Johnson led the Eagles with 20 points in Wednesday's win.  (Photo:  Winthrop Athletics/Professional Photography Group)

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ROCK HILL, S.C. – Winthrop is a program that has made history with its guard play. From Michael Jenkins to Keon Johnson, Keon Moore to Hunter Hale, backcourt stars have helped the Eagles win a lot of games in the closing minutes.

Perhaps it’s fitting, then, that arguably the quietest guy in the gym teamed up with a veteran backcourt standout to make yet another memory Wednesday night.

Kasen Harrison staggered Radford with a bucket with 3:23 to play, then Nick Johnson threw the knockout combination with a three-pointer and layup to put away the visiting Highlanders, 78-74, before an announced crowd of 1,909 at Winthrop Coliseum.

“(Those were) two teams that were sort of going blow-for-blow and a bunch of people making shots on both sides,” Winthrop coach Mark Prosser said after the game. “Man, am I proud of the effort of our kids.”

The entire night was a series of momentum swings. Radford (16-11, 6-6 Big South) was the first side to pull ahead by greater than two possessions, using a quick 11-2 run to open up a seven-point lead eight minutes into the contest. The lead remained at seven before Winthrop (18-9, 8-4) countered with an 8-0 run of its own – with Johnson providing the final half of the spurt – to seize back a one-point lead. The sides pushed and pulled for the rest of the half, with the visiting Highlanders taking a five-point margin to the interval.

Jarvis Moss drained a jumper to start the second half, followed by two Brandon Maclin free throws that put Radford ahead by nine. The Highlanders held three separate nine-point advantages, with the final coming on a Truth Harris layup. Radford then absorbed a 7-0 Winthrop run that induced a 30-second stoppage by the Highlanders to protect a 44-42 lead with just over 12 minutes remaining.

Radford bounced back out of the respite, scoring 10 of the next 15 points and opening up another seven-point distance with 8:22 to play. The Eagles would cut it to two with a 5-0 microburst over the next minute and a half before the Highlanders got a Zion Walker three to push their lead back to five with 5:20 left.

“We went down nine in the second half. It was a three-possession game,” Prosser said. “On the road, they had some energy during that stretch. Our kids didn’t blink. We have an understanding that, sooner or later, we’ll figure it out a little bit.”

Kelton Talford would bring the Eagles all the way back at the 4:10 mark, finishing through contact to get a bucket and a foul that leveled the score at 65. Walker would do the same on the other end to put Radford back in the lead by three. That lead, though, would soon be the last Radford would enjoy.

Harrison knifed through traffic at the 3:23 mark and banked home a layup, putting Winthrop back within a point at 68-67. On the ensuing Winthrop possession, Harrison put his team ahead for good. The Beaumont, Texas, native rolled home another layup that would provide the Eagles a 70-69 lead with 2:55 remaining.

“Our ball screen coverage – we were supposed to not let him get to his left hand,” Radford coach Darris Nichols said. “He kept setting it up with his right and getting back to his left. We were better at it in the first half. In the second half, he just did whatever he wanted.”

“Kasen Harrison – are you kidding me?,” Prosser said. “Getting to the rim, touching the paint … It was a bunch of different guys. A bunch of other guys stepped up.”

Johnson was one of those others to whom Prosser referred.

The senior New Hampshire transfer had 20 points on the night, but none were bigger than the three he booked from the left corner, just in front of the Winthrop bench. The triple put the Eagles ahead by four with 1:55 to play.

“When it comes to Radford, there are some things you want to highlight and focus on,” Johnson said. “Our gameplan going into the game was to not let them outtough us and to win the battle on the backboard. They make a lot of tough shots. They’re very well-coached.”

“Everybody knows that I came to Winthrop because of the tradition and history that it had. I wanted to add to it and be a part of it.”

After Paul Jones hit a three-pointer with 48 seconds left, Winthrop went ahead by five. Walker countered on the other end to snip the lead to three with 38 seconds remaining. The Eagles then missed a shot on the other end, leading Radford to race back down the floor in an attempt to tie the game and force overtime. Winthrop fouled the Highlanders, though, and Radford collected just its second missed free throw on the night on the front end of the two shots. The Highlanders missed the second try, as well, and Johnson sealed the game at the line.

“I just challenged (the team),” Nichols said. “If this one doesn’t sting, if you’re not upset by this one, you’re not a true competitor. If this doesn’t really bother you, it’s going to be a hard life for you. Everything you do in life is competition. It bothers me. I’m going to watch the film and I’ve got to sit on it for a whole week. We don’t play again until next Thursday.”

Johnson reached the 20-point mark for the fourth time this season and second in succession, tallying 20 on 6-for-12 from the field and 6-for-8 from the line. Four additional Eagles joined Johnson in doubles. Jones sank five threes to book 15, while Talford and Harrison added 14 and 13, respectively. Forward K.J. Doucet contributed 11 despite leaving the game early with an injury. Prosser did not have an update on Doucet’s availability for Saturday’s game with High Point. Winthrop shot 47.3 percent (26-for-55) from the field on the night, buoyed by a 58.6 percent (17-for-29) second-half performance. The Eagles hit 58.8 percent (10-of-17) from three and 84.2 percent (16-of-19) from the line.

Walker and Moss paced the Highlanders with 17 points apiece. Truth Harris added 10 for Radford, who shot 45.3 percent (24-for-53) from the field. Radford also added 20 free throws on 23 tries. Walker’s 17 points came in reserve duty for the Highlanders, who got 31 points from their bench.

“We’re number 15 in the country in points off the bench,” Nichols said. “It’s just been different guys coming off the bench making an impact. We have a chance because when you have guys like that, they continue to work. They’re not pouting because they come off the bench. When they get in, they’re making an impact.”

Radford is off for a week before hosting UNC Asheville in the ESPNU Wildcard game next Thursday. That contest from the Dedmon Center is set for a 7:00 (Eastern) tip time. Winthrop stays home for a Saturday afternoon contest with Big South leader High Point. Game time between the Panthers and Eagles is set for 2:00, with streaming coverage available over ESPN+.

WINTHROP 78, RADFORD 74

RADFORD (16-11, 6-6 BIG SOUTH)

J. Harris 3-5 0-0 6, Gaines 2-6 0-0 4, Maclin 2-4 2-2 6, T. Harris 3-10 4-6 10, Moss 4-9 6-6 17, NeSmith 0-2 0-0 0, Early 0-4 2-2 2, Yamazaki 0-0 0-0 0, Walker 6-9 4-5 17, Davis 2-2 0-0 6, Sirtautas 2-2 2-2 6. Totals 24-53 20-23 74.

WINTHROP (18-9, 8-4)

Talford 5-9 4-5 14, Doucet 3-7 4-4 11, Kamarad 0-1 2-2 2, Johnson 6-12 6-8 20, Harrison 6-12 0-0 13, Wilson 1-4 0-0 3, Jones 5-9 0-0 15, Baker 0-0 0-0 0, Duncomb 0-1 0-0 0, Diallo 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-55 16-19 78.

Halftime:  Radford 33-28. 3-Point goals:  Winthrop 10-17 (Doucet 1-2, Johnson 2-3, Harrison 1-1, Wilson 1-3, Jones 5-8), Radford 6-16 (Maclin 0-1, T. Harris 0-1, Moss 3-7, Early 0-2, Walker 1-3, Davis 2-2). Fouled out:  Kamarad (WU).  Rebounds:  Winthrop 31 (Doucet/Johnson 6), Radford 29 (T. Harris 5). Total fouls:  Radford 20, Winthrop 20. Technicals:  NA.

Points off turnovers:  Winthrop 22, Radford 10.  Points in the paint:  Winthrop 32, Radford 28. Second-chance points:  Winthrop 12, Radford 6.  Fast-break points:  Radford 11, Winthrop 3.  Bench points:  Radford 31, Winthrop 18.

Tyler Perkins’ go-ahead three ends St. John’s win streak as Johnnies fall to Villanova

By Jason Dimaio (@Jaydimaio)

VILLANOVA, Pa. — Just outside a city still celebrating a Super Bowl championship, it seemed as though St. John’s was about to pull off yet another storybook ending.

Down as many as 11 points in the second half before a 14-0 run swung the pendulum its way, the Red Storm shook off a Villanova rally and hit yet another clutch shot in the final minute, appearing to extend its magical win streak. Alas, it proved to be for naught.

After Simeon Wilcher put the ninth-ranked Johnnies ahead on a 3-pointer with 27.9 seconds remaining in regulation, Tyler Perkins answered with a three of his own shortly thereafter to retake the lead for Villanova, who held on for a 73-71 victory after Wilcher’s ensuing attempt at the buzzer did not hit the mark.

The loss is the first of the calendar year for St. John’s (21-4, 12-2 Big East), who had not been defeated since suffering a one-point setback at Creighton on December 31, after which the Red Storm proceeded to win its next ten games.

The start of Wednesday’s game had a recurring theme, with St. John’s starting slow offensively. This time, however, the Red Storm’s defense—the second-best in the nation per KenPom—sputtered in the early going. The Johnnies struggled to find an answer for Wooga Poplar, the Miami transfer who scored 13 of his 22 points in the opening stanza.

Trailing by as many as 10 points in the first half, St. John’s used its defense to pull itself out of the early hole, stringing together stops that led to a 10-0 run on the offensive end to go into the locker room at halftime trailing the Wildcats by just two points, 34-32. There was no shortage of adversity for the Red Storm in the opening frame on Wednesday, as Deivon Smith was ruled out, Aaron Scott battled foul trouble, and both RJ Luis and Zuby Ejiofor were held scoreless in the initial 20 minutes.

Out of the intermission, though, St. John’s fired the first salvo, scoring five points on the strength of a Luis dunk and Scott three. But just when it seemed like a typical second-half outburst was coming for the visitors, Villanova responded. The Wildcats fed Poplar for a majority of the night, using the Philadelphia native to build a 59-48 advantage with 9:48 remaining in regulation. But once again, the Johnnies would not go quietly into the night.

St. John’s cranked up its pressure defense and slowly started to break Villanova down. The full-court press, coupled with Scott’s timely offense, sparked a 14-0 run that put the Red Storm ahead by three, at 62-59, almost three minutes later. The Wildcats answered, scoring the next six points to retake command as Eric Dixon solved the riddle of the Johnnies’ intense ball pressure. The fifth-year senior drilled back-to-back threes late in the shot clock to give the hosts a 70-66 advantage with three minutes on the clock.

The stakes only picked up from there. Nearly two minutes would elapse before either side struck again, which St. John’s did first as Kadary Richmond scored on a drive to pull within two, drawing a foul in the process. Richmond would miss the ensuing free throw, giving Villanova a chance to put the game away. However, after drawing a foul on Ejiofor, Dixon missed the front end of a 1-and-1, giving the ball back to the Red Storm. It was then that Wilcher drained his go-ahead triple from NBA range, silencing the Finneran Pavilion crowd.

Trailing by a 71-70 margin after the Wilcher three, Villanova head coach Kyle Neptune called a timeout to draw up a play, which appeared to break down as St. John’s sealed off most of the Wildcats’ driving lanes. With six seconds remaining, Perkins connected on his go-ahead three from the right wing. With a timeout of his own available, Rick Pitino elected to play out the final possession and go the length of the floor, with Wilcher’s attempt for the win falling off the right iron.

“I knew it was off,” the sophomore said of his final look. “It was a clean look, I just didn’t make it. (I’m) not really hanging my head too low about it, because we have a big game coming up this weekend and we have to prepare for that.”

“We lost because we didn’t block out,” Pitino reflected. “We were not good at guarding the ball. They made a lot of terrific shots with one second left (on the shot clock), but twice, we didn’t block out and it cost us the game. That’s been a weakness of ours and it finally bit us in the ass, but (it was) a great game. The guys played their asses off.”

Still a game ahead of Creighton for first place in the Big East standings, St. John’s will look to regroup and keep its conference lead when it welcomes the Bluejays to Madison Square Garden on Sunday, hoping to avenge the one-point loss in Omaha in December. Tipoff is slated for 3 p.m.