Stony Brook exacts revenge on Drexel, slays Dragons with late comeback

By Kyle Morello (@Kylemorello4)

STONY BROOK, N.Y. — When Stony Brook came to Philadelphia on January 8, it left feeling overmatched by Drexel; so much so that the Seawolves only scored 37 points in a 56-37 loss that helped spark a 7-2 stretch for the Dragons.

And yet, after a 72-69 topsy-turvy win Monday night on Long Island for Stony Brook, it’s the Seawolves that find themselves tied for fourth in CAA play at 8-6 just five weeks later. 

The night-and-day performance from the last meeting was not an accident for Stony Brook. It was all head coach Geno Ford could think about leading up to Monday’s contest.

“How many times have we talked about 37 points?” Ford said. “You guys are tired of hearing me say it, that’s all I’ve talked about.”

“You beat somebody’s ass, 56-37, you can’t possibly as a player have any respect for the other team,” he said to freshman guard Andrej Shoshkikj, who put up 14 points and had three steals, the last of which helped salt the game away from Drexel.

After an unsuccessful challenge on an out-of-bounds call by Ford, Drexel had a baseline inbounds down 70-69 with 21.1 seconds left. The ball went to Eli Beard, who, after a few dribbles, was stripped by Shoshkikj. The freshman was fouled and made the ensuing free throws to put Stony Brook up three. 

“He caught the ball in the dead corner,” Shoshkikj said of Beard’s possession.” “I knew he was trying to get it out. He wasn’t trying to go attack baseline because there’s nothing to do there. And I don’t know, I just saw an opportunity.”

After a Victor Panov miss from three for Drexel and a Richard Goods miss at the line for Stony Brook, the Dragons had one final chance for the tie. Kevon Vanderhorst’s attempt fell short, sealing the game for the Seawolves.

It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for Stony Brook, however. The Seawolves trailed Drexel, 27-16, with 7:47 remaining in the first half. At this point, the Dragons had just three turnovers in the game. They would end the half with nine, including five in a span of five minutes and eight seconds that coincided with a scoring drought of the exact same length. Stony Brook went on a 19-8 scoring run to end the half and take a one-point lead into the break.

The Seawolves would increase their lead from there, getting it up to eight before a 12-4 Drexel run brought things even once again with just under eleven minutes left in regulation. From there, it continued to be a back-and-forth affair, but the Dragons retook a 67-63 lead with 2:33 to play, a lead they would hold until the 1:16 mark.

“You know, you’re down four with 1:10 left, not great odds at winning, statistically,” Ford said. “That ESPN tracker thing, I don’t know what the odds were, but it wasn’t real high. And we found a way.”

And find a way, Stony Brook did. It came through one final run, a 9-2 advantage over those last 76 seconds to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. 

“I’m really proud of the win late because that thing could have gone sideways earlier in the game and late in the game,” Ford confessed.

Stony Brook (16-11, 8-6 CAA)  will look to build off this win with another home game on Saturday against Hampton. As for Drexel (13-14, 7-7 CAA), it will be a bounce-back opportunity for the Dragons on the road at Northeastern on Thursday before welcoming Towson to The DAC on Sunday.

On Valentine’s Day in Connecticut, Karaban’s latest outpouring of love was apropos

Alex Karaban (11) is celebrated by his teammates and UConn fans after Saturday’s win over Georgetown, the 116th of his career, most in program history. (Photo by Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images)

For four years, Alex Karaban has found a way to make Husky supporters admire him.

Whether by way of his trademark deep three-pointers, a finesse that is almost impossible to replicate, or through his relentless dedication and hustle, the Massachusetts product has become as treasured to UConn fans as the warm embrace of a loved one.

Karaban provided the latest such unforgettable night in his marriage to the Huskies on Saturday, when after Georgetown threatened to steal a road win after trailing by 12 points earlier in the second half, the senior forward secured the rebound of the Hoyas’ errant go-ahead field goal attempt before sinking two free throws to seal the game and become the winningest UConn player of all time, with 116 victories under his aegis.

What made this latest triumph unique to any of the 115 to come before it was Karaban’s compromised physical state. The veteran was kneed in the thigh during Wednesday’s win at Butler, and was still bearing the effects of that collision Saturday. Still, as he has done countless times prior, he managed to stick it out and deliver a performance his head coach likened to the iconic walkoff home run in the first game of the 1988 World Series.

“He couldn’t really move,” Dan Hurley recounted Saturday. “It was like Kirk fucking Gibson for the Dodgers, he was dragging his leg around basepaths. It obviously wasn’t as dramatic a moment in sports history, but he couldn’t move, really, or he was compromised. But if he doesn’t play, obviously we don’t win the game.”

“It’s just a testament to Alex. He is who he is, the most accomplished player in college basketball, still one of the most unsung great players in college basketball that doesn’t get on lists and different things. (Saturday) was about for me, Alex’s greatness, just his greatness and who he is.”

The love story between Karaban and Connecticut basketball is far from a fairy tale, however. In fact, his first impression when arriving in Storrs was no different than that of most teenagers encountering their first taste of attraction, one of awkwardness and overall uncertainty that — long after a relationship develops — becomes an experience they look back on and laugh about due to its sheer ridiculousness in retrospect.

“We were scared to death of Alex,” Hurley reminisced. “Not the game, not the mind, not the skills, not the work ethic, not the commitment, team-first mentality. He was just a scary introvert. I mean, I thought he was gonna piss his pants when he got on the court. He just was so awkward socially. When he first got here, he was just fucking weird.”

So many years later, player seemed to concur with coach.

“Well, I’m gonna say first, (Hurley’s) right about the awkwardness, he’s right about everything,” Karaban conceded with a sheepish grin that has become commonplace as he winds down his career. “I was super shy coming in, no beard. I think I told him after my redshirt year, too, that my first game that I watched was at Seton Hall and I wasn’t even playing, I wasn’t eligible to play and I told him I was gonna throw up. I was like, so nervous, so I’ve definitely grown a long way as a player.”

“When I first came to UConn, I was worried about playing, just getting out there, just making an impact. To now be the all-time winningest player at a program like UConn, to have my name at the top of that list is special. I’ll forever be blessed for all the teammates that I’ve had, I’ll forever be blessed to play for the best coaching staff that’s made it easier to get those wins.”

Indeed, Karaban has come a long way from the early enrollee in the spring of 2022, watching a Husky team take its first steps toward eventually becoming a juggernaut that produced back-to-back national championships in the next two seasons. Hurley praised his young charge for his maturation, eventually realizing that the timid young man he brought in was a different personality in the heat of battle. But as is oftentimes the case in the most successful and intimate of relationships, persistence prevailed. In this particular courtship, it was Hurley’s faith in the long run that ignited the first sparks that led to an eternal flame.

“I misread the whole situation,” Hurley admitted. “His happy place is on the court. It’s like he’s at his happiest and most confident in front of 20,000 people playing basketball.”

“For him to say all those words is a blessing,” Karaban said. “He’s the first person who believed in me and he’s the first person who really gave me confidence out there as a player. He didn’t have to play me my freshman year. He didn’t have to start me, he didn’t have to do any of that. For him to believe in me and have all that trust in me, and for our relationship to grow this much, he’s been the most influential person in my life. I don’t know how I could repay him. I’ll forever be grateful for him, and he’s always part of my life.”

The compatibility is mutual among those closest to Karaban, who have also fallen for his innate ability to be seemingly perfect and endearing so much for so long to where the dream date, so to speak, becomes reality. Perhaps the closest to Karaban among the locker room spoke to that point, heralding the consummate teammate for the ease with which he approaches his commitment, thereby making the road smoother to travel together.

“Being around him for the past three years, he just makes everything easier for everyone around him,” Solo Ball said. “That’s one thing that you can’t trade for the world. Just being out on the court, you know exactly where you need to be and you could ask him for literally anything. And then off the court, just a great dude, down to earth. I love AK. Everything he’s done for this program is just something you can’t trade for the world.”

So on a night most commonly associated with the celebration of love, it seems only fitting that the longest-tenured object of UConn fans’ affections was able to provide another forever moment in a relationship full of them.

Big South/SoCon Challenge announced

By Jacob Conley (@gwujake)

The Big South and Southern Conference has always featured regional rivals that play each other on a regular basis.

Now, there are even more bragging rights on the line, because the two conferences recently announced a scheduling alliance for both men’s and women’s basketball programs beginning in the 2026-2027 season.

Functionally, it will operate much like the ACC/SEC challenge, except this scheduling alliance will feature a home-and-home series between two teams during the non-conference portion of the schedule.

“This scheduling alliance underscores our continued commitment to strengthening basketball in the Big South Conference,” Big South commissioner Sherika Montgomery said in a release. “Our basketball coaches and directors of athletics were united in the need for an intentional scheduling approach, one that balances competitive excellence with regional relevance. The partnership with the Southern Conference enhances competitive opportunities, preserves regional rivalries, and delivers quality home games that strengthen the Big South’s basketball profile while enriching the experience for student-athletes and fans alike. This forward-looking initiative represents a strategic approach to scheduling and positions both conferences to further elevate their basketball profiles and competitive impact.”

On the men’s side, matchups for the inaugural event will be held November 17-21, 2026. In order to ensure the most competitive matchups, the games will be determined by analytics, mainly NET rankings, after the transfer portal closes on May 31.

"Our athletic directors and basketball coaches continue to be proactive in addressing one of college basketball's most persistent challenges, Division I non-conference scheduling,” SoCon commissioner Michael Cross said. “This alliance with the Big South reflects a shared commitment to providing our student-athletes with competitive, geographically aligned scheduling opportunities that strengthen our programs and give fans the quality matchups they seek. By partnering with the Big South, we're taking a proactive approach to solving scheduling problems while creating games that will generate excitement across both leagues. This is exactly the kind of collaborative solution basketball needs and we’re looking forward to a long-standing partnership."

Coaches in both conferences eagerly anticipate facing off with one another regularly.

“I love the idea of the SoCon/Big South Challenge,” Gardner-Webb head coach Jeremy Luther said. “It makes sense with the proximity of all the schools. We have a lot of built in rivalries. I am look forward to seeing the matchups once they released!!! I hope we can keep this scheduling alliance for years to come.”

Western Carolina head coach Tim Craft says the event will boost already strong rivalries.

“The SoCon/Big South scheduling alliance is a good way for schools from both leagues to get regional home and home series,” he said. “It is exciting.”

JAKE’S TAKE

Like Coach Luther, I love this idea and have been advocating for it for years. The ACC/SEC Challenge is one of my favorite events in the college basketball calendar. It not only gives fans bragging rights over friends and neighbors when their team wins, you also have quantifiable proof of which conference is better. For those wondering, the Big South is 9-4 against the SoCon in matchups this season. Then you have potential dream matchups like Gardner-Webb vs. Western Carolina, which would feature Tim Craft against his former Runnin’ Bulldogs program. Both those fan bases know at least one person who went to the other school and in some cases, they attended both.

That doesn’t even account for the matchup of Luther versus Craft. The subplot of two childhood friends who were on the same staff together for 11 years, suddenly facing off on opposite sidelines? That’s the kind of subplot that fans and journalists dream about. If it were at a Power 5 program, College GameDay would be there and Dick Vitale would likely be on the call. I sincerely hope the basketball gods and the analytics do us all a favor and make it happen.

Quinnipiac falls to Merrimack in low-scoring defensive affair

Kevair Kennedy (5) led Merrimack with 24 points as Warriors defeated Quinnipiac to maintain two-game lead atop MAAC standings. (Photo by Merrimack Men’s Basketball)

By Connor Wilson (@Conman_815)

HAMDEN, Conn. — With the month of February officially past its halfway point, postseason play in college basketball is quickly approaching, perhaps even closer than you may think.

In March, the teams that can wear down their opponents with physicality and win close games are usually the teams that end up advancing in their conference tournaments and beyond. It may not always be the prettiest product, but once winning time comes, all that matters is coming out on top.

Sunday’s MAAC clash between Quinnipiac and Merrimack at M&T Bank Arena gave us a pretty good preview of what is to come, with two teams fighting for their lives in a one-bid conference, treating every possession like it was their last.

It was the visiting Warriors that were able to win the dogfight by a score of 56-49, behind some timely shotmaking from MAAC Rookie of the Year frontrunner Kevair Kennedy. Despite getting doubled up on the glass, Merrimack was able to find a way to pull it out.

“That was a rockfight,” Quinnipiac head coach Tom Pecora said. “I said to our guys, ‘let's get them again in the finals or semis and make a few shots, and it will be a different world.’”

Merrimack came out of the gates firing, knocking down three triples before the first media timeout. Little did they and everyone know that the Warriors would hit just four more field goals from the first-half U16 to the second-half U16, something that felt unprecedented after the hot start.

“The guys have just bought in to the final score,” Merrimack head coach Joe Gallo said. “Every year, I tell my guys with seven or eight games to go that their stats aren’t going to change much unless you have a 40-point game or something, so the only thing that should matter is the final score.”

Even with those extreme struggles in the first half scoring the ball for the Warriors, Quinnipiac was unable to build any sort of substantial lead of its own due to the suffocating 2-3 zone from the visitors. What the Bobcats were able to do, however, was rebound the basketball. Quinnipiac was plus-18 on the glass in the first half, and had 16 offensive rebounds.

“When you hold a team to 34 percent (shooting) and outrebound them by over 20, you usually win,” Pecora said. “But because they’re such a hybrid in the way they play, they are comfortable like that.”

The Quinnipiac stars had very lackluster afternoons from the field. Amarri Monroe and Jaden Zimmerman combined to shoot 5-for-27 overall and 1-for-9 from three with 10 turnovers. That one three, drilled early in the second half by Zimmerman, was the lone triple that the Bobcats hit all game.

Down the stretch, a 9-0 run for the Warriors right around the midpoint of the second half proved to be the difference. Sixth man KC Ugwuakazi fueled the run with six points and some big-time slams. He also swatted six shots, controlling the area around the basket.

Quinnipiac continued to struggle against the zone, even after snapping its scoring skid with a basket from Keith McKnight. Over the final 14 minutes, the Bobcats could only muster 14 points, surrendering 29. 

“I thought we got great looks inside the zone,” Pecora said. “We missed a lot of elbow jumpers, missed a couple layups, and it kind of bit us in the tail a little bit.”

Kennedy and Tye Dorset iced the game in the closing minute at the foul line as Merrimack was able to escape with a hard-fought win, while Quinnipiac saw its four-game winning streak snapped.

“We needed a game like that before March, so when it presents itself, which I guarantee it will, we’ll be ready for it,” Gallo said.

Looking bigger picture, the Warriors are in the driver’s seat to win their first MAAC regular-season title since joining the league with a 14-2 record, while the Bobcats end the day in fourth place in the league with an uphill battle for second place, 1.5 games behind Saint Peter’s with Siena in the middle.

“I told them that we have to win out now and try and battle for second place so we can get that bye,” Pecora said. “We’ll see what the next couple of weeks bring.”

Up next, Quinnipiac has a much-needed bye on Friday before returning to action on Sunday at home against Fairfield. Merrimack returns to North Andover for a pair of home games on Friday against Siena and Sunday against Iona.

UConn nearly gives away double-digit lead, but holds on to defeat Georgetown

Alex Karaban exults as UConn holds off late Georgetown rally to defeat Hoyas Saturday. (Photo by Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images)

By Sam Federman (@Sam_Federman)

STORRS, Conn. — According to KenPom, UConn never had less than a 91.9 percent chance to defeat Georgetown over the course of their 40-minute game.

The Hoyas never led Saturday, only ever tied the game at 3 and 25, but it still came down to the final moments.

You can add another notch on the list of games where the Huskies made it closer than they needed to, but walked away with the win. Alex Karaban made two crucial free throws, finishing with 18 points, 13 coming in the second half, to cement himself as the UConn program’s all-time wins leader. His 116th win as a Husky was a 79-75 Valentine’s Night victory over Georgetown.

Karaban only came down with three rebounds on the night, but his last one, reaching across the lane and snaring Kayvaun Mulready’s missed free throw with one hand, securing the ball and drawing the foul, all but sealed the game. It sent him to the foul line with ten seconds to play, ahead by two, and the career 84 percent foul shooter delivered, like he always does in big moments.

Mulready probably never should have been at the line in the first place, though, as UConn (24-2, 14-1 Big East) gifted Georgetown the possession and chance to tie the game. With Vince Iwuchukwu guarding Karaban inbounding the ball from the sideline, the four other Huskies on the floor couldn’t get open. Karaban, needing to get the ball in, bounced it between Iwuchukwu’s legs, and KJ Lewis picked it up for the Hoyas, entered the frontcourt, and Ed Cooley called timeout.

It’s the latest in a series of struggles for UConn to inbound against pressure in key late-game situations throughout the last two seasons.

“We’ve faced pressure for a while now,” Karaban said. “We practice against it every single day so we see it, we’re prepared for it. We just gotta do a good job of executing it, and for some moments, we did, but towards the end of the game, we definitely didn’t execute what the coaches wanted.”

On the ensuing Georgetown possession, Braylon Mullins got caught a half-step behind Mulready, and fouled him just before he rose to to attempt a three-pointer. With 11 seconds left, it was a little early for a foul-up-three situation, but when Mulready missed the second, it functioned as the Hoyas’ last real opportunity.

The free throws were one of the simple things that Cooley thought his team needs to do better.

“We gotta find a way to do the little things to get us over the hump,” he said. “We’ve gotta make free throws. We missed eight free throws, we lost by four. I thought we had some untimely fouls, just small things in the game.”

UConn can also leave the game thinking it needs to do some of the small things better. The game was only at a one-possession margin when Mulready went to the line because of a four-point play from Lewis, which fouled out Tarris Reed, Jr., on the prior possession.

“You can’t foul him there,” Dan Hurley said. “You just have to have the discipline to not do that. It just sets off a chain of events there. He’s now fouled out of the game, he’s a big screener for us when we’re trying to get the ball in versus pressure. That reared its head today.”

Reed played what was probably his worst game of the season, with just four points and one rebound in 17 minutes of action. Against Georgetown’s big frontcourt, Reed didn’t have a significant physical advantage, so the Huskies didn’t feed the ball into him a ton, instead relying on the outside shot.

UConn took a season-high 64 percent of its shots from beyond the arc, just the third time all season — all within the last five games — that the Huskies have taken at least half of their shots from three.

The three-pointer is how UConn built its lead. Karaban, Mullins, and Solo Ball all made treys within the first 150 seconds of the contest. UConn made seven of its first 13 attempts from three, including four from Ball, who had 16 points in the first half, but then went cold.

From the five-minute mark of the first half to the 11-minute mark of the second half, the Huskies missed 12 consecutive triples. Of course, as it always is, it was Karaban breaking the drought, followed immediately by Ball 30 seconds later to force a Georgetown timeout, quickly extending the lead from six to 12.

Karaban made his biggest shot of the night, a third triple of the second half, with just under three minutes left, giving UConn a seven-point cushion. It’s approximately the 700th time in his career that he’s made a shot like that in that spot.

“All he’s done is won and come up with clutch performances,” Hurley said.

Queens survives Lipscomb rally in Saturday home victory

 

Queens forward Avantae Parker dunks home a ball in Saturday's win over Lipscomb. (Photo:  Queens Athletics)

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CHARLOTTE – For Queens basketball, Saturday’s first half must have felt like a perfect Valentine’s Day date, with a five-star meal and a great celebration. The second half was more like getting a Happy Meal and getting ghosted.

In the end, the Royals had a happy Valentine’s Day, if not a satisfying one.

Forward Avantae Parker booked a career-high 22 points and swatted away six shots, including a key rejection late, to help fend off a tough Lipscomb team and claim an 87-81 victory at Curry Arena.

“Lipscomb is a really veteran team. They didn’t go away,” Queens coach Grant Leonard said. “I thought we did a lot of things uncharacteristic of us – not taking care of the ball and committing 18 turnovers and missing free throws. That kind of kept it a game and kept it interesting.”

Queens (15-12, 10-4 ASUN) charged out of the gate in the battle for third place in the league. The Royals seized the lead three-and-a-half minutes into the game on a Parker layup and clutched it like the last bag of Valentine’s candy. The Royals scored 20 of the next 31 points to seize a double-digit lead, then used a personal 5-0 burst from Chris Ashby to stretch it to 14.

The Royals continued making shots, hitting well over 70 percent for much of the half. A Kam Clark bucket swelled the advantage to 20 with 3:47 to play in the opening stanza. Lipscomb (16-11, 9-5) began to set the tone for its second-half charge, closing the opening half on an 8-2 run to slice the Queens lead to 52-38 at the interval.

“I think you have to give a lot of credit to them,” Lipscomb coach Kevin Carroll said after the game. “Their ability to switch one through five takes away a lot of the advantages that we often are able to create. Offensively, I thought we had no answer for them in the first half. They were just scoring at will. They shot like 74 percent or something in the first half. They had really good schemes.”

“I thought we were not as physical as we needed to be on the ball and that created a lot of advantages for them. To their credit, they made the most of them.”

Queens continued to take advantage early in the second frame. Parker, Nas Mann, and Yoav Berman made consecutive buckets to again swell the lead back to 20. The Royal lead remained mostly consistent through the early portion of the period, before the Bisons began capitalizing on Royal miscues and hitting shots. Lipscomb used a 7-0 charge with three straight makes and an and-one from Kennedy Okmara to cut it to 10 with 6:30 remaining.

Shortly thereafter, Lipscomb used a Mateo Esmeraldo bucket and two Ross Candelino free throws to clip the Royal lead into single digits for the first time in 23 minutes of game action at the 4:39 mark. Lipscomb then capped scoring 11 of the next 15 with a Charlie Williams three over Carson Schwieger’s outstretched arms to make it 84-81 before Leonard burned a timeout with 10 seconds to play.

Berman calmly stepped to the line – on a day when Queens battled inconsistency with shooting free throws – and knocked home a pair to essentially ice the game. Parker intercepted a long Lipscomb pass under the basket and sank a free throw to produce the final score.

“(I’ve been doing) what the team needs,” Berman said. “We have two amazing shooters in the starting lineup in (guard) Chris (Ashby) and Carson (Schwieger). We need another guy that is going to attack the rim. I’ve just been trying to do that. (It’s just) knowing my role.”

Parker blocked six shots on the day, including one on Grant Asman that prevented the Bisons from trimming the lead to four and gaining further momentum. The Columbia, S.C., native played the entire day without foul trouble, which helped contribute to his playing nearly 31 minutes and being a dominant factor on both ends of the floor.

“I think the biggest thing for him is that he’s been in less foul trouble,” Leonard said. “He didn’t have a foul in the first half. That’s elite. Avantae is an unbelievable player. When he’s disciplined and he’s on the floor, he’s even better. He’s way better on the floor than he is on the bench.”

“Ther eare times where you can get greedy with Avantae because of his energy and accept the fouls, and I told him we were not going to do that. We’re going to stay disciplined. Even though he blocked six shots, I didn’t think he was fouling at all today. I was really proud of him for that.”

The Queens defense notably provided a stout effort against Lipscomb on the perimeter. The Bisons came into the game shooting 37 percent from distance and hitting almost 11 threes per game. The Royals held Lipscomb to 7-for-27 (25.9 percent) from beyond the arc.

“I think they’re the best three-point shooting team in our league, percentage-wise, and we held them to 26 percent,” Leonard said. “I thought we were exceptionally bought in on the gameplan.”

“Our team’s starting to build an identity defensively to get teams to play in isos, which is not the most efficient play in basketball. Our guys are starting to buy in and trust each other to not overhelp. When they need to help, they do. When they don’t need to help, we build walls and we take away the three-point line. In our league, the three-point line is dangerous. Everyone’s got shooters.”

Carroll credited the Royals for their perimeter perseverance.

“They have the ability – unlike every team – to switch one through five,” Carroll said. “They guard everybody with all the players on the floor. They’re very versatile defensively. When that happens, you don’t have as many solutions and we didn’t create as many advantages for ourselves. Now, instead of getting a good look from three, you’re getting a contested three because they’re not having to help as much. They can create problems with their length and their athleticism on both ends of the floor.”

Carroll offered an assessment of the slow start and the fervent finish.

“I was very happy with the fight (we showed),” Carroll said. “The problem is that you can’t be chasing those points like we did. In the beginning, we missed some shots around the paint that fueled their transition offense. They had 14 points in transition in the first half and zero in the second. Some of that was due to their having the ability to alter shots around the rim. Some of that had to do with our shooting it, falling down, and creating five-on-fours on the other end.”

“When you get down 21, you’re scrambling. I think they kind of fell asleep a little bit. I don’t think the score is indicative of how well they played and how poorly they made us play.”

Parker’s 22 led Queens and all scorers. The Georgia Southern transfer hit 9-of-13 from the field and 4-of-5 from the line. Berman added 16, hitting 5-of-7 from both the field and line and snagging six caroms. Mann and Ashby booked 11 apiece, hitting a combined 8-of-15 from the field and 4-of-7 from three. Queens shot 56.5 percent (31-of-53) from the deck and 66.7 percent (16-of-24) from the line. The Royals bagged nine triples in 22 tries (40.9 percent).

Asman paced the Bisons with 16, hitting 7-of-16 from the field despite knocking down just 1-of-8 from distance. Williams hit 5-of-7 while contributing 12 points, with Esmeraldo scoring 10 and grabbing five boards. The Bisons shot 44.9 percent (31-for-69) from the field while equaling the Royals’ 66.7 percent (12-for-18) from the stripe. Lipscomb hit 7-of-27 (25.9 percent) from the perimeter. The result was the Bisons’ third-lowest three-point percentage this season, trailing 22.6 percent at Asheville and 23.1 percent at Vanderbilt.

Both teams hit the road Wednesday to continue ASUN play. Queens ventures to CB&S Bank Arena in Florence, Ala., to square off with North Alabama. That game is slated for a 7:00 (Eastern) tip, with ESPN+ streaming the contest. Lipscomb heads to Freedom Hall to take on Bellarmine. That game will start at 7:30, with ESPN+ providing the coverage.

QUEENS 87, LIPSCOMB 81

LIPSCOMB (16-11, 9-5 ASUN)

Ashkenazi 0-3 0-0 0, Williams 5-7 0-0 12, Asman 7-18 1-3 16, Esmeraldo 3-6 3-4 10, Candelino 3-10 2-2 8, Sargiunas 2-4 4-6 9, Middleton 3-4 0-0 6, Duncan 3-7 0-0 8, Boylan 2-3 1-2 5, Okpara 3-5 1-1 7. Totals 31-69 12-18 81.

QUEENS (15-12, 10-4)

Parker 9-13 4-5 22, Schwieger 3-7 0-0 9, Mann 5-9 0-0 11, Ashby 3-6 2-2 11, Berman 5-7 5-7 16, Watford 2-3 5-9 9, Jabriel 3-7 0-1 7, Larson 0-0 0-0 0, Henry 0-0 0-0 0, Clark 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 31-53 16-24 87.

Halftime:  Queens 52-38. 3-Point goals:  Queens 9-22 (Schwieger 3-7, Mann 1-3, Ashby 3-4, Berman 1-3, Jabriel 1-5), Lipscomb 7-27 (Williams 2-3, Asman 1-8, Esmeraldo 1-1, Candelino 0-6, Sargiunas 1-3, Duncan 2-5, Okpara 0-1). Fouled out:  NA.  Rebounds:  Lipscomb 35 (Candelino 8), Queens 29 (Mann 7). Total fouls:  Lipscomb 22, Queens 19. Technicals:  NA.

 

St. John’s avenges loss to Providence as tempers flare and emotions run wild

Dylan Darling (0) flipped emotional game against Providence with eight straight points after bench-clearing brawl following a foul by Duncan Powell on St. John’s Bryce Hopkins, as Red Storm avenged its lone Big East loss with win over Friars. (Photo by St. John’s Athletics)

By Jason Dimaio (@Jaydimaio)

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Bryce Hopkins made his long-awaited return to Providence Saturday, coincidentally Valentine’s Day.

But as the fifth-year senior would soon find out, the reaction he and his St. John’s teammates would receive was not an amorous one. To add to the anticipation, the Red Storm went into Friartown intent on exacting a measure of revenge for its lone conference loss six weeks ago.

And after a fight — one that took on a literal tone early in the second half following a hard foul that ignited an already hostile Amica Mutual Pavilion — the 17th-ranked Johnnies finished the job.

Trailing by one with 14:25 remaining in regulation when Providence forward Duncan Powell clotheslined a defenseless Hopkins from behind on a fast-break layup attempt, St. John’s found itself in a full-fledged brawl that would ultimately see six players ejected in its aftermath. But the visitors would respond with eight unanswered points when play resumed to take the lead for good, not looking back on the way to a 79-69 victory over the host Friars.

“You’re not supposed to come off the bench, but you can’t let your players get beat up,” head coach Rick Pitino said in defense of the Red Storm (20-5, 13-1 Big East), which won its 11th consecutive game Saturday behind 23 points from Dylan Darling, who started the game-changing run after the fracas. “The crowd, I think, lost objectivity of what they’re here for. If they’re just here to poke fun at Bryce Hopkins and not get a win for the Friars, that’s not the Friars I remember in ’87. So I think you’ve gotta try to win, and we’re excited to get a W because we were without a lot of players. We still came away with a victory, so I’m proud of our guys.”

Dillon Mitchell, Kelvin Odih, Ruben Prey and Sadiku Ibine Ayo were all ejected following the dustup Powell and Hopkins, the latter of whom retaliated for the hard foul with a shove of his own. Powell then appeared to throw a punch at Mitchell, while Providence’s Jaylin Sellers shoved St. John’s guard Oziyah Sellers (no relation) from behind and was ejected for that incident. Odih, Prey and Ibine Ayo were ejected for leaving the bench during the scuffle, an automatic disqualification. The Big East is presently reviewing the incident to determine any additional penalties, per a statement issued by the conference.

“We didn’t initiate anything,” a firm Pitino reiterated. “We talk toughness as not turning the ball over, creating steals, getting offensive rebounds. That’s what we believe toughness is, and that’s all we talked about throughout the entire time.”

Darling, who has drawn plaudits from his coach and teammates in recent weeks for raising his game amid the Johnnies’ win streak — now the longest in the nation for a power conference program — swung the pendulum with a personal 8-0 run to put St. John’s ahead, 47-40, a lead it would never relinquish.

“I feel like we responded in the best way possible,” Zuby Ejiofor said, expounding on Pitino’s point. “We’re out three of our players and Dylan does what Dylan’s been pretty much doing for a big stretch now. This is always a tough, tough place to play in, especially when you get a win, so we did exactly what we came here to do.”

“You try not to think about it, but definitely, some of us needed to step up,” Darling said after the Johnnies were left with a thin bench. “Somebody needed to step up and I just tried to bring energy. We were fired up from the exchange, but I just tried to bring energy. We knew we needed to focus on every small detail to win the game.”

Providence had capped a 13-point comeback before the incident, overcoming a 15-4 run by St. John’s to start the game. But with Sellers ejected and Jason Edwards unavailable due to injury, the Friars were left without a primary ball handler for the remainder of the second half, allowing Darling to go to work against reserve guard Nilavan Daniels. The Red Storm defense also made its presence known down the stretch, consistently forcing Providence to work the shot clock to get an attempt off.

The tenor of the game remained chippy for its duration, with Providence freshman Jamier Jones also ejected for shoving Ejiofor after a play, and St. John’s Joson Sanon getting rung up for excessive trash talk. Still, Providence attempted to climb back into the contest. A pair of Stefan Vaaks free throws brought the Friars within nine points late, but the hosts would get no closer as St. John’s answered on the opposite end of the floor to snuff out any hope of a comeback.

The Red Storm picked up a tenth consecutive win on the road Saturday, setting a program record that it looks to extend in its next contest, which comes Tuesday against Marquette. No matter the distraction or adversity that comes with it, one thing remains clear after Saturday’s latest challenge, that St. John’s is undeterred and locked in on a greater prize at the end of the road.

“That’s just who we are,” Ejiofor said of his team’s cohesiveness and united front. “We know exactly what we’re playing for. We’re playing for a championship, and that’s a one game at a time mentality. Our biggest thing was to stay composed, just worry about everything in between the lines and not focus on anything else. It’s just us, and I’m really proud of the guys for how we fought through everything that was thrown our way.”

Smith’s career-high 40 propel CCSU to third straight win

By Connor Wilson (@Conman_815)

WEST HAVEN, Conn. — Whatever Darin Smith, Jr. ate for breakfast on February 1, can I get some of what he had?

The Central Connecticut forward closed the month of January with his worst five-game scoring slump of the season during a stretch where the Blue Devils dropped four of five. That being said, he still put up a respectable 12.3 points per game to close the month, but that was far from what he had proven he was capable of during the non-conference and early NEC slate.

In three games since the calendar turned to February, including Thursday’s 81-76 win on the road over New Haven, Smith has averaged 29.7 points per game, headlined by a career-high 40 against the Chargers at the Hazell Center.

“I wake up every day on game day just ready to go and win the game,” Smith said. “This game was just a little different.”

Smith’s recent outburst has, not by coincidence, been mirrored by three CCSU victories. The Blue Devils are certainly much more than just the redshirt sophomore on the offensive end, but having him at his best has seen the team near its best.

“He was in such a groove and a rhythm, we were just calling his number, and after a while, players were just looking for him,” head coach Patrick Sellers said. “Kudos to him, he’s in the gym constantly and nonstop. Tonight, he didn’t feel great, and still ended up with 40 points.”

Hit with the obstacle of having Swiss army knife wing James Jones out with an illness, Sellers counted on Smith even more on the defensive end. Smith felt that same added weight on his shoulder to be a leader on the defensive end, and delivered.

“Overall, for sure, James is a big part of our defense and we had to do a good job in his absence,” Smith said.

Smith scored 18 of his 40 points in the first half, setting the tone early with a quick seven. Since he’s rejuvenated his scoring, quick starts have been a common trend. Jay Rodgers added nine in the first half with some impressive drives to the rim, while reigning NEC Rookie of the Week Roddy Jones knocked down a pair of threes.

What’s more impressive is the defensive job the CCSU bigs did on New Haven big man Andre Pasha in the first half, holding him to a mediocre 2-for-12 from the field in the first 20 minutes.

“In the first half, Jayden Mott, Daniel James and Max (Frazier) did a good job getting their chest into him and making him turn, getting him off balance,” Sellers said.

If you thought the efficiency that Smith had in the first half was impressive, he started the second half with 14 points in just over six minutes before heading to the bench for a breather. During his less than three minutes on the pine, New Haven went on a 8-0 run to trim a 15-point deficit down to seven at 58-51.

When Smith re-entered? An immediate 7-0 run to get the lead back into double digits, headlined by a near logo-triple from Jones, his fourth of the game.

“When we recruited him, I saw him play against Jalen Duren on the Pistons and teams like that, and Roddy would come in the game and bang threes from right inside the NBA line,” Sellers said. “What we’ve been working on with him is his defense, and it's getting better and better.”

New Haven would continue to stick around, getting it as close as four in the final minute, but some timely free throws and a key offensive rebound by rookie Elijah Parker was the difference. At the 1:40 mark, Smith connected on his, at this point, signature turn-around jumper from 12 feet away to hit the 40-point milestone, the first time he’s hit that number in any organized basketball game.

“Darin Smith is very unique because he can get to 15 or 17 (feet from the basket) and, for most players, that’s a bad shot, but for him, it's a great shot,” New Haven head coach Ted Hotaling said. “Sometimes there’s nothing you can do about that.”

For housekeeping, Smith had the first 40-point game for Central Connecticut since Kyle Vinales had 42 at Wagner on February 14, 2013, nearly 13 years to the day.

The win puts CCSU up to 8-5 in the NEC season, tied for second place with Le Moyne, whom the Blue Devils host in a crucial clash on Thursday. Up next for Central is a road trip to Hackensack for a game against FDU on Saturday.

As for the Chargers, their third straight loss drops them to 5-7 in the league. With them not being eligible this year for the NEC Tournament, New Haven only has six games left in its inaugural season at the Division I level, next hosting conference leader LIU on Saturday. 

Winthrop hits century mark in win over Gardner-Webb

By Jacob Conley (@gwujake)

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. — Gardner-Webb had its second-highest scoring output of the season Thursday, with 85 points.

The only problem was the defense surrendered 103 to Winthrop, falling to the Eagles in a Big South shootout at Paul Porter Arena.

“When you give up 85 on the road, that usually spells trouble,”  Winthrop coach Mark Prosser said. “But tonight, we had our inside-out game working. Logan Duncomb commands so much respect in the post that it opens things up for our shooters, and we were able to make shots tonight.”

Gardner-Webb started out making its first three shots from the floor, and when Colin Hawkins hit a three, the Runnin’ Bulldogs led, 7-4. Kareem Rozier hit a pair of triples for the Eagles, starting an 11-0 run that saw them go in front, 15-7. Jacob Hudson broke the run with a three-point play, but Winthrop could not miss from deep. The Eagles hit their first four shots from beyond the arc. Spence Sims and DJ Jefferson kept GWU close with threes of their own as the Runnin’ Bulldogs only trailed, 22-18.

A steal and layup by Jacob Hogarth brought Gardner-Webb to within 22-20 midway through the half, but Rozier hit two more triples in a 12-0 Eagle run. Jefferson ended the spurt with a three, but Rozier hit another. By the time Rozier hit his fifth trey of the half, Winthrop led, 42-26. Former Bulldog Pharrell Boyogueno added a trifecta, answered by Hudson’s triple. Even so, Winthrop was able to build a 55-35 halftime lead.

Rozier hit another three to open the second half, but GWU made a bit of a push when Hudson hit a pair of free throws and Hogarth threw down a dunk. Ace Talbert hit a pair of threes as the Runnin’ Bulldogs cut the deficit to 63-49 at the under-16 media stoppage. Rozier stopped the bleeding with a three, and the teams began a long stretch of trading baskets.

Hudson cut the deficit to 72-62 with a pair of free throws, but Hogarth picked up his fourth foul on the next trip down the floor. As a result, the Eagles went on a 9-0 run that included five points from Kody Clouet, giving the visitors an 83-62 lead.

“Give GW credit,” Prosser said. “They were the better team for long stretches in the second half. They hustle and are well-coached. When they cut it to ten, we stayed calm in the huddle and were just focused on winning the next war (four-minute segment). I think we ended up winning the next two and that was huge.”

Hogarth came back in the game and hit a jumper, while Navuan Peterson canned a pair of threes. It was not enough, though, as GWU fell 103-85.

THE ROZIER & DUNCOMB SHOW: The duo combined for 57 of Winthrop’s 103 points. In addition, Duncomb collected his 11th double-double of the season, with 14 rebounds to go with 24 points, while Rozier had a game-high 33 points.

BOMBS AWAY; Winthrop hit 18 threes on the night, with Rozier doing most of the work with nine of those. The 18 threes by Winthrop is the most for the Eagles since they hit 17 against Hampton in 2019. GWU was not too shabby from beyond the arc, hitting 11. Both teams shot an identical 51 percent from the floor.

OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS: Winthrop (19-8) has now won 11 games in a row, and sits atop the Big South Conference with the tiebreaker over High Point. Prosser is not watching the standings just yet, though.

“I couldn’t care less at what other teams are doing at this point,” he said. “I’m just happy we got the win because it’s been a while since we won here.”

Meanwhile, the Runnin’ Bulldogs’ struggles continue. They sit in the cellar of the Big South with a 3-21 mark and face another tough task Saturday, hosting High Point at 2 p.m. Winthrop will host USC Upstate the same day at 6:30 p.m.