Hofstra’s celebration put on hold after loss to Towson

Isaac Kante scored 20 points, but Hofstra was unable to match Towson’s physicality in loss to Tigers. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. — Entering Thursday's penultimate regular season contest against Towson, Hofstra — for all it had accomplished in recent seasons, including a pair of regular season Colonial Athletic Association championships that bookended the transcendent career of Justin Wright-Foreman — still had an opportunity to do something that had never been done in the program’s 19-year affiliation as a CAA member.

The Pride, with a victory against the visiting Tigers, would be able to clinch its latest CAA crown on its home floor outright for the first time in school history, the last two coming either on the road or in a share of the championship. As it turned out, the champagne was relegated back to the cooler to be kept on ice for Saturday’s finale.

Despite opening a 12-4 lead three minutes into the contest, Hofstra could not keep up with Towson’s offensive rebounding prowess or second chance opportunities, two advantages the Tigers enjoyed massively en route to a 76-65 victory at the Mack Sports Complex, moving the visitors into sole possession of third place in the CAA standings and delaying a potential coronation for at least another 48 hours.

“We got what we deserved,” a candid Joe Mihalich surmised, pulling no punches as the Pride (22-8, 13-4 CAA) also saw its eight-game win streak halted in the loss. “They were clearly the tougher team, they were the hungrier team, they were the better team, and we’re going to look ourselves in the mirror and decide that if we want to win a championship, we’ve got to learn from tonight.”

Isaac Kante and Tareq Coburn combined for 41 points on 15-of-20 shooting, two ancillary sources of offense that would normally be more than enough to propel Hofstra to victory, but on a night where Desure Buie was held to just six points on 2-of-14 shooting and Eli Pemberton struggled amid a 5-for-17 evening, Towson (18-12, 11-6 CAA) fed off the hard-nosed mentality it dictated to the tune of outrebounding the Pride, 49-26, securing 24 of those caroms on the offensive glass.

“It was their rebounding,” Mihalich reiterated, citing the Tigers’ edge as the impetus behind a 26-10 advantage in second chance points and a 42-20 margin in paint scoring. “We said before the game the best thing they do is miss a shot, so we had to think about giving them one shot. We failed miserably. They got 24 offensive rebounds, we had 26 total. Their points came off second shots.”

Only four players scored for Hofstra, whereas four Towson players amassed 10 or more points, led by Brian Fobbs’ 21.

The Pride still controls its own destiny heading into Saturday’s meeting with James Madison, needing a win to enter the impending CAA tournament in Washington, D.C. as the No. 1 seed. Hofstra can also clinch should second-place William & Mary lose to Elon, but no matter how the last set of chips decides to fall, the takeaway from Thursday is clear.

“We’ve got to learn from this,” an exasperated Mihalich repeated. “This has to be a redo. If we’re going to win a championship, today has to be one of the reasons why. It’s going to be about how we respond to just kind of getting big-brothered out there.”

St. John’s vs. Seton Hall Photo Gallery

Photos from St. John’s 77-76 win over Seton Hall on February 22, 2020:

(All photos by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

Iona vs. Rider Photo Gallery

Photos from Iona’s 70-69 win over Rider on February 21, 2020:

(All photos by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

MAAC Monday: Rider’s struggles, stat leaders, power rankings

By Jaden Daly (@jadendaly) and Vincent Simone (@VTSimone)

With two more weeks left in the regular season, the stretch drive rolls on in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, and MAAC Monday heats up in lockstep as well. In this week's edition, a former conference leader that has sputtered as of late will be profiled more closely in the team spotlight, hoping to get a clearer sense of what has gone on in recent weeks, before giving way to an updated set of stat leaders and power rankings. Without any further ado, the ball bounces across the Hudson River and into New Jersey:

Had the MAAC regular season ended two weeks ago, Rider would once again have earned the No. 1 seed in the upcoming conference tournament for a second time in three seasons, carrying with it an automatic berth to the National Invitation Tournament and a renewed sense of momentum for Lawrenceville to experience March Madness for the first time since emigrating from the Northeast Conference nearly a quarter-century ago.

Things seemed to be going well for Kevin Baggett and the Broncs. Behind a quartet of 1,000-point scorers and boasting perhaps the most talented roster in the league on paper, all the pieces seemed to be falling into place. Dimencio Vaughn returned to the lethal form that made him a first team all-MAAC selection, Tyere Marshall continued to further evolve into one of the conference’s best forwards, Frederick Scott was a mismatch and X-factor no opponent was able to solve, and senior point guard Stevie Jordan appeared to be enjoying the game and himself at the same time.

What happened since then, you ask? Rider has dropped three of its last four, including a pair of games this past weekend — a heartbreaking one-point setback to Iona Friday and a more decisive 19-point defeat at Saint Peter’s on Sunday — to sit 9-8 in league play, three games behind the aforementioned Peacocks with a promising freight train of momentum having been temporarily derailed.

“We shoot ourselves in the foot,” Kevin Baggett said after Friday’s 70-69 loss to Iona, one in which Isaiah Ross’ 3-pointer in the final seconds proved to be the dagger after Jordan’s game-winning layup attempt rimmed out to add to the Groundhog Day-esque circumstances of a night where the Broncs shot just 9-of-21 at the foul line. “We cost ourselves the game. You gotta make free throws, you gotta execute. You’ve gotta do what we’re asking you to do, not what you want to do. I’m worried about us doing what we’re asking our guys to do. If they’re doing exactly what we’re asking them to do, we wouldn’t be in this position.”

The frustration only mounted 36 hours later, as Rider pulled within two of Saint Peter’s before Doug Edert’s torrid 3-point shooting kick-started an 18-2 run that allowed the Peacocks to pull away to a convincing 73-54 victory that all but took the Broncs out of the regular season title chase. Once again, Baggett pulled no punches.

“We mentally break down when we’re supposed to do things that we guard and defend every day,” the head coach told The Trentonian’s Kyle Franko. “We left him open for a three. The back line screwed it up. Next thing you know, he goes on his run.”

With three games left before the MAAC tournament begins in Atlantic City, Rider has two of those contests at home — Monmouth and Manhattan visit Alumni Gym — and a road trip to Fairfield sandwiched in. But regardless of how much basketball is left, the objective is a clear one for a team that will undoubtedly hear the seemingly annual refrain of cynics and starved fans clamoring for the Broncs to finally advance past the quarterfinals of the conference postseason for the first time in Baggett’s tenure.

“I can control what’s controllable,” Dimencio Vaughn said to Franko after the game Sunday. “(I) just keep reminding them that you’ve got to play hard, stop quitting, just play through it. I know where I’m at right now. I’m tired of losing. (That’s) two games we should have won.”

Scoring Leaders
1) E.J. Crawford, Iona (18.3 PPG)
2) Rich Kelly, Quinnipiac (16.3)
3) Deion Hammond, Monmouth (15.7)
4) Jalen Pickett, Siena (15.5)
5) Elijah Burns, Siena (14.8)
6) Dimencio Vaughn, Rider (14.5)
7) Ray Salnave, Monmouth (14.4)
8) Tajuan Agee, Iona (14.2)
9) Manny Camper, Siena (13.9)
10) Marcus Hammond, Niagara (13.9)

Rebounding Leaders
1) Kevin Marfo, Quinnipiac (13.2 RPG)
2) Manny Camper, Siena (10.1)
3) Tyere Marshall, Rider (8.0)
4) Tajuan Agee, Iona (7.4)
5) Dimencio Vaughn, Rider (6.5)
6) Pauly Paulicap, Manhattan (6.2)
7) Elijah Burns, Siena (6.1)
8) Malik Johnson, Canisius (6.0)
9) Vincent Eze, Fairfield (5.9)
10) Michael Cubbage, Marist (5.9)

Assist Leaders
1) Malik Johnson, Canisius (5.9 APG)
2) Jalen Pickett, Siena (5.6)
3) Rich Kelly, Quinnipiac (4.5)
4) Stevie Jordan, Rider (4.1)
5) Isaiah Washington, Iona (3.6)
6) Samuel Chaput, Monmouth (3.3)
7) Michael Cubbage, Marist (3.2)
8) Ray Salnave, Monmouth (3.2)
9) Tajuan Agee, Iona (3.1)
10) Samir Stewart, Manhattan (3.0)

Field Goal Percentage Leaders
1) Elijah Burns, Siena (.628)
2) Tyere Marshall, Rider (.616)
3) Warren Williams, Manhattan (.570)
4) Jordan Jones, Marist (.535)
5) Tajuan Agee, Iona (.528)
6) Greg Kuakumensah, Niagara (.505)
7) Vincent Eze, Fairfield (.500)
8) Pauly Paulicap, Manhattan (.485)
9) Manny Camper, Siena (.485)
10) Dimencio Vaughn, Rider (.481)

Free Throw Percentage Leaders
1) George Papas, Monmouth (.887)
2) Rich Kelly, Quinnipiac (.883)
3) Ray Salnave, Monmouth (.874)
4) Elijah Burns, Siena (.837)
5) E.J. Crawford, Iona (.835)
6) Donald Carey, Siena (.823)
7) James Towns, Niagara (.816)
8) Taj Benning, Fairfield (.814)
9) Deion Hammond, Monmouth (.809)
10) Tajuan Agee, Iona (.791)

3-Point Field Goal Percentage Leaders
1) Doug Edert, Saint Peter’s (.472)
2) Matthew Lee, Saint Peter’s (.471)
3) Braden Bell, Marist (.421)
4) Matt Herasme, Marist (.415)
5) Marcus Hammond, Niagara (.407)
6) Justin Roberts, Niagara (.400)
7) Dimencio Vaughn, Rider (.398)
8) Frederick Scott, Rider (.394)
9) Rich Kelly, Quinnipiac (.383)
10) Jacob Rigoni, Quinnipiac (.381)

Steal Leaders
1) Malik Johnson, Canisius (2.1 SPG)
2) Christian Hinckson, Manhattan (1.7)
3) Isaiah Washington, Iona (1.7)
4) Dimencio Vaughn, Rider (1.6)
T-5) Stevie Jordan, Rider (1.4)
T-5) Ray Salnave, Monmouth (1.4)

Blocked Shot Leaders
1) KC Ndefo, Saint Peter’s (2.4 BPG)
2) Pauly Paulicap, Manhattan (1.8)
3) Seth Pinkney, Quinnipiac (1.5)
4) Tajuan Agee, Iona (1.4)
5) Jalen Pickett, Siena (1.2)

Power Rankings
1) Saint Peter’s (15-11, 12-5 MAAC)
Last Week: 1
Last Game: Sunday 2/23 vs. Rider (W 73-54)
Next Game: Thursday 2/27 at Niagara, 7 p.m.

2) Siena (15-10, 11-5 MAAC)
Last Week: 2
Last Game: Sunday 2/23 at Fairfield (W 62-59)
Next Game: Wednesday 2/26 at Quinnipiac, 7 p.m.

3) Monmouth (16-11, 10-6 MAAC)
Last Week: 4
Last Game: Sunday 2/23 vs. Quinnipiac (W 89-78)
Next Game: Friday 2/28 at Rider, 9 p.m.

4) Iona (10-13, 8-8 MAAC)
Last Week: 5
Last Game: Friday 2/21 vs. Rider (W 70-69)
Next Game: Thursday 2/27 at Canisius, 7 p.m.

5) Rider (15-12, 9-8 MAAC)
Last Week: 3
Last Game: Sunday 2/23 at Saint Peter’s (L 73-54)
Next Game: Friday 2/28 vs. Monmouth, 9 p.m.

6) Manhattan (11-14, 7-9 MAAC)
Last Week: 6
Last Game: Sunday 2/23 vs. Canisius (L 57-56)
Next Game: Wednesday 2/26 vs. Marist, 7 p.m.

7) Fairfield (11-16, 7-9 MAAC)
Last Week: 9
Last Game: Sunday 2/23 vs. Siena (L 62-59)
Next Game: Friday 2/28 vs. Quinnipiac, 7 p.m.

8) Quinnipiac (12-14, 7-9 MAAC)
Last Week: 8
Last Game: Sunday 2/23 at Monmouth (L 89-78)
Next Game: Wednesday 2/26 vs. Siena, 7 p.m.

9) Marist (7-18, 6-10 MAAC)
Last Week: 10
Last Game: Sunday 2/23 vs. Niagara (W 76-54)
Next Game: Wednesday 2/26 at Manhattan, 7 p.m.

10) Niagara (9-18, 7-9 MAAC)
Last Week: 7
Last Game: Sunday 2/23 at Marist (L 76-54)
Next Game: Thursday 2/27 vs. Saint Peter’s, 7 p.m.

11) Canisius (10-17, 5-11 MAAC)
Last Week: 11
Last Game: Sunday 2/23 at Manhattan (W 57-56)
Next Game: Thursday 2/27 vs. Iona, 7 p.m.

5 Thoughts: Seton Hall throttles St. John’s for 20th win

Romaro Gill helped carry Seton Hall past St. John’s Sunday, leading Pirates to 20th win. (Photo by Wendell Cruz/Finish First Photos)

By Jason Guerette (@JPGuerette)

NEWARK, N.J. — A full house of 14,658 fans packed the Prudential Center on a beautiful Sunday afternoon in Newark, and they were treated to a show. In front of their largest home crowd of the season, the Pirates ended up with a wire-to-wire win, sweeping their geographic rival, St. John’s, with an 81-65 victory that was really never in doubt after the first few possessions.

Here are The Thoughts:

1. Annnnnd They're Off!

After what must have felt like an eternity for Seton Hall fans, today, the Pirates got off to a fast start today. Notoriously slow to get going in many games this year (before usually making a run in the 2nd half), this time around, Seton Hall ended up with a 13-4 lead in the first six minutes, and a 20-6 lead just past the midway point of the first half.

The offense was great, but as usual, it was the defense that set the tone. St. John's first shot attempt was an air-ball, and it wouldn't get much better from there as the Red Storm were limited to 24 percent shooting in the first 20 minutes.

“I really was happy with the fact that we came out with a good defensive mindset, to be honest with you," head coach Kevin Willard said. "I thought that set our tone. That was my biggest thing with these guys. I’m like, ‘let’s stop reacting,’ because we’ve been digging ourselves a hole because we haven’t played overly well offensively here. We got five straight stops early, and I thought that kind of relaxed us. Being up 14 at halftime, that was like being up 30, to be honest with you. It was just a different feeling. We haven’t had that feeling a whole lot.”

"It felt good, finally, to not be playing from behind," Myles Powell added. "We've been down 10, 15, 27 at Providence, so to be up at halftime (was great). When we came out of halftime, the first two or three minutes, we were kind of slow, but besides that I thought we did pretty well. We followed the scouting reports and played our basketball."

2. Sharing Is Caring

Basketball can be a beautiful game when the ball moves and the five players on the floor play as one unit. Seton Hall's ball movement today was exquisite, with 19 assists on 27 made field goals. Four players had three or more assists, led by Quincy McKnight's six helpers.

That ball movement also carried over into some really nice transition opportunities, and heck, there were a couple occasions where the Pirates actually over-passed the ball. All told, there were five players in double figures for the game, led by Powell's 18 points. Defensively, Seton Hall amassed 10 steals and seven blocked shots to go along with 34 percent field goal defense. On both ends today, this was a team effort, and combined with the hot start, it turned into a rare game where the Pirate faithful could rest a little easy.

3. Big Men On Campus

Seton Hall is one of the tallest teams in the nation, with an advantage along the front line against pretty much every opponent it faces. But it's been rare that all of the Pirates’ big men play well at the same time, and that was the case today.

Sandro Mamukelashvili, in particular, was off to the races right away, and finished with a well-rounded line of 16 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals. His presence on the court was huge for the Hall, as he was not active for the first game against St. John's, where the Red Storm press was such a huge factor at Madison Square Garden.

"Getting Sandro back in the lineup, it makes us harder to guard," Powell said. "You saw how they were trying to press us this time, and we just passed it to him and he broke the press. There were a couple times he took it all the way, tried to dunk on somebody, got a foul call, finished with his right hand, and even one time threw it up to Ro (Gill), so having that versatile big man who can put the ball on the floor, shoot, that makes everything easier."

The aforementioned Gill was his normal self as well, posting 12 points, six rebounds and three blocks. But then off the bench, Ike Obiagu scored three points, grabbed four rebounds, and swatted three more shots in some extended minutes in the middle of the game. Tyrese Samuel had three assists in just six minutes of action, and two of those were big-to-big alley-oop passes to Gill for dunks that really got the crowd going.

"I just pointed up, and he threw it up, and I went to go get it" Gill quipped. "It's normally me, Quincy and Myles, the guards (on the lobs). But Tyrese did it today, and Sandro did it, too. I guess we've got a new connection going there."

4. Caution: Gauntlet Approaching

Today was a nice victory for the Pirates, and one they definitely wanted to get because coming up, they have three monster games, all of which are Senior Night contests. First up, they have a week off before going to Milwaukee to take on Marquette, a game where the atmosphere will be supercharged, with Golden Eagles fans having waited all year long to boo Powell and the Pirates after their legendary Big East semifinal game in 2019.

The Pirates then have their own senior day against Villanova, which will be Powell's, Gill’s and Quincy McKnight's last home games with a huge crowd expected again. And last, but certainly not least, Seton Hall ends the regular season in Omaha at Creighton, a team that is nipping at its heels for the top spot in the conference standings.

"There’s no hiding anymore," Willard said. "What we have in front of us - obviously at Marquette is going to be Markus (Howard's) senior night, and then we come here for our senior night. I think ‘Nova’s as good as any team in the country, and obviously at Creighton for their senior night, I don’t think there’s anybody playing better basketball than Creighton in the country right now. The way I’m looking at it is three great opportunities to kind of solidify where we’re going to get seeded in the NCAA Tournament. It gives us a chance to win the a Big East championship, and it also gives us a chance to get a great seeding in the Big East tournament, so it’s three great opportunities.”

5. History For Willard

The victory, the Pirates' 20th of the season, marked a milestone for Willard today. He is now the first coach in the history of New Jersey Division 1 men's basketball to have five straight seasons with 20 or more victories. P.J. Carlesimo never did it, Pete Carril never did it. With all the great college coaches that have worked in the Garden state at the high and mid-major levels, no one had ever accomplished the feat. 

"I've always said that Coach Willard doesn't get enough credit for what he's accomplished here," Powell said. "You know (our) relationship, he's like a father figure to me. I'm happy for him. I know he's not going to get complacent with that (record), he's just going to keep wanting to do more and more, and if you ask him that when he gets here, he'll act like it's nothing."

Well, Willard didn't necessarily act like it was nothing, but as you'd expect, he put his trademark dry wit on his response.

“It means Myles Powell’s a hell of a player," Willard said.

Okay, coach, but that's only the last four years. What say you about the fifth?

"Angel Delgado’s really good, Isaiah Whitehead’s really good," the Pirates' skipper said with a grin. "I’ve been blessed to have a lot of really, really good players over however long I’ve been here, but I think over the last five, especially with the groups that have been with me and worked hard, I’ve had some really good players.”  

Kevin Willard quote book: St. John’s

On Seton Hall’s ball movement:
“I really was happy with the fact that we came out with a good defensive mindset, to be honest with you. I thought that set our tone, and then we really talked about looking for Ro, looking for guys on the baseline on our drives. I thought the first game, especially the first half, I thought Roberts really changed the game against us in the first half with him coming over and getting some blocks, and I thought today, we did a much better job of making sure he wasn’t such a big presence at the rim than he was the first game.”

On Seton Hall’s response to his challenge:
“Terrific. I think everybody looked a little too much into it. I think there’s times in the season where you have to get on your team and you have to know your team, when to get on them, and no one knows them better than me. I wasn’t worried about how they would respond, I saw it Monday in practice. Monday in practice, after I got on them, they responded great. I knew we’d have a great shot to win today because we practiced two-and-a-half hours yesterday, much longer than we usually do a day before a game. Individually, they’ve all bounced back, but as a team, I think they’ve really understood what our mentality this time of year has to be.”

On Myles Powell’s shooting:
“We actually started working a lot in the last week, week-and-a-half, and right now, the way he’s releasing it and the way it’s coming off his fingertips every time, it looks like it’s going in, but right now, he’s having a hard time buying one. I think he’s doing so much other good stuff on the court, and when he’s out there, he’s getting his teammates involved. I think he’s playing an all-around terrific game, but right now, he just can’t buy a shot to go in.”

“This bye week’s coming at a good time for him and Quincy. They’re both dealing with a little bit of tendinitis, Myles a little bit more, just overall usage. It’s nothing terrible, but he does have a little bit of tendinitis going on, so I think this week will be good for him.”

“He loves to practice. I balance getting him out because he likes to compete, but I think everyone’s workload for the most part this time of year is really cut. You just have to, whatever month we’re in. I have my theory on why his shot — I think after the concussion, that could take some time to get all your motor skills a little bit going — he’s obviously 100 percent recovered from it, but I do think there’s some lingering effects with just technique and form, and that’s what we’ve been working on more than anything. I don’t think it’s his knee, I’ve done a lot of research and Tony Testa has done a lot of research. Sometimes some of the basic things that you know and you’ve done forever can linger a little bit, and I think that has a little bit to do with it.”

On Seton Hall’s fast start:
“Defensively, the way we came out, that was my biggest thing with these guys. I’m like, ‘let’s stop reacting,’ because we’ve been digging ourselves a hole because we haven’t played overly well offensively here. We got five straight stops early, and I thought that kind of relaxed us where we were able to get a layup, Ro got a dunk, Sandro made a really great ball fake and a kickout, and I think Anthony Nelson made a great kickout to Q. It was a nice combination. Being up 14 at half, that was like being up 30, to be honest with you. It was just a different feeling. We haven’t had that feeling a whole lot.”

On Sandro Mamukelashvili’s form returning:
“Like I said, he had a vacation for seven weeks. For him, it was more of a mental grind, not physical, and I think he’s now in a pretty good mental state where he’s ready to attack and be aggressive every game, where I think when you come back right away and you’ve got to play against the teams we have to play against, it just doesn’t come naturally.”

On winning big games helping the program:
“I think it always helps when you win. I think the fact that whatever we’re ranked in the country and what we’ve done over the last five years straight, I think that’s really helped recruiting.”

On what it means to be the first coach in New Jersey Division I basketball with five straight 20-win seasons:
“It means Myles Powell’s a hell of a player, Angel Delgado’s really good, Isaiah Whitehead’s really good. I’ve been blessed to have a lot of really, really good players over however long I’ve been here, but I think over the last five, especially with the groups that have been with me and worked hard, I’ve had some really good players.”

On being ready for Seton Hall’s three remaining regular season games:
“Three monsters? Yeah. There’s no hiding anymore. What we have in front of us — obviously at Marquette is going to be Markus’ senior night, I’m pretty sure, and then we come here for our senior night against — I think ‘Nova’s as good as any team in the country, and obviously I think at Creighton for their senior night, I don’t think there’s anybody playing better basketball than Creighton in the country right now. The way I’m looking at it is three great opportunities to kind of solidify where we’re going to get seeded in the NCAA Tournament, it gives us a chance to win the a Big East championship, and it also gives us a chance to get a great seeding in the Big East tournament, so it’s three great opportunities.”

Seton Hall vs. Butler Photo Gallery

Photos from Seton Hall’s 74-72 win over Butler on February 19, 2020:

(All photos by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

Kevin Willard quote book: Big East conference call

Opening statement on St. John’s, joined in progress:
“I thought both teams fought very well, went right down to the wire. I really like the way St. John’s is competing right now, I’ve just been impressed with Rasheem Dunn and the improvements of Marcellus Earlington, I think Champagnie’s playing really well. They’re just guys that — obviously we know LJ Figueroa and how consistent he’s been scoring for them, but I just think some of the younger guys and guys that weren’t getting opportunities early in the year are really developing, and I think Mike’s doing a great job with their motion offense of everyone touching the basketball and being aggressive and driving. So just like all the other games in this conference, it’s going to be a good battle. That’s all I got.”

On Myles Powell facing various defenses, and how it benefits him and his teammates:
“I think it’s the other way around. I think Myles has done a really good job kind of recognizing, on a nightly basis, how teams are playing him. Some teams are face-guarding him, some teams are doing what Butler did last night, really jumping out with the bigs and showing, staying with him on pick-and-rolls or down screens. He’s seen a box-and-one a couple times, he’s seen a triangle-and-two. He’s a little bit more confident in realizing what teams are throwing at him, and I think he’s just picking his spots much better. I think the guys have always played well off of Myles, I just think Myles is just recognizing these defenses a little bit better and a little bit earlier in games.”

On Powell’s case for National Player of the Year honors:
“I think what’s fun about college basketball right now is there’s a lot of guys, especially older guys, that have really gone through and developed and gotten better. We’ve played against a lot of guys, it’s what makes college basketball special is that the fan bases and everyone’s gotten to see these guys develop. Obviously we saw Payton (Pritchard), I’ve seen Markus for three years, four years now, but my guy — I’m going to be biased — I just think what he does on a nightly basis and where he’s brought this program and where we are right now, he’s just as special a player as there is. And I think the fact that every night, he’s getting double-teamed, triple-teamed, and we’re still in first place in the Big East, he’s still playing at such a high level. It just shows you what type of player he is and how special a player he really is.”

On what he saw while recruiting Powell:
“I think Sha did a great job recruiting him. We had seen Myles ever since he was a freshman, he’d been coming to our games ever since he was a freshman or sophomore in high school, pretty much. He was always such a great kid, he has a great heart, that’s one thing I really wanted him, because he’s such a good kid. Obviously he could really shoot the basketball in high school, but you never know how a kid’s work ethic is going to be once he gets to you, and his work ethic for the last three-and-a-half years has been second to none. I think that’s why he’s turned himself into such a great player. He’s embraced coaching and he’s really embraced the work we put in — the work he had to put in — and I think when you combine a kid that’s got a great attitude and a great work ethic, you’re seeing the results of a guy turning himself into a special player.”

“I think we got a pretty good player, but he was 250 pounds and coming off a broken foot, so I knew we had a lot of work to do with him, but I also thought he was a special player, and the fact that he had a great ability to shoot the basketball and score the basketball.”

5 Thoughts: Seton Hall beats Butler in instant classic

Sandro Mamukelashvili celebrates with Myles Cale and Seton Hall fans after tip-in at buzzer lifted Pirates past Butler. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

By Jason Guerette (@JPGuerette)

NEWARK, N.J. — Instant Classic.

That's what it was at Prudential Center between No. 16 Seton Hall and No. 21 Butler, in yet another example of the Big East being one heck of a league, and this matchup in particular being one heck of a matchup.

In the end, it was the Pirates coming away with a much-needed 74-72 victory, courtesy of a buzzer-beating basket with 0.6 seconds to play from Sandro Mamukelashvili, capping off a phenomenal, team-wide second half performance.

Here are the Five Thoughts:

1. SuperSandro

First things first: It wasn't just the buzzer-beater that made Mamukelashvili's night. The junior scored 11 of his 15 points in the second half on nearly-perfect shooting (5-of-6), as he was a factor throughout the stanza. When it comes to the play he got drawn up for him with just 0.6 seconds left in a tied game, head coach Kevin Willard said he had put it in a while ago after watching, of all things, an NBA team out west.

“The Sacramento Kings ran that play about two months ago,” Willard said. “I watch a lot of Synergy at night and I’m always looking for ways to get Myles shots, late-clock situations, and they ran a really good — they brought Buddy Hield off a triple just like we brought Myles off, and they stepped him out and they lobbed it, and they got a really good late clock. That’s kind of where I saw it, and we put it in about a month ago. I put it in because it’s a good play to get him an easy bucket — to try to get us an easy bucket at times — and I thought we just, at that point, you still have enough time to catch it and chuck it, but all you really have time for is to chuck it up at the rim and just tap it in. I thought Q threw a good pass, and I thought they executed it great, I thought the timing was really good. We waited for Myles to come off, everybody kind of turned their head looking at Myles, and then it executed really well.”

Give credit to Willard for being a major hoops junkie and trying to help his team any way he can. They also prepared it this week to be ready to use in the game.

 "We ran that play a couple days ago in practice," Mamukelashvili said. "It worked out really good (then), so it was in the back of my mind and coach's mind that if we ran it right, it would work out. Quincy threw a great pass, so I just caught it, threw it up, and it went in."

But the second part of the game-winner is that it ended up being a storybook ending for Mamu on a very personally significant night for him. It was the game that the Pirates wore pink shooting shirts and pink sneakers to honor those who are victims of, or those continuing to fight, cancer. It just so happened that Sandro's father, Zurab, was at the game tonight. Zurab himself is a survivor of Hodgkin's lymphoma.

“I think it’s huge,” Willard said. “I know his father was happy, he came over and gave me a hug. Whenever you play well — and again, it’s really tough for guys like Tyrese, Ikey, Ro and Sandro, whose families aren’t able to be here — all these other guys get to see their families every night, so when you have a chance to play in front of your family, it’s a little more special.”

Sandro said that he last saw his father in Georgia (the republic in Europe, not the state, for those unaware) back in May, and that it was also just the second time he had been to one of his son's games. 

"He came my freshman year," Mamukelashvili said. "But I didn't play that much. My freshman year was kind of a learning year, so this was the first time that he really got to see me play a lot. It was an unbelievable experience."

Sometimes, the basketball gods just have a way of making things happen.

2. The First (Half) Thanksgiving

Butler came out fantastically in this game, shooting the lights out, defending with its usual vigor, and leading by as many as 10. The Bulldogs assisted on eight of their first 11 baskets, and an unsung hero (Bryce Golden, 12 points), stepped up big.

But the reason it was the Pirates being thankful was that they only trailed by six at the break despite the Bulldogs' exceptional half. Seton Hall made its bones at the free throw line, getting there 12 times and converting on 10 of the free throws. Butler fouled two three-point shooters, and that resulted in a perfect 6-for-6 at the charity stripe, keeping the Hall in the game. There's a reason that fouling a three-point shooter is known as the Cardinal Sin in basketball, and Butler needed to go to confession at the half.

Kevin Willard echoed the sentiment in the Pirates' locker room.

“I went in at halftime and told them this is the first time we haven’t been down double digits in like, six games at halftime,” he said. “To me, I felt like we were winning, and I said, ‘Guys, we’re only down six, this is great, so everybody relax and just go out and play.’ We haven’t played well here, so I think there was a little tension early in the game trying to get off to a good start to get our fans into the game. I know our guys, once we started scoring and our fans got into it, I think our fans really relaxed our guys.”

3. The Butler Does It

This was the 16th all-time meeting between Seton Hall and Butler, all since the Bulldogs joined the Big East. The Pirates are now 7-9 against them, and despite the fact that the Pirates have won six of the last eight meetings, it's never easy for them against their conference rivals from Indiana.

After tonight's two-point margin, a whopping 14 of the 16 games between the two programs have been decided by eight points or fewer, and seven of those contests (HALF of the 14 close ones) have been decided by four points or fewer. 

I asked LaVall Jordan about it after the game: Why do the programs tend to have such close, entertaining ballgames against each other?

"It's respect," the Butler head coach said. "We have a ton of respect for their program, they play the right way. They're a tough team, and have good leadership. They've got veteran players. I think the feeling is mutual, you know what you're getting when you get out there. If we don't play our brand of basketball, if we're not tough enough, it won't even be close."

I think fans in general would sign up for Round 3 at Madison Square Garden next month. Just be sure to remember the nitroglycerin pills along with the popcorn.

4. The Q-Factor

Before Mamu's heroics, the game ball was going to Quincy McKnight if the Pirates pulled it out. The senior guard was fantastic in the second half, and especially down the stretch. Of his 18 points, 14 came after halftime, and he also had nine points in the final 3:15 of the game. With the score tied at 63, McKnight stepped up and knocked down a 3-pointer when his defender went under a screen. He then came up with a steal on the other end, and while he didn't finish in transition, it was Quincy again who stepped up and proceeded to hit big pairs of free throws inside of one minute to play.

And, of course, he made the pass that Mamukelashvili finished to win the game. He may not get the publicity that others get, but he has got to be a first team, all-underrated Big East selection.

5. Stabilizing The Ship

The Providence and Creighton defeats — more so the latter, but both as you'll see in a second — had dwindled the Pirates' lead atop the Big East standings from three games down to just one with the Jays now nipping at their heels for second place in the league. Willard publicly called out his team after the loss in Providence on Saturday in which the Pirates fell into a canyon in the first half and weren't able to recover, and the team did some soul searching this week.

“I thought our practice on Thursday was way too loose after the Creighton game,” Willard commented. “I thought Friday’s film session was way too lackadaisical to play a road game against a really good Providence team, so my anger and my frustration, everybody got it. It wasn’t one person, I started with Powell, McKnight and Gill, then I went to the juniors. The only guy that didn’t get it was Tyrese because he’s a freshman, but everybody got it. The staff got it, I got it — I yelled at myself, I did — I was just not happy with the opportunity that we had. We were down 27 and we cut it to two twice, so the effort was there. I thought the way we came into the game, accepting the loss — I don’t mind losing at all, if we lost tonight, I thought the way we came in Monday morning at 7 a.m. showed me they understood what I was talking about.”

Fast forward to tonight, and with such a dramatic win in front of the home crowd, this result tonight could be a spark for this Pirates team. While it wasn't a must-must-win on paper, it felt like one based on the goals this team still has to win the Big East regular season crown and end up in Albany for the NCAA Tournament’s first round, and the Pirates were able to get it. A feisty St. John's team comes to town on Sunday, and it should be yet another exciting day in the always-exciting Big East.

Kevin Willard quote book: Butler

On Sandro Mamukelashvili:
“I think the biggest thing that I’ve been talking to Sandro about is just trying to get back into the grind of things. He was on vacation for seven weeks, technically. He didn’t have to watch film, he didn’t have to game prep, and now all of a sudden you throw him in during the middle of the Big East, it’s a little bit overwhelming, and so the biggest thing I’ve been trying to preach to him is trying to get him back in a way of preparing himself mentally, not physically. Physically, he’s out there working and he’s been working, but just being a little bit sharper mentally. I thought he did a good job Monday in practice of coming out, and I thought he set the tone pretty good in practice. We played a little tight in the first half, and I thought they played really good defense in the first half. I like the way he just kind of settled in and played.”

On Mamu’s game-winning layup:
“The Sacramento Kings ran that play about two months ago. I watch a lot of Synergy at night and I’m always looking for ways to get Myles shots, late-clock situations, and they ran a really good — they brought Buddy Hield off a triple just like we brought Myles off, and they stepped him out and they lobbed it, and they got a really good late clock. That’s kind of where I saw it, and we put it in about a month ago. I put it in because it’s a good play to get him an easy bucket — to try to get us an easy bucket at times — and I thought we just, at that point, you still have enough time to catch it and chuck it, but all you really have time for is to chuck it up at the rim and just tap it in. I thought Q threw a good pass, and I thought they executed it great, I thought the timing was really good. We waited for Myles to come off, everybody kind of turned their head looking at Myles, and then it executed really well.”

“I think the way he tapped it would have been good even at 0.4. That was the play at 0.4 or 0.6. There’s not much you can draw up at that point because you can’t throw a bounce pass, because you’ve got to catch it and gather it and go up. It just has to be a lob pass, that’s the only thing we have in.”

On what it means for Sandro’s confidence and having his father on hand:
“I think it’s huge. I know his father was happy, he came over and gave me a hug. Whenever you play well — and again, it’s really tough for guys like Tyrese, Ikey, Ro and Sandro, whose families aren’t able to be here — all these other guys get to see their families every night, so when you have a chance to play in front of your family, it’s a little more special.”

On Seton Hall’s attitude:
“It wasn’t a bad attitude, it was more or less I didn’t like the fact that we accepted the loss to Creighton. I thought our practice on Thursday was way too loose after the Creighton game, and I thought Friday’s film session was way too lackadaisical to play a road game against a really good Providence team, so my anger and my frustration, everybody got it. It wasn’t one person, I started with Powell, McKnight and Gill, then I went to the juniors. The only guy that didn’t get it was Tyrese because he’s a freshman, but everybody got it. The staff got it, I got it — I yelled at myself, I did — I was just not happy with the opportunity that we had. We were down 27 and we cut it to two twice, so the effort was there. I thought the way we came into the game, accepting the loss — I don’t mind losing at all, if we lost tonight, I thought the way we came in Monday morning at 7 a.m. showed me they understood what I was talking about. They came in with a great attitude, we practiced for an hour-and-a-half at 7, we practiced for an hour-and-a-half at 2:30, and we came back and watched film at 9 for an hour. And they were great, and that’s when I knew that they understood what I was saying, and I knew that no matter what happened today, we were going to be in a good spot going forward.”

On Romaro Gill’s offense:
“I’ve been getting on our guards a little bit. We just haven’t been looking for him quite as much as earlier in the year, and I also have to give teams credit, they’re really crowding and really chucking all his rolls, and I thought we did a good job. MP coming off screens early did a good job of hitting him early and getting him some buckets.”

On Seton Hall’s second half:
“I went in at halftime and told them this is the first time we haven’t been down double digits in like, six games at halftime. To me, I felt like we were winning, and I said, ‘Guys, we’re only down six, this is great, so everybody relax and just go out and play.’ We haven’t played well here, so I think there was a little tension early in the game trying to get off to a good start to get our fans into the game. I know our guys, once we started scoring and our fans got into it, I think our fans really relaxed our guys. It was great, but the biggest thing I told them was at least we weren’t down 14, so I kind of felt good.”

On responding to Butler’s clutch shots:
“We did some stupid things, that’s for sure. Our turnover when we were up three to give Baldwin the and-1, and I thought we did a good job making free throws. I had the group out there that usually switches everything, we didn’t switch, they ran a double hammer, which is really good for (Jordan) Tucker, and then I never foul. I hate fouling at the end of the game, I told them to foul, and I think they were shocked that I told them to foul. I wanted to foul (Aaron) Thompson even though he’s a decent free throw shooter, I just thought the way (Sean) McDermott and Tucker were flying, it never fails. That’s why I don’t foul.”

On leading the Big East:
“I think it’s huge and I just think when I looked at the second-half schedule, I knew going forward, it’s a brutal schedule. We have it as hard as anybody, and I think everyone this time of year is great. It gives us — from Big East seeding, NCAA Tournament seeding, all that stuff — every win this time of year, especially against a really good Butler team, that’s a team when Aaron Thompson’s healthy, is as good as any team in the country.”

On Myles Powell:
“I thought he played phenomenal. I thought that was the best game he’s played in a long time. We’re working a little bit on his shot, but I think his unselfishness early in the game, his willingness to pass, that’s contagious. I didn’t think he took a bad shot all night. I thought he attacked when he should have, I loved the pull-up three in transition in the second half with about 6:20 to go, I thought he played like a true pro.”

On Sunday's matchup against St. John’s:
“I think it’s going to be a battle. The Johnnies, they come at you, they’ve been off a week, they just had a tough loss against Xavier where I thought they played their best game. They’re really driving the basketball, (Marcellus) Earlington’s really starting to shoot the basketball, making shots — which I think has really helped them a little bit — and we’ve got to do a better job against their pressure. That kind of bothered us a little bit in the first half there, so I think it’s going to be a battle, just like all the other games.”

On the plan for the last shot:
“The plan was to throw it up and let Sandro go get it, and hope for a miracle, to be honest with you. You only have 0.6, so you have to throw something up where you can tip it. You can’t throw it down where you have to gather.”

On maintaining focus:
“It’s the end of February. We’re in first place in the Big East, I don’t have to worry about that. I’ll make sure that they’re ready, and I think they understand the opportunity that they have. They understand how good Creighton’s been playing, to stay one game up on Creighton’s huge, but every game right now is too important.”

On Myles Cale’s second-half minutes:
“I needed Myles Cale on the floor. I needed Myles Cale, I just needed him on the floor. This was a game where Jared’s been playing great, but he’s a sophomore. I thought they did a really good job of getting after Jared a little bit early and making it hard for him. I needed Myles Cale’s presence on the floor, defensively, offensively. It’s just what I needed. It goes with everybody, but he’s one of those guys when he’s on the floor, his box scores don’t show everything he does. He’s playing those minutes because he does everything right. He’s a guy that when he’s on the floor, he’s always in the right position, he’s doing the right play, he’s always making the right decision and when you have a guy like that on the floor, he complements Myles at times unbelievably well.”

Battle of Brooklyn Photo Gallery

Photos from the 2020 Battle of Brooklyn, an 87-77 win for St. Francis Brooklyn over LIU on February 18, 2020:

(All photos by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

MAAC Monday: Crawford fuels Iona’s latest run, stat leaders, power rankings

By Jaden Daly (@jadendaly) and Vincent Simone (@VTSimone)

The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference stretch drive begins with an all-new MAAC Monday, reprising stat leaders and power rankings, but not before first recognizing a school that becomes the first this season to get a second team spotlight. With that said, away we go.

We’ve all seen this movie before.

Unnamed team gets out of the gate a step slow, takes time to find its identity amid a roster overhaul, treads water through the opening weeks of MAAC play just barely enough for everyone to question whether or not said team is dead in the water.

Then, magically, the calendar flips from January to February, and unnamed team — which could not stay out of its own way earlier in the year — suddenly becomes the one nobody wants to see on the other end of the court, flipping the proverbial switch and taking every opponent captive.

It must be time for another Iona resurgence.

The Gaels, winners of four straight after Sunday’s 78-70 victory at the hands of Marist, are rising from the ashes once more, now even in MAAC play with a 7-7 conference record after having their mortality questioned more than ever this season in the face of head coach Tim Cluess’ health issues and acting replacement Tra Arnold seemingly struggling to shed his assistant coach makeup in the first two months of the season. And in a manner similar to last year’s 10-game win streak Iona carried into the NCAA Tournament, history is repeating itself in New Rochelle, except with a new impetus this time around.

E.J. Crawford has driven Iona to four straight wins since addressing social media after Gaels’ loss to Manhattan to open month of February. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

Following Iona’s 72-49 loss to Manhattan on February 2, an uncharacteristically flat offensive performance by the four-time reigning MAAC champions, E.J. Crawford took to social media the morning after and made an impassioned plea to the Gaels’ fan base, urging it not to act as though the sky was falling in and around Westchester County.

pic.twitter.com/s0KY8AFGTW

— E Bucks (@EJCrawford5) February 3, 2020

“We’re just a family,” Crawford said last Friday, following the Gaels’ 80-57 rout of Manhattan in a rematch with the Jaspers, of the emotion behind his post. “We pick each other up when some of us are down.”

“That tweet was the turnaround for our season,” Tajuan Agee said of his fellow senior’s rally cry. “He did a great job of leading by just sending that out, like, forget what everybody else is saying. It’s us. It’s about us in this locker room, it’s about these 13 guys, and I think that brought everybody together and got us to buy in.”

What makes this display all the more significant is that it marks a stark contrast from Crawford’s usual lead-by-example approach. Nonetheless, it has served as the object from which Iona has galvanized itself, and the primary motivator in the latest uprising, which continues Wednesday at Siena, and also on Friday when Rider visits the Hynes Athletics Center.

“It’s the exact opposite of his personality,” Agee said, initially incredulous by Crawford’s actions. “For him to do that, that made me like, ‘Alright, okay, he’s serious now.’ Now we’re locked in, and I think it rubbed off on the rest of the guys. It just brought us together. We’re more of a family now than ever.”

Once again owners of a well-timed hot streak, everything appears to be coming together at the perfect moment for Iona, and its four-year veteran — seeking to join Rickey McGill as the only other player in MAAC history with an undefeated conference tournament record — has made sure the stakes as the season heats up are not lost on neither him nor his teammates.

“Of course, we might hit our bumps and bruises at the beginning because there’s so many new guys, but I tell the guys it matters in February and March,” Crawford reiterated. “As long as we get it together around then, we should be alright.”

Scoring Leaders
1) E.J. Crawford, Iona (17.9 PPG)
2) Deion Hammond, Monmouth (16.1)
3) Rich Kelly, Quinnipiac (16.1)
4) Jalen Pickett, Siena (15.5)
5) Elijah Burns, Siena (14.6)
6) Ray Salnave, Monmouth (14.4)
7) Dimencio Vaughn, Rider (14.2)
8) Tajuan Agee, Iona (13.8)
9) Marcus Hammond, Niagara (13.7)
10) Manny Camper, Siena (13.6)

Rebounding Leaders
1) Kevin Marfo, Quinnipiac (13.3 RPG)
2) Manny Camper, Siena (10.2)
3) Tyere Marshall, Rider (7.9)
4) Tajuan Agee, Iona (7.5)
5) Dimencio Vaughn, Rider (6.5)
6) Pauly Paulicap, Manhattan (6.4)
7) Malik Johnson, Canisius (6.1)
8) Elijah Burns, Siena (6.1)
9) Michael Cubbage, Marist (6.0)
T-10) Vincent Eze, Fairfield (5.6)
T-10) Frederick Scott, Rider (5.6)

Assist Leaders
1) Malik Johnson, Canisius (6.0 APG)
2) Jalen Pickett, Siena (5.6)
3) Rich Kelly, Quinnipiac (4.6)
4) Stevie Jordan, Rider (4.1)
5) Isaiah Washington, Iona (3.4)
6) Samuel Chaput, Monmouth (3.3)
7) Ray Salnave, Monmouth (3.1)
8) Tajuan Agee, Iona (3.1)
9) Michael Cubbage, Marist (3.1)
10) Marcus Hammond, Niagara (3.0)

Field Goal Percentage Leaders
1) Elijah Burns, Siena (.626)
2) Tyere Marshall, Rider (.608)
3) Warren Williams, Manhattan (.570)
4) Tajuan Agee, Iona (.521)
5) Greg Kuakumensah, Niagara (.516)
6) Vincent Eze, Fairfield (.494)
7) Pauly Paulicap, Manhattan (.489)
8) Dimencio Vaughn, Rider (.489)
9) Manny Camper, Siena (.481)
10) Frederick Scott, Rider (.474)

Free Throw Percentage Leaders
1) Rich Kelly, Quinnipiac (.879)
2) Ray Salnave, Monmouth (.862)
3) Elijah Burns, Siena (.850)
4) E.J. Crawford, Iona (.847)
5) Deion Hammond, Monmouth (.831)
6) Donald Carey, Siena (.823)
7) Taj Benning, Fairfield (.819)
8) James Towns, Niagara (.808)
9) Tajuan Agee, Iona (.777)
10) Scott Hitchon, Canisius (.754)

3-Point Field Goal Percentage Leaders
1) Matthew Lee, Saint Peter’s (.511)
2) Doug Edert, Saint Peter’s (.443)
3) Dimencio Vaughn, Rider (.429)
4) Matt Herasme, Marist (.420)
5) Braden Bell, Marist (.419)
6) Frederick Scott, Rider (.404)
7) Nehemiah Mack, Manhattan (.404)
8) Marcus Hammond, Niagara (.400)
9) Ray Salnave, Monmouth (.398)
10) Jacob Rigoni, Quinnipiac (.395)

Steal Leaders
1) Malik Johnson, Canisius (2.1 SPG)
2) Christian Hinckson, Manhattan (1.8)
3) Isaiah Washington, Iona (1.6)
4) Michael Cubbage, Marist (1.5)
5) Stevie Jordan, Rider (1.5)

Blocked Shot Leaders
1) KC Ndefo, Saint Peter’s (2.4 BPG)
2) Pauly Paulicap, Manhattan (1.7)
3) Seth Pinkney, Quinnipiac (1.5)
4) Tajuan Agee, Iona (1.3)
5) Jalen Pickett, Siena (1.2)

Power Rankings
1) Saint Peter’s (13-11, 10-5 MAAC)
Last Week: 1
Last Game: Sunday 2/16 vs. Fairfield (W 61-44)
Next Game: Friday 2/21 at Manhattan, 7 p.m.

2) Siena (13-10, 9-5 MAAC)
Last Week: 4
Last Game: Sunday 2/16 vs. Manhattan (W 65-52)
Next Game: Wednesday 2/19 vs. Iona, 7 p.m.

3) Rider (15-10, 9-6 MAAC)
Last Week: 2
Last Game: Sunday 2/16 vs. Quinnipiac (W 79-63)
Next Game: Friday 2/21 at Iona, 7 p.m.

4) Monmouth (14-11, 8-6 MAAC)
Last Week: 5
Last Game: Sunday 2/16 at Niagara (L 77-72)
Next Game: Friday 2/21 at Marist, 7 p.m.

5) Iona (9-12, 7-7 MAAC)
Last Week: 7
Last Game: Sunday 2/16 vs. Marist (W 78-70)
Next Game: Wednesday 2/19 at Siena, 7 p.m.

6) Manhattan (11-12, 7-7 MAAC)
Last Week: 3
Last Game: Sunday 2/16 at Siena (L 65-52)
Next Game: Friday 2/21 at Saint Peter’s, 7 p.m.

7) Niagara (9-16, 7-7 MAAC)
Last Week: 10
Last Game: Sunday 2/16 vs. Monmouth (W 77-72)
Next Game: Friday 2/21 at Fairfield, 7 p.m.

8) Quinnipiac (11-13, 6-8 MAAC)
Last Week: 6
Last Game: Sunday 2/16 at Rider (L 79-63)
Next Game: Friday 2/21 vs. Canisius, 7 p.m.

9) Fairfield (10-15, 6-8 MAAC)
Last Week: 9
Last Game: Sunday 2/16 at Saint Peter’s (L 61-44)
Next Game: Friday 2/21 vs. Niagara, 7 p.m.

10) Marist (6-17, 5-9 MAAC)
Last Week: 8
Last Game: Sunday 2/16 at Iona (L 78-70)
Next Game: Friday 2/21 vs. Monmouth, 7 p.m.

11) Canisius (9-16, 4-10 MAAC)
Last Week: 11
Last Game: Friday 2/14 vs. Monmouth (L 85-71)
Next Game: Friday 2/21 at Quinnipiac, 7 p.m.