Sacred Heart shows signs of life, upside in decisive win over UNH

By Ray Curren (@currenrr)

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — From the outside, it might have been a big surprise that Sacred Heart was leaving the Northeast Conference, where it had resided and seemed to fit in quite well since moving to Division I in 1999.

But if you had been to the campus in the last few years, let’s just say there’s some money going into things, most notably new buildings everywhere, including a new $70 million hockey arena that opened last year.

And so into the MAAC Sacred Heart goes, whether its men’s basketball program is ready or not. While they won’t get a new arena, the antiquated Pitt Center has undergone a massive renovation, and (much like the Hynes Center) will be largely unrecognizable from its old self when it reopens Thursday as the Pioneers take on, ironically, old NEC pal Central Connecticut.

While Sacred Heart was picked dead last in the MAAC preseason poll and began the year 0-4, it showed plenty of life Saturday night in the second of three games at the Brown College Hill Classic, rolling past New Hampshire, 80-63, despite playing without injured starters Anquan Hill and Tanner Thomas.

Head coach Anthony Latina was also not in attendance due to a family emergency, so longtime assistant Kyle Steinway—who has been with the program for a decade—took the reins and the team recognized him by chanting his name as the final buzzer sounded.

“Obviously we’ve been struggling,” Steinway said. “We challenged them (Friday) night after the game. We had a long film session. I thought the effort was a losing effort from too many guys, so we challenged them to raise it up. They answered, and we need to do that every night.”

One look at the data shows where the Pioneers (1-4) will need to improve to be competitive in the MAAC, and it’s on the defensive end. Sacred Heart has not finished higher than 227th nationally in defensive efficiency during Latina’s tenure (he’s now in his 12th season), and it’s perhaps the biggest reason Sacred Heart has never gone to the NCAA Tournament.

Last season was a prime example. The Pioneers led the NEC in offense by a wide margin and even being sixth on defense, were able to go 12-6, but lost in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament to eventual winner Wagner.

Steinway and his staff are obviously aware of the issue, and after what they thought was another flat defensive effort in an 82-75 loss to Holy Cross, which put up 1.32 points per possession Friday night, worked hard overnight to make adjustments. 

The result was an energetic (even in an empty gym) defense that held an opponent under 80 for the first time all season. Per KenPom, New Hampshire has one of the worst offenses in the country (355th currently), but it’s a start, with another tough test against host Brown to finish the College Hill Classic on Sunday.

“The biggest thing that is different about this year is I think we have a team that can defend,” Steinway said. “We’ve always had super talented guards and offensive guys, but there are pros and cons there, we’ve had smaller guards. We haven’t always had the personnel to be a great defensive team, but I can say we are going to be a good defensive team. We have athleticism, length, we can do this.”

As always at this level these days, there are plenty of new faces for Sacred Heart, but—also as always—the Pioneers should be able to score. Hill was the 2021-22 NEC Rookie of the Year at FDU before transferring to St. Bonaventure. Two separate injuries have kept him out, but he is 8-for-9 from the field and 4-of-5 from three in limited action. Hofstra transfer Griffin Barrouk is a pure shooter who hit a couple of big long-range bombs Saturday night. And three returners (other than Thomas who has been injured) that should play a huge role are: Siena castoff Aidan Carpenter (who leads the team in minutes), Bryce Johnson (who spent last season at Northeastern before returning), and Raymond Espinal-Guzman (who is from Rhode Island). All three of those players come with the aforementioned size the Pioneers have often lacked.

They also got some big minutes Saturday from freshman guard Nyle Ralph-Beyer, who played just 10 minutes in their first three games.

“When we had that meeting yesterday, we said everything is on the table, the lineup, everything,” Steinway said. “We’ll play anyone if they can get the job done. We even had a couple guys we didn’t get to today that I feel comfortable with.”

But the biggest key may be at the point guard position, which has been turned over to true freshman Mekhi Conner, who dominated Connecticut high school basketball and the staff has very high hopes for, especially on the defensive end. Saturday, Conner had four steals as the Pioneers forced 14 turnovers and dominated on the glass, 44-22, getting 17 offensive rebounds.

One game does not a season make, and the MAAC (although won last season by Saint Peter’s, which finished 305th in offensive efficiency) is sure to pose problems that Sacred Heart did not see in the NEC. But they think they can do a lot better than last.

Georgia Southern fends off late Winthrop flurry in Rock Hill Classic

 

Adante' Holiman led Georgia Southern with 23 points in Saturday's Eagle victory. (Photo:  Georgia Southern Athletics)

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ROCK HILL, S.C. – There are few more frustrating words in the dictionary than “almost”. For Winthrop, though, it was the word of the day Saturday in the Rock Hill Classic.

Not even 24 hours after the Eagles scored a wild comeback victory on a Bryce Baker corner three, Winthrop found itself in a spot to pull out another. Lightning would not strike twice, though, leaving Winthrop one bucket shy in an 89-87 Georgia Southern victory at the Rock Hill Sports & Event Center.

“(This was) really disappointing,” Winthrop coach Mark Prosser said. “We were poor in assist-to-turnover ratio yesterday and awful today. We didn’t shoot the ball well yesterday and didn’t shoot well again today. You can’t continue to play with fire and hope that you can get a random bounce here and there. That’s just not reality in Division I basketball. We put ourselves in that situation.”

Winthrop (3-2) enjoyed a strong defensive sequence to start the game. The Eagles held Georgia Southern without a bucket for the first five minutes of the contest, though they could only claim a 6-0 lead through that sequence. Georgia Southern (4-1) used an 11-4 run over the next 2:20 to take an 11-10 advantage. The rest of the first half proved to be a back-and-forth affair that saw neither side claim a lead larger than five points. Georgia Southern took one of those five-point advantages to the interval, holding a 39-34 halftime lead.

The predatory bird battle gained steam in the second 20. Georgia Southern scored nine of the first 13 points of the second half, stretching its lead to 10. Winthrop continued to battle and make shots, but struggled to draw closer than eight points. The homestanding Eagles used a 9-4 surge capped by a K.J. Doucet three to snip the Georgia Southern lead to five. Doucet was assessed a technical, however, for making a gesture toward the Georgia Southern bench.

“Every play matters,” Prosser said. “We talk about it all the time. You lose the game by two in a game where you get a technical foul and you give them two points. Every play matters.”

The Georgia Southern lead again swelled to 13 with six minutes remaining before Winthrop went on a somewhat glacial burst in which it scored 12 of the next 17 to narrow the Georgia Southern margin to six with 2:15 remaining. As Winthrop ratcheted the pressure, star guard Kasen Harrison guided the Eagle comeback. Harrison was responsible for 11 of 14 Winthrop points in a late stretch that helped fuel the frenetic pace.

“He’s an elite paint toucher,” Prosser said of Harrison. “He’s unselfish to a fault. He’s just such a team-first kid. He was really good today and very good defensively. Especially at the defensive end of the floor, we need more to join him.”

The agonizing drain of Georgia Southern’s lead continued. Following two Harrison free throws, Winthrop forward Yoro Diallo pilfered an inbounds pass and threw home a dunk, cutting the Georgia Southern lead to just three. Nate Brafford hit two free throws for Georgia Southern with 40 seconds to play, followed by two Doucet free throws for Winthrop that again reduced the lead to just three.

Harrison would then convert a layup that would bring Winthrop within a point. After Adante’ Holiman made a free throw, there was a contested play under the Winthrop basket that looked as if it would give the Eagles back the ball with 1.7 seconds remaining. After review, the initial call on the floor awarding the ball to Winthrop was reversed. Georgia Southern then ran off the remaining time.

“Nope,” Prosser said when asked after the game whether or not he received an explanation for the long review delay and reversal. “My understanding is that, if it’s not obvious, you don’t change the call on the court. If you spent 45 minutes over there looking at it, then apparently, it’s not that obvious. At the end of the day, you have no recourse. They just make a decision, and there’s literally nothing you can do.”

“We need more complete efforts,” Prosser continued. “You can’t win games with five assists and 20 turnovers. You can’t. You can’t win games going 3-for-16 from the three-point line. You can’t. We’ve either got to step up and make plays, or we’re going to have to change how we play. We need some dudes to start ringing the bell when the opportunity presents itself.”

Holiman led Georgia Southern’s scorers with 23 points on a 5-for-12 effort from the floor and 10-for-11 from the line. Three Eagles joined Holiman in doubles, led by Nakavieon White’s 15 on 6-for-11 from the deck. Dontae Horne added 11, while Eren Banks contributed 10. The visiting Eagles shot 44.1 percent (30-for-68) from the field and 71.4 percent (20-for-28) from the line. Georgia Southern made just 30 percent (9-for-30) from distance. The Eagles recorded 46 bench points and 42 points in the paint.

Harrison paced Winthrop’s offensive effort with 24 on 6-of-8 shooting and 12-for-13 from the stripe. Doucet and Kelton Talford each added 18, both key components of the Eagles’ 42 paint points. Doucet tallied a double-double with 10 boards, while Talford added six. Winthrop shot 47.1 percent (24-for-51) from the floor, including 61.5 percent (16-for-26) in the second half. The Eagles shot just 18.8 percent (3-for-16) from beyond the arc. Winthrop tied its all-time record for free throws attempted in a game with 49, a mark it last equaled against Methodist University in November of 1986. Winthrop made 36 of its tries (73.5 percent) from the line.

Winthrop and Georgia Southern both return to action Sunday afternoon in the finale of the Rock Hill Classic. Georgia Southern opens play at noon against William & Mary, while Winthrop battles NC Central after the conclusion of the first game. Both games will be streamed via ESPN+.

GEORGIA SOUTHERN 89, WINTHROP 87

GEORGIA SOUTHERN (4-1)

Douglas 3-10 1-2 8, Brown III 3-7 1-2 8, White 6-11 2-2 15, Banks 4-7 0-0 10, Brown 1-4 0-0 2, Horne 3-10 4-6 11, Holiman 5-12 10-11 23, Smith 1-1 2, Brafford 0-1 2-4 2, Parker 4-5 0-1 8. Totals 30-68 20-28 89.

WINTHROP (3-2)

Talford 5-9 8-9 18, Harrison 6-8 12-13 24, Doucet 6-11 4-9 18, Kamarad 0-1 0-0 0, Baker 2-6 0-2 5, Jolly 1-2 0-0 2, Jones 2-5 2-2 6, Diallo 1-2 1-2 3, Johnson 1-6 4-6 6, Hamilton 0-0 2-2 2, Duncomb 0-1 3-4 3. Totals 24-51 36-49 87.

Halftime:  Georgia Southern 39-34. 3-Point goals:  Georgia Southern 9-30 (Douglas 1-4, Brown III 1-4, White 1-4, Banks 2-3, Horne 1-5, Holiman 3-9, Brafford 0-1), Winthrop 3-16 (Talford 0-1, Doucet 2-4, Kamarad 0-1, Baker 1-5, Jolly 0-1, Jones 0-2, Johnson 0-2). Fouled out:  White (GASO), Banks (GASO), Brown (GASO), Parker (GASO), Talford (WU)  Rebounds:  Winthrop 41 (Doucet 10), Georgia Southern 38 (Brown III 8). Total fouls:  Georgia Southern 34, Winthrop 21. Technicals:  Doucet (WU).

Points off turnovers:  Georgia Southern 23, Winthrop 16.  Points in the paint:  Georgia Southern 42, Winthrop 42. Second-chance points:  Georgia Southern 8, Winthrop 4.  Fast-break points:  Winthrop 24, Georgia Southern 4.  Bench points:  Georgia Southern 46, Winthrop 22.

 

Sha Sounds Off: Wagner

On Seton Hall’s defensive effort:

“I think we’ve been playing defense solid all year. I thought we just kind of focused in, not breaking down at the last minute. Our defense has been solid all year, our offense has to kind of catch up.”

On his message after Wednesday’s loss to Hofstra:

“Keep working. Gotta keep working, can’t put our heads down, can’t listen to the noise, gotta keep believing in the people in our program and our locker room on our team, and just keep chipping away. I told them it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon. I’m still super positive with this team because our best basketball is still way ahead of us. That’s about it.”

On Yacine Toumi and David Tubek:

“I thought he came in early—we’ve been working the past couple days—but I thought he came in early and rushed his first possession, and after that, he kind of took what the defense gave him. It was good. I tell these guys all the time, we don’t really have a starting five, so for Scotty and Yacine to come in and play like that with Gus, and also having Manny back, it was a boost for us. I just wanted to give him some minutes before we go down to Charleston. He’s only had three or four practices, but he’s gonna be really, really good for us. I thought DT was good, he was solid for us today. I gotta keep restoring confidence in him. Listen, we’ve got a long way to go. I’ve been honest with you guys from day one with this team. Our best basketball’s ahead of us, and we’re gonna continue to keep fighting and clawing and battling.”

On momentum, plus Zion Harmon and Garwey Dual:

“To answer the first question, it’s good to get a win. It’s always good to get a win. It’s good for these guys to feel good about themselves a little bit after two tough losses, and then as far as the other two guys, we gotta go with the guys that are here right now. Those two guys are out right now, how long they’re gonna be out, I don’t know. So I gotta continue to keep instilling confidence in Dylan and Chaunce to handle the basketball and make some plays for us. I thought Chaunce was really good for us today, I gotta give Dylan his confidence back. He’s playing with the world on his shoulders. I told him at halftime, ‘I don’t need you to be great, I need you to be solid.’”

On finding a defensive identity:

“Yeah, like I said earlier, J, I think if you look at our last three games, we’re struggling offensively. We’re gonna continue to keep working at that, but I thought we’ve been defending. To keep Hofstra, a good offensive team, to 49 points, to keep them down like that, I thought we’ve been defending. We’ve just gotta continue to keep getting better. A lot of guys are not from this area, right? So they’re reading a lot of stuff and they’re worried about it. I’m like, fellas, let me handle that. You guys just worry about playing basketball and keep believing in each other. Don’t make mistakes, but if you do, let it be aggressive mistakes. Like Dylan’s being real tentative now. Just play, man. Just play basketball, do what you did your whole life. And that’s what I’m telling these guys, just play basketball.”

On Seton Hall’s defensive edge:

“When you come in with a new group, the first thing you gotta do is establish something. And in this culture, it’s our defense, so that’s what I established this summer with them. And then you’ve got a bunch of guys out that are now trying to come back, and you’re trying to figure out a way…okay, I got this guy back, I got this guy back. How can we score now? How can we do this now? Now you’ve got two of your point guards out, and now you’ve gotta figure it out again. And that’s just connecting the dots, man. It’s part of it, but I ain’t worried about it. I’m built for it.”

On Isaiah Coleman:

“He told me something at halftime that I was very disappointed to hear. Never tell me you lost your confidence. You’re too good of a basketball player. You’ve been out for a while, you’re working your way back in. Once the rust goes (away), you’re gonna be fine. He’s overthinking things way too much right now instead of just playing basketball. I think, to be honest with you, I think these three days before we leave are gonna be great for us. We get a chance to practice, we get a chance to get Manny back in, get Isaiah his confidence back. Now I know who’s playing, who’s not playing, now I can work with Dylan and Chaunce at the point guard spot. It’s just things that, as a coach, now I get to say, ‘okay, he’s here, he’s here, he’s here, he’s not,’ instead of showing up at practice and being like, ‘oh, he’s not here today?’ You know what I mean? Those things are kind of frustrating, but now I know what I have, and that’s good.”

On Dual and Harmon:

“To be honest, Jerry, there’s a lot going on with (Garwey). His shoulder’s kind of messed up right now, so he’ll get reevaluated in the next couple days and see what’s what. Zion, he’s got some things going on as well. I don’t know—I don’t see the future because that doesn’t make sense—but I don’t know what’s gonna be entailed the next couple days with these guys, so I gotta focus on Dylan and Chaunce, and get those guys ready for the trip.”

On Scotty Middleton:

“We need him. Scotty is a high-energy guy, he plays with a lot of energy. I gotta get him to slow down a little bit because he’s very passionate, which I love. He’s very passionate, he’s a workaholic. I gotta get him to understand the things he can do to help us, like if he could shoot the ball, make some shots. He could slash, he could rebound, he’s got good size. Once he starts doing that and understanding that, we need him to do that. And I thought today was a good sign for him, so I’m happy for him and I hope it continues.”

On playing at Walsh Gymnasium:

“Yeah, I’m disappointed that we lost one here. Really, really disappointed. This is a really good homecourt advantage for us, but now we’re on to the next, right? Now we’re on to the next. We gotta—I told our guys in the locker room, how you win on Thursday, you gotta win on Monday. You win Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, we’re gonna win Thursday. So I’m looking forward to those three days. As a coach, that’s what I’m looking forward to. The players aren’t, I am.”

Gardner-Webb edges Elon in thriller of a home opener

By Jacob Conley (@gwujake)

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. — Gardner-Webb used a balanced offense and a strong second half to overcome an 11-point deficit and beat a talented Elon team Friday, 80-79, in the Runnin’ Bulldogs home opener. 

GWU placed four players in double figures and shot over 80 percent from the charity stripe on the way to securing the first home win for first-year head coach Jeremy Luther.

“Man it feels great,” Luther said after the win. “I kind of felt like Jim Valvano out there looking for somebody to hug. Winning any Division I basketball game is tough and Elon is a very good team. They are very well coached and gave (North) Carolina all they wanted.”

Anthony Selden opened the game with a three for Gardner-Webb, but Elon answered with a quick 4-0 run. The teams traded triples as GW’s Pharell Boyogueno hit one from deep, but Elon still led, 13-10, at the first media stoppage. Buddy Simmons tied things out of the break with a deep trey, but a 6-0 run from Elon gave the visitors a 19-13 lead. Isaiah Richards broke the run with an emphatic slam and the teams continued to trade baskets, but the fouls kept mounting for the Runnin’ Bulldogs, as two players garnered three fouls by the midway point of the half.

A pair of Elon free throws gave the Phoenix a 30-19 lead with 7:17 left in the half. The home team started to get to the foul line, hitting five of six. By the time Shahar Lazar hit a pair of threes, GWU had clawed to within 33-32. Elon responded with a 6-0 run of their own, but Selden sank a pair of free throws, as did Simmons. Colin Hawkins converted an old-fashioned 3-point play in the final seconds of the half to pull GWU to within one, 41-40, at the break.

Simmons gave the hosts the lead with a deep three, and by the time he hit another moments later, Gardner-Webb led, 52-51. The lead kept changing hands until Elon went on a quick 5-0 run to lead by five, 60-55, with 13 minutes left. Elon hit a deep three to beat the shot clock, but Simmons hit a triple to end a 9-0 run. Hawkins hit a pair of free throws to cut the deficit to 69-65, and followed with a three to draw GWU even closer.

Elon kept the Bulldogs at bay with a pair of threes that beat the shot clock, but a jumper from Richards kept them in striking distance at 73-71 with 5:54 left. Playing with four fouls, Jamaine Mann secured a rebound and putback to tie the game at 73. Selden gave GWU a 78-77 lead with 2:24 left after a 3-point play. The Runnin’ Bulldogs secured a huge offensive rebound, leading 80-79 with 43 seconds remaining, but an offensive foul gave the ball back to Elon with 29.7 seconds on the clock. They called timeout and Richards came up with a block, but Elon retained possession with 9.4 seconds left. GWU then forced a turnover as Elon stepped on the baseline. Since the Phoenix only had four team fouls in the second half, they could not send the Runnin’ Bulldogs to the line, and a long baseball pass sealed the 80-79 win.

WELCOME BACK: Selden and Mann made their returns to Boiling Springs after transferring to other programs and then coming back to the Runnin’  Bulldogs to finish their careers.

“We call them the old men,” Luther said with a laugh. “They are so good and it’s great to have them back. Ant is still adjusting to playing this many minutes again because he did not have as many at Rice. Jamaine has yet to play a full game because he got in foul trouble tonight and against Tennessee. He was ejected against NCCU. We have seen how special he is for the last four months in practice. We can’t wait for him to show what he can do for a full 40 minutes.”

NEVER GIVE UP: GWU has been the comeback kings through the first four games of the season, so the 11-point comeback against Elon is nothing new.

“We were down by 22 to Tennessee and cut it to 11,” Luther said. “We were down by even more than that to Pitt and had a chance to cut it to single digits in the second half. That tells me this team does not quit. They keep fighting to the final whistle and you saw that again tonight.”

PHOENIX RISING: In spite of the loss, Elon left little doubt of how talented it is. The Phoenix placed five players in double figures and led but for all of 5:19 of the contest. Nick Dorn and TK Simpkins shared game-high scoring honors with 17 points apiece.

UP NEXT: GWU will face another challenge when it make the short trip to the Queen City on Tuesday to face Charlotte. Elon goes to the Land of Lincoln on Wednesday to take on Northern Illinois.

Bailey’s long-awaited debut lives up to hype as Rutgers turns back Monmouth

Ace Bailey punctuates debut with second-half dunk against Monmouth. Bailey’s 17 points helped move Rutgers to 3-0. (Photo by Rutgers Athletics)

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — One of Rutgers’ two transcendent freshmen already turned heads in the past week with back-to-back 20-point games. Friday was his wingman’s turn.

After missing the Scarlet Knights’ first two contests with a hip injury, Ace Bailey made his official debut on the banks and did not disappoint, scoring 17 points and adding six rebounds as 24th-ranked Rutgers improved to 3-0 on the young season with a 98-81 victory over Monmouth.

Bailey, a potential No. 1 overall pick in next June’s NBA Draft, only needed 27 seconds to get on the scoreboard, doing so on a 3-pointer in the right corner off a pass from Jordan Derkack. Rutgers led wire-to-wire against the visiting Hawks, and it seemed fitting that it was the 6-foot-10 phenom who drew first blood.

“Obviously, we wanted to get him going early,” Derkack said of Bailey and his eventual impact. “We didn’t mean for it to happen like that, but I was just kind of playing out there. Whoever set a flare screen for him, great play. I wound up finding him, and it was a good shot.”

“I wanted him to play,” Monmouth head coach King Rice revealed. “This wasn’t, ‘oh, I want him to play, put it up on the board.’ I love college basketball and this kid is one of the best to do it. It’s amazing that he’s that talented as a young kid, and it’s cool that he’s at Rutgers. I watched him last year when he played against Camden and scored 50, and was like, ‘wow, how is this kid that good at that age?’ I was glad that he played in the game. For a young man to not be playing, and then they run the first play for him and he hits a corner three to start the game, of course that was gonna happen against us today.”

Harper made his presence known as well, adding 20 points for a third straight game reaching that plateau, but the main takeaway was Bailey, who dazzled on a night where Rutgers was short handed, playing without Jeremiah Williams as the senior guard recovers from a shoulder injury.

“Ace is talented, and he helped pass the ball, too,” head coach Steve Pikiell assessed. “We’ve gotta get him in game shape, but I thought he gutted it out for us. He gives us another dimension on the court, and he’ll keep getting better too, like this team. I like this team, and he’s a big part of that.”

The victory did not come without a fight, however, as Monmouth (0-4) got 38 points from sophomore guard Abdi Bashir, who set a school record with ten 3-pointers in one of the better individual performances to date in the young season.

“I was really concerned with (Bashir), and I actually thought we did a decent job on him,” Pikiell said. “Then I looked at the box score. He did a fantastic job. He’s an incredible scorer. I thought we settled in and we shared the ball, we almost had six guys in double figures. (It was) a good team win, and everyone contributed.”

Multiple Rutgers players keyed in on Bashir, one of whom was Derkack, earning praise from the opposing head coach, who compared the hard-nosed junior to himself after the game.

“I love that kid,” said Rice. “He’s so tough and he’s skilled, and he’s a point guard that isn’t gonna shoot a lot of shots, but he’s such a winner. He wins games. There used to be this kid from Binghamton who went to North Carolina and couldn’t shoot, but he led his team to a Final Four. If you’re a point guard and you’re a winner like Jordan is, he can lead his team to a lot of places. I knew he was good on defense, but I didn’t know he was THAT good.”

His own coach was equally complimentary shortly after Rice offered his assessment.

“He does a lot of things for us,” Pikiell echoed, lauding Derkack’s versatility. “He’s a fantastic passer, but traffic rebounds, he can score, he can get it going downhill and he can really defend, too. I thought he did a good job on (Bashir), but Jordan brings a lot to us. He’s a leader, he’s got good toughness, he never misses a day of practice. He watches the most film on the team, too, so we’re really glad to have him back in New Jersey.”

The 98 points amassed by Rutgers Friday is a high water mark in Pikiell’s eight-plus years at the helm, besting the previous peak of 96 markers against FDU in November of 2020. Pikiell attributed the uptick on offense to Monmouth’s faster pace while also highlighting the speedier product turned out by his own unit, but reiterated that more improvement is needed as Rutgers traverses the proverbial playing field.

“We learn lessons in all these games,” he opined. “They’re very important for us. We’re playing at a different pace, and Monmouth plays at a different pace. You’re not gonna score as many points when you play the Wagners of the world, they play at a slower pace. We’re up and down the floor more, so more defensive possessions, more offensive possessions, so your defense can get exploited a little bit more.”

“We’re growing as a group. We gotta improve in every area. You see some good signs of a lot of good things, but you gotta play 40 minutes, too. That’s a huge part of moving forward here once we start playing Big Ten games. Those are 40-minute games.”

Quinnipiac pulls out gutsy win despite Maine’s late surge

Savion Lewis drives to basket as Quinnipiac fends off Maine Friday. (Photo by Quinnipiac Athletics)

By Ethan Hurwitz (@HurwitzSports)

HAMDEN, Conn. — Late in the second half, the Quinnipiac Bobcats were playing defense that was on pace to rewrite the program’s 21st century record books. 

In a blink of an eye, Maine turned around a 14-0 run to pull within one, before a floater from graduate guard Savion Lewis ultimately gave the Bobcats their first Division I win of the young season, a gritty 58-55 decision over the Black Bears.

“It was ugly, but it doesn't matter,” head coach Tom Pecora remarked. “Good teams find a way to win. We’re gonna take this win, we’re going to take tomorrow off and get ourselves healthy.”

One of the main reasons why the Bobcats were able to gut out the win was junior forward Amarri Monroe, who started the game after leaving Saturday’s loss against St. John’s early with back spasms. 

“Felt great, especially how bad I’ve been shooting the ball, so just seeing the ball go through the rim felt good,” Monroe—who racked up 21 points and seven rebounds in a game-high 36 minutes—said. “I think we’ll be really good.”

Pecora stressed often postgame that the season is still very early—“Four games into this, we're going to get better every day”—but the Bobcats’ 2-2 record did not come easy.

After leading the Black Bears by 15 points with under four minutes to play, Quinnipiac’s defense got sloppy. It stopped fighting for fouls, struggled to grab defensive rebounds and allowed Maine’s three-point shooting to catch fire. 

The 15-point lead instantly dwindled down to just one, as Maine senior guard AJ Lopez (18 points) and junior guard Jaden Clayton (12 points, seven rebounds) got big buckets to bring the once-insurmountable lead down to just a single tally in the box score.  

“I’d like to play Spence (Wewe) and Richie (Springs) more,” Pecora said. “We did a little bit with Spence, but that’s when they dug into our lead, not because of him, but because they went small.”

In the end, the Bobcats edged out a win where starters Ryan Mabrey and Paul Otieno didn’t contribute much on the offensive end. Mabrey, who scored a season-high 17 points on Saturday, only played 18 minutes tonight. 

But who helped stop the late bleeding? The other veterans in the starting lineup—Monroe, Lewis and senior Alexis Reyes—who led Quinnipiac in all facets of the game. They combined for 31 points, 16 rebounds and nine steals, with the final two points coming off the right hand of Lewis, his only points of the night.

“The veterans mean everything, like they're all leaders in practice, they’re all vocal,” freshman guard Jaden Zimmerman said. “Outside of practice, they're still talking to us, communicating, whether it's basketball or anything. (Lewis) takes nothing for granted. If he’s playing bad, he’s still gonna be a leader, still be Savion.”

The sloppy second half was just the lasting taste of an overall really strong defensive performance by the Bobcats, the part of their game that they take the most pride in.

“I think we were dialed in on defense,” Monroe said. “That's where we want to be our best at. So we can rebound and get out and run, transition is where we’re really good. So if we get stops and we're able to run, then it'll be tough for teams to guard us.”

Quinnipiac will now have a few days of rest, including a day off tomorrow, before heading down to Annapolis to face off against Navy on Tuesday for the second-straight year.

“You play the academies, it's hand and combat, no pun intended,” Pecora said. “They're going to hold, they're going to grab, they're going to be physical, and you've got to be tough enough to play through it. So with that in mind, we knew that (tonight) would be a good game leading into the next one.”

Despite 0-3 start, Saint Peter’s showing signs of moving in right direction

Bashir Mason hasn’t let winless start dampen his outlook on Saint Peter’s, as Peacocks have competed and look the part of a MAAC contender once again. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

For Bashir Mason, going home again also turned into deja vu when the Jersey City native took the reins at Saint Peter’s in 2022.

After ascending to the head coaching chair at Wagner in 2012, when he replaced Dan Hurley after the latter parlayed a 25-win season into the vacancy at Rhode Island, Mason followed another mid-major success story at Saint Peter’s after he was tabbed to pick up where Shaheen Holloway left off before he was hired at Seton Hall on the heels of the Peacocks’ historic run to a regional final.

Mason needed only two years to return Saint Peter’s to the NCAA Tournament—his first as a head coach after several heartbreaking near-misses at Wagner—and did so with a team picked tenth in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference preseason poll. This year, the Peacocks were not as lightly regarded—picked fifth—but have continued to make those who doubt them at their own risk look foolish for doing so, even with an 0-3 beginning to a season in which Saint Peter’s has looked like one of the better MAAC teams through early returns.

“You know our culture,” Mason said after Saint Peter’s battled Rutgers to the wire on Monday before falling just short, leading with less than four minutes remaining in regulation. “We’re gonna defend and be tough. We’ve been in every game, and as we grow up throughout this season, we’ll start winning them.”

“What I know about us, and I think most people in the country know about us, we’re tough. We play really hard, we’re scrappy, and I think we’re taking steps in the right direction early on in this season.”

Mason has received valuable contributions from Marcus Randolph, a senior whose 22 points against Rutgers kept the Peacocks alive down the stretch in Piscataway, as well as fellow holdovers Brent Bland, Mouhamed Sow and Armoni Zeigler. The point guard position, thought of to be a question mark at the beginning of the year, has been filled admirably, first by Bryce Eaton and most recently TJ Morris. Despite his lack of experience as a floor general, Morris stepped in after Eaton left the Rutgers game with an undisclosed injury, and showed a maturity beyond his years in a baptism by fire of sorts.

“He’s played zero minutes at the point,” Mason said of Morris. “For him to be put in that position right there and play the most minutes he’s played in three games in this level of a game and not be afraid? He got up 16 shots, and I’m okay with that. I want him to make more, but if we can keep him in that headspace and growing, getting better, that kid TJ Morris is gonna be special for us.”

Morris’ player development, along with everyone else on the roster, is a testament to Mason’s own toughness as a player and coach, which trickles down to his roster in practice and games. The no-frills schedule the Peacocks have played is another embodiment of that trait, as the allure of a six-figure check in a guarantee game does not carry the same value as testing their mettle against the heavyweights of the Northeast.

“These are the games we get excited for,” said Mason, who scheduled Rutgers one week after nearly defeating Seton Hall in Saint Peter’s season opener. “I have no interest in ever playing Kentucky, Arizona, Gonzaga. I want to play Rutgers, I want to play Seton Hall, I want to play St. John’s. I want to play the schools in the metropolitan area because there’s an energy about it that I enjoy.”

That energy has carried over into the start of the year, and has been maintained as the Peacocks navigate non-conference play. Like most coaches in one-bid leagues, Mason is not as concerned with his team’s record at this juncture, but instead more interested in how his unit grows over the course of the first two months before turning up the already high intensity come MAAC play. By that time, he hopes, those who continue to sleep on Saint Peter’s will be proven wrong yet again as he seeks to become the first coach to repeat as a MAAC champion since Tim Cluess won four straight tournament championships at Iona from 2016 to 2019.

“I’m going into the season as if it’s a marathon season for us,” Mason admitted. “I’ve got eight new players, they’re road warriors to start. We’ve got two home games in our non-conference and I’ve gotta keep these young guys confident. I’ve gotta continue to develop them, but I do believe, wholeheartedly, I have a championship-level roster. If I keep us moving in the right direction, then we’ll be really good coming down the stretch.”

FDU takes down Bucknell, improves to 4-0

Stephanie Gaitley confers with her assistant coaches as FDU battled Bucknell Wednesday. (Photo by Ray Floriani/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

By Ray Floriani (@rfloriani)

TEANECK, N.J. — FDU is off to its best start since the 1991-92 season.

That year saw the Knights get out to an 8-0 start en route to a Northeast Conference title. Last night at Bogota Savings Bank Arena, FDU improved its record to 4-0 as it defeated, Bucknell 67-56. The Bison of the Patriot League fell to 0-3.

Points of emphasis:

Slow start: FDU began in an auspicious manner, with four turnovers in the opening four minutes. Gradually settling down on the offensive end, the Knights found success utilizing a high-low post set with Lilly Parke and Teneisia Brown interchanging positions. Trailing by as much as seven early, Stephanie Gaitley’s group narrowed the deficit to one at the end of the first period.

Defense: Under Gaitley, the emphasis is defense. FDU held Bucknell to three points in the second period. The Bison struggled, hitting only one of 14 attempts from the field. The Knights also hit the glass hard, not allowing second shots on a Bucknell miss.

“We changed defenses a bit to give another look and throw them off balance,” Gaitley said. “We also did a great job rebounding.”

That second period allowed FDU to take a 26-16 lead into the intermission.

Learning to finish: In last Sunday’s win at Mount St. Mary’s, the Knights held a substantial lead entering the fourth period, owning a 17-point cushion. The Mount rallied, getting the deficit to two possessions late before the Knights sealed the verdict from the charity stripe. Last night, the Knights held a 19-point lead entering the final ten minutes. Coach Trevor Woodruff’s Bison found the mark in that final stanza. Bucknell never narrowed the lead to single digits, but there were a few anxious moments on the host side.

“Last year, we were not in this position as much, Gaitley said. “We spent a lot of time coming back in

games, so playing with a big lead has been a new

experience with this group. There is a way to close out the game once you establish that lead, and we are learning how to do it.”

Spreading the wealth: FDU assisted on 15 of its 22

field goals, while placing four players in double figures. Parke led the way for the Knights with 17 points. Abby Conklin, Brown and Abaigeal Babore all contributed 13 apiece. Gaitley cited Parke’s versatility. The 6’2” junior forward can play inside, step out on the perimeter and handle against the press, and set a screen to execute a pick-and/roll. She is FDU’s Swiss Army knife.

“She does a great job, and did so many good things

tonight,” Gaitley praised.

Ashley Sofilkanich: The sophomore was a main concern for the Knights as they prepared for

Bucknell.

“She is effective on both ends,” Gaitley said of Sofilkanich. “She can score and defend. She’s a tough player.”

Sofilkanich, who starred at New Jersey prep power

St. John Vianney, scored a career and game-high 27

points, adding a team-high nine rebounds. She was held in check for three periods before breaking out the final ten minutes, helping Bucknell make one last run. She was proficient in the paint, as well as on the offensive glass during that final stanza. Despite falling to 0-3, she feels the Bison are coming along.

“We played Pitt tough before dropping a

close game,” she said, talking postgame while visiting family and well-wishers. “We came back tonight against a good FDU team. I think we just have to improve our defense a bit as we move on.”

Notes: In a 64-possession contest, FDU held a 106-88 edge in offensive efficiency. FDU shot 45 percent from the floor while limiting Bucknell to 33 percent. FDU won the rebounding battle, 39-34. Largely due to the work of Sofilkanich, the Bison owned a 40-24 advantage on points in the paint. Brown led all rebounders with 11 en route to the Knights’ first double-double of the campaign.

The Shore Conference, regarded as the best high

school girls league in New Jersey, is well represented on the Bucknell roster. Junior guard Ashley O’Connor and Soflikanich were teammates at St. John Vianney. Junior guard Sophia Sabino hails from Vianney’s rival, Red Bank Catholic.

Bucknell entered the game with an 0-2 mark, having dropped games at Penn State and Pitt. The Bison visit Merrimack Saturday before their home opener next Wednesday against Mount St. Mary’s.

The game’s first free throw was not attempted until just under five minutes remained in the second period. Given road games and practices, it’s been a tough recent stretch for FDU.

“We’ll give them off tomorrow,” Gaitley said, “then get back and get ready for Syracuse.” The Knights face the Orange on Sunday before continuing the road trip with a visit to UConn on Wednesday.

It was the first home game since Gaitley won her

700th career game. The veteran mentor hit that

milestone in last Friday’s win at American. A number of fans, and media members, joined in to offer her their congratulations on an outstanding achievement.

Northeast Conference Supervisor of Officials Jon

Levinson was in attendance to observe the crew.

FDU players sign autographs for fans after defeating Bucknell. (Photo by Ray Floriani/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

Stewart’s 26 lift Presbyterian past Wofford

Kobe Stewart led Presbyterian with 26 points as Blue Hose held off Wofford. (Photo by Brent Stastny/Presbyterian Athletics)

By Jordan Ferrell (@FerrellonFM983)

CLINTON, S.C. — Some early-season college basketball games actually do mean something.

Maybe not on the highest level, but when it comes to mid-major programs, you have games where you play for reps and money in tail whippings against big schools. But, you also get some games outside of league play that give you a good measuring stick for where your team is. On Wednesday, Wofford and Presbyterian did battle in the latter, one of those types of games that also happens to be part of a big rivalry between the foes out of the Big South Conference and the Southern Conference. 

Early on, one thing was evident. These two squads are fast and physical, and it was that physicality and speed that played into the Blue Hose’s hands through the opening four minutes. Wofford missed its first five shots, not finding the scoreboard until Dillon Bailey made a wide-open layup just ahead of the first media timeout. An exchange of baskets made it 10-7 in favor of the Terriers at that stoppage. Out of the timeout, Wofford went on an 8-0 run that was eventually snapped by Kory Mincy with a triple from the top of the key and from there, the two sides kept trading baskets.

Although the scoreboard remained close, with the Terriers leading by no less than two points until the under-8 timeout, when they had pulled out to a 22-16 advantage, it never felt like Wofford was not in control of the game. Over the final eight minutes, the Terriers outscored Presbyterian, 18-17, to take a 40-32 lead to the intermission.

The second stanza started off strong for the Terriers, featuring a pair of triples on jumpers from Jackson Sivills. But, things quickly began to sour. The Blue Hose kept Wofford off the scoreboard for over five minutes, going on a game-flipping 13-2 run in that stretch thanks in part to Kobe Stewart, who went on a personal 9-0 spurt that included three consecutive threes, the last of which tied the game at 50 with 12:36 remaining in regulation.

Even though they could not get any shots to fall, the Terriers still managed to stay within striking distance, never trailing by more than nine points. Then, enter the hero.

With Wofford only down four, Stewart put up a contested jumper from the right wing, almost in the corner, and was fouled putting it up, draining it with a roar from the raucous crowd to re-up the ante to seven with 1:11 to play in the game. In the end, despite the effort over the closing minutes, Corey Tripp’s attempt at a game-tying three as the horn sounded was way off the mark, securing the 71-68 victory for the Blue Hose. 

“I thought Presbyterian did a good job of continuing to play hard and stay the course,” Wofford head coach Dwight Perry reflected. “We did a poor job of continuing to follow the game plan. We deviated too much from that on the defensive and offensive side of the ball, and when you let a good team, which Presbyterian is, start to get confidence, it's hard to get back. Unfortunately, we found that out the hard way.”

Conversely, Presbyterian head coach Quinton Ferrell said it was his squad that deviated from its game plan until adjusting in the second half, when Stewart exploded. 

“In the first half, we didn't come out and defend the way we talked about going into the game and I just didn't like the way we were executing on both ends,” said Ferrell. “So I really challenged the guys at halftime. They did a tremendous job of responding. We made a slight adjustment in the second half defensively that I thought really helped my guys settle in and guard better. Then Kobe Stewart caught fire, which obviously is good to see a fifth-year senior do that.” 

Stewart led the way for PC, amassing 26 points on 14-of-21 shooting from the floor, which includes a 6-for-7 effort from beyond the three-point arc. He also added 10 rebounds to secure a double-double. Two other Presbyterian players marked in double figures, with Carl Parrish adding 11 points and Mincy tabbing 10.

“Kobe saw the ball go through the net and he started to get confidence,” Perry said. “When you let a good player like Kobe get confidence, it's hard to stop him. That's a big reason why we needed to stay with the game plan. I thought we did a good job in the first half, but when he started to get going, that gave him confidence that he's a good player and he capitalized on that.”

“Kobe is a fifth-year guy,” Ferrell added. “We've got to see him develop and grow, and he's playing lights-out right now. He puts in the work every single day, is unselfish, and he's been big the last couple of games. Tonight, he gave a glimpse of everything he's capable of.” 

Wofford was led by Tripp, who led the team with 15 points and six assists. Sivills ended up with 13 points while Jeremy Lorenz and Justin Bailey also were in double figures with 11 and 10, respectively. 

The Terriers, now 1-2 on the young season, will turn their sights to Saturday as they head to Durham for a tilt with Duke. Tipoff in that game is set for noon. Presbyterian (2-2) is also on the road Saturday, with an 11 a.m. tip against Kennesaw State.