With a chance to get back into the MAAC race, Marist fell flat on its face. With Fairfield playing with mostly reserves, the Stags managed to earn a 68-63 win at the Arena at Harbor Yard.
Although Marist played without starting point guard David Devezin (illness), Fairfield entered the game without star guard Jonathan Han (suspension), Warren Edney (injury), and Anthony Johnson (injury). Greg Nero, hampered by a back injury, played and poured in 13 points in 25 minutes off the bench.
Marist opened up the game with an offensive onslaught and jumped out to a 24-7 lead. The 17-point lead was short-lived, however. Marist led, 35-27, at the half but Fairfield came into the second half and scored at will. Marist played catch-up for most of the second half.
Ryan Schneider led Marist in scoring with 21 points shot just 7-of-18 from the field and 4-of-15 from behind the arc. R.J. Hall, filling in for Devezin, scored 12 points.
This loss drops Marist to 3-8 in conference play and 7-16 overall.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Something has to give in Bridgeport
Two teams on a downward spiral meet in Bridgeport, Conn. on Friday night in a MAAC showdown. The 5-5 Fairfield Stags play host to the 3-7 Marist Red Foxes in a game where one team has to emerge as the winner. Fairfield has lost three straight conference games while the wheels have fallen off for a Marist team that was three minutes away from upsetting undefeated Siena on Jan. 15. Marist is on a four-game slide. Although Fairfield entered the season as a team with aspirations of making it to the NCAA tournament, injuries have derailed those hopes for now. Sophomore Warren Edney, who averages 9.7 ppg, is likely out for a month with an injured achilles while Greg Nero and Herbie Allen are also battling nagging injuries. Nero is the team's leading scorer and second-leading rebounder, but he has been plagued by back pain and was limited to just 10 minutes in the team's latest loss to Manhattan. Finally, guard Herbie Allen has an injured wrist.
Fairfield enters this game in its most vulnerable position since head coach Ed Cooley took over the program. According to an interview Cooley did with The Mirror's Tom Cleary, the team is rattled from its slide. "Our psyche is somewhat shaky," Cooley said. "We haven't played our best basketball. But I think our best basketball is ahead of us. We need to get back on the winning track."
One constant for Fairfield is preseason first-team guard Jonathan Han. The crafty lefty averages 12.5 ppg and is second in the MAAC with 5.3 apg. His match-up with David Devezin is likely to determine the winner of the game. Han flourishes while driving-and-dishing while Devezin makes his living driving to the rim and looking to score.
Marist is hard to read entering this game. The talent is obviously there, but the team has not responded after what should have been a sure win against No. 1 Siena. The Red Foxes are finding every way imaginable to lose games. Missed free-throws, listless play, and a 35-foot three-pointer to send a game into overtime are among them. After losing back-to-back games in the McCann Center, Marist needs to regroup heading into the Arena at Harbor Yard. One weapon that Marist has firing on all cylinders right now is senior captain Kaylen Gregory. The Virgin Islands native scored a career-high 23 points against Loyola and showed just how dangerous he can be. Gregory knocked down three-pointers with ease and brought the crowd to its feet with a soaring dunk through the middle of the lane. While Javon Parris has started every game this season, Gregory deserves another shot in the top five. Gregory emerged as a starter after camp but quickly lost his spot to sophomore guard Dejuan Goodwin.
Although lineups are impossible to predict for Fairfield due to injuries, Marist's starting five should look like this:
G David Devezin
G Dejuan Goodwin
G Kaylen Gregory
F Ryan Schneider
F Korey Bauer
Monday, January 26, 2009
Marist-Loyola Press Conference
After Loyola's miracle comeback win over Marist, head coaches Jimmy Patsos and Chuck Martin addressed the media along with Marist forward Ryan Schneider.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Marist vs. Loyola LIVE from McCann; Loyola wins after miracle 3 ends regulation
R.J. Hall could not put home a lay-up as time expired and Loyola went on to win, 73-72. The MAAC's leading scorer, Jamal Barney, made a lay-up with 6.4 seconds left to give Loyola the lead and the Greyhounds were able to hold on. Barney scored 26 points and he and fellow teammate Brett Harvey shot 10-of-10 apiece from the free-throw line. Senior captain Kaylen Gregory led Marist with a career-high 23 points.
*****
Brett Harvey hits a buzzer-beating three-pointer to send the game into overtime, 63-63.
Kaylen Gregory just hit a three-pointer with 1:10 left in the game to give Marist a 61-58 lead. The Red Foxes then forced a turnover and have possession with 56.6 seconds left.
Marquis Sullivan just hit his second three-pointer of the game to give Loyola a 58-57 lead. The play prompted an immediate timeout from Chuck Martin. There's 2:33 left in the game.
Korey Bauer just reached double-figures in scoring for the second time this season. The last time was against Delaware in the Garden State Challenge. Bauer has made a big impact on the game in his first start of the season. Marist leads, 56-51, with 4:12 left.
Following a 17-4 Marist run capped by a soaring Kaylen Gregory-dunk, Marist has jumped out to an 52-47 lead in the second half. There's 7:00 left in the game.
*****
Marquis Sullivan just drained his first three-pointer of the afternoon and Loyola has taken a 30-24 lead with 45 seconds left.
Sure enough, all three good for Harvey. Loyola takes a three-point lead.
Jawaan Wright, clearly unhappy with the officiating and thinking the media can help, screamed "are you f***ing kidding me." On the next trip, Brett Harvey was fouled once again in the act of shooting a three-pointer. It's a safe bet all three of those will be good after the timeout, but the game is currently tied at 24 with 3:19 left in the first.
Marist is in the double-bonus defensively and there's still 6:46 left in the first half. Loyola has shown it has no problems shooting free-throws, with Brett Harvey going 5-of-5 and Jamal Barney 2-of-2 thus far. Loyola leads, 20-19, and is due for two free-throws.
Jimmy Patsos stormed out onto the floor and called an immediate timeout after Korey Bauer scored a lay-up seconds after a Greyhounds' miss on the other end. Bauer, the surprise starter, has four points so far. Marist leads, 17-14, with 9:20 left.
With 11:23 left, Marist and Loyola are knotted at nine. Not exactly an offensive game. Marist freshman forward Alex Vouyoukas just got away with a walk as he backed his way in to the basket without dribbling the ball. The refs generously called a foul on Loyola.
WKNY's Dan Reinhard made the first Patsos quote of the night: "Look at Patsos, he's gonna have a heart attack." The Loyola coach is worth the price of admission.
Jimmy Patsos gave his first shouting outburst to the ref during the first official timeout. With 4:20 gone in the first half, Loyola has jumped out to a 6-5 lead. Both teams are pretty cold from the floor early. Jamal Barney opened the game with a bucket and Loyola went on to a 6-1 lead. Marist has responded with back-to-back buckets.
*****
The Patsos watch is on in McCann. One change to the starting lineup, Korey Bauer is in, Alex Vouyoukas is out.
*****
Brett Harvey hits a buzzer-beating three-pointer to send the game into overtime, 63-63.
Kaylen Gregory just hit a three-pointer with 1:10 left in the game to give Marist a 61-58 lead. The Red Foxes then forced a turnover and have possession with 56.6 seconds left.
Marquis Sullivan just hit his second three-pointer of the game to give Loyola a 58-57 lead. The play prompted an immediate timeout from Chuck Martin. There's 2:33 left in the game.
Korey Bauer just reached double-figures in scoring for the second time this season. The last time was against Delaware in the Garden State Challenge. Bauer has made a big impact on the game in his first start of the season. Marist leads, 56-51, with 4:12 left.
Following a 17-4 Marist run capped by a soaring Kaylen Gregory-dunk, Marist has jumped out to an 52-47 lead in the second half. There's 7:00 left in the game.
*****
Marquis Sullivan just drained his first three-pointer of the afternoon and Loyola has taken a 30-24 lead with 45 seconds left.
Sure enough, all three good for Harvey. Loyola takes a three-point lead.
Jawaan Wright, clearly unhappy with the officiating and thinking the media can help, screamed "are you f***ing kidding me." On the next trip, Brett Harvey was fouled once again in the act of shooting a three-pointer. It's a safe bet all three of those will be good after the timeout, but the game is currently tied at 24 with 3:19 left in the first.
Marist is in the double-bonus defensively and there's still 6:46 left in the first half. Loyola has shown it has no problems shooting free-throws, with Brett Harvey going 5-of-5 and Jamal Barney 2-of-2 thus far. Loyola leads, 20-19, and is due for two free-throws.
Jimmy Patsos stormed out onto the floor and called an immediate timeout after Korey Bauer scored a lay-up seconds after a Greyhounds' miss on the other end. Bauer, the surprise starter, has four points so far. Marist leads, 17-14, with 9:20 left.
With 11:23 left, Marist and Loyola are knotted at nine. Not exactly an offensive game. Marist freshman forward Alex Vouyoukas just got away with a walk as he backed his way in to the basket without dribbling the ball. The refs generously called a foul on Loyola.
WKNY's Dan Reinhard made the first Patsos quote of the night: "Look at Patsos, he's gonna have a heart attack." The Loyola coach is worth the price of admission.
Jimmy Patsos gave his first shouting outburst to the ref during the first official timeout. With 4:20 gone in the first half, Loyola has jumped out to a 6-5 lead. Both teams are pretty cold from the floor early. Jamal Barney opened the game with a bucket and Loyola went on to a 6-1 lead. Marist has responded with back-to-back buckets.
*****
The Patsos watch is on in McCann. One change to the starting lineup, Korey Bauer is in, Alex Vouyoukas is out.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Marist folds on ESPNU
Last night's loss to Canisius is one that captures the essence of a 10th placed team. After playing like an upper-echelon MAAC team heading into Loyola, the team has dropped off considerably. It's hard to put last night's 79-70 loss to then 1-7 Canisius into words, so best to let head coach Chuck Martin and senior captain Ryan Schneider explain it.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Marist vs. Canisius LIVE from McCann; Canisius handles Marist, 79-70
FINAL: Canisius 79 Marist 70
*****
Canisius leads, 72-68. The free-throw line is proving once again to be a Marist enemy as Schneider and Goodwin have gone a combined 2-of-4 in the last minute. Frank Turner has taken over this game, and he leads all scorers with 18.
With two minutes remaining, Marist trails, 70-67. This game looks like the last possession might win it.
After Dejuan Goodwin nailed a three-pointer, Canius' star point guard Frank Turner countered with a fadeaway jumper. With 6:06 left, Marist trails, 63-60. Turner leads all scorers with 16.
With under eight minutes left, Marist still trails Canisius, 61-57. A Mike Taylor-three pointer knotted the game at 57, but Canisius responded with a 4-0 run. Every time Marist has come close, Canisius has answered with a bucket of its own.
*****
Canisius leads, 37-42, after a listless first half from the Red Foxes. It will be interesting to see what Martin says in the locker room at the half. Tune in to ESPNU for the answer.
With 3:23 left, Marist has cut Canisius' lead to four and had it tied at 27 after a pair of Kaylen Gregory free-throws. Ryan Schneider leads all scorers with eight points but is 2-of-7 from the field. Schneider also has a game-high seven rebounds.
**According to Marist women's broadcaster Geoff Brault, the early highlight of the game is trainer Glenn Marinelli's pink and green tie. Marist still trails.
Chuck Martin has shown little patience with his starters as 10 guys have seen game action already. At the third official timeout, Marist trails by seven. The defense has not shown much of an improvement over last Sunday's loss at Loyola. Despite what Martin termed a "good practice" yesterday, the team has not shown many flashes on either end of the floor.
A Ryan Schneider driving lay-up with the harm broke a Canisius run with 10:21 remaining in the first. Marist trails, 21-17.
Marist's offense is extremely flat early on in the game. The defense is not helping out much either as Canisius leads, 19-14, with 11:34 left in the first half. The lone bright spot for Marist has been freshman walk-on Mike Taylor, who has five points and leads the Foxes in scoring off the bench.
With Chris Gadley out. Elton Frazier has helped Marist out by picking up two quick fouls.
Canisius has jumped out to an early 10-6 lead. The highlight thus far has been a reverse alley-oop dunk by Elton Frazier. Frank Turner and Frazier have a game-high four points at the first timeout.
*****
Some early game notes: Canisius big man Chris Gadley is out tonight with an injury. The game is about to start live on ESPNU.
*****
Canisius leads, 72-68. The free-throw line is proving once again to be a Marist enemy as Schneider and Goodwin have gone a combined 2-of-4 in the last minute. Frank Turner has taken over this game, and he leads all scorers with 18.
With two minutes remaining, Marist trails, 70-67. This game looks like the last possession might win it.
After Dejuan Goodwin nailed a three-pointer, Canius' star point guard Frank Turner countered with a fadeaway jumper. With 6:06 left, Marist trails, 63-60. Turner leads all scorers with 16.
With under eight minutes left, Marist still trails Canisius, 61-57. A Mike Taylor-three pointer knotted the game at 57, but Canisius responded with a 4-0 run. Every time Marist has come close, Canisius has answered with a bucket of its own.
*****
Canisius leads, 37-42, after a listless first half from the Red Foxes. It will be interesting to see what Martin says in the locker room at the half. Tune in to ESPNU for the answer.
With 3:23 left, Marist has cut Canisius' lead to four and had it tied at 27 after a pair of Kaylen Gregory free-throws. Ryan Schneider leads all scorers with eight points but is 2-of-7 from the field. Schneider also has a game-high seven rebounds.
**According to Marist women's broadcaster Geoff Brault, the early highlight of the game is trainer Glenn Marinelli's pink and green tie. Marist still trails.
Chuck Martin has shown little patience with his starters as 10 guys have seen game action already. At the third official timeout, Marist trails by seven. The defense has not shown much of an improvement over last Sunday's loss at Loyola. Despite what Martin termed a "good practice" yesterday, the team has not shown many flashes on either end of the floor.
A Ryan Schneider driving lay-up with the harm broke a Canisius run with 10:21 remaining in the first. Marist trails, 21-17.
Marist's offense is extremely flat early on in the game. The defense is not helping out much either as Canisius leads, 19-14, with 11:34 left in the first half. The lone bright spot for Marist has been freshman walk-on Mike Taylor, who has five points and leads the Foxes in scoring off the bench.
With Chris Gadley out. Elton Frazier has helped Marist out by picking up two quick fouls.
Canisius has jumped out to an early 10-6 lead. The highlight thus far has been a reverse alley-oop dunk by Elton Frazier. Frank Turner and Frazier have a game-high four points at the first timeout.
*****
Some early game notes: Canisius big man Chris Gadley is out tonight with an injury. The game is about to start live on ESPNU.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Marist looks to strike gold against Canisius
The Marist Red Foxes' men's team will play the second-end of a Marist basketball doubleheader that will be televised on ESPNU. The women's team (No. 20 in the nation) will play Fairfield prior to the men's game against Canisius.
Marist is facing a must-win game against a Canisius team that has one conference win to its name. The Golden Griffs enter the McCann Center with a 6-12 overall record and a 1-7 MAAC record. Marist sits at 3-5 in the conference and 7-13 overall.
After impressive efforts against Niagara and Siena, Marist laid an egg on the road against the Loyola Greyhounds. Marist surrendered 83 points in regulation to Loyola. Marist has played extremely well in the McCann Center thus far, compiling a 5-3 home record that includes wins over Niagara, Saint Peter's, and Iona. On the other hand, Canisius has struggled mightily on the road, tallying just two wins all season. Canisius is 2-8 away from its home floor.
Despite Canisius' poor record, the Golden Griffs boast three players scoring in double-figures. Junior guard Frank Turner remains the team's most consistent threat, averaging 14.3 ppg. The player that provides the biggest match-up problem, however, is center Chris Gadley. Gadley comes into the gam
e averaging 11.2 ppg and 8.4 rpg. The center also measures in at 6-foot-9 and an astounding 320 pounds. Freshman Julius Coles also scores in double-digits with 11.3 ppg from the swingman position.
Although star guard Frank Turner's match-up with David Devezin remains intriguing, the one likely to give Marist the most trouble is Chris Gadley vs. the Marist bigmen. Asking starting forward Alex Vouyoukas against Gadley is a tough proposition for the 6-foot-9 rookie, but Lawrence Williams is much smaller. Expect to see sophomore forward Korey Bauer receive extra minutes in an attempt to slow down the Canisius big man.
Canisius' record may not look imposing, but the Golden Griffs blew out the fourth seeded Rider Broncs, 84-66, a team that Marist lost by 11 to. Marist must raise its energy level or else an upset is not out of the question. Marist head coach Chuck Martin stated that he was upset with his team's energy and emotion in the team's loss to Loyola.
Something worth watching over the next couple of weeks is Ryan Schneider's energy level. Martin has leaned on the senior captain all season, and it shows. Schneider leads the MAAC in minutes play with 37.8 mpg and has tallied multiple 40-minute efforts. It's easy to understand why Schneider is leaned on so heavily though. The 6-foot-7 Yorktown Heights product enters the game averaging 16.4 ppg and nine rpg, good for fourth and second, respectively. Schneider has also knocked down the most three-pointers in the MAAC with 54 and his 2.7 per game average is good for second behind Niagara's Tyrone Lewis.
Marist is facing a must-win game against a Canisius team that has one conference win to its name. The Golden Griffs enter the McCann Center with a 6-12 overall record and a 1-7 MAAC record. Marist sits at 3-5 in the conference and 7-13 overall.
After impressive efforts against Niagara and Siena, Marist laid an egg on the road against the Loyola Greyhounds. Marist surrendered 83 points in regulation to Loyola. Marist has played extremely well in the McCann Center thus far, compiling a 5-3 home record that includes wins over Niagara, Saint Peter's, and Iona. On the other hand, Canisius has struggled mightily on the road, tallying just two wins all season. Canisius is 2-8 away from its home floor.
Despite Canisius' poor record, the Golden Griffs boast three players scoring in double-figures. Junior guard Frank Turner remains the team's most consistent threat, averaging 14.3 ppg. The player that provides the biggest match-up problem, however, is center Chris Gadley. Gadley comes into the gam
e averaging 11.2 ppg and 8.4 rpg. The center also measures in at 6-foot-9 and an astounding 320 pounds. Freshman Julius Coles also scores in double-digits with 11.3 ppg from the swingman position. Although star guard Frank Turner's match-up with David Devezin remains intriguing, the one likely to give Marist the most trouble is Chris Gadley vs. the Marist bigmen. Asking starting forward Alex Vouyoukas against Gadley is a tough proposition for the 6-foot-9 rookie, but Lawrence Williams is much smaller. Expect to see sophomore forward Korey Bauer receive extra minutes in an attempt to slow down the Canisius big man.
Canisius' record may not look imposing, but the Golden Griffs blew out the fourth seeded Rider Broncs, 84-66, a team that Marist lost by 11 to. Marist must raise its energy level or else an upset is not out of the question. Marist head coach Chuck Martin stated that he was upset with his team's energy and emotion in the team's loss to Loyola.
Something worth watching over the next couple of weeks is Ryan Schneider's energy level. Martin has leaned on the senior captain all season, and it shows. Schneider leads the MAAC in minutes play with 37.8 mpg and has tallied multiple 40-minute efforts. It's easy to understand why Schneider is leaned on so heavily though. The 6-foot-7 Yorktown Heights product enters the game averaging 16.4 ppg and nine rpg, good for fourth and second, respectively. Schneider has also knocked down the most three-pointers in the MAAC with 54 and his 2.7 per game average is good for second behind Niagara's Tyrone Lewis.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Drummond officially a Red Fox
Although the writing was on the wall, the pen officially met paper as Villanova center Casiem Drummond's transfer to Marist became official.
Drummond will be eligible to play in the Spring semester of the 2009-10 season. Villanova granted the center permission to talk to Marist, Siena, and Boston University and Drummond chose Marist. He attended the same high school as Marist freshman point guard R.J. Hall. Both attended Bloomfield Tech in New Jersey and hail from East Orange, N.J.
Drummond will be eligible to play in the Spring semester of the 2009-10 season. Villanova granted the center permission to talk to Marist, Siena, and Boston University and Drummond chose Marist. He attended the same high school as Marist freshman point guard R.J. Hall. Both attended Bloomfield Tech in New Jersey and hail from East Orange, N.J.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Marist sputters at Loyola
Marist failed to get back on track on Sunday by virtue of losing a road contest against MAAC foe Loyola.
Loyola had five players score in double-digits, including Jamal Barney's game-high 22 points in the 83-73 win over Marist. Barney currently leads the MAAC in scoring with 18.4 ppg.
Marist trailed for the better part of the game but knotted the game at 57 with 10:30 left in the game. Loyola responded with an 11-2 run that was sparked by senior guard Marquis Sullivan. Sullivan scored 17 points and shot 5-of-10 on three-point field-goals.
With the Memphis game notwithstanding, Marist yielded the most points in regulation of any game this season to Loyola. Despite shooting a better percentage from the field, Marist surrendered 15 offensive rebounds and turned the ball over 13 times. Loyola took better care of the ball and shot a whopping 91.3 percent from the free-throw line. The Greyhounds made 21 of their 23 free-throws.
Even though Marist struggled on the defensive end, the Foxes had four players score in double-figures. Ryan Schneider and Lawrence Williams paced Marist with 15 points apiece while David Devezin and R.J. Hall each tallied 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting.
With the loss, Marist drops to 3-5 in the MAAC while Loyola jumps to 3-5. Both teams entered the game with 7-12 overall records. Marist returns home looking to rebounds from back-to-back MAAC losses on Friday against Canisius. The game will be televised on ESPNU.
Loyola had five players score in double-digits, including Jamal Barney's game-high 22 points in the 83-73 win over Marist. Barney currently leads the MAAC in scoring with 18.4 ppg.
Marist trailed for the better part of the game but knotted the game at 57 with 10:30 left in the game. Loyola responded with an 11-2 run that was sparked by senior guard Marquis Sullivan. Sullivan scored 17 points and shot 5-of-10 on three-point field-goals.
With the Memphis game notwithstanding, Marist yielded the most points in regulation of any game this season to Loyola. Despite shooting a better percentage from the field, Marist surrendered 15 offensive rebounds and turned the ball over 13 times. Loyola took better care of the ball and shot a whopping 91.3 percent from the free-throw line. The Greyhounds made 21 of their 23 free-throws.
Even though Marist struggled on the defensive end, the Foxes had four players score in double-figures. Ryan Schneider and Lawrence Williams paced Marist with 15 points apiece while David Devezin and R.J. Hall each tallied 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting.
With the loss, Marist drops to 3-5 in the MAAC while Loyola jumps to 3-5. Both teams entered the game with 7-12 overall records. Marist returns home looking to rebounds from back-to-back MAAC losses on Friday against Canisius. The game will be televised on ESPNU.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Marist to take on Barney and friends
The road does not get any easier for Marist as the Red Foxes travel to Maryland to take on the Loyola Greyhounds tomorrow at noon. After holding Siena's Kenny Hasbrouck and Edwin Ubiles at bay, Marist must now face the MAAC's leading scorer, Jamal Barney. The sophomore guard enters the game averaging 18.3 ppg and has exploded on the offensive end in recent weeks. In the last two weeks, Barney has tallied two 40-point games against Canisius and NJIT. The Providence-transfer has been the high-scorer in five of the last six Loyola games, scoring over 20 points in each of those games. Barney ignited the Loyola offense on Friday night against Manhattan in a MAAC contest televised on ESPNU. Barney notched game highs in both scoring and rebounds with 21 points and eight rebounds in the Loyola 58-54 win.
The road win over Manhattan marked Loyola's first in the last four tries. The Greyhounds rank eighth in the MAAC with a 2-5 conference record. Their other win came on Jan. 3 when Loyola handled Canisius, 86-62. Loyola has lost to Niagara twice, Saint Peter's, Fairfield, and Siena.
The other threat for Loyola is 6-foot-1 guard Brett Harvey. The junior enters this game averaging 13.4 ppg. Harvey's role in the offense has increased substantially after the graduation of Loyola star and all-conference guard Gerald Brown.
Marist is in desperate need of a win after letting Friday night's tilt against Siena slip away. Marist is 3-4 in the league and 7-12 overall. For Marist, the offensive threats are the usual suspects: David Devezin and Ryan Schneider. Marist's offense has taken off since Devezin's return to the starting lineup. Marist is averaging 72.6 ppg since Devezin returned and scored 86 points against Niagara in the 18-point blowout win.
After facing Loyola, Marist will return home on Friday, Jan. 23 for a home contest against Canisius. The game will be televised on ESPNU and tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Moving on from Siena
There's no doubt that last night's 91-85 loss to dreaded rival Siena will live in Marist history for some time. There's no way around it. When a team relinquishes a 14-point lead in the final 3:25 of game-time, there will be doubts. While watching the Marist bench in the waning moments, the expressions ranged from frustration to disbelief.
Chuck Martin, however, had a smile on his face. That smile will undoubtedly prevent any hangover from the loss to Siena. In the post game press conference, Martin said that he told his players to have fun and hope the game keeps going. Martin said he wanted to coach all night, it was that type of game.
Ultimately, this loss will not affect anything that happens in the MAAC tournament, it's one game. Marist proved plenty to Siena and the other eight conference teams on the floor last night, regardless of the result. Marist proved its talent is just as good as any other team in the MAAC. Unfortunately, its depleted talent. Two Marist starters played over 40 minutes last night, including 44 from senior captain Ryan Schneider. Following Marist's win over Bucknell, guard Dejaun Goodwin, who finished the game with ice on both his knees, said he was tired with a laugh. The one lingering effect of this game is the realization that Marist's short bench places a strong burden on the shoulders of a select few.
Aside from a short bench, this loss is far from catostrophic. When looking at the largest comeback of all time, Rick Pitino's Kentucky Wild Cats overcame a 31-point deficit with only 15:30 remaining in the game. The reality is that there have been far worse losses. Kentucky overcame that gigantic deficit to win, 99-95, against LSU in reulation back in 1994. Rick Pitino said he just wanted to widdle away at the lead and get it back to a manageable number. Before long, 31 turned into 14 which turned into winning.
That was not Pitino's only miracle win. The current Louisville coach has been a part of the following comebacks:
The important thing to take away from the game is Chuck Martin's attitude. Rick Pitino said that all comebacks share something in common. Although Marist lost the game, the comeback from that game starts Sunday at Loyola. When Rick Remsnyder asked Martin how he and the Red Foxes recover from a loss like that, Martin said "we embrace it." It's obvious Martin knows what buttons to push. Pitino said that all comebacks involve several things:
Chuck Martin, however, had a smile on his face. That smile will undoubtedly prevent any hangover from the loss to Siena. In the post game press conference, Martin said that he told his players to have fun and hope the game keeps going. Martin said he wanted to coach all night, it was that type of game.
Ultimately, this loss will not affect anything that happens in the MAAC tournament, it's one game. Marist proved plenty to Siena and the other eight conference teams on the floor last night, regardless of the result. Marist proved its talent is just as good as any other team in the MAAC. Unfortunately, its depleted talent. Two Marist starters played over 40 minutes last night, including 44 from senior captain Ryan Schneider. Following Marist's win over Bucknell, guard Dejaun Goodwin, who finished the game with ice on both his knees, said he was tired with a laugh. The one lingering effect of this game is the realization that Marist's short bench places a strong burden on the shoulders of a select few.
Aside from a short bench, this loss is far from catostrophic. When looking at the largest comeback of all time, Rick Pitino's Kentucky Wild Cats overcame a 31-point deficit with only 15:30 remaining in the game. The reality is that there have been far worse losses. Kentucky overcame that gigantic deficit to win, 99-95, against LSU in reulation back in 1994. Rick Pitino said he just wanted to widdle away at the lead and get it back to a manageable number. Before long, 31 turned into 14 which turned into winning.
That was not Pitino's only miracle win. The current Louisville coach has been a part of the following comebacks:
New York Knicks: Overcame 27-point deficit to beat PortlandPitino's plan is not much different than any other coach's when facing a desperate situation. Score quickly and foul the suspect free-throw shooters. Unfortunately for Marist, almost every player on the floor wound up miss at least one free-throw down the stretch, there was not one culprit. At the same time, give credit to Siena because just because Marist opened the door for them, they had to make the clutch shots to get through that door.
Kentucky: six point down with 38 seconds left; beat Arkansas
Kentucky: trailed Tennessee by 10 with one minute remaining; won
Louisville: trailed West Virginia by 20 in 2005; won and reached Final Four
The important thing to take away from the game is Chuck Martin's attitude. Rick Pitino said that all comebacks share something in common. Although Marist lost the game, the comeback from that game starts Sunday at Loyola. When Rick Remsnyder asked Martin how he and the Red Foxes recover from a loss like that, Martin said "we embrace it." It's obvious Martin knows what buttons to push. Pitino said that all comebacks involve several things:
"Here is the important common denominator in all those comebacks: They began with positive energy on the floor, on the bench, and in the team huddles. They began with a belief that things would get better if we persevered through adversity, trusted each other and worked together... The most important thing I did in the course of those comebacks was to build my players' self- esteem. Don't tear them down for the mistakes that got the team in those holes to begin with; build them up to the point where they felt capable of making the plays that would result in victory. When people feel extraordinary, you get extraordinary results. When people feel ordinary, you get ordinary results. I'm not talking about false patronage; don't tell little Johnny he's going to be president when he's not doing well in the classroom. They have to deserve it - and when they do deserve it, you have to reinforce it in stressful times."Martin understands the positive energy that needs to be infused in an inexperienced team playing in a new system in front of raucous crowds. Martin smiled following the game because he knew what he needed to reinforce in his players. The coach needed to take the positives out of the loss. Siena head coach Fran McCaffery said all that needed to be said following the game: "I said months ago that I thought this league was as tough as it’s ever been since I’ve been in it. I said if Ryan Schneider and David Devezin are on a 10th-place team then we have a great league. That’s not 10th-place team. I can tell you that. They’ve proven that. They gave us everything we could handle." Martin should be excited because Siena will not be looking forward to a rematch in March.
Could the MAAC be headed to Mohegan Sun?
Although the MAAC and commissioner Rich Ensor cannot comment on this likelihood, there is a possibility that the MAAC tournament could be held at the Mohegan Sun arena in Uncasville, Conn. from 2012-14. The tournament is scheduled to be held in Albany at the Times-Union Center for the next two seasons and Bridgeport the year after. The story was reported by The Trentonian and Mohegan Sun, home to several casinos and the WNBA's Connecticut Sun, seems like a reasonable location. Since Siena has emerged as a conference powerhouse, giving the Saints the home-court advantage yearly is a detriment to the other nine MAAC teams. After 2011, it has been proposed that Siena host the tournament every year. According to The Trentonian's Ben Doody:"But especially with Siena’s emergence as the league’s dominant team, the parties involved feel it would be unfair to keep the tournaments there on a permanent basis, as Siena and Albany County officials have proposed."Mohegan Sun is an ideal place to host a tournament. Marist played UMass there last season and the atmosphere was incredible. This situation also provides a neutral site that does not favor one specific team. This is strictly a rumor since the decision won't be official until next fall, but it could serve the rest of the MAAC well.
Marist misses golden opportunity; falls apart in late minutes
Marist squandered a double-digit lead in the waning minutes and ultimately fell, 91-85, in overtime in a thriller at the McCann Center.
For the second straight year Siena has topped Marist in overtime in the McCann Center. The games share little resemblance, however. Marist boasted a 67-53 lead with 3:25 remaining in the game, but the Red Foxes went 9-of-18 from the free-throw line in the last 2:16 of regulation. Two of the misses were at the front-end of one-and-ones. Siena freshman Kyle Downey emerged as the unlikely hero, sinking two three-pointers in the final 47 seconds of the second half. Downey finished the game with 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting. The freshman entered the game for preseason player of the year Kenny Hasbrouck, who fouled out with 1:33 left in regulation.
Downey never expected to play as large a role as he did, but the freshman knew if his number was called, he needed to step up.
"You can’t really count on that. You can’t really plan on anything," Downey said. "It’s just when your number’s called you try to go out there and do your best. It was just being a threat from the outside. If they throw it to you, you try to make a shot."
Siena head coach Fran McCaffery employed his strategy in hopes that Marist would allow Siena room to get back into the game. Marist did just that. As Marist's free-throw woes continued, Siena started to build momentum, which turned the game around.
"When you start to nibble like that, you could see, we were gaining confidence, they were losing confidence," McCaffery said. "They’re just trying to protect the lead, hold on, get out of here with the W. We sort of forced them to keep playing. I’m just really proud of my guys and the way they handled that situation."
The ending is not a complete surprise for the Red Foxes, however. When Marist traveled to Madison Square Garden for a contest with the Big East's St. John's, Marist shot a dreadful 7-of-25 from the free-throw line. That 28 percent statistic is also somewhat deceiving. Walk-on guard Pat McDerby drained two free-throws in the final minute to bolster Marist's percentage. Whether it was Marist's nerves, inexperience, or the shots just not falling, Marist obviously missed the perfect opportunity to establish itself as a MAAC title contender. With Rider and Niagara falling, a Marist win would have put the Foxes at 4-3 in the conference. Marist is now left to wonder about what should have been.
Marist head coach Chuck Martin knew the game boiled down to free-throw shooting and there wasn't anything complex about the way the game ended.
"We played well, we just missed free-throws. At the end of the game, their stragey was, man, we're in trouble, let's foul and hope they miss them," Martin said. "Fortunately for them, it worked, but that was their strategy. It wasn't rocket science."
Martin also wanted to make sure the final score did not overshadow what Marist accomplished for the better part of 37 minutes on Thursday night.
"Siena does a great job and I have the utmost respect for their program, but we played well," Martin said. "I want to make sure that our fans and our community and the people here understand that they were picked No. 1 [in the MAAC] and they were top 50 in the country. We played great, we were just too young, we were just...compusure at the end, didn't hit free-throws, but we played great."
With a quick turnaround and a game Sunday at Loyola, Marist must put this loss behind them. Martin will try and use this game as a lesson for the players and conceded that players need to experience these types of games to overcome them in the future.
"Some things you just can't speed the process up. One of the problems in today's day-and-age is you've got X-Box and PlayStation, when you lose on PlayStation you just start over again, it doesn't hurt," Martin said. "Not enough kids play and not even kids are in these situations so they can physically feel what it feels like when you lose...Today you've got to go through this process so you can experience it and walk away and say, 'Man, you know what, that hurts,' but not enough kids learn how to care because they haven't been put in that situation before."
Marist and Siena played an even first half, tied 32-32 going into the locker room. Marist led by as many as 15 points in the second half and had the Poughkeepsie faithful in a frenzied state. The Red Foxes brought the raucous crowd to its feet after Dejuan Goodwin floated an alley-oop pass to the rim that a soaring Kaylen Gregory slammed home to give the Foxes a 60-47 lead. Marist led, 67-53, but Siena closed regulation on a 23-9 run.
Marist freshman point guard R.J. Hall led all scorers with 21 points while senior captain Ryan Schneider tallied 19 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in 44 minutes of gametime. Alex Franklin led Siena with 19 points, 15 of which came from the charity stripe. Marist shot 16-of-30 from the free-throw line for the game while Siena went 27-of-48 from the line.
Marist sits at 7-12 on the year with a 3-4 conference record.
Full press conference below:
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Marist falls flat in final three minutes; Siena wins 91-85 in OT
In overtime, conference favorite Siena outlasted the Marist Red Foxes in a game that will live in Marist lore for quite some time. Marist shot 9-of-18 from the free-throw line late, including misses on the front-end of one-and-ones and fell, 91-85. Marist led 67-53 with 3:25 remaining, but Siena outscored Marist 23-9 over the final minutes. With both Rider and Niagara falling, Marist missed a golden opportunity to make a legitimate shot at one of the top conference seeds. Back to the drawing board though for Martin and the Red Foxes. MORE TO COME.
*****
Marist isn't making a sure win easy. Marist led 67-53, but the lead has dwindled down to seven with 1:51 to play. Marist leads, 67-60, late.
Fran McCaffery just called a timeout following a Kenny Hasbrouck lay-up. Marist will trade threes for twos though, as Kaylen Gregory previously made a three. With 2:37 remaining, Marist leads Siena by 12. Marist 67, Siena 55 late.
Marist opened the half on a 19-4 run. Ironically when Marist lost last month, Siena closed the game on a 22-4 run. Ryan Schneider, after a slow second half, has been unconscious in the second half. Schneider has hit four three-pointers and the Marist offense has exploded. Siena has never been one to fall out of a game though. No lead is safe. Marist leads, 60-47, with 7:38 left in the game.
*****
At halftime, Marist and Siena are tied, 32-32. David Devezin and R.J. Hall have a game-high 10 points. Ryan Schneider has struggled to get it going offensively but has been dominant guarding potential NBA player Edwin Ubiles. Ubiles has four points at the half.
With 3:39 left, Marist's guards have officially taken over the game for the Red Foxes. Marist leads, 30-29, and R.J. Hall and David Devezin have combined for 15 points. Devezin has 10, all on drives to the basket. Devezin is officially the MAAC equivalent of Derrick Rose.
Sophomore Clarence Jackson is making his presence felt early here in Poughkeepsie. Jackson is 3-of-3 from the field and has eight points. Siena has grabbed a 23-21 lead behind its sixth man and strong defensive play. There's 7:53 left in the first half.
With 11:47 left in the first, Marist and Siena are knotted at 18. Marist-killer Alex Franklin leads the Saints with five points, three of which have come from the free-throw line. Marist went on a 5-0 run to take an 18-15 lead, but a missed Alex Vouyoukas lay-up led to a Clarence Jackson three-pointer at the other end.
David Devezin is continuing where he left off last game. The point guard scored six points in the first 2:06 of the game. The effort has been there so far for the Red Foxes, forcing several Siena turnovers already. Marist holds onto an early lead with 15:56 remaining in the half.
*****
The game's about to start and there's a surprisngly large contingent here for Marist considering the school is still on break. The crowd is ready and the tip-off is coming up.
*****
Marist isn't making a sure win easy. Marist led 67-53, but the lead has dwindled down to seven with 1:51 to play. Marist leads, 67-60, late.
Fran McCaffery just called a timeout following a Kenny Hasbrouck lay-up. Marist will trade threes for twos though, as Kaylen Gregory previously made a three. With 2:37 remaining, Marist leads Siena by 12. Marist 67, Siena 55 late.
Marist opened the half on a 19-4 run. Ironically when Marist lost last month, Siena closed the game on a 22-4 run. Ryan Schneider, after a slow second half, has been unconscious in the second half. Schneider has hit four three-pointers and the Marist offense has exploded. Siena has never been one to fall out of a game though. No lead is safe. Marist leads, 60-47, with 7:38 left in the game.
*****
At halftime, Marist and Siena are tied, 32-32. David Devezin and R.J. Hall have a game-high 10 points. Ryan Schneider has struggled to get it going offensively but has been dominant guarding potential NBA player Edwin Ubiles. Ubiles has four points at the half.
With 3:39 left, Marist's guards have officially taken over the game for the Red Foxes. Marist leads, 30-29, and R.J. Hall and David Devezin have combined for 15 points. Devezin has 10, all on drives to the basket. Devezin is officially the MAAC equivalent of Derrick Rose.
Sophomore Clarence Jackson is making his presence felt early here in Poughkeepsie. Jackson is 3-of-3 from the field and has eight points. Siena has grabbed a 23-21 lead behind its sixth man and strong defensive play. There's 7:53 left in the first half.
With 11:47 left in the first, Marist and Siena are knotted at 18. Marist-killer Alex Franklin leads the Saints with five points, three of which have come from the free-throw line. Marist went on a 5-0 run to take an 18-15 lead, but a missed Alex Vouyoukas lay-up led to a Clarence Jackson three-pointer at the other end.
David Devezin is continuing where he left off last game. The point guard scored six points in the first 2:06 of the game. The effort has been there so far for the Red Foxes, forcing several Siena turnovers already. Marist holds onto an early lead with 15:56 remaining in the half.
*****
The game's about to start and there's a surprisngly large contingent here for Marist considering the school is still on break. The crowd is ready and the tip-off is coming up.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
The Saints come marching in
The consensus preseason favorite, Siena brings its undefeated MAAC record to the McCann Center on Jan. 15 for a 7:30 p.m. tilt. The Siena Saints boast a 6-0 conference record and a 12-5 overall record. Four of Siena's losses have come at the hands of national powers. Tennessee, Oklahoma State, No. 1 Pittsburgh, and Kansas have all taken down Siena. The only suspect loss came against Wichita State on Nov. 28 at the Old Spice Classic.
Since conference play began, Siena has been virtually unstoppable though. The team has won two straight games since falling to Kansas, including a 91-81 win over Rider and a 68-64 win over Manhattan. After upsetting Vanderbilt in the first round of the NCAA tournament, most thought that Siena would roll through conference play this season. Although so far that has been the case, the Saints have been tested. Rider held several leads in the second half before Siena ultimately pulled away at home. Siena also squeezed by Manhattan and Fairfield. The Marist-Siena match-up marks the second meeting for the two teams this season. Despite holding a lead midway through the second half, Marist yielded a 22-4 run over the final 11:32 of regulation in its 77-60 loss. Alex Franklin scored a season-high 22 points for Siena while Ryan Schneider led Marist with 11 points and seven rebounds.
Since that game, Marist has recorded impressive wins over MAAC power Niagara and Bucknell. The Red Foxes also toppled the Delaware Blue Hens minus star point guard David Devezin. Marist enters the game with a fully healthy squad, something that has been rare for Chuck Martin's squad. Devezin missed five games with a heel injury sustained at Memphis on Dec. 2 while R.J. Hall missed the Saint Peter's game with a sore achilles. Marist's full squad disposed of the Niagara Purple Eagles, a game in which Devezin notched a career-high 23 points.
Marist will now face another team that features a balanced scoring attack. Poughkeepsie product Edwin Ubiles leads the Saints in scoring with 14.8 ppg. Alex Franklin will be the toughest guard, however. Franklin has historically haunted the Red Foxes and enters the game with 12.8 ppg and a team-high 6.8 rpg. Franklin will provide a tough cover for Marist star Ryan Schneider. Schneider is likely to create match-up problems for Siena as well. Schneider ranks fourth in the MAAC with 16.3 ppg and second in the conference with 8.8 rpg. Schneider also goes into the Siena game averaging 37.3 munutes per game, good for second in the conference.
Marist is undoubtedly an underdog in this game, but the Red Foxes have always played the Saints tough in McCann. Although the crowd should be slightly smaller than the raucous sellout Marist is used to due to winter break, the Red Foxes have excelled at home. The 7-11 Red Foxes are 5-2 on their home floor and 3-0 against MAAC competition.
The projected starting lineups for tomorrow's showdown are as follows:
Marist:
G David Devezin
G Dejuan Goodwin
G Javon Parris
F Ryan Schneider
F Alex Vouyoukas
Siena:
G Ronald Moore
G Kenny Hasbrouck
G/F Edwin Ubiles
F Alex Franklin
F Ryan Rossiter
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Marist "earns" upset victory over Niagara
Niagara entered the McCann Center on Sunday afternoon undefeated in the MAAC, but the Purple Eagles did not leave that way. Behind a career-high 23 points from point guard David Devezin, the Marist Red Foxes upset one of the MAAC's elite, 86-68. Senior Ryan Schneider also added a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds while sophomore Lawrence Williams chipped in 10 points after returning from a one-game suspension.
Niagara entered the game with a 13-3 overall record and a 4-0 conference record. Niagara was chosen as the No. 2 team in the conference in the preseason poll and were thought by many a good choice to uproot Siena as top dog in the conference.
Marist head coach Chuck Martin was noticeably upset with the team's effort against Manhattan and put the team through the hardest practice to date on Saturday. According to Martin, Marist needs to earn the right to beat team of Niagara's caliber.
"[The win] proves that you have to earn it in practice. You can't come in and hope that Ryan can score 30 and grab 20 rebounds and luck out. That's not how you win," Martin said. "In the MAAC or in Memphis or in the Big East, you have to earn the right to beat a team of a caliber of Niagara, and we did that yesterday because we practiced hard and practiced long."
After missing several games and slowly integrating himself back into the lineup, David Devezin responded with his biggest performance of the season to date. Devezin dictated the pace of the game and penetrated the lane at will. The point guard erupted for 23 points on 7-of-11 shooting while dishing out a game-high five assists. Devezin is returning from an injury suffered while playing Memphis and has battled plantar fasciitis since.
With Devezin playing at full speed, Martin said that the coaching staff challenged the point guard to meet the expectations the staff has for him.
"We've challenged him and said to Dave, 'We need him,'" Martin said. "We talked about black and white numbers before practice...and we said, 'You have to meet these numbers.' Sometimes in sports its black and white. You have got to get to this number and if you don't get to that number, we [aren't] winning. He obviously responded today."
Marist held Niagara to 30.4 percent shooting from the field and outrebounded the Purple Eagles, 39-35. Coach Martin emphasized the need to execute better on the defensive end after Manhattan grabbed 18 more boards than Marist in the previous game. The 73-67 loss to Manhattan served as the reason for what Martin termed "the toughest practice in his short tenure here" yesterday.
Ryan Schneider led the way defensively. In addition to his 15 points, Schneider grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds to go along with one steal and one blocked shot. The senior captain has emerged as a likely candidate for first-team All-MAAC honors. Schneider ranks fourth in the MAAC in scoring with 16.4 ppg and second in rebounding with nine rpg. After sitting out a year following his transfer from Vermont and playing sparingly in Matt Brady's offense, Schneider finally has the opportunity to lead a Division I team. For Schneider, he wouldn't have it any other way.
"It's great, I'm rellishing it," Schneider said. "I've got 13 or 14 games left in my career and I'm just trying to make the most of every time I stop on the floor."
For Martin, Schneider not making the first-team All-MAAC would be an injustice.
"There's no question in my mind. I had this conversation with someone yesterday. If [Ryan's] not a first-team All-MAAC player, then something's wrong," Martin said. "He's as good as anybody in this league. He's as athletic as anybody, he can shoot the ball...he's done a lot for us, and if other coaches don't recognize that, then they're wrong."
Niagara head coach Joe Mihalich gave Schneider the ultimate praise in likening him to a current NBA star. "Devezin's playing great and [Schneider] is playing like [Dallas Maverick's forward Dirk] Nowitzki," Mihalich said. "I mean he is, he's playing terrific."
Marist received another balanced scoring attack against Niagara. Three players scored in double-digits and Kaylen Gregory and Javon Parris both tallied nine points apiece. Gregory has seen his role increase dramatically and the senior finally feels comfortable out on the floor.
"I've been watching film with one of our assistants Ty Weeks, and he told me when I go out there don't be hesitant; when I go out there just be aggressive" Gregory said. "That's the main thing that I did and it's been helping me a lot."
Martin also noted that Gregory seems a lot more comfortable in his role.
"I think he's starting to feel more comfortable in his skin and more comfortable in our offense," Martin said. "In this league he's a really good athlete and he forces defenses to collapse with his ability to get into the paint."
Marist returns to action Thursday with a showdown against rival Siena. Marist is 7-11 on the season and 3-3 in the MAAC, but is 3-0 against MAAC opponents in the McCann Center. Siena is 5-0 in the MAAC and beat Marist earlier this season in the Times-Union Center, 77-60. Marist held a lead with a little over 10 minutes left in regulation, but the Saints outscored the Red Foxes, 22-4, in the final 10 minutes.
Full Press Conference below:
Marist vs. Niagara: LIVE FROM MCCANN; FINAL Marist, 86-68
Final from Poughkeepsie: Marist upsets one of the MAAC's top two, 86-68, behind 23 points from David Devezin. MORE TO COME.
The upset is on as Marist leads, 79-58, with 5:03 left in the game. David Devezin completely took over this game and dominated from start to finish. When healthy, he's an all-conference point guard.
The refs are starting to take over this game, and surprisingly, Joe DeMayo is not involved (although he is an official for his first Marist game of the year). Slightly midway into the second half, there have been 19 fouls called. UConn transfer Rob Garrison just drained a three-pointer with 8:36 left in the game to cut Marist's lead to 19. Marist has the ball and is up, 69-50. Marist's largest lead has been 23.
David Devezin has taken over the game and Marist looks to be a very dangerous team when he's healthy. Marist is blowing out Niagara, 65-42, with 10:04 left in the game.
With 11:45 remaining in the game, Marist is fending off Niagara, 60-42. Niagara has made several runs but David Devezin is sparking the Marist offense.
*****
At the half, Marist leads Niagara, 42-23, at the half. Very impressive first half for the Red Foxes with the largest first half point total this season. I'm expecting Niagara to come out firing in the second half, as they tend to be extremely streaky. They scored 58 in the first half against Manhattan.
** Tyrone Lewis just made another appearance past past Rick Remsnyder on press row.
Joe Mihalich immediately called a timeout after Kaylen Gregory drained an NBA range three-pointer, his second long ball in two possessions. Marist is stunning Niagara, 38-19.
Benson Egemonye's size is starting to become a problem underneath. Although Egemonye has little touch on his shots, he's generated a number of fouls on the Marist big men. Egemonye has attempted 10 free throws thus far.
Lawrence Williams has come back re-energized after his one game hiatus for violation of a team rule. Williams has four points since entering the game and is doing a good job on Niagara's big man, Benson Egemonye. Marist is shocking the No. 2 Niagara Purple Eagles, 29-12, with 7:29 left in the first half. Schneider is bouncing back from a light game on the boards. After grabbing four rebounds last game, Schneider has six rebounds already.
**Kaylen Gregory just made an appearance on press row, jumping right past me trying to save a loose ball.
With 11:38 left in the first half. Marist has surprised with an early offensive explosion. The Red Foxes lead, 20-11, after senior Ryan Schneider went on a 5-0 run. Niagara has looked extremely sloppy on the offensive end.
Marist jumped out to an early 8-1 lead behind two three-pointers from Dejuan Goodwin and Korey Bauer. Niagara responded with a quick 4-0 run. At the first official timeout, Marist leads Niagara, 11-5. Marist has hit three three-pointers thus far.
*****
Game getting ready to begin, starting lineups are as expected and no changes for Marist
The upset is on as Marist leads, 79-58, with 5:03 left in the game. David Devezin completely took over this game and dominated from start to finish. When healthy, he's an all-conference point guard.
The refs are starting to take over this game, and surprisingly, Joe DeMayo is not involved (although he is an official for his first Marist game of the year). Slightly midway into the second half, there have been 19 fouls called. UConn transfer Rob Garrison just drained a three-pointer with 8:36 left in the game to cut Marist's lead to 19. Marist has the ball and is up, 69-50. Marist's largest lead has been 23.
David Devezin has taken over the game and Marist looks to be a very dangerous team when he's healthy. Marist is blowing out Niagara, 65-42, with 10:04 left in the game.
With 11:45 remaining in the game, Marist is fending off Niagara, 60-42. Niagara has made several runs but David Devezin is sparking the Marist offense.
*****
At the half, Marist leads Niagara, 42-23, at the half. Very impressive first half for the Red Foxes with the largest first half point total this season. I'm expecting Niagara to come out firing in the second half, as they tend to be extremely streaky. They scored 58 in the first half against Manhattan.
** Tyrone Lewis just made another appearance past past Rick Remsnyder on press row.
Joe Mihalich immediately called a timeout after Kaylen Gregory drained an NBA range three-pointer, his second long ball in two possessions. Marist is stunning Niagara, 38-19.
Benson Egemonye's size is starting to become a problem underneath. Although Egemonye has little touch on his shots, he's generated a number of fouls on the Marist big men. Egemonye has attempted 10 free throws thus far.
Lawrence Williams has come back re-energized after his one game hiatus for violation of a team rule. Williams has four points since entering the game and is doing a good job on Niagara's big man, Benson Egemonye. Marist is shocking the No. 2 Niagara Purple Eagles, 29-12, with 7:29 left in the first half. Schneider is bouncing back from a light game on the boards. After grabbing four rebounds last game, Schneider has six rebounds already.
**Kaylen Gregory just made an appearance on press row, jumping right past me trying to save a loose ball.
With 11:38 left in the first half. Marist has surprised with an early offensive explosion. The Red Foxes lead, 20-11, after senior Ryan Schneider went on a 5-0 run. Niagara has looked extremely sloppy on the offensive end.
Marist jumped out to an early 8-1 lead behind two three-pointers from Dejuan Goodwin and Korey Bauer. Niagara responded with a quick 4-0 run. At the first official timeout, Marist leads Niagara, 11-5. Marist has hit three three-pointers thus far.
*****
Game getting ready to begin, starting lineups are as expected and no changes for Marist
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Marist bracing for MAAC power Niagara
After suffering two straight conference losses, Marist must now regroup to face MAAC rival Niagara. Niagara treks to the McCann Center with a 4-0 conference record and 13-3 overall record. Villanova, Akron, and Chattanoga mark Niagara's only losses on the season.
Although Niagara graduated perennial first-team forward Charron Fisher, the Purple Eagles gained two Big East transfers in Bilal Benn and Rob Garrison. The duo transferred from Villanova and UConn, respectively. When added to last year's holdovers Tyrone Lewis (pictured in the video below) and Benson Egemonye, Niagara has a team capable of winning the MAAC. With the offense that head coach Joe Mihalich's team possesses, a first place finish is not out of the question.
Niagara enters the game with the most potent offensive attack in the MAAC. The Purple Eagles average 77.9 ppg and tallied 93 against the Manhattan Jaspers. Four players average in double-digit scoring and six players average over eight ppg. Lewis, the 5-foot-11 guard, leads the team with 16.6 ppg while Benn, Garrison, and Egemonye all score over 12 ppg. In addition to leading the conference in scoring, Niagara also boasts the best winning-margin in the league. Niagara has a plus-10.4 scoring margin.
Niagara seems like an insurmountable juggernaut, but the Purple Eagles only beat the Saint Peter's Peacocks by seven points Friday night. Niagara held on to win, 62-55, but led by as many as 16 in the second half. Marist topped Saint Peter's in similar fashion earlier last week, 60-54.
Marist's biggest challenge will come at the defensive end. Even though the Red Foxes have endured long scoreless droughts within games, head coach Chuck Martin knows that his team is streaky. According to Martin, defense must remain a constant. Marist yielded 43 first-half points to Manhattan in Friday night's 73-67 loss, and Niagara has proven it can come out looking for a knockout punch. Against Manhattan, Niagara scored 58 points in the first half. In the last two games, Marist has averaged 42 points against in the first half.
Niagara has shown some weakness on the defensive end, however. In its loss to Chattanooga, Niagara allowed 99 points. The Purple Eagles also surrendered 49 first-half points in their win over the Jaspers on Jan. 3. Marist must find its offensive identity in order to take advantage of any Niagara defenisve weakness though. Only Ryan Schneider averages double-digit scoring for the Red Foxes. The senior sits at fourth in the MAAC in scoring with 16.4 ppg. Schneider is only 0.2 ppg behind Niagara's Tyrone Lewis and Loyola's Jamal Barney for second in the conference in scoring. Rider's Ryan Thompson leads the MAAC with 16.7 ppg. Although Schneider is playing like a first-team conference player, Marist has not found a consistent complementary threat. David Devezin is second on the team in scoring with 9.8 ppg but has struggled finishing since returning from a heel injury. Plus, Devezin's plantar fasciitis is still nagging him. Senior Kaylen Gregory has scored in double-digits in his last two games, but Marist has not found a consistent option. Sophomore Dejuan Goodwin looked to be emerging as that threat when he led the MAAC in three-point shooting, but Goodwin has since struggled and remarked after the Bucknell game that he was rundown and "tired."
Marist's main struggle emanates from the lack of low-post scoring. Freshman Alex Vouyoukas replaced sophomore Lawrence Williams in the starting rotation, but Vouyoukas is averaging only 2.8 ppg. Williams has also struggled after some early season success and missed the Manhattan game due to a team-imposed suspension for a rule's violation. Williams averages 6.2 ppg and 4.8 rpg but has seen his role limited due to Vouyoukas' emergence. Korey Bauer has also seen some minutes at the No. 5 position.
Marist enters the game with a 2-3 MAAC record and 6-11 overall record. However, Marist is 2-0 in the McCann Center against MAAC competition. Marist also upset Niagara at home last season, 84-65, after falling earlier at Niagara. Marist will look to continue its home success tomorrow at 4 p.m.
Although Niagara graduated perennial first-team forward Charron Fisher, the Purple Eagles gained two Big East transfers in Bilal Benn and Rob Garrison. The duo transferred from Villanova and UConn, respectively. When added to last year's holdovers Tyrone Lewis (pictured in the video below) and Benson Egemonye, Niagara has a team capable of winning the MAAC. With the offense that head coach Joe Mihalich's team possesses, a first place finish is not out of the question.
Niagara enters the game with the most potent offensive attack in the MAAC. The Purple Eagles average 77.9 ppg and tallied 93 against the Manhattan Jaspers. Four players average in double-digit scoring and six players average over eight ppg. Lewis, the 5-foot-11 guard, leads the team with 16.6 ppg while Benn, Garrison, and Egemonye all score over 12 ppg. In addition to leading the conference in scoring, Niagara also boasts the best winning-margin in the league. Niagara has a plus-10.4 scoring margin.
Niagara seems like an insurmountable juggernaut, but the Purple Eagles only beat the Saint Peter's Peacocks by seven points Friday night. Niagara held on to win, 62-55, but led by as many as 16 in the second half. Marist topped Saint Peter's in similar fashion earlier last week, 60-54.
Marist's biggest challenge will come at the defensive end. Even though the Red Foxes have endured long scoreless droughts within games, head coach Chuck Martin knows that his team is streaky. According to Martin, defense must remain a constant. Marist yielded 43 first-half points to Manhattan in Friday night's 73-67 loss, and Niagara has proven it can come out looking for a knockout punch. Against Manhattan, Niagara scored 58 points in the first half. In the last two games, Marist has averaged 42 points against in the first half.
Niagara has shown some weakness on the defensive end, however. In its loss to Chattanooga, Niagara allowed 99 points. The Purple Eagles also surrendered 49 first-half points in their win over the Jaspers on Jan. 3. Marist must find its offensive identity in order to take advantage of any Niagara defenisve weakness though. Only Ryan Schneider averages double-digit scoring for the Red Foxes. The senior sits at fourth in the MAAC in scoring with 16.4 ppg. Schneider is only 0.2 ppg behind Niagara's Tyrone Lewis and Loyola's Jamal Barney for second in the conference in scoring. Rider's Ryan Thompson leads the MAAC with 16.7 ppg. Although Schneider is playing like a first-team conference player, Marist has not found a consistent complementary threat. David Devezin is second on the team in scoring with 9.8 ppg but has struggled finishing since returning from a heel injury. Plus, Devezin's plantar fasciitis is still nagging him. Senior Kaylen Gregory has scored in double-digits in his last two games, but Marist has not found a consistent option. Sophomore Dejuan Goodwin looked to be emerging as that threat when he led the MAAC in three-point shooting, but Goodwin has since struggled and remarked after the Bucknell game that he was rundown and "tired."
Marist's main struggle emanates from the lack of low-post scoring. Freshman Alex Vouyoukas replaced sophomore Lawrence Williams in the starting rotation, but Vouyoukas is averaging only 2.8 ppg. Williams has also struggled after some early season success and missed the Manhattan game due to a team-imposed suspension for a rule's violation. Williams averages 6.2 ppg and 4.8 rpg but has seen his role limited due to Vouyoukas' emergence. Korey Bauer has also seen some minutes at the No. 5 position.
Marist enters the game with a 2-3 MAAC record and 6-11 overall record. However, Marist is 2-0 in the McCann Center against MAAC competition. Marist also upset Niagara at home last season, 84-65, after falling earlier at Niagara. Marist will look to continue its home success tomorrow at 4 p.m.
Marist can't complete comeback
Another game plagued by first half mistakes proved to doom the Marist Red Foxes at the Draddy Gymnasium Friday night.
After holding several first-half leads, Marist trailed for the better part of the contest against Manhattan and failed to come back. Marist led by as many as three points in the first half but went into halftime facing a 10-point deficit. Marist trailed Rider by 18 at the half in the prior game. The first-half deficit proved to be too much and Marist fell, 73-67, in a pivotal MAAC match-up.
For a team with a thin roster, Marist is playing with fire when they have to play catch-up in the second half. Marist eventually tied Manhattan, 67-67, with 2:47 left in the game, but the Red Foxes sputtered over the final two minutes. Devon Austin drained a two-point jumper off a feed from Antoine Pearson and Pearson closed the game with four free-throws.
Pearson, the MAAC's leading shooter in three-point percentage, scored 20 points, nearly 11 points above his season average. The guard shot 5-of-8 from the field, including 2-of-3 on three-pointers.
Once again, senior captain Ryan Schneider led the Red Foxes in scoring. Schneider has emerged as the most consistent offensive threat and poured in 21 more points against Manhattan. Although Marist benefits from Schneider's consistent scoring prowess, the team has yet to find a complementary scoring threat. For the second straight game, Kaylen Gregory filled that role. Gregory scored 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting. Freshman R.J. Hall also contributed 10 points and has been the main threat at point guard since David Devezin suffered a heel injury against Memphis. Devezin has struggled to get back into the flow of the offense despite dishing out six assists last night.
The largest disparity came in the rebounding, however. Manhattan outrebounded Marist, 41-23, and guard Chris Smith grabbed 10 boards. Ryan Schneider led Marist with only four rebounds. Marist played the game without redshirt sophomore Lawrence Williams. Williams was suspended for violating a team rule.
After holding several first-half leads, Marist trailed for the better part of the contest against Manhattan and failed to come back. Marist led by as many as three points in the first half but went into halftime facing a 10-point deficit. Marist trailed Rider by 18 at the half in the prior game. The first-half deficit proved to be too much and Marist fell, 73-67, in a pivotal MAAC match-up.
For a team with a thin roster, Marist is playing with fire when they have to play catch-up in the second half. Marist eventually tied Manhattan, 67-67, with 2:47 left in the game, but the Red Foxes sputtered over the final two minutes. Devon Austin drained a two-point jumper off a feed from Antoine Pearson and Pearson closed the game with four free-throws.
Pearson, the MAAC's leading shooter in three-point percentage, scored 20 points, nearly 11 points above his season average. The guard shot 5-of-8 from the field, including 2-of-3 on three-pointers.
Once again, senior captain Ryan Schneider led the Red Foxes in scoring. Schneider has emerged as the most consistent offensive threat and poured in 21 more points against Manhattan. Although Marist benefits from Schneider's consistent scoring prowess, the team has yet to find a complementary scoring threat. For the second straight game, Kaylen Gregory filled that role. Gregory scored 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting. Freshman R.J. Hall also contributed 10 points and has been the main threat at point guard since David Devezin suffered a heel injury against Memphis. Devezin has struggled to get back into the flow of the offense despite dishing out six assists last night.
The largest disparity came in the rebounding, however. Manhattan outrebounded Marist, 41-23, and guard Chris Smith grabbed 10 boards. Ryan Schneider led Marist with only four rebounds. Marist played the game without redshirt sophomore Lawrence Williams. Williams was suspended for violating a team rule.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Marist hopes to end Draddy dry spell
The Draddy Gymnasium signifies a house of horrors for the Marist Red Foxes. They hope to end the drought tonight. Marist has not won in Manhattan's house since December 7, 2000 when the Foxes edged the Jaspers, 64-60. Both teams enter tonight's game with 2-2 conference records, but Manhattan boasts an 8-6 overall record while Marist sits at 6-10. Manhattan is coming off a narrow win against MAAC cellar-dweller Canisius in which the Jaspers embarked on a 9-0 run in the final 2:15 of the game to escape with a 59-57 win. Both of Manhattan's conference wins have come against Canisius.
Tonight also marks another homecoming for Marist head coach Chuck Martin. This will be the third time this season that Martin has coached against a program he formerly worked for. Martin was an assistant coach with Manhattan during the 1999-2000 season in which he coached 2004 NBA draft pick Luis Flores. Martin has also coached against former teams Memphis and St. John's, where he worked as an assistant coach.
Marist's toughest challenge tonight comes in the form of Chris Smith, the sixth leading scorer in the MAAC. The 6-foot-3 guard averages 14.7 ppg and 3.4 rpg. The sophomore only connects on 36.5 percent of his field goals, however. Manhattan has multiple offensive threats. Four players average above nine ppg and three players score in double-digits. Smith, Devon Austin, and Darryl Crawford all score in double-digits. Junior Antoine Pearson also leads the MAAC in three-point field-goal percentage, a spot formerly occupied by Marist's Dejuan Goodwin (currently fourth).
Marist will rely heavily on Ryan Schneider, as always tonight against Manhattan. Schneider is the one constant in a team with several question marks right now. The health of David Devezin and whether or not he or R.J. Hall will man the point is an issue for the Red Foxes. Devezin sat on the bench for the second half of Marist's loss against Rider and played only 17 minutes.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Midseason Review
Although Marist has only played four conference games, the team has completed 16 of its 31 scheduled games so I thought it would be worthwhile to issue a mid(overall)season report card on the Red Foxes and the MAAC. Prior to the 2008-09 season, Marist was picked to finish a dead-last 10th in the MAAC. The Red Foxes have only played four of the other nine conference teams, but I think it's safe to say the team will not finish last. With a 6-10 overall record and a 2-2 conference record, Marist sits at sixth in the league. Since I've seen almost every game in person and made use of ESPNU to track some other MAAC teams, here is my midseason review.
Most Valuable Player: Ryan Schneider
Matt Brady apparently did not know what he had in Ryan Schneider last season. Although the one-time Vermont transfer drained 19 first-half points against Rider in the MAAC tournament in Albany, Schneider rarely found a consistent role on the team. In Chuck Martin's dribble-drive motion offense, Schneider has emerged as a dominant force. Marist's senior captain has played at an all-conference level and ranks highly in most statistical categories in the MAAC. Schneider currently ranks fourth in the conference in scoring with 16.1 ppg and trails leader Ryan Thompson by only 0.7 ppg. In a head-to-head match-up, Schneider drained a game-high 25 points and hauled in eight rebounds while Thompson tallied 11 points in 36 minutes. Schneider also logged a game-high 40 minutes and ranks second in the MAAC in minutes played with 37.2 per game. In addition, he has also elevated Marist's defensive effort this season. He ranks second in the MAAC in rebounding with 9.0 per game and leads the conference in defensive rebounds with 7.7 per game. Schneider also ranks highly in free-throw percentage, blocked shots, and three-pointers made. As of now, Schneider is playing at a first-team All-MAAC level.
Biggest Surprise: R.J. Hall
If someone said that David Devezin would suffer a foot injury and miss considerable time and Marist would remain competitive and even win a game or two, many would have laughed. The notion is not so laughable now. Hall led Marist to a 26-point blowout of one-time Cinderella story Bucknell on Dec. 28 and played an integral role in the team's second MAAC win of the season against Saint Peter's. Hall has gained significant experience in Devezin's absence and the injury to last year's star guard may help in the grooming of Marist's future star guard. Hall has earned MAAC rookie of the week twice so far this season and poured in a career-high 20 points in a loss to Binghamton. Hall also ranks second on the team in scoring with 8.3 ppg and logs 23.3 minutes per game.
Best Story: Mike Taylor
Hard to imagine that a walk-on freshman would have the kind of impact that Mike Taylor has, but the freshman from Los Angeles is now one of the first men off the bench. Taylor routinely receives 20-plus minutes per game and is another player that has benefitted from injury. With Dejuan Goodwin shifting to the No. 1 guard position in Devezin's absence, Taylor has become a reliable substitute for Javon Parris. Taylor came to Marist without the intention of playing basketball, but Marist's thin bench allowed Taylor, Pat McDerby, and Nick Amicucci the opportunity to play Division I basketball. Although Taylor never expected to see the floor, he's making the most of his opportunity.
Most Improved Player: Alex Vouyoukas
It might seem strange to call a true freshman the most improved on a team only halfway through its season, but the freshman from Greece looks almost entirely different at this point in the season. When Marist kicked off its opener against Rutgers, Vouyoukas seemed to have trouble picking up the offense and his positioning and other facets of his game suffered. Vouyoukas is much more comfortable now, has the confidence to post-up and shoot the ball, and has earned a starting role in Chuck Martin's offense.
Biggest Win: Home vs. Iona, 51-50
The home win against Bucknell was the most impressive but beating Iona will have the biggest ramifications come the end of the season. The game ended in dramatic fashion when Dejuan Goodwin took an inbounds pass and drained a mid-range fadeaway with 1.4 seconds left to secure the win. Iona has since beaten Fairfield and took nationally-ranked Wisconsin into overtime before eventually falling. Coach Martin has put a large emphasis on protecting the home-floor and so far the Red Foxes are 2-0 in the McCann Center vs. MAAC opponents.
Current MAAC standings (MAAC, Overall):
Siena - 4-0, 10-5
Niagara - 3-0, 12-3
Rider - 3-0, 8-5
Fairfield - 2-2, 9-6
Manhattan - 2-2, 8-6
Marist - 2-2, 6-10
Iona - 1-3, 6-9
Loyola - 1-3, 5-10
Saint Peter's - 1-3, 4-10
Canisius - 0-4, 5-9
Midseason First-Team All-MAAC
G Tyrone Lewis, Niagara
G Jamal Barney, Loyola
G/F Edwin Ubiles, Siena
F Ryan Schneider, Marist
F Alex Franklin, Siena
Player of the Year: F Ryan Thompson, Rider
Projected Standings
1. Niagara
2. Siena
3. Rider
4. Fairfield
5. Marist
6. Iona
7. Manhattan
8. Loyola
9. Saint Peter's
10. Canisius
Final Thoughts
Although Siena has been a concensus lock to win the MAAC, Niagara has emerged as a dangerous threat to the Saints. With the loss of Charron Fisher, it was assumed that Niagara would take a step back. On the contrary, UConn transfer Rob Garrison has assumed a large role in the Niagara offense and Tyrone Lewis will finish the year as a candidate for MAAC MVP. Bilal Benn and Benson Egemonye have also been stalwarts for the Purple Eagles. The first match-up between Niagara and Siena will take place on Jan. 24 at the Times-Union Center. Despite Marist's last-place preseason pick, the Red Foxes have shown they can handle tough competition. Marist held a 56-55 lead over Siena at the Times-Union Center earlier in the season before going cold over the last 10 minutes and falling, 77-60. Wins over Iona and Saint Peter's will loom large come season's end and Canisius has shown that it is a last-place team. Canisius had a chance to earn its first MAAC win over Manhattan but yielded a 9-0 run to the Jaspers in the final two minutes of action. Manhattan and Saint Peter's should also finish below Marist in the standings. Marist's success is dependent on the health of both David Devezin and R.J. Hall. Devezin is battling plantar fasciitis and Hall missed the Saint Peter's game with a sore achilles.
Most Valuable Player: Ryan Schneider
Matt Brady apparently did not know what he had in Ryan Schneider last season. Although the one-time Vermont transfer drained 19 first-half points against Rider in the MAAC tournament in Albany, Schneider rarely found a consistent role on the team. In Chuck Martin's dribble-drive motion offense, Schneider has emerged as a dominant force. Marist's senior captain has played at an all-conference level and ranks highly in most statistical categories in the MAAC. Schneider currently ranks fourth in the conference in scoring with 16.1 ppg and trails leader Ryan Thompson by only 0.7 ppg. In a head-to-head match-up, Schneider drained a game-high 25 points and hauled in eight rebounds while Thompson tallied 11 points in 36 minutes. Schneider also logged a game-high 40 minutes and ranks second in the MAAC in minutes played with 37.2 per game. In addition, he has also elevated Marist's defensive effort this season. He ranks second in the MAAC in rebounding with 9.0 per game and leads the conference in defensive rebounds with 7.7 per game. Schneider also ranks highly in free-throw percentage, blocked shots, and three-pointers made. As of now, Schneider is playing at a first-team All-MAAC level. Biggest Surprise: R.J. Hall
If someone said that David Devezin would suffer a foot injury and miss considerable time and Marist would remain competitive and even win a game or two, many would have laughed. The notion is not so laughable now. Hall led Marist to a 26-point blowout of one-time Cinderella story Bucknell on Dec. 28 and played an integral role in the team's second MAAC win of the season against Saint Peter's. Hall has gained significant experience in Devezin's absence and the injury to last year's star guard may help in the grooming of Marist's future star guard. Hall has earned MAAC rookie of the week twice so far this season and poured in a career-high 20 points in a loss to Binghamton. Hall also ranks second on the team in scoring with 8.3 ppg and logs 23.3 minutes per game.
Best Story: Mike Taylor
Hard to imagine that a walk-on freshman would have the kind of impact that Mike Taylor has, but the freshman from Los Angeles is now one of the first men off the bench. Taylor routinely receives 20-plus minutes per game and is another player that has benefitted from injury. With Dejuan Goodwin shifting to the No. 1 guard position in Devezin's absence, Taylor has become a reliable substitute for Javon Parris. Taylor came to Marist without the intention of playing basketball, but Marist's thin bench allowed Taylor, Pat McDerby, and Nick Amicucci the opportunity to play Division I basketball. Although Taylor never expected to see the floor, he's making the most of his opportunity.
Most Improved Player: Alex Vouyoukas
It might seem strange to call a true freshman the most improved on a team only halfway through its season, but the freshman from Greece looks almost entirely different at this point in the season. When Marist kicked off its opener against Rutgers, Vouyoukas seemed to have trouble picking up the offense and his positioning and other facets of his game suffered. Vouyoukas is much more comfortable now, has the confidence to post-up and shoot the ball, and has earned a starting role in Chuck Martin's offense.
Biggest Win: Home vs. Iona, 51-50
The home win against Bucknell was the most impressive but beating Iona will have the biggest ramifications come the end of the season. The game ended in dramatic fashion when Dejuan Goodwin took an inbounds pass and drained a mid-range fadeaway with 1.4 seconds left to secure the win. Iona has since beaten Fairfield and took nationally-ranked Wisconsin into overtime before eventually falling. Coach Martin has put a large emphasis on protecting the home-floor and so far the Red Foxes are 2-0 in the McCann Center vs. MAAC opponents.
Current MAAC standings (MAAC, Overall):
Siena - 4-0, 10-5
Niagara - 3-0, 12-3
Rider - 3-0, 8-5
Fairfield - 2-2, 9-6
Manhattan - 2-2, 8-6
Marist - 2-2, 6-10
Iona - 1-3, 6-9
Loyola - 1-3, 5-10
Saint Peter's - 1-3, 4-10
Canisius - 0-4, 5-9
Midseason First-Team All-MAAC
G Tyrone Lewis, Niagara
G Jamal Barney, Loyola
G/F Edwin Ubiles, Siena
F Ryan Schneider, Marist
F Alex Franklin, Siena
Player of the Year: F Ryan Thompson, Rider
Projected Standings
1. Niagara
2. Siena
3. Rider
4. Fairfield
5. Marist
6. Iona
7. Manhattan
8. Loyola
9. Saint Peter's
10. Canisius
Final Thoughts
Although Siena has been a concensus lock to win the MAAC, Niagara has emerged as a dangerous threat to the Saints. With the loss of Charron Fisher, it was assumed that Niagara would take a step back. On the contrary, UConn transfer Rob Garrison has assumed a large role in the Niagara offense and Tyrone Lewis will finish the year as a candidate for MAAC MVP. Bilal Benn and Benson Egemonye have also been stalwarts for the Purple Eagles. The first match-up between Niagara and Siena will take place on Jan. 24 at the Times-Union Center. Despite Marist's last-place preseason pick, the Red Foxes have shown they can handle tough competition. Marist held a 56-55 lead over Siena at the Times-Union Center earlier in the season before going cold over the last 10 minutes and falling, 77-60. Wins over Iona and Saint Peter's will loom large come season's end and Canisius has shown that it is a last-place team. Canisius had a chance to earn its first MAAC win over Manhattan but yielded a 9-0 run to the Jaspers in the final two minutes of action. Manhattan and Saint Peter's should also finish below Marist in the standings. Marist's success is dependent on the health of both David Devezin and R.J. Hall. Devezin is battling plantar fasciitis and Hall missed the Saint Peter's game with a sore achilles.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Hall earns MAAC honors again
For the second straight week, Marist freshman point guard R.J. Hall was named MAAC rookie of the week. The guard scored a career-high 20 points in a 73-71 loss at Binghamton and averaged 15.5 points in his two games played.
Hall missed Friday night's contest against Saint Peter's due to a strained achilles. He returned for Sunday's tilt at Rider and handled the majority of the workload because David Devezin is still hampered with plantar fasciitis.
Loyola's Jamal Barney earned player of the week honors after averaging 23 points and six rebounds over the week. Barney scored a career-high 41 points in Loyola's win over over Canisius. The sophomore guard also tallied 20 points against North Carolina State in a narrow 62-60 loss.
Hall missed Friday night's contest against Saint Peter's due to a strained achilles. He returned for Sunday's tilt at Rider and handled the majority of the workload because David Devezin is still hampered with plantar fasciitis.
Loyola's Jamal Barney earned player of the week honors after averaging 23 points and six rebounds over the week. Barney scored a career-high 41 points in Loyola's win over over Canisius. The sophomore guard also tallied 20 points against North Carolina State in a narrow 62-60 loss.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Schneider's heroics can't save Marist
Ryan Schneider led both teams in all three major categories, but an extremely slow start opened up a hole that Marist could not climb out of against Rider.
The Broncs had four players score in double-digits, including Mike Ringgold's team-high 17 points, en route to a 76-65 win.
Rider opened the game on an 8-0 run and led by as many as 20 points at 41-21. Rider led by 18 at the half.
Ryan Schneider keyed several Marist runs in the second half. Schneider scored 25 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and dished out four assists. The senior also played 40 minutes. Those totals led both teams.
Marist pulled to within seven points when Dejuan Goodwin made a lay-up off a feed from R.J. Hall. Marist could not get any closer than 72-65, however.
This game proved to be a battle of the guards as Alex Vouyoukas and Lawrence Williams only played 19 combined minutes. Korey Bauer emerged as the go-to-option at the power forward position and the sophomore scored six points on 3-of-3 shooting in 17 minutes. Bauer also hauled in six rebounds.
R.J. Hall was the primary ball-handler for Marist as David Devezin only played 17 minutes. Devezin recently returned from injury and is battling plantar fasciitis. The injury is not uncommon to basketball players, and Rasheed Wallace fought with a similar injury a few seasons ago during the playoffs. Hall has stepped up though, and the freshman from South Orange, N.J. scored 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting.
With the loss, Marist drops to 2-2 in the MAAC while Rider moves to 3-0. The Red Foxes return to action on Friday, Jan. 9, at Manhattan.
Across the MAAC
Four other teams played in the conference on Sunday, with some surprising results. Iona upended Fairfield, 64-60, while Siena handled Saint Peter's, 65-52.
The Iona game marks the Gaels' first conference win as the team moves to 1-3. The game is somewhat of an upset after Fairfield jumped out to an 8-5 overall record and competed well with the No. 2 UConn Huskies. Fairfield drops to 2-2 in the MAAC.
The Broncs had four players score in double-digits, including Mike Ringgold's team-high 17 points, en route to a 76-65 win.
Rider opened the game on an 8-0 run and led by as many as 20 points at 41-21. Rider led by 18 at the half.
Ryan Schneider keyed several Marist runs in the second half. Schneider scored 25 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and dished out four assists. The senior also played 40 minutes. Those totals led both teams.
Marist pulled to within seven points when Dejuan Goodwin made a lay-up off a feed from R.J. Hall. Marist could not get any closer than 72-65, however.
This game proved to be a battle of the guards as Alex Vouyoukas and Lawrence Williams only played 19 combined minutes. Korey Bauer emerged as the go-to-option at the power forward position and the sophomore scored six points on 3-of-3 shooting in 17 minutes. Bauer also hauled in six rebounds.
R.J. Hall was the primary ball-handler for Marist as David Devezin only played 17 minutes. Devezin recently returned from injury and is battling plantar fasciitis. The injury is not uncommon to basketball players, and Rasheed Wallace fought with a similar injury a few seasons ago during the playoffs. Hall has stepped up though, and the freshman from South Orange, N.J. scored 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting.
With the loss, Marist drops to 2-2 in the MAAC while Rider moves to 3-0. The Red Foxes return to action on Friday, Jan. 9, at Manhattan.
Across the MAAC
Four other teams played in the conference on Sunday, with some surprising results. Iona upended Fairfield, 64-60, while Siena handled Saint Peter's, 65-52.
The Iona game marks the Gaels' first conference win as the team moves to 1-3. The game is somewhat of an upset after Fairfield jumped out to an 8-5 overall record and competed well with the No. 2 UConn Huskies. Fairfield drops to 2-2 in the MAAC.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Marist to play Rider following Thompson's jersey retirement
Although one Thompson has graduated, another is sure to give Marist problems on Sunday in Lawrenceville, N.J. Prior to Marist's 3 p.m. tilt with MAAC rival Rider, the Broncs will retire Jason Thompson's jersey before a packed house. The Sacramento Kings drafted Jason Thompson in the lottery in last year's NBA draft. His selection marked the second straight year that a MAAC player was selected in the draft. Marist's Jared Jordan heard his name called in the second round the prior year by the Los Angeles Clippers in the second round. The ceremony will follow the Marist women's game against Rider. Unfortunately for the Red Foxes, Ryan Thompson still wears the maroon and white. The preseason first-teamer enters the game averaging 17.3 ppg, good for first in the MAAC. Ryan, Jason's younger brother, has been the go-to-guy for the Broncs ever since Jason graduated. The 6-foot-7 guard/forward will pose a stern test for the Marist defense, and Ryan Schneider specifically. Schneider is likely to draw the assignment of guarding Thompson. Both teams leading scorers will square off head-to-head. The Thompson-Schneider match-up looks to be one of the best this season. Both players lead their respective teams in scoring and rebounding and rank first in the MAAC in one of those categories. Schneider leads the conference in rebounding while Thompson leads in scoring. Schneider boasts 15.5 ppg and 9.1 rpg.
For the game, Rider holds the offensive advantage by roughly seven ppg while each team is almost identical defensively. Marist yields 68.3 ppg while Rider allows 68.2. Marist's numbers are somewhat skewed because the team played No. 12 Memphis on the road. Meanwhile, Rider has not played a ranked team this season. Rider enters the game with a 7-5 overall record and a 2-0 conference record. Rider edged Manhattan, 76-73, on Dec. 7 and routed Iona on New Year's Day, 68-54. In addition to Iona, Marist has two common opponents with Rider. Rider also lost to Rutgers and Binghamton, 66-62 and 69-58, respectively. The one thing Marist has to its advantage is that Jason Thompson will not suit up with the home time come 3 p.m. on Sunday.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Marist holds on against Saint Peter's
The game might not have been pretty, but Chuck Martin's team kicked off 2009 in a winning fashion.
After leading by as many as 18 in the first half, Marist fought off several Saint Peter's runs to eventually close out its MAAC opponent, 60-54.
With a thin bench, Marist seems to find another unsung hero every game. Tonight, Kaylen Gregory filled that role. After four years of sitting and waiting, Gregory made his presence felt tonight in the McCann Center. The Virgin Islands native scored a career-high 15 points and grabbed five rebounds in 19 minutes of action.
Marist jumped out to an early lead and looked poised to run away with the game. After a Javon Parris free-throw with 3:46 remaining, Marist led 32-14 to cap off a 24-6 Red Foxes' run. Saint Peter's hung arounf though, starting the second half on a 10-1 run. The Peacocks, led by Wesley Jenkins' game-high 16 points, could not get over the hump though.
For Marist, Ryan Schneider drained 15 points and David Devezin dished out eight assists in his return to the starting lineup. Ironically as Devezin returned freshman point guard R.J. Hall went out. Hall missed tonight's game with a foot injury sustained late in the Foxes' tilt against Binghamton on Tuesday night. Hall's status for Sunday's game at MAAC rival Rider is unknown.
In Hall's absence, freshman walk-on Mike Taylor emerged as the first option off the bench. Taylor shot 3-of-5 from the field and scored eight points. Taylor also hauled in five rebounds in 23 minutes of action. Only Ryan Schneider, David Devezin, and Dejuan Goodwin saw more time on the floor.
With the win, Marist moved to 2-1 in conference play and 6-9 overall. The team returns to action Sunday in Lawrenceville, N.J. against Ryan Thompson and the Rider Broncs. Rider is coming off a win against Iona. The win moved Rider to 2-0 in the conference and dropped Iona to 0-3. Following tonight's game, the MAAC standings look like this:
Siena 3-0
Rider 2-0
Niagara 1-0
Fairfield 2-1
Marist 2-1
Manhattan 1-1
Saint Peter's 1-2
Canisius 0-2
Loyola 0-2
Iona 0-3
After leading by as many as 18 in the first half, Marist fought off several Saint Peter's runs to eventually close out its MAAC opponent, 60-54.
With a thin bench, Marist seems to find another unsung hero every game. Tonight, Kaylen Gregory filled that role. After four years of sitting and waiting, Gregory made his presence felt tonight in the McCann Center. The Virgin Islands native scored a career-high 15 points and grabbed five rebounds in 19 minutes of action.
Marist jumped out to an early lead and looked poised to run away with the game. After a Javon Parris free-throw with 3:46 remaining, Marist led 32-14 to cap off a 24-6 Red Foxes' run. Saint Peter's hung arounf though, starting the second half on a 10-1 run. The Peacocks, led by Wesley Jenkins' game-high 16 points, could not get over the hump though.
For Marist, Ryan Schneider drained 15 points and David Devezin dished out eight assists in his return to the starting lineup. Ironically as Devezin returned freshman point guard R.J. Hall went out. Hall missed tonight's game with a foot injury sustained late in the Foxes' tilt against Binghamton on Tuesday night. Hall's status for Sunday's game at MAAC rival Rider is unknown.
In Hall's absence, freshman walk-on Mike Taylor emerged as the first option off the bench. Taylor shot 3-of-5 from the field and scored eight points. Taylor also hauled in five rebounds in 23 minutes of action. Only Ryan Schneider, David Devezin, and Dejuan Goodwin saw more time on the floor.
With the win, Marist moved to 2-1 in conference play and 6-9 overall. The team returns to action Sunday in Lawrenceville, N.J. against Ryan Thompson and the Rider Broncs. Rider is coming off a win against Iona. The win moved Rider to 2-0 in the conference and dropped Iona to 0-3. Following tonight's game, the MAAC standings look like this:
Siena 3-0
Rider 2-0
Niagara 1-0
Fairfield 2-1
Marist 2-1
Manhattan 1-1
Saint Peter's 1-2
Canisius 0-2
Loyola 0-2
Iona 0-3
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Marist looks to open 2009 with a MAAC win
The MAAC schedule resumes Friday night when Marist hosts the Saint Peter's Peacocks in a 7 p.m. tilt at the McCann Center.
This is the most winnable game on the Red Foxes' conference schedule. Saint Peter's enters the game at 4-8 on the season and 1-1 in the MAAC. The Peacocks played what many would call a soft schedule thus far. Saint Peter's does boast a win over MAAC opponent Canisius, however. Saint Peter's disposed of Canisius on Dec. 7, 76-52. Other than that performance, Saint Peter's has little to offer in terms of strength of schedule. The team fell to 1-11 Monmouth, 65-47, on Dec. 19.
Marist enters this contest fairly healthy and playing its best basketball of the season, despite the setback in Binghamton. The Red Foxes have won two of the last three and got standout point guard David Devezin back from injury. Marist delivered impressive victories over Delaware and Bucknell. Senior captain Ryan Schneider and freshman R.J. Hall earned MAAC weekly honors for their performances in those games. Schneider leads the Foxes in both scoring and rebounding with 15.5 ppg and 9.3 rpg. The Yorktown Heights product has played at an all-conference level to this point in the season. His 29-point output was the most for a Red Fox since Will Whittington drained 31 against Oklahoma State in Marist's upset win in the opening round of the NIT. Schneider ranks fourth in the MAAC in ppg and first in rpg. Schneider has also been a horse for the Red Foxes, logging 36.9 minutes per game. Against Binghamton, the senior played all 40 minutes. Only Rider's Ryan Thompson has played more with 37.5.
Marist's match-up is favorable for tomorrow night's game. Saint Peter's is 1-5 on the road and ranks last in the MAAC in ppg with 56.8. Saint Peter's does boast the best scoring defense, but a soft schedule factors into that statistic. Games against No. 15 Memphis and Horizon League-favorite Cleveland State have skewed some of Marist's statistical rankings. Saint Peter's also ranks last in field-goal percentage, something that bodes well for Chuck Martin's team. Marist prides itself on defense and Saint Peter's offensive struggles should play into Marist's hands.
Saint Peter's does boast several weapons that will challenge Marist. Sophomore guard Wesley Jenkins enters the game averaging 16.5 ppg while fellow sophomore guard Nick Leon score 14.5 ppg. The biggest match-up to follow will be Ryan Schneider against Ryan Bacon. The 6-foot-7 forward scores 9.5 ppg and leads the Peacocks with seven rpg. Schneider, Vouyoukas, and Williams will have their hands full with Bacon underneath. Although Saint Peter's does have threats, this is a match-up that Marist should win. With Devezin back and playing at home, the Red Foxes should start 2009 on a high note.
This is the most winnable game on the Red Foxes' conference schedule. Saint Peter's enters the game at 4-8 on the season and 1-1 in the MAAC. The Peacocks played what many would call a soft schedule thus far. Saint Peter's does boast a win over MAAC opponent Canisius, however. Saint Peter's disposed of Canisius on Dec. 7, 76-52. Other than that performance, Saint Peter's has little to offer in terms of strength of schedule. The team fell to 1-11 Monmouth, 65-47, on Dec. 19.
Marist enters this contest fairly healthy and playing its best basketball of the season, despite the setback in Binghamton. The Red Foxes have won two of the last three and got standout point guard David Devezin back from injury. Marist delivered impressive victories over Delaware and Bucknell. Senior captain Ryan Schneider and freshman R.J. Hall earned MAAC weekly honors for their performances in those games. Schneider leads the Foxes in both scoring and rebounding with 15.5 ppg and 9.3 rpg. The Yorktown Heights product has played at an all-conference level to this point in the season. His 29-point output was the most for a Red Fox since Will Whittington drained 31 against Oklahoma State in Marist's upset win in the opening round of the NIT. Schneider ranks fourth in the MAAC in ppg and first in rpg. Schneider has also been a horse for the Red Foxes, logging 36.9 minutes per game. Against Binghamton, the senior played all 40 minutes. Only Rider's Ryan Thompson has played more with 37.5.
Marist's match-up is favorable for tomorrow night's game. Saint Peter's is 1-5 on the road and ranks last in the MAAC in ppg with 56.8. Saint Peter's does boast the best scoring defense, but a soft schedule factors into that statistic. Games against No. 15 Memphis and Horizon League-favorite Cleveland State have skewed some of Marist's statistical rankings. Saint Peter's also ranks last in field-goal percentage, something that bodes well for Chuck Martin's team. Marist prides itself on defense and Saint Peter's offensive struggles should play into Marist's hands.
Saint Peter's does boast several weapons that will challenge Marist. Sophomore guard Wesley Jenkins enters the game averaging 16.5 ppg while fellow sophomore guard Nick Leon score 14.5 ppg. The biggest match-up to follow will be Ryan Schneider against Ryan Bacon. The 6-foot-7 forward scores 9.5 ppg and leads the Peacocks with seven rpg. Schneider, Vouyoukas, and Williams will have their hands full with Bacon underneath. Although Saint Peter's does have threats, this is a match-up that Marist should win. With Devezin back and playing at home, the Red Foxes should start 2009 on a high note.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)