complete notes (.pdf format)
BAY STATE ROLLERS
The Southern Connecticut State University men's basketball team makes two more trips to Massachusetts this week for a pair of Northeast-10 showdowns. The Owls head up to North Easton, Mass. to take on the Stonehill Skyhawks on Tuesday and then travel to North Andover to challenge the Merrimack Warriors on Thursday. Southern Connecticut enters the weekend at 6-10 overall and 2-9 in conference play.
LAST TIME OUT
The Owls dropped a 96-62 decision at Assumption on Saturday afternoon. Senior forward Ktrice McNeill led the Southern Connecticut offense with 14 points.
SCOUTING THE SKYHAWKS
Selected to finish fifth in the Northeast-10 Preseason Coaches' Poll, and currently occupying the fourth slot, Stonehill enters the game at 12-7 overall and 8-4 in conference play. In their last outing, the Skyhawks had a seven game winning streak snapped by Franklin Pierce, dropping the decision to the Ravens by a score of 63-62. Junior guard Matt Hall led the Stonehill offense with 14 points, while forwards AJ Rudowitz and Nick Smith each added 13 in the losing effort. On the season, Smith (15.9 ppg), Hall (15.4), Rudowitz (11.8) and freshman guard Vince Rosario (11.0) all average in double figures for the Skyhawks.
IN THE 2006-07 SEASON
In the lone meeting between Southern Connecticut and Stonehill last season (Jan. 23, 2007 in New Haven, Conn.), the Owls overcame an eight point halftime deficit to defeat the Skyhawks 76-73. Danny Miller posted a double-double to lead four Owls in double figures including current Southern Connecticut players Derrick Corbett and Trevor Harris, who netted 13 and 11 points respectively. The Owls return four players (two starters) who played in that game, while Stonehill returns five players, including four starters.
HISTORY LESSON
Stonehill leads the all-time series 26-22. The Skyhawks had won the last four meetings prior to the Owls' victory last season.
SCOUTING THE WARRIORS
Selected to finish ninth in the Northeast-10 Preseason Coaches' Poll, and currently sitting at tenth, Merrimack enters the week at 10-7 overall and 5-7 in the conference. In their outing at Southern New Hampshire on Saturday, the Warriors were held to only 48 points as they took the loss, 73-48. Freshman guard Darin Mency netted 13 points to led the Merrimack offense. For the season, Darren Duncan (18.8 ppg), Mency (18.4), Micky Burtnyk (12.0) and Olatungie Lightfoot-Taylor (10.5) are all averaging in double figures. The Warriors as a team are leading the Northeast-10 with 84.7 points per contest, through games played on Jan. 19. Merrimack travels to Saint Anselm on Tuesday night before hosting the Owls on Thursday.
IN THE 2006-07 SEASON
Southern Connecticut and Merrimack split the season series last year, with each team winning on its home court. The Owls return five players (two starters) who saw action in either game, while the Warriors return seven players, including four starters, from last season's meetings.
HISTORY LESSON
Merrimack leads the all-time series 16-14. Merrimack had won three consecutive meetings prior to Southern Connecticut's victory on Feb. 6, 2007.
LEADING THE SCORING ATTACK
Senior forward Ktrice McNeill leads the Southern Connecticut offense in the 2007-08 campaign with 13.7 points per game. He posted the game-high for the Owls in four consecutive games spanning Nov. 28 to Dec. 8, averaging 19.5 points per contest in that span. He also leads the team in field goal percentage at 96-for-152 (.632), slotting him at third in the Northeast-10 Conference. Most recently, McNeill scored 14 points on Jan. 19 at Assumption.
DOUBLE DIGIT OWLS
Junior guard Justin Gardenhire is averaging double figures in his first season with the Owls with 10.7 points per game. Sophomore guard Trevor Harris is just above the double figures barrier with an even 10.0 points per contest.
WELCOME TO THE CLUB
By netting eight points in his Southern Connecticut debut at Assumption on Jan. 19, sophomore guard Tocari Davis became the 13th Owl to score this season. Every Southern Connecticut player who has seen game action has converted at least two field goals and two free throws this season.
MILESTONES
Two Southern Connecticut players reached career milestones in the Jan. 15 victory at Nyack. Senior forward Ktrice McNeill netted his 500th career point and junior guard Derrick Corbett pulled down his 100th career rebound. Both Owls were playing in their 42nd career game. One game later, on Jan. 19 at Assumption, Corbett netted his 300th career point.
CAREER DAY
Junior guard Derrick Corbett scored a career-high 19 points in the team's victory at Nyack on Jan. 15. The New Haven native shot 6-for-11 from the floor, including 2-for-4 from three-point range, and knocked five of six attempts from the free throw line. Corbett's previous career best was a team-high 15 points, posted this season in a victory over Franklin Pierce on Jan. 5.
TENACIOUS D
After surrendering 55 points in the first half against Nyack on Jan. 15, the Southern Connecticut defense allowed just 16 points to the Warriors en route to a comeback victory. Nyack shot 19.2% (5-for-26) from the floor and 41.7% (5-for-12) from the free throw line in the half.
EVERYBODY CHIPPING IN
In the 76-62 victory on Jan. 12 over American International, all 10 Owls who saw game action hit a field goal. Senior forward Devon Sullivan led the balanced scoring attack with 16 points. Sophomore guard Trevor Harris and junior forward Terron Jones joined him in double figures with 11 and 10 points respectively.
WE WON'T GET FOOLED AGAIN
Southern Connecticut has showed vast improvement when playing an opponent for the second time this season. After losing at Le Moyne by a score of 88-68 on Nov. 28, the Owls held Le Moyne to 65 points on Jan. 10. American International could muster only 62 points against the Owls on Jan. 12, despite defeating them by a 79-61 mark in Springfield, Mass. on Dec. 8.
AN OFFENSIVE OUTBURST…
The Owls scored a season-high 89 points in their win over Dominican on Dec. 28. Junior forward Preston Bell led the offensive effort with a career-high 22 points. The Owls' previous season-high of 80 points came in the team's season opening loss to St. Anselm on Nov. 17. Southern Connecticut last scored 89 or more points in a game on Feb. 4, 2006 in a 102-92 overtime loss at Merrimack. SCSU last scored 89 or more points in a 40 minute contest on Feb. 25, 2003, defeating Le Moyne by a score of 91-75.
…AND A DEFENSIVE LOCKDOWN
After allowing 74 or more points while posting a 1-7 record in their first eight contests this season, the Owls held Dominican to only 70 points in a victory on Dec. 28. Two days later, they topped that performance by holding Dowling to only 64 points. The Southern Connecticut defense stepped up again on Jan. 12, as they held American International to a season-low 62 points.
CLEANING THE GLASS
Senior forward Devon Sullivan has notched double figures in rebounds in four games this season. He pulled down a season-high 13 rebounds in consecutive games, once against Massachusetts-Lowell on Dec. 6 and then again two days later at American International on Dec. 8. On the season, Sullivan leads the Owls with 6.4 rebounds per contest. Senior forward Ktrice McNeill leads Southern Connecticut with 41 offensive rebounds, and is contributing 5.9 boards per game overall.
A PAIR OF TWO-FERS
Sophomore center John Mazzarella established career highs with 11 points and 13 rebounds en route to his first career double-double in the Owls 89-70 win against Dominican on Dec. 28. The Wallingford, Conn. native shot 5-for-6 (.833) from the field and also blocked two shots in that game. Mazzarella's 13 rebounds matched the game-high for any Southern Connecticut player this season set by senior forward Devon Sullivan on Dec. 6 at Massachusetts-Lowell. Mazzarella picked up another double-double on Jan. 5 against Franklin Pierce, scoring 11 points, pulling down 10 rebounds and blocking four shots in the winning effort. The sophomore fell one point shy of third double-double of the season, registered nine points and a game-high 11 rebounds, on Jan. 12 against American International.
A DECEMBER TO REMEMBER
Senior forward Ktrice McNeill led the Owls in scoring during the team's six games in December with an average of 18.2 points per contest. He also ranked second in rebounding behind Devon Sullivan with 6.2 boards per game. McNeill led the team in scoring four times in the month and claimed or shared the game-high in rebounds twice. For his efforts, the Bronx, N.Y. native was named to the Northeast-10 Weekly Honor Roll on three occasions, failing to make the list only for the week ending Dec. 16, a week in which the Owls did not play.
SHARING THE WEALTH
Ten Owls are averaging double figures in minutes played this season, and 11 different Southern Connecticut players have made two or more starts.
IT TOLLS FOR THEE
Junior forward Preston Bell scored a game- and career-high 22 points against Dominican on Dec. 28. Bell also matched his career highs in rebounds (five) and assists (two).
RUNNING THE POINT
Sophomore guard Trevor Harris contributed to the Owls' 89-70 victory over Dominican on Dec. 28 with a season-high nine assists. On the season, the Nanuet, N.Y. native is the Owls' leading assist man with 73 dimes (4.56 apg). Harris led the 2006-07 Owls with 3.3 per contest.
SEND IT BACK!
Sophomore center John Mazzarella blocked a career-high five shots on Dec. 21 against Felician College and repeated the feat with five more rejections at Pace on Jan. 8. On the season, Mazzarella's 29 rejections (1.81 per game) lead the Owls and place him second in the Northeast-10 Conference through games played on Jan. 12. As a team, the Owls are third in the Northeast-10 with 3.75 blocked shots per game.
RESERVATIONS FOR THREE
In their 75-74 victory over New Haven on Nov. 25, the Owls shot 7-for-11 (.636) from three-point range, the second best three-point shooting percentage posted in a game by any Northeast-10 team this season. Trevor Harris shot 5-for-6 from behind the arc in that game en route to scoring a career-high 24 points.
MAKING HIS SHOTS COUNT
Senior forward Ktrice McNeill currently holds a ca¬reer field goal percentage of .595 (222-for-373). If maintained, that figure will put McNeill in the SCSU record books for highest career field goal percentage, topping Jon Blandin, who con¬nected to the tune of .583 from the field from 1995 through 1998. Most re¬cently, McNeill connected on 5 of 7 field goals attempts on Jan. 19 at Assumption.
ACCEPTING CHARITY
Junior guard Justin Gardenhire has delivered two foul shooting performances of 8-for-10 (Nov. 17 against St. Anselm and Nov. 25 at New Haven) and a 7-for-8 shooting day at the stripe (Dec. 6 at Massachusetts-Lowell). On the season, Gardenhire is 55-for-76 (.721), leading the team in free throws made and attempted, and also slotting him third behind Devon Sullivan (24-for-31, .774) and Derrick Corbett (16-for-22, .727) in free throw percentage.
STEP RIGHT UP
The seven newcomers to the SCSU lineup have accounted for 25.1 points per game this season, nearly 35% of the team's total scoring. Junior guard Justin Gardenhire leads the new Owls in scoring with 10.7 points per contest.
SETTING THE BAR
In his fifth game in an SCSU uniform against No. 19 Saint Michael's on Dec. 1, junior forward Preston Bell posted 11 points, pulled down five rebounds, and dished out two assists in 26 minutes of action. All of these statistics marked career highs for Bell.
AN IMPRESSIVE DEBUT
Junior guard Justin Gardenhire scored a team-high 20 points in his Southern Connecticut debut against St. Anselm on Nov. 17. Gardenhire shot 6-for-13 (.462) from the field and 8-for-10 (.800) from the free throw line in the game. His 20 point performance remains his career high through 15 games.
BACK IN ACTION
After missing the entire 2006-07 season, senior forward Ktrice McNeill returns to the Owls lineup in the 2007-08 campaign. In the 2005-06 season, McNeill posted 10.9 points and 5.7 rebounds per game for the Owls.
LEADING THE SQUAD
Senior forwards Devon Sullivan and Ktrice McNeill have been named team captains for the 2007-08 season.
ON DECK
The Owls return to New Haven to host the Southern New Hampshire University Penmen in a Northeast-10 showdown on Saturday, Jan. 26. The action tips off from Moore Fieldhouse at 3:30 p.m. and will be broadcast live via WSIN at AM 1590 or online at www.wsinradio.org.
