MBB: Little East

[7express]

Also, came across this story tonight: http://d3hoops.com/seasons/men/2014-15/contrib/20141124ae0w3j

Boston's final regular season contest is Saturday, February 21 vs. Western Connecticut at Boston.  If they finish with a top 4 seed for the LEC tournament they will play an extra home game on Tuesday, February 24.  if they happen to win the regular season title and win the quarterfinal game on the 24th they will host the semifinals on Friday February 27 and the finals on February 28.  Depening on how Boston does during the LEC season, I may end up going up to Boston for that final home game.  Won't be able to make the semifinal or finals this year since my cousin is getting married in Philadelphia that weekend.

[AllStar]

The lone game on the schedule for Friday in the LEC is St. Joseph's (VT) at UMass-Boston in the Beacons' annual Harbor Invitational hosted in Boston after Thanksgiving.  The Beacons have gotten off to a 4-0 start, beating Colby-Sawyer, Suffolk, Newbury, and Fitchburg State.  This would figure to be another win for UMB in their light opening to the season, as St. Joseph's is an USCAA program that resides in the Yankee Small College Conference and plays schools hardly recognizable by name.  Information about the Fighting Saints is limited, though they do come into this game with an overall record of 5-5, for whatever that's worth.  They have played two Division III teams - losing to Clarkson 89-78 but beating Potsdam State (who won 5 games last year), 84-80 in overtime in what was an awful loss for the Bears.  CSJ's other four wins came against Warren Wilson, Landmark College (First of all who is that?  Second of all, how can they lose to St. Joseph's 126-49?!?!?!), laughably bad Hampshire College (111-33), and Vermont Tech.  The Fighting Saints were pummeled by Lindsey Wilson, Campbellsville, and University of the Cumberlands.  They also fell to Johnson and Wales (North Carolina).  This is the second straight season that the Beacons will play this team in the Harbor Tournament, and a 6-20 UMass-Boston team beat them 84-68 last year.  Don't ask me why they schedule this team.  The other game in the Harbor Tournament features Colby and Eastern Nazarene.

[7express]

Hampshire College maybe one of the worst teams I've ever seen.  They lost a game by 99 points I think a few years ago and that same year lost multiple games by 65+ points.

[AllStar]

Hampshire College maybe one of the worst teams I've ever seen.  They lost a game by 99 points I think a few years ago and that same year lost multiple games by 65+ points.

Not surprising.  And...remember...they are losing by 65+ points to teams like St. Joseph's (VT).  Shows you how bad they are.  I don't know why they have a team.

[7express]

I'll take Boston 89-67 in tonight's lone game.

[7express]

Friday result:
Beacons over St. Joseph 85-76.
Well.....if you switched St. Joseph's total around....Steven Edwards lead St. Joseph's with 18 points off the bench and KaShean Alston had 14 points and 13 rebounds.  Carl Joseph lead the Beacons with 29 points and Karl Agenor had 12 points & 14 rebounds for the Beacons.  Beacons will play Eastern Nazarene in an all-city championship, while St. Joseph's plays Colby, who was a 68-74 loser to Eastern Naz in the championship game.

28-10 LEC; 26-12 me

Saturday schedule:
RIC @ Salve 1:00
Roger Williams @ Dartmouth 1:00
Eastern Naz @ Boston 3:00
Stevenson vs. Eastern (@ Rochester) 7:00

[AllStar]

Saturday games:

Rhode Island College at Salve Regina
The Anchormen, who are 4-1 and coming off a narrow 58-56 home win over Bridgewater State, will look to run their winning streak to four games with a win at Salve Regina in Newport, RI.  The Seahawks were thoroughly hammered in their first two games of the season, losing to Babson by 22 and Nichols by 36.  They've rebounded to post three straight wins over Wheaton (MA), Worcester State, and Coast Guard (in overtime).  Salve is led by Isiah Pringle at 16.8 ppg, followed closely by Bryce Boggs at 15.6 ppg.  Boggs is coming off a 27 point game against Coast Guard last time out.  The Seahawks are shooting a dreadful 59% from the free throw line so far this year and are being outrebounded by 9 boards a game on average.  Salve finished last year 17-11 and 11-7 in the Commonwealth Coast Conference.  Rhode Island College took last year's meeting on the strength of a 25-7 game-closing run to erase a 60-55 deficit and win 80-67 at the Murray Center.   The Anchormen blasted the Seahawks 66-42 in their last meeting in Newport during the 2012-13 season.  Salve has not beaten RIC since 2005-06, a 74-72 decision in Providence.

Roger Williams at UMass-Dartmouth
The Corsairs picked up their third straight victory last Tuesday, 90-80 over Curry at the Tripp Athletic Center.  Jordan Rezendes continues to be huge for UMD, as he scored 27 points in that win and averages 21 per game overall.  Jake Laga is also shooting very well from behind the three point line, while averaging 16.6 ppg.  This would seem to be a great opportunity for the Corsairs to record their fourth straight victory, as Roger Williams comes in with an ugly 1-4 record and four straight losses.  The Hawks' only win was in their season-opener against hapless Lesley.  They have since been walloped by Fitchburg State and Johnson and Wales (RI), with narrower losses to Coast Guard and Wheaton (MA).  Roger Williams has not scored more than 76 points in a game yet and averages just 59 ppg.  UMass-Dartmouth survived a 1-6 Hawks team after blowing a huge lead in last year's matchup, 80-76.  Roger Williams has finished each of the last two seasons at 10-16.

Eastern Nazarene at UMass-Boston
UMass-Boston was able to win their fifth straight to open the season, pulling away late to beat NAIA St. Joseph's (VT) in their opening game of the Harbor Tournament.  Carl Joseph had a big game for the Beacons, scoring 29 points.  Karl Agenor posted 12 points and 14 rebounds as the Beacons avoided a bad loss.  A resurgent Eastern Nazarene program located in Quincy, MA has also not lost yet this season, downing Colby 74-68 in the other game to reach 6-0.  Prior to that contest, however, the Lions' other five victories came against New England College, Wheelock, Green Mountain, St. Joseph's (Brooklyn), and Regis (MA)...hardly a grueling schedule.  Jaylen Owens scored 20 points in the win over the Mules, and has led the Lions in scoring so far at 22 ppg.  This is the second straight year Eastern Nazarene started off 6-0, and they finished last year 19-6 and 13-5 in the Commonwealth Coast Conference.  They are looking for their third straight winning season this year after not having one since 1996-97.  Included in that stretch of losing were seasons in which the Lions finished 2-23 and and 4-21 (twice).  UMB and Eastern Nazarene haven't met since 2010-11, a 69-67 Beacons win.  The consolation game to be held before this one at the Harbor Tournament features St. Joseph's (VT) and Colby.  Wesleyan won last year's Harbor Tournament, 75-64 over UMass-Boston.

Stevenson vs. Eastern Connecticut (at Rochester)
Second straight weekend trip to New York for the Warriors, who played in Oneonta last week against Hartwick and Oneonta State.  This time they will make a longer trip, going to Rochester for the UR/Holiday Inn Airport Tournament that features the host Rochester Yellowjackets, York (NY), Stevenson, and Eastern Connecticut.  The Warriors are coming off an 88-60 pounding of NESCAC doormat Connecticut College last Monday and are 5-1 overall.  Eastern is being led by Trachone Preston, who scored 23 points in the win over the Camels, and Hugh Lindo, who has been a double-double machine.  Stevenson enters this contest at 4-1, with the lone loss to the lone good team they've played so far, Chicago (73-71).  The Mustangs have taken care of several teams that combine for an awful 2-15 record:  Covenant (1-3), Cairn (0-4), Wittenberg (1-4), and Penn State-Berks (0-4).  Christian Roberts (16.4 ppg) and Erik Fisher (13.4 ppg) are players to watch for the Mustangs, who as a team have limited opponents to 29.5% shooting from three but are only shooting 25% from three themselves.  Stevenson played a rare game against an LEC team in 2012-13, beating UMass-Boston 72-70 in Maryland.

[7express]

Just got home from work so I'll still take a stab at these:

Salve 66-62
Dartmouth 85-69
Eastern Naz 78-76
Eastern 76-68

[AllStar]

Just got home from work so I'll still take a stab at these:

Salve 66-62
Dartmouth 85-69
Eastern Naz 78-76
Eastern 76-68

I hope you don't mind the little previews I have written for the last few days of games.  I'll attempt to do those every day there are games, but no promises that I will follow through with that.

[7express]

No.  I don't mind at all, the more the better anyways.

[7express]

Saturday results:

RIC over Salve 69-54.
Roosevelt Shider lead the Anchormen (who only used 8 players) with 15 points; Rodney Morton had 12 to lead the Seahawks.  Salve is back in action Wednesday night in the CCC opener vs. Wentworth, RIC returns to the court Tuesday night @ Elms.

Roger Williams defeats Dartmouth 67-61.
Andrew Wasik lead the Hawks with 16 points while Leonardo Atkinson only finished with 4 points but grabbed a game high 12 rebounds.  Jordan rezendes once again lead the Corsairs with 23 and John Genkos & jake laga each had 13.  Rest of the team combined finished with 12 points.  Overall very bad loss for the Corsairs, especially at home.  Hawks were 10-16 each of the last 2 seasons, and have sub .500 seasons in 5 of the last 6 years.  Roger Williams is off until next Saturday when they open up CCC play vs. WNEU; Corsairs are back in action Tuesday night vs. Worcester State.

Eastern Nazarene wins the battle of unbeaten 74-66.
Jaylen Owens lead all scorers with 24 for Eastern Naz.  Gregory Young paced the Beacons with 17 points and Karl Aginor finished with 12 points and a game high 17 rebounds.  The Lions will look to keep their unbeaten record (and Hoopsfan alive in the undefeated pool!) as they take a trip up to Biddeford, ME to take on the improved Nor'Easters of UNE in the CCC opener for both teams.  Beacons actually face a potent city rival next time out as they go across the Charles to Cambridge to take on MIT.

Eastern over Stevenson 66-61.
Erik Fisher lead Stevenson with 17 points and tied for the team high with 8 rebounds.  Tarchee Brown had a game high 26 for the Warriors who got a game high 13 rebounds along with 7 assists from kevin Leumene.  Eastern will face York (NY) in the championship who knocked off the host Yellow Jackets 80-76 behind 36 points from senior guard Omar St. John at 3, the Yellow Jackets face off against the Mustangs at 1 in the consolation game.

30-12 LEC; 28-14 me

Sunday schedule:

York (NY) vs. Eastern (@ Rochester) 3
St. Joseph's (ME) @ USM 7:30 (why are they playing a Sunday night game at 7:30??)

[ECSUalum]

ECSU came close to blowing the game last night on another dreadful FT shooting night (42%), missing the front end of 3 1&1 attempts late in the 2nd half.  Need to spend significant time with wind sprint/FT practice.  This weakness will bite them in the A.. if they don't focus on it!!!

[7express]

Eastern 76-68.  Omar St. John will get his points, do the Cardinals have a second scorer??
SJME 67-56.  USM won @ St. Joseph's last year, the Monks return the favor this year.

[7express]

ECSU came close to blowing the game last night on another dreadful FT shooting night (42%), missing the front end of 3 1&1 attempts late in the 2nd half.  Need to spend significant time with wind sprint/FT practice.  This weakness will bite them in the A.. if they don't focus on it!!!

And you only get credit for 1 miss missing the front end.  I always think you should credit for missing 2 free throws if you miss the front end of the 1 and 1 because you don't get the opportunity to shoot the second.

[ECSUalum]

Eastern over York (NY) 70-60.  Lindo 9 pts 11 rbds. Preston 23 pts; Leumene 15 pts,; Brown 11 pts ,7 rbds. Warriors with 71.4 % FT % tonight... much better!!!.  Another excellent defensive performance for ECSU, as York averages 75 pts/game, and Omar St John 28 pts/game
For York, O St John 13 pts; Williams 11 pts/11rbds, Lawson 11 pts.

Eastern kicks off their LEC schedule with Rhode Island College next Sat. Dec 6!!