Temple 75 Villanova 65 – College Basketball – Half by Half Summary

#3 Villanova Wildcats (9 – 1, 3 – 1 Big 5) vs. Temple Owls (8 – 2, 1 – 0 Big 5)

At The Liacouris Center on the Campus of Temple University)

December 13, 2009

Preview

Villanova wraps up the Big Five portion of their schedule and can claim the CIty Title with a win at Temple.  Villanova has won 21 of its last 22 Big Five games.  The Wildcats come off a 97 – 89 win against Saint Joseph’s.  Temple comes into the game after a 64 – 42 win against Miami (OH).

Villanova is averaging 84 points per game.  Guard Scottie Reynolds leads the Wildcats in scoring at 16 points per game.  Center Antonio Pena averages 13 points and 10.2 rebounds.  Villanova averages 43.7 rebounds.

Temple is playing tough defense holding their opponents to 52.9 per game and ranks 6th nationally in scoring defense.  The Owls held 7 of 9 opponents to 56 points or less.  Guard Ryan Brooks leads Temple in scoring at 13.7 per game.  Forward Lavoy Allen averages 9.4 rebounds.

It’s Villanova offense against the Temple defense.  It’s Jay Wright against Fran Dunphy.  Which team makes their shots and who controls the boards will come out on top.  How much of factor will Villanova’s depth be in this game?

1st Half

Villanova got off to a better start as they made 2 of their first 3 shots, their two baskets were 3’s by Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fischer.  Meanwhile Temple had a hard time finding the basket making 1 of 4 shots, their basket was by Lavoy Allen.  With 15:39 remaining in the half Villanova lead 7 – 3.  Temple came back on 5 consecutive points by Guard Juan Fernandez to get to within 1 at 9 – 8, but Villanova Forward Taylor King hit a 3-Point shot to put Villanova ahead 12 – 8 with 13:10 to play.  Villanova’s Corey Fischer made a layup to give Villanova a 6 point lead at 16 – 10.  Temple answered with a 7 – 2 run, all 7 Temple points were scored by Guard Juan Fernandez to bring Temple within 1 at 16 – 15 with 10:43 remaining.  The Wildcats then ran off 7 of the next 9 points to restore their 6 point lead on Taylor King’s long 3 making the score 23  – 17 with 7:09 on the clock.  Temple Guard Ryan Brooks made 2 free throws making the score 23 – 19 at the 6:25 mark.  Then came the run.  Villanova reeled off the next 10 points as Scottie Reynolds had 5.  With 4:29 remaining Corey Fischer’s basket gave Villanova a 33 – 19 lead.  14 points was their largest lead of the half.  However,  this is a game of runs, and Temple had one to halftime outscoring Villanova 12 – 4 keyed by Juan Fernandez who scored 5 points and had an assist on a Rahlir Jefferson layup to make the score 37 – 31 Villanova at halftime.

Both teams shot the ball well.  Villanova shot 13 – 27 for 48.1%  Temple shot at a 43.5% clip, 10 – 23.  Villanova made 6 of 12 3-Point shots while Temple made only 3 of 11.  The Owls were 7 -8 from the free throw line while the Wildcats were 9 – 11.  Turnovers were a key as Temple had 8 compared to just 4 Villanova turnovers.  Scottie Reynolds led Villanova with 10 points.  Juan Fernandez led all scorers with 17 points.  Fernandez was 5 – 8 from the field, 3 of 5 3-Point shots and made all 4 free throws.

Villanova played ahead in the half.  If they can continue to keep Temple on an incline, the result will be favorable for the Wildcats.

 2nd Half

Temple leveled he incline.  Forward Craig Williams started the half with a 3.  Juan Fernandez scored the next two baskets and his 3-Pointer with 17:22 on the clock gave Temple a 39 -  37 lead.  Craig Williams followed with another 3 as Temple scored the first 11 points in the half giving the Owls a 42 – 37 lead.  Villanova got back to back layups from Corey Fischer and Scottie Reynolds to bring Villanova back to within 1 at 42 – 41 with 15:37 left.  The teams alternated baskets until Ryan Brooks hit a corner jumper to gave Temple a 49 – 44 advantage with 13:01 on the clock.  Reynolds made a 3 to get Villanova within 2, but Lavoy Allen’s turnaround answered.  It seemed like Temple put Villanova on the incline.  The teams would go basket for basket the next 10 trips down the floor.  Temple mixed in 2 3-Point baskets by Brooks and Fernandez (his 6th of the game).  Reynolds made 3 consecutive layups.  With 4:52 to go Temple held a 63 – 59 lead.  Corey Fischer made a layup over and around Temple’s Craig Williams to make it a 2 point game.  Temple turned the ball over a 5 second call.  Villanova had the ball down 2 with 4:02 remaining.  Reynolds was called for a travel. Fernandez hit his 7th trey (his 33rd point of the game) to give Temple a 66 – 61 lead with 3:22 remaining.  Villanova Center Antonio Pena made 2 free throws, but Brooks got back to back layups as Temple held a 7 point lead, 70 – 63, with 1:36 left.  Villanova would get one more basket as Temple closed out the game winning 75 – 65.

Summary

Temple won it 2 key areas of the game.  They out-rebounded Villanova 34 – 35 as Lavoy Allen had 17 rebounds.  Temple also out-shot Villanova 54.2% (26 – 48) to 42.9% (24 – 56).  The Owls also had better 3 point shooting 11 of 22 vs. 8 of 24.  Once Temple took the lead and kept Villanova playing from behind, they were able to pu the game away with layups rather than foul shots. 

Temple Guard Juan Fernandez led all scorers with a career high 33 points.  Ryan Brooks scored 20, and Lavoy Allen had 10.  Scottie Reynolds had 23 for Villanova.  Antonio Pena scored 16, but had just 2 rebounds.  Corey Fischer chipped in 14 points.  Taylor King had 6, and he did not have a field goal attempt in the 2nd half.

Villanova takes a few days off for exams, then meets Fordham on December 19.  Temple also has exams, then meets unbeaten Seton Hall on December 19.

This win for Temple was the first against a ranked opponent since February 20, 2000 when they beat # 1 Cincinnati 75 – 69.

Final Score:  Temple 75 Villanova 65. 

 

Villanova 97 Saint Joseph’s 89 – College Basketball – Half by Half Summary

#3 Villanova Wildcats (9-0) vs. Saint Joseph’s Hawks (3-5)

At The Palestra in Philadelphia, PA

December 9, 2009

Preview

This game has been called The Holy War of local college basketball.  Two schools within a few miles of each other who have participated in a heated rivalry for years.  The 3rd ranked, undefeated Villanova Wildcats visit the Palestra to meet Saint Joseph’s.  Nothing would make the Hawk fans happier than to give Villanova their first loss of the year.

Saint Joseph’s has lost four of their last five games to Villanova.  Two years ago the Hawks prevailed 77 – 55 handing Villanova the only loss in their last 21 Philadelphia Big Five games.  The Hawks come into this game on a 4 game losing streak as their last outing was a 78 – 66 loss to Cornell.  Guard Darrin Govens leads Saint Joseph’s scoring 12.1 points per game.  Backcourt mate Garrett Williamson averages 11.9 for Coach Phil Martelli’s Hawks.

Coach Jay Wright’s Villanova Wildcats come into this game off a 95 – 86 win over Maryland in the BB&T Classic. Guard Scottie Reynolds was named the Most Outstanding Player as he scored 25 points and handed out 8 assists.  Reynolds averages 15.3 points per game.  Villanova’s 8 – 0 start is the 3rd time in the last five years they were perfect after 8 games.  Villanova averages over 8 made 3-Point shots per game.  Forward Taylor King has made 17 of 37 3-Point attempts.  Center Antonio Pena is averaging a double-double with 12.8 points per game and 10.6 rebounds.

This will take an outstanding 40 minute effort from Saint Joseph’s to make this game competitive.  Villanova’s average margin of victory is 15.8 per game.  However, it is still a Big Five game, and upsets of the magnitude that this would be have happened before.  Can the Saint Joe’s rooting section will this to happen?

1st Half

Both teams came out and went right after each other.  After 5 minutes there were 3 ties and 3 lead changes.  There were 7 foul shots.  The score was tied at 13.  Idris Hilliard scored 5 from the inside for the Hawks and Antonio Pena had 6 points on put backs and short jumpers, 7 different players scored.  No gimmicks, just hard-nosed basketball.  Villanova went on a 10 – 4 run to take a 6 point lead at 23 – 17 with 11:45 remaining in the half on a Dominic Cheek slam.  Villanova Forward Taylor King scored 6 points in that run.  The lead would increase to 9 with 8:31 to play in the half as Scottie Reynolds buried a 3 from the wing.  Saint Joseph’s would mount their charge from that point by scoring 5 straight points, 3 from the foul line.  Villanova did not score for nearly 3 and a half minutes until a Malik Wayns 3 at the 5:07 mark gave Villanova a 7 point lead at 35 – 28.  The Hawks answered right back. They went on a 6 – 0 run to take  a 38 – 37 lead on Darrin Govens’ reverse layup at the 2:41 mark.  Saint Joseph’s was able to take advantage of Villanova missing the front end of two 1 and 1’s by Maurice Sutton and Malik Wayns.  Reynolds took the ball to the basket and Villanova had their lead back with 1:42 to go.  Sutton made a lay in to give Villanova 3 point lead.  Saint Joseph’s last shot was no good, and Villanova had a 41  – 38 halftime lead.

Villanova shot 43.2% in the half, but made just 4 of 14 3-Point shots.  Taylor King was 0 – 4.  The Wildcats went to the line 9 times making 5.  

Saint Joseph’s shot 38.7% and they were 3 of 11 from 3.  The Hawks did make 11 of 17 free throws. 

Villanova committed 8 turnovers leading to 11 Saint Joseph’s points.  The Hawks committed 6 turnovers, and Villanova had a 29 - 19 rebounding edge.

Saint Joseph’s stayed close.  They felt they can play with Villanova.  How will the Wildcats respond?

2nd Half

Saint Joseph’s Forward Idris Hilliard got the first basket of the half bringing the Hawks to within 1.  Then Scottie Reynolds took over.  He had 2 steals, one led to a conventional 3 point play on a layup.  His foul shot put Villanova in front by 7 at 47  – 40 with 18:15 to go.  Saint Joseph’s got back to back baskets, a trey from Garrett Williamson and a jumper from Darrin Govens to get back to within 2, but Reynolds hit 3 foul shots the next time down the floor to give Villanova a 50 – 45 with 16:26 to play.  The lead grew to 10 at 57 – 47 after an Antonio Pena 3 point play, a Malik Wayns layup, and a Corey Fischer layup with 13:50 on the clock.  At 9:59 Taylor King hit his first 3-Point shot of the game to put Villanova up 11, but Saint Joseph’s Guard Carl Jones answered with a 3 of his own getting it back to an 8 point game 64 – 56 Villanova.  At 8:37 Garrett Williamson was called for an offensive foul sending him to the bench.  King hit a 3 next time down the floor.  Villanova’s lead would grow to 71 – 59 with 7:44 remaining.  True to the way this game was being played Saint Joseph’s scored 8 of the next 10 points, 5 by Darrin Govens to make the score Villanova 73 Saint Joseph’s 67 with 6:05 to play.   Villanova would respond.  They did it at the foul line as they made 16 of 16 to the end of the game.  The Hawks would continue to stay within range.  A Carl Jones 3 with 3:20 to play brought the Hawks to within 5 at 79 – 74.  Villanova answered the next trip as Taylor King calmly made a 3-Point shot to increase the lead to 8 with 3:03 to go.  Saint Joseph’s Guard Justin Crosgile made a conventional 3 point play and it was back to 5.  Corey Fischer’s 2 foul shots gave Villanova a 84 – 77 lead with 2:17 to play.  On the next Saint Joseph’s possession Carl Jones was fouled shooting a 3.  He made the foul shots with 2:00 remaining, and the Hawks trailed by 4, 84 – 80.  Taylor King stroked a 3 with 1:30 to go and Villanova led 87 – 80.  Villanova got some separation as they would not miss from the foul line, and took a hard-fought 97 – 89 win over Saint Joseph’s.

Summary

It can be said that Villanova kept control of the game at the foul line.  They hit 35 – 40 for the game and 30 of 31 in the 2nd half.  The only miss was by Scottie Reynolds at the 18:15 mark.  Reynolds scored 22 points in the game by making 12 of 14 free throws.  He shot 4 – 5 and was  2 – 3 from the 3-Point line.  Taylor King scored 20 points, 7-15 FG, 4 -8 3-FG, and made both his foul shots.

Idris Hilliard scored 22 for Saint Joseph’s.  12 of his points were at the foul line.  Saint Joseph’s was 29 – 38 from the free throw line for the game.  Darrin Govens scored 19  and Carl Jones added 16.

Villanova had a 42 – 31 rebounding  edge.  Thier 15 offensive rebounds gave them a 17 – 6 advantage in 2nd Chance points.

Villanova is now 9- 0, 3 – 0 in the Big Five.  They prepare to win the Big Five title as they meet Temple on December 13.  The Hawks drop to 3 – 5 and will travel to Minnesota for a game on December 12.

 

Written By: Glenn Papazian

   

 

Villanova 46 New Hampshire 7 – A View From Papazian’s Perch

Turning Point of the Game

The turning point came early.  Villanova had taken a 10 – 0 lead on a John Dempsey fumble recovery in the endzone on the first play of the game, and a 32 yard Nick Yako field goal with 8:23 remaining in the half.  With 33 seconds to play in the first quarter Villanova took over at the New Hampshire 25 due to a short punt.   On the first play Running Back Angelo Babbaro went 25 yards for a touchdown putting Villanova in the lead by a score of 17 – 0. The Villanova Defense in addition to the weather and field conditions indicated that New Hampshire was going to have an extremely difficult, if not impossible task in coming back.

Key Stat in the Game

New Hampshire had minus 66 yards rushing.  No New Hampshire player who attempted a rush (5 players) had positive yards.  Villanova set a school record for fewest rushing yards allowed.  Villanova rushed for 343 yards, so it would be hard to blame New Hampshire’s total solely on weather and field conditions.

Key Players in the Game

For Villanova

Offense

Running Back Angelo Babbaro who ran for a career high 148 yards on 13 carries, and scored 2 touchdowns.  His longest run was 59 yards for a touchdown with 4:24 remaining in the third quarter that gave Villanova a 39 – 0 lead.

Defense

Defensive Back John Dempsey had a touchdown on a fumble recovery in the endzone for a touchdown with 14:45 to go in the first quarter.  Dempsey also had 5 tackles (4 solo) a sack, and he broke up one pass in the game.  Also noted is Defensive End Tim Kukucka who had 6 tackles and 2.5 sacks.  One sack led to the Safety in the 3^rd quarter. Kukucka also had one forced fumble.

For New Hampshire 

Offense

Quarterback Kevin Decker who went 11-21 for104 yards with no interceptions and 1 touchdown.  The touchdown pass was 18 yards.

Defense

Linebacker Hugo Souza who made a game high 8 tackles 7 of which were solo tackles.

Point Where the Game Was Decided

Villanova led 24 – 0 at halftime.  The Wildcats punted to the New Hampshire 2 yard line.  2 plays later Quarterback R.J. Tonan was sacked by Villanova Defensive End Tim Kukucka. He fumbled.  New Hampshire recovered the ball in the endzone resulting in a team safety for Villanova.  That made thje score 26 – 0 with 11:49 to play, and gave the ball back to the Villanova.

Notes of Interest

Villanova advances to the NCAA FCS Semi-Finals.

Villanova ties the school record for wins in a season set in 1997.

Written By: Glenn Papazian

Nova Nation Hosts FCS National Semifinal

The Villanova Wildcats will host the William & Mary Tribe in the NCAA FCS national semifinal.  Kickoff is scheduled for Friday, December 11, 200 9 8 PM at Villanova Stadium.  The winner of this game will advance to the FCS National Championship to be held on Friday, December 18, 2009 in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Villanova advanced to the semifinal round by virtue of an impressive 46 – 7 win over New Hampshire, who defeated the Wildcats during the regular season.  It was a snowy, windy day at Villanova Stadium. Villanova outgained New Hampshire 387 yards to 84.  The Villanova Defense limited New Hampshire to minus 66 rushing yards, the fewest in an FCS game this season.  Offensively, Villanova got a career high 148 rushing yards from Running Back Angelo Babbaro, and 123 all-purpose yards from Matt Szczur.

William and Mary advanced with a 24 – 3 win at Southern Illinois.  Running Back Jonathan Grimes led the William & Mary offense with 133 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns.  The Defense held Southern Illinois to just 187 yards of total offense.  

The game will be a CAA Southern Division rematch as Villanova defeated The Tribe 28 – 17 at Villanova on October 3, 2009.  Villanova scored on the first play from scrimmage in the game, a 57 yards touchdown pass from Quarterback Chris Whitney to Wide Receiver Brandyn Harvey.  Matt Szczur scored 2 touchdowns from the Wildcat formation.

ESPN2 will broadcast the game live.

Written By:  Glenn Papazian

Temple Gets It Done Early 64 – 42 Over Miami

Temple got out to a 36 -16 halftime lead and their defense kept the Shooting woes for Miami (OH) continuing in the second half as Temple gets its 7^th win of the season 64 – 42 at Mitten Hall in Oxford, OH.  Temple improved their record to 7 – 2, the program’s best start since the 1994-95 season.

The Owl defensive effort kept Miami scoreless for nearly 10 minutes.  During that streak Temple put together a 25 – 0 run highlighted by 4 treys from Guard Luis Guzman.  He hit 3 straight at one point, and that run gave Temple a commanding 30 – 6 lead with 7:49 left.  The Temple defense limited Miami to 30% shooting in the first half as Miami made only 6 of 20 shots.  Temple got off to a good shooting start making 15 of 30 field goal attempts and 6 of 14 3-Point shots. 

For the game Temple shot 44% (25-56) and was 11 of 23 in 3-Point shots.  Miami had a better second half shooting effort, but wound up with 35.4% (17-48) and they made 4 of 19 3-Point baskets.  Temple committed only 5 turnovers in the game.

Forward Lavoy Allen led Temple in scoring with 15 points.  He also had 7 rebounds and 4 assists.  Guard Luis Guzman scored 12 points (all on 3’s) and Guard Juan Fernandez scored 10 points and handed out 4 assists.

The Owls return home for their next game on Sunday, December 13.  They host the # 3 Villanova Wildcats at 3 PM in a Philadelphia Big Five battle.  Can the Temple defense contain the Villanova offense?

Written By: Glenn Papazian

Penn vs. Albany – What They Said

Penn Coach Glen Miller – on where the game was lost

“We just didn’t get it done.  The ball game was lost in the first few possessions of the second half.  They scored and we couldn’t stop them.  That was the ball game, probably the first 5 so so defensive possessions.  It was on defense where the game got out of control”

Penn Coach Glen Miller – how Albany hurt them on offense

“We didn’t make the adjustments we needed to make.  They scored in a variety of ways not just inside with their big guys.”

Penn Coach Glen Miller – how to end the losing streak and win games

“We’re all in this together.  There is no way you’re going to dig yourselves out of this hole by feeling sorry for yourself.  We have to get over the hump and  the way to get over the hump is to have a good performance on both ends of the floor for 40 minutes.  I don’t know of a game where we will have a decisive advantage physically or from a talent stand point where we can compete and win games.  It is imperative that we play a complete basketball game.  Yes, we looked a little dejected, but we just got to get better.”

Penn Forward Jack Eggleston – losing leads to frustration

“There comes a time where excuses don’t matter anymore.  We have to start learning from  our mistakes, play with some maturity, and get some wins.”

Albany 78 Penn 60 – A View From Papazian’s Perch

Key Run of the Game

Penn came out in the 2nd half and scored the first 2 baskets of the half.  Albany answered by going on a 21 – 3 run to take a 23 point lead at 68 - 45 with 6:55 remaining in the game.  In that streak Penn was held scoreless for 4:08.  Albany Forward Will Harris scored 9 points in the run.  & different players scored for Hartford.

Key Stat of the Game

Albany shot 54.1% for the game, 33 – 61 from the field, 46.2% 3-Point shooting – 6 of 13.  Through their shooting they sustained enough offense to win the game.  This was Albany’s highest point total and best shooting percentage of the season.  Also noted was the 37 – 24 rebounding edge for the Great Danes.  Offensive rebounding was a key as they had a 12 – 5 edge allowing Albany to have a 42 – 22 points in the paint advantage.

Key Player in the Game

For Penn

Jack Eggleston who shot 5 – 9 from the field, 1 -2 3-Point shots, and 4 – 4 from the free throw line for 15 points.

For Albany

Mike Johnson, Albany Guard, who scored 15 points on 7 – 10 shooting (1 – 2 3-Point shots), and handed out 7 assists and turned the ball over just once.  Johnson also contributed 2 steals.  He was in control of the offense for the Great Danes.

Point Where The Game Was Decided

During Albany’s 21 -3 run they had a streak of 10 consecutive points where they held Penn scoreless for 4:08.  Penn Coach Glen Miller felt that was where the game got away form them.  It was apparent that Penn would not overcome that run early in the 2nd half.

Hustle Stats

Steals – Penn 10 Albany 4

Blocked Shots – Penn 3 Albany 2

Points Off Turnovers – Penn 12 Albany 6

2nd Chance Points – Albany 14 Penn 7

Fast Break Points – Penn 10 Albany 8

Assist / Turnover Ratio – Penn 10/12  Albany 17 / 11

Rebounds – Offensive Defensive Total- Albany 12 25 37  Penn 5 19 24

Written By: Glenn Papazian

Albany 78 Penn 60 – College Basketball – Half by Half Summary

University of Pennsylvania Quakers (0 – 6) vs.

Albany Great Danes (4-6)

At The Palestra in Philadelphia

December 8, 2009

Preview

The University of Pennsylvania tries to get its first win of the season as the Great Danes of Albany visit The Palestra.  These teams met last year in Albany with the Great Danes taking a 73 – 63 decision. 

Penn lost its 5th game of the year 73 – 67 at Navy in their last outing.  After the game it was apparent that this team is frustrated.  This game will be their last at home until January 13, 2010 when Temple visits.  Penn is led in scoring by Guard Zack Rosen at 14. 2 per game.  Rosen leads the team in assists with 28.  Forward Jack Eggleston average 13.8 a game.  Mike Howlett is the leading rebounder pulling down 9.2 boards per game.

Albany from the America East Conference,  looks to Guards Tim Ambrose and Forward Will Harris for scoring as they average 15.3 and 16.1 per game.  Albany looks to snap a 4 game losing streak, all on the road.  Their last game was an 83 – 54 loss at Siena.

Two teams trying to get back on the upside.  A win will be big for one team, and a loss would mean more trouble for the other.

1st Half

It was a relatively even first part of the game.  Albany got out to a 6 point lead at the 12:15 mark on a basket by Forward Billy Allen making the score 16  – 10.  Penn fought back getting to within 1 at 20 – 19 on a Dan Monckton dunk with 8:18 to play.  Albany answered by scoring 7 straight points keyed by  Guard Tim Ambrose who scored 5 of the 7 points.  The Great Danes led 27 – 19 and the lead would alternate between 6 and 8 the next 10 times down the floor until Penn Guard Zack Rosen hit a 3-Pointer with 1:07 remaining.  Albany led 32 – 27.  By halftime the lead grew to 39 – 32.

Penn was led in scoring by Mike Howlett with 9 points, Zack Rosen had 8.  The Quakers shot 48.1 making 13 of  27 field goal attempts.  They were 2 – 10 from 3, and made 4 of 6 foul shots.  Penn committed 8 turnovers.

Tim Ambrose led Albany with 13 and Mike Johnson chipped in 11.  They shot 51.5% in the half, nad made 2 of 6 3-Point baskets.  Albany was 3 – 4 form the line. The Great Danes had 17 rebounds, 6 on the offensive glass.

Defense was not the name of the half.  Albany was stronger inside with 22 points in the paint, and they shot 48.1% to be able to keep the lead.  Will Penn sustain some offense and pull the game out?  Will there be a defensive stand?

Halftime Score: Albany 39 Penn 32.

2nd Half

 Penn came out with some spark in the 2nd half getting the first two baskets scored.  But after that the alternating scores began.  Penn’s Daren Smith made a 3 with 16:54 to play making the score 47 – 42 - Albany ahead.  The Great Danes scored the next 10 points of the game to take a 15 point lead with 13:54 remaining.  Penn’s Mike Howlett broke a 4:08 scoreless spell with a free throw with 12:46 to play.  Albany led 57 – 43 after the made free throw. The Great Danes followed that with an 11 – 2 run to take a 68 - 45 lead with 6:56 to play.  The 23 point lead was the largest to that point.  The question was how large would the lead be at the end of the game. 

Final Score:  Albany 78 Penn 60.

Summary

Penn shot 42% for the game, but 34.8% in the 2nd half.  Jack Eggleston led Penn with 15 points and Zack Rosen added 10 along with Mike Howlett. 

Albany shot 54.1% from the field.  They were led by Tim Ambrose who scored 20 points.  Will Harris added 19 and Mike Johnson put in 15.  Albany out-rebounded Penn 37 – 24, 12 – 5 on the offensive boards.  Albany outscored Penn 42 – 22 in the paint.  Albany also had a 14 – 7 advantage on 2nd chance points.  Their strength and quickness underneath was apparent, and was the difference in the game. And it always helps to shoot well.

Written By:  Glenn Papazian

 

Philly College Men’s Basketball – Week In Review 11/30 – 12/6/2009

Philly College Sports Men’s Basketball Week In Review November 30 – December 6, 2009 

VILLANOVA

The Wildcats improved their record to 8 – 0 this season and is currently ranked # 3 in the nation.  Villanova got a 77 – 58 home win against Drexel, then went on the road to Washington, DC and beat Maryland 95 -86 in the BB&T Classic.

Against Drexel Center Antonio Pena scored a career high 19 points and pulled down 11 rebounds.  Forward Taylor King scored 16 points as he made 4 of 6 3-Point shots, and Scottie Reynolds had 14 points and dished out 6 assists.  Villanova shot 46.2% in the game, and were 7 – 15 from the 3 point line.  Villanova dominate inside outscoring Drexel 28 – 10 in Points in the Paint.  They forced 15 Dragon turnovers getting 22 points off turnovers compared to 11 for Drexel.  Drexel Guard Derrick Thomas scored a game high 23 points as he made 5 of 6 3-Point shots, and fellow Guard Chris Fouch made 5 of 8 3-Point shots getting 20 points.  Drexel starting Guards Jamie Harris and Gerald Colds were held scoreless shooting a combined 0 – 17.   Drexel did not score a point until the 10:19 mark of the 1^st Half.  Villanova pulled away late in the half going on a 15 – 6 run to take a 14 point halftime lead.  King keyed the run by hitting 3 consecutive 3-Point shots.

Villanova continued their hot 3-Point shooting on December 6 as they set a school record by attempting 39 3-Pointers, making 16 – just one shy of the school record.  Guard Corey Stokes made 5 of 11 3-Point shots en route to scoring 18 points.  Guard Scottie Reynolds had 25 for the Wildcats and he gave out 8 assists.  Guard Corey Fischer had 20 and Taylor King contributed 13.  Villanova out-rebounded Maryland 45 – 33 as Antonio Pena had 11 rebounds, 6 on the offensive glass.  Overall offensive rebounding was a big key for Villanova as they had 23 offensive rebounds to only 7 for Maryland.  Villanova won the second chance points stat 29 – 10.   Maryland had 19 turnovers, 10 by Villanova steals which contributed to Villanova scoring 32 points off turnovers compared to 9 for the Terps.  Maryland Guard Shane Mosely scored a game high 26 points.  The Terps got to within 6 with 1:25 remaining, but Villanova held them off making 5 of 6 free throws down the stretch.

Villanova meets rival Saint Joseph’s on December 9 at The Palestra, then finish the Big Five portion of their schedule on Sunday, December 13 at Temple.

TEMPLE

The Temple Owls had a 2 – 0 week and improved their overall record to 6 – 2.  The Owls went on the road and beat Western Michigan 7 6 -70 on December 1.  They returned home on December 5 and gutted out a 45 – 42 win against Penn State.

Guard Ryan Brooks led Temple with 17 points against western Michigan.  He also had 10 rebounds.  Temple also had 3 other double figures scorers.  Juan Fernandez and Craig Williams both had 14 points.  Lavoy Allen contributed 13.  Temple out-rebounded Western Michigan 46 – 23.  The Owls had a 19 – 9 edge in offensive rebounding.  Temple also won the turnover stat 10 – 6.  Western Michigan Guard David Kool scored a game high 30 points.

Ryan Brooks, again, led Temple in scoring against Penn State as his 19 points led the way in Temple’s 45 – 42 win over Penn State.  It was a tight game throughout.   There were 4 ties and 7 lead changes in the game.  Temple was trailing by 1, 30 – 29 with 10:12 left.  The Owls went on an 11 – 4 run to take a 6 point lead, 40 – 34 with 4:10 remaining, then held off Penn State as the Lions could not get off a final shot to tie the game.   Defense was the key as Temple made only 30% of their shots, but they held Penn State to 34.9%.  Nittany Lion Guard Talor Battle was held to 8 points.

Temple plays at Miami (OH) on December 8, then prepare for Big Five rival Villanova on December 13.

LA SALLE

The Explorers were the third city school to go 2 – 0 over the week.  In a home stand La Salle got wins over Lafayette (79 – 67) and Hartford (75 – 62).  La Salle is 5 – 2 this season.

Guard Rodney Green scored 19 points and dished out 6 assists, both game highs.  Kimmani Barrett, Jerrell Williams, and Aaric Murray each had 13 points.  La Salle shot 53.3% (32 – 60) compared to 41% (25 – 61) for Lafayette.  The Explorers out-rebounded Lafayette 42 – 26.

La Salle continued to rebound the basketball this season as they pulled down 43 against Hartford.  Their edge on the defensive glass was 32 – 17.  Kimmani Barrett led the offense scoring a career high 25 points.  He made 5 of 7 3-Point shots, a career high in made 3’s.  Rodney Green scored 13, Aaric Murray added 10, and Yves Mekong chipped in with 10.  La Salle shot 45.5% for the game and made 11 of 21 3-Point shots.

La Salle goes on the road meeting Rider on December 12, then on to Kansas City to play top ranked Kansas on December 12.

DREXEL

The Dragons had a 1 – 1 week losing to Villanova.  They came back to beat Northeastern on Saturday.

Against Northeastern Guard Samme Givins scored a game high 16 points off the bench to give Drexel a 49 -47 victory in their Colonial Athletic Conference opener.  Jamie Harris scored 12 points and handed out a season best 5 assists.  Drexel limited Northeaster to 37.5% shooting in the 2^nd half.  Drexel survived 2 Northeastern shots in the last 5 seconds to hold on for the win.

Drexel (4-5) is off until December 13 when St. Francis (NY) visits the DAC.

 SAINT JOSEPH’S

The Hawks were on the road and lost both games.  Rider beat Saint Joseph’s 81 – 73 on November 30.  On December 6 the Hawks fell at Cornell 78 – 66.

At Rider Idris Hilliard scored 13 points and 4 other Hawks had double figures, but it was not enough to win.  Guard Darrin Govens had 10 and became to 40^th player in Hawk history to reach 1,000 career points.  The fast paced game featured 10 lead changes, with 8 in the second half.  Saint Joseph’s Guard Carl Jones made a 3-Point shot to bring the Hawks to within 4 at 75 – 71 with 35 seconds to play.  But Rider made 6 of 6 free throws down the stretch to earn the win.  Rider out-rebounded Saint Joseph’s 44 – 32 and had a 17 – 7 edge in offensive rebounds.  Justin Crosgile (12), Garrett Williamson (11), and Bryant Irwin (10) were the other Saint Joseph’s players who scored in double figures.

 Guard Garrett Williamson scored 14 point s and Darrin Govens scored 10, but it was not enough as the Hawks lost their fourth straight game of the season 78 – 66 at Cornell.  Ryan Wittman had a game high 17 points and was joined by 4 other Cornell players scoring double figures.  Cornell never trailed and shot 52.6% for the game – 60% in the 2^nd half.  The Big Red hit 11 of 24 3-Point shots.  The Hawks shot 36.4% and only 29.4% (5-17) from 3-Point range.

Saint Joseph’s falls to 3 – 4 this season as they prepare for Villanova on December 9, then Minnesota away on December 12.

PENN

The Quakers are still looking for their initial win of the season as they were beaten at Navy 73 – 67.  Zack Rosen and Jack Eggleston scored 18 for Penn.  Rob Belcore added 12 as the Quakers shot 39.3% from the field, and made 10 of 27 3-Point shots.  Navy had an edge inside as they out-scored Penn 26 – 16 in the paint.  There were 6 ties and 9 lead changes in the game, but Navy lead throughout the 2^nd half holding off Penn’s many challenges to get the lead.  Navy Guard Jordan Sugars led all scorers with 21 points.

Penn is 0 – 5 and play host to Albany on December 8 before travelling to Monmouth for a December 12^th game.

Written By: Glenn Papazian

La Salle 75 Hartford 62 – A View From Papazian’s Perch

Turning Point of the Game

Late in the first half Hartford Guard Joe Zeglinski made a 3 to bring Hartford to within 1 at 25 – 24 with 6:31 remaining in the half.  Hartford would only make 1 more basket to the end of the half being on the short end of a 12 – 2 run.  This gave La Salle a 37 – 26 halftime lead.   In that run La Salle got 8 points from Devon White and Steve Weingarten, players who are usually bench players who gave the Explorers a big contribution.

Key Run of the Game   

Starting the 2nd half La Salle came out with a 21 – 9 run to gain a 58 – 35 advantage within the first 7 minutes of the half.  The 23 point lead was their largest of the game.  Guard Kimmani Barrett had 7 points in the run and Center Aaric Murray had 5.

Key Stat of the Game

There were 2 key stats for La Salle.  They needed to shoot well and rebound to win the game.  La Salle 20 of 44 shots for 45.5% and they made 11 of 21 3-Point shots (52.4%).  Rebounding was the other key part of the game for the Explorers.  They out-rebounded Hartford 43 – 24.  La Salle had 11 offensive rebounds and 32 on the defensive boards.  Forward Steve Weingarten led La Salle with 8 rebounds.

Key Player of the Game

For La Salle

Guard Kimmani Barrett had a career high 25 points.  He shot 7 of 14 from the field and 5 of 7 3-Point baskets.  The 5 made 3’s was also a career high.  Coach John Giannini said that Barrett is consistent in what the gives the Explorers, but today he added 5 3’s to his contributions.

For Hartford  

Forward Morgan Sabia who scored 19 points (6-15 FG, 3-6 3FG, 4-4 FT).  He had 11 in the 2nd half where he was the Hawks most consistent scorer.

Point Where the Game Was Decided

After La Salle went ahead by 23 in the 2nd half Hartford made a run to get to within 13 point at 60 -47 with 8:57 remaining in the game.  La Salle answered by controlling the next 6 minutes to earn an 18 point advantage at 73 -56.  Hartford would not threaten again.

Written By: Glenn Papazian