NJIT Tries For Win, Fordham Without Coach

NJIT Still Seeks Win, Rams Win Without Leader

by Ray Floriani

NEWARK, N.J. – The Prudential Center was the site of a Tuesday night meeting between NJIT and Cornell. NJIT entered the game 0-18 and is starting to get national attention for being without a win on the season.

The first few minutes of the game gave hope as the Highlanders scored the initial basket and battled Cornell on relatively even terms. Gradually as the half wore on, the hope evaporated. The familiar maladies of missing a succession of shots and turnovers, allowed Cornell to build a commanding lead.

The stat crew distributes updates after each media time out. With 3:27 remaining in the half, Cornell enjoyed a 21-7 lead as NJIT had shot 3 of 20 from the floor (1 of 9 from three) and committed 9 turnovers. Without going into further statistical analysis one can see that is not a recipe to win.

At the break Cornell had a 25-7 lead. The Big Red then opened the second half by knocking down a three-pointer, then converting a steal on the other end into a transition layup, making it 30-7 Cornell. The remainder of the contest, Cornell is never seriously challenged en route to a 64-33 final. NJIT shot 8 of 40 from the field while committing 26 turnovers.

Nesho Milosevic, NJIT’s inside threat, was limited by foul trouble and contributed just six points. Kraig Peters, a double digit scorer, led the Higlanders with 10, but did so on 2 of 10 shooting.

Cornell enjoyed a balanced attack with seven-foot center Jeff Foote leading the way with 10 points. There was a sigh of relief as NJIT breaks 20 points late in the contest.

NJIT coach Jim Casciano worked the sideline and encouraged his club virtually the entire contest. In the final few minutes, Casciano who came back from a leave of absence on December 30, sat frustrated and spent. Following a ten-minute post game meeting with the team, Casciano emerged a bit more upbeat.

“We had good things happen early,” Casciano said. “We came out with energy and defended. Then we couldn’t buy a basket and that’s when frustration sets in.”

Casciano credits his team’s resiliency and willingness to work each day. “After a while it gets tough,” Casciano said. “You want the kids to buy into what you are teaching them in practice. When they go this long without a win it just gets difficult.”

The record is 0-19, yet as coaches and players filed out of the “Rock” you got the feeling they’re already thinking ahead to a date at Chicago State on Saturday.

In Casciano’s absence following the season opening loss to Manhattan, assistant Wendell Alexis ran the team. To their credit neither Casciano nor Alexis ever criticized their players or paucity of Division I talent. Rather, they would discuss what broke down in the game and ways to improve.

From the category of “the fans care, but…”: After the game NJIT AD Lenny Kaplan said late in the contest he received an email from a fan complaining that coach Casciano was not using the right offense. As Kaplan noted being down 30 points means there’s more to worry about than what offense you are in.

Rams Win Minus Leader

About a half hour before Fordham’s meeting with George Washington on Wednesday, Travis Lyons got the news. Head coach Dereck Whittenburg would not be at the game. Whittenburg went home after the morning shoot around then began to feel ill. He stayed home as Lyons ran the club.

“At first I got a little nervous,” Lyons said. “But coach (Whittenburg) always tells us to prepare like he might not be here.” Any nerves were not evident as Lyons directed the Rams to a 66-53 victory at Rose Hill.

The Rams showed excellent composure in the win. They built a double-digit first half lead largely on their three-point shooting. GW came out on a 19-3 run the first eight minutes of the second half to pull ahead by three, and that’s when Fordham dug in.

With just under seven minutes remaining they knocked down threes on successive possessions to regain the lead and got the defensive stops. Down the stretch Fordham was in command, hit their free throws, and closed out their initial Atlantic 10 victory of the season.

“We really lost the game the first ten minutes of the first half,” GW coach Karl Hobbs said. “We gave up a lot of threes and made it tougher to come back.”

Offensive rebounding was another issue as the Rams grabbed 13 in that category. “We probably gave up 80 percent of the field goals on offensive rebounds, where they got another opportunity,” Hobbs added.

Marcus Stout led the way with 23 points for the Rams. Rob Diggs paced the Colonials with 19.

Hobbs does not make a big issue of it but the fact remains that minus Travis King, their lead guard, GW is a different team. It’s been point guard by committee, though Maurice Rice, usually a two, ran the club against Fordham.

“With this (point guard) situation we have gone from a transition team to half court team,” Hobbs said. The Colonials also committed 16 turnovers. “That (turning it over) is an issue with us every night out,” Hobbs added.

Said Marcus Stout of the GW defense: “They gave us open shots. They keyed on certain people (like Bryant Dunston, who had 12 points and 11 boards inside), so we moved the ball and got open looks. Coach (Whittenburg and Lyons) always tells us when you have an open shot, take it.”

Besides the senior guard Stout’s performance, Brenton Butler and Michael Binns both added 10 points, mostly from the perimeter.

Immediately following the contest Lyons was on the phone with Whittenburg. “He’s pleased with what we have done,” Lyons said. “We have to credit him for what he instills in the team day to day. We were prepared as a team and I was prepared. I want to be a head coach someday.” For Lyons it was a great audition.

Fordham improved to 7-8 (1-2 Atlantic 10) while GW, the defending A-10 champions, fell to 5-7 (1-1).