Metro Athletic Association Conference Tournament:Conference Player of the Year Keydren Clark passed Oscar Robertson on the all-time NCAA scoring list as he and No. 5 St. Peter’s advanced to face No. 4 Siena Saturday. The loss was the eighth straight for No. 10 Rider and the worse margin of defeat since 2001.
Senior James Mathis would not allow the defending champions – No. 7 Niagara – to be denied as he scored 27 points and grabbed 12 boards to advance to the second round against No. 2 Iona. Cliff Brown added 24 points and 13 rebounds for the Purple Eagles.
Jon Popofski did not pull up and his layup went down as the sharpshooter for No. 9 Canisius pushed the Griffins into the second round against No. 3 Marist. Canisius nearly gave away the upset, allowing a seven-point halftime lead to disappear. But it was No. 6 Loyola that could not close the door, missing a possible game winner setting the stage for Popofski’s heroics with 3.3 seconds remaining. Popofski finished with 21 points and Kevin Downey added 20 points. [3/03/06]
