A Few Quick Hitters From the Holiday Weekend
by Ray Floriani
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – We have several stops and notes from the long President’s Day weekend on tap.
IPFW 52, NJIT 47
Visiting Indiana Purdue of Fort Wayne overcame a double-digit deficit to edge the Highlanders on Saturday. IPFW is coached by Dane Fife, the youngest Division I coach in America. It is an independent school headed to the Mid-Continent Conference next season. NJIT fought gamely while playing without their best player, senior guard Clayton Barker, who was out with an injury. In the end, 6’9″ senior Tyler Best’s 11 points did the damage inside and the visitors prevailed.
Fordham 86, Duquesne 83
A noon contest on Sunday saw the Rams hold on in a furious finish to stop a four-game losing streak. The Rams certainly let coach Dereck Whittenburg’s recent message about rebounding set in. Fordham was out-rebounded 44-32 and soundly beaten inside during Thursday’s loss to UMass, but against Duquesne, the Rams responded by winning the rebounding battle 38-35. Included in that number were 19 offensive boards. Bryant Dunston put up a solid 19-point, 10-rebound effort. The most damage, though, was done by Brenton Butler. The Fordham freshman guard scored a game-high 28 points and made a succession of big plays in the stretch.
Pitt 71, Seton Hall 68
On Monday evening the Panthers were without their outstanding big man Aaron Gray, who was sidelined with an ankle injury. Seton Hall got out to an early lead before Pitt gained control. The Panthers enjoyed a double-digit led in the final half, but the Hall kept fighting back. With four seconds remaining, Levance Fields missed the second of two free throws. Seton Hall rebounded and pushed the ball up court. Jamar Nutter (19 points) had a good, though long, look from straight beyond the arc. His potential game-tying shot rimmed as time expired. Pitt senior forward Levon Kendall took up the inside slack (14 points, 8 rebounds). Eugene Harvey, Seton Hall’s outstanding freshman, played the full 40 minutes and scored a game-high 24 points while handing out four assists and committing only three turnovers.
Second Chances
- Before NJIT’s men’s game on Saturday, the women defeated Longwood 50-38 for their fourth win of the season. “It was great to get the win,” NJIT coach Kim Bowen Lusk said. “I think as the year has progressed, our young kids see the big picture. Playing Division I and the commitment. I think it has been tougher on our seniors, but tonight they stepped up.” Lusk also summed up her season in the same way you can categorize that of the NJIT men,” those judge us on the won-lost record,” she said.
- Talk among some of the NJIT players and coaches concerned the recent trip to the Dakotas. NJIT dropped games to North and South Dakota State, but the weather was as tough as the competition. “It was about fifteen below and that’s not wind chill,” said sophomore guard Jill Dickinson. “All we did was go from practice to the hotel to the games.”
- Colleen Vogel scored 12 points and shared scoring honors with senior Kelly Crowe. A freshman out of Emerson, NJ High School, Vogel expected an adjustment moving to a higher level. She knew her role would change, from 20 plus points per game scorer and number one option in high school to coming off the bench in a supporting capacity. There have been other changes. “The ball pressure in college is incredible,” Vogel said. “Players are quicker, stronger and the size. I was the biggest player on my high school team (5’8″), now I’m just about the smallest.”
- Ron Everhart has had a tough first year on and off the floor at Duquesne. He wasn’t sure of expectations, but the effort has been rewarding. “We take it one day at a time,” Everhart said following the Fordham game. “We have good kids who work hard. Expectations? I wasn’t sure. But from day one guys came to practice willing to work. Today we battled back to put ourselves in a position for a possible win.”
Everhart has had some success since going to a full-court style on both ends. Mass substitution a la hockey line changes are the order to keep fresh legs and distribute playing time. “I think it (the style change) has been great,” Fordham mentor Dereck Whittenburg said. The biggest thing Whittenburg points out is it made Duquesne more competitive. Several wins, including one over Xavier, came following the alteration in play. “I think the league is not used to the small catholic schools being competitive,” Whittenburg added. “La Salle, Fordham, St. Bonaventure had a little run and now Duquesne is competitive. The small schools are no longer an automatic win.” - Monday afternoon saw an officiating assignment, a JV game at St. Anthony’s. Walking into the gym I ran into Bob Hurley. Coach was in his customary pre-game (the varsity followed the JV) routine, going over the floor with a broom as he gathered his thoughts. “Congratulations on your nomination to the Hall,” I said. “Thanks Ray,” Hurley replied. “What’s that they say, you have to be in it to win it,” he added in reference to the lottery slogan. Actually, Hurley is honored and excited about the nomination. But he spent more time talking about the Friars’ recent win over Linden that was on MSG network. “That was a great game of runs, and what an atmosphere,” Hurley said about the narrow St. Anthony’s win.
“Coach (Hurley) is honored with the nomination, “St. Anthony Athletic Director Tom Augello said. “But his main concern day-to-day is the 15 kids on his team.” - Despite eight straight Big East losses and no conference road wins, Seton Hall coach Bobby Gonzalez still maintains optimism. “I love coaching this team,” he said following the Pitt game. “We look at the glass being half full. We have been a tough out and play to the wall. We never talk about making the Big East Tournament, we just try to come out and play each game like it’s for the national championship.”
The Hall is in serious danger and probably will not make it to the Garden for the tournament in two weeks. Still, even away from home they have had competitive fire. “If we shot a bit better we could have won at UConn and West Virginia,” Gonzalez said. “And remember, we went into West Virginia a week after they upset UCLA.” - To date Pitt is undefeated (6-0) on the road in the Big East. “Winning on the road is a sign of our decision-making and understanding what needs to be done,” Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said.
Pitt’s win at the Hall was the 100th for Dixon, who humbly noted, “You don’t win unless you have great players, great people and a great university.”
