Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Notebook
by Matthew Moll
They are back
Ten straight wins (including a perfect 6-0 MAAC record), blemishing some spotless records, and vindicating predictors will put you back in the spotlight. For now that spotlight rests squarely on the Manhattan Jaspers.
Manhattan is in the midst of their longest winning streak under Bobby Gonzalez, and the Jaspers find themselves winning games by outplaying teams and by winning ugly. First, the Jaspers blew out a pair of MAAC unbeatens, then followed those performances by barely getting by Rider and Siena.
Either way, the young Jaspers are alone at the top, leaving the MAAC searching for answers to the Bobby Gonzalez riddle.
Land of Ru
Iona head coach Jeff Ruland won his 125th game at Iona with a win over Canisius. Right now his Gaels are second in the MAAC with the most experienced, and arguably the most dangerous, roster in the conference. In his seven-plus seasons at his alma mater, Ruland has lead the Gaels to two MAAC championships and two NCAA appearances.
Ruland did it as a player too. Ruland was a two-time All American during his sophomore and junior campaigns as a Gael. His career highlights included aiding the Gaels to a number six ranking and going to consecutive NCAA tournaments. He was selected in the second round of the 1981 NBA Draft. In the NBA he would go on to averaged 17.4 points per game and 10.2 rebounds over 322 games. His career was cut short because of a knee injury in 1987. In 1993 he was hired as an assistant to the Philadelphia 76ers.
He plays a little defense too
Keydren Clark has a chance at surpassing the likes of Pete Maravich and Oscar Robinson with his scoring this season, but this past week added to his St. Peter’s lore by becoming the school’s all-time steals leader. Clark’s four-steal effort against Iona was a losing one, but put him atop the take-away board for a career.
Player and newcomer of the week
Andre Collins, Sr., Loyola: Can’t stop this guy (see below)
Game of the week: January 19 a potential sleeper between St. Peter’s and Siena.
Manhattan Jaspers (10-4 overall, 6-0 MAAC)
A year hiatus: After taking a season off from dominating the Metro Atlantic the Jaspers have the early grip on the conference’s top spot. In the first two weeks of conference play the Jaspers have answered all types of game situations and are now alone at the top.
Last week the Jaspers faced a pair of those in the MAAC winners-only club and emerged from the weekend alone with such a distinction. First, on January 6 the Jaspers would face the tested and talented Iona Gaels at the Hynes Center in New Rochelle. Arturo Dubois paced Manhattan in the 87-68 win with his first collegiate double-double, scoring 21 points and cleaned 14 rebounds. Manhattan opened the game with the lead and would retain it throughout.
The Jaspers would next face St. Peter’s at home. After a start which featured unforced turnovers and blown lay-ups, the Peacocks sprung out to a 9-4 lead. But the Jaspers would quickly shake off the Sunday morning sleep and push the lead to as many as 21 in the second half before cruising to a 95-82 shootout win. Four of the starting five were in double-figures all over 15 points, led by C.J. Anderson, who scored 24.
Manhattan carried an eight game winning streak into this past week, where they would play conference rivals Rider and Siena. The sophomores ruled the roost in the 87-81 win over Rider. Jeff Xavier scored 25 points to match his career high, while Dubois and Anderson added 23 in the win. The Jaspers were able to come back in the second half despite being out-rebounded and shooting only 31.6 percent from beyond the arch. The ninth consecutive win marked the longest winning streak the Jaspers have had under Bobby Gonzalez.
The Jaspers ended the three-game home stand with a come from behind win over Siena. Manhattan needed a Jason Wingate runner and a Mike Konovelchick steal and free throws to seal the win. Konovelchick lead the way with 19 points, pacing the four Jaspers who scored in double-digits. Dubois’ 12 points and 10 rebounds gave him his third double-double of the season.
12 straight? Marist Jan. 18 and Canisius Jan. 20.
Iona (11-3, 5-1)
A taste of March: The Gaels were unable to match Manhattan in a possible MAAC championship preview, ending their MAAC winning streak. They began anew against defending MAAC champions Niagara, where the senior leaders combined for all but 16 points in the 73-55 win over the Purple Eagles. Steve Burtt had a game-high 19 points.
Burtt poured in 37 points (27 in the second half) on the road against St. Peter’s to give the Gaels an 83-75 victory. Iona needed to overcome a 19-point St. Peter’s bulge before claiming win number three in the MAAC season.
Burtt followed his career night with a point off of his career night, netting 36 in the 88-73 road win over Canisius. Ricky Soliver added 23 in Jeff Rutland’s 125th career win. The Gaels out-shot Canisius 57 percent to the Griffins’ 44 percent in the third straight road win.
126 and 127? Jan. 17 versus Fairfield and Jan. 10 vs. Loyola.
Loyola, MD Greyhounds (10-4, 4-2)
Fluke you say: The team who won too little is now third in the conference, as the Greyhounds began the first major conference run with a three-game winning streak. Andre Collins has put on a show in his MAAC performances. The Maryland transfer is averaging 29.8 points per game over the last four, including a 29 point scorcher against Marist that included nine threes. Over the past four games, the ‘Hounds are 3-1 with an 82-70 win over Niagara and a 78-75 buzzer beater (by, yes, Mr. Collins).
This past week rounded out the rest of the MAAC schedule thus far for Loyola. The first game of the week was a 95-80 handling of Canisius. Mr. Second-Leading Scorer in the Nation went for 26 in the road victory.
Loyola was unable to make it four straight, falling to Niagara and splitting the closely scheduled meetings. Collins went for 36 and Shane James added 11 points and four assists in the loss.
Time to make a move: at Iona Jan. 19 hosting Rider Jan. 22.
Fairfield Stags (5-9, 3-3)
Some call it a sequence: No winning streaks or losing streaks to speak of for the Stags so far in the early part of the conference season. The Stags began with a loss to Canisius 84-73 and then bounced back, holding on to defeat Rider 85-81.
The Stags followed the opening week with a week which resembled the previous: a loss followed by a win. Terrance Todd’s 18 points and eight boards were not enough to overcome the second half deficit presented by Niagara as the Stags fell 78-73.
Todd scored 13 of his 17 points in the second half to pace the Stags over the St. Peter’s Peacocks to give the Stags a .500 week. Herbie Allen and DeWitt Maxwell each added 15 in the win.
Will a new pattern develop? Jan. 17 Iona and Jan. 20 at Marist.
Canisius Golden Griffins (4-10, 3-3)
Streak halted by streak: The Griffins were in the midst of a three-game winning clip when the surging Greyhounds bounded into Buffalo to end the run and start another that Canisius has found to be less fond. Kevin Downey made his 100th consecutive start for the Golden Griffins and scored 22 in the 95-80 shootout. Four of the five Canisius starters recorded double-digit points.
The Griffins would drop the next home game, turning the ball over 22 times in the 88-73 sprint off. The Griffins could not stay with the senior guards who scored 59 of the total points. Junior Chuck Harris led the Golden Griffin scorers with a career high 20.
This week: Niagara Jan. 17, at Manhattan Jan. 20, at Siena Jan. 22
Saint Peter’s (7-8, 3-3)
From first to five hundred: After failing to keep step with the conference leaders, the Peacocks slipped from unbeaten to .500. First, St. Peter’s allowed Iona to overcome a 19-point second half lead allowing an opportunity to cease control of second in the MAAC slip. The 83-75 loss marked the first on the Yanitelli Center home floor of the season. Kee kee Clark lead all scorers with 28.
For the second time in as many games the Peacocks would lead early and fold late at home to a MAAC foe. This time, the culprit was Fairfield, who overcame Clark’s 34 and the rest of the Peacocks’ second-half lead, 81-75.
.571: Jan. 19 at Siena and Jan. 22 at Niagara.
Marist (8-6, 2-4)
Tick tack toe: Three straight wins and Marist looks less the second half breakdown of last year. The Red Foxes used Will Whittingon’s career-high eight trays to push past the surprisingly average Siena Saints, 85-77. Whittington was not the only one sparking the nets for Marist, as a team the Foxes hit on 60 percent from the field and 57.7 percent from the arch (15 threes in all).
Marist followed that win with another, completely outplaying Rider 89-66, defeating the Broncos for the first time in six tries. Junior Jared Jordan handed out a career high 15 assists, while senior Carl Hood scored 22 in the win.
Who’s next: Jan. 18 vs. Manhattan and Jan. 20 vs. Fairfield.
Siena (7-7, 2-4)
Victims of circumstance: The Red Foxes could not miss and Manhattan cannot lose, and thus the pleasantly surprising Saints were dealt a losing streak.
The Saints lost for the first time this season at the Pepsi Center to Marist 85-77. Antoine Jordan and David Ryan each scored 17 points in the short end of the score.
The Saints let the Jaspers steal one on Sunday when they collapsed in the second half, losing 77-74. Kojo Mensah led the way with 19. The Saints could not hold even after having the first half lead erased, retained (down by 11), and retained again and despite out-rebounding the Jaspers 33-24.
Saints and Saints: Jan. 19 St. Peter’s and Jan. 22 Canisius.
Niagara (5-9, 2-4)
Reminder of a season’s past: Two consecutive MAAC wins and the Purple Eagles can now feel whole again.
Niagara began the weekend with a second half surge to defeat Fairfield 78-73. The defending MAAC champs scored the last six points of the game to decide the difference. Six Purple Eagles scored in double-digits, led by J.R. Duffey who went for a game-high 19. The Purple Eagles hit on 12 threes, eight of which came in an 8-12 scorching first half.
Niagara was able to stunt the flourishing Greyhounds with a 75-72 win. Sophomore Charron Fisher had a double-double (26 points 11 rebounds) to march the champs to victory.
We are the champions: Jan. 17 at Canisius, Jan. 20 at Rider, Jan. 22 at St. Peter’s.
Rider (5-9, 2-4)
Far from first but not really last: Rider hung around for most of the Manhattan loss before falling 87-81, a fifth consecutive dropped game. Jason Thompson and Edwin Muniz each scored 20 in the effort.
Rider followed that with a sixth straight loss, losing to Marist 89-66. The Broncos’ fell behind late in the first half and did not recover, having a deficit as high as 25.
Relief in sight? Hosting Niagara Jan. 20 and traveling to Loyola Jan. 22.
