DURHAM, N.H. – One team that’s been through its share of adversity is the New Hampshire Wildcats. A team that looked like a contender in America East before the season has had a rough go of it, with injuries and suspensions playing a role in their 8-11 overall record, including 2-5 in America East. On Sunday, they got a bright light as they easily handled struggling UMBC 80-60 with a good overall effort.
“These kids have been in a tough situation with injuries and suspensions, our numbers have been down,” head coach Bill Herrion said. “I’m really proud of these guys for hanging in there and sticking with it.”
A look at the Wildcat bench on Sunday showed the situation. In street clothes due to injury were Alvin Abreu, lost for the season with a torn ACL, and leading scorer Ferg Myrick, lost for the season with a ruptured patella tendon. Reserve Kazadi Nyanguila is injured as well and didn’t play Sunday. Joining them was another starter, Dane DiLiegro, who was suspended for Sunday’s game due to a violation of team rules. Herrion said they will get DiLiegro back on Tuesday when they play at America East leader Maine.
The injury situation has been the big factor, as Abreu is also a team leader and the roommate of Tyrone Conley, who has lately stepped it up. The staff hoped that having Abreu back on campus with Conley would help him out because the two are close, and that has happened as Conley’s effort on Sunday was just the latest good game he has had. He went for 22 points on 8-15 shooting and had seven assists with no turnovers, helping the Wildcats hand out 17 assists with just eight turnovers. In America East play, he is averaging 19 points per game, good for third in the conference.
“Tyrone Conley, I can’t say enough how he’s playing,” said Herrion. “The way he’s playing right now, he’s an all-conference player. He’s really, really leading us right now.”
His backcourt mate, Chandler Rhoads, has been shooting well above his career numbers over about the last month. Not known for his stroke, since Christmas Rhoads is shooting 48.4 percent (15-31) from long range. With his 4-4 effort on Saturday, he is 8-11 from deep in the last two games and has now scored in double figures in five straight games.
The player whose numbers on Sunday would jump off the stat sheet belong to Brian Benson, who appears to be coming into his own. The junior forward has always had potential, and of late he looks like he may be ready to start living up to it. A week after grabbing 22 rebounds against Stony Brook, he had 15 points and 16 rebounds on Sunday, and he blocked five shots. He struggled in between those games against Vermont, a team that plays physical basketball and especially with their inside players, and Herrion said he wasn’t happy with what the post players gave him in that game.
With his efforts in conference play, Benson is now third in the conference in rebounding, with teammate DiLiegro in second. In conference games only, he has a slight lead in that category as he’s averaging 10.1 per game.
“He’s just much more confident, he’s a little bit stronger,” Herrion said of Benson. “Every day he steps on the floor, he’s getting better.”
Knowing what his players have had to go through, Herrion has been challenged in a different way. He’s had to work to be more positive with them, which can be a challenge because he expects a lot out of them. The team’s psyche hasn’t been what it was with the injuries taking a toll and the losses mounting.
“What I’m trying to do is push myself to stay as positive as I can and as upbeat as I can, because that’s how they’ll be,” said Herrion. “I’m a very competitive guy, I don’t like losing, and all I said to the kids is if you play as hard as you can, you compete and give everything you have, I’m okay with that. If we do that, we’re going to still win some games.”
Herrion still believes this team can contend in what looks to be a wide-open America East save for Maine, who appears to be the class of the conference thus far. He knows any team can get hot in March, and this team is one that’s capable of it despite the limited numbers. The team’s ability to get through the adversity they have already faced will also help shape them for a run through February and then early March. That might be as important as anything.
