PROVIDENCE, R.I. – All things considered, Brown could certainly be worse off than their 3-3 record after Thursday night’s 69-56 win over Sacred Heart, the first home win for new head coach Mike Martin. It wasn’t a very memorable win since the Pioneers were short-handed, but so were the Bears, and the game had to be played nonetheless. It was, however, an impressive show of what this team might be this season.
Brown shot just 35 percent from the field, including 10-36 from long range. Those aren’t numbers Martin is hoping to see often, and few coaches would feel like their team can win a lot of games with those numbers. In part, the large number of three-point attempts can be attributed to Sacred Heart playing a lot of zone defense, but the Bears now have low-post scoring threats that should allow them to not have to live and die by the jump shot.
Chief among the low-post threats is Rafael Maia, who they missed last year when the NCAA declared him ineligible. The sophomore big man had 19 points and a career-high 15 rebounds on Thursday, continuing his excellent start to the season. He has scored in double figures in every game except the season opener, and is having the impact most felt he would a year ago.
“I feel like I was more prepared than someone who just walks in the first year and starts playing,” said Maia on how not being able to play last year affected him for this season.
Last year, the Bears didn’t really have an identity. Partly, it was because they were short-handed most of the year, but even teams beset with the issues the Bears had still have a distinct identity. That doesn’t appear to be the problem this year, as Martin is preaching that this team has to get after it for rebounds and loose balls. They certainly did that on Thursday, out-rebounding Sacred Heart 46-31 and getting most of the loose balls, and as a result they won despite their low shooting percentage.
“I don’t think we’re going to win games through our talent alone,” said Martin. “We’re going to have to be a blue collar team that out-works people. That’s what we’re going to have to be about: we’re going to have to be a team that scraps and fights for everything we can get. I was happy with the second-chance points and the rebounding numbers from our guys tonight.”
A year ago, the Bears could never have won a game where Sean McGonagill shoots 3-19 from the field, including 2-14 from long range. McGonagill did hand out eight assists, getting help from his teammates. The Bears had 20 assists on 24 made baskets, which shows that if they move the ball, they can get good shots and score. Watching the game without knowing the numbers would give that impression, as they turned some good passing into points several times. You could see the difference between that and the times they settled for a jumper.
Not unlike last year, injuries and defections have taken their toll on the Bears. Forward Dockery Walker left the team after a knee injury, guard Stephen Albrecht is out indefinitely with a back injury, while Andrew McCarthy, fresh off a solid season a year ago, withdrew for academic reasons. Joe Sharkey, who missed all of last season, is playing with padding on his left shoulder after it popped out in a recent practice.
There is also Tucker Halpern, who had 17 points and went 5-8 from long range on Thursday night. Halpern missed last season with a debilitating case of mono, one that didn’t allow him to do much on or off the court for most of the last year. He’s still working his way back into ideal playing shape, but as he works toward that he’s a valuable cog to have in the lineup since he can score, shoot and pass the ball well in this offense.
McCarthy’s absence has led to Cedric Kuakumensah having to play a bigger role than the Bears might have originally envisioned, as the frontcourt looked to be a place of riches. The freshman has started all six games and has played well, which isn’t surprising since he was thought to be a good pickup for them all along. He was in some foul trouble on Thursday, but he will continue to play significant minutes and the Bears hope he can grow with the team.
Brown has the toughest part of their non-league schedule still to come. After playing at New Hampshire on Saturday afternoon, the Bears head to Notre Dame before final exams and Northwestern right after them, then host Providence after Christmas. A trip down the road to Rhode Island comes right after the calendar turns to 2013.
Right now, the Bears have an identity, something they didn’t have a year ago. That will go a long way toward this team being able to successfully battle the personnel issues, ones that may take on added significance in Ivy League play given the back-to-back game nights. The effort on Thursday night was a big part of the win, and it has this team in a position that’s not too bad right now even though there is certainly more work to be done.
