by Ray Floriani
JERSEY CITY, NJ -- Sometimes these numbers just reach out and grab you. I covered the Niagara-St.Peter’s game, a MAAC Conference contest at St. Peter's Yanitelli Center, on Friday night. Niagara won 62-55 in a game where St.Peter’s just would not go away. The Peacocks got their preferred pace, the numbers of possessions stayed in the low sixties. Niagara had only 13 turnovers, a number that seems at first glance, pretty well controlled, but in a 62 possession contest those turnovers yield a less impressive 21% TO Rate. St.Peter’s had 20 turnovers that contributed in great portion to Niagara’s fine defensive efficiency. The offensive rebounding percentages for both teams are noticeably impressive. Any team with a 40% mark is really pounding the boards. Both these teams went at it hard and fast underneath. The offensive board percentage also explains, for the most part, why Niagara shot 28 free throws and St.Peter’s 21.
Sunday, I had the honor of officiating a girls high school showcase game at Monmouth University. My game had two ranked teams, St.John Vianney(NJ) and Oak Hill(Va). Vianney won 69-53. For Villanova fans, their program was well covered and represented as courtside among the coaches in attendance were Nova head coach Harry Perretta and assistant Heather Vulin.
JERSEY CITY, NJ -- Sometimes these numbers just reach out and grab you. I covered the Niagara-St.Peter’s game, a MAAC Conference contest at St. Peter's Yanitelli Center, on Friday night. Niagara won 62-55 in a game where St.Peter’s just would not go away. The Peacocks got their preferred pace, the numbers of possessions stayed in the low sixties. Niagara had only 13 turnovers, a number that seems at first glance, pretty well controlled, but in a 62 possession contest those turnovers yield a less impressive 21% TO Rate. St.Peter’s had 20 turnovers that contributed in great portion to Niagara’s fine defensive efficiency. The offensive rebounding percentages for both teams are noticeably impressive. Any team with a 40% mark is really pounding the boards. Both these teams went at it hard and fast underneath. The offensive board percentage also explains, for the most part, why Niagara shot 28 free throws and St.Peter’s 21.
| Team | Poss | Eff. | TO% | OR% |
| Niagara | 62 | 100 | 21 | 51 |
| St. Peter's | 64 | 86 | 31 | 54 |
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Sunday, I had the honor of officiating a girls high school showcase game at Monmouth University. My game had two ranked teams, St.John Vianney(NJ) and Oak Hill(Va). Vianney won 69-53. For Villanova fans, their program was well covered and represented as courtside among the coaches in attendance were Nova head coach Harry Perretta and assistant Heather Vulin.
