Guest Contributor Ray Floriani -- Siena at St. Peter's

by Ray Floriani

Jersey City, NJ- The MAAC opener for both Siena and St. Peter's was played Thursday night at St. Peter's in Jersey City. While it is still early, the conference teams play two games prior to the new year. Getting off to a good start in league play is vital.

St. Peter's took advantage of home court and some outstanding defense posting a 51-44 victory. The pace and efficiency:

		Off.
	Poss.	Eff.
St. Peter's	54	94
Siena	54	82

Basic grind it out style of play as noted by the extremely low count of 54 turnovers. The key for St. Peter's in this one…

Defense.
To little surprise St. Peter's limited Siena to an 82 offensive efficiency, the Peacocks forced a 26% turnover rate and limited the visitors to a 38% eFG mark. Siena shot 3 of 18 (16.7%) from three point range.

Siena trailed by 16 early in the second half but was able to tie it in the stretch. They never were able to get a lead which was significant from a momentum standpoint.

The Saints excelled at…offensive rebounding. They enjoyed a 39-25% edge in that area.

Chris Prescott of St. Peter's paced the scorers with 16 points. OD Anosike led Siena with a strong 12 point 10 rebound effort.

Manley efficiency leader.
Yvon Raymond of St. Peter's. Raymond put up a 'Manley' number of 18. He scored 15 points, pulled down 9 rebounds, had 2 assists, one block and only one turnover.

St. Peter's improved to 2-4 while Siena fell to the same won-lost record.

The coveted MAAC Championship Banner
Hangs in the Yanitelli Center in Jersey City

Guest Contributor Ray Floriani -- St. Peter's at FDU

by Ray Floriani

Teaneck, NJ - In women's basketball, FDU defeated St. Peter's 55-46 on Tuesday at Stratis Arena. The efficiency and pace (kind of tells it all):

		Off.
	Poss.	Eff.
St. Peter's	75	61
FDU	73	75

Visiting St.Peter's of the MAAC pushed the pace on both ends as the mid-seventies possession count shows. FDU, with point guard Amanda Andrades out with an ankle injury, struggled at the lead guard spot. FDU was guilty of 24 turnovers. Coach Peter Cinella credited St. Peter's defense but did admit his club needs work on cutting down on turnovers. Part of the problem was FDU accelerating when there was need to sporting a double digit lead and just under ten minutes to go. The TO rates are as follows:

	TO%
St. Peter's	21%
FDU	33%

Not an artistic gem of a game on either end. FDU entered the game with a 31% TO rate, so there is work to be done.

Mariyah Laury of FDU (3-5) led all scorers with 14 points. Laury did have 4 assists, but 8 turnovers as she was making the transition from two guard to the lead. Laury came through in the clutch, scoring two crucial baskets as St. Peter's rallied to get it to a one possession game in the stretch with two minutes to play. Jesika Holmes led St. Peter's (0-4) with 13 points.

Shooting, was a sore spot for St.Peter's. They shot 26% for the game including 9.5% (2 of 21) from three. The foul line wasn't much better as St. Peter's was only 44%. It was that kind of night for the Peahens.

Stat Stuffer: FDU forward Desiree Crawford with a Manley efficiency of 17. Crawford scored 7 points (3 of 8 shooting) but offset the under 50% shooting with 11 rebounds, 'only' two turnovers (not bad considering FDU's TO woes) and 7 blocks.

Stratis Arena interior during the game

Guest Contributor Ray Floriani: First Day at the MAAC Tournament

by Ray Floriani

BRIDGEPORT, CT. - Friday's MAAC 'marathon' session is in the books. Six games. The four women's quarterfinals followed by a men's first round double header. All at the Webster Bank Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport.

About 9 am at Harbor Yard
Note the Sleepy's ad -- How appropriate.

The scores...

Women's Quarterfinals:

Team	Score			Team
Loyola	68	OT	53	Canisius
Manhattan	59		47	Iona
Marist	61		33	St. Peter's
Siena	36		33	Fairfield

The Men's First Round

Team	Score			Team
Marist	73		61	Niagara
Siena	68	OT	66	Manhattan

Game of the Day...
Loyola's 68-53 win over Canisius in overtime. The regulation finish sparked the ongoing debate, when you have a three point lead with seconds left do you concentrate on defense or give a foul or two even if it puts an opponent on the line?

Micayla Dysdale of seventh seeded Canisius hit two free throws to give the Griffs a three point lead with three seconds left. Canisius coach Terry Zeh discussed fouling with his staff during the time out after Drysdale's shots. Zeh decided not to foul. Following the time out, Loyola pushed the ball and Miriam McKenzie proceeded to release a defended three that saw nothing but net at the buzzer.

Head Coach Terry Zeh (r) discusses the first half
with his Canisius staff

In overtime, Loyola scored first, then got a defensive stop. Even with over four minutes to play Canisius was a beaten team. The efficiency numbers bear this out. At the end of regulation the score was tied at 49. Each team had 58 possessions and an 85 offensive efficiency. Let's look at the totals for overtime:

		Off.
	Poss.	Eff.
Canisius	10	40
Loyola	10	190

Clearly, Loyola was dominant in the extra session from tip to buzzer. The final numbers:

		Off.
	Poss.	Eff.
Canisius	68	78
Loyola	68	100

Credit McKenzie's shot for the huge swing in second seeded Loyola's favor. Zeh could only second guess. "To the day I put my foot in the grave I will regret the decision not to foul," he said. His philosophy is if you are small do not foul as the opponent can rebound a missed second shot. But as Zeh noted Canisius is big, rebounding wasn't a major issue. He just made a decision that did not work in the long run. The Four Factors:

		FTA
	eFG%	FGA	OR%	TO%
Canisius	28	24	38	18
Loyola	43	43	27	16

Not a bad way to start with the 9:30 a.m. game. Turnover rates were impressive. Griffs owned a 20-10 edge on the offensive glass. Their 1 of 11 overtime shooting had a negative result on eFG. Trailing early in OT, Canius got into an early fouling mode which explains the free throw rate disparity.

Official Jon Levinson during a break in the action.

Record Game of the Day...
Siena's 36-33 victory over Fairfield set the record as the lowest scoring women's game in MAAC tournament history. The halftime score was 15-7 Fairfield. In 27 possessions the offensive efficiencies:

	Effs
Fairfield	56
Siena	23

Saints shot 3 for 25 (12%) the opening 20 minutes. They did put the first points on the board on a Serena Moore baseline jumper five and a half minutes into the contest. The final efficiencies:

		Off.
	Poss.	Eff.
Fairfield	54	61
Siena	57	63

Imagine giving up an efficiency of 63, and still losing? The Four Factors:

		FTA
	eFG%	FGA	OR%	TO%
Fairfield	30	8	24	20
Siena	26	26	32	24

Three of the four factors were relatively normal. Even the TO rate was borderline but not excessive. The field goal shooting, as both coaches pointed out, was most affected by defensive efforts which were present on both ends. The game had two double digit scorers with Maja Gerlyng of Siena leading the way with 14 points. Moore of Siena, a versatile threat had a commendable 9 point 10 rebound effort, but was 2 of 14 from the floor. The two teams shot 49% from the field, combined. Fairfield checked in at 26.5% while Siena was 23.4%. As Siena coach Gina Castelli said, "it (the game) was hard fought, there was some great defense, especially on Fairfield's part the first half, out there but face it. It was ugly. Everyone saw it."

The Guiness stand.
An 'oasis' yours truly had to bypass.

Men's First Round
It has been another struggle for the Marist men but they did earn a quarterfinal berth with their win over Niagara. The pace and efficiency:

		Off.
	Poss.	Eff.
Marist	66	111
Niagara	67	91

Marist entered the game with a -18 efficiency margin (offense minus defense). Their average offensively was 91 and defense checked in at 109. So this was as good a performance as the Red Foxes have had this year. The Four Factors:

		FTA
	eFG%	FGA	OR%	TO%
Marist	51	24	34	15
Niagara	36	38	38	19

Chucky Martin's team clicked on all cylinders. Marist shot the ball well and took care of the ball, two vital areas. They were only 5 of 17 (29%) from three but were 22 of 41 (54%) from two point range. An impressive showing.

In the paint Marist enjoyed a 42-26 scoring edge. While Niagara did not commit many turnovers, they paid dearly was the Red Foxes had a 20-10 advantage in points off turnovers.

With little consistent help, Niagara's fine senior guard Anthony Nelson led all scorers with 28 points.

The Streak Lives
The nightcap saw Siena defeat Manhattan in overtime. Siena, winner of three straight MAAC championships has not lost a conference tournament game since 2007 when Niagara defeated the Saints, ironically at Harbor Yard in the final.

The pace was in the moderate range:

		Off.
	Poss.	Eff.
Manhattan	64	103
Siena	66	104

Siena had a high 26% TO rate. They were able to offset that a bit with their 51% eFG mark and a 44% OREB percentage. The Jaspers managed only 39% in that latter category.

Ryan Rossiter, Siena's 'double-double machine' , scored 17 points and pulled down 14 rebounds. A big difference was Clarence Jackson. The Siena senior guard stepped up and hit a game high 24 points for the Saints. Interestingly neither Rossiter nor Jackson has experienced a MAAC tournament loss in their careers.

The obligatory cheer shot -- Siena cheerleaders

Notes
With overtime games to start and end the 6 game session, fans were treated to almost 15 hours of basketball.

On the officiating front, a number of friends worked games during the tournament. On the women's side Joe Barrise and Jon Levinson, whom I have had the pleasure to work with, had Marist-St. Peter's. Gary Schimel, an instructor at a few officiating camps I attended, had the 'famous' Siena-Fairfield matchup. In the evening Brian O'Connell and Brian Dorsey, again another pair I have been fortunate to work with, had Marist-Niagara.

No predictions but…Marist, with a defensive efficiency of 69 for the year (they held St. Peter's to 47 in the quarterfinal), will be awfully tough to dethrone from the top spot in the women's tournament. On the men's side, Fairfield is the favorite but any of the other top four seeds, Iona, Rider or St.Peter's, could challenge.

Harbor Yard on the exit
as Paul Simon would say 'late in the evening'

Guest Contributor Ray Floriani: Marist at St. Peters, WBB

by Ray Floriani
JERSEY CITY, NJ - The first eight minutes were close. Then Marist went on a tear en route to a 79-38 victory over St. Peter's in a MAAC women's meeting. An impressive offensive team, the story of this game at Yanitelli Center, was the Red Foxes' outstanding defense.

Efficiency numbers:

		Off.
	Poss.	Eff.
Marist	67	118
St. Peter's	67	57

Marist entered the game a 65 possession team in MAAC play. Their offensive efficiency was 104 and the defensive number, an outstanding 66. They came to Yanitelli 15-0 in conference play and while they have the offensive weapons, Marist begins with defense.

At the half in this contest, Marist led 33-13. The pace saw Marist with 37 possessions and St. Peter's 36. The efficiency margin (offensive minus defensive) for the Red Foxes was off that chart at +53 with an 89 on offense and 36 on the defensive end.

The Four Factors:

		FTA
	eFG%	FGA	OR%	TO%
Marist	56	14	29	11
St. Peter's	30	11	26	30

Marist dominated in virtually every area. Outside shooting has been a concern of late to coach Brian Giorgis. Tonight the Red Foxes hit 10 of 21 beyond the arc. A significant number as league opposition, especially Fairfield who gave Marist their toughest MAAC test to date, before losing 54-52 a few weeks ago, will show a lot of zone. Erica Allensbach (3 of 6), Corielle Yarde (2 of 5) and Christine Best (2 of 2) all found the shooters touch from three.

Marist's Erica Allenspach prepares to inbound

The Defense Never Rests
With 12 minutes to play in the first half Marist had an 11-9 lead. St. Peter's was playing confidently and was able to get the ball inside. At that point I decided to chart the possessions the final dozen minutes of the half. The results epitomized the Marist D.

			Off.
	Poss.	Pts.	Eff.
Marist	22	22	100
St. Peter's	23	4	17

Six of the St. Peter's possessions ended in turnovers. They did not score a field goal and the first points during that stretch were on two Teresa Manigasso free throws with 2:29 to play in the half.

Beside the forcing 20 St. Peter's turnovers and limiting them to 24% field goal shooting (6 of 12 from three boosted the eFG mark to 30%) from the floor, Giorgis was pleased with Marist's 10 blocked shots and 10 steals. Kate Oliver a 6-4 sophomore forward rejected four shots and altered a few more along the way.

The Marist defensive staple is man to man. The latter part of the second half with a big lead Giorgis zoned. Given their length and defensive reaction, Marist did not do a bad job in that defense. Still, the man to man, as noted is the primary option.

Celebration just after the buzzer

St. Bonaventure Connection
On the men's side when St. John's takes down another ranked opponent there is mention of the Red Storm's early season losses to Fordham and St. Bonaventure. With the women, Marist now has the nation's longest win streak at 21 games. Their last loss? December 4th 45-40, like St. John's at home, against the Lady Bonnies of St. Bonaventure. In an ironic twist the only other Marist setback was opening night against the St. John's women.

Notes
Marist is 25-2 (16-0 in the MAAC). St. Peter's 3-24 (3-13 in conference). Three Marist players wee in double figures. Erica Allenspach and Kelsey Beynnon shared scoring honors with 13 points each. Jynae Judson paced St. Peter's with 10 points. Marist had 11 players log at least 11 minutes of playing time. Marist held a 36-10 advantage in points in the paint and a 27-5 edge in points off turnovers.

Giorgis stated in post game interviews that this team is still on a mission. "They are playing with a little chip," he said. "We lost a great player Rachelle Fitz whose number was retired Friday. Some people wondered how we would do without her. These kids want to show they can do something special like go undefeated in MAAC play. That is their goal and focus."

Brian Giorgis interviewed on radio
Julianne Viani (l), recently starred for Marist
now does analysis for their broadcasts

Marist closes out the regular season with two interesting matchups, visiting Siena Friday and Fairfield on Sunday. St. Peter's will host Rider on Thursday and visit Loyola on Sunday.

A Side Trip in Jersey City...
An afternoon officiating assignment nearby gave me a chance to snap a few Hamilton Park Winter scenes. A beautiful scene, but a real contrast to the setting when Summer League is in full swing.

Courts wait silently, patiently
for the players to return


Close your eyes and picture
the fans surrounding the courts...
can you hear the crowd buzz?

Guest Contributor Ray Floriani: Siena at St. Peters, WBB

by Ray Floriani

JERSEY CITY, NJ - It was a pleasant homecoming for Siena guard Cristina Centeno. She led all scorers with 21 points as Siena defeated St. Peter's 57-40 in a women's game at Yanitelli Center on Saturday.

Outside of the Yaniitelli Center
looking south on Kennedy Boulevard
at St. Peter's College

Efficiency numbers:

		Off.
	Poss.	Eff.
Siena	65	88
St. Peter's	63	64

Siena entered the game a 64 possession team in MAAC play. Their efficiency margin was a +5 with an offensive mark of 85 and a defense of 80. A 40% opposing eFG percentage was further testament of their defense.

St. Peter's' possessions were at 68. The efficiency margin was a woeful -13. Good blame is on offensive struggles as the offensive efficiency stood at 79 and the defense 92. That defensive mark is respectable and the opposition's 45% eFG percentage and 26% turnover rate are further examples that St. Peter's can play some D.

The Four Factors:

		FTA
	eFG%	FGA	OR%	TO%
Siena	45	27	43	34
St. Peter's	31	15	40	33

St. Peter's led 28-22 in points in the paint and actually got to the line almost as frequently as Siena. They didn't capitalize on their chances and trailed in free throw rate. Siena shot 13 of 15 (87%) from the charity stripe while St. Peter's was 8 of 13 (62%).

St. Peter's struggled mightily getting any shot to go down. They were 0 for 8 beyond the arc. A tough shooting day, yes, but credit Siena's defense. They utilized a 1-2-1-1 full court press to wear St. Peter's down then defended very well in half court. The TO rate inflicted on St. Peter's is another indication of Siena's defense.

game action Siena-St. Peter's at Yanitelli

On their behalf St. Peter's did not defend that bad. The efficiency, eFG and TO rates of Siena bear this out. An 88 defensive efficiency mark should win you a lot of games. But not when you are putting up a 64 on your end of the floor.

Centeno a junior guard out of Belleville, Nj played her high school ball at nearby Marist in Bayonne. Her 21 points came on 7 of 13 shooting (2 for 3 from three). She was 5 of 6 from the line as well.

Serena Moore added 15 points, 12 rebounds. A 6-2 senior forward, Moore has the versatility to play inside and handle the ball against the press or on the perimeter.

Cristina Centeno's cheering section
with a sign for her # 25

Notes
Siena is 11-14 (9-6 in the MAAC). St. Peter's falls to 3-23, 3-12 in conference. Junior center Quiana Porter came off the bench to pace St. Peter's with 14 points. They were almost even in turnovers (Siena 22 St. Peter's 21) but the Saints were more opportunistic. They enjoyed a 22-15 edge in points off turnovers. Score was tied at 13 late in the half before Siena went on a 15-2 closing run to take a 28-15 lead into the locker room at the half. Siena has won three of the last four and visits Fairfield on Monday. St. Peter's has dropped eight straight and hosts MAAC leading and nationally ranked Marist on Monday. Siena coach Gina Castelli is in her 21st season at Siena. She was on the sidelines when St. Peter's coach Stephanie DeWolfe played for the Peahens in the late Nineties.

St. Peter's players
graciously host a post game autograph session
for local youth

Guest Contributor Ray Floriani: Fairfield at St. Peter's WBB

by Ray Floriani
JERSEY CITY, NJ- The Fairfield women's team won their third straight, 61-46 over St. Peter's Friday night. The game at Yanitelli Center saw the Stags impose their defensive will on the contest. The pace and efficiency:

		Off.
	Poss.	Eff.
Fairfield	68	90
St. Peter's	62	74

Fairfield prefers a slower pace. St. Peter's, especially trailing the second half, utilized full court pressure to force turnovers and get the Stags in a quicker tempo of play.

The Four Factors:

		FTA
	eFG%	FGA	OR%	TO%
Fairfield	47	28	42	31
St. Peter's	35	10	35	23

The St. Peter's pressure did get the Stags into rushing things. On the night they had 21 turnovers. Most of those however were in the latter 10 minutes of the game when they were enjoying a double digit lead. Fairfield coach Joe Frager was not pleased with the turnovers, especially with a number of them coming in the latter minutes (which are crucial in a close contest) when St. Peter's forced a chaotic tempo. Defense, boards and getting to the line were all strongly in Fairfield's favor.

Tempo-free proof. Discussing the game with Fairfield sophomore guard Katelyn Linney, she said that Fairfield's number one defense is "a source of pride and something we work on daily." Linney was referring to the Stags' defensive points allowed average of 48 points per game. Now the question, is the 48 ppg allowed due to a slower tempo? A tempo-free look at the 18 games prior to coming to St. Peter's yielded these results:

Opposing		Defensive
Pace	Pts	Efficiency
64	864	75

Without looking at some of the other top women's teams in the nations, the numbers show Fairfield is playing some pretty sound defense. The 64 possession pace is pedestrian. But the 75 allowed on the defensive end is nothing short of outstanding.

Numbers

Fairfield is 13-6 (6-3 in the MAAC). St. Peter's falls 10 (3-17 (3-6). Linney led all scorers with 19 points. Lauren Morris paced St. Peter's with 14 points. Brittany MacFarlane, Fairfield's 6-1 sophomore, did not score but led all players with 11 rebounds. Fairfield junior forward Taryn Johnson had an impressive all around effort. Johnson scored 17 points while grabbing 9 rebounds and handing out a game high 6 assists. Admiring St. Peter's work ethic and resilience in a tough injury riddled year, Frager called them "the most dangerous 3-17 team you will find anywhere." St. Peter's freshman Teresa Manigrasso (8 points) and Linney were teammates on St. John Vianney's 2009 NJ High School Girls Tournament of Champions title winners.

Guest Contributor Ray Floriani: Iona at St. Peter's WBB

by Ray Floriani
JERSEY CITY, NJ - Throughout a difficult season the St. Peter's women have continued to work hard and persevere. Their efforts were rewarded with a 56-47 MAAC victory over Iona at Yanitelli Center on Thursday.

Sign outside Yanitelli.
Even this picture makes you feel the cold.

The efficiency numbers:

		Off.
	Poss.	Eff.
Iona	74	64
St. Peter's	73	77

The pace was probably a little quicker than both coaches would have wanted. It showed in some of the numbers in the Four Factors.

The game was a 32 possession affair at the half with the scored tied at 27 and the offensive efficiency 84.

The Four Factors:

		FTA
	eFG%	FGA	OR%	TO%
Iona	40	19	34	39
St. Peter's	39	21	31	25

Long time officiating friend Gary Schimel
just before play resumed

Neither team shot the ball well. Turnovers have been a problem for Tony Bozzella's Iona club but not at the magnitude of this evening. St. Peter's did not full court press but they did extend good half court ball pressure and force the Gaels into 29 turnovers. That came out to nearly twice as much made turnovers as made field goals (17). St. Peter's enjoyed a 22-8 scoring edge in points off turnovers which basically tells the story of this contest.

Freshman guard Aziza May gave St. Peter's a lift. Coach Stephanie DeWolfe noted that May had been struggling but hoped this would be a "reinforcement of what we work with and tell her in practice." May showed a nice mid range touch, scored 12 points on 5 of 7 shooting and added 6 steals to the St. Peter's cause. Another interesting, actually amazing, stat showed the 5-3 freshman leading all rebounders with 8.

Probably a good night for rebounding guards as Iona's backcourt of Diana Hubbard and Marissa Flagg tied for their team lead (with forward Anda Ivkovic) with 6 boards.

Iona simply struggled all over in the shooting department. They were just 9 of 22 (36.4 %) from the line. Just barely edging their 36.2% (17 of 47) from the field.

St. Peter's did not find the range as easy (37%) either. Only May and Jynae Judson (9 of 16) surpassed 50% from the field.

Despite giving up a size advantage inside, St. Peter's did a respectable job on the boards as Iona had a slight edge in the offensive rebounding percentage.

That Iona size did give them a 26-18 edge in points in the paint. Which is why perimeter contributions from the likes of May were so important to St. Peter's.

Game was delayed 20 minutes due to a campus wide power outage that lasted a brief time.

Numbers
St. Peter's improved to 2-14 (2-3 in the MAAC).
Iona is now 5-12 and 1-4 in conference. Gaels were led by sophomore guard Diana Hubbard with 20 points. Hubbard is an East orange, NJ native who starred at powerful Bloomfield tech. Judson of St. Peter's paced all scorers with 20 points.

The celebration after a well earned victory

Guest Contributor Ray Floriani: Manhattan at St. Peters, WBB

by Ray Floriani
JERSEY CITY, NJ - For most of the contest the St. Peter's women were right there. In the stretch Manhattan was able to build its narrow lead, pull away and defeat St. Peter's 58-44 at Yanitelli Center on Monday.

Efficiency numbers:

		Off.
	Poss.	Eff.
Manhattan	59	98
St. Peter's	60	73

St. Peter's came into the game with a 71 possession pace while Manhattan was in the sixties (65 per). Advantage Lady Jaspers for dictating their tempo and game pace. St. Peter's tried to extend the defense to three quarter court on a few occasions. Manhattan, would not rush things and after getting over half court ran their regular offense.

The Four Factors:

		FTA
	eFG%	FGA	OR%	TO%
Manhattan	36	40	49	20
St. Peter's	38	22	46	38

Officials (l to R) Carmen Portorreal, Kathy Lynch and Kevin Sparrock
confer during a time out.

Neither team really lit it up from the floor. But in a game of this type, a one or two possession with four ties and seven lead changes, burning your possessions on turnovers is inexcusable. St. Peter's was guilty of 23 turnovers. In a slower 60 possession game as this, it meant almost 4 of every 10 possessions was wasted. Again, inexcusable in a close game, or any game.

Jynae Judson had a solid outing for St. Peter's. The 5-9 junior scored 10 points and had a game high 10 rebounds. On the negative side, Judson led the way with 7 turnovers.

For a good part of the second half it was a stretch Manhattan was able to finish a few inside while St. Peter's still could not find the mark. In the last two minutes St. peter's coach Stephanie DeWolfe ordered her team to foul. The Lady Jaspers (21 of 25 for the game) were successful from the charity stripe and closed out the contest.

Defense
Manhattan coach John Olenowski directed a prep power at Morris Catholic (NJ) High School. Olenowski's teams were known for a very disruptive and active 1-3-1 half court defense. At Manhattan Olenowski has employed the 'signature' 1-3-1 and occasionally falls back into a matchup zone to keep the opposition out of synch. As the numbers bear out, the Lady Jasper defense was not only effective in field goal defense but getting in the passing lanes, getting deflections and causing turnovers.

Numbers
St. Peter's falls to 1-14 (1-3 in the MAAC). Manhattan improves to 10-5 (3-1 in the MAAC). Jessica Coles paced St. Peter's with 16 points. A 6-fot senior forward Coles operated inside and out to fifteen foot range. Abby Wentworth (21 points) and Lindsey Loutsenhizer (19) led the way for Manhattan.

Late game action at Yanitelli Center

Guest Contributor Ray Floriani: Canisius at St. Peter's

by Ray Floriani

JERSEY CITY, NJ - St. Peter's started the new year off right with a 63-55 decision over Canisius at Yanitelli Center. Coming into this first MAAC meeting of the new year the emphasis was on pace. Their two conference games saw visiting Canisius post the second fastest tempo in the league with a 79 (Marist led with 80) possessions per game. St. Peter's, was at the bottom with a 59 possession pace. Clearly, Canisius favored a break dance, St. Peter's a waltz.

The first half saw the Griffs determined to run. In a half court setting, Canisius seemed tentative and unsure of a method to effectively break down the St. Peter's defense. On the other side, the Peacocks look for an opportunity break on a few early possessions. If transition was not present, John Dunne's club was more than willing to settle for a half court tempo. The halftime pace and efficiency:

		Off.
	Poss.	Eff.
Canisius	35	71
St. Peter's	34	82

St. Peter's led at the break 28-25. Only a 29% TO rate kept the Peacocks from building a larger lead. The Peacock defense was significant as the Griffs struggled with a 39% eFG mark and were forced into a 23% TO rate of their own.

The second half saw the Peacocks open the first four minutes with an 11-5 run. That gave St. Peter's a 39-30 edge. Nine points with 16 to play is not a huge deficit. Given the struggles of Canisius however, it was a notable margin at that juncture.

The Four Factors:

		FTA
	eFG%	FGA	OR%	TO%
Canisius	41	14	33	21
St. Peter's	51	35	31	25

Canisius got it to a two possession game late but could never get closer as the Peacocks sealed it from the line. The Griffs struggled in half court sets against suffocating ball pressure. The other route was from beyond the arc and Tom Parrotta's club was a woeful 7 of 26 (27%) from three point range. From two point range, Canisius shot a paltry 13 of 31 (42%).

With leading scorer Wesley Jenkins sidelined (about another 10 days-two weeks) with a knee injury, St. Peter's has seen several players get more minutes and respond. Jeron Belin was one who came through tonight with 12 points. The senior forward also converted on two key penetrations down the stretch.

The TO rate "improved" to 25% by the game's end. That is an area of concern for St.Peter's as they entered the contest with a 23% turnover mark.

Defense, as the opposing eFG and TO rates suggest, was very strong. Entering the game St. Peter's had a 93 defensive efficiency on the season.

The final efficiency numbers:

		Off.
	Poss.	Eff.
Canisius	67	82
St. Peter's	63	100

Pace, something John Dunne discussed afterward, was definitely in St. Peter's favor. Dunne's club controlled tempo the second half and forced Canisius into a half court scenario.

Final Numbers.
Canisius is 6-7 (0-3 MAAC. St. Peter's improves to 8-6 (3-0). Nick Leon led all scorers with 20 points. The St. Peter's senior guard also had 4 assists. Jeron Belin added 8 rebounds to compliment his dozen points.

Canisius was paced by sophomore guard Alshwan Hynes, coming off the bench for 16 points (5 of 10 from beyond the arc). Senior forward Tomas Vazquez-Simmons rejected 4 shots for Canisius who had 6 overall. Teams were even 24-24 scoring in the paint. Turnovers almost spelled St. Peter's undoing as Canisius enjoyed a 23-17 scoring edge in points off turnovers. Seniors abound on Canisius but the Griffs are 0-3 in MAAC play. Graduation loss of Frank Turner hurt more than anticipated. Opening with three on the road in conference did not help either.

St. Peter's assistant Bruce Hamburger
discusses the game on radio

Guest Contributor Ray Floriani: St. Peter's versus Seton Hall

by Ray Floriani

NEWARK, NJ - The two teams entered the Monday night game at the Prudential Center with personnel issues. Seton Hall was able to get through theirs en route to a 69-49 win over St.Peter’s.

Pre-Game Shootaround
The Pirates came in averaging a brisk 71 possessions per contest. St.Peter’s, a decidedly more deliberate 63 possessions per. Early in the season a team as Seton Hall may have glowing efficiency numbers due to a mild schedule. That is not the case here as December is two days away and the Pirates have played Temple and a few other formidable teams in the Paradise Jam.

	Efficiencies
	Off.	Def.
St. Peter's	80	95
Seton Hall	96	91

The defense of St.Peter’s is respectable but as was the case a year ago, Coach John Dunne’s club is just struggling to score points. A 24% TO rate and 42% eFG percentage are not exactly helping the cause.

Efficiencies for the game:

		Off.
	Poss.	Eff.
St. Peter's	65	75
Seton Hall	64	108

The Four Factors:

		FTA
	eFG%	FGA	OR%	TO%
St. Peter's	35	28	27	23
Seton Hall	46	12	36	8

‘Personnel’ issues dealt with Jeremy Hazell and Wesley Jenkins. Hazell broke his wrist at the Paradise Jam and missed the Pirate losses to Xavier and Clemson. “Jeremy’s injury affected us all ,” Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard said. “But from a coaching standpoint you make adjustments. The players were devastated. They were not used to playing without him (Hazell). It was like they expected to see him come down and hit a three. It took some adjusting.” A period of practice after the Virgin Islands tournament helped the team adapt to not having Hazell, who was playing outstanding before getting injured. Willard said Hazell will see another specialist Wednesday. If surgery is not required he will be back in five weeks.

Seton Hall Coach Kevin Willard
fields questions from reporters

Wesley Jenkins injured his knee in a Fall pickup game. A torn ACL was feared. It turned out the injury was not as severe and no surgery was needed. Jenkins’ first game was Saturday against LIU. “We probably played him more than we should have,” St.Peter’s coach John Dunne said. “The knee was fine but his game conditioning wasn’t up to par.“ In the LIU game, Jenkins (played 29 minutes scoring 13 points) was needed to pull out the St.Peter’s win. In the Seton Hall game Jenkins logged 20 minutes scoring three points and grabbing a team leading six rebounds. "It’s a game conditioning thing for Wesley,” Dunne said. “He is still rounding into form."

Observations
The pace of the game actually benefited both teams. Entering the game the Hall was a uptempo. With Hazell’s injury the Pirates are more half court or as Willard says, “a grind it out team.” Willard scrapped a few sets and added several new ones during the days between Paradise Jam and St. Peter’s. He’s looking to get more scoring opportunities for Herb Pope, Jordan Theodore and Jeff Robinson.

St.Peter’s should improve offensively but right now without Jenkins at full strength, they struggle to manufacture points. Ryan Bacon, a 6-7 senior forward, was the Peacocks’ only double figure scorer with 13 points. Bacon can score inside but is averaging just over 7 PPG. He is using only 9% of the team’s possessions. The problem here is mostly foul trouble which has saddled his effectiveness in the young season. Without fouling as a problem tonight, Bacon logged 27 minutes and used 14% of the St.Peter’s possessions.

Willard was pleased with the 5 turnovers by Seton Hall which gave them an outstanding TO rate.

To get an offensive spark, Willard brought Theodore off the bench. He discussed the role with the Pirate junior who was happy with it. “Coming into the game Jordan gives us energy and a lift,” Willard said. “Also the defense gets caught off guard with his style.” To Willard, starting is not the big thing. Playing time and contributions are key and Theodore logged 25 minutes, tying Pope and Robinson in that category.

St.Peter’s zoned, 2-3 or 3-2 the whole night. Hall seemed more comfortable attacking (not just settling for jump shots) as the night wore on.

Final Bookkeeping
Hall is 3-3 while St.Peter’s falls to 2-4. Theodore (11) and Robinson (10) led the Hall in scoring.

Saw Brian Nash, former St.Bonaventure and Seton Hall assistant who most recently headed up the St.Francis(NY) program. Nash is going to games and practices these days with an eye on getting back on the sidelines. Hopefully one of the great guys in the game gets his wish.

Pregame Drills at The Rock

Guest Contributor Ray Floriani: MAAC Conference Wrapup

by Ray Floriani

JERSEY CITY, NJ - Iona edged St.Peter’s on Sunday at Yanitelli Center. The game drew the MAAC regular season to a close. The following is a final regular season tempo free breakdown of the MAAC, with conference games only factored in.

The offensive and defensive efficiencies are subtracted to give us the efficiency margin on the far right. Naturally, a figure in the positive is desired. Pace is the average number of possessions a team uses per game.

		Efficiency			Eff
Team	Record	Off.	Def.	Pace	Mgn
Siena	17-1	109	91	70	18
Fairfield	13-5	103	98	68	5
Iona	12-6	94	90	67	4
St.Peter’s	11-7	91	88	67	3
Niagara	9-9	101	95	69	6
Rider	9-9	95	101	69	-6
Canisius	8-10	96	98	67	-2
Loyola	6-12	96	100	67	-4
Manhattan	4-14	94	99	68	-5
Marist	1-17	85	107	64	-22

Siena, the class of the conference, has the impressive numbers to back it. The defensive numbers in the MAAC are noteworthy especially those of St.Peter’s. The offensive efficiency was not too great in Jersey City but when you hold opponents to an 88 DE you will win games.

Last season Chucky Martin arrived at Marist with th dribble drive motion offense. This season Marist was the most pedestrian team in the conference. Little worked this season for a painfully young Marist squad.

A 9-9 mark is not bad but many expected more of Rider. A quick look shows the defense was too generous and the efficiency margin, one of the poorest in the conference.

Conference tournament is March 5-8 at the Times Union Center in Albany.

Dinneen Hall
St. Peter's College

The St.Peter’s-Iona game was a 59 possession (Iona 56 St. Peter’s 62) contest , with the efficiencies and four factors as follows:

	Off		FTA
	Eff	eFG%	FGA	OReb%	TO%
Iona	88	40	23	18	25
St.Peter’s	77	37	25	25	23

At Stake. A lot, namely third place. The winner would secure third in the MAAC standings. Beyond the pride of a higher finish was the knowledge that tournament favorite Siena would not (possibly) be faced until the final game.

With all that in mind, these two teams got together in an intense, defensive struggle with 7 ties and 4 lead changes, that was not decided until the final possession.

Interestingly Iona ,which took 40% of their attempts from three point range (19 three point attempts of 47 total tries), got the game winning points due to a penetration. Sophomore guard Scott Machado was fouled going to the basket with 5 seconds left and converted both shots. St.Peter’s countered with a drive by Eddie Leon who was stripped of the ball by Iona’s Jermel Jenkins.

One of the discernible differences was in rebounding where St.Peter’s had an edge. That was offset by Iona’s defense. St.Peter’s led 27-24 at the half but shot 7 of 26 (27%) the final twenty minutes. The Gaels were only slightly better at 8 of 22 (36%) but they knocked down three treys (st>peter’s had one) and that slight margin was enough in a very close finish.

Numbers. Jenkins led Iona (21-9 overall) with 13 points. Machado was the other double figure scorer for the Gaels with 10. St.Peter’s (16-13) had two players hit doubles with Ryan Bacon and Wesley Jenkins both scoring 12 points.

The MAAC. St.Peter’s wanted that third seed but what they are getting is not too bad. The Peacocks will face Rider at 2:30 on Saturday in Albany. The two teams split this year and Rider struggled this weekend getting waxed by Siena on Friday and barely surviving Canisius (both at home).

Iona draws Niagara in a 10 pm game on Saturday. Gaels coaches and players all said the right thing but deep down the 10 pm contest is a coaching nightmare. Awaiting is a Niagara team that played fairly well down the stretch.

“We had a tough weekend at Fairfield and St.Peter’s. We finished 12-6 (MAAC) and 21-9 that’s what I’m most proud of.” - Iona coach Kevin Willard

“I’m disappointed we didn’t get the win and finish third but I’m proud of my team. We are playing with passion.” - St. Peter’s coach John Dunne

Kyle Smith (l) and Jermel Jenkins (r) of Iona
interview with Sean Brennan of the Daily News

Guest Contributor Ray Floriani: Rider at St. Peter's

by Ray Floriani

JERSEY CITY, NJ - A team that fell into the ‘what is wrong with’ category suddenly seems alive and well. Rider stopped St.Peter’s 72-66 at Yanitelli Center for their fifth win in their last seven games.

The factors and numbers from a 69 possession game:

			FTM
	ORtg	eFG%	FGA	OR%	TO%
Rider	104	63	18	8	20
St.Peter’s	96	43	23	33	17

In a statistical oddity, reflected by the Offensive Rebounding (TO%) percentage, Rider had two offensive rebounds. When you shoot 71% the second half and 58% for the game, opportunities for offensive boards are scarce. Rider coach Tommy Dempsey also added that defense and rebounding are St.Peter’s’ identity. So while the Broncs made a great percentage of their shots, any misses weren’t automatically going to fall into Rider’s hands.

Prime time. Ryan Thompson, Rider’s outstanding senior guard, had two points (1 of 5 shooting) at the half. He finished with a game high 21 points. Thompson shot 9 of 14 for the game and in the last ten minutes , he responded as his number was frequently called in a 2-3 possession game. Over the course of the final 16 minutes, Thompson had 7 of Rider’s 14 field goals. Once again, you would be hard pressed to find a shot or play he forced.

Rider did a good job on Nick Leon holding the St.Peter’s junior guard and perimeter threat to 10 points on 3 of 11 shooting. Ryan Bacon had a solid 13 point 8 board night while St.Peter’s was paced by Jeron Belin’s 15 points off the bench.

Inside. Peacocks won the battle of the boards 36-28 but Rider did their damage in the paint with a 46-28 scoring advantage. Rider held a 31-26 halftime lead then went inside to Mike Ringgold the first two possessions. The 6-7 junior was too much for St.Peter’s to handle in the paint. He finished with 17 points and shot 8 of 10 from the floor. St.Peter’s assistant John Morton hoped to play Ringgold one on one while location Rider’s other threats as Ryan Thompson. It was a gamble that proved decisive as Ringgold was a force in the paint.

Missing the action. You may have noticed in the prior paragraph a comment by John Morton, the St.Peter’s assistant. Morton ran the team while head coach John Dunne was home sick with the flu. Morton ran the walk through and shoot around in the morning. By late afternoon he found out Dunne could not get to the game and was set to run the team.

“We have taken some hits but we are going to be a tough team to beat in the (MAAC) tournament. We have the experience of having won games in the tournament and that is a big factor.” - Rider coach Tommy Dempsey

“Filling in as head coach wasn’t that difficult. Coach Dunne gives us a lot of responsibility as assistants in practice and implementing a game plan. We had a game plan in place and executed it.” - St.Peter’s assistant John Morton on filling in for John Dunne

Rider's Ryan Thompson
post game press conference

Guest Contributor Ray Floriani: Canisius at St. Peter's

by Ray Floriani

JERSEY CITY, NJ - Call it "weekend at Yanitelli" or maybe "Jesuit weekend". On Sunday it was back to St.Peter’s. This time a noon men’s game as St.Peter’s edged Canisius 73-72 in overtime. The efficiency and four factors in an 81 possession game (Canisius 81 SPC 80):

			FTM
	ORtg	eFG%	FGA	OR%	TO%
Canisius	89	41	41	36	27
St.Peter’s	91	47	19	33	23

In what can be termed an oddity, Canisius eFG% mark equaled the free throw rate. Griffs struggled from the floor shooting 20 of 59 (34%) overall percentage but got to the line for 34 attempts and knocked down 24.

For a team with recent offensive woes, Canisius could not afford to give away over a quarter of their possessions. The committed 22 turnovers for a disaster of a 27% TO RATE (TO%). Granted, I’ve seen worse rates, but in a one possession OT game on the road that 27% jumps right off the sheet.

Frank Turner was the big sorty for Caniusis. St.Peter’s contained the Griffin guard the first half but a senior point guard with his ability will not stay quiet for long. Turner led Canisius with 23 points and had 11 rebounds. The latter mark is indicative of Hustle as Turner is all of 5-10 in height. St.Peter’s coach John Dunne admitted it would be too difficult to stop Turner the entire game. “He (Turner) did a great job using the pick and rolls to split our defenders.” Turner tied the game on a drive going end to end the final eight seconds in regulation.

St.Peter’s was led by Wesley Jenkins with a game high 25 points. Jenkins got St.Peter’s going in overtime as the Peacocks had lost the momentum near the end of regulation.

St.Peter’s missed a few crucial free throws in regulation and overtime. Peacocks shot 11 of 24 from the charity stripe. Dunne has a good outlook on free throws. “I know no player goes up there to miss,” he said. “If they do miss I am more concerned how we defend. Giving up easy shots on defense after a miss is worse than the miss.”

Scoring. Once again Canisius struggled in the scoring column. The last few losses have seen the Griffins putting points on the board a difficult proposition. Prior to today’s game the last three losses have seen Canisius average 54 points per game while shooting 35% from the field. A closer look:

			Off.
Date	Opponent	Score	Eff.
Jan 24	St.Peter’s	68-55	83
Feb 1	Iona	72-53	80
Feb 5	Niagara	66-54	83

Sandwiched among those losses was a January 29th 73-70 win over Niagara. Even in that one the OE was 97. Slightly less than acceptable.

Interesting Cheer. A fan seated behind me did not agree with an official’s call. “hey ref’, she yelled, ‘this is not the Forum’. Interesting since Canisius is from Buffalo and the Forum is in LA. Over 3,000 miles and seemingly a universe apart. Then the association hit. Canisius wears gold uniforms as the LA Lakers do at home. And not knowing Canisius’ home court, Koessler Center, and probably not sure where Canisius is located, the fan used the Forum as reference. That’s why ‘fan’ is short for fanatic.

The call was right. Final possession with two seconds left in OT. St.Peter’s was up three Turner had the ball beyond the arc. Yvon Raymond of St.Peter’s grabbed Turner on a reach in before he could start a shooting motion. It was a two shot (double bonus) foul. Canisius coach Tom Parrotta disagreed. The time between seeing the foul and calling it could be a second which is like an eternity. As the whistle went off Turner was beginning the motion but that whistle was a response to a grab before the shooting motion. The call was right. Turner hit the first, tried to miss the second and banked it in. St.Peter’s was fouled on the inbound and proceeded to miss both shots. The horn went off as a Canisius player was able to secure the rebound.

Coach Dunne's Super Bowl pick. “I’m going with the Colts because I am a Giant fan and Eli Manning’s brother Peyton plays for them. I wouldn’t mind seeing the Saints win because it could a lot for that city that has been through so much.”

Records. Canisius is 11-14, 6-8 in the MAAC. St.Peter’s improves to 14-10, 8-6 in conference.

“We could have folded but we stayed mentally tough. It wasn’t our best game but we a Canisius team with an outstanding point guard and a team that plays hard.” - St.Peter’s coach John Dunne

Frank Turner of Canisius

Guest Contributor Ray Floriani: Fairfield at St. Peter's Women's Basketball

by Ray Floriani

JERSEY CITY, NJ - In MAAC women’s meeting on Friday night, St.Peter’s defended their way to a 55-41 decision over Fairfield at Yanitelli Center. The efficiency and four factors in a pedestrian 58 possession game (Fairfield 59 St. Peter's 57):

			FTM
	ORtg	eFG%	FGA	OR%	TO%
Fairfield	70	30	17	33	22
St.Peter’s	97	38	23	60	26

Scoring has been a problem for Fairfield in conference play. Entering the game these were a few of their numbers on the offensive end.

	O Eff.	eFG%	2FGM%	PPG
Fairfield	88	43	41	56.6

The Stags haven’t fared well in the paint or beyond the arc either. Their three point percentage is 32%. On the defensive side their defensive efficiency is 94. That’s pretty good D but that offensive number is responsible for a -6 efficiency margin and a sub .500 conference record.

The story tonight was defense. Fairfield struggled from the floor and had a poor OE. Credit St.Peter’s for a tough defense that gave few good looks. Defense and hustle also resulted in a notable 60% offensive rebounding percentage. Stephanie DeWolfe’s club simply hustled on both ends of the floor.

Fairfield did not have a player in double figures. They were led by senior forward Tara Flaherty with 9 points and the only Stag to shoot 50% (3 of 6) from the field. The Stags trailed 28-13 at the half. They scored five field goals the first four minutes of the second half but that was their best stretch. On the evening they managed only 15 field goals.

St.Peter’s had two players hit double figures and was paced by senior guard Natasha Morris with 17 points. Rapidly improving sophomore center Quiana Porter added a significant 13 rebounds and 4 blocks to her six points.

Turnover rate was high for St.Peter’s but when you defend as well as they did and have a 19-6 advantage in second half points and hit 13 of 17 from the line, there are a lot of pluses to look back on.

Katelyn Linney. Had a chance to meet Linney (pictured) after the game. She is a Fairfield freshman, third in scoring at 10.4 PPG. Last season she played on the New Jersey TOC champion St. John Vianney. Yours truly had the opportunity, or honor, to officiate the game she scored her 1,000th point, a January win over Oak Hill at Monmouth University. Vocal on the floor and very active, Linney has a great outside touch. Tonight, as with her teammates, it was not a game for the archives. She scored 7 points but was 1 of 7 beyond the arc.

Records. Fairfield is 10-12, 4-7 in conference. St.Peter’s, winners in three of their last four, is 9-13, 5-6 in the MAAC.

“It was a good effort. We executed and they (Fairfield) didn’t get any easy looks….(Natasha) Morris is playing point. She’s not a natural point but does what we need.” - St.Peter’s coach Stephanie DeWolfe

Fairfield's Katelyn Linney

Guest Contributor Ray Floriani: Siena at St. Peter's

by Ray Floriani

JERSEY CITY, NJ - St.Peter’s saw their five game win streak ended by the leaders of the MAAC, Siena. The Saints earned a hard fought 66-58 victory at the Yanitelli Center on Thursday evening.

In a 71 possession game, the Efficiency and Factors:

	Off		FTA
	Eff	eFG%	FGA	OReb%	TO%
Siena	93	41	21	33	16
St.Peter’s	82	47	5	31	27

St.Peter’s entered the game averaging 65 possessions in MAAC play and sporting an offensive efficiency of 97. Siena forced the Peacocks into a faster pace and a 19 turnover evening. The turnover situation was a very sore point for St.Peter’s coach John Dunne. Turnovers and 41% shooting (credit the Siena defense) largely contributed to St.Peter’s low OE.

Siena was without injured Edwin Ubiles their outstanding 6-7 senior swingman . Picking up the pace on this veteran club were forward Ryan Rossiter, a game high 21 points along with 9 boards. Point guard Ronald Moore, 10 points, 9 assists, 2 turnovers, 40 minutes- this is a typical Moore night. Alex Franklin added 9 points 10 rebounds but muscled his way in the paint for a crucial field goal with just under a minute to play.

For a veteran cast that’s been around, Siena did start a junior (Rossiter) and sophomore forward Owen Wignot.

St.Peter’s attempted almost a quarter of their shots (14 out of 59) beyond the arc. Thus a relatively low FT rate. Peacocks did go 50% (7 of 14) from three but were defended inside shooting 17 of 45 (38%) from two point range.

Wesley Jenkins led St.Peter’s with 13 points while Nick Leon added 12. Ryan Bacon did not get a lot of low post touches (5 of 8 shooting) but scored 11 and added a game high 15 rebounds.

Arguably the game breaker of a stat: Siena held a 20-5 edge in points off turnovers.

Siena travels well and had a few hundred fans. The attendance, mostly St.Peter’s faithful, was 1,609. “It was a great atmosphere,“ Dunne said, “the best atmosphere since our 6 AM game (in November).”

Siena is now 18-4, 11-0 in the MAAC. St.Peter’s is 12-9, 7-4.

“Siena’s 1-2-2 zone is tough. It didn’t turn us over that much but it forced us to stand around and use a lot of clock.” - St.Peter’s coach John Dunne

“I expected a close game. No one blows them (St.Peter’s) out. I expected and we prepared for a close game.”- Siena coach Fran McCaffery

Siena Assistant Coach (and former Villanova Assistant Coach) Mitch Buonoguro