Rush The Court

Ray Floriani is the RTC correspondent for the MAAC and NEC conferences.

Reader’s Take 

Leading Off

• Iona avenged a tough defeat in New Rochelle by knocking off Manhattan on their home floor, 85-73. The consensus around the league is that the two teams is will meet again later on down the road. In likelihood, the pair could very well tip it off in March at Springfield with a whole lot at stake.
• In the meantime, don’t discount Loyola, who keeps on winning and is playing some outstanding defense.

Individual Standouts

• Player of the Week: Lamont “Momo” Jones, Iona, Jr., G  – Averaged 30.5 points and five rebounds as the Gaels swept their two conference games. Jones shot 59.5% from the field and scored a Hynes Center record 43 points against Canisius.
• Rookie of the Week:  Chavaughn Lewis, Marist, 6’7”  Fr.  G/F – Recently inserted into the starting lineup, Lewis averaged 13 points for the two games the past week. The freshman swingman proved versatile as well by averaging 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists to compliment his scoring.

Standings

Team, MAAC record, overall record:

Team Rundown

1. Iona – Knocked off Canisius before earning a huge decision at Manhattan. Lamont Jones erupted for 43 points in the win over Canisius. Jones was 16 of 23 from the field (7 of 12 from three). Gaels enjoyed a 140 offensive efficiency rating in that contest. At Manhattan, the OE was another gaudy 123 for Iona. Four players were in double figures, led by Mike Glover’s 19 points.
2. Loyola – Defeated Rider before winning at St. Peter’s to increase their win streak to six games. Outstanding defense has been the key during the winning streak. Rider was held to a 73 offensive efficiency. Erik Etherly scored 15 points and Shane Walker added 12 boards for Loyola. Against St. Peter’s, balance was a key as Roberton Olson led with 19 points while Etherley added 15 and Walker 14.
3. Manhattan – Defeated Marist before losing to Iona to fall a game off the leader’s pace. Jaspers were led by Kidani Brutis’ 16 points against Marist. Brutis added 12 in the loss to Iona while Manhattan was led by George Beamon’s 26-point, 8-rebound effort in a losing cause.
4. Fairfield – Extended their win streak to three games by defeating Niagara and Siena. Derek Needham enjoyed a 32-point outburst against Niagara, which included six three-pointers. Needham followed that up with 19 points against Siena. The leading scorer against the Saints, however, was Rakim Sanders with 23 points. Sanders also contributed nine rebounds in that win.

   Michael Glover (left) and Dylan Cormier Are Just Two Key Players To Watch In Tonight's Critical Matchup Between Iona and Loyola

5. Rider – Lost at Loyola before edging Niagara at home, 74-73. Danny Stewart gave a solid 13-point, 10-rebound effort at Loyola. Game against Niagara saw Rider battle back from a nine-point halftime deficit. Jeff Jones led the way with 18 points, connecting on 5 of 9 from beyond the arc. Brandon Penn added 11 rebounds for the Broncs.
6. Siena – Dropped games to St. Peter’s and at Fairfield to extend the losing streak to three games. Kyle Downey and O.D. Anosike were key performers for the Saints. Downey scored 15 points against St. Peter’s and 17 against Fairfield. Anosike grabbed 13 rebounds (eight offensive ) against St. Peter’s and had an outstanding 22 boards (11 offensive) in the Super Bowl Sunday loss at Fairfield.
7. Niagara – Lost at Fairfield and Rider to extend its losing streak to five games. Purple Eagles led by three at the half at Fairfield. Four Niagara players hit double figures with Malcolm Lemmons’ 19 points leading the way. Heartbreaker at Rider as a nine-point halftime lead dissipated and the Purple Eagles suffered a 74-73 setback. Marvin Jordan excelled for Niagara with 24 points. Jordan was 8 of 15 from three.
8. Marist – Earned a split by losing at Manhattan before coming home to stop Canisius. Chavaughn Lewis scored 11 points, adding four rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks at Manhattan. Lewis added 15 points against Canisius. The Red Foxes’ pacesetter in that victory was sophomore swingman Jay Bowie who had a team-high 23 points on 10 of 12 shooting from the floor.
9. St. Peter’s – Snapped a four-game skid by wining at Siena before losing at home in a tough contest with Loyola. Darius Conley led the way with a 15-point, 6-rebound game at Siena. Yvon Raymond added 7 rebounds. Against Loyola, Conley went for 20 points, 14 rebounds (8 offensive). Peacocks enjoyed a 46-38% offensive rebounding percentage advantage against Loyola. On the flip side, St. Peter’s had a very high 31% TO rate (Loyola checked in at 24%).
10. Canisius – Lost on the road at Iona and Marist to extend the winless streak to seven games. Gaby Belardo scored 27 points at Iona, burying six treys. Alshwan Hymes added 23. At Marist, the Griffs were led by Harold Washington’s 25 points. Belardo struggled through a five-point (2 of 9 shooting) outing.
    

Looking Ahead:

Some games to watch in the coming days:

• Friday, February 10 – Iona at Loyola, 4 p.m. (EST): A battle for first place and undoubtedly the game of the season so far in the MAAC. Iona defeated Loyola by 11 points in an earlier meeting this season. Will history repeat itself?

Other games of note:

• Sunday, February 12 – Fairfield at Loyola, Marist at Iona
• Tuesday, February 14 – Manhattan at Siena
• Wednesday, February 15 – Canisius at Niagara, Iona at Rider, Loyola at Marist, St. Peter’s at Fairfield
• Saturday, February 18 (Sears BracketBusters) – UMBC at Canisius, Marist at Maine, UNC Wilmington at Manhattan, Hartford at St. Peter’s, Niagara at Vermont, Siena at Hofstra, Fairfield at Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Nevada at Iona, Rider at Albany, Boston University at Loyola