Our MU hoops story for Sunday
By TONY GRAHAM
STAFF WRITER
WEST LONG BRANCH - It was only fitting.
In a game in which it's own offense stuttered and sputtered the Monmouth University
men's basketball team shut St. Peter's out over the final 3:11 Saturday enabling the
Hawks to escape with a 51-50 non-conference victory over the Peacocks.
""We wanted to win by more, but we showed toughness,'' said Monmouth sophomore guard
Whitney Coleman who led the Hawks with 17 points and tied his career high with three 3s.
With 2.9 seconds showing and Monmouth (2-4) in front by the final score, the
inbounds pass in forecourt by guard Quentin Martin of St. Peter's (2-3) sailed over the
outstretched arms of 6-10 Corey Hallett of Monmouth and beyond 6-8 Todd Sowell of
St.Peter's stationed under the basket.
The loose ball was scooped up on the baseline by Tim Spitler of St. Peter's but his
eight-footer fell short at the buzzer as the Boylan Gym crowd of 1,955 exhaled with
relief.
Apparently they had some company in Monmouth's coach. ""It was a win, it wasn't
a pretty game,'' said Dave Calloway.
""We've talked about the schedule we've played and that could be better than 2-4,''
said Calloway.
""But we're a few points away from being 0-6,'' he said. ""I'd say that's a cause
for some nervousness, signs of concern, very large signs of concern.
""We've got a lot of work to do,'' said Calloway. ""We're playing very good teams but
our goals are to get better as a team and get better as a program. Two and four is not
very good, I don't care who you're playing."'
On the final play Hallett said the Monmouth plan was to keep the ball away from the
basket. ""And we had two fouls to give so we were going to use them before anything
happened,''said Hallett. ""We got the stop we needed, we won the game.''
""The big 6-10 (Hallett) made Quentin Martin throw the pass a little off target,''
said John Dunne, first year St. Peter's coach.
""Maybe if he (Martin) wasn't having that kind of pressure he could have delivered
it better. It was a little bit of a loose ball, Tim Spitler picked it up and he just
didn't make the shot.''
Monmouth trailed by as many as nine points with 7:58 remaining as junior guard Raul
Orta went 4-for-4 from downtown and scored 20 points to lead St. Peter's.
But the Hawks rallied behind a steal and jam by Coleman and a pair of game tying 3s.
Shipman's first trifecta of the season evened the score at 47, and after a Kevin Spann
3 with 3:11 left lifted St. Peter's ahead, Dejan Delic rained in a trey to make it 50-50
with 2:42 showing.
After both teams combined to fail on the ensuing five possessions Delic sank the
first of two shot foul with 32 seconds left and the Monmouth defense focused in on
preventing St. Peter's, which hit nine 3-point baskets, from launching from deep.
""Our whole goal was not to let them get any 3's,'' said Coleman. ""So we wanted to
not let them get any perimeter shots off and we did a good job of that.''
With the game clock winding down Dunne called time with 3.7 remaining and Monmouth
then intentionally gave the two fouls leading to the final play.
But Calloway was not about to leave Boylan Gym overjoyed. ""We've got a ways to go,'' he said. ""If we want to go where we talk about where we want to go, we are not even close.''
NOTES...John Bunch, who blocked six shots, crumpled to floor clutching his knee with 4:30 left but soon rejoined the team on the bench. Calloway said Bunch was available to return to action but elected to stay with a smaller lineup....Shipman had six assists, two turnovers, three steals, and five rebounds. Coleman set a career high with five steals.
e-mail tonygsports@aol.com
STAFF WRITER
WEST LONG BRANCH - It was only fitting.
In a game in which it's own offense stuttered and sputtered the Monmouth University
men's basketball team shut St. Peter's out over the final 3:11 Saturday enabling the
Hawks to escape with a 51-50 non-conference victory over the Peacocks.
""We wanted to win by more, but we showed toughness,'' said Monmouth sophomore guard
Whitney Coleman who led the Hawks with 17 points and tied his career high with three 3s.
With 2.9 seconds showing and Monmouth (2-4) in front by the final score, the
inbounds pass in forecourt by guard Quentin Martin of St. Peter's (2-3) sailed over the
outstretched arms of 6-10 Corey Hallett of Monmouth and beyond 6-8 Todd Sowell of
St.Peter's stationed under the basket.
The loose ball was scooped up on the baseline by Tim Spitler of St. Peter's but his
eight-footer fell short at the buzzer as the Boylan Gym crowd of 1,955 exhaled with
relief.
Apparently they had some company in Monmouth's coach. ""It was a win, it wasn't
a pretty game,'' said Dave Calloway.
""We've talked about the schedule we've played and that could be better than 2-4,''
said Calloway.
""But we're a few points away from being 0-6,'' he said. ""I'd say that's a cause
for some nervousness, signs of concern, very large signs of concern.
""We've got a lot of work to do,'' said Calloway. ""We're playing very good teams but
our goals are to get better as a team and get better as a program. Two and four is not
very good, I don't care who you're playing."'
On the final play Hallett said the Monmouth plan was to keep the ball away from the
basket. ""And we had two fouls to give so we were going to use them before anything
happened,''said Hallett. ""We got the stop we needed, we won the game.''
""The big 6-10 (Hallett) made Quentin Martin throw the pass a little off target,''
said John Dunne, first year St. Peter's coach.
""Maybe if he (Martin) wasn't having that kind of pressure he could have delivered
it better. It was a little bit of a loose ball, Tim Spitler picked it up and he just
didn't make the shot.''
Monmouth trailed by as many as nine points with 7:58 remaining as junior guard Raul
Orta went 4-for-4 from downtown and scored 20 points to lead St. Peter's.
But the Hawks rallied behind a steal and jam by Coleman and a pair of game tying 3s.
Shipman's first trifecta of the season evened the score at 47, and after a Kevin Spann
3 with 3:11 left lifted St. Peter's ahead, Dejan Delic rained in a trey to make it 50-50
with 2:42 showing.
After both teams combined to fail on the ensuing five possessions Delic sank the
first of two shot foul with 32 seconds left and the Monmouth defense focused in on
preventing St. Peter's, which hit nine 3-point baskets, from launching from deep.
""Our whole goal was not to let them get any 3's,'' said Coleman. ""So we wanted to
not let them get any perimeter shots off and we did a good job of that.''
With the game clock winding down Dunne called time with 3.7 remaining and Monmouth
then intentionally gave the two fouls leading to the final play.
But Calloway was not about to leave Boylan Gym overjoyed. ""We've got a ways to go,'' he said. ""If we want to go where we talk about where we want to go, we are not even close.''
NOTES...John Bunch, who blocked six shots, crumpled to floor clutching his knee with 4:30 left but soon rejoined the team on the bench. Calloway said Bunch was available to return to action but elected to stay with a smaller lineup....Shipman had six assists, two turnovers, three steals, and five rebounds. Coleman set a career high with five steals.
e-mail tonygsports@aol.com
posted by Tony Graham at 9:15 PM
4 Comments:
MU will improve from what we have listen to and watch so far. We have a great bunch of coaches,they all work hard and want to win as much or more than we do as fans.MU is in the NEC NOT the ACC they bring in kids who are border line D-1 as does the MAC,AEAST, IVY, in our area.We all need to be positive , our players and coaches need us to support the program get fans to the games and not put them down when we have a loss or two..Small time programs only get to the big time with everyone pulling the same way.Just take a look at Butler,WOW what a start 4000 stundents just like monmouth.Lets talk about how we can improve not the mistakes of the past. Build the MAC,fill Boylan gym untill we fill the MAC. Go Hawks lets upset PENN !!!!
E-A-G-L-E-S! Are you ready Grahamman?
I'm about to cover my eyes....but watching the Giants collapse definitely made my day!
I couldn't have said it better. That is so true. Everyone is pulling the faults out but where is the support for the team. Come out, show up, and support, win or loose.
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