MU men's Press hoops story for Sunday
Didn't I just write this story the other night????
I am leaving Hamden, Conn. shortly and hopefully should return to the blog later this evening and will post all comments and my own at that time...and hope to have Handleman's column later tonight as well...
By TONY GRAHAM
STAFF WRITER
HAMDEN, Conn. - It was a confident, upbeat Monmouth University men's
basketball team, armed with a four-game winning streak, that boarded its bus
Wednesday evening for a two-game Northeast Conference road swing to Connecticut.
That team then disappeared off the face of the earth.
It bore no resemblance to what appeared to be a battered
group of Hawks that prepared late Saturday for
a ride back to West Long Branch having absorbed a second straight lopsided
defeat, this time at the hands of Quinnipiac, 71-51, at the Burt Kahn Court.
No one disappeared more obviously than 7-2 center John Bunch. Coming off
career highs of 23 points and 12 rebounds Jan. 6 vs. Mount St. Mary's, Bunch
had one basket, two blocks, and no rebounds Saturday.
He registered one made free throw and five rebounds vs. Sacred Heart.
""We all have to go back home, look in the mirror, and see what's going
on, including myself,''said Bunch standing outside the Monmouth locker room.
""I feel like I'm letting the team down after I had a big game. I came back and had two horrible games so we just
have to turn it around.''
Bunch said he tweaked his knee recently. "'The Mount St. Mary's game I got
a little hurt and I had to take off practice,'' he said. ""I was practicing
for like a month straight without taking off.
""Then I took off two days and it really got me out of whack. I've just got
to come back and get more in shape, so I can come back and play a lot more
effective when I'm in the game.''
""We've got to be more consistent as a whole team, including myself.''
Dave Calloway, Monmouth coach, said the seeds for the two defeats had been
sown in poor practices leading up to the two games.
""That (the defeats) was their reward,'' he said. ""When you practice well,
you get your reward. When you don't practice well, you get your reward.''
Monmouth (7-10, 2-3) fell despite a courageous effort from senior Marques
Alston. Playing on a sprained left ankle wrapped in ice on Friday, the former Neptune High School standout was on the floor for the opening tip and scored all 10 of his points in the first half.
""The first few minutes I was trying to gut it out,'' he said. ""Then it loosened up and I stopped thinking about it and it was enough to play through.''
Joe DeSantis, coach of Quinnipiac (5-10, 3-3), was kind to Monmouth in his post game remarks.
" "This is a typical game that you'll fall into in a league schedule, where
you've got to play two games in three days,'' said DeSantis.
""I think clearly our depth, and maybe their lack of it at this point,
helped us.''
Calloway wasn't buying the lack of depth. ""We played the same
amount of guys we played in the last four games we won, the same seven
guys,'' he said.
In a near instant reply of the defeat at Sacred Heart Thursday night,
Monmouth suffered through a wretched spell of first half failed shots
and turnovers.
Quinnipiac pounced on seven consecutive empty Monmouth possessions
including four
turnovers to run off a 10-0 spurt to a 32-17 lead.
It capped a 50 percent shooting first half (13-for-26, 5-for-9 from 3)
when Joey Wilson swished a right wing trey with three seconds left to leave Monmouth trailing, 35-19.
Monmouth ended the day with six assists and 18 turnovers.
""At times when teams go on their runs we don't sustain our defense,''said
Alston. ""We start out and we're stopping guys. Then when teams make runs we're
not responding.''
DeMario Anderson scored 14 points to lead Quinnipiac which led by as many
as 22 points in the second half.
""We don't quit, let's make a run,''someone shouted during a time out with
Monmouth trailing by 20 points.
Senior Dejan Delic scored all 15 of his points during the second half and
Monmouth made a run.
It got within 12 points when Delic hit from downtown with 3:20 left, but no
closer.
The NEC standings currently appear a little upside down with teams like
Monmouth and Robert Morris nearer the middle or bottom than the top.
DeSantis said there has always been parity in the league. ""I think
there's even more parity than ever (this year),'' he said.
""I'm sure teams used to look at us and say, "Well, we'll beat Quinnipiac. I
don't think they can do that. I think from top to bottom it's a toss up.''
For the moment, Monmouth is a team that's being tossed.
NOTES..Monmouth rookie Jhamar Youngblood had 13 points but no assists and six turnovers....Quinnipiac had 18 assists on 24 baskets...Saturday marked Monmouth's last visit to Quinnipiac's Burt Kahn Court. The school is
opening a new basketball/ice hockey complex across the street later this
month.... Monmouth last dropped both games
on its Connecticut trip in 2003-2004 though it went on to the NCAAs.
Contact Tony Graham at tonygsports@aol.com
--------------------30----------------------30------------------30------------
I am leaving Hamden, Conn. shortly and hopefully should return to the blog later this evening and will post all comments and my own at that time...and hope to have Handleman's column later tonight as well...
By TONY GRAHAM
STAFF WRITER
HAMDEN, Conn. - It was a confident, upbeat Monmouth University men's
basketball team, armed with a four-game winning streak, that boarded its bus
Wednesday evening for a two-game Northeast Conference road swing to Connecticut.
That team then disappeared off the face of the earth.
It bore no resemblance to what appeared to be a battered
group of Hawks that prepared late Saturday for
a ride back to West Long Branch having absorbed a second straight lopsided
defeat, this time at the hands of Quinnipiac, 71-51, at the Burt Kahn Court.
No one disappeared more obviously than 7-2 center John Bunch. Coming off
career highs of 23 points and 12 rebounds Jan. 6 vs. Mount St. Mary's, Bunch
had one basket, two blocks, and no rebounds Saturday.
He registered one made free throw and five rebounds vs. Sacred Heart.
""We all have to go back home, look in the mirror, and see what's going
on, including myself,''said Bunch standing outside the Monmouth locker room.
""I feel like I'm letting the team down after I had a big game. I came back and had two horrible games so we just
have to turn it around.''
Bunch said he tweaked his knee recently. "'The Mount St. Mary's game I got
a little hurt and I had to take off practice,'' he said. ""I was practicing
for like a month straight without taking off.
""Then I took off two days and it really got me out of whack. I've just got
to come back and get more in shape, so I can come back and play a lot more
effective when I'm in the game.''
""We've got to be more consistent as a whole team, including myself.''
Dave Calloway, Monmouth coach, said the seeds for the two defeats had been
sown in poor practices leading up to the two games.
""That (the defeats) was their reward,'' he said. ""When you practice well,
you get your reward. When you don't practice well, you get your reward.''
Monmouth (7-10, 2-3) fell despite a courageous effort from senior Marques
Alston. Playing on a sprained left ankle wrapped in ice on Friday, the former Neptune High School standout was on the floor for the opening tip and scored all 10 of his points in the first half.
""The first few minutes I was trying to gut it out,'' he said. ""Then it loosened up and I stopped thinking about it and it was enough to play through.''
Joe DeSantis, coach of Quinnipiac (5-10, 3-3), was kind to Monmouth in his post game remarks.
" "This is a typical game that you'll fall into in a league schedule, where
you've got to play two games in three days,'' said DeSantis.
""I think clearly our depth, and maybe their lack of it at this point,
helped us.''
Calloway wasn't buying the lack of depth. ""We played the same
amount of guys we played in the last four games we won, the same seven
guys,'' he said.
In a near instant reply of the defeat at Sacred Heart Thursday night,
Monmouth suffered through a wretched spell of first half failed shots
and turnovers.
Quinnipiac pounced on seven consecutive empty Monmouth possessions
including four
turnovers to run off a 10-0 spurt to a 32-17 lead.
It capped a 50 percent shooting first half (13-for-26, 5-for-9 from 3)
when Joey Wilson swished a right wing trey with three seconds left to leave Monmouth trailing, 35-19.
Monmouth ended the day with six assists and 18 turnovers.
""At times when teams go on their runs we don't sustain our defense,''said
Alston. ""We start out and we're stopping guys. Then when teams make runs we're
not responding.''
DeMario Anderson scored 14 points to lead Quinnipiac which led by as many
as 22 points in the second half.
""We don't quit, let's make a run,''someone shouted during a time out with
Monmouth trailing by 20 points.
Senior Dejan Delic scored all 15 of his points during the second half and
Monmouth made a run.
It got within 12 points when Delic hit from downtown with 3:20 left, but no
closer.
The NEC standings currently appear a little upside down with teams like
Monmouth and Robert Morris nearer the middle or bottom than the top.
DeSantis said there has always been parity in the league. ""I think
there's even more parity than ever (this year),'' he said.
""I'm sure teams used to look at us and say, "Well, we'll beat Quinnipiac. I
don't think they can do that. I think from top to bottom it's a toss up.''
For the moment, Monmouth is a team that's being tossed.
NOTES..Monmouth rookie Jhamar Youngblood had 13 points but no assists and six turnovers....Quinnipiac had 18 assists on 24 baskets...Saturday marked Monmouth's last visit to Quinnipiac's Burt Kahn Court. The school is
opening a new basketball/ice hockey complex across the street later this
month.... Monmouth last dropped both games
on its Connecticut trip in 2003-2004 though it went on to the NCAAs.
Contact Tony Graham at tonygsports@aol.com
--------------------30----------------------30------------------30------------
posted by Tony Graham at 4:29 PM
8 Comments:
Thanks John Bunch ,you should have missed the bus with Rickie.....
Time to think about next year.....
Well, I let that go because it was sort of funny. I think John has a sense of humor.
He was a very stand up guy about his performance after the game as I guess you read.
To the poster about next year. Frankly, I'd stick with this year for now. At this moment, to me as we speak, next year doesn't look so hot.
To Bob..good point about the points.
Sounds like one big blamefest to me. Rather than looking at themselves in the mirror and blaming themselves for everything, they should let it slide and practice hard. The season's not over, after all.
And I agree with Tony, because barring some ridiculous incoming freshman MU is going to tank really hard.
If Big John doesn't improve fast,his baskeyball dreams will be over.I look for him at the movies.
Look..Big John was a major reason - yes he was! - they did as well as they did last year...he had two bad games in a row on this trip..he stood there and told you he did.
Now let's give him a chance to bounce back.
And if he doesn't..the season, frankly, in my opinion, is over.
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