Press story on LIU game for Wednesday
By STEPHEN EDELSON
STAFF WRITER
NEW YORK - Dejan Delic may have finished with a game-high 27 points, but all Monmouth coach Dave Calloway could think about was him missing the front end of a one-and-one situation with 35 seconds remaining.
Marques Alston was a workhorse in the paint, scoring 18 points. But Calloway was left with a vision Alston failing to get out on Long Island University guard James Williams as he connected on a crucial three-pointer with 1:55 left.
In fact, Calloway probably never even looked at the final numbers before walking out of the Athletic Center. Stats are for losers, and that's what his team was last night, falling 82-78 in a key Northeast Conference matchup.
Despite coming back from a 13-point deficit in the first half, the Hawks once again faltered in critical situations, particularly on defense, as the Blackbirds hit 11 three-pointers to go with numerous layups and easy shots inside.
Calloway went so far as to bench center John Bunch in the second half, after he scored 11 first-half points, feeling he couldn't help them at the other end of the court.
"Their players who couldn't shoot, we couldn't get in front of them. And their players who could shoot, we never got out on them," lamented Calloway.
"When we win games like this late in the season, it's with defense, and we gave up 82 points."
The Hawks (12-16, 7-9) had some breathing room in the race for the eighth and final spot in the NEC Tournament with their one-point win at Mount St. Mary's over the weekend, coupled with LIU's loss to Quinnipiac. But now they're just a game ahead of the Blackbirds with two regular season games remaining, with LIU holding the tie-breaker thanks to a sweep of the season series.
The loss all but ends the Hawks streak of six straight winning seasons. They'd have to win their last two games, sweep three games in the conference tournament and win an NCAA Tournament game, likely a play-in game for the second straight season, to keep it alive.
A 3-pointer by Delic with 10:39 to play gave Monmouth their first lead since early in the first half at 59-57. Delic again connected from beyond the arc to give the Hawks their final lead at 69-66 with 4:40 remaining. A three-point play by Jaytorna Wisseh, however, evened matters just 20 seconds later, before a layup by Tyrone Mattison put the Blackbirds on top for good with 3:20 left.
The Blackbirds extended to a 76-71 lead on Williams' 3-pointer, but Delic scored on a layup with 1:11 to play to cut it to three points. Delic was then fouled trying to grab a rebound at the other end, but with a chance to cut the lead to one he missed the front-end of the one-and-one.
With the Hawks forced to foul, Wisseh put the game away by sinking six straight free throws in the final 30 seconds.
Trailing by as many as 13 on several occasions in the first half, and it could have been a lot more had it not been for Bunch, who had 10 points in the opening 15 minutes. The Hawks finally put together a 12-3 run late in the half to trim the deficit to 35-32 on Jhamar Youngblood's short jumper with 2:01 left, before going into halftime down 38-33.
STAFF WRITER
NEW YORK - Dejan Delic may have finished with a game-high 27 points, but all Monmouth coach Dave Calloway could think about was him missing the front end of a one-and-one situation with 35 seconds remaining.
Marques Alston was a workhorse in the paint, scoring 18 points. But Calloway was left with a vision Alston failing to get out on Long Island University guard James Williams as he connected on a crucial three-pointer with 1:55 left.
In fact, Calloway probably never even looked at the final numbers before walking out of the Athletic Center. Stats are for losers, and that's what his team was last night, falling 82-78 in a key Northeast Conference matchup.
Despite coming back from a 13-point deficit in the first half, the Hawks once again faltered in critical situations, particularly on defense, as the Blackbirds hit 11 three-pointers to go with numerous layups and easy shots inside.
Calloway went so far as to bench center John Bunch in the second half, after he scored 11 first-half points, feeling he couldn't help them at the other end of the court.
"Their players who couldn't shoot, we couldn't get in front of them. And their players who could shoot, we never got out on them," lamented Calloway.
"When we win games like this late in the season, it's with defense, and we gave up 82 points."
The Hawks (12-16, 7-9) had some breathing room in the race for the eighth and final spot in the NEC Tournament with their one-point win at Mount St. Mary's over the weekend, coupled with LIU's loss to Quinnipiac. But now they're just a game ahead of the Blackbirds with two regular season games remaining, with LIU holding the tie-breaker thanks to a sweep of the season series.
The loss all but ends the Hawks streak of six straight winning seasons. They'd have to win their last two games, sweep three games in the conference tournament and win an NCAA Tournament game, likely a play-in game for the second straight season, to keep it alive.
A 3-pointer by Delic with 10:39 to play gave Monmouth their first lead since early in the first half at 59-57. Delic again connected from beyond the arc to give the Hawks their final lead at 69-66 with 4:40 remaining. A three-point play by Jaytorna Wisseh, however, evened matters just 20 seconds later, before a layup by Tyrone Mattison put the Blackbirds on top for good with 3:20 left.
The Blackbirds extended to a 76-71 lead on Williams' 3-pointer, but Delic scored on a layup with 1:11 to play to cut it to three points. Delic was then fouled trying to grab a rebound at the other end, but with a chance to cut the lead to one he missed the front-end of the one-and-one.
With the Hawks forced to foul, Wisseh put the game away by sinking six straight free throws in the final 30 seconds.
Trailing by as many as 13 on several occasions in the first half, and it could have been a lot more had it not been for Bunch, who had 10 points in the opening 15 minutes. The Hawks finally put together a 12-3 run late in the half to trim the deficit to 35-32 on Jhamar Youngblood's short jumper with 2:01 left, before going into halftime down 38-33.
posted by Tony Graham at 10:17 PM
10 Comments:
Tony, when will Calloway allow the jet to play. He's destroying this kid mentally. People are jacking up three's on a regular,defendig the ball, What a joke.Yet,he pull the Jet on every mistake. Bruin does work without a big man that can score. In order to free up other option's. All things must change or improve over time. The Jet will make thing's happen when he's having fun on the court. I feel like Calloway is pushing him right out of MU. I bet there's coach's waiting in the wing's for this kid.I hope he stay put. Because MU will be etremely thin if he fly's the coop. Therefore,help the Jet stay put. You seem to really understand the kid's potential.
I think..Dave is concerned some with Jhamar's defense...Also...Jhamar has to be more under control, at times, when he goes to the basket...
Dave last night went with his two "experienced" guards....sophs Whitney and Ship down the stretch Deki and Marques up front.. and Hallett over Bunch ....
This is sort of an uneven team..one of the problems this year as I see it..
In crunch time -you have three guards and three front court players who could be playing..someone's gotta sit .
Dave isn't "destroying" Jhamar... and next year, in my opinion, MU plays three guards - maybe four - much of the time anyway...
Marque's game winner vs our dear friend Central,Shipman's half-courter that made PA mental,Deki's 3 pointers that make the nets sing....these are a few of my favorite things...la la la la.Youngbloods 3 that he made at the Mount,Bunch's huge blocks that I can't even count,Whitney's big dunks that make the rims ring.....these are a few of my favorite things.la la la la..When we miss free throws,when we don't rebound,when we don't play D.I simply rembember my favorite things.....and then I don't feel, soooooo, bad.
Looking forward to next year...this team is not one at all!! Any chance we leave this conference and what's the out of conference schedule look like again?
Rock Bottom. Has the petition started yet for calloway's dismissal? I'll be the first to sign it. This team even looks worse for next year.
TONY......
BRUIN WORKS........................
And I Just saved a lot of Money By Switching to GEICO
Time for a real hard look under the hood...
Bottom line they lost,foul shots,poor defense,bad line up,no love between the players and Calloway...
Van Trapp you rule, like the Doyles! Flippin A buddy, fliiipin A!
only if the band wears yellow!
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