Tuesday was a busy one in college basketball. With so many teams in action there was more to see than just Manhattan’s daring win at Columbia, Quinnipiac’s early morning loss at La Salle, or Fordham’s failed upset bid at Syracuse. Here are some other notable results from the day.
Indiana 73, LIU Brooklyn 72: The Blackbirds actually had a chance to win this game on the final possession, but Jason Brickman’s shot went a little too high off the glass. The fact that LIU had that shot though is astounding. The Hoosiers came in nationally ranked in at least one poll. Jack Perri though showed the Big Ten how to beat Indiana right now. Pack it in and force them to shoot. Not known as the best defensive team, the Blackbirds held Indiana – INDIANA – to one point per possessions on Tuesday night. Teams with more size probably won’t give up 20 offensive rebounds either. Still, credit the Blackbirds for battling all game. This was a chance to Brickman to show off his sublime playmaking skills. LIU’s senior point guard had 11 points, 10 assists and five rebounds. He also had five turnovers, but just one occurred in the second half. Perri also tightened his rotation to basically seven players for this game. Considering all the roster turnover, it’s interesting to see who he trusts with so much on the line.
Louisville 97, Hofstra 69: After a season-opening loss to Monmouth the Pride have looked respectable in their past two games under Joe Mihalich. This was never going to be easy, but Hofstra had the margin within five with 15:32 to play in the second half. The graduated transfers – Dion Nesmith (24 points, 6 assists) and Zeke Upshaw (17 points, 6 rebounds) – are helping provide a bridge for Mihalich this season. The other positive? Mihalich is getting a lot of playing time for freshman guard Jamall Robinson. He had 11 points and three rebounds in 35 minutes. Also impressive? Hofstra hit 14 threes. Nesmith hit five and Upshaw, Robinson and Chris Jenkins each hit three. That type of efficiency from distance could keep the Pride in more games this season.
Wagner 75, Chestnut Hill 67: This is an eight-point win over a non-Division I opponent. That’s to say the final result wasn’t impressive. The Seahawks were up 21 at halftime, but let Chestnut Hill back into it. It’s certainly concerning that the Seahawks gave up 14 offensive rebounds and shot 16-26 from the free throw line, but otherwise there’s no much here. It’s worth noting that Jay Harris and Orlando Parker didn’t appear in the game due to a team suspension, though Marcus Burton was back.
Hampton 64, Saint Peter’s 59: The Peacocks struggled shooting the ball, with an effective field goal percentage of just 40.4% in their home gym. Of particular concern has to be the 2-12 shooting from three-point range. Hampton is the favorite in the MEAC and a stout defensive team, but this is certainly not the result that John Dunne wanted. Desi Washington struggled with his shot, going 2-11 from the field and 1-6 from three in the game. Chris Burke though did have a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
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