March 4, 2006

Marist-Canisius Game Notes
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LAST TIME OUT-MARIST: Junior Jared Jordan (Hartford, Conn.) had 19 points, while redshirt sophomore Ryan Stilphen (Bay Village, Ohio) tallied a double-double to power the Marist men's basketball squad to a 67-61 victory Saturday at the Arena at Harbor Yard. The Red Foxes improved to 18-9 overall (12-6 MAAC) with the win, while the Stags dropped to 9-18 overall and 7-11 in the league. Stilphen had 11 points and 10 rebounds in the victory, while Jordan accumulated seven assists. The 6'2 guard entered the evening averaging 8.8 dishes per game, the top mark in the country. Senior Carl Hood (Houston, Tx.) also recorded a career-high six assists. Junior Will Whittington (Kingwood, Tx.) connected on 12 points, courtesy of four 3-pointers. The 6'3 guard needs two 3-pointers in the MAAC Tournament to break his own school record of 97 3-pointers in a season which was set last season. Terrence Todd led Fairfield with 22 points on 8-for-16 shooting from the floor. Michael Bell was the Stags' top rebounder with eight, powering Fairfield to a 33-27 advantage on the boards. Bell also had 14 points on the evening and was joined in double digits by Dewitt Maxwell's 11. The Red Foxes hit 49 percent (25-for-51) from the floor and 33 percent (9-for-27) from 3-point range. Marist hit 8-for-15 from the line (53.3 percent). Fairfield shot 42.3 percent (22-for-52) and 31.5 percent (6-for-19) from 3-point range. The Stags connected on 78.6 percent (11-for-14) from the free throw line.

 

LAST TIME OUT-CANISIUS: Canisius College's Jon Popofski finished the night with a season-high 21 points, but his last two of the evening were the biggest of them all. With the score tied at 72-72 with 3.2 seconds left in regulation time, the senior guard from Guelph, Ont., hit a running scoop-shot in the lane as the horn sounded to give the Golden Griffins a 74-72 win over Loyola College Friday night in the first round of the 2006 Citizens Bank MAAC Tournament in Albany, N.Y. The win improves Canisius to 9-19, and allows the Blue and Gold to advance to the quarterfinal round, where the team will meet third-seeded Marist Saturday night at 10 p.m. "I was thinking take it to the hoop the whole time," Popofski said. "My head was down, and I just threw it up there." With the score knotted at 72-72, Loyola (15-13) senior Andre Collins missed a jumper from just outside the lane with seven seconds left, setting up the Griffs' last-second chance to win the contest. After the Blue and Gold took a 30-second timeout, Canisius senior Kevin Downey tossed a baseball-type pass halfway down the floor, where Popofski caught the ball at the 3-point line. Popofski turned and drove to the basket, where he let it fly with less than a second left. After the ball bounced two times on the left side of the rim, it dropped into the hole as the horn sounded. "With that last play, we couldn't have executed it any better," Canisius head coach Mike MacDonald said. "I told them in the huddle. Three seconds is a lot of time, you can't be afraid to attack the basket." Popofski shot 7-for-11 from the field, 4-for-6 from 3-point land and 3-for-5 from the free-throw line. Downey was good for 20 points, while junior forward Darnell Wilson and freshman guard Joe Young chipped in 12 and 10 points, respectively. Canisius shot 59.2 percent from the field for the contest, highlighted by a first half shooting performance (69.6 percent) that sent the Blue and Gold into the locker room at the halftime intermission holding a 39-32 lead. In the opening moments of the second stanza, Loyola made a charge and eventually took a 46-44 lead with 15:37 left in regulation time after going on a 12-5 run, capped by a 3-pointer from guard Marquis Sullivan. The sixth-seeded Greyhounds stretched their margin to nine points at 54-45 after Collins, who entered the game ranked fourth in the nation in scoring, hit a free throw with 12:30 left in the game. Collins finished his college career with 24 points to lead four Loyola players in double figures. Loyola's hold hovered around six points for the next 6:58 of game action before Young hit a jumper from just inside the arc to make the score 68-64 with 3:20 left to play. Young hit a 3-pointer, that hit the front of the rim and bounced in, from the right corner on Canisius' next possession to cut the score to 68-67 in favor of the `Hounds. Downey knocked down a 3-pointer with 2:10 left in the game to tie the score at 70-70, and 41 seconds later, the senior captain banged home a jumper to even the count at 72-72 with 1:29 to play. "We got great minutes off the bench tonight, and Kevin Downey would not let this team lose," MacDonald said. The win gives Canisius a MAAC Tournament victory in five of the last nine events. The Griffs will meet Marist in the rubber match of the season series, with both teams posting a win on the road during the 2005-06 regular season. Tipoff in the Pepsi Arena is set for 10 p.m., with the game being broadcast live on Fox Sports New York. Game Notes: Canisius is now 18-15 all-time in MAAC Tournament games overall and 12-10 in tournament contests played in Albany, N.Y... The Griffs are now 5-1 all-time in postseason games against Loyola, with all those contests coming in the Pepsi Arena... Popofski has now posted double figures in the scoring column in two of the team's last three games... Downey's 20-point effort gives him double figures in each of his last eight games, where he is averaging 21 points per game in that stretch.

 

MAAC TOURNEY NOTES: Marist last faced Canisius in the 2005 MAAC Tournament as an eighth seed, falling to the seventh-seeded Golden Griffins 62-60. Marist has played 12 MAAC Tournament games, five as the higher seed in their opening game. The Red Foxes are 3-2 in those contests. This is the ninth MAAC Tournament appearance for the Red Foxes and the first time Marist has been the third seed in the Tournament. Since joining the MAAC, the Red Foxes have played just one overtime game in tournament play. It was the Red Foxes first MAAC Tournament game, a 74-73 overtime win over Fairfield in the first round at the Pepsi Arena. The top seed in the MAAC Tournament has won 11 of 24 tournaments. The second and third seeds have won four titles, while five seeds have two crowns to show for their efforts. The seventh seed has won two titles, while the eighth-seed has won the tournament once. The six, nine and 10 seeds have never won a MAAC Tournament title.

 

RPI: In the latest edition of the RPI (through Mar. 1), Marist was ranked 105. With the ranking, the Red Foxes are on their way to their highest mark dating back to at least the 1999 season. The ranks are as follows: 2005-259th, 2004-288th, 2003-176th, 2002-132nd, 2001-142nd, 2000-192nd, 1999-136th.

 

HOOD BIG IN THE TOURNEY: Despite just a 1-3 team record in the MAAC Tournament over the course of his career, senior Carl Hood has posted impressive numbers in those four games. The Houston, Tx. native is averaging 53 percent (16-for-30) shooting, 60 percent (6-for-10) 3-point shooting and 10.8 points in the conference tourney.

 

CAREER-HIGHS: Senior Carl Hood set a new career-high with six assists in the 67-61 win at Fairfield on Saturday.

 

WINNINGEST SEASON EVER: The 2005-06 campaign marks the winningest season ever when you combine the win totals of the Marist men's and women's programs (39). The men have tallied 18 wins to this point, while the women have amassed 21. That is the highest figure in school history, surpassing the 1995-96 season when the two teams tallied 36 victories (men-22, women-14).

 

HOOD COOLING OFF: After a ripping off an eight-game winning streak, Marist has gone just 5-3 over its last eight games. One of the factors might be senior Carl Hood. Hood averaged 9.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, 51 percent field goal shooting, 41 percent 3-point shooting and 86 percent shooting over Marist's first 19 games. However, the Houston, Tx. native has dropped to just 5.4 points, 4.6 boards, 34.9 percent field goal shooting, 19.0 percent 3-point shooting and 73.3 percent from the line in the Red Foxes' last eight games.

 

STRETCHING OUT SMITH: Marist junior James Smith's promise is clearly evident when you stretch out the 7-footer's averages per 40 minutes. The big man is averaging a team-best 20.9 points and 10.2 rebounds per 40 minutes played. However, he averages the least of Marist's five starters in minutes played at 23.4 per game, mostly due to foul trouble (team-high 89 personals).

 

TOUGH AWAY FROM HOME: The Red Foxes have tallied 10 wins on the road this season, the third-highest total in the nation this season and the most for the program in its history. Iona and Bucknell are tied for the most at 11.

 

SCOREBOARD WATCHING: What a difference a year makes! Instead of toiling away in the opening round of this year's MAAC Tournament, the Red Foxes secured the third seed with the 74-71 win at Canisius. The seed is the highest for the program since earning the #2 seed for the 2002 MAAC Tournament, which was also played at the Pepsi Arena. That season, after tying for the regular season title with Rider, Marist lost its quarterfinal game to seventh-seeded Siena 82-76. The Saints then went on to run the table, representing the MAAC in the 2002 NCAA Tournament, falling to eventual national champion Maryland.

 

TEAM EFFORT: Marist's rebounding success this season can be attributed to a team effort crashing the glass. Unlike the assist category where point guard Jared Jordan has led the Red Foxes in all 27 games, seven Marist players have led the rebounding category at one point or another this season. That list includes the entire starting five and post reserves Miles Orman, who snared seven at Delaware, and Shae McNamara, who had six against Niagara.

 

WHISTLES: Marist was called for 22 fouls to Niagara's 13 in the 88-82 loss to the Purple Eagles Sunday. That snapped a seven-game streak in which Marist had been called for fewer fouls than its opponent. This season, the Red Foxes have been whistled for more fouls then their opponents in just six games, five of them losses (vs. Ohio, vs. Manhattan, vs. Canisius, at Niagara and at Old Dominion). The lone game Marist won over those six was the 85-77 win at Siena when the Red Foxes were called for 19 fouls to the Saints' 16. Coincidentally, Niagara's 13 fouls were the fewest for a Marist opponent this season.

 

JORDAN TAKES NATIONAL LEAD: Junior Jared Jordan claimed the national lead in assists three weeks ago when previous leader Jose Juan Barea of Northeastern recorded just five assists in an 83-47 loss at Drexel. Jordan now averages 8.7 dishes to Barea's 8.4. The 6'2 Hartford, Conn. native has also played all 40 minutes in 15 of the Red Foxes' games this season, including six of the last seven.

 

NUMBER CRUNCHING: According to kenpom.com, the Red Foxes are fifth nationally in 2-point percentage at 56.1 percent and ninth in points per possession in games through March 1. Marist averages 112.2 points per every 100 possessions this season. The Red Foxes average 68.6 possessions per game.

 

JORDAN TOPS IN PERCENTAGE OF TEAM MINUTES: Guard Jared Jordan is proving to be the Red Foxes' version of the Energizer Bunny. During the regular season, the junior didn't see much rest, playing in 97.2 percent of Marist's minutes this season which leads the nation according to www.kenpom.com (all games through 2/26). Jordan, who has moved into fourth on the school's all-time list with 515 assists, has also improved his 3-point shooting this season. The Hartford, Conn. native entered the season shooting 30.3 percent (37-for-122) from beyond the arc, but sports a 36.9 (55-for-149) clip this year.

 

MID-MAJOR ACCOLADES: With its recent winning surge, some mid-major honors have begun to roll in for the Red Foxes. Guard Jared Jordan was named the Mid-Majority Baller of the Day by www.midmajority.com after his 16 point, 15 assist, nine rebound performance at Iona. As a team, the Red Foxes earned 12 votes in the current edition of the Mid-Major Top 25, which is released each week by www.collegeinsider.com.

 

EYEING THE RECORD BOOKS: Juniors Jared Jordan and Will Whittington have had seasons to remember in 2005-06. Jordan's 235 assists this season already place him in second on the school's all-time list for assists in a season. Jordan needs 14 dishes to pass Drafton Davis for the school record for single-season assists (248, 1985-86). Whittington's 96 3-pointers place him second all-time in Marist's tally of 3-pointers in a season. The Kingwood, Tx. native needs just two more to surpass his total of 97 last season to set the school record.....again.

 

NO BLEACHER BUMS HERE: The Marist basketball programs are 11-1 with the new seating additions at the McCann Center, which increased the building's capacity to 3,200. The Marist men have gone 6-1, while the women's squad has tallied a perfect 5-0 mark.

 

GOOD STARTS, GOOD SCORES: This season, Marist is 10-3 when it scores first and 15-4 when it leads at the half. The Red Foxes are also 10-3 when the game is decided by 5-9 points, 10-1 when they score at least 80 points and 9-0 when their opponents tally 68 points or less.

 

WATCHING THE RECORD BOOKS: Redshirt sophomore Ryan Stilphen has posted a 58.0 mark from the field (130-for-224) thus far this season, which would put him on pace for ninth for a single season in Marist's record book. Finally, Jared Jordan's 8.7 assists per game is the best in school history, bettering the previous high of 8.1, set by Sean Kennedy (2000-01) and Drafton Davis (1986-87) in their respective seasons.

 

STILPHEN SEVENTH IN SCHOOL FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE: Redshirt sophomore Ryan Stilphen has already dented the school record book in field goal percentage. The Bay Village, Ohio native is seventh all-time (min. 100 field goals made), connecting on 201 of 364 shots for 55.2 percent. Rik Smits is the all-time leader with a 60.9 clip (756-for-1,241).

 

SCORER TO DISTRIBUTOR: Junior Jared Jordan (Hartford, Conn.) has shifted the focus of his offense throughout the course of the season. Jordan averaged 18.5 points (111) and 5.3 assists (32) through the first six games of the season (2-4 record). However, he has averaged 15.4 points (324) and 9.7 assists (203) over the last 21 contests (16-5 record).

 

HOOD'S 100TH: Senior Carl Hood played in his 100th game in the 82-75 win over Siena. Hood, who has 109 career games under his belt, is eight shy of Andy Lake's (1988-93) school record of 117.

 

FIRST HALF CRUCIAL: The first half has been critical to Marist's success this season in league games. The Red Foxes have outscored their opponents 701-567 in wins this season.

 

GUARDING THE LINE: Marist has done a good job of defending the 3-point line in its non-conference games, wins and home games. The Red Foxes have yielded just 33.9 percent (127-for-375) in their wins, but surrender 44.0 percent in their losses (83-for-191). Finally, Marist gives up just 32.1 percent (80-for-249) at home, but opponents hit 40.7 percent (129-for-317) when Marist hits the road.

 

SMITH SPLITS: James Smith has made 48.8 percent (20-for-41) and 47.8 percent (11-for-23) of his 3-point attempts in conference and home games, respectively, compared to just 19.2 percent (5-for-26) in non-conference games and 31.8 percent (14-for-44) in road games.

 

STILPHEN'S WORK AT THE STRIPE, FIELD: Redshirt sophomore Ryan Stilphen has put in extensive work since last season to improve his free throw shooting. Some of that work has already yielded positive results in the Red Foxes' conference games, home games and losses. The Bay Village, Ohio native is shooting 57.8 percent (48-for-83) in league play compared to just 53.3 percent (16-for-30) in non-league games. He is also 40-for-66 (61.5 percent) at the McCann Center this season, while posting a 50.0 mark (24-for-48) away from home. Finally, he has excelled in the Red Foxes' nine losses, shooting 66.7 percent (28-for-42), compared to 50.0 percent clip (38-for-76) in the Red Foxes' 18 wins. He has also made a team-high 62.7 percent (94-for-150) of his field goal attempts in Marist wins, but just 48.6 percent (36-for-74) of his attempts in Red Foxes' defeats.

 

DOUBLING UP: Marist has recorded 20 double-doubles this season, 10 of them courtesy of its two post players, James Smith and Ryan Stilphen. Smith got his at Manhattan (14 points, 10 rebounds), against Iona (18 points, 11 rebounds), at Liberty (10 points, 11 rebounds) and against Fairfield (18 points, 13 rebounds). Stilphen recorded double-doubles at Florida Atlantic (18 points, 11 rebounds), at Loyola (17 points, 10 rebounds), at Siena (15 points, 10 rebounds), against Manhattan (21 points, 11 rebounds), against Saint Peter's (19 points, 10 rebounds) and at Canisius (career-high 22 points and 13 rebounds). The other double-doubles came from senior Carl Hood who posted 12 points and 11 boards at Liberty and Jared Jordan who had 13 points and 11 assists against Loyola, 10 points and 12 assists at Siena, 17 points with 12 assists against Fairfield, 26 points and 11 assists at home against Siena, 16 points and 15 assists at Iona (narrowly missing a triple double with nine rebounds), 16 points and 10 assists at home against Rider, 15 points and 10 assists at Old Dominion, 10 points and 11 assists against Niagara and 19 points and seven assists at Fairfield.

 

SMITH'S GOOD EARLY: It's been a tale of two halves for junior James Smith during the Red Foxes' 18 MAAC games. The Nyack, N.Y. native is shooting 63.2 percent (55-for-87), grabbing 3.4 (62) rebounds and scoring 8.0 (144) points in the first half of those games. However, the big man is tossing in just 40.8 percent of his shots (29-for-71) in the second half, and his rebounding and scoring averages dip to 2.6 (47) and 4.1 (73), respectively.

 

THE GOOD: Marist comes into Saturday's contest tops in the league (all games) in field goal percentage defense (42.9 percent), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.17), field goal percentage (48.9 percent), defensive rebounds (25.04), three-point field goals made (8.59) and scoring defense (71.8). In conference games, Marist leads the league in rebounding defense (32.0), defensive rebounds (25.61), field goal percentage (.508) and 3-pointers made (9.00). Individually, Jared Jordan leads the league in all games in assists at 8.7 per contest and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.8). In league games, Jordan paces the MAAC in assists (9.56) and assist-to-turnover ratio (3.02).

 

THE BAD: The Red Foxes currently stand last in the league (all games) in steals (5.22). In conference games only, Marist is also last in thefts with 5.06 per contest and turnover margin (-5.06).

 

NATIONAL RANKINGS: When the national rankings were released Tuesday, junior Jared Jordan was tops nationally in assists (8.7), while Will Whittington was ranked ninth in 3-pointers per game (3.6) and 41st in 3-point percentage (41.0).

 

SAME OL', SAME OL': The Red Foxes have started the same starting lineup of Jared Jordan, Will Whittington, Carl Hood, Ryan Stilphen and James Smith in 26 of their 27 games this season.

 

MUST TAKE CARE OF THE BALL: The Red Foxes are 7-8 this season when they make more turnovers than their opponents and 10-1 when they commit as many or fewer miscues than their opponents. Marist has averaged 14.1 turnovers (127) in its nine losses, while its opponents have averaged just 10.7 (97).

 

NON-CONFERENCE HAPPENINGS: Marist's 84-71 loss to ODU dropped Marist's non-league record this season to 6-3. The Red Foxes are also holding opponents to 15.3 points less (608, 67.6) in non-league games compared to their conference outings (1331, 73.9). Since going 7-1 against non-league opponents during the 1998-99 season, Marist has posted just a 30-34 (46.9 percent) mark outside the league. Marist also improved its non-conference mark to 40-40 (50.0 percent) against non-conference teams since joining the MAAC.

 

GOOD STREAK: When you compile the numbers from Marist's last 21 games, it's no secret why the Red Foxes have come out victorious in 16 of them. The Red Foxes are holding opponents to just 36.2 percent shooting from 3-point range (163-for-450) after giving up a 40.9 clip (47-for-115) in the six previous games. From a team perspective, the only aspect that has gone downhill over the last 21 is free throw shooting. The Red Foxes have made just 276-for-420 of their attempts (65.7 percent) after making 76.7 percent (92-for-120) over its first six. Individually, redshirt sophomore Ryan Stilphen has connected on 61.7 percent of his field goal attempts (100-for-162) compared to just 21-for-46 (45.7 percent) over the first six contests this season.

 

RACE TO 35?: The 5:00 mark of the second half may come with some interest Sunday. Marist is 18-1 when leading with five minutes to go in the game this season. The Red Foxes' 75-72 loss at Seton Hall is the only exception.

 

HOOD ON FIRE FROM THREE, LINE: Senior Carl Hood's clutch 3-pointer in the final minute of Marist's 56-53 win over St. John's is just one example of the fine progress the Houston, Tx. native has shown this season. Hood, who came into the year a 32.8 percent shooter (64-for-195) from 3-point range, has connected on a 35.1 percent (27-for-77) clip this season. He also entered the season shooting 71.1 percent (108-for-152) from the charity stripe, but has hit on 82.0 percent (41-for-50) this season.

 

ROAD RACE: Despite the score against the Johnnies, Marist's points it scores and surrenders goes up markedly when the Red Foxes hit the road. The Red Foxes have scored just 75.9 (911) points per game at home, but tally 77.8 (1167) points per game on the road. Meanwhile, Marist surrenders 68.7 (824) points per game at home, while its opponents rack up 74.3 (1115) when the Red Foxes hit the road.

 

DOWN THE STRETCH: Marist has especially excelled in its free throw shooting in the last two minutes of games this season for the most part. The Red Foxes are 89-for-115 (77.4 percent) from the charity stripe. Will Whittington leads the way with a 33-for-36 mark (91.7 percent), while Jared Jordan has connected on 24 of his 29 attempts (82.8 percent), while Ryan Stilphen has made nine of his 16 (56.3 percent). Last season, the Red Foxes made 74.5 percent (76-for-102) of their attempts in the last two minutes. Pierre Monagan, James Sutton and Dave Magarity, Jr. led the way with 100 percent (4-for-4, 2-for-2 and 2-for-2 respectively), followed by Will Whittington at 83.3 percent (30-for-36), Will McClurkin at 78.6 percent (11-for-14), Carl Hood at 75 percent (9-for-12), Ben Farmer at 71.4 percent (5-for-7), Jared Jordan at 61.1 percent (11-for-18), Miles Orman at 50 percent (1-for-2) and Ryan Stilphen at 20 percent (1-for-5).

 

IS THERE A LID?: For some reason, opponents found life difficult at the free throw line this season in the McCann Center. Visitors made just 67.2 percent of their charity tosses (137-for-204) this season. For the season, Marist's opponents are making 68.7 percent of their freebies (365-for-531). Canisius is currently shooting 72.7 percent (343-for-472) from the free throw line, while Loyola is making 68.7 percent (362-for-527).

 

ODD HAPPENINGS: Despite shooting better in its wins (50.4 percent, 503-for-999) than its losses (46.0 percent, 236-for-513), the Red Foxes have actually shot better from the free throw line (69.7 percent, 108-for-155 to 67.4 percent, 260-for-386) in their nine losses compared to their 18 wins.

 

STREAK STILL ALIVE: Marist has connected on a 3-point field goal attempt in 191 straight games. The Red Foxes were 0-7 against American on December 7, 1999. That is the only game that the Red Foxes have not hit a 3-pointer since the inception of the 3-point line for the 1986-87 season, snapping the previous streak of 374 games. Overall, the Red Foxes have nailed a 3-pointer in 566 of 567 games played (99.8 percent) in their history. Marist's streak looked in jeopardy against Delaware on Nov. 26, when the Red Foxes were 0-8 in the first half from behind the arc. Marist finished with a trio of three-point baskets to preserve the streak.

 

WHITTINGTON UP AWAY/DOWN AT HOME: Junior Will Whittington has posted decent numbers on the road this season, but life in the McCann Center has been less than stellar. Whittington is the squad's leading scorer on the road at 17.7 (265) points per game, but is averaging just 12.4 (149) points at home this season and is shooting just 44-for-107 (41.1 percent) from the field and 37-for-84 (44.0 percent) from 3-point range. The Kingwood, Texas native is second in the school's all-time record books in 3-point percentage at 43.8 percent (218-for-498). With four 3-pointers in the 67-61 win at Fairfield, Whittington now has 218 career 3-pointers, which places him third on Marist's all-time list behind Steve Paterno (224, 1987-91). Whittington's struggles this season can be traced directly to Marist's wins and losses. He is 44.6 percent (91-for-204) from the field and 44.7 percent (71-for-159) from the arc in Marist's wins, but just 35.7 percent (35-for-98) from the field and 33.3 percent (25-for-75) from the 3-point line in Marist's losses. Last year, he became just the fourth player in NCAA history to finish a season ranked in the top six nationally in 3-point percentage (.492) and 3-pointers per game (3.5). Lafayette and St. John's probably can't wait until Whittington graduates as he has torched the Leopards for 52 points on 12-for-18 shooting from beyond the arc (66.7) in the past two meetings between the two schools and has lit up the Red Storm for 51 points on 11-for-22 (50.0) shooting from the 3-point line.

 

STILPHEN CRASHES THE GLASS: Redshirt sophomore Ryan Stilphen is one of the Red Foxes' most tenacious rebounders. The 6'8 forward stands fifth on Marist's career rebounds per game list with 6.9 boards (331) per contest in 48 career games. Stilphen, a member of the MAAC All-Rookie Team, came up especially big for the Red Foxes in conference play last season, compared to his non-conference outings. Stilphen, who earned MAAC Rookie of the Week honors three times this season, almost doubled his output in the scoring column (11.7 ppg to 6.6) in league games, while averaging 1.5 more rebounds (7.5 to 6.0) in MAAC play. He also boasted a 54.7 clip (47-for-86) from the field, while just a 44.4 (24-for-54) shooting percentage during the Red Foxes' nine non-league games. The Bay Village, Ohio native had made every start before missing his six games with lower back pain. He returned to action in the regular season finale against Canisius and played 10 minutes.

 

45 AND 71: Dating back to last season, a few magic numbers have appeared on the stat sheet. The Red Foxes are 5-20 in the Matt Brady era (55 games) when they shoot the ball less than 45 percent from the field and 24-6 when they better that number. The Red Foxes' only "sub-45" victories during that span came against St. John's (12/17/05, 38.3 percent), Manhattan (1/9/05, 42.9 percent), Liberty (1/10/06, 43.1 percent), against Rider (2/8/06, 42.6 percent) and at Canisius (2/13/06, 40.3 percent). Five of those "plus-45" losses came this season, 12/9 at Manhattan-46.6 percent, the home showdown with Iona (12/11-51.1 percent), the 78-75 loss at Loyola (1/8-50.0 percent), the 75-74 loss to Saint Peter's (2/2-59.6 percent) and the 88-82 loss at Niagara (2/11-54.4 percent). Marist also fell at Rider last season (12/3/04-48.4 percent). They are also 6-14 over that span when they score less than 71 points.

 

THE HALF IS THE KEY: Over the course of Brady's tenure (55 games), whether or not Marist has the lead at the break has dictated the contest's end result more often than not. Marist is 23-9 when it leads at halftime and just 6-17 when its opponent does.

 

PUSHED OUTSIDE: Marist has been forced outside for much of its offense recently, a trend that has not been effective statistically for the Foxes under head coach Matt Brady. Against Fairfield, Marist attempted 27 to the Stags' 19. Marist is 10-21 over its last 55 games when it attempts more 3-pointers than its opponent.

 

HITTING THE BOARDS: The Red Foxes have outrebounded 12 of their last 19 opponents (Florida Atlantic, Canisius, Loyola, Liberty, Siena (2), Manhattan, Fairfield, Saint Peter's, Iona and Niagara (2). The Red Foxes also lead the MAAC in league games only in rebounding defense (32.0) and defensive rebounds (25.61). In all games, Marist is tops in the league in defensive rebounding (25.04).

 

DEFENSE, DEFENSE, DEFENSE: Limiting its opponent's output has proved to be a struggle at times for Marist over its last 54 games. The Red Foxes are just 3-8 over that span when their opponent shoots better than 50 percent and just 9-17 when their opponent makes more free throws. The only three times Marist has won a game where its opponent eclipsed the 50.0 percent mark was the Red Foxes' 83-69 win at Liberty in which the Flames shot 51.2 percent (21-for-41), the 82-75 win over Siena when the Saints shot 52.6 (30-for-57) and the 87-81 win at Iona (51.7 percent, 30-for-58). This season, the Red Foxes have allowed just 68.1 points (1225) in Marist's wins, but surrender 630 points (78.8) in the nine losses. Marist did put forth a particularly staunch defensive effort in the 64-48 win over Delaware. The 48 points allowed was the fewest for the Marist program since yielding just 47 in a 72-47 victory over Delaware State on Nov. 19, 1999 in the Pepsi Marist Classic.

 

CLOSE, BUT NO CIGAR: The Red Foxes' 75-74 loss against Saint Peter's represented another in a line of frustrating losses for Marist over the past two seasons. In the Brady era, the team is just 5-11 in games decided by four points or less.

 

FREEBIES: Marist connected on 25 free throws in the 89-71 win over Niagara, the most for the program since it hit 28 in the 91-86 win over Saint Peter's in the Arena at Harbor Yard.

 

TOP 10: Carl Hood's alley-oop dunk in the first half of Thursday's 89-71 win at Niagara gained national attention when it was a part of SportsCenter's Top 10 Plays that night. The dunk checked in at No. 3 in the rundown.

 

NORFOLK NOTABLES: The Red Foxes allowed ODU to shoot 52.7 percent (29-for-55) from the floor, the highest allowed by the program since Iona hit 54.4 percent (31-for-57) of its shots at the Harbor Yard last season in a 92-88 Gael win. Marist also yielded 22 assists to the Monarchs, the most since Holy Cross duplicated the feat in a 79-52 win over the Red Foxes in the Hart Center last season.

 

BRACKETBUSTER: The Red Foxes represented the MAAC on Feb. 18 in the BracketBusters presented by eBay game at Old Dominion, an 84-71 ODU win. The game was the second time the Red Foxes have been on ESPN2 in their history (1/4/03 vs. 81-73 loss to Manhattan).

 

BUFFALO BLUES: Marist has never swept the "Buffalo Swing" in its eight previous years in the MAAC. The Red Foxes did manage a split in the games in the 1997-98 season, the 2001-02 season and the 2002-03 season. The Red Foxes are 3-6 at Canisius since joining the league and one of those victories came at the HSBC Arena (Feb. 29, 2003-73-68). Marist is 1-8 at Niagara since joining the MAAC, with the lone win coming on Jan. 17, 2002 by a score of 84-78. Canisius had won six in a row prior to the 74-71 Marist victory on Monday versus the Golden Griffins.

 

DOWN TO THE WIRE: 16 of the last 20 meetings between Canisius and Marist have been decided by seven points or less. Marist is 7-9 in those contests.

 

TOO MANY FREEBIES: Niagara connected on 29 of 35 free throws in the 88-82 win over Marist Sunday. That is the most free tosses made and attempted against Marist since the Purple Eagles connected on 31 of 36 free throws last season in a 79-68 win over the Red Foxes on Feb. 5, 2005.

 

ROAD WARRIORS: Marist recently put together a five-game road winning streak (at Liberty, at Siena, at Rider, at Saint Peter's and at Iona). The last time the program had an away winning streak that long was during the 1987-88 season. That season, the Red Foxes knocked off St. Francis (Pa.), Robert Morris, St. Francis (N.Y.), Long Island and Miami in succession. The last time Marist had a longer road winning streak was the 1986-87 season when the Red Foxes won six in a row (Long Island, Loyola, Fairleigh Dickinson, Monmouth, St. Francis (Pa.) and Robert Morris).

 

JORDAN CLAIMS MAAC CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONOR: Junior Jared Jordan (Hartford, Conn.) earned MAAC Co-Player of the Week honors after averaging 20.5 points, 8.0 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game in two league wins for the Red Foxes. He tallied 26 points and 11 assists against Siena.

 

MCCANN MAGIC: Despite Marist's 8-15 record all-time against Manhattan, the Red Foxes have defeated the Jaspers in five of the last seven seasons, including a 77-68 win on Jan. 18 and a 71-62 win in the 2004-05 season.

 

LOTS OF BOARDS: Marist collected 50 rebounds in the 77-68 win over Manhattan, the most in a game for the program since snaring 52 in a 72-68 loss at Saint Peter's on Feb. 12, 2003. Marist outrebounded Manhattan 50-30 this season, the largest margin the Red Foxes have enjoyed since outboarding the Greyhounds of Loyola 49-28 on January 30, 2002, a game they won 67-53.

 

STREAK OVER: Marist snapped its five-game losing streak against Rider with the 89-66 win at Lawrenceville.

 

HALFTIME HAPPENINGS: The Red Foxes' 20-point halftime margin vs. Fairfield (51-31) was the largest halftime margin for the Red Foxes since holding a 22-point advantage over Saint Peter's on Dec. 6 of last season (38-16).

 

BIG MARGIN: Marist's 23-point win over Rider was the largest margin of victory since a 28-point win against Saint Peter's on Feb. 21, 2002. The last time the Red Foxes won by that many on the road was Feb. 3, 2002 when Marist knocked off Loyola 85-50.

 

CHECK OFF ANOTHER STATE: The Red Foxes' 83-69 win at Liberty was the first victory for the program against a team from the state of Virginia since a 77-71 win over George Mason on Nov. 27, 1989 in Poughkeepsie.

 

REJECTION: Junior James Smith blocked five shots in the 69-51 win over St. Bonaventure. That was the most for a Marist player since Matt Tullis duplicated that feat in a 67-53 win over Loyola in January 30, 2002.

 

WHITTINGTON NAMED MAAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Junior guard Will Whittington (Kingwood, Tx.) was named MAAC Player of the Week. Whittington tallied a game-high 20 points in the Red Foxes' 56-53 victory over St. John's on Saturday in Madison Square Garden. He also nailed all six of his free throws, including two with 24 seconds to play to salt away the win. Whittington is the team's second-leading scorer at 15.3 points per game and has a team-high 96 3-pointers.

 

NO FREEBIES AT THE GARDEN: One of the deciding factors in the Red Foxes' 56-53 win over St. John's at Madison Square Garden was the Red Storm's 8-for-16 clip (50 percent) from the free throw line. The last time a Marist opponent shot a worse percentage was the team's last game at the Garden, a 59-55 win over Holy Cross. In that game, the Crusaders made a paltry 28.6 percent (4-for-14).

 

MARIST SNAPS BIG EAST SKID: Marist finally broke through with a 56-53 win over St. John's to claim the school's first-ever win over a BIG EAST school in 15 tries.

 

SKIDDING: After winning its first seven MAAC openers since joining the league, the Red Foxes have dropped their last two, both on the road, to Rider last season (76-75) and Manhattan this season (90-79).

 

PERFECT FROM THE LINE: Marist went 10-for-10 from the line in the 69-63 loss to Ohio. The last time the Red Foxes were perfect from the charity stripe was Dec. 12, 2003 when they went 4-for-4 in a 62-57 loss to Vermont.

 

DOESN'T HAPPEN OFTEN: The junior trio of Will Whittington (25), Jared Jordan (21) and James Smith (21) all recorded 20-plus points in the 92-84 victory at Lafayette. According to available records, the last time Marist recorded such a feat was Dec. 19, 1993 when Izett Buchanan (32), Alan Tomidy (21) and Danny Basile (20) all accomplished the feat in a 101-89 win over Army.

 

STARTERS DOUBLE UP: Marist's starting five all recorded double figures in the 92-84 win at Lafayette, the 83-69 win at Liberty and the 91-72 win against Fairfield. Will Whittington led the way with 25, followed by Jared Jordan (21), James Smith (21), Carl Hood (12) and Ryan Stilphen (10) against the Leopards. At Liberty, Jordan and Whittington had 18, Stilphen had 14, Hood had 12 and Smith had 10. Against the Stags, Whittington led the way with 25, followed by Smith (18), Jordan (17), Stilphen (13) and Hood (11). Prior to this season, the last time the Red Foxes accomplished that feat was Feb. 4, 2001 when Matt Tullis (18), Nick Eppehimer (14), Rick Smith (14), Drew Samuels (12) and Sean Kennedy (12) all posted double digits in an 11-point win over Fairfield.

 

POINTS GALORE: The Red Foxes scored 92 points in the four-point win over Lafayette, the most for the program since it poured in 97 in the 17-point win at La Salle on Nov. 30, 2002.

 

IT'S NICE TO BE HOME: Behind a 64-48 victory over Delaware on Saturday, Nov. 26, the Red Foxes have now won seven out of their last eight home openers in the friendly confines of the James J. McCann Center. The only loss during that stretch was a 79-74 setback against Hofstra at the beginning of the 2003-04 season. The Red Foxes are 2-0 in home openers under the guidance of Head Coach Matt Brady. Marist defeated Cornell in Brady's first-ever game as the Red Foxes' skipper, with a 72-67 win in the season and home opener on Nov. 19, 2004.

 

LONG-RANGE BOMBS AND STEALS: Marist attempted 37 3-pointers in the 75-72 loss at Seton Hall, the most in the last five-plus seasons for the program. Marist also held the Pirates to just one steal in the loss, the fewest allowed for the Red Foxes in five-plus seasons.

 

IRONMEN: Juniors Jared Jordan and Will Whittington played 40 minutes apiece in the 75-72 loss at Seton Hall. That was the first time that the Red Foxes have had more than one player log at least 40 minutes since Dec. 5, 2002 when Brandon Ellerbee (43), Nick Eppehimer and David Bennett (41) all reached the 40 minute mark in a 72-70 overtime win at Rider. Jordan also played 40 minutes in the 64-48 win over Delaware. Sean Kennedy was the last Marist player to go 40 minutes in back-to-back contests when he went the distance in an 84-78 win at Niagara on Jan. 17, 2002 and a 67-62 loss at Manhattan five days later.

 

THREE EARN LEAGUE HONORS: Juniors Jared Jordan and Will Whittington combined with redshirt sophomore Ryan Stilphen to earn All-MAAC honors last season. Jordan and Whittington were named All-MAAC third team, while Stilphen claimed All-Rookie team honors. Jordan and Whittington were honored with preseason All-MAAC second team acclaim this season.

 

FARMER MADE HISTORY: Sophomore Ben Farmer made history last season by becoming the only freshman in school history to start every game of his rookie campaign. The Clinton, Conn. native started all 28 games last season for the Red Foxes and was also the only freshman in the league to start every contest for his team.