Just a day after a tough loss in Akron, Ian Hummer and Brendan Connolly had a little fun Monday at the Princeton women's 74-59 win over Drexel. For fans of the Tigers, it shouldn't come as a huge surprise that Hummer (in orange) got the better of Connolly.

Anthony Myles is hoping to have big game in his return to Delaware/ Photo by JOHN BLAINE

 

Anthony Myles is ready to ring in the New Year with a homecoming.

Rider tries to break even for 2012 Monday when it travels to Delaware for a New Year’s Eve tip.

Myles has had this game circled on his calendar since the schedule was released.

“It’s my homecoming and everybody is excited to see me play,” said the junior guard from Dover, Del., adding that he has so many family members coming he’s not sure he’ll be able to get enough tickets.

“I’m looking to have a big game down there. This is my first time going to Delaware, so I’m really looking forward to it.”

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Quick reaction: As ugly as this one was, Rider can look back and see it had a chance to win with five minutes to go. But turnovers, empty trips and a technical foul on coach Kevin Baggett all proved costly as Rider couldn't get any closer than three despite having several opportunities to do so. The Broncs made 14 field goals and had 16 turnovers — usually not a good combination. They made eight 3-pointers ( 8 for 23) but still left several points out there by misfiring on open looks. "I think we gave one away," said guard Anthony Myles. Good move by Baggett switching Jon Thompson and Nurideen Lindsey. Thompson protects the ball better and gets teammates open looks — exactly what he did Friday. This is going to take some of the pressure off Lindsey, who has been struggling in recent weeks. Rutgers was certainly there for the taking on an afternoon in which the early start time and Scarlet Knights bowl game made for a light crowd at the RAC. Rider has now lost three straight for the first time all season. Baggett says this group is resilient, that is certainly going to be tested with a trip to Delaware on New Year's Eve and a chance to break even for 2012.
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PISCATAWAY — Rider walked away from the Louis Brown Athletic Center Friday feeling like it missed an opportunity for a road upset.

Turnovers and empty trips at crucial moments again were costly, and Rutgers pulled away late for a 68-56 victory.

“We had some bad turnovers at the wrong time,” said coach Kevin Baggett, whose team dropped its third straight following another woeful offensive performance that included 14 made baskets and 16 turnovers.

The first-year coach didn’t help his cause with a technical foul that allowed the Scarlet Knights to open up a 56-49 lead with 4:14 remaining.

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Eli Carter averages 16.8 points per game for Rutgers/ Photo by JOHN BLAiNE

Who: Rider (6-6) at Rutgers (8-2)

When: 3 p.m., Friday, Louis Brown Athletic Center, 107.7 FM The Bronc, Sirius Radio Channel 93 (Rutgers audio)

Last time out: Rider lost to Princeton, 62-45; Rutgers def. Howard, 79-55

Background: If Rider is going to avoid a three-game losing streak it has to do so on the road at Rutgers.

It is a daunting task.

The Scarlet Knights have won four straight and eight of nine since an upset loss to St. Peter’s on opening night.

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PRINCETON — Mitch Henderson is the first to tell you his team has earned its reputation as not being able to close out games.

Entering play Saturday night, Princeton had held the lead at halftime in eight of its 10 contests, yet was sitting two games under the .500 mark.

Well, a perfect week later and the Tigers are starting to look like the team that was picked to win the Ivy League.

Ian Hummer and Denton Koon both finished with 17 points, helping Princeton pull away from Bucknell for a 79-67 victory at Jadwin Gym.

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Anthony Myles was the lone bright sport for Rider, scoring 18 points/ Photo by JOHN BLAINE

Quick reaction: Where to begin? Kevin Baggett said Rider has gone backward in its last two games. He's right. The Broncs struggled to score Thursday night, falling to Princeton, 62-45, making it the second time this season they failed to hit 50 points (46 in loss to Stony Brook Nov. 13). Give Princeton credit, Mitch Henderson had his team prepared to break the press — something the Tigers had been struggling with — and did so with relative ease. Princeton got easy baskets on offense and contested everything Rider through up on the other end. The Tigers' size also had an impact. They  dominated in the paint (44-22) and out-rebounded the Broncs 36-20.
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Rider's Jon Thompson tries to drive past Princeton's Denton Koon/ Photo by JOHN BLAINE

PRINCETON — Kevin Baggett isn’t making any excuses. Neither is Anthony Myles.

Simply put, Rider wasn’t anywhere near good enough to beat Princeton Thursday night at Jadwin Gym.

“They made us look like a bad team today,” said Baggett after the Broncs turned in a woeful performance in a 62-45 loss.

Rider’s 45 points was a season low. It also scored 46 in a loss to Stony Brook on Nov. 13.

The Broncs, coming off an 11-day layoff, struggled from the field, connecting on just 36.4 percent of their shots (16 of 44, 3 of 10 from behind the arc).

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Princeton coach Mitch Henderson/Photo by John Blaine

PRINCETON — Though Christmas is fast approaching, the Princeton Tigers aren’t exactly in a festive mood.

After falling to 3-6 with an ugly loss to Fordham Saturday, coach Mitch Henderson has noticed his team preparing for Thursday’s Mercer County showdown against Rider with a bit of an extra edge.

“It’s a little surly, and that’s OK,” Henderson said Wednesday. “We have to be feeling something. I wouldn’t expect everyone to be jolly around here.”

The Tigers have good reason to be upset. Coming into the season with NCAA tournament expectations — they were voted first in the Ivy League’s preseason media poll — Princeton has shown some alarming flaws early, the most notable being their inability to hold on to late leads.

In four of their six losses, the Tigers couldn’t maintain halftime advantages. The issue came to a head against the Rams at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, when Princeton coughed away a 10-point lead in the game’s final three minutes.

That dynamic creates an interesting issue for Henderson, as the players who have been struggling down the stretch are the same ones that built the early cushions.

“My mom used to say ‘don’t rob Peter to pay Paul,’” he said. “If you fix one problem, you can create another. I think there is a good balance here of trying to fix what’s going on.”

That being said, Henderson also didn’t deny that he might try to tweak his lineup. Freshman forward Hans Brase was effective in significant second-half minutes against Fordham, and sophomore center Bobby Garbade seems to have a chance to crack the rotation.

“I think we’ll probably make a change, I’m not sure yet though,” Henderson said. “The nine guys we’ve been playing — 10 now with Bobby Garbade — those are going to be the guys. That’s a non-answer, but we’ve got to see a little bit more of Hans, because he provides some scoring for us.”

Both Brase and Garbade are also possible solutions to one of the Tigers’ other big problems — rebounding. Princeton was outrebounded by 11 by both Fordham and its previous opponent, Drexel.

Henderson knows that these are the kinds of trends the Tigers can’t afford to allow to continue.

“If we’re having these same kind of talks in January, we’re going to be in trouble,” he said.

Offensively, the team hasn’t found a consistent secondary scorer to compliment senior forward Ian Hummer, who at the moment leads the team in points, rebounds and assists. Juniors T.J. Bray and Will Barrett have been inconsistent, and sophomore sharpshooter Clay Wilson appears best utilized off the bench.

“I don’t think we’re going to have some star emerge in the next two months,” Henderson said. “I don’t think there is a knight in shining armor on this team. I think we’re balanced and we need to remain balanced. I think its going to be a ‘who’s next’ kind of a year.”

Fortunately, Rider is in many ways an ideal opponent at this point in Princeton’s season. The Tigers have had problems against smaller, quicker opponents like the Broncs, so it figures to be a good gauge of Princeton’s ability to correct its past mistakes.

“I like that we’re playing Rider for a number of different reasons,” Henderson said. “Its close, a local rival, but also we get a chance to get right back out there and work against what’s been showing its head a little bit.”

With the Tigers’ first Ivy game not until Jan. 12 against Penn — and with league play not beginning in earnest until Feb. 1, after exams — Princeton does have some time to correct its course before it risks jeopardizing its goals for the season. At some point, however, that added edge in practice will need to translate to game day.

“What we’re learning is how hard it is to win, and you can kind of go one way or another with it,” Henderson said. “Are you going to learn how to win, or is this going to be a problem for the rest of the year?”

Jon Thompson and Rider travel to Princeton/ Photo by JOHN BLAINE

 LAWRENCEVILLE — Kevin Baggett said he hasn’t reminded his team of the loss it suffered a year ago against Princeton.

Well, at least not yet.
 

Rider’s first-year coach is going to bring it up before the Mercer County rivals meet Thursday night at Jadwin Gymnasium. He wants his returning players to remember how that one ended.

At the buzzer. In overtime. On a 3-pointer by Mack Darrow, a player whose only shot of the game was the one that won it.

“It’s not redemption — we just need a win,” Baggett said Wednesday afternoon following practice. “We have to get back on the horse after having fallen off against Fairfield.”

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Carleigh Brown in action this year against Army/ Photo by JOHN BLAINE

LAWRENCEVILLE — The Rider women’s basketball team went to Pittsburgh last Sunday expecting to walk away with a victory.

It was one that was a long time coming.

With their 65-48 win over the Panthers, the Broncs beat a major-conference opponent for the first time since a 69-66 triumph over the ACC’s Georgia Tech on Dec. 29, 1993.

“We knew we were going to win,” said Carleigh Brown, a graduate student, who has made 65 career starts. “You could tell in warmups. We knew we were going to win it, so we weren’t surprised. We were happy it was such a good win and that we beat them.”
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On the attitude this week at practice...

It’s a little surly, and that’s okay. We have to be feeling something. I wouldn’t expect everyone to be jolly around here. I think the practices have been good. We have a lot to address, but the same group that is getting these leads is the same group that has been having these problems so we tend to focus on the positives and trying to tighten things up. Also, as a staff, what’s happening? What kind of changes can we make?

On trying not to be too reactive...

My mom used to say “don’t rob Peter to pay Paul”. You fix one problem, you can create another. I think there is a good balance here of trying to fix what’s going on. I don’t want to get too into it, with the team, because I think in general a lot of things have been really good. One positive out of this is that we know what our problem is. So, we have to work on that, and then continue what we’ve been doing, because there has been some good things.

On if he's considering changing his starting lineup... 

I think we’ll probably make a change, I’m not sure yet though. The nine guys we’ve been playing—10 now with Bobby Garbade—those are going to be the guys. That’s a nonanswer, but we’ve got to see a little bit more of Hans, because he provides some scoring for us.

On what he's seen from Bobby Garbade...

He’s a good passer, and he’s a different kind of passer from the other centers that we have. He’s got a good overhead. He’s not as mobile as Mack and he’s not as physically imposing and big as Brendan inside, but I just thought we needed a little bit of a change.

On the team's defensive statistics (leading the Ivy League in fewest points allowed per game)....

I think you can make the numbers look however you want to make them look, but right now our numbers don’t look so good. I think some of it has to do with who we’ve played, but a lot of it has to do with how we’ve played, especially at home. If we’re having these same kind of talks in January, we’re going to be in trouble. There is a sense of urgancey in correcting them now, but the problems are apparent because we’re doing them publicly. Its cost us several games now, but there are good things too.

On if the team needs a consistent secondary scorer behind Ian Hummer...

I’d like to see a couple things. I’d like to see us become more balanced. I think Ian has a lot to do with that. He’s a talented scorer, but we’ve said all along that he has to get his teammates involved. Its atough thing for him, because we also need him to score. Can we get him to get everyone involved? And then, who is going to emerge and say I can do it? I don’t think we’re going to have some star emerge in the next two months. I don’t think there is a knight in shining armour on this team. I think we’re balanced and we need to remain balanced. I think its going to be a “whose next” kind of a year.

On if playing a small, quick team like Rider allows Princeton to address it's recent issues...

I like that we’re playing Rider for a number of different reasons. Its close, a local rival, but also we get a chance to get right back out there and work against what’s been showing its head a little bit. In the end, its another 40-minute game and another opportunity for us, and the guys are probably having one though, I’m more concerned about 40-minutes.

On replicating pressure in practice...

I think we’ve been able to practice against pressure. We have some guys. Ameer (Elbuluk), Isaac (Serwanga), Mike Washington, some of the assistant coaches are pretty fast. We’ve been getting a pretty good look. We’ve struggled a little bit against pressure, but we’ve also struggled at the line, rebounding, decisions in the open court, couple walks underneath the basket…you can point to the obvious things, but there are some other things that are going on too and all of it needs to get corrected.

On playing Rider, a local rival...

I like it when I’m in the community and people come up and say “hey, Rider on Thursday.” That doesn’t happen as often with Wagner. There is crossover here. The communities are close, and to me that’s a community rival, a local rival. Those are games are important for the community, but they are really important for us right now. Whether it’s a local rival or not, we’ve got some things to deal with here for Princeton.

On if playing Thursday and Saturday could get Princeton into a rhythm...

I hope so. I like all the shots we’re getting, so I don’t know if there is a rhythm needed as much as an understanding of how we’re going to win. We’re playing these two games in a row, so it’s kind of like an Ivy weekend. What we’re learning is how hard it is to win, and you can kind of go one way or another with it. Are you going to learn how to win, or is this going to be a problem for the rest of the year?

WEST LONG BRANCH — When the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference hired Richard Ensor in 1988 it was facing defections from a number of schools and wanted a proactive approach to strengthening the league.

At a press conference Monday introducing Monmouth as one of the conference’s two new members, Ensor said the league is on stable ground and looking to add a 12th school in the near future.

Monmouth and Quinnipiac were announced Friday as the 10th and 11th members of the MAAC. Both currently reside in the Northeast Conference and are joining for the 2013-14 academic year.

Loyola is leaving to join the Patriot League at the end of the year.

“I am proactive,” Ensor said. “I was hired at a time when we were losing members after the initial formation of the Patriot League. Because of the way that occurred, I’ve always been tuned in to membership issues and we’ve been aggressive before.

“When we added Marist and Rider (in 1997) there wasn’t any realignment going on, but we wanted to build the league and bring in members that added rivalries and they made sense.”

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By NICK PERUFFO

nperuffo@gmail.com

NEW YORK — Though Princeton coach Mitch Henderson said he felt like a broken record after the game, Saturday’s 63-60 loss to Fordham at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center was less a case of deja vu than a unique new low for the struggling Tigers.

Up by ten points over a 1-8 opponent with just 3:42 left in the game, Princeton absolutely fell apart when the Rams decided to apply full-court pressure. The Tigers were outscored 17-4 from that point forward, turning the ball over five times. It was the fourth loss this season in which the team couldn’t maintain a late lead. 

“I am very surprised at this group, and what happens to us at the end of games,” Henderson said. “It’s very concerning. It starts from within and we have to change it. It’s not a part of our DNA.” 

Fordham coach Tom Pecora said that he wanted to speed the game up at some point, but that he didn’t want to do it to soon so as not to give the Tigers a chance to adjust and regain their composure. His plan worked to perfection. 

“It sounds redundant, but they’re Princeton guys, so they’re smart.” Pecora said. “I didn’t want to give them a chance to figure it out.”

It looked as if the Tigers, despite the turnovers, were going to be able to hold on to win the game until Fordham guard Branden Frazier pulled up from the wing and knocked down a huge three with just 28 seconds left to bring the Rams to within one at 59-56. 

Clay Wilson then missed the front end of a one-and-one, and Frazier came back the other way and found forward Ryan Canty under the basket for a layup, putting Fordham up for good.

“Ryan bailed me out on that last one,” Frazier said with a laugh. “I was about to go up-and-down (travel) but he was there.”

With just over a second left to play, Princeton forward Ian Hummer launched a desperation half-court heave that nearly went down for the win, but the ball bounced off the rim.

Hummer led the Tigers with 18 points and seven rebounds.

“It shouldn’t be the case,” said Hummer, of his team’s recent inability to close out games. “If we get a little pressure, we shouldn’t fold up the way that we are. I think we all need to toughen up, from top to bottom.”

Early in the game, the Rams were able to hang with the Tigers thanks largely to their frontcourt of Canty and senior Chris Gaston, a preseason all-A10 forward who had missed the previous six games with a knee injury. The duo was extremely productive, with Canty finishing with 12 points and 15 rebounds and Gaston ending up with 16 points and five boards.

In the second half, Henderson went away from his traditional rotation in favor of a lineup that included freshman forward Hans Brase playing instead of center Brendan Connolly with his four other regular starters. Brase responded with eight big points down low, and the Tigers were able to build their lead. 

“I thought we just needed some inside presence,” Henderson said. “We were getting some nice shots inside. I think Hans matched up well with Canty. We made a nice run. We built a lead of ten with him in there, so I’m confident in how that went.”

Princeton will try to recover Thursday, when they take on Mercer County rival Rider at Jadwin Gym.

“I keep saying we have the pieces to do it,” Hummer said. “It’s getting old to keep saying that because it hasn’t shown up yet, but I feel like its right there. This was a really tough loss.”

****

Though the game didn’t go as planned for Princeton, both teams were clearly excited to get a chance to play in the beautiful new Barclays Center, the home the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets.

“Being on of the first college teams to play here, I know there has been a couple of round robin games already played here, but this is the first time I’ve seen it and its fantastic,” Hummer said. “Just seeing 

the outside, playing inside, it’s a really nice arena and they did a nice job.”

The game was perhaps most significant for Frazier, who went to high school in Brooklyn at Bishop Laughlin.

“He went to high school four blocks from here,” Pecora said. “He’s a Brooklyn kid.”

Before the Red Storm's matchup Saturday against St. Francis at Brooklyn's Barclays Center, AD Chris Monasch talked to reporters briefly about the seven Catholic schools currently in the Big East splitting away from the league. Here is what he had to say.

On investing more in men’s basketball…

Several weeks ago, the university came to the decision to invest more heavily in its men’s basketball program, and if the need arose they were willing to do that.

On the form of those investments…

We looked at our program across the board, and made commitments to our facilities, staff, head coach and his staff. We looked at all the budgets from a travel perspective and a recruiting perspective. We put the support in place we think we need to compete in an elite conference. I think moving forward, our philosophy is that we are going to do what we have to do to continue to compete at this level, and even higher if we have to.

If travel concerns in the non-revenue sports would disqualify Gonzaga or St. Mary’s from new league…

We haven’t had any discussions with that kind of detail, either internally or with the larger group.

On looking at possible new TV deal…

Just understanding what the current terrain is about, and the value of the seven schools, the markets they’re in and the success that we’ve had. Data that’s public that’s public that we can review, and where the TV market is going that can be competitive with new entities. We confident that we can have a competitive package.

On where the new league office could be…

Premature.

On if new conference will be competitive in other sports…

I think the tone of the conversation among the seven schools is that we want to be committed to a high level men’s and women’s basketball conference, and a broad based conference across the board. That’s always been an emphasis at St. Johns, to compete at the highest level that we can in the sports that we sponsor.

On why basketball is important at St. John’s…

It’s the tradition of the school, in men’s and women’s basketball. It’s the two programs that have the greatest interest from the media.

On what basketball does for the school…

It gives us visibility. It gives us access to media as a platform to do what we do, which is to educate young men and women consistent with our mission. It’s a great platform to expose that to the world.

If the separation from football schools will jeopardize postseason tournament at Madision Square Garden…

Premature.

On working with football schools…

The goal is to work with football schools to do what is collectively best for all parties. I think the feeling is that if we work collegiately together, all parties can get as much as feasibly possible out of the next few weeks and months.

On if the seven schools have talked to football schools since announcement…

The league is handling the conversations among the parties.

Big East as liaison?

Yes.

On why they made decision…

The decision to do this really looks to the future. St. Johns is in the best position long term, it creates a stable situation in an elite league with people of a common philosophy.

On if seven and football schools can work together…

I do think we can, because we’ve worked well in recent years.

On confidence that St. John’s can be successful in new league…

Pretty confident. I feel very confident in that. We have everything in place, the tradition, history, commitment, location and leadership from our president, board and coaching staff to be successful.

Following a week of speculation, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference is expanding.

Monmouth University and Quinnipiac University both announced Friday they are joining the league for the 2013-14 academic year.

The invitations were extended after the conference’s presidents met Friday morning in New York.

Both schools currently reside in the Northeast Conference and will have to pay a $250,000 exit fee to join the MAAC, according to NEC bylaws.

“We’re excited about it,” said Rider University athletic director Don Harnum. “We have a good, friendly rivalry with Monmouth. We’ve maintained that relationship with them even after we left the NEC. We play in field hockey, soccer, softball … I think it’s a good fit geographically, academically and athletically.”

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Princeton (3-5, 0-0) at Fordham (1-8, 0-0)

2:30 Saturday, Barclays Center. Brooklyn NY

Brooklyn Hoops Winter Festival

Coaches: Princeton – Mitch Henderson (2^nd year, 23-17). Fordham – Tom Peroca (3^rd year at Fordham, 18-48, 173-174 overal)

Princeton Projected Starters:

F – Ian Hummer, 6-7, Sr., 15 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 4.9 apg. F – Will Barrett, 6-10, Jr., 8.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.6 apg. C – Brendan Connolly, 6-11, Sr., 6.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1 apg. G – T.J. Bray, 6-5, Jr., 6.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 3.9 apg. G – Denton Koon, 6-8, Soph., 5.1 ppg, 2.0 rpg. 0.8 apg.

Key reserves:

G – Clay Wilson, 6-3, Soph., 9.1 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 0.5 apg. F – Mack Darrow, 6-9, Sr., 2.9 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 1.3 apg

Fordham Projected Starters:

G – Branden Frazier, 6-3, Jr., 15.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 4.7 apg. G – Jermaine Myers, 6-0, Fr., 4.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.9 apg. G – Bryan Smith, 6-2, Soph., 9.4 ppg. 4.1 rpg, 1.3 apg. F – Ryan Canty, 6-9, Soph., 7.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 0.3 apg. F – Chris Gaston, 6-7, Sr., 11.3 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 1.0 apg

Key reserves: F – Travion Leonard, 6-8, Fr., 6.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg. G – Jeffrey Short, 6-4, Soph., 7.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.3 apg. F – Ryan Rhoomes, 6-8, Fr., 3.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 0.4 apg.

Quick Take:

The Rams have certainly struggled in the win/loss column early this season, but they are expecting a boost (at least according to theFordham website) from the return of preseason all-A10 forward Chris Gaston, who missed the last six games with a knee injury. Gaston averaged 17.1 points and 9.9 rebounds last season, so even if he isn’t at 100 percent, he should pose a legitimate challenge to a Princeton frontcourt that has struggled at times against smaller, more aggressive frontcourts.

With Gaston out of the lineup, coach Tom Pecora was able to get more minutes for sophomore forward Ryan Canty, who has emerged as a pleasant-enough surprise for the Rams to get this complimentary article in theNew York Post. As noted in that article, however, it’s unclear if Canty will play Saturday due to an altercation with a referee in Fordham’s 58-47 loss to St. Johns. If Canty is benched, look for freshman Ryan Rhoomes to take his place.

Though extremely small—they start three players under 6-foot-3—the Rams do have some nice offensive firepower on the perimeter. Their most dangerous scorer is sophomore Branden Frazier, who is leading the team in both points (15.2) and assists (4.7) per game. That said, he is shooting the ball at an abysmal 33.6 percent clip (and just 25.5 percent from range) which could be a recipe for disaster against the stout Princeton defense. As a team, the Rams’ field goal percentage is under 40 percent.

Given the composition of his roster, and the way Princeton has struggled recently against pressure from Wagner and Drexel, it is a fair bet to assume that the Rams will probably try to press the Tigers at some point in the game. How well Princeton handles that pressure—especially down the stretch, where the Tigers have not been good this season—could be the biggest factor in determining the outcome of the game.