Local College Basketball Round-Up

Sunday, January 09, 2011

Scott Cordischi, GoLocalProv Sports Editor

RUTGERS 85 PROVIDENCE 72:

Welcome to the Big East. After cruising through their soft non conference schedule to the tune of (11-2) the PC Friars have been smacked in the face with the reality that is the toughest conference in all of college basketball.

Last night the Friars lost to Rutgers 85-72 in Piscataway, New Jersey. The loss dropped Providence to (11-6) on the season and (0-4) in the Big East.

Once again defense was a problem for PC. The Friars allowed the Scarlet Knights to shoot 54% from the field (31-57). They allowed both Pitt and St. John’s to shoot 53% from the field in their previous two Big East games and Syracuse to shoot 48% from the field and 41% from three in their Big East opener. Those numbers just won’t cut it if you expect to compete in or near the upper half of that league.

Once again, Marshon Brooks led the Friars offense with a game-high 29 points. Vincent Council had 14, Gerard Coleman 11 for PC.

Next up for the Friars is a trip to Morgantown, West Virginia to take on the Mountaineers (10-4, 2-2 Big East) Thursday night. West Virginia upset 13th-ranked Georgetown 65-59 Saturday.

BROWN 88 LYNDON STATE 55:

To no one’s surprise on Saturday, the Brown men’s basketball team took care of business quite easily against division 3 opponent Lyndon State (1-9) 88-55. The Bears (6-7) were clearly the superior team dominating the Hornets from start to finish.

Senior Peter Sullivan was one of five Brown players in double figures leading the team with 14 points. His sophomore brother Matt Sullivan scored 13, Freshman Sean McGonagill and Dockery Walker each scored 12. For Walker, that’s a career high. Senior Garrett Leffelman had 11 for the Bears.

The story of the game was what happened long before it started. The contest had to be pushed back from a 5pm start to a 7:30pm start because the Lyndon State team bus was involved in a 50-car, truck and bus accident on 93-south in Canterbury, New Hampshire Saturday.

The accident took place around noon time and, fortunately, no one on the Lyndon State bus was injured. Also, of the multiple people in other cars who were injured, none of the injuries were believed to be serious.

Another bus was sent to pick up the Lyndon State basketball team which arrived in Rhode island shortly after 5:30pm.

The Bears now have a week off before they open up the Ivy League portion of their schedule. Brown will host Yale next Saturday afternoon at 2pm at the Pizzatola Sports Center.

BRYANT 67 ST. FRANCIS (NY) 64:

Freshman Corey Maynard had a senior moment Saturday at the Chace Athletic Center. The Bryant Bulldog drained a three with 5 seconds remaining to lift his team to a 67-64 victory over St. Francis (NY).

It was Bryant’s first win in the Northeast Conference (3-13, 1-3 NEC). Senior Cecil Gresham led the team with 24 points and 6 rebounds.

Rickey Cadell led the Terriers (7-8, 2-2 NEC).

Bryant travels to Quinnipiac to meet the Bobcats Thursday night at 7pm.