The Pioneer Trail: Saturday, Jan, 10, 2015

1/8/2015 11:01:00 AM

Women's Basketball vs. Saint Thomas Aquinas - 1:30 p.m.
The LIU Post women's basketball team will look to capitalize on their increasing momentum as they host ECC foe Saint Thomas Aquinas at the Pratt Recreation Center.

The Pioneers (7-5, 3-1 ECC) picked up their second consecutive win by defeating Mercy 72-61 on Wednesday (Jan. 7) in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. Junior center Nyasia Davis (Rahway, N.J.) had a breakout performance in the victory, scoring 32 points on an 11-for-16 shooting night. She also made 10 of her 14 free throw attempts and pulled down 11 rebounds to claim her second consecutive double-double of the season. Senior guard Chelsea Williams (Copiague, N.Y.) chipped in 15 points, while junior Quanisha Ratley (Brooklyn, N.Y.) added 12 of her own. Junior point guard Khea Gibbs (Norwalk, Conn.) contributed six points and dished out six assists and the Pioneers shot 46% from the field through the contest.

Davis is averaging 12.6 points per game and 9.8 rebounds per game for the Pioneers, while Williams is still the team's standard-bearer with a 21.6 points per game mark. The green and gold hold a positive rebounding margin, as their 39.8 rebounds per game trump their opponents' rebounding total of 34.4 boards per contest. Despite this, LIU Post is allowing opponents to shoot at a 43% clip, the worst opponents' field goal percentage in the ECC.

Saint Thomas Aquinas (6-8, 2-3 ECC) has dropped their last two contests in overtime, including a 93-90 loss to NYIT on Wednesday (Jan. 7) that took two extra sessions to decide the contest. Freshman guard Jenna Erickson (Melrose, N.Y.) led the Spartans with a 25-point evening, including a game-tying three-point shot in the second overtime, leveling the score at 90. Junior forward Alyson Brennan (Hicksville, N.Y.) contributed a double-double with 20 points and a game-best 12 rebounds in the loss, while sophomore forward Kaitlyn McCue (Bergenfield, N.J.) chipped in 15 points of her own. McCue, however, did lead the team with seven turnovers, including a crucial five giveaways in the two overtime sessions.

Erickson is the team's leading scorer, averaging 12.6 points per game. Brennan is averaging 10.2 points per game and 7.2 rebounds per game for Saint Thomas Aquinas. The Spartans are among the conference's worst field goal shooting teams, averaging just 38.9 percent from the floor per game. 

Men's Basketball vs. Saint Thomas Aquinas - 3:30 p.m.
The last time the LIU Post men's basketball team hosted Saint Thomas Aquinas, the Spartans ousted the Pioneers from the ECC playoffs. The green and gold will look to exact their revenge at the Pratt Recreation Center with tip-off scheduled for 3:30 p.m.

The Pioneers (5-7, 0-4 ECC) are still searching for their first conference win after dropping a tight contest on Wednesday (Jan. 7) to Mercy, 89-84. Senior forward Tyuan Williams (Newark, N.J.) led the green and gold with 21 points and seven rebounds in the contest, while junior point guard Dillon Burns (Staten Island, N.Y.) assisted with 10 points and five helpers. Senior guard P.J. Torres (New Rochelle, N.Y.) and junior guard Akosa Maduegbunam (Hyde Park, Mass.) contributed 12 points apiece for the Pioneers in the effort. LIU Post was done in by a hot-handed Mavericks squad, as Mercy combined to shoot 61% from long range, while the Pioneers made only 34% of their three-point attempts.

Senior forward Charles McCann (Springfield Gardens, N.Y.) has positioned himself as the best shooter from the floor in the ECC, hitting field goals at a near-58% clip. The Pioneers are the best team in the conference at cleaning up the glass, averaging 43.8 rebounds per game. Additionally, the green and gold are the best team in their league at defending the perimeter, allowing opponents to hit 39% of their shots.

Saint Thomas Aquinas (7-7, 4-1 ECC) knocked off NYIT on Wednesday (Jan. 7) by an 82-69 scoreline thanks in large part to a 27-point night from sophomore guard Chaz Watler (Brooklyn, N.Y.). Watler went 12-for-17 from the floor and he and his teammates combined to shoot at a 52% clip from the field. Red-shirt freshman guard Justin Reyes (Haverhill, Mass.) scored 18 points with a game-high eight rebounds to boot. The Spartans' defensive pressure forced their opponents to commit 23 turnovers, while the Bears allowed Saint Thomas Aquinas to score 23 points off of their giveaways.

Watler is averaging a team-high 13.8 points per game and has made exactly half (64-128) of the shots he has taken from the floor. Reyes is the team's best player in the low post, averaging 10.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, while senior guard Marcus Henderson (Newburgh, N.Y.) is also contributing 10.6 points per contest. Despite their recent success, the Spartans are among the conference's worst teams at field goal defense, allowing opponents to hit shots at a 48% clip. Furthermore, Saint Thomas Aquinas is having issues with rebounding, as the team ranks last in the ECC with an average of 31.4 boards per contest.