The Pioneer Trail: Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2015
Women's Basketball vs. Bridgeport - 5 p.m.The LIU Post women's basketball team had a much-needed bye weekend while the rest of their conference opponents jockeyed for position in the ever-changing ECC postseason hunt. The green and gold take to the court Wednesday at the Pratt Recreation Center, looking to increase their chances at a playoff berth.
The Pioneers (11-8, 7-4 ECC) were hampered by a slow start in their most recent contest, an 82-73 defeat at the hands of UDC on Thursday (Jan. 29) at the Pratt Recreation Center. LIU Post trailed by as many as 20 points in the contest before making an inspired comeback in the second half to cut the deficit to as little as six points. The Firebirds got out to a roaring start, cruising to a 45-29 halftime margin on the strength of hot-handed shooting from the field. UDC made 55% (17-31) of their field goals and blistered the Pioneers' three-point defense, knocking down five of eight attempts from behind the arc. LIU Post played better defense in the second half, as the team held their opponents to a 43% shooting clip from the field (11-26). However, UDC was nearly perfect (13-15) from the free-throw line, a stat which would ultimately doom the improbable comeback from happening.
Despite the loss, junior center
Nyasia Davis (Rahway, N.J.) collected her ninth double-double (20 points, 11 rebounds) of the season. It was her 11th contest with 10 or more rebounds so far in the 2014-15 campaign. Senior guard
Chelsea Williams (Copiague, N.Y.) added 18 points and nine rebounds, but also committed 11 turnovers in the game. As a team, the Pioneers had 20 turnovers, and UDC was able to turn those giveaways into 32 points. Senior guard
Ashley Castle (Brooklyn, N.Y.) poured in 12 points and dished out six assists for the Pioneers, while junior point guard
Khea Gibbs (Norwalk, Conn.) matched her highs in an LIU Post uniform with seven points and six assists.
Williams is now the leading scorer in the East Coast Conference, averaging 21.1 points per game. Davis is one of four players in the conference to average a double-double, as she currently is getting 13.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per contest. As a team, LIU Post is right in the middle of the conference, averaging 67.1 points per game. The Pioneers are fourth in the ECC in field goal percentage (40.1%) and sixth in three-point percentage (30.1%). But, the green and gold are struggling at the free-throw line, sporting a conference-low 63.6% foul-shooting clip. Defensively, the Pioneers are struggling, allowing 69.1 points per game, which is third-worst in the ECC. Opponents are knocking down open looks against LIU Post, as the Pioneers' field goal defense is worst in the conference at 42.5%. LIU Post is doing a nice job on the glass, however, as the team is sporting a rebounding margin of plus-5.8, which is among the top-3 teams in the ECC.
Bridgeport (4-16, 2-10 ECC) has won their last two contests, including a 56-47 victory over Mercy on Saturday (Jan. 31) in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. It was the lowest point-total the Purple Knights have yielded all season, and the defense was to thank for much of the victory. The Mavericks shot 18-for-56 from the field (32%) and only hit one three-pointer in 11 attempts. Senior guard Tiara Aziz (Easton, Pa.) scored a game-high 21 points off the bench for Bridgeport, with 16 coming in the first half. Fellow seniors Jenna Hoffman (Manchester Center, Vt.) and Casey Bray (Staten Island, N.Y.) added 11 points apiece, while junior center Shannon Holt (Holden, Mass.) pulled down a team-best 10 rebounds.
Aziz is the leading scorer for the Purple Knights, averaging 14.8 points per contest. Aziz is doing much of her work from the free-throw line, as she is sporting a top-five foul percentage (80.2%) in the conference. She is also providing offense from long range, leading Bridgeport with a 43.8% clip from behind the three-point arc. As a team, however, the Purple Knights are having a difficult time putting points on the scoreboard. The squad has the second-lowest points per game average (62.8), second-lowest field goal percentage (36.9) and lowest three-point field goal percentage (27.2) in the East Coast Conference. Bridgeport is also struggling to rebound the ball, with a rebounding margin of minus-5.3.
Men's Basketball vs. Bridgeport - 7:30 p.m.The LIU Post men's basketball team finds themselves in a dogfight for a playoff position in the East Coast Conference as the season starts to wind down to its conclusion. Looking for a statement victory, the Pioneers will host two-time defending conference champion Bridgeport at the Pratt Recreation Center on Wednesday.
LIU Post (10-9, 5-6 ECC) utilized a dominant first-half performance in a 74-61 victory over UDC on Thursday (Jan. 29) in Brookville. The green and gold shot a scintillating 52% (13-25) from the field and held the Firebirds to a field goal clip of just 25% (8-32). Senior forward
Tyuan Williams (Newark, N.J.) led the Pioneers with a 15-point night, while guards
P.J. Torres (New Rochelle, N.Y.) and
Aary Bibens (Bennington, Vt.) each poured in 13 points. Junior point guard
Dillon Burns (Staten Island, N.Y.) proved to be an effective distributor, dishing out seven assists in addition to his nine points. The green and gold shot 43% (23-53) from the field in the win over the Firebirds.
Despite being in the middle of the conference in terms of scoring average (73.7), the Pioneers are the ECC's best rebounding squad. Averaging a conference-best 42.1 rebounds per contest, LIU Post is also tops in the ECC with a plus-6.6 rebounding margin. Additionally, the Pioneers have set the standard for field goal defense, holding opponents to a clip of 40.2% shooting from the perimeter.
Bridgeport (14-5, 10-2 ECC) rolled to an 84-65 triumph over Mercy on Saturday (Jan. 31) in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. The Purple Knights tore through their opponents, scoring almost at will. Bridgeport nailed 60% (32-53) of their shots from the field and hit eight three-pointers in 15 attempts, good for a 53% clip from behind the arc. Junior guard Ernest Rouse (Freeport, N.Y.) had a game-high 22 points for Bridgeport and hit four shots from long range to spur the Purple Knights to the win. Fellow junior Devon Elliott (Brooklyn, N.Y.) added 17 points while junior center Eddie Asamoah (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) had 12 points and eight rebounds.
Asamoah holds the second-best field goal percentage in the conference, hitting perimeter shots at a rate of 54.9%. Senior forward Willie Williams (Norwalk, Conn.) is among the premier rebounders in the ECC, pulling down almost 10 boards per contest. As a team, Bridgeport is second-best in field goal percentage (47.1%) among the ECC's 11 institutions. The Purple Knights are averaging 79.2 points per game and are sporting a rebounding margin of plus-4.1. If there is to be one knock against the two-time defending champions, it is that Bridgeport is yielding 76.8 points per game to opponents.
At 10-2 in conference play, Bridgeport is tied with Saint Thomas Aquinas for the top spot in the ECC standings up to this point. LIU Post sits in fifth, just a half-game behind Dowling and Molloy for the third-place spot. The Pioneers are also a half-game ahead of NYIT, which holds a 4-6 record in conference play.