Men's Basketball Looks to Improve to 3-0 Opening HVIAC Slate vs. Pratt

BROOKLYN, N.Y.–St. Joseph's (Brooklyn) men's basketball will take on Pratt Institute on Wednesday, November 19 at 8:00 p.m. at Activities Resource Center (ARC) in a Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (HVIAC) matchup.

Game Information 

St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) (2-0, 0-0 HVIAC) vs. Pratt Institute (2-1, 0-1 HVIAC)
Wednesday, November 19 • 8 p.m.
Pratt Institute • Brooklyn, N.Y.

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Storylines

• St. Joseph's began their 2014-15 campaign with a pair of wins in the Maritime College Admiral's Classic in Throggs Neck, N.Y. The 2-0 start is the first since in 2006, when all three assistant coaches were players on the team.
• With a win, the Bears will improve to 3-0 for the first time under Coach Joseph Cocozello.
• St. Joseph's has taken the last 20 meetings between the Clinton Hill rivals dating back to 2002.
• The 2-1 Cannoneers dropped their HVIAC season-debut 63-56 to Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences on November 8.
• Although technically a home game for St. Joseph's, the matchup will be contested at the Activities Resource Center (ARC) on Pratt's Brooklyn campus. This year, Pratt will play 12 of 17 games at the ARC, including five of their six HVIAC matchups.
• Senior David Louison and junior Michael Megafu will look to extend their streaks after recording double-doubles in both of St. Joseph's victories at the Maritime College Admiral's Classic.
• Ari Grant has had an explosive start as well, tallying a double-double for the Cannoneers in all three games to start his 2014-15 campaign. Thus far this season, the junior leads Pratt in points (15.7), rebounding (12.0) and assists (4.3).
• Four different Bears players notched double-digit scoring efforts in each victory to start the year:
  • Saturday, November 15 against Merchant Marine – David Louison (16), Michael Megafu (12), Vernon Maddox (11), and Jamir Archer (11)
  • Sunday, November 16 against Maritime – Michael Megafu (19), Matt O'Neill (16), David Louison (15), and Vernon Maddox (12).

Last Meeting

On January 28, 2014, St. Joseph's put on a dominant performance against rival Pratt in a late-season conference matchup, winning 70-25 on the road. Ten different Bears recorded a made field goal, led by a game-high 18 points from Matt O'Neill. O'Neill finished an efficient 8-of-12 (66.7 percent) from the floor while coming up with a game-high seven steals in only 16 minutes of action.  

The Cannoneers were led by Sam Peterson who had a team-high seven points and corralled five boards.

St. Joseph's led from start-to-finish and stymied the Cannoneers offense all night as they held them to 26.1 percent (12-of-46) shooting from the floor and forced 32 Pratt turnovers which they parlayed into a 31-4 edge in points off turnovers.

After this victory, the Bears would go on to win seven of their next eight matchups, including the 2013-14 HVIAC Tournament Championship game 92-76 over Vaughn. 

The Bear Facts

Last time out: On November 16, St. Joseph's defeated Maritime College 67-58 at Riesenberg Gym Hall in Throggs Neck, N.Y. to close out the Maritime College Admiral's Classic with a pair of victories. The Bears rallied from 13 down to secure the victory, outscoring Maritime 45-29 in the second half.

The forward tandem of David Louison (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) and Michael Megafu (Jamaica, N.Y./Nazareth Regional) led the charge with double-double efforts, helping the Bears move to 2-0 for the first time since 2006. Megafu scored a game-high 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting and added 13 rebounds and four blocks. Louison contributed 15 points, 12 rebounds, and three assists.

The Privateers controlled the game early, leading by as many as 13 in the first half and carried a 29-22 lead into the lockers as the Bears struggled to find the range, shooting just 10-for-28 (35.7%) in the half. The Bears stormed back in the opening minutes of the second half, using a 12-0 run over three minutes to claim a 34-31 lead at the 15:53 mark. St. Joseph's slowly built up their lead, thanks in part to 52 percent (13-25) second-half shooting, going ahead 56-48 with 5:51 left.

Maritime would then answer with a furious 10-0 run in a span of just 2:27 to claim a 58-56 advantage. But Megafu would counter with a putback on the opposite end to knot the game at 58-58 and Louison made a layup with 1:30 left to put the Bears up for good as Vernon Maddox (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Peter's) went 6-for-6 from the stripe in the final minute to help cap an 11-0 run to close out the game and seal the comeback victory.

Firing the Cannons

Last time out: The Cannoneers will enter Wednesday's contest coming off a 62-29 drubbing of Webb Institute on November 12. Pratt dominated from start to finish, outscoring Webb 31-11 in the first half and 31-18 in the second.

Junior forward Ari Grant led the way, recording his third double-double in as many games with 15 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. He also added five assists, five steals, and a block. Freshman forward Tytus Millikan notched a double-double as well with a game-and career-high 16 points to go along with 11 boards and six assists. Junior guard Mehmet Doganata contributed 12 points, three rebounds, and three steals while freshman guard Andrew Yaglenski chipped in with seven points and four steals.

Did You Know?

Dating back to November 26, 2002, the Bears hold a perfect 20-0 record in the series history.

Team Comparison

St. Joseph's (Brooklyn)	School	Pratt Institute
Bears	Nickname	Cannoneers
2-0, 0-0	Record	2-1, 0-1 HVIAC
HVIAC	Conference	HVIAC
Roster | Schedule | Statistics	Team Info	Roster | Schedule | Statistics
David Louison (15.5) Michael Megafu (15.5)	Top Pts.	Ari Grant (15.7)
Michael Megafu (12.0)	Top Reb.	Ari Grant (12.0)
Matt O'Neill (3.5)	Top Ast.	Ari Grant (4.3)