Men's Basketball Rides Perfect Start to Bay State for the Eastern Nazarene Holiday Tournament

QUINCY, Mass.–St. Joseph's (Brooklyn) men's basketball will compete in the Eastern Nazarene College Holiday Tournament this weekend in Quincy, Mass. The Bears will open play against Maine-Presque Isle on Friday, November 21 at 8p.m. Depending on the outcome of this game, they will compete in the tournament final or a consolation match on November 22 against either Eastern Nazarene or Green Mountain.

Game Information

Friday, November 21 - Opening Round
8 p.m.: St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) (3-0) vs. Main-Presque Isle (3-0)

Saturday, November 22 - Championship
3 p.m.: St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) (4-0) vs. Eastern Nazarene (3-0)

Live stats | Video

Storylines

• St. Joseph's improved to 3-0 for the first time under Coach Joseph Cocozello after a 79-46 victory over conference rival Pratt on November 19.
• Senior David Louison and junior Michael Megafu have led the way for the Bears, each recording double-doubles in all three victories.
• Megafu leads the team in scoring (15.7), rebounding (11.7) and assists (3.0). The junior is also shooting a blistering team-high 69 percent from the field.
• Four different players are averaging double-digit scoring for St. Joseph's; Michael Megafu (15.7), David Louison (14.3), Matt O'Neill (11.7) and Vernon Maddox (11.3).
• Perfect records will be on the line on Friday as Maine-Presque Isle has jumped out to a 3-0 start as well.
• The Owls are coming off a 8-14 finish in 2013-14. They are led by junior Chase Vicaire, who is averaging a team-high 16.0 points to go along with 4.7 boards.

Series History/Last Meeting

• This will be the first meeting in history between St. Joseph's and Main-Presque Isle.
• St. Joseph's won the lone meeting against Green Mountain in 2006, 59-53.
• Eastern Nazarene won the lone meeting against the Bears in 2010, 73-60. 

The Bear Facts

Last time out: On November 20, St. Joseph's never trailed in a 79-46 Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (HVIAC) victory over Pratt Institute. Twelve different Bears tallied a field goal led by the third consecutive double-double performances from senior David Louison and junior Michael Megafu. Megafu scored a team-high 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting. He also added 11 rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Louison recorded 12 points, 10 boards, two assists and three steals.

The victory moved St. Joseph's to 3-0 for the first time in the Joseph Cocozello era and the Bears will enter Quincy, Mass. firing on all cylinders.

Owl Wisdom

Owls Last time out: On November 19, Maine at Presque Isle defeated Maine Maritime Academy 86-67 at Smith Gym in Castine, Me. The Owls were led by junior Chase Vicaire who had a team high-21 points, five rebounds and two steals. Freshman Maurice Harris contributed a double-double with 15 points and 12 boards. UMPI built up a 44-17 lead by the intermission, shooting 48.5 percent from the field in the first half and holding the Mariners to just four made field goals on 16.7 percent shooting. 

Like the Bears, UMPI is a dual member of the USCAA and NCAA as members of the Association of Division III Independents. The program has made progress since a 3-17 finish in 2011-12. The Owls improved to 11-14 in 2012-13 and finished 8-14 in 2013-14. They continue to move in a positive direction after a perfect start this season.

Predator Mentality

Lions last time out: On November 18, Eastern Nazarene defeated Wheelock 88-73 in a conference matchup. The Lions were propelled by 51 combined points from juniors Eric Lynch and Jaylen Owens. Owens led all scorers with 28 points, including 5-7 from beyond the arc. Lynch added 23 points and game-highs in rebounds (7), assists (4) and steals (5).

The Lions posted a 49.3 field goal percentage while converting on 9 of 18 three pointers en route to the victory. Nazarene moved to 2-0 for the first time under Head Coach Jim Aller, who has held the position since the 2009-10 season.

Aller has led a radical turnaround effort for the program. The Lions finished 18-9 in 2012-13, their first winning season since 1996-97. They improved to 19-6 last season and have continued their winning ways early into the 2014-15 campaign. Nazarene will look to build on their momentum this weekend as hosts of the ENC Holiday Tournament.

High on the Eagles Nest

Eagles last time out: On November 19, Green Mountain was downed 75-57 by SUNY Cobleskill. The Eagles finished the half up 22-21 behind an aggressive defensive effort that held Cobleskill to only 6-28 (21.4%) shooting including 0-of-7 from three-point range. The Eagles also received a strong interior effort from junior forward Cameron Anderson, who registered a thunderous dunk to give Green Mountain the halftime lead. Anderson finished with a team-high 20 points and game-high 11 boards.

The Eagles could not sustain their defensive pressure throughout the second half, allowing Cobleskill to explode for 54 points on a scorching 20-of-26 from the field and 14-of-20 from the charity stripe. After Green Mountain tied the contest at 38-38 with 12:37 remaining, the Fighting Tigers outscored the Eagles 37-19 the rest of the way to secure victory.

After a 0-2 start and a 4-20 finish in 2012-13, Green Mountain will look to build momentum this weekend at the ENC Holiday Tournament. They will be led by Cameron Anderson, who leads the team in scoring (17.0) and rebounding (11.5).

Team Comparison

St. Joseph's (Brooklyn)	School	Maine-Presque Isle	Eastern Nazarene	Green Mountain
Bears	Nickname	Owls	Lions	Eagles
3-0	Record	3-0	2-0	0-2
HVIAC	Conference	AD3I	TCCC	NAC
Roster | Schedule | Statistics	Team Info	Roster | Schedule | Statistics	Roster | Schedule | Statistics	Roster | Schedule | Statistics
Michael Megafu (15.7)	Top Pts.	Chase Vicaire (16.0)	Jaylen Owens (21.5)	Cameron Anderson (17.0)
Michael Megafu (11.7)	Top Reb.	Brandon McGill (8.0)	Corey Doran (6.5)	Camerson Anderson (11.5)
Michael Megafu (3.0) Matt O'Neill (3.0)	Top Ast.	Nick Lenhard (4.0)	Christian Lynch (3.5) Jaylen Owens (3.5)	Boo Agee (6.0)