Men's Basketball Looks to Continue Hot Start in California Against La Verne and Chapman

ORANGE, Calif.—The St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) men's basketball team (7-3) will look to build on their two-game winning streak as they head west for a pair of games in Orange, Calif., meeting University of La Verne on Monday, December 29 at 5 p.m. and an undefeated Chapman University on Tuesday, December 30 at 7:30 p.m. (Both times eastern)

Game Information

Opponent: La Verne (3-3, SCIAC 0-0)
Date/Time: Monday, December 29 • 5:00 p.m. (EST)
Location: Orange, Calif.
Arena: The Hutton Center

Opponent: Chapman (7-0, SCIAC 0-0)
Date/Time: Tuesday, December 30 • 7:30 p.m. (EST)
Location: Orange, Calif.
Arena: The Hutton Center
Coverage: Live stats | Video

Quick Links

St. Joseph's: Roster | Schedule | Statistics | Misc. Stats
La Verne: Roster | Schedule | Statistics
Chapman: Roster | Schedule | Statistics

Storylines

• The Bears (7-3) have won two straight and are coming off a thrilling 69-66 comeback victory against sister campus rivals St. Joseph's (Long Island) on Thursday, December 18, winning their Hill Center debut and their third straight in the annual "East vs. West" series.
• David Louison (15.2 ppg, 12.4 rpg) has secured a double-double in nine out of ten games this season. His last time out against St. Joseph's (L.I.), the senior made history by securing his 1000th career rebound to become the first Bears player in history to join the 1000-point, 1000-rebound club.
• On December 23, Louison was awarded his 14^th career Association of Division III Independents (AD3I) men's basketball Player of the Week honor. Led by Louison's 18 points and game-high 11 caroms, the Bears erased a 13-point deficit to defeat the Golden Eagles.
• Michael Megafu (15.5 ppg, 9.7 rpg) is leading the team is scoring and shooting (58.6%). The junior needs just 34 points to join the coveted 1000-point scoring club alongside Louison.
• Louison (49) and Megafu (37) rank first and second respectively in the active Division III career double-double rankings. Louison, now with 1001 career boards, also sits alone on top of the active DIII rebounding list.
• St. Joseph's currently sits at No. 6 in the latest USCAA Coaches Poll following a No. 4 ranking the previous week, their highest ranking since becoming a USCAA Division I member in 2011.
• La Verne will enter Monday's meeting holding a 3-3 record. Sophomore Hakim Arnold (13.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg) leads the Leopards in scoring while senior Josiah Sukumaran (5.7 ppg, 7.8 rpg) has been the team's most consistent presence on the glass.
• Undefeated Chapman (7-0) will enter Tuesday firing on all cylinders, with all but one of their seven wins coming by double-digits. They've dominated opponents with a 22.3 average margin of victory. Seniors Taylor Hamasaki (17.6) and Colin Zavrsnick (16.6) have been the Panthers' premier scoring options.

Series History

This will be the first time in St. Joseph's will be meet La Verne and Chapman. This also marks the first time the Bears have played a game in the state of California.

The Bear Facts

The 7-3 Bears are coming off a thrilling 69-66 comeback victory against St. Joseph's (L.I.) on Thursday, December 18, winning their Hill Center debut and their third straight in the annual "East vs. West" series.

Double-double machines David Louison (9) and Michael Megafu (5) have paced the team with a combined 14 double-doubles. Louison (15.2 ppg, 12.4 rpg) has secured a double-double in nine out of ten games this season. His last time out against St. Joseph's (L.I.), the senior made history by securing his 1000th career rebound to become the first Bears player in history to join the 1000-point, 1000-rebound club. Megafu (15.5 ppg, 9.7 rpg) is flirting with a double-double average and leads the team in scoring and a highly efficient 58.6 shooting percentage.

Matt O'Neill ranks third on the team in scoring (14.0) while leading the team in assists (3.8) and steals (3.4). O'Neill is the Bears' premier long-range threat, averaging 42.1 percent on 24-57 from downtown.

Bears Last Time Out

On Thursday, December 18, St. Joseph's erased a 13-point deficit with a strong second-half to comeback against sister campus rivals St. Joseph's (L.I.), winning 69-66 in their Hill Center debut and adding another dramatic chapter to the annual rivalry.

Vernon Maddox poured in 19 points, his second highest total of the season, on a perfect 2-of-2 from downtown and 5-of-5 from the charity stripe. David Louison secured his ninth double-double of the season, finishing with 18 points and a game-high 11 caroms, including his 1000th career rebound. Alec Willis contributed with his second double-digit scoring performance of the season, finishing with 11 points, four rebounds and two assists.

Maddox drained a go-ahead triple with 1:27 remaining and padded the lead with a pair of clutch free throws with nine seconds on the clock, securing victory in a thrilling back-and-forth affair in front of a sold out crowd in the Hill Center Grand Opening.

Louison and Willis Receive Weekly Awards

After leading St. Joseph's to victory over St. Joseph's (L.I.) on Thursday, December 18, David Louison was awarded his 14th career Association of Division III Independents (AD3I) men's basketball Player of the Week and Alec Willis was named the Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (HVIAC) Rookie of the Week for the first time.

Led by Louison's 18 points and game-high 11 caroms, the Bears erased a 13-point deficit to defeat the Golden Eagles for the third consecutive year. The senior made history in the process by securing his 1000th career rebound. He added two assists, two steals and a game-high two blocks in another dynamic all-around effort.

Willis contributed 11 points, four boards and two assists in Thursday's victory, including a pair of timely triples and a 5-of-6 performance from the line. The first-year player has started every game this season for the Bears and is averaging 7.0 points and 2.4 rebounds per contest.

Climbing the Ranks

David Louison (49) and Michael Megafu (37) rank first and second respectively in the active Division III career double-double rankings. Louison, now with 1001 career boards, also sits alone on top of the active DIII total rebounds list and fourth in the rebounds per game rankings with a 10.8 career average.

Megafu, only a junior, also needs just 34 points to join the coveted 1000-point scoring club alongside Louison. Louison ranks sixth on the active DIII scoring list with 1385 career points and counting.

Bears Remain in USCAA Top 10

The 7-3 Bears remained in the USCAA Top 10 after receiving a No. 6 ranking in the latest USCAA Coaches Poll. In the first USCAA Coaches Poll released the previous week, St. Joseph's was ranked tied for fourth, their highest ranking since becoming a USCAA Division I member in 2011.

Predator Mentality

La Verne currently holds a 3-3 record with losses in three of their previous four meetings. But the .500 Leopards will look to build on their positive start, coming off a 10-15 campaign last year and finishing with a losing record each season since 2010-11 (13-13).

Sophomore Hakim Arnold (13.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg) leads the Leopards in scoring while senior Josiah Sukumaran (5.7 ppg, 7.8 rpg) has been the team's most consistent presence on the glass.

La Verne Last Time Out

La Verne fell 62-59 to Transylvania on Thursday, December 18. Transylvania claimed their largest lead of the night, 56-45, following a made free-throw with 5:19 to go before the Leopards orchestrated a 14-3 run to bring themselves within one point with 15 seconds remaining. But La Verne was unable to complete the comeback, dropping a nailbiter at home.

La Verne sophomore Hakim Arnold led all scorers with 17 on 8-of-14 shooting. Senior Josiah Sukumaran had a near double-double with eight points and a game-high nine caroms while junior Weston Newell distributed a game-best seven helpers.

Top of the Food Chain

Chapman, members of the SCIAC alongside La Verne, are unbeaten at 7-0. The Panthers are firing on all cylinders, with all but one of their wins coming by double-digits. They've dominated opponents with a 22.3 average margin of victory. Last season, the 18-10 Panthers won their conference championship and appeared in the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Seniors Taylor Hamasaki (17.6) and Colin Zavrsnick (16.6) have been the Panthers' premier scoring options. Fellow senior Garrett James is the team's key distributor, dishing out a team-best 6.3 assists per contest.

Chapman Last Time Out

On Monday, December 22, Chapman cruised to a 81-58 road victory over La Sierra for their seventh consecutive win. The Panthers controlled the action from start to finish as senior Justin Young led all scorers with a 16-point effort. Seniors Taylor Hamasaki and Colin Zavrsnick contributed 15 apiece as five different Panthers reached double-digits in scoring.

With the triumph, Head Coach Mike Bokosky secured his 400th career victory at Chapman. Bokosky, now in his 24th  season with the school, is the Panthers' all-time men's basketball career wins leader and now holds a head coaching record of 400-173 (.698%).

Next Up for the Bears

After the two-game west coast swing, the Bears return home to meet Brooklyn College for a road contest on Thursday, January 8 at 5:00 p.m. Audio will be available at SJCBears.com.