Men's Basketball Set to Host Apprentice in USCAA Top 20 Clash

BROOKLYN, N.Y.–The St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) men's basketball team returns to the brand new Hill Center looking to snap a two-game skid, hosting fellow USCAA Top 20 school Apprentice on Saturday, January 10 at 6 p.m. 

Game Information

Opponent: Apprentice (5-7)
Date/Time: Saturday, January 10 • 6:00 p.m.
Location: Brooklyn, N.Y.
Arena: Hill Center
Coverage: Live stats | Video | Game Program
Play-by-Play: Sitesh Shah (@sswfan)

Quick Links

St. Joseph's: Roster | Schedule | Statistics | Misc. Stats
Apprentice: Roster | Schedule | Statistics

Storylines

• The Bears (8-5) will look to snap a two-game skid on Saturday after falling 75-68 in overtime to Chapman on December 30 and suffering another close defeat (85-79) to Brooklyn College on Thursday.
• This is St. Joseph's second two-game losing streak of the season. The Bears responded by rattling off three straight victories following their first skid in early December.
• The Bears remained in the USCAA Top 10 after receiving a No. 7 ranking in the latest USCAA Coaches Poll. Apprentice dropped one spot just outside of the Top 10, receiving a No. 11 ranking.
• Michael Megafu is leading St. Joseph's in scoring (16.7) and shooting (60.7%). The junior is coming off a dynamic 18-point, 7-rebound, 7- assist performance against Brooklyn College on Thursday.
• David Louison (14.7 ppg, 11.2 rpg) is the only Bear averaging a double-double and has been the team's most consistent presence on the glass. The senior has managed a double-double in ten out of thirteen games this season.
• Apprentice will enter Saturday holding a 5-7 record. The Builders shot out of the gate this season with a perfect 3-0 start but proceeded to drop their next four contests. In their last meeting on December 21, Apprentice was downed 98-90 by HVIAC-member Berkeley.
• Johnnie Ferebee's 18.0 points per game leads the Builders. The senior is also dishing out a team-best 5.2 assists. Junior teammate Jay Melendez is the squad's second scoring option with a 16.3 points per game average.

Series History

St. Joseph's and Apprentice have split their two previous meetings. The Bears triumphed 64-61 in the first meeting dating back to November 30, 2012 in a battle between two eventual USCAA Tournament contenders. The win helped propel the Bears to a tournament bid in the 2012-13 season.

Last season, on December 1, 2013, the Builders evened the score with a 62-56 victory.

Last Meeting

On December 1, 2013, the Bears fell 62-56 to Apprentice in Virginia. St. Joseph's held a 22-18 halftime advantage but struggled the rest of the way, going without a field goal for the final 4:02 and hitting just three field goals in the final nine minutes of play. Apprentice outscored the Bears 44-34 in the second-half to claim the victory.

David Louison paced the Bears with a game-high 18 points paired with 11 rebounds and Michael Megafu scored 12 points and secured 10 caroms. Matt O'Neill chipped in 16 points helped by four three-pointers.

The Bear Facts

The 8-5 Bears will look to snap a two-game skid on Saturday after falling 75-68 in overtime to Chapman on December 30 and suffering another close defeat (85-79) to Brooklyn College on Thursday. Following their previous two-game losing streak in early December, the Bears responded by rattling off three straight victories. After a two-game California trip and a road contest in Brooklyn, this will be the Bears' first home game since the Hill Center Grand Opening on December 18.

The forward tandem of David Louison and Michael Megafu has paced the Bears, recording a combined 16 double-doubles this season. Megafu has recorded six and is leading St. Joseph's in scoring (16.7) and shooting (60.7%). Fellow big David Louison has been the Bears' premier presence on the glass, pulling down 11.2 rebounds per game while averaging 14.7 points. The senior has finished with a double-double in ten out of thirteen games this season.

Matt O'Neill (14.0 ppg) has sunk seven three-pointers in his last two games. The junior is shooting an efficient 39.8 percent (33-83) from long range, burying 2.5 threes per contest. O'Neill is also the Bears' key distributor, averaging a team-best 3.6 dishes.

Bears Last Time Out

St. Joseph's surged late but ultimately fell 85-79 to borough rival Brooklyn College on Thursday night at the West Quad Center.

Matt O'Neill reached the 20-point plateau for the third time this season, raining in a team-high 20 on four made trifectas. The junior has now converted on 33 triples this season. Michael Megafu filled the stat sheet with a dynamic all-around effort, recording 18 points on 7-for-10 shooting in addition to team highs in rebounds (7), assists (7) and steals (3). The junior also drained a season-high two three-pointers. Sophomore Richard DiPuma set a new career mark, chipping in 11 points off the bench thanks to a 3-of-5 performance from long range.

In the waning minutes, the Bulldogs orchestrated a 10-3 run in a five-minute span to claim a comfortable 82-71 lead with just 1:06 on the clock. As per usual, the Bears refused to go quietly as Greg Beehler's triple with 28 seconds left made it a two-possession game (83-78). But the late surge would fall short and the Bears suffered their second consecutive close defeat.

Building Blocks

Apprentice rattled off three consecutive victories to start the season but proceeded to drop their next four contests. They dropped their last meeting against HVIAC-members Berkeley 98-90 on December 21, falling to 5-7 on the season.

The Builders are coming off three straight winning seasons. In 2013-14, the team finished 16-10 and received a bid into the USCAA National Tournament where they triumphed in their quarterfinal meeting but fell 73-59 in the semifinal to Tennessee Temple. The Builders were crowned USCAA Tournament Champions in 2002 and 2003 and have received seven USCAA Tournament bids in their history.

Johnnie Ferebee's 18.0 points per game leads Apprentice this season. The senior is also dishing out a team-best 5.2 assists. Junior Jay Melendez is the squad's second scoring option with a 16.3 points per game average. Senior Jamal Curry (11.5 ppg, 9.3 rpg) leads the team in rebounding and rounds out three players averaging double figure scoring.

Apprentice Last Time Out

Apprentice (5-7) will see their first game action since December 21, when they fell 98-90 to Berkeley.

Senior Jamal Curry had team-highs in points (17), rebounds (12) and blocked shots (5). Senior Tony Walton matched Curry with a team-high 17 on a perfect 6-for-6 performance from the floor. Sophomore Dante Johnson had a career-high 13 points off the bench while junior Jay Melendez chipped in with 12.

It was a tale of two halves as Apprentice entered the lockers holding a comfortable 56-38 advantage but were almost doubled-up in the second (60-34), ultimately letting victory slip away.

Next Up for the Bears

The Bears will gear up for another formidable test, facing Division I members NJIT on Wednesday, January 14 at 7 p.m. in Newark, N.J. Live stats and video will be available at SJCBears.com.