Men's Basketball Faces Tall Test Tomorrow in Newark Against Division I NJIT

NEWARK, N.J.–The St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) men's basketball team will travel to Newark, N.J. for a meeting with Division I opponent New Jersey Institute of Technology on Wednesday, January 14 at 7 p.m.

Game Information

Opponent: NJIT (9-9)
Date/Time: Wednesday, January 14 • 7:00 p.m.
Location: Newark, N.J.
Arena: Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center
Coverage: Live stats | Video ($)

Quick Links

St. Joseph's: Roster | Schedule | Statistics | Misc. Stats
NJIT: Roster | Schedule | Statistics | Game Notes

Storylines

• The Bears (9-5) snapped a two-game skid on Saturday, January 10, leading wire-to-wire at the Hill Center in an 83-64 victory over USCAA rival Apprentice.
• Michael Megafu (19 pts, 11 rbs) and David Louison (12 pts, 15 rbs) paced the Bears with double-double performances on Saturday. St. Joseph's is now 5-1 when both bigs record a double-double.
• Megafu (16.9 ppg, 9.6 rpg) continues to display a highly efficient touch from the floor, averaging 61.4 percent shooting for the season and 70.0 percent (14-20) in his last two games.
• Louison (14.5 ppg, 11.5 rpg) now leads Division III with 11 double-doubles this season. His 51 career double-doubles leads active DIII players and ranks second across all three divisions. 
• Matt O'Neill contributed one of the best all-around efforts of his career against Apprentice, scoring 18 points, grabbing seven boards, dishing seven assists and picking up three steals. O'Neill sits second in the Division III rankings with a 3.4 steals per game average.
• In the latest USCAA Coaches Poll, the Bears remained in the Top 10 after receiving a No. 7 ranking.
• Following four consecutive wins, NJIT—the lone Division I independent—sits at an even 9-9 after sparring with some of college basketball's premier teams. The highlight of the Highlanders' season was a massive 72-70 upset over powerhouse Michigan in Ann Arbor. Michigan was ranked No. 17 at the time and the upset was a national story.
• The Highlanders come fresh off a victory over Yale on Friday night. Yale upset defending national champion UConn the night before the Highlanders' upset over Michigan.
• NJIT's other notable meetings include:
  • 11/14 (L) 77-58 @ St. John's
  • 11/24 (L) 62-57 @ Marquette
  • 12/23 (L) 92-67 @ No. 7 Villanova

Series History

NJIT holds an unblemished 3-0 record against St. Joseph's in the series history. The sides first clashed on November 16, 2009 in the Bears' first meeting in history against a Division I opponent.

Last Meeting

On December 12, 2011, NJIT downed the Bears 78-50 in Newark. St. Joseph's kept the Highlanders within reach in the first-half, trailing 32-25 after the intermission. But NJIT outscored the Bears 46-25 in the second to claim the lopsided victory. David Louison secured team-highs in points (10) and rebounds (7) in a losing effort.

The Bear Facts

The Bears (9-5) snapped a two-game skid on Saturday never trailing in an 83-64 triumph over fellow USCAA Top 20 school Apprentice. The Bears are now 2-0 at the brand new Hill Center.

Megafu (16.9 ppg, 9.6 rpg) continues to display a highly efficient touch from the floor, averaging 61.4 percent shooting for the season and 70.0 percent (14-20) in his last two games. David Louison ranks second on the team in scoring (14.5) and first in rebounding (11.5). The senior leads Division III with 11 double-doubles this season.

Matt O'Neill averaged 19.0 points in two games last week, raising his season average to 14.3 on 38.2 percent (34-89) from three. The junior guard is also averaging team-highs in assists (3.9) and steals (3.4). His 3.4 thefts per game are good for second in the Division III rankings.

Juniors Jamir Archer and Greg Beehler are each coming off career-best scoring performances against Apprentice. Archer scored 16 on 6-of-8 from the field and Beehler poured in 12 on 4-of-7 shooting from deep. Beehler has been providing a spark off the bench for the Bears, burying nine triples in his last three games.

Bears Last Time Out

St. Joseph's improved to 9-5 and snapped a two-game skid on Saturday night at the Hill Center, defeating USCAA foe Apprentice 83-64 as five different Bears reached double-digit scoring for the first time this season.

Matt O'Neill was all over the floor, filling the boxscore with 18 points, nine boards and a game-high seven dishes. Michael Megafu led all scorers with 19 on 7-of-10 shooting, including 11 rebounds, three steals and two assists. Along with Megafu, senior David Louison compiled a double-double with 12 points and 15 rebounds, his eleventh of the season. St. Joseph's is now 5-1 when both bigs record double-doubles.

Junior Jamir Archer reached a new career-high with 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting, including 11 in the first-half to propel the Bears in the early going. Fellow junior Greg Beehler set a new career mark as well after lighting it up from deep, going 4-for-5 from three for 12 points off the bench.

St. Joseph's never trailed in victory, draining seven three-pointers, shooting 43.5 percent from the floor, and holding Apprentice to 35.7 percent shooting. St. Joseph's was also highly active on the glass, corralling 50 rebounds and improving to 7-3 when outrebounding their opponents.

Louison Approaches Another Milestone

The active career leader in Division III in rebounds (1,038) and double-doubles (51), David Louison became the first Bear to gain membership into the 1,000-point, 1,000 rebound club five games ago against St. Joseph's (Long Island). The senior who averages 14.8 points per game for his career needs just 64 points to reach the 1,500-point scoring mark.

Bears Remain in USCAA Top 10

The Bears remained in the USCAA Top 10 after receiving a No. 7 ranking in the latest USCAA Coaches Poll. St. Joseph's made a strong case for a higher ranking following a dominant double-digit victory over No. 11 Apprentice on Saturday and will look to make another statement against the Division I Highlanders.

The Immortals

Following four consecutive wins, Division I NJIT sits at an even 9-9 after sparring with some of college basketball's premier teams.

The highlight of the Highlanders' season was a massive 72-70 upset over powerhouse Michigan in Ann Arbor. Michigan was ranked No.17 at the time and the upset was a national story. NJIT outscored Michigan 45-38 in the second-half. After moving ahead with 4:04 remaining, the Highlanders held on down the stretch to escape a hostile environment with the signature victory.

NJIT's other notable meetings this year include a 77-58 loss at St. John's, a 62-57 loss at Marquette, and a 92-67 loss at No. 7 Villanova.

The Highlanders finished with a losing record last season (13-16) following a 16-13 campaign in 2012-13, a year in which they were crowned Great West Conference champions. NJIT is helmed by Head Coach Jim Engles, who has steered the program in a positive direction following his 1-30 debut season in 2008-09.

Sophomore guard Damon Lynn has been the Highlanders' most consistent scorer, averaging 17.4 points and 3.3 assists. Junior guards Ky Howard (11.8 ppg) and Winfield Willis (10.3 ppg) contribute double-digit scoring alongside their sophomore teammate, with Howard pulling down a team-best 5.6 boards. Sophomore forward Tim Coleman (9.7 ppg) and 6 '8 senior forward Daquan Holiday (5.1 ppg) round out the starters for NJIT.

NJIT Last Time Out

NJIT (9-9) won their fourth in a row, improved to .500, and added another feather in their caps with a 78-71 triumph over Yale in Newark, N.J.  Yale's record currently sits at 11-6, including an upset victory over defending national champions UConn.  

Sophomores Damon Lynn and Tim Coleman led the NJIT scoring with 23 and 22 points respectively. Lynn, who played all 40 minutes, shot 5-for-9 on three-pointers and had a game-high five assists. Coleman shot 7-for-11 from floor, including 2-for-3 from long range. Senior Daquan Holiday added 12 points and a team-high two rejections.

With both teams failing to separate themselves in a back-and-forth contest, the Highlanders rose to the occasion down the stretch and outscored Yale 11-6 in the final 2:42 to secure another impressive victory.

Next Up for the Bears

The Bears will play their second HVIAC game of the season as they welcome Culinary Institute of America to the Hill Center on Saturday, January 17 for a 1 p.m. faceoff. Live stats and video (paid) will be available at SJCBears.com.