Men's Basketball, Fresh Off 36-Point Victory, Welcomes York (N.Y.) on Monday

BROOKLYN, N.Y.–The St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) men's basketball team will continue their three-game homestand on Monday, January 19, playing host to York (N.Y.) at 7 p.m. on Martin Luther King Day.

Game Information

Opponent: York (N.Y.) (9-7, 4-4 CUNYAC)
Date/Time: Monday, January 19 • 7:00 p.m.
Location: Brooklyn, N.Y.
Arena: The Hill Center • Frank P. Carbone Court
Coverage: Live stats | Video | Game Program

Quick Links

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

Storylines

• On Saturday afternoon, the Bears improved to 10-6 and 2-0 in HVIAC-play, cruising to a 100-64 victory over Culinary Institute of America as twelve different Bears got on the scoreboard en route to the team's largest margin of victory and highest offensive output of the season.
• David Louison led the way with his twelfth double-double this year (13pts, 10rbs) as all five Bears starters reached double-digit scoring.
• Alec Willis stayed hot from three on Saturday, connecting four more times from deep en route to 12 points. The freshman has 29 points and nine three-pointers in his last two games.
• Michael Megafu (15.9 ppg, 9.0 rpg) continues to lead the Bears in scoring. The junior sits comfortably atop the HVIAC with a blistering hot 60.2 shooting percentage.
• Matt O'Neill is the Bears' second leading scorer (14.7 ppg) and the crafty junior guard ranks second in Division III with a 3.4 steals per game average.
• St. Joseph's, now 3-0 at the Hill Center, is building a formidable homecourt advantage in their brand new home.
• York will enter Monday holding a 9-7 record after dropping their previous two contests. Senior guard Omar St. John is the Cardinals' primary scoring option, averaging 18.8 points per contest.

Series History

St. Joseph's is searching for their first victory against York in the teams' brief history. The Cardinals hold a 3-0 record in the series dating back to November 29, 2011.

Last Meeting

On January 24, 2014, York used a powerful second-half surge to claim an 86-67 victory over the Bears in Jamaica, N.Y. The Bears dropped to 9-8 and had their two-game winning streak snapped with the loss.

The sides traded leads eight times in the opening half, with the Cardinals entering the intermission up 31-28. York scored the first six points of the new period and didn't let up, outscoring St. Joseph's 55-39 in the second-half to seal the victory.

David Louison recorded his eighth double-double of the season with a game-high 28 points and secured 11 caroms. Matt O'Neill added 16 points, draining four from long distance.

The Bear Facts

The Bears improved to 10-6 on Saturday afternoon with a lopsided 100-64 conference victory over Culinary Institute of America as twelve different Bears got on the scoreboard en route to the team's highest offensive output of the season. St. Joseph's, now 3-0 at the Hill Center, is building a formidable homecourt advantage in their brand new home.

Reliable forward David Louison ranks second in all of Division III with twelve double-doubles this season. The senior also sits 12^th in the DIII rankings with a team-high 11.1 rebounds per game. Junior forward Michael Megafu (15.9 ppg, 9.0 rpg) continues to lead the Bears in scoring. The junior sits comfortably atop the HVIAC with a blistering hot 60.2 shooting percentage.

Alec Willis stayed hot from three on Saturday, connecting four more times from deep en route to 12 points. The freshman has 29 points and nine three-pointers in his last two games, raising his season average to 7.4 points per game. Fellow guard Matt O'Neill is the Bears' second leading scorer (14.7 ppg) and the crafty junior guard ranks second in Division III with 3.4 steals per game average.

St. Joseph's received contributions from top-to-bottom against Culinary on Saturday, finishing with a massive 40-15 advantage in bench points. Sophomore Richard DiPuma and junior Carlos Mayorga led the bench explosion with 10 points apiece while sophomore Francisco Escobedo chipped in nine.

Bears Last Time Out

St. Joseph's (10-6) improved to 2-0 in HVIAC-play on Saturday at the Hill Center, cruising to a 100-64 victory over Culinary.

David Louison led the way with his twelfth double-double this year, finishing with 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting and 10 boards in just 18 minutes of play. Michael Megafu also scored 13 on top of four rebounds and a team-high seven dishes.

Alec Willis stayed hot following Wednesday's career-best performance from the three-point line, connecting four more times from deep en route to 12 points.

The Bears entered the lockers up 53-34, their largest halftime lead of the season. The second-half was no different as St. Joseph's continued to distance themselves from Culinary. Twelve different Bears got on the scoreboard on Saturday en route to the lopsided win.

Reaching The Century Mark

The Bears' 100-64 victory over Culinary on Saturday marked the first time St. Joseph's has reached the century mark since a 114-61 triumph over King's (N.Y.) on January 21, 2013. En route to their season-high offensive output, all five starters for St. Joseph's reached double-digit scoring for the first time since a USCAA Nationals matchup against Lindenwood-Belleville on February 28, 2013.

Cardinal Watch

The Cardinals boasted a 22-8 record last season and wreaked havoc on their conference, finishing 13-3 en route to the CUNYAC Championship. York also made an appearance in the Division III Tournament, ultimately falling in the second round to No. 7 Amherst College.

York began their 2014-15 campaign looking to repeat last season's success. But the Cardinals have met some adversity this month after dropping four out of five in 2015, including an 83-71 loss to No. 5 Dickson College on January 3 and a 75-63 defeat at the hands of St. Joseph's rival Brooklyn College three days later.

The 9-7 Cardinals will enter the Hill Center eager to snap their two-game losing streak. An experienced York roster consists of seven seniors. Starters Omar St. John (18.8 ppg), Cyril Reid (11.5) and Jaron Williams (11.4) provide a majority of the Cardinals' offense. Williams also leads the team in rebounding, corralling 10.4 boards per game.

Cardinals Last Time Out

York dropped to 9-7 and 4-4 in CUNYAC play, falling 69-60 to John Jay College on Friday. The Cardinals shot just 35.0 percent from the field and 16.7 percent from three-point range. They were also outrebounded 42-31, resulting in 12 second-chance points for John Jay.

John Jay closed the first-half with six unanswered points to move up seven at halftime (39-32). They carried that momentum into the second-half, netting seven straight out of the gate to go up 14 (46-32). York was forced to play catch-up the rest of the night and failed to dig themselves out of the hole.

Senior Jaron Williams led the way for York in a losing effort, securing a double-double with team-highs in points (16) and rebounds (10).

Next Up for the Bears

The Bears will finish off a three-game stretch at the Hill Center, welcoming Vaughn for a conference faceoff on Wednesday, January 21 at 8 p.m. to cap off a men's and women's doubleheader. Live stats and video will be available at SJCBears.com.