Men's Basketball, Winners of Four of Five, Host Valley Forge on Alumni Night This Saturday

BROOKLYN, N.Y.–As winners of four of their last five, the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) men's basketball team (13-7) will look to continue their strong play this Saturday, January 31 on Alumni Night, hosting The University of Valley Forge at 7 p.m. in the second game of a men's and women's doubleheader.

Game Information

Opponent: The University of Valley Forge (8-7)
Date/Time: Saturday, January 31 • 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
Valley Forge: Roster | Schedule | Statistics

Storylines

• The Bears improved to 13-7 on Wednesday night, rebounding from a tough loss last Saturday at Staten Island (92-87) to defeat Medgar Evers 88-71. After trailing 36-34 at the half, St. Joseph's came alive in the second to emphatically put away the Cougars.
• With the victory, the Bears remained undefeated at the Hill Center (6-0) and in home games (8-0).
• David Louison only needed the first-half against Medgar Evers to secure his fifteenth double-double of the year, corralling 12 rebounds before the break. The senior finished with 14 points and a game-high 17 boards. Michael Megafu led all scorers with 24. The junior also pulled down 12 boards for his tenth double-double of the season.
• The Bears are now 7-1 when both forwards contribute double-doubles and will look to repeat this effective formula on Alumni Night.
• St. Joseph's drained double-digit three-pointers on Wednesday for just the fourth time all season, finishing 12-of-25 (48%) from long range. Greg Beehler drained 4-of-7 from deep for a career-high 15 and Richard DiPuma sunk 3-of-4, contributing nine valuable points off the bench.
• The Bears have remained in the USCAA Top 10 all season, receiving a No. 7 ranking in the latest USCAA Division I Coaches Poll.
• Valley Forge, currently 8-7, is in the midst of a swingy season that has included a four-game winning streak, a five-game losing streak, and most recently a three-game winning streak.
• Like the Bears, the Patriots are victors in four of their previous five and will enter the Hill Center in cruise control looking to spoil the Alumni Night festivities.

Series History

The sides are even at one win apiece in the young series history dating back to the 2012-13 season. The Bears dropped the first matchup but drew even last year with an 82-76 win.

Last Meeting

On January 23, 2014, St. Joseph's edged out Valley Forge 82-76 in Pennsylvania. Michael Megafu dropped a game-high 20 on 9-of-13 shooting in addition to 12 rebounds for his 11th double-double on the year. David Louison added 18 points and eight boards.

Leading 45-38 after the intermission, the Bears opened the second-half with a 12-3 run to seize control of the game. St. Joseph's sunk 7-of-10 from the line in the final two minutes to lock up the road victory.

The Bear Facts

The Bears have won four of their last five and improved to 13-7 on Wednesday night, rebounding from a tough loss last Saturday at Staten Island (92-87) to defeat Medgar Evers 88-71. After trailing 36-34 at the half, St. Joseph's came alive in the second to emphatically put away the Cougars. Paced by double-doubles from David Louison and Michael Megafu, the Bears are now 7-1 when both forwards contribute double-doubles and will look to repeat this effective formula on Alumni Night.

With the victory, the Bears remained undefeated at the Hill Center (6-0) and in home games (8-0). With four of their remaining five regular season contests at the Hill Center, St. Joseph's is poised to close out the 2014-15 campaign strong. In the latest USCAA Division I Coaches Poll, the Bears stayed put in the Top 10 and received a No. 7 ranking.

Bears Probable Starters

• Alec Willis (G): The freshman has started all 20 games this season and is fourth on the Bears in scoring (8.2)
• Matt O'Neill (G): The versatile junior followed up a 25-point performance at Staten Island with a 10-assist night against Medgar Evers. O'Neill leads the team in assists (4.1) and steals (3.2) and is third in scoring (14.4).
• Greg Beehler (G): The junior if fresh off a career-high 15 points on 4-of-7 shooting from downtown on Wednesday. Beehler is averaging 9.0 points in his last three games.
• Michael Megafu (F): The junior (16.2 ppg, 9.8 rpg) is just shy of a double-double average and leads St. Joseph's in scoring. Megafu is averaging 24.5 points in his last two games.
• David Louison (F):  The only Bear averaging a double-double (15.6 ppg, 11.2 rpg) is scoring 21.5 points in his last four contests.

Bears Last Time Out

St. Joseph's rebounded from a sluggish start and came alive in the second-half, downing Medgar Evers 88-71 on Wednesday night to improve to 13-7.

Michael Megafu led all scorers with 24 on 10-of-18 from the floor. The junior pulled down 12 boards for his tenth double-double of the season. David Louison only needed the first-half to secure his fifteenth double-double of the year, corralling 12 rebounds before the break. The senior finished with 14 points and a game-high 17 boards.

Matt O'Neill tallied ten helpers after distributing the rock all night and Greg Beehler lit it up from beyond the arc, finishing with a personal-best 15 points on 4-of-7 shooting from deep.

The Bears entered the intermission trailing 36-34 but enforced their will in the second, feeding Louison and Megafu under the rim and sinking timely threes to grasp control. They opened the half with a 21-9 run and never looked back, remaining undefeated at the Hill Center (6-0).

USCAA Top 10

The Bears have remained in the USCAA Division I Top 10 all season, receiving a No. 7 ranking in the latest Coaches Poll.

Patriot Games

Coming off eight consecutive winning seasons, Valley Forge is a team accustomed to success. Currently 8-7, the Patriots are in the midst of a swingy season that has included a four-game winning streak, a five-game losing streak, and most recently a three-game winning streak. Like the Bears, the Patriots are victors in four of their previous five and will enter the Hill Center in cruise control looking to spoil the Alumni Night festivities.

Senior guard Kevin Mack is UVF's go-to scorer, averaging a team-high 16.7 points to go along with 4.8 boards and 3.9 helpers. Freshman Joseph Taylor and senior Jean LeBlanc provide more strong guard play for the Patriots, averaging 12.8 and 12.6 points respectively.

Valley Forge Last Time Out

On January 23, UVF controlled fellow HVIAC-member Vaughn College for a 94-73 triumph in Pennsylvania. Vaughn remained within striking distance after the first-half (48-41), but Valley Forge outscored the Warriors 46-32 in the second for an emphatic win. Five Patriots reached double-figures. Senior Kevin Mack led all scorers with 17 and narrowly missed out on a double-double, corralling nine boards.

Just two days prior to this, on January 21, the Bears downed Vaughn 96-75 at the Hill Center by the same margin of victory (21).

Next Up for the Bears

St. Joseph's will have a full week of rest before welcoming King's College (N.Y.) to the Hill Center for a conference clash on Saturday, February 7 at 5 p.m. Live stats and video will be available at SJCBears.com.