O'Neill Posts First Triple-Double Leading Men's Basketball Past Maritime on Senior Night

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Senior Matt O'Neill (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) dazzled with the first recorded triple-double in program history on Senior Night at The Hill Center as the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) men's basketball team breezed to a 75-60 triumph over Maritime (N.Y.) in their regular season finale, finishing their inaugural regular season in the Skyline Confernece at 10-10.

The Basics

• Final Score: St. Joseph's 75, Maritime (N.Y.) 60
• Records: St. Joseph's (13-12, 10-10 Skyline), Maritime (N.Y.) (7-17, 7-12 Skyline)
• Date: February 17, 2016
• Location: Brooklyn, N.Y.
• Arena: The Hill Center
• Starters:
  • St. Joseph's: Parr (G), O'Neill (G), Murray (G), Archer (F), Megafu (F)
  • Maritime (N.Y.): Hoch (G), Halligan (G), Liccese (G), Hayes (F), MacDonald (C)

Turning Point

• Leading 48-46 with 14:46 remaining, the Bears unleashed a 19-3 run powered by three triples from Michael Megafu to put the game out of reach.

How it Happened

• The Bears asserted early control with an 11-0 run that gave them their first double-digit advantage, 23-13, at the 11:31 mark of the first half.
• The Privateers righted the ship to keep St. Joseph's within firing distance, cutting the deficit to 29-27 by the 5:47 mark.
• Alec Willis nailed a three-pointer with 1:03 remaining in the half to send the Bears into the intermission nursing a 40-36 lead.
• With 12:50 on the clock, Michael Megafu showed off his range with a triple that moved St. Joseph's back up double-digits, 58-48, as the Bears again began to assert themselves.
• A short time later, nine unanswered highlighted by another Megafu three-pointer had swelled the lead to 67-49 with 9:53 left to play.
• The Privateers would be unable to draw closer than 11 the rest of the way as St. Joseph's coasted to victory.

For the Bears

• Matt O'Neill was all over the floor with a dynamic 15-point, 12-assist, 10-rebound double-double, the first of his career. The 12 dishes ties the school record and is the second time this season O'Neill has reached the mark. The senior was also active on the defensive end with a game-high six steals.
• Michael Megafu led all scorers with 18, tying a career-high with three triples. The senior also secured five boards and swiped three steals.
• Senior Jamir Archer shot 8-of-14 from the floor en route to 17 points. The forward corralled seven rebounds as well.
• Alec Willis chipped in nine points, shooting 3-for-4 from three-point land.
• Seniors Michael Murray and Nolan Parr contributed seven and five points, respectively.

For the Privateers

• Patrick MacDonald led the visitors with a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double effort.
• Isaiah Hayes chipped in 10 points and eight rebounds, while Michael Walker netted 10 more off the bench.

Inside the Box Score

• St. Joseph's buckled down on defense, surrendering a season-low 60 points. The Bears took advantage of a significant turnover discrepancy, committing 14 while forcing 27. Matt O'Neill hounded the opposing offense with six steals while Michael Megafu swiped three.
• The Privateers finished at 37.7 percent (20-53) shooting from the floor, while St. Joseph's was slightly better at 39.1 percent (27-69). The Bears were almost perfect from the line, sinking 12-of-13 attempts.
• Led by O'Neill's 12 helpers, the Bears compiled a 19-9 assist advantage.

The Bear Facts

• St. Joseph's completes the regular season campaign at 13-12 overall and 10-10 in the Skyline Conference.
• The Bears sweep this year's home-and-away series against Maritime and improve to 5-2 in the all-time series.

Next Up for St. Joseph's

• With Purchase's victory over Mount Saint Mary tonight, the Bears will need two losses from St. Joseph's (Long Island) to earn the sixth-and-final spot in the Skyline Conference Tournament beginning on Tuesday, February 23. The Golden Eagles are scheduled to play at Yeshiva on Thursday and home against Mount Saint Mary on Saturday.