Men's and Women's Basketball Rank Well Among NCAA Statistical Leaders
Men's Basketball Ranking Summary
Women's Basketball Ranking Summary
BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The NCAA Division III statistics report released Monday has both the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) men's and women's basketball teams well represented in the top 50 in many different statistics.
The Lady Bears (15-11) sit atop 431 Division III schools in field goal percentage defense, their defense forcing an opponent-low field goal percentage of 29.9 percent. Should that statistic hold, it would be the first NCAA team statistical championship earned by any St. Joseph's team in any sport. St. Joseph's protecs the rim tremendously as well, ranking No. 2 in blocks, swatting away 7.0 shots per game. On the offensive end, the Lady Bears rank No. 44 in assists, dishing out 16.0 per game.
Leading the individual rankings for the Lady Bears is junior Taylor Raccuglia (Brooklyn, N.Y./Bishop Kearney), who ranks No. 26 in blocks with 2.52 per game. Right by her side in the rankings is junior Samantha Retas (Brooklyn, N.Y./Bishop Kearney) who is No. 33 in blocked shots rejecting 2.38 shots per night. The forward also has rebounded the ball well this season ranking No. 48 in Division III with 10.7 boards per game.
The Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (HVIAC) champion Bears (18-9) are led in the latest rankings by sophomore Michael Megafu (Brooklyn, N.Y./Nazareth Regional) who is currently No. 3 in Division III with 17 double-doubles on the year. The forward also ranks No. 5 in total rebounds with 283 on the year and carries a 10.5 rebound per game average, which is No. 29 in the country.
Megafu is joined by his junior partner in the frontcourt David Louison (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) who holds several rankings in the NCAA Division III top 50, including field goals made where he is ranked No. 2 with 210 baskets made and is No. 6 in Division III with 16 double-doubles
Both Megafu and Louison also rank highly among the NCAA Division III active career leaders, Megafu ranking No. 5 in career rebounding average (10.8 rpg) followed by Louison at No. 6 (10.6 rpg). Louison also ranks No. 3 in career double-doubles (40) and No. 7 in career rebounds (877 through 83 games). Megafu is not far behind with 30 career double-doubles, which ranks No. 12 in Division III.
Junior Vernon Maddox (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Peter's) is also recognized in the latest rankings for the Bears with his 125 total assists ranking him No. 20 in Division III in 2013-14. Fellow backcourt teammate Matt O'Neill (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) ranks No. 6 with 69 total steals.
St. Joseph's closes out the season to be among the nation's leaders in field goal percentage defense, holding opponents to 40.1 percent shooting, good for No. 14 in the nation. The team have taken care of the ball all year and now rank No. 13 in Division III with a 5.0 turnover margin. The Bears are also ranked No. 13 in total steals with 247, No. 3 in total rebounds with 1,108 and No. 23 in total blocks with 115.