Men's Basketball Puts Three-Game Streak On The Line With Road Test at Staten Island

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.– The St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) men's basketball team will seek to match a season-high four consecutive victories following three straight at the Hill Center, travelling to meet The College of Staten Island on Saturday, January 24 at 1 p.m.

Game Information

Opponent: The College of Staten Island (12-5, 7-2 CUNYAC)
Date/Time: Saturday, January 24 • 1:00 p.m.
Location: Staten Island, N.Y.
Arena: CSI Sports and Recreation Center
Coverage:  Video

Quick Links

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

Storylines

• The Bears improved to 12-6 on Wednesday night, remaining undefeated in HVIAC-play (3-0) and at the Hill Center (5-0) with a 96-75 victory over Vaughn.
• David Louison dropped a career-best 33 points, including his 1,500th career point after sinking one of his career-high 15 free-throws, becoming the first Bear to join the 1,500-point, 1,000-rebound club. The senior also grabbed 10 rebounds for his 14th double-double this year.
• Michael Megafu tallied his eighth double-double of the season on Wednesday, scoring 10 points and corralling a game-high 16 boards.
• The Bears are now 6-1 when both forwards record double-doubles. Louison (15.4 ppg, 11.0 rpg) leads the team in scoring and rebounding, with Megafu (15.3 ppg, 9.3 rpg) close behind in each category.
• St. Joseph's made a living at the free-throw line against Vaughn, sinking a season-high 26-of-36 for a 72.2 percent connect-rate, up significantly from their season average of 63.2.
• Something will have to give on Saturday when Staten Island's five-game winning streak collides with the Bears' three-game streak.
• The Dolphins will enter the contest holding a 12-5 record, including a 78-74 triumph over Brooklyn College and a 72-59 win over York College, both former St. Joseph's opponents this year. The Bears fell 85-79 at Brooklyn but edged out York 72-69.

Series History

Staten Island holds a 10-2 edge in the series dating back to 2002. St. Joseph's last victory came on February 15, 2011, with the Bears edging out the Dolphins 103-102 in a late-season offensive battle.

Last Meeting

St. Joseph's ran into a buzzsaw on February 6, 2014, falling 95-73 to the Dolphins at Brooklyn Technical High School. The Bears saw their season-high five-game winning streak come to an end while Staten Island improved to 19-2 and extended their winning streak to an impressive 18 games.

David Louison secured his fourth straight double-double with a team-high 21 points and game-high 10 rebounds, shooting an efficient 8-of-16 from the field. Michael Megafu fell one rebound shy of his own double-double, finishing with 17 points and nine rebounds on 8-of-13 shooting.

The Bear Facts

St. Joseph's improved to 12-6 on Wednesday night and extended their winning streak to three, controlling Vaughn 96-75. On Saturday afternoon, Staten Island's five-game winning streak will clash with the Bears' three-game streak.

St. Joseph's will be seeking their first victory over the Dolphins since 2011 but the zoned-in Bears have won four of their last five in a stretch spanning twelve days, with their only loss coming to Division I NJIT in New Jersey.

Bears Probable Starters

• Alec Willis (G): The freshman is getting stronger as the season progresses. In his last four games, Willis is averaging 14.3 points and 4.0 threes per contest.
• Matt O'Neill (G): The junior consistently fills up the box score, averaging 14.3 points and team highs in assists (3.9) and steals (3.3).
• Jamir Archer (F): In his last three games, the junior is averaging 9.3 points on 73.3 percent (11-15) from the field. Archer is shooting a highly efficient 53.4 percent on the season.
• Michael Megafu (F): The junior (15.3 ppg, 9.3 rpg) is flirting with a double-double average and tallied his eighth double-double of the season on Wednesday.
• David Louison (F): The senior is coming off a career performance, pouring in a personal-best 33 points, including his 1,500th career point after sinking one of his career-high 15 free-throws, becoming the first Bear to join the 1,500-point, 1,000-rebound club. Louison (15.4 ppg, 11.0 rpg) leads the team in scoring and rebounding.

Bears Last Time Out

Led by David Louison's career-high 33 points, the Bears won a physical battle 96-75 over conference rival Vaughn to improve to 12-6, remaining undefeated in conference-play (3-0).

Louison secured his 1,500^th career point en route to his career-best 33. The senior also grabbed 10 rebounds for his 14th double-double this year. Fellow forward Michael Megafu scored 10 points and corralled a game-high 16 boards. The Bears improved to 6-1 when both forwards record double-doubles. Jamir Archer matched his second-highest offensive output of the season, finishing with 13 on 4-of-5 shooting to go along with six rebounds.

Falling just short of the century mark, an efficient Bears offense shot 50.8 percent from the floor, 42.9 percent from deep and converted on a season-high 26-of-36 free-throws for a 72.2 percent connect-rate, up significantly from their season average of 63.2.

St. Joseph's remained undefeated at the Hill Center (5-0) as they continue to build a formidable homecourt advantage in their new home.

Louison Reaches 1,500 Career Points

David Louison had a career-night on Wednesday against Vaughn, reaching the 1,500 career-point milestone in addition to pouring in personal bests in points (33) and free-throws made (15). The senior became the first Bear to join the 1,500-point, 1,000-rebound club.

Louison (1,511) is one of just seven active Division III players with at least 1,500 points.

Flipper Facts

Staten Island will enter Saturday holding a 12-5 record and a five-game winning streak. They are 11-3 since starting the season 1-2. The resilient Dolphins have yet to drop two in a row, responding positively to every loss. Their wins include a 78-74 triumph over Brooklyn College and a 72-59 victory over York College, both former St. Joseph's opponents this season. The Bears fell 85-79 at Brooklyn but edged out York 72-69.

The Dolphins are led by junior forward Will Fonseca, who ranks third in Division III in scoring (24.9) and rebounding (12.5). Sophomore guard Frank Schettino consistently feeds his teammates with a 7.5 assist per game average, placing him second in the DIII rankings. Schettino also provides additional offense with 16.6 points per contest.

Staten Island Last Time Out

On Wednesday, Staten Island won their fifth in a row and seventh of their last eight with a 77-68 conference triumph over CUNYAC-rival Hunter College. The Dolphins controlled the latter stages of the first-half, entering the intermission up 39-26. CSI finished strong, leading the entire second-half and improving to 7-2 in conference-play with the victory.

Junior Will Fonseca led all scorers with 29 on 12-of-16 shooting, adding 10 rebounds for the double-double.

Next Up for the Bears

The Bears will return home for the first of five straight at the Hill Center, hosting Medgar Evers on Wednesday, January 28 at 5:30 p.m. Live stats and video will be available at SJCBears.com.