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Late Night Snacks: First Saturday of the season produces no upsets

Steve Masiello

Manhattan head coach Steve Masiello calls to his players during the first half of the 2013 MAAC Championship NCAA college basketball game against Iona in Springfield, Mass., Monday, March 11, 2013. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

AP

GAME OF THE DAY: Manhattan 99, La Salle 90 (2OT)

The Jaspers and Explorers played an outstanding game at Tom Gola Arena, with Manhattan coming back from four points down with 23 seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime. Guard George Beamon scored 24 points in his return to the court, and Mike Alvarado put together a solid all-around game (16 points, eight rebounds and six assists) to help push the Jaspers past La Salle.

THE OTHER GAME OF THE DAY: Dayton 81, IPFW 80

IPFW’s answer to the “foul or defend” question when up three in the final seconds was to foul, and it nearly worked. But they threw away the inbounds pass, leading to Jordan Sibert’s game-winning three pointer. Dyshawn Pierre was excellent for the Flyers, finishing with 24 points and eight rebounds.

IMPORTANT OUTCOMES:

1) No. 3 Louisville 70, College of Charleston 48: The Cardinals weren’t at their best, with the absence of both Chane Behanan (suspension) and Luke Hancock (Achilles) playing a role in that. With the eventual return of those key players and the continued development of Montrezl Harrell, Louisville will improve.

2) USC Upstate 64, Virginia Tech 63: All-Atlantic Sun forward Torrey Craig shot just 5-for-20 from the field but the Spartans still managed to win in Blacksburg in a result that wasn’t all that stunning. The Hokies shot 9-for-18 from the foul line.

3) Ohio 75, Northern Iowa 64: The Bobcats have some big holes to fill but their win over UNI is a good start. Junior college transfer Maurice Ndour led four starters in double figures with 20 points and five rebounds.

STARRED:

1) Richard Carter (Drake): In the Bulldogs’ 61-59 win at UIC, Carter “put the team on his back” to the tune of 38 points (12-for-17 FG, 12-for-12 FT), four steals and three rebounds.

2) F Marvin Dominique (Saint Peter’s): The Peacocks didn’t get the win in their game against LIU Brooklyn but Dominique was outstanding, finishing with 31 points (12-for-19 FG), 14 rebounds, three blocks and two steals.

3) Aaric Murray (Texas Southern): Murray is the most talented player in the SWAC, and if he’s focused the well-traveled big man can lead the Tigers to the NCAA tournament. Murray tallied 33 points, eight rebounds, five blocks and three assists in TSU’s 95-83 win over Norfolk State.

STRUGGLED:

1) Everyone involved with the Niagara/Seton Hall game: The Pirates won 83-72 with Sterling Gibbs scoring 23 points, but the issue was the inability to adjust to the new rules regarding contact. The teams struggled (73 total fouls) and so did the officials, resulting in a game that lacked rhythm.

2) Grambling State: The Tigers were (as expected) outclassed on Saturday, falling 96-58 at DePaul. Grambling State’s now lost 29 games in a row, and they visit Big East preseason favorite Marquette on Tuesday.

3) South Dakota: The Coyotes took one on the chin, falling at St. Bonaventure (68-46) and finishing with more turnovers (17) than made field goals (15).

NOTABLES


  • No. 15 Gonzaga made short work of Bryant in the season opener for both, winning 100-76. While Przemek Karnowki struggled with foul trouble Sam Dowe had no such issues, finishing with 21 points and 17 rebounds.
  • No. 23 New Mexico’s Craig Neal won his first game as head coach, as the Lobos coasted past Alabama A&M by a final score of 88-52. One of the standouts for the Lobos was forward Cameron Bairstow, who put up 22 points and 11 rebounds.
  • Ohio State’s balanced effort in their 89-50 win over Morgan State is something people should get used to seeing this year. Lenzelle Smith Jr. scored 18 to lead five Buckeyes in double figures, with Shannon Scott adding 16.
  • Cleanthony Early picked up where he left off last season, scoring a game-high 21 points in No. 16 Wichita State’s 93-50 win over Emporia State. Ron Baker (17 points) and Fred Van Vleet (12) also reached double figures for the Shockers.
  • USF scored 70 points or more in just five games last season, with only one of those occasions coming in the 2013 portion of the slate. The Bulls scored 72 on Saturday night, doing so without the services of injured point guard Anthony Collins.
  • Three starters scored at least 20 points for Loyola Marymount, which moved to 2-0 with a 98-89 win over South Dakota State. While Anthony Ireland (20 points, 12 assists) is a known commodity, keep an eye on newcomers Ben Dickinson (22 points; transfer from Binghamton) and Gabe Levin (20).
  • VMI handed Air Force their first-ever loss in the three-year history of the All Military Classic, beating the Falcons 71-63 with D.J. Covington (20 points, seven rebounds) and O.J. Peterson (19) leading the way.
  • First-year head coach Dedrique Taylor enjoyed quite the debut, as his Cal-State Fullerton squad won at Montana State by the final score of 84-55. Guard Alex Harris (20 points) led four starters in double figures.
  • Temple held off Penn 78-73 at the Palestra to move to 1-0 in Big 5 play, with Dalton Pepper accounting for 19 points and nine rebounds off the bench. Four Owls scored in double figures.
  • Players returning from season-ending injuries included Penn State’s Tim Frazier, Northwestern’s Drew Crawford and Cleveland State’s Anton Grady, who finished with 13 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks in the Vikings’ 73-69 comeback win over Iona.
  • Kameron Belin’s shot with four seconds remaining proved to be the difference as Youngstown State beat FIU 74-72 in overtime. Belin, who finished with 17 points, scored all nine of the Penguins’ points in the extra session.
  • Butler’s Brandon Miller picked up a win in his regular season head coaching debut, as the Bulldogs put together a very good second half performance on the way to an 89-58 win over Lamar.
  • One night after losing by 84 points at Utah, NAIA Division II school Evergreen State was back on the floor at Idaho State. The Geoducks put up a better fight against the Bengals, losing 99-62.

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