Hustle Belt - 2015-16 MAC Men's Basketball: Week 2MAC Football, MAC Basketball, MAC Recruiting, MAC Baseball and all of the other #MACtion hijinks in between - hustlebeltblog@gmail.comhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50387/hustle-fav.png2015-11-22T21:38:33-05:00http://www.hustlebelt.com/rss/stream/95117172015-11-22T21:38:33-05:002015-11-22T21:38:33-05:00RedHawks win a wire to wire battle improve to 3-2
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<p>The RedHawks move to 3-2 on the young season</p> <p>Although the season is still in its early stages, the Miami RedHawks have impressed. With a non-conference schedule that boasts Xavier, Central Florida, Dayton and Lipscomb there are a lot of above average teams and potential tournament teams on the horizon that will provide good opportunities for the RedHawks to show what type of team they are.</p>
<p>Northeastern, Miami's opponent on Sunday, came into the contest 4-0 and ranked 107th per Ken Pom. The RedHawks didn't seem to let that scare them, forcing eleven second-half turnovers and erasing a ten-point halftime deficit to take down the previously undefeated Huskies 67-61.</p>
<p>The first half was dominated by Northeastern through the first 15 minutes, but the RedHawks never went away and closed the gap to three points at halftime. Once the teams returned to the court the teams traded baskets for a four minute stretch, but Northeastern pushed the lead to nine with 12 minutes to go. After the under-12 media timeout, the RedHawks made their next five shots on a 14-3 run that gave them their second lead of the game. Miami continued to play great basketball as they closed the game on 34-19 run from the 12-minute mark to finish off the Huskies.</p>
<p>The scoring was balanced for the RedHawks as <span>Geovonie McKnight</span> and <span>Eric Washington</span> each chipped in 17 points. The team had nine assists on 22 made field goals, which is something that Miami should look to improve on going forward. The RedHawks did shoot really well, hitting 47 percent of their field goal attempts while allowing the Huskies to shoot just 39 percent.</p>
<p>The main advantage for Northeastern was the rebounding battle in which they won 33-27. Senior <span>David Walker</span> continued to impress for the Huskies as he had himself another 20+ point effort with 21 points and eight rebounds. Walker is the heart and soul of the Huskies as the senior has shown he can not only score and rebound but play adequate defense and get his teammates involved.</p>
<p>The RedHawks look to improve their home record to 5-1 over their next two games against IPFW and Central Florida. Those games will be played on Tuesday and Saturday, respectively.</p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/mac-basketball/2015/11/22/9780482/miami-ohio-northeastern-basketball-recapRob Willer2015-11-22T21:08:51-05:002015-11-22T21:08:51-05:00Ball State improves to 3-2 with win over SC State
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<p>Ball State pulls away late to move to 3-2 on the season. </p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/ball-st-cardinals">Ball State Cardinals</a> are only five games into their non-conference schedule and they're already almost halfway to last year's win total. James Whitford's crew took out South Carolina State 72-60 on Sunday for their second straight win on the season and third overall.</p>
<p><span>Bo Calhoun</span> led the way for Cardinals, scoring 16 points while shooting 5 for 8 from the field (63 percent). Calhoun not only showed us he can score but also chipped in a career-high 13 rebounds to register his second double-double for the year. The senior has had an impressive season thus far averaging nine points and 8.5 rebounds per game. This season so far resembles his junior season where he shot 52 percent while averaging ten points and six rebounds per game.</p>
<p>Not to over shadow Calhoun's performance, but this was a complete team effort with four double-digit scorers. <span>Ryan Weber</span> (10), <span>Sean Sellers</span> (12) and <span>Franko House</span> (18) combined to shoot 13 for 27 which powered the Cardinals to the victory.</p>
<p>The game had a mix of runs throughout the contest as the Cardinals broke out to an early 7-0 start on three made field goals. The lead reached nine before the Bulldogs went on a 11-2 run to tie the game at 19-all at the 14:13 mark of the first half. Sellers and House combined for the next 13 points with <span>Naiel Smith</span> making a jumper right before the buzzer to get the Cardinals a six point halftime lead.</p>
<p>The game hit a pivotal point in the second half with four minutes left as the game reached it's closest point with the Cardinals and Bulldogs tied at 54. The Cardinals then went on a 18-6 run to close the game and achieve their third victory on the young season. <span>Jeremiah Davis</span> contributed six points in that final four-minute stretch including some clutch free throws to pad the lead with time running out.</p>
<p>The Bulldogs had five double digit scores to pace their attack but it wasn't enough as the rest of the team only contributed seven points. <span>Gabe McCray</span> had the most complete game, chipping in 11 points, six rebounds and only one turnover in a very efficient game.</p>
<p>The Cardinals now return home to face IU Kokomo (0-3) and Valparaiso (5-1) this week on Wednesday and Saturday, respectively.</p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/mac-basketball/2015/11/22/9780198/ball-state-south-carolina-state-basketball-recapRob Willer2015-11-22T20:00:02-05:002015-11-22T20:00:02-05:00Alcegaire Leads BGSU to Win Over Youngstown State
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<p>BGSU recovered nicely from a disappointing loss to North Dakota with a win over the Penguins. A balanced scoring effort led five Falcons to score in double figures.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/bowling-green-falcons">Bowling Green Falcons</a> arrived at the 2015-16 season with several new players and a new head coach. It was likely inevitable that consistency would be an issue, particularly early. The season's first week has provided a start lesson on just how volatile that inconsistency can be.</p>
<p>BGSU convincingly won their season opener by 18, then played shot-for-shot for a half with Cincinnati. However, the Falcons were outscored by 29 in the second half against the Bearcats. They followed that with an 18 point loss to <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/north-dakota-fighting-sioux">North Dakota</a>.</p>
<p>Today, the ball bounced back the other way. BGSU led for all but the first 3:22 of the game and defeated the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/youngstown-st-penguins">Youngstown State Penguins</a> 79-72 in Fort Myers, Fla. at the Hilton Garden Inn FGCU Classic.</p>
<p>YSU's Francisco Santiago sank a pair of three-pointers in the first two minutes of the game, as the Penguins jumped out to a quick 8-2 lead. Bowling Green answered with a series of their own treys. <span>David Joseph</span>, <span>Spencer Parker</span> and <span>Wes Alcegaire</span> combined to go 3-for-3 from behind the arc on consecutive possessions to give BGSU an 11-8 lead that they would never relinquish.</p>
<p>The Penguins were able to stay within one or two possessions until late in the first half. <span>Bobby Hain</span> dropped in a layup with 4:19 left in the half to pull within 33-29, but it was their last basket of the half. BGSU went on a 6-0 run, including another three by Alcegaire, to take their first double-digit lead of the game. They settled on a 39-30 halftime lead.</p>
<p>Alcegaire remained hot in the second half. His first two shots of the period were successful threes which gave BGSU a 45-33 lead. After Youngstown State went on an 10-1 run to cut BGSU's lead to three, Alcegaire drilled another three. YSU did not get within one possession for the rest of the game.</p>
<p>Of BGSU's final 19 points, they scored 11 from the free throw line. The Falcons went 11-for-16 from the charity stripe during the final six minutes.</p>
<p>The Falcons were efficient on offense throughout the game. They shot .456 (26/57) from the floor and .444 (8/18) from beyond the arc. They were also 19/28 from the free throw line. BGSU has 19 assists on their 26 made baskets and committed only 14 turnovers. The Falcons also dominated in the paint, as they outscored YSU inside 36-18.</p>
<p>Individually, Alcegaire and <span>Rasheed Worrell</span> had combined to score eight points and shoot 2-for-19 against Cincinnati and North Dakota. Today, they were 14-for-23 from the floor and scored 36 points. Alcegaire led all players with 21 points on 7-for-16 shooting (5-for-9 from beyond the arc) while pulling down seven rebounds. Worrell was a perfect 7-for-7 to earn 15 points in just 24 minutes. He played so well that BGSU outscored the Penguins by 20 points while he was in the game.</p>
<p>Three others scored in double figures for BGSU. Zack Denny continues to be a spark plug with a double-double. He scored 17 points and went 6-for-7 from the free throw line. He also secured 11 rebounds. Parker posted 10 points and six rebounds. <span>Ismail Ali</span> hit several important free throws down the stretch and was 7-for-9 at the line overall. He scored 11 and dished out seven assists.</p>
<p>Hain and Santiago led Youngstown State with 19 and 13 points, respectively. Hain also had 11 rebounds. <span>Matt Donlan</span> poured in 12 points, including four triples. YSU shot just 37 percent and was outrebounded 47-38.</p>
<p>Bowling Green is now 2-2 on the season and will face the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles at 7:00 pm on Monday night. FGCU is currently 2-1 with wins over Texas Wesleyan and Youngstown State and a loss to Ohio. FGCU plays North Dakota later tonight.</p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/mac-basketball/2015/11/22/9780006/youngstown-state-penguins-bowling-green-falcons-mens-basketball-recapMatt Daley2015-11-22T19:13:20-05:002015-11-22T19:13:20-05:00Akron outplayed at #11 Villanova
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<p>It just wasn't meant to be for Akron Sunday evening in Philly</p> <p>After a big upset of Arkansas last Wednesday, Akron was riding high coming into their match-up with #11 Villanova in Philadelphia. Unfortunately, that high only lasted another sixteen minutes.</p>
<p>Akron jumped out to an eight-point first half lead, but couldn't sustain that momentum throughout the contest. The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/akron-zips">Zips</a> trailed by as many as 23 points in the second half before ultimately falling 75-56. The loss is Akron's first of the season, bringing the Zips' record to 3-1.</p>
<p>Both Akron and Villanova love shooting the three-ball, and the first half showed that. Seven of Akron first nine shots were from beyond the arc. The Zips finished 7-17 from deep (41 percent) in the first half, while Villanova was 4-12 (33 percent).</p>
<p><span>Antino Jackson</span> picked up where he left off in the first half from the Arkansas game, as he showed no fear draining three 3-pointers with a defender in his face. Those threes were his only points of the half, which led the team.</p>
<p>Villanova's big guards - Jalen Brunson and <span>Ryan Arcidiacono</span> - frustrated the Zips' backcourt in the first half. Jackson picked up two fouls in the first ten minutes and had six first half turnovers. Freshman Josh Williams, Jackson's backup, also had two fouls early and had to play a little more conservative than normal.</p>
<p>Surprisingly Villanova only led for a little under two minutes of the first half. Akron had built a 16-8 lead at one point in the first half, but the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.vuhoops.com/">Wildcats</a> kept chipping away. They took the lead after <span>Josh Hart</span>, who scored 15 in the first half, notched an and-one lay-in to give the Wildcats a 34-31 advantage. Akron didn't score during the last four minutes of the first half, and Villanova ended the half on a 8-0 run.</p>
<p>Villanova kicked it up a notch in the second half and really showed that they are the eleventh best team in the country. An 18-5 run to start the half put the game out of reach with Villanova up 56-36. The Zips never got the lead down to less than 18 and trailed by as many as 23. They never gave in though, and kept playing hard. <span>Jake Kretzer</span> was still himself, diving on the floor for loose balls and poking offensive rebounds back to three-point shooters.</p>
<p>Part of the issue was the inability of Akron to get the ball in the post and when they did, centers <span>Pat Forsythe</span> and <span>Isaiah Johnson</span> didn't provide enough to make a difference. Forsythe finished the game 0-6 with four rebounds and Johnson was a little better, scoring six points and grabbing eight rebounds. Also telling was the fact that Akron only shot ten foul shots - and that's not a shot at the refs either. Akron just didn't try to get the ball inside and get fouled enough, and that lead to their undoing.</p>
<p>Akron finished the game going 11-33 from beyond the arc (33 percent), which isn't terrible. Turning the ball over 16 times was very costly, but not all unexpected due to a young backcourt playing against a couple of the most talented guards in the country.</p>
<p>All in all it wasn't an embarrassment, and Akron showed during the first sixteen minutes of the game what type of team they can be. It's certainly a learning and humbling experience and something that Keith Dambrot come back to during MAC play. <span>Jay Wright</span> did have some positive things to say about Akron on the broadcast:</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Jay Wright on Akron: "They're a very good team. Very well coached, disciplined and intelligent. I would not want to play them at Akron."</p>
— Hustle Belt (@HustleBelt) <a href="https://twitter.com/HustleBelt/status/668571415302524928">November 22, 2015</a>
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<p>Jackson led a balanced scoring effort from Akron, finishing with 13 points. Kwan Cheatham had eleven points and five boards, while Williams finished with eight points and five rebounds.</p>
<p>Hart led the Wildcats with 27 on 11-21 shooting and nine rebounds. Arcidiacono had a solid game, scoring 15 points, collecting five rebounds and dishing out eight assists.</p>
<p>Akron doesn't have a lot of time off before taking on Wisconsin-Green Bay in Green Bay. That game is scheduled to tip at 8:00 Eastern on ESPN3.</p>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<span class="must-reads-star"><img src="http://cdn2.sbnation.com/assets/3608771/star.png"></span>Game Leaders<span class="must-reads-star"><img src="http://cdn2.sbnation.com/assets/3608771/star.png"></span>
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<th align="left">Player</th> <th align="center">Villanova</th> <th align="center">Akron</th>
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<td align="left"><b>Points</b></td>
<td align="center">J. Hart (27)</td>
<td align="center">An. Jackson (13)</td>
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<tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<td align="left"><b>Rebounds</b></td>
<td align="center">J. Hart (9)</td>
<td align="center">I. Johnson (8)</td>
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<tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<td align="left"><b>Assists</b></td>
<td align="center">R. Arcidiacono (8)</td>
<td align="center">Five tied (2)</td>
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<td align="left"><b>Blocks</b></td>
<td align="center">P. Booth (2)</td>
<td align="center">P. Forsythe (2)</td>
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<tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'">
<td align="left"><b>Steals</b></td>
<td align="center">M. Bridges (3)</td>
<td align="center">Two tied (2)</td>
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https://www.hustlebelt.com/mac-basketball/2015/11/22/9779544/akron-zips-villanova-wildcats-final-score-recapBrandon Hickey2015-11-21T22:14:43-05:002015-11-21T22:14:43-05:00MAC Wrap: A plethora of Saturday shooty hoops
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<p>Just another saturday filled with pigskin fun and shooty hoops. Here's a short synopsis of basketball action today.</p> <p>With football still at the forefront of our attention through next week, basketball might be just a bit overshadowed. We're staying in the loop still, so trust us on that! Here's a recap of Saturdays games.</p>
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<h3><b>The Winners</b></h3>
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<p><b>Northern Illinois 100 Eureka 52</b></p>
<p>The Huskies unfairly put it on the Red Devils in a blowout home victory. No Huskie starter played more than 20 minutes and the bench netted 62 of the team's points. Freshman Marshawn Wilson led the way as he scored 17 points. That marked his third double digit scoring effort on the year.</p>
<p><b>Ball State 78 Longwood 67</b></p>
<p><span>Franko House</span> and <span>Ryan Weber</span> combined for 31 points as the Cardinals went on the road and snatched their second consecutive victory. <span>Sean Sellers</span> saw limited time in a non-starting role and scored just 7 points but it was enough for the Cardinals to grab another win.</p>
<p><b>Ohio Bobcats 93 Norfolk State 71</b></p>
<p>Ohio bounced back from a disappointing loss to Tulsa and displayed a dominant offense throughout in the team's second game of the Paradise Jam. Freshman Gavin Block contributed 19 points in 25 minutes of play, handed out 6 assists and grabbed 6 rebounds while <span>Treg Setty</span> contributed an efficient 16. Oh, and can't forget that <span>Jaaron Simmons</span> had 13 assists of his own on a night that the 'Cats totaled 25 in that category.</p>
<p><b>Kent State 79 Marist 72</b></p>
<p><span>Jimmy Hall</span> posted 27 points and 10 rebounds in Kent State's duel with Marist. The Red Foxes' Brian Parker and Khalid Hart combined to score 57 points but it wasn't enough to beat the home court Flashes. Hart hit 7 triples for Marist but it was better passing from KSU that helped win the day. The Golden Flashes ended with 17 assists.</p>
<p><b>Buffalo 86 NC A&T 68</b></p>
<p>A 51-point second half highlighted Buffalo's impressive win Saturday night. Four Bulls added at least 16 points, and they were CJ Massinburg, <span>Jarryn Skeete</span>, <span>Lamonte Bearden</span>, and Rodell Wigginton. It was an impressive win for a team coming off consecutive losses to good teams in Old Dominion and St. Joseph's. The Bulls were quite active on the offensive boards and took advantage of 21 offensive rebounds to pile up second chance points throughout the night.</p>
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<h3><b>The Losers</b></h3>
<p><b>Loyola 69 Toledo 62</b></p>
<p>Toledo has yet to find a complementary scoring option to assist <span>Nathan Boothe</span>. The big guy was forced to jack up 24 shots, and finished with 29 points. <span>Jonathan Williams</span> took 17 shots himself 15 points. 4 turnover's compounded Williams's inefficient night.</p>
<p><b><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/north-dakota-fighting-sioux" class="sbn-auto-link">North Dakota</a> 77 Bowling Green 59</b></p>
<p>The Falcons leaned on <span>Spencer Parker</span> and <span>Zack Denny</span> in this losing effort as the two scored 28 together. The newly anointed Fighting Hawks (THEY SHOULD BE THE NODAKS), jumped out to a 30-17 lead before BG chipped away to pull things close at a score of 41-40 early in the second half. North Dakota slowly pulled away from that point on, with <span>Quinton Hooker</span> assisting on several Adam McDermott 3-pointers to help spread the gap. Hooker scored 25 himself on the night.</p>
<p><b>Florida Atlantic 75 Miami 69</b></p>
<p>Logan McLane's 13 points proved not nearly enough as the RedHawks fell on their own court on Saturday. Miami was outrebounded 35-21 as the starters combined to grab just 5 rebounds. <span>Eric Washington</span> was the only starter to register an assist (he had 7 of them) on top of 11 points.</p>
<p><b>UNC Wilmington 80 Western Michigan 76</b></p>
<p>The Broncos fell in their visit to Trask Coliseum despite shooting nearly 12 percentage points higher from the field than the Seahawks. WMU left points: at the free throw line (20-31), and in the hands of the opponent, (18 turnovers). <span>Thomas Wilder</span> finished with a nice stat line of 12 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists. <span>Tucker Haymond</span> and Anthony Avery Jr. contributed 19 and 14 points respectively.</p>
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<h3><b>The Best Performances</b></h3>
<p><b></b></p>
<ul>
<li>Jimmy Hall did what Jimmy Hall often does. He put THE BALL IN THE HOLE. Hall notched 27 points and10 rebounds in Kent State's win over Marist.</li>
<li><span>Nathan Boothe netted 29 of the Rockets 62 points in their Saturday loss to Loyola. But Boothe shouldn't have to take 24 shots. We all knew Toledo would struggle this year after losing so many scorers, now someone else will have to step up and fulfill an important role under Boothe and <span>Jonathan Williams</span>. </span></li>
<li><span>Jaaron Simmons shook off his turnover troubles in Ohio's win over the Spartans. Simmons dished out 13 assists and turned the ball over just twice. </span></li>
</ul>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/2015/11/21/9776660/mac-basketball-recap-final-score-saturday-Kaleb Carter2015-11-20T16:10:19-05:002015-11-20T16:10:19-05:00Tulsa rides late run to beat Bobcats 90-88
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<p>Ohio stomped all over Tulsa in the first half of its Friday afternoon game with the Golden Hurricane. But basketball is a game of two halves. </p> <p>The Ohio Bobcats sure looked impressive for the first 30 minutes of Friday's game against a tough Tulsa team that was coming off a big win against No. 9 Wichita State. It was that final 10 minutes that proved to be a disaster for the Saul's Ballers in their 90-88 loss to the Tulsa Golden Hurricane.</p>
<p>Ohio went up 70-51 with 11:20 to go in the game. Coach Frank Haith's team then started finding their legs and began chipping away at the Ohio lead. A quick 9-0 spurt brought Tulsa back within 10. The two teams exchanged blows, Tulsa lost ground and gained it back quickly so that when Brandon Swannegan's (16 points) shot went in at the 6:04 Ohio led just 77-72. The 'Cats pushed back, but Tulsa's full court pressure, which had rendered Ohio's offense entirely non-existent over a string of several minutes, turned Ohio over again and again. Back-to-back Shaquille Harrison dunks made it a 2-point game. It was then that Tulsa just completely overtook Ohio, finishing a 14-0 run to go up 86-81. Ohio made a run at the end with a Jordan Dartis 3-pointer making it 88-87, but Ohio came up empty with a chance to tie at the end. Harrison fueled the Tulsa fire with 31 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists.</p>
<p>Ohio's free throw shooting helped complement its extraordinary first half and early second half shooting to keep a foot on the throat of the Hurricane. But it didn't matter when Tulsa's full-court pressure caught up to the 'Cats. A string of possessions in which Ohio turned the ball over five consecutive times helped do them in. Another stat indicative of those struggles was the 2 assists Ohio had in the second half compared to...lots of turnovers. Tulsa scored 38 points off Ohio's 23 turnovers.</p>
<p>The sound of ringing will likely be in the player's ears throughout the rest of their time in the Virgin Islands. Officials handed out 86 total free throws with Ohio sinking 30 of its 40 free throws, but the 'Cats went 4-9 to end the game from the line. The fact that Ohio was up 54-37 at halftime was impressive enough in itself. On one hand, Bobcat fans have to be excited having seen what they did in the first 20 minutes of the Paradise Jam. It was the final 11 minutes that they'll want to block from memory.</p>
<p>After struggling from beyond the arc in each of his first two games, Kenny Kaminski lit it up from the floor in the first half against the Golden Hurricane, scoring 18 points on 4 of 5 3-point shooting. Kaminski went to the charity stripe two separate times in the first half where he shot one from distance and then proceeded to hit each free throw. He finished the game with 21 points.</p>
<p>Jaaron Simmons came into his own with an impressive performance in the first half. He scored 14, grabbed 4 boards and assisted on 7 buckets in the first 20 minutes. He finished the afternoon with 30 points and 8 assists. He also turned the ball over 7 times, which has proven to be a consistent part of his game thus far.</p>
<p>Antonio Campbell continued his struggles picking up fouls. Campbell came in to 2015-2016 expected to be Ohio's primary scoring option. He still probably is the best scoring option. The problem is, he has yet to play anything resembling a full game because of his foul trouble. He finished with 7 points in 17 minutes of play today.</p>
<p>Ohio now gets the loser of Indiana State/Norfolk State.</p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/mac-basketball/2015/11/20/9770802/tulsa-golden-hurricanes-ohio-bobcats-basketball-final-recap-catsKaleb Carter2015-11-20T11:00:02-05:002015-11-20T11:00:02-05:00Akron - Villanova Q&A with VU Hoops
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<figcaption>Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Let's learn a little about the #11 team in the country.</p> <p>Coming off of a huge upset with at Arkansas, you'd expect things to get a little easier. Unfortunately for the Akron Zips the difficulty level jumps another notch on Sunday, when Keith Dambrot's team takes on the #11 Villanova Wildcats at The Pavilion in Philly. We caught up with Ryan Saccoman of our Villanova blog <a href="http://www.vuhoops.com/" target="_blank">VU Hoops</a> to learn a little more about the Wildcats.</p>
<p><b>Hustle Belt:</b> It seems like after a 33-3 season last year and a top 15 ranking this year, expectations are very high for Villanova this season. Is this the year that the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.vuhoops.com/">Wildcats</a> get back to the Final Four?</p>
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<p><b>VU Hoops: </b>Since I was a freshman, Villanova has lost in the Round of 64 as a 9-seed, and the Round of 32 as a 1- and 2- seed. The multiple early-round exits have tempered the expectations for this team for the casual fan, and even some supporters of `Nova Nation. Something big had to happen for this team for most to believe again, and that something was the commitment of Jalen Brunson. The 5-star point guard has a feel for the game that no player at Villanova has had in a while, and he's capable of pushing the team past that Sweet 16 threshold, and quite possibly into Houston for the Final Four.</p>
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<p><b>HB:</b> <span>Jay Wright</span> has to replace the leading scorer (<span>Darrun Hilliard</span>, 14 points per game) and the leading rebounder (<span>JayVaughn Pinkston</span>, 10 points & 5 rebounds per game) from last year's team. Who has to step up in their place this season to repeat last year's success?</p>
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<p><b>VU:</b> The player everyone looked at to really step it up this season was Josh Hart. Last year's Big East Sixth Man of the Year, everyone expected him to take one of the two vacant starting slots for this season. He brought energy off the bench, and people thought he could stay true to that style of play even with starter minutes. So far he has really stepped up his offensive game, and he still grabs boards like an actual power forward.</p>
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<p><b>HB:</b> What type of offense does Villanova run? It would seem to be perimeter-oriented with the all the talented guards Wright has at his disposal.</p>
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<p><b>VU:</b> Shooting from beyond the arc is absolutely the focus. The Wildcats shot the most threes in the Big East last season and 18<sup>th</sup> most in the country. While they had JayVaughn Pinkston and <span>Daniel Ochefu</span> as paint weapons, the `Cats relied on their outside shooting time and time again. The perimeter shooting opens up dribble-drive penetration, however 3-pointers reign supreme.</p>
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<p><b>HB: </b>Akron is an established mid-major program that doesn't get scared playing a Power 5 or ranked team. Do you see any way the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/akron-zips">Zips</a> give Villanova any trouble on Sunday?</p>
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<p><b>VU:</b> Villanova has been known to shoot too many threes to begin a game, even when they aren't falling. Because of this, opposing teams have taken advantage of their missed opportunities and have built leads early in the game. A player I would worry about is <span>Isaiah Johnson</span> and Pat Forsythe. Daniel Ochefu stands as the team's most dominant paint defender, and getting him into early foul trouble could spell disaster for the Wildcats.</p>
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<p><b>HB:</b> Finally, give me a score prediction.</p>
<p><b>VU:</b> I think Villanova gets the win by a score of 88-67. Akron stays close for the first part of the game, but a big second half puts the game away for the Wildcats.</p>
<p>Once again, big thanks to Ryan over at VU Hoops. You can follow them both on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/sacketology" target="_blank">@sacketology</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/VUhoops" target="_blank">@VUHoops</a>.</p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/mac-basketball/2015/11/20/9767256/akron-zips-vs-villanova-wildcats-preview-nit-season-tip-offBrandon Hickey2015-11-19T08:00:02-05:002015-11-19T08:00:02-05:00Bowling Green Routed By Cincinnati, 83-50
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<figcaption><a href='bgsufalcons.com'>BGSU Marketing and Communications</a></figcaption>
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<p>Bowling Green hung with the Bearcats for a half, but the Cincinnati machine engineered a rout in the second half.</p> <p>The Bowling Green Falcons hosted the Cincinnati Bearcats on Wednesday night (Nov. 21) in the second annual Bill Frack Challenge at the Stroh Center in Bowling Green, Ohio. For one half, the crowd of 3,411 saw the Falcons play shot-for-shot with a Cincinnati team that had won its previous game by 62 points. Unfortunately for BGSU, basketball games are 40 minutes instead of 20, and the Bearcats turned a four-point halftime lead into an 83-50 rout.</p>
<p>In the first half, BGSU fell behind 16-8 after taking a brief early lead. The Falcons recovered to briefly tie the game at 22, then climbed back within 32-31 on a Zack Denny three with 30 seconds remaining in the half. Despite a Justin Jenifer triple just before the buzzer, BGSU trailed just 35-31 at halftime, and their numbers compared very well with the Bearcats. Rebounds were even at 21, and the Falcons had more assists and fewer turnovers. Had it not been for a 4-for-10 performance at the free throw line, Bowling Green may have taken a lead to the locker room.</p>
<p>The second half was like an entirely different game. The Falcons scored only a pair of free throws over the first 5:58, while Cincinnati put up 18 points. When Antwon Lillard finally put in a layup for BGSU's first basket of the half, the deficit was 18 points, and the game was effectively over. UC's run eventually reached 29-4 to push their lead to 26 points. Bowling Green made a brief push to get within 19 points, but a layup and free throw by Demajeo Wiggins were the Falcons' final points of the game, as Cincinnati scored the game's final 14 points over the last 7:24.</p>
<p>Farad Cobb led all scorers with 20 points, including six three-pointers. Denny led BGSU with 13 points but did not make a bucket during the second half. Coreontae DeBerry led all rebounders with 12, as Cincinnati out-rebounded BGSU 49-38 overall. Click <a href="http://bgsufalcons.com/boxscore.aspx?path=mbball&id=7396">HERE</a> for the game's box score.</p>
<h4>THREE OBSERVATIONS</h4>
<p><b>Bowling Green can play.</b> The Falcons have a variety of scoring options from Denny and Lillard to Wes Alcegaire and Spencer Parker. They have defenders who can create turnovers, as we saw tonight when BGSU forced nine Cincinnati turnovers in the first half. They have the ability to rebound and can do an effective job of distributing the ball. When Huger's plan is executed well, his team has shown that is capable of hanging with an extremely talented and athletic team. However...</p>
<p><b>Bowling Green has a long way to go.</b> In the postgame press conference, BGSU head coach Michael Huger emphasized that the coaching staff was still trying to evaluate what their players can do well on a consistent basis, and lack of consistency has been the biggest issue over the first two games. Against UC, the Falcons were like night and day between the two halves. They were good from behind the arc in the first half, but terrible in the second. They were just the opposite from the free throw line. Denny made four shots in the first half, none in the second. Meanwhile, Alcegaire and Rasheed Worrell, who played very well in the opening win against New Orleans, combined to go scoreless (0/12 FG, 0/3 FT).</p>
<p>If BGSU is to have any type of real success this season, this type of inconsistency will need to drastically improve.</p>
<p><b>Cincinnati and Farad Cobb are the real deal.</b> The Bearcats thrashed their first two opponents, and after being challenged for a half, they were merciless in the second half against BGSU. They completely took the Falcons out of their game, creating turnovers and dominating on the boards, which made it nearly impossible for BGSU to run its offense. As for Cobb, six of his seven field goals were from behind the arc; he's a big reason that offense can be so explosive.</p>
<p>It can be hard to get a good read on a team after just three games, but I'd be shocked if UC isn't in the big dance when March rolls around.</p>
<h4>UP NEXT...</h4>
<p>The Falcons (1-1) travel to Fort Myers, Fla. this weekend for the Hilton Garden Inn FGCU Classic, where they will play three games in three days. On Saturday, Nov. 21, BGSU will face the newly-named North Dakota Fighting Hawks. UND is 1-1 this season following a win over Minnesota-Morris and a 14-point loss at Wisconsin. The Falcons will play the Youngstown State Penguins on Sunday, Nov. 22. YSU is 0-2 after facing two MAC teams, with a 79-70 loss to Kent State and a 100-78 loss to Toledo.</p>
<p>Finally, the Falcons go up against Dunk City and the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles on Monday, Nov. 23. FGCU is currently 1-1 after an 85-75 loss at Ohio and a 85-62 win over Texas Wesleyan. BGSU's next home game will be on Sunday, Nov. 29 at 2:00 p.m. against Urbana.</p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/mac-basketball/2015/11/19/9758576/cincinnati-bearcats-bowling-green-falcons-basketball-recapMatt Daley