CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- A trio of players have earned the first men's basketball weekly honors of 2010 as Vermont's Marqus Blakely (Metchuen, N.J./Metchuen) and Stony Brook's Bryan Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J./Scotch Plains) were named Co-Player of the Week and Binghamton's Pina Guillaume (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla./Westlake) was tabbed Rookie of the Week. The awards for the week ending January 3 were announced Monday afternoon.
Blakely recorded double-doubles in each of Vermont's three victories last week to earn weekly accolades for the third time this season and seventh time in his illustrious career. A senior forward, Blakely averaged 22.0 points, 12.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 3.3 steals and 2.7 blocks last week. He scored 23 points, grabbed four rebounds and collected four steals in a 72-62 win at Marist on Dec. 28 and then scored 26 points with 11 boards, five steals, four assists and four blocks in a 71-69 victory at Mount St. Mary's Wednesday. The two-time reigning Player of the Year, Blakely concluded his week with a 17 points, 14 rebounds, seven assist performance in the Catamounts' league opener Saturday, a 73-58 triumph over UMBC.
Also the two-time Defensive Player of the Year, Blakely currently leads the league in scoring (18.6 ppg), steals (3.0 spg), blocks (2.3 bpg), ranks second in rebounding (9.4 rpg) and is fourth in assists (3.9 apg).
Dougher averaged 22.0 points in three games last week and shot a remarkable 70.8 percent (17-for-24) from deep. An America East all-rookie choice last season, Dougher scored 18 points in each of the Seawolves' non-conference games this week, a 67-46 loss to St. Peter's on Dec. 28 and a 69-60 win over Holy Cross Thursday.
The second year guard then poured in a career-high 30 points and had 21 of those in the second half to key an 84-75 victory at Boston University in both teams' league opener Saturday. Dougher tied a school record and set an America East season-high with eight treys on 10 attempts. For the season, Dougher ranks 10th among league leaders with 14.1 points per game and has his team off to a 9-5 start.
Guillaume earned his second career Rookie of the Week honor after contributing 11.0 points and 8.0 rebounds over three games last week. The freshman played a vital role in the Bearcats' comeback win over La Salle Saturday, scoring a career-best 19 points and grabbing nine boards. With team trailing by 15 in the second half, Guillaume kick started an 18-0 run with nine points, including seven straight at at one point over that stretch.
The freshman center, who also earned the honor on Dec. 21, is averaging 9.0 points and 9.3 rebounds over his last four outings.
CONFERENCE NOTES
CAREER DAY FOR HONOR ROLL
In addition to Dougher and Guillaume, several other America East players set career highs last week:
• University at Albany's Billy Allen (Hamilton, Ohio/Hamilton) set a new career high in consecutive games with 16 points at #9 North Carolina Wednesday and 21 on 8-of-9 shooting against Yale Sunday.
• Boston University's Jake O'Brien (Weymouth, Mass./Boston College High) scored a career-high 27 points on 9-of-14 shooting overall and 6-of-8 shooting from 3-point range.
• Hartford's Milton Burton (Birmingham, Ala./Fairfield High Prep/Panola College) scored a career-best 18 points in first start since Nov. 28 at Kentucky Tuesday.
• UMBC's Chris De La Rosa (Washington Heights, N.Y./All Hallows/Siena) and Robbie Jackson (Aberdeen, Md./Prince Avenue Prep/Marshall) each set career marks with 25 and 24 points, respectively, in a double OT loss at Central Conn. State Wednesday.
• University of New Hampshire's Tyrone Conley (Burlington, Vt./Burlington) racked up a career-best 28 points and added eight rebounds at Santa Clara Saturday
MORE MARQUS
Blakely continues to build his case as one of the best
players in America East history. Blakely eclipsed the 1,500-point
plateu last week and sits 29th all-time with 1,547 points. He's
currently 14th all-time with 554 boards and also ranks amongst the
top-10 leaders with 222 career blocks, has amassed 230 assists and 186
steals.
MARQUIS WIN FOR MAINE
Playing a tantilizing zone defense, Maine held Boston College to 32.7 percent shooting and without a field goal for the final 6:02 en route to a 52-51 upset win at Conte Forum on Saturday. Sean McNally, who had 15 points and seven rebounds to pace the Black Bears, sank a pair of free throws with 1:10 remaining to seal Maine's first win over BC since the 1924-25 season and first over a major conference opponent since UM downed Providence in 2001. The win was America East's third over a BCS-conference program and first over an ACC school since Vermont downed the Eagles, 77-63, on Nov. 14, 2006.
AE WINS OVER THE "BIG SIX" SINCE 2008
ACC - Maine 52, at Boston College 51 (1/2/10)
BIG EAST - Binghamton 66, at Rutgers 56 (12/6/08)
Vermont 77, at Rutgers 71 (11/22/09
BIG XII - UMBC 66, at Nebraska 64 (12/23/08)
Vermont 84, Colorado 59 (12/30/08)
BIG TEN - Boston U. 71, Indiana 67 (11/19/09)
NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Home games for America East teams have been few and far between this season, but when they do occur the fan favorite has gone home happy more often than not. The league is a combined 23-13 in home non-conference games this season with New Hampshire (5-0) unbeaten on its home court. UNH has now won eight straight at Lundholm Gym, the program's longest streak since the 1968-69 season. Stony Brook, which is 4-1 at home this season, has won seven of nine at Pritchard Gym. Binghamton, which has led the league in home attendance in six straight years, is 3-1 at the Events Center after knocking off Atlantic 10 foe La Salle Saturday.
TEAM NOTES
Albany (5-10, AE 0-0) wrapped up the non-league schedule with an 89-68 victory over Yale on Jan. 3 … the Great Danes begin conference play against defending America East champion Binghamton on Jan. 7 … UAlbany ended a four-game skid in the victory over Yale, the largest win margin since Feb. 6, 2008 … The Great Danes posted their highest scoring total since the 2005-06 opener and made 12 three-point field goals for the first time since Jan. 21, 2007 … UAlbany was playing its first home game since Nov. 22, a 42-day stretch that including eight consecutive road dates … sophomore Billy Allen (Hamilton, Ohio / Hamilton) improved his career-high twice last week, including 21 points vs. Yale … Allen, who is averaging 9.5 points off the bench over his last six outings, made 14 of 17 from the field and 9 of 12 from the 3-point arc in the two games … Tim Ambrose (Brentwood, N.Y. / Our Savior New American) broke out of a mild slump with 22 points against Yale, his 13th 20-plus game as a collegian … redshirt freshman Logan Aronhalt (Zanesville, Ohio / Zanesville) tallied a career-best 13 points against Yale … Aronhalt (foot) and Allen (back) have both overcome injuries early in their collegiate areers … Fran Urli (Zagreb, Croatia / Sportska Gymnasium) and Blake Metcalf (Camby, Ind. / Plainfield) each grabbed a career-high eight rebounds vs. Yale … Will Harris (Queens, N.Y. / Brewster Academy) had 19 of his 22 points in the second half at North Carolina and has reached the 20-point mark five times this season …the Tar Heels were the fourth-highest ranked opponent (AP, #9) in the UAlbany program’s history … the Great Danes played before the fourth-largest crowd (19,225) in school annals … UAlbany faced the defending NCAA champion for the second year in a row (Kansas, 2009) … The Great Danes have tangled with six opponents who earned a 2009 NCAA berth.
Binghamton (5-10, AE 0-0) went 1-2 during the week, dropping two lopsided games at the St. Mary’s Classic in Moraga, Calif. before posting an upset victory over Atlantic 10 member La Salle at home. The Bearcats concluded their non-conference schedule with five wins, including the key victory over a La Salle team that was rated #89 in the RPI. Binghamton played the second-toughest schedule of any team in the America East with an RPI strength of schedule of #123. The Bearcats faced three teams in the top 30 (#18 Pitt, #26 Western Carolina, #29 St. Mary’s) and another (#46 Marshall) in the top 50... Freshman center Pina Guillaume (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla./Westlake Prep) started all three games and averaged 11.0 points and 8.0 rebounds. Guillaume led a second-half comeback against La Salle with nine points during a pivotal 18-0 run. He wound up with a season-high 19 points and nine rebounds… Junior forward Greer Wright (Lake Worth, Fla./Boca Raton Prep/City College of San Francisco) went for 20 points against La Salle – the fourth 20+ performance of the season. Wright added nine rebounds, two steals and a block in 39 minutes. He has reached double digits in 10 of 15 games and leads the team in scoring (13.1 ppg.), rebounding (5.3 rpg.), three-pointers (15), steals (19) and blocks (12)… Junior guard Chretien Lukusa (Toronto, Ontario/Eastern Commerce College) scored a game-high 18 points in the loss to Stephen F. Austin and earned all-tournament honors at the St. Mary’s Classic.
Boston University (5-8, AE 1-0) dropped both of its games last week, falling at Dayton, 74-60, and in the conference opener in Case Gym to Stony Brook, 84-75 … The Terriers cut a 15-point first half lead to four with 14:24 remaining against the Atlantic 10 favorite, but the Flyers fed off the energy of a sell out crowd of 13,435 fans to victory … Corey Lowe (Newton, Mass./Newton North) had a strong performance, leading BU in points (17), rebounds (7) and assists (6) … Carlos Strong (Portland, Maine/Deering) was a perfect 4-for-4, including 3-for-3 from beyond the arc, to finish with 13 points … John Holland (Bronx, N.Y./St. Benedict’s Prep (N.J.)) only had nine, as his 29-game win streak of finishing with 10 or more points snapped … It was the fifth-longest active streak in the nation coming into the contest … Against the Seawolves, the Terriers trailed 54-50 with 11:04 remaining before SBU pulled away with a 14-2 run … Jake O’Brien (Weymouth, Mass./BC High) led the Terriers with a career-high 27 points and eight rebounds after hitting a personal best six 3-pointers off eight attempts … Following the two games, Lowe became the sixth player ever in the program’s history to eclipse 1,500 points … He now has 1,507 and just needs 21 more to move past Paul Hendricks (’83-’87) for fifth place … He also had 12 assists to move into ninth in assists with 336 … The Terriers next visit New Hampshire on Thursday at 7 p.m. and Hartford on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Hartford (2-11, AE 0-0) opened the second half of its season with a trip to historic Rupp Arena to play #3/3 Kentucky … The entire roster got into the game as the Hawks fell, 104-61 … Milton Burton set a career-high with 18 points in his first start since November 28 … Joel Barkers made his first collegiate start … Joe Zeglinski led the team with 19 points and 3 assists, while Morgan Sabia pulled down 6 rebounds and also dished out 3 assists … the Hawks then traveled on to St. Francis (Pa.), where they fell, 64-52 … Kevin Estes earned his first start of the season and finished with 6 points and 3 rebounds in 24 minutes … Zeglinski again led the team, this time with 17 points, pushing him up the Hartford record books to fifth place all-time in scoring in the Hawks’ Division I history (1,307) … Freshman Ross Erickson played a career-high 21 minutes.
Maine (7-5, AE 0-0) went undefeated on the road, which included a 65-59 win at Columbia and a huge 52-51 win at the ACC’s Boston College Eagles…At the Conte Forum on Saturday, Maine rallied from an eight-point deficit with six minutes left to win the game…Sean McNally (Gardiner, Maine/Gardiner) made two clutch free throws with 1:10 remaining that gave Maine a 52-51 lead, and the Eagles could not answer as the Black Bears grabbed a huge win…McNally finished the game with 15 points, seven rebounds and a game-high three blocks…Gerald McLemore (San Diego, Calif./Worcester Academy) finished with 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting and had three assists in the last 6:22 of the game…Malachi Peay (Brooklyn, N.Y./Campus Magnet) came off the bench to have six points, four steals and three assists…Maine held Boston College to 32.7 percent shooting for the game…It was the first win for Maine over Boston College since the 1924-25 season…Against Columbia on Wednesday, the Black Bears rallied from a 33-24 halftime deficit to win by coming out in the second half with a 12-2 run and with just over 13 minutes to play took the lead for good…McNally led the way with 16 points, seven rebounds and three steals while Murphy Burnatowski (Waterloo, Ontario/National Elite Development Academy) scored all 11 of his points in the second half…Terrance Mitchell (Milton, Fla./Faulkner State Community College) added 14 points including going 9-for-11 from the charity stripe…Maine has now won four out of its last five games…The Black Bears continue play on Monday when they host Princeton at 7 p.m. in the Alfond Arena.
UMBC (1-12, AE 0-1) shot a season-best 53 percent from the floor, but dropped an 89-86 decision in double overtime at Central Connecticut State on Wednesday… Sophomore guard Chris De La Rosa (Washington Heights, N.Y./All Hallows/Siena) and junior post Robbie Jackson (Aberdeen, Md./Prince Avenue Prep/Marshall) each smashed their career scoring highs in that game, as De La Rosa scored 25 points and Jackson tallied 24… Jackson added 15 rebounds for his third double-double of the season… His 15-rebound effort was the most for UMBC since Darryl Proctor snared 15 caroms against Hartford nearly two seasons ago (Jan. 16, 2008)… UMBC newcomers scored 70 of 86 points in that game… After compiling a record of 23-9 during the three previous seasons in games decided by five points or less, UMBC is now 1-4 this season… UMBC has won four consecutive overtime games, but has not won a double overtime game (just 0-3) since the 1994-95 season… De La Rosa hit 11-of-15 shots from the floor vs. Central and his 47 minutes played are now tied for the fifth-most in school history… The Retrievers’ 73-58 loss at Vermont in the America East opener dropped UMBC’s record to 4-3 in league lid-lifters… Jackson scored 12 of his team-high 15 points in the second half… He has averaged 15.3 points per game and 8.3 rebounds per game in four games since his return from a foot injury… Sophomore Chauncey Gilliam (Columbia, Md./Brewster Academy), scored 13 points vs. and averages 14.7 ppg in three contests vs. the Catamounts… Freshman wing Shawn Grant (San Jose, Calif./St. Francis) snapped out of a two-game scoreless funk with two solid efforts this week… He posted his sixth game in double figures with 12 points at Central Connecticut State and hit a game-tying trifecta which sent the contest to double overtime…Grant is averaging 9.1 points per game and leads UMBC with 19 three-point field goals… The Retrievers play their final non-conference game of the season at home on Wednesday when they host Pennsylvania… It will be just UMBC’s second home game since November 24.
New Hampshire (5-6, AE 0-0) went 1-1 last week as it recorded a 63-55 win at home against Colgate on Dec. 30, and suffered a heartbreaking defeat at Santa Clara, 71-68, Jan. 2 … Tyrone Conley (Burlington, Vt./Burlington) continued his torrid stretch as he extended his double-digit scoring streak to a career-best six games (17.7 ppg) with a pair of spectacular performances during the week… Conley exploded for a career-high 28 points on 9 of 16 shooting from the field and 4 of 4 shooting at the stripe at Santa Clara … the junior guard made a career-best six 3-pointers and filled the rest of the stat sheet with eight rebounds, four assists, a block and a steal in 36 minutes … Conley also helped lead the Wildcats to the win against Colgate with 13 points on 3 of 8 shooting to go along with four boards, an assist and a steal in just 19 minutes … with their win versus Colgate, the ‘Cats extended their home winning streak to eight games and improved to 5-0 at Lundholm Gymnasium this season, matching the program’s best home start since the 1968-69 season … after beating Colgate, UNH’s record stood at 5-5, the first time it had reached New Year’s Day at .500 or better since the team started the 1997-98 season 5-5 … the victory also marked head coach Bill Herrion’s 50th at UNH as he became just the second coach in program history to record 50 wins in less than five full seasons ... Gerry Friel, UNH’s all-time winningest coach, won 61 games in his first five years in Durham … junior guard Alvin Abreu (Lynn, Mass./Boys to Men Academy) had himself a great birthday against Colgate, pouring in 24 points as he was 7-for-13 from the field and made a career-best 10 of his 12 free throws to go along with a career-high tying eight rebounds and a pair of assists … junior center Dane DiLiegro (Lexington, Mass./Worcester Academy) chipped in with eight points and 10 boards … DiLiegro nearly led UNH to a come-from-behind victory at Santa Clara with 20 points on 9 of 12 shooting, including 15 on 7 of 8 shooting in the second half alone … the Wildcats return to action Thursday, Jan. 7 at 7 p.m. when they play host to America East preseason favorite Boston University in their conference opener at Lundholm Gymnasium.
Stony Brook (9-5, AE 1-0) went 2-1 on the week … SBU dropped its first game of the week, 67-46, to Saint Peter’s … the Seawolves won their final two games of the week, defeating Holy Cross, 69-60, on Thursday before defeating host Boston University, 84-75, on Saturday afternoon … sophomore Bryan Dougher scored a career-high 30 points in the win over Boston University, including 21 in the second half … Dougher went 8-for-10 from three-point range, setting the program’s Division I record for three-pointers in a game … it also tied the programs all-time record for three-pointers in a game … senior Muhammad El-Amin added 23 points in the win over the Terriers, while sophomore Tommy Brenton chipped in with 15 points, 11 rebounds and five assists … it was the second straight double-double for Brenton, who scored a career-high 18 points in Stony Brook’s win over Holy Cross … the victory at Boston University, was the Seawolves first ever regular season road win over the Terriers … SBU shot a season-high 48.1 percent in the win over Terriers and also knocked down a season-high 12 three-pointers … senior Eddie Castellanos had a career-best five steals against BU … Dougher scored 18 points against both Holy Cross and Saint Peter’s and averaged 22.0 points per game in the Seawolves three games this week … Dougher went a combined 17-for-24 from three-point range this week … Brenton scored six points in Stony Brook’s game-ending 8-0 run in SBU’s 69-60 win over Holy Cross on Thursday … Brenton now has had eight games with 10+ rebounds this season.
Vermont (10-5, AE 1-0) went 3-0 on the week, which included road wins at Marist and Mount St. Mary’s, as well as a 73-58 victory over UMBC in the Cats’ America East opener on Saturday … Senior Marqus Blakely (Metuchen, N.J./Metuchen) scored 23 points and added 11 rebounds in the win over Marist … Vermont trailed by as many as eight in the second half before pulling out the win … Junior Garrett Kissel (Springfield, Mass./St. Andrews) just missed out on his first career double-double with nine rebounds and a career-high nine points … Blakely netted 26 points with 11 rebounds, five steals, four blocks and four assists in the win over Mount St. Mary’s on Wednesday … Classmate Maurice Joseph (Montreal, Quebec/Champlain-St. Lambert/Michigan St.) added 15 points, including four three-pointers … UVM finished the 2009 calendar year with a record of 25-10 … Vermont has now won 14 straight over NEC teams … The Cats have now won six straight on the road … Vermont wrapped up the week with Blakely just missing out on his first triple double with 17 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists … Vermont has won 10 of its last 11 America East openers and nine of their last 10 conference home openers … The Cats have now won eight of their last nine games overall … Vermont returns to action with two road games this week, traveling to Maine on Thursday (7p.m.) and Albany on Sunday (4 p.m.) in a game that will be televised on TW3.