Random notes on a basketball season
By Chris Granozio
We begin this column with a gear-shift. I referenced in Tuesday’s column – and then tweeted the news yesterday – that the University of Bridgeport is ending a 22-year membership with the East Coast Conference and will be joining the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference beginning next fall. This marks the first time in a dozen years that a regional school is switching affiliations. The last time it happened, prior to the 2009-10 season, two schools made the move; and just as with the Purple Knights, those two institutions were also ECC members at the time of transition as Concordia joined the CACC and Adelphi relocated to the Northeast-10.
I had a chance to speak with Men’s Basketball Head Coach Mike Ruane about the new development: “I’m sad but I’m excited,” he remarked. “My 21 years have all been in the league, with my first year in the old NYCAC. I think about all the great memories of all the terrific coaches and administrators. I’m truly grateful for my experiences, and for the leadership of my dear friend (ECC Commissioner) Bob Dranoff, (Senior Associate Commissioner/SWA) Melissa (Perry) and (Associate Commissioner) Casey (Rafferty), who have been like family to me.”
“On the other side,” he continues, “I played college basketball at Alvernia in NAIA District 19 – the same as Holy family, Philly Pharmacy (now University of the Sciences) and Wilmington… so I feel like I’ve been familiar with the league since the ‘80s. In fact, the last game of my career was against Pharmacy with Bobby Morgan (more on him below) as the coach and (eventual successor) Dave Pauley as his assistant. So it’s kind of like a homecoming”
As for this new chapter in Bridgeport basketball, Ruane is optimistic. “The (CACC) has gotten better and better and the sky’s the limit. I believe they can be a regional force.”
Turning to the action on the court, CACC member Dominican has proven to be the regional force in men’s basketball across the East. With a 9-1 record and key wins vs. St. Thomas Aquinas, Adelphi, New Haven and Caldwell (the latter three on the road, no less), the Chargers have established the drumbeat of the region to date. And they are the only one of our 37 programs to be represented in the latest NABC Top 25, slipping four spots to #18 after Southern New Hampshire delivered its initial setback last week in Orangeburg, illustrating what we all know to be true this winter… that just about anything is possible on the court.
Our region thus far has lost every game it has played vs. a nationally ranked opponent, from West Liberty and West Texas A& M (Daemen) to Mercyhurst and IUP (Le Moyne). There’s still plenty of time in the season, clearly, but as of now, there is no dominant, scary team around these parts.
Covid strikes again… First it was Daemen, which was forced to shut down early season. Then Pace became infected. Now, the Adelphi and Caldwell programs are on hold. Bloomfield’s trip to the Virgin Islands for a tournament was scrapped due to another participant bowing out, and Caldwell’s trip to Florida was limited to one game – against #12 Barry – after its initial opponent - St. Thomas – had to cancel its game due to positive tests. There are postponements, cancelations, make-up dates and general confusion across the regional landscape. When will all the madness end?
Queens College has come up with a way to ease the ongoing stresses of life. Head Coach Matt Collier enlisted the professional support of his wife, Erica Collier, who is a Reiki master instructor and certified yoga teacher. Combining both philosophies, she recently devised a program for the Knights team, utilizing the players' yoga mats and guiding them in visualization and personal motivational exercises on non-game days. “I only wish I had thought of this before the season,” Coach Collier told me. “We may have shot better at the foul line in some of our close losses.” The fruits of these efforts may have begun with last night’s comeback overtime win vs. Molloy – the Knights’ first home win vs. the Lions since 2015.
And it wasn’t the only OT thriller last night as Franklin Pierce withstood a late Stonehill surge in capturing its fourth straight win (including two in OT and one by one point) to claim sole possession of first place in the NE10’s Northeast Division. Early Player of the Year favorite Isaiah Moore turned in another strong outing with 18 points and 10 rebounds, but Maxwell Zegarowski was just as effective, totaling 14 and 14, respectively, along with four blocked shots and the clinching free throws, to help the Ravens prevail. It was Moore who came through with the potential game-saving block against fellow Player of the Year candidate Jordan Mello-Klein to cement Pierce’s huge win at Bentley on Sunday.
The other game played in the region last night took place in the nation’s capital, where District of Columbia suffered an excruciating defeat at the hands of Frostburg State (MD). A nip and tuck game down the stretch, the Firebirds surged in front, 63-61, after a pair of Jahmir Marable-Williams free throws with 11 seconds to play. But the Bobcats’ Torrin Stephens was fouled attempting a 3-pointer as time expired and proceeded to sink all three of his tosses at the line – the decisive one after an icing timeout. Had he missed, all three games played in the East last night would have gone into OT.
It may have struck some hoops fans as odd that D’Youville played Emory and Henry (VA) at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn Tuesday afternoon, mere hours before the Nets won a terrific overtime contest vs. the Toronto Raptors. Yours truly did some snooping and here’s how that game materialized: Emory and Henry Head Coach Ben Thompson had held the same position at SUNY Canton (NY) and had played Earl Schunk’s D’Youville team when it was D3. Thanks to Thompson’s connections with the Brooklyn Nets, he was able to book that game at the arena two years ago, intending to play there last season. But due to the pandemic, it was moved to this winter. Thompson told me that before the contract was signed, he thought it was “a perfect match since both our teams are transitioning to D2.” However it came about, what a cool experience for the young Saints and Wasps teams to play on an NBA floor. And for historical context, D’Youville is not the first regional team to play at Barclay’s. Assumption and New York Tech met there on January 10, 2018 with the Greyhounds winning the “road” game, 84-75.
And now, Part 2 of our look behind the names that appear on gyms and buildings in our region. This time, we focus on the CACC. Here’s the scorecard:
Dominican – the Hennessy Center opened in 1994 and was named after James Hennessy, then the chairman of the board of trustees at the college and a major donor for the construction. Inside the building is Coach Baxter Court, dedicated to Chargers Women’s Basketball Coach Steve Baxter, a CACC Hall of Famer who spent 29 years at the school, 24 as a very successful coach.
Nyack – currently playing at New Jersey City University’s John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center, whose namesake was an alumnus, donor and now a member of the school's Hall of Fame. The gym at the old campus was dedicated to Harold W. Bowman, an NAIA All-American soccer player who dedicated his life to missionary work and died heroically in 1977 transporting individuals, bibles and supplies during a civil war in Africa.
Bloomfield – plays at “The Gym,” formerly known as The Deacon’s Den, named after their former athletics mascot.
Caldwell – the Newman Center was named after George Robert Newman, the son of George and Amy Newman, donated money to the school but requested that the new building be named after their predeceased son. The court inside was dedicated to current coach Mark Corino, who is one of the most successful coaches in the history of New Jersey basketball, with over 600 triumphs to his credit.
Post – the Drubner Center is dedicated to Norman Drubner, a Waterbury-based tycoon and philanthropist who served as the school’s chairman of the board of trustees.
Felician – the gym in which the Golden Falcons had existed long before its current name, as it was home to D1 Fairleigh Dickinson University through 1978. When Felician purchased the campus in the late 1990s, lifelong Rutherford residents Joseph and Joal Job, the former having served as Bergen County Sheriff, made a sizeable donation to the school, and were honored with “naming rights” in 1999 as Job Gym.
Jefferson – the Gallagher Center bears the name of James P. Gallagher Ph.D, who served for 23 years as Philadelphia University’s 10th president. The court, much like that at Caldwell, is named after its highly successful active head men’s basketball coach. In this case, that is, of course, Hall of Famer Herb Magee, now in his 55th year at the helm of his Alma Mater and the second-winningest coach in NCAA history behind one Mike Krzyzewski.
Chestnut Hill – Sorgenti Arena is named after Ann Rusnack Sorgenti, who graduated from the college in 1958 and is cited on a plaque outside the gym for her “leadership, dedication and personal generosity. Her husband, Harold, is also listed.
Holy Family – the Campus Center name is a yawner. I would like to formally start a campaign to name the court after the most successful coach in CACC history: Mike McLaughlin, who compiled an absurd 407-61 record in his 14 years leading the women’s program, reaching the 400-win plateau faster than any coach in NCAA history. He’s now the head coach right down the road at UPenn. Each of his Tigers teams won a minimum of 25 games. Let that sink in for a second.
University of the Sciences – another Philly school with a generic building name (Athletics and Recreation Center) but houses a court named after a legend: Bobby Morgan, who racked up 598 wins as head coach between 1968-2000, retiring as one of the 10 winningest coaches in NAIA history.
Georgian Court – the Wellness Center sounds more like a hospital or spa. The historic Casino next door remains the greatest building in which I’ve ever seen a college basketball game.
Goldey-Beacom – the Joseph West Jones Center bears the name of the Beacom College Class of 1932 graduate.
Wilmington – blandly named The Athletics Complex
Next Thursday, we wrap up the history lesson in the Northeast-10. Until then, Happy Hooping to All!