Lions Drop Heartbreaker at UMass Boston

ENC Athletic Site: Published: 2010-11-18

An Eastern Nazarene three pointer just missed the back of the rim and a put back attempt rattled out following an offensive rebound resulting in a win for the UMass Boston men’s basketball team in their season and home opener Thursday night in the Clark Athletic Center.

Over the final ten minutes of the second half, Eastern Nazarene battled back from deficits of 11 and 13 to draw within two with just seven seconds remaining. The Lions gathered a loose ball and pushed it down the court to find senior guard DeAngelo Alston waiting in the corner. Alston’s shot skimmed over the rim to Lion freshman John Flakes whose putback bounced off the rim into the hands of UMass Boston to end the game giving the Beacons the 69-67 victory.

UMass Boston was led sophomore guard Jason White who registered 17 points while shooting 6 of 11 from the field. Freshmen Dontreal Thomas and Mark Reddick each contributed ten points. Senior forward Pat Joseph grabbed a team high 9 rebounds and blocked a shot to go along with his 3 assists in the Beacon victory.

Junior center Chima Ezeigbo scored 20 points, gathered 13 rebounds and blocked 6 shots to anchor the Lions. Freshman John Flakes Jr. tallied 19 points while grabbing 10 boards and blocking 4 shots. Aaron Johnson contributed to the Lions comeback efforts with 15 points and 7 rebounds. Alston ran the offense efficiently dishing out 7 assists while scoring 7 points and grabbing 3 rebounds.

The Lions played with intensity throughout and gathered momentum late in the second half. These spurts of dominance look to be signs that the young team is heading in a positive direction and will have a chance to make quality stand in the TCCC this season.

The Lions will be looking to execute every facet of their game and notch their first win of the new season this Saturday when they host Wheaton College in their home opener at 7pm.

ENC Drops Season Opener

The Eastern Nazarene men’s basketball team let the opportunity to start the season on the right foot slip in their season opener as they fell on the road to Suffolk University 76-69.

The difference in the game was rebounding and free throw shooting.

While the Rams were 23-30 from the charity stripe, the Lions were just 5-18. The majority of the damage came from a pair of players, DeAngelo Alston, a career 77% at the line, and Aaron Johnson, a career 64%, who are characteristically well above average free throw shooters. So take those woes with a grain of salt, it was nothing more than an aberration.

Rebounding was a different story as the Lions were outdone on the glass 58-43. Leading the rams on the boards was reigning GNAC Rookie of the Year Matt Pepdjonovic. The B.C. High product collected 23 rebounds, more than half of ENC’s total, and seven of which were offensive. Pepdjonovic added 22 points to his line, recording his first career 20-20 game.

“We allowed him [Pepdjonovic] to muscle up and play his game,” said head coach Jim Aller, “it was a bit disappointing”

The Lions found sound contributions from freshman Eddie Allen. The Marshall, Texas native attained 16 minutes of play and chipped in eight point, corralled four rebounds, two offensive, and dished out an assist, without turning the ball over. This could be a pleasant surprise for the Lions as they strive towards establishing a quality bench.

“I like to play 10 players, I always have,” said Aller, “It would be nice to establish a rotation early and Eddie and Kendall [Sutton] played quality minutes for us.”

There was another satisfying aspect of the season opener. Alston was back on the court for the first time since the 2008-2009 season finale, at Roger Williams. That alone is welcome news, but a much finer tell of how Alston feels, to coming back from a stress fracture in his left foot, is he played all 40 minutes.

“I kept looking over to the scorers table thinking I was going to be subbed out soon,” said Alston, “but coach just ran with me, kept giving me plays to run. I’m tired right now [morning after game] more because I played 40 minutes 12 hours ago, but my foot feels fine.”

Like the beginning of any year, teams play a non conference schedule to establish rhythm and chemistry. The Lions are no different and they have 8 more games to acquire these attributes before they invade, TCCC opponent, Endicott's court.

Let the Excitement Begin

"I swear, I'm so excited, I may not sleep tonight. No, jokes."

This the response from junior point guard DeAngelo Alston, who will be making his first appearance, representing Eastern Nazarene, in over a year, when asked, the night before opening night, if he was excited for the first game of the 2010-2011 season.

Alston missed all of the 2009-2010 campaign due to a stress fracture in his left foot in which he injured during the preseason. If Alston was trying to hold back a smile, he failed miserably. Alston's beam, from ear to ear, may have been induced by the BBQ pork chops he was having from the ENC cafeteria, but I have a hunch the food had nothing to do with his titillated glee.

"I just can't wait to get out there and play," said Alston, "I feel real good about this team, we have a chance to turn some heads."

Turn some heads is exactly what they're going to have to do to earn respect around the Commonwealth Coast Conference. The Lions were voted by TCCC coaches to finish 13th, of 14 teams and two spots lower than 2009-2010, in conference this season.

This is nothing short but a blow to the face, as ENC graduated one basketball player from a season ago and he played a minor role, averaging 6.9 minutes a game. Alston's response to the poll, "that's why we play the games."

A year of experience under the belts of Aaron Johnson, Josh Butler, Corban Clinkscale, and second team All Conference selection, Chima Ezeigbo will surely help. While upperclassmen CJ Gonzales, Mike McCoy, Jon Atwater, and DeAngelo Alston look to improve from years past.

The group of first year's, Kendall Sutton, JJ Johnson, Brian Hard, Matt Jayne, Johnny Flakes, John Cramer, Eddie Allen, Jesse Anderson, Larry Jackson, and James Bertier, look to provide all that they can for the betterment of the team.

With such talent on the roster, it may take time for Coach Aller to establish an eight or nine man rotation he is comfortable playing the bulk of the minutes. Like the beginning of any year, teams play a few non conference games to establish rhythm and chemistry. The Lions have 11 games to get their act together before they invade, TCCC opponent, Endicott's court.

"I believe we have a talented roster," said Alston, "and definitely have seven or eight guys coach can rely on in big situations."

Tonight is the night fans, player, faculty and staff have been waiting for for weeks. The opening season tip-off is always special, but for the Lions it's the start of something special. A season in which they believe they have something to prove, that they belong in the playoff conversation, and tonight, at 8:00 P.M., when the ball gets thrown in the air, at center court of Suffolk University, the opportunity allow the unexpected to be expected begins.

Curry #1 In Preseason Poll

Curry College has been selected as the favorite to win the 2010-11 TCCC men’s basketball championship, it was announced today by Commissioner Gregg M. Kaye. Voting for the preseason poll was conducted among the league’s head men’s basketball coaches.

Curry College (15-14, 10-3 TCCC) received four of the 14 first-place votes in the 2010-11 TCCC preseason poll. Endicott College was selected to finish second, receiving three first place votes. Wentworth Institute of Technology was picked to finish third acquiring three first place votes as well. Colby-Sawyer garnered two first place votes and was tabbed to finish fourth, while Roger Williams University picked up one first place vote and was projected to finish fifth.

Teams received 14 points for every first place vote received, 13 points for second place votes, 12 points for third place votes, down to one point for a last place vote. First place votes are shown in parentheses.


2010-2011 TCCC PRESEASON MEN’S BASKETBALL POLL
Curry 174 (4)
Endicott 164 (3)
Wentworth 157 (3)
Colby-Sawyer 149 (2)
Roger Williams 127 (1)
Western New England 105
Anna Maria 103
Gordon 99
Nichols 95
Regis 89 (1)
University of New England 83
Salve Regina 63
Eastern Nazarene 41
New England College 21 


TCCC Press Release


TCCC Website: Preseason Poll

Midnight Madness Intros

I had a great time with this project. Both the men's and women's basketball team's were class acts, professional, a great people to work with. I thank you all for your cooperation and hope you had a good time with the making of this video and Midnight Madness as a whole. I wish both teams the best of luck this season.

Midnight Madness 2010 Promo Videos

Players Control Their Destiny

As the regular season approaches the ENC men’s basketball team has its sights on getting better each and every practice.  Players have been coming to practice with an upbeat, business like, attitude for the practice that lies ahead.

With two scrimmages in the books, the last an encouraging one at Husson College, practices have incrementally come to be game like, in both agenda, intensity, and mentality.

They’re still a ways away from contending for a conference title. Four conference wins, in 2009-2010, and many of the same players serving similar roles, typically, doesn’t get you into the conference championship conversation, but maybe this is the way they want it to be.

Maybe they want to play the “no one respects us” card. Bring a high compete level and have the fortitude to win a few games that no one believed you could win. All of a sudden you put yourself in a scenario where you’ve envisioned yourself in, a place where everyone else considered laughable.

This philosophy has worked for many teams in the past, at all levels of competitive sports. The New England Patriots are the king sitting in the “no one believed in us” throne. Even when they were well on their way to winning three of four Super Bowls and everyone picked them, believed in them, and respected them, they still came out and bellowed out, to anyone who would listen, that “we believed, when no one else did.”

This could, very well, work for this particular group. The potential on this team is endless, the talent is visible and present. Whether it be in a game, practice, or pick up, the skill set of certain players is eye popping.

Can these players coexist, will they put aside personal accolades for the well being of the team? Basketball has turned into an egotistical, twitter era, self promotion, self absorbed sport, where “as long as I get mine” rules the court. But, championship basketball relies on the team concept. One on one basketball can win ball games, can even take you to the post season, but win the big one, I don’t think so.

ENC men’s basketball has had its fair share of selfishness that prohibited even the most talented teams to win. From the, unwarranted, constant feeding of Luc Jasmin, when there was a talented facilitator in JP Marcellus on the roster, to the “well my right hand baseline dribble in so dominant (in my mind) that I won’t acknowledge the open man”, Deandre Brown era.

This particular team seems and feels different. They seem to be putting self aside, and Coach Aller seems adamant to weeding out selfishness. There isn’t one player on the roster who will consistently take over a game, whether it be because of skill or stature. Due to the lack of a go to guy, for now, each player has his own role, some bigger than others, but when each of them take their roles to heart, they compete at a high level.

Ultimately, this is all fans, faculty and staff are looking for, a high compete level. Add brains to the equation and these ENC Lions will have an opportunity to turn some heads in 2010-2011.