Jan. 29, 2010

SHOT CLOCK SNIPPETS...
• Charlotte guard Derrio Green's 26-point effort in the 49ers' 74-64 win over #15/#15 Temple on Jan. 27 marked his third performance of 20 or more points against a top 20 team this season.

• Sophomore Kenny Frease recorded his first career double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds in Xavier's 86-50 home win over Duquesne on Jan. 28.

• Junior Marquis Jones' three-pointer with 3.4 seconds remaining on Jan. 26 gave Rhode Island a 65-64 win at Dayton and snapped the Flyers' 30-game home-winning streak, which was the third-longest active streak nationally.

• The A-10 boast three teams in the top 16 of the RPI and six in the top 43 entering play on Jan. 30.

• Freshman Aaric Murray of La Salle is the lone player nationally averaging at least 2.5 blocks per game and 1.0 three-point FG per game. The last player nationally to reach those numbers was Eddie Griffin of Seton Hall in 2000-01 (4.4 bpg., 1.3 3P FG/game).

• All five of Charlotte's wins A-10 play this season have come against teams the 49ers lost to a year ago.

• For his career, junior Damian Saunders of Duquesne has more blocks (186), steals (171) and assists (170) than turnovers (162). Saunders leads the nation with 15 double doubles.

• Prior to this season, 47 different A-10 teams opened league play at 4-0.  Of those 47 teams, 44 advanced to postseason play, with 30 of the 44 earning NCAA berths. Temple and Xavier this season are the 48th and 49th different teams to begin A-10 play with at least four consecutive victories.

LATE GAME HEROICS: If you attempted to beat the traffic and left La Salle, St. Joe's or Duquesne before the final horn on Jan. 23, you missed plenty of excitement. A quick recap:

>Junior An'Juan Wilderness hit a runner in the lane as time expired to give Charlotte an 84-82 win at La Salle. After going 0-8 on the road in A-10 play last season, the 49ers improved to 2-1 this year.

>Senior Garrett Williamson preserved Saint Joseph's 60-59 win over Dayton with a block of Rob Lowery's driving layup with four seconds remaining.

>Melquan Bolding nailed a three-pointer from the corner with 3.4 seconds remaining as Duquesne edged visiting St. Bonaventure, 70-69.

POINT PRESENCE: Rhode Island junior point guard Marquis Jones' three-pointer with 3.4 seconds remaining on Jan. 26 gave URI a 65-64 win at Dayton and snapped the Flyers' 30-game home-winning streak, which was the third-longest active streak nationally. Jones has dished out 24 assists and committed just five turnovers thru the Rams' first six games in A-10 play. For the season, he boasts 89 assists and 29 turnovers.

HOME SUPREMACY: Three-time defending A-10 champion Xavier boasts a 28-game home-winning streak in A-10 action after turning aside Duquesne on Jan. 28, 86-50. Temple holds the record with 34 consecutive home wins in Conference play (Dec. 10, 1987 - Feb. 19, 1991).

IS JURASSIC PARK NEXT?: UMass head coach Derek Kellogg took the team to the Philadelphia Museum of Art on Jan. 27 prior to the team's contest at Saint Joseph's to run up the steps made famous in the inspirational scene of the movie "Rocky." That evening, the Minutemen earned their first road win of the season with an 87-80 victory.

DOUBLE TALK: Duquesne's Damian Saunders notched his 15th double-double of the season and 22nd of his career with 21 points and 11 rebounds in the Dukes' 75-67 loss at Rhode Island on Jan. 20. The junior forward's 15 double-doubles are the most by a Duquesne player in a season since Bruce Atkins had 16 in 1981-82. Saunders has pulled down at least 15 rebounds eight times this season, while his career high for rebounds entering the year was 14 boards.

AWESOME AUSSIE: After arriving in St. Louis from Australia in early January upon gaining eligibility by the NCAA, freshman forward Cody Ellis is averaging 13.8 points and 7.4 rebounds over five games in leading SLU to three victories. His 14-point, 11-rebound performance at Duquesne on Jan. 13 marked the first time a SLU freshman notched a double-double by his second game since Matt Baniak (20 points and 12 rebounds) against East Carolina on Nov. 18, 1997. Ellis scored a game-high 20 points on Jan. 27 in the Billikens 67-62 (OT) loss at George Washington.

FRIENDLY CONFINES: Dayton earned its 500th win in the 40-year history of the University of Dayton Arena on Dec. 29 in a 74-60 victory over Boston University. Xavier has a record of 131-17 (.885) all-time at Cintas Center, its on-campus home arena, and boasts a 20-game home winning streak after downing Duquesne on Jan. 28, 86-50. The Musketeers' 20-game home-winning streak marks their longest since the building opened for the 2000-01 season.

ELITE TERRITORY: Senior guard Ricky Harris scored 23 points in Massachusetts' 87-80 win at Saint Joseph's on Jan. 27 and ranks seventh on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,679 points. On Nov. 18, Harris scored 26 points to move past both Julius Erving (1,370) and Marcus Camby (1,387) and boasts 242 three-point field goals for his career.

GLASS CLEANER: Temple junior forward Lavoy Allen pulled down 14 rebounds in the Owls' 74-64 loss at Charlotte on Jan. 27, his 30th performance with double-digit rebounds since the start of the 2008-09 season. Allen (10.7 ppg., 10.0 rpg.) seeks to become the first TU player to average a double-double since Ollie Johnson in 1970-71. Johnson is also last Owl to average double figures in rebounds.

CONFERENCE CORNER: Entering play on Jan. 30, the A-10 has been ranked in the top 7 of the conference RPI (collegeRPI.com) the entire season and its 121-71 (.630) overall non-league record is on pace to be the fifth-highest winning percentage in non-conference action in A-10 history. 45 of the league's 121 victories have come on the road or on neutral courts and the A-10 is also the top-rated conference in Strength of Schedule according to RealTime RPI.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Andrew Nicholson - St. Bonaventure
Sophomore, Forward, 6-9, 225 lbs.
Mississauga, Ontario/Father Michael Goetz Secondary HS
Nicholson averaged 27.5 points, seven rebounds and 3.5 blocks over two contests...shot 21-of-37 from the field and 13-for-16 from the line...scored a game-high 26 points and added seven rebounds and five blocks on Jan. 20 as St. Bonaventure earned a 70-69 victory at Massachusetts...tied his career high with 29 points - including 20 in the second half - in the Bonnies' 70-69 loss at Duquesne on Jan. 23...marked his fifth 20-point effort of the year...earns his second A-10 Player of the Week honor this season.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Chris Braswell - Charlotte
Freshman, Forward, 6-8, 235 lbs.
Capitol Heights, Md./Hargrave Military Academy (Va.)
Braswell averaged 15.3 points and 10.3 rebounds in leading Charlotte to three victories on the week...scored 16 points and grabbed eight boards on Jan. 17 as the 49ers edged Saint Louis, 63-61 (OT)...had nine points and 10 rebounds in Charlotte's 71-59 win at Richmond on Jan. 20...notched his team-leading sixth double-double of the season on Jan. 23 with 21 points and 13 boards as visiting Charlotte edged La Salle, 84-82...marked his ninth double-digit rebounding performance on the year...tabbed the A-10 Rookie of the Week for a league-best third time.

WEEKLY HONOR ROLL: Charlotte junior forward Shamari Spears averaged 19.3 points and 7.7 rebounds in leading the 49ers to three victories on the week...junior forward Chris Wright of Dayton scored a career-high 28 points at Saint Joseph's on Jan. 23 and averaged 21 points and 8.5 boards on the week...Duquesne junior forward Damian Saunders averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds over two contests...freshman forward Chris Gaston averaged 13 points and 8.5 rebounds on the week and registered his 11th double-double of the year versus Temple on Jan. 23...George Washington freshman guard Lasan Kromah averaged 10.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and two assists over two contests...senior guard Rodney Green scored a career-best 32 points versus Charlotte on Jan. 23 and averaged 23.5 points and 5.5 assists on the week. Freshman teammate Aaric Murray averaged 15.5 points and 6.5 boards over two games...Rhode Island senior guard Keith Cothran averaged 17.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and three steals over two games...Saint Joseph's senior guard Garrett Williamson averaged 13.5 points, four rebounds and three assists in leading the Hawks to a pair of victories, while freshman guard Justin Crosgile averaged 11.5 points and two assists...freshman forward Cody Ellis of Saint Louis averaged 12.5 points and 7.5 boards over two contests...Xavier sophomore guard Jordan Crawford registered his first career double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds in the Musketeers' 72-61 win over URI on Jan. 23 and averaged 19.5 points and 7.5 rebounds on the week.