By Paul Gotham
Surveying the Atlantic 10, Metro Atlantic Athletic and Patriot League for some lessons learned the past seven days.
Langston Galloway is one tough hombre
For those who haven’t seen it yet, click here to catch a glimpse of Langston Galloway kissing the hardwood. The video is grainy, but it gets across the point. For those who don’t care to follow the link, think about the curbing scene from American History X. You’ll get the same numb feeling up and down the spine. The thought of open nerves in the mouth. You get the point. Galloway went to the sidelines. Put a towel in his mouth (Yeah, nothing like a little cotton to soothe some open nerves) and returned to finish a reverse layup with 1:39 remaining and send Friday night’s game against Notre Dame into overtime where the Hawks went on to a 79-70 victory. Wonder if mixes thumb tacks with his Cheerios for a little roughage in his breakfast.
Bucknell knows the value of last four and first four
The Bison turned the Gallagher Center on the campus of Niagara University into their home away from home for the weekend. Bucknell went 3-0 beating the host Niagara 88-71, Friday before turning the trick Saturday evening versus New Mexico State, 62-49. Bucknell ended the weekend with a 69-52 victory over West Alabama. In completing the rare trifecta, Bucknell demonstrated a keen ability to take momentum into the locker room and keep it going in the second half. Friday night, Bucknell scored the final seven points of the first half before rattling off 11 more to start the second and rally from an early double-digit deficit. Sunday, the men in orange scored 19 straight between the end of the first and beginning of the second.
Navy’s freshmen can fill it up
Take a moment and write down the names Tilman Dunbar and Kendall Knorr. Use a stone tablet and etch their names if necessary. You’re going to want to remember them.
Check out these three minutes of goodness:
Xavier is driving that “dusty road from Monroe to Angeline”
Many had written off this year’s Xavier Musketeer club. After losing all five of their starters from last season’s Sweet Sixteen team, the talking heads figured it was time for the Musketeers fall back into the pack. Looks like Chris Mack and his club don’t put too much stock into pre-season polls. The Muskies are playing like they have to Prove it All Night. They made Fairleigh-Dickinson look like a high school team with a 117-75 win in their opener. They followed that with a 62-47 early statement win over Butler. Just in case, fans thought the Muskies would get a little full of themselves, they went on to dispense of a pesky Robert Morris club, 61-59.
Jim Baron has keen instincts
Looking to disrupt rhythm in the first half of Saturday’s Big 4 opener, Jim Baron had his Canisius Golden Griffins go with a zone after a made free throw. The result was less than thrilling for the Griffs. SBU’s Eric Mosley looked far too comfortable with the extra room on the perimeter and nailed a three. The 5-10 guard followed with two more on the ensuing possessions.
So with his team clinging to a three-point lead in the final minute, what did Baron do? You guessed it. Canisius went zone. This time it worked, and the Griffs pulled off the 72-69 victory. When asked about his decision Baron remarked: “I don’t know. Sometimes, as a coach you have some instincts.” The guy knows how to play a hunch. Wonder how he does at the race track.
Just because…
Of course the Hawk will never die.
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