The Pioneer Trail: Friday, Feb. 27, 2015

2/27/2015 10:36:00 AM

Wrestling at Super Region One Tournament - 2:30 p.m.
The LIU Post wrestling team has made increasingly excellent strides in its return season to the mat. Now the Pioneers are on their way to the Super Region I Tournament in West Liberty, W. Va. with a good opportunity to qualify for the NCAA Division II National Championships.

LIU Post was recently ranked in a tie for sixth in the Basford/Super Region One Rankings, with three wrestlers individually ranked in the latest polls. Freshman Joe Calderone (Huntington Station, N.Y.) was slotted second at the 133-lb. weight class, after a 22-6 overall record this season. Junior Jesse Meaney (Toms River, N.J.) and senior Chris DiIorio (Holtsville, N.Y.) ranked third at 141 and 197 pounds, respectively. 

Today's action will feature Round of 16 and quarterfinal matches in all weight classes, with two rounds of consolation bouts also scheduled.

Women's Basketball vs. Daemen - 5 p.m.
The LIU Post women's basketball team has already clinched a playoff berth in the East Coast Conference Tournament. As of right now, the Pioneers would be the No. 5 seed going into next week's championship action. However, resting on laurels would keep the green and gold out of the running to host a first-round contest. With two last games this weekend, there is room to improve and a potential to make a run for a higher seed.

LIU Post (15-11, 11-7 ECC) was soundly defeated 100-70 by NYIT in its last contest on Tuesday (Feb. 24) in Old Westbury. Senior guard Chelsea Williams (Copiague, N.Y.) led the team with 20 points and seven assists and junior center Nyasia Davis (Rahway, N.J.) collected another double-double (15 points, 10 rebounds) in the effort. Senior guard Ashley Castle (Brooklyn, N.Y.) added 15 points, but the three players combined to shoot just 15-for-46 from the field and only hit a combined four three-pointers in 21 attempts. Sophomore guard/forward Essence Casey (Huntington Station, N.Y.) provided a nice spark off the bench, scoring six points and pulling down eight rebounds in 33 minutes of action.

Williams is the leading point-scorer in the conference, averaging 20.9 points per game for the Pioneers. Davis is averaging a double-double (13.3 ppg, 10.8 rpg) and has 14 of those superlatives on the season. The Pioneers are struggling when it comes to free throw percentage (62.5 percent) and field-goal defense (42.3 percent), as they are at or near the bottom of the conference in those statistics. That being said, LIU Post does hold a plus-5.6 rebounding margin, and a 41.6 rebounds per game mark for the year. Tonight's contest will also feature a pre-game senior ceremony for three LIU Post players - Williams, Castle and forward Jessica Little (Wyandanch, N.Y.).

Daemen (11-13, 8-10 ECC) is ineligible for postseason play, being in its final year of reclassification from the USCAA to the NCAA. However, the Wildcats can still play spoiler to postseason-bound teams looking to increase their seeds. Daemen lost a hard-fought 60-55 contest to Roberts Wesleyan on Tuesday (Feb. 24) in Rochester, as the Redhawks got revenge on their Western New York rivals for a 70-69 upset earlier in the season.

Senior forward Shy Britton (Rochester, N.Y.) led the team with 15 points in her return to her hometown, while freshman guard Sarah Saba (Lancaster, N.Y.) added 12 points and eight rebounds. Sophomore forward Natalie Galus (Hamburg, N.Y.) hit three three-pointers on her way to a nine-point, nine-rebound performance. 

Four Wildcats are averaging over 10 points per contest, led by Saba's 14.3 points per game mark. She, along with Galus and Britton, are averaging over 10.0 points and seven rebounds per contest. Junior guard Raeann Stilwell (Cheektowaga, N.Y.) is averaging 12.3 points and 2.8 assists per game.

LIU Post won the last match-up between the two squads, 79-69, in Amherst, N.Y. on Jan. 23. Williams led the Pioneers with 21 points, while Davis pulled down 17 rebounds and scored 11 points. Britton and Saba each poured in 21 for Daemen in the loss.

No. 22 UDC has clinched the top seed in next week's ECC Tournament, with a 17-2 record in conference play. Queens has a 15-4 mark, which is a half-game better than the 14-4 record held by Roberts Wesleyan. The Redhawks play NYIT tonight, with the Bears at 12-6. LIU Post sits behind NYIT, with St. Thomas Aquinas already clinching the No. 6 seed at 9-10.

Men's Basketball vs. Daemen - 7:30 p.m.
Tonight's men's basketball game features a unique match-up in that both teams are gearing up for postseason action, albeit in different organizations. LIU Post has clinched a playoff berth in the ECC Championship with a chance to head to the NCAA Tournament. Daemen, in their final year of NCAA reclassification, will be the top seed in next week's USCAA Division I National Championship Tournament. The Wildcats can still spoil the Pioneers' chances for a higher seed in the conference tournament, but the green and gold will look to provide a late charge to potentially host an ECC playoff game.

LIU Post (14-12, 9-9 ECC) dropped a 90-80 decision to NYIT on Tuesday (Feb. 24) in Old Westbury, as the two teams split the "Battle of the Boulevard" this season. Senior guard P.J. Torres (New Rochelle, N.Y.) made the most of his chance in the starting line-up, scoring a season-high 30 points and adding 10 rebounds to his account. Senior forward Tyuan Williams (Newark, N.J.) knocked down six shots from the field on his way to a 14-point night. Defensively, the Pioneers had problems limiting the offensive output of NYIT senior guard Darian Hooker (Washington, D.C.). The conference MVP candidate poured in 41 points, hitting 10-of-21 on field goal attempts and knocking down 18-of-21 from the foul line. Additionally, LIU Post struggled from to hit free throws, sporting a 37.5 percent (6-of-16) clip from the charity stripe.

Williams and Torres are the top scorers for the Pioneers, averaging 14.4 and 13.6 points per game, respectively. Williams leads the team with an average of 8.1 rebounds per game, as well as a free throw percentage of 77.1 percent  (74-of-96). Sophomore forward Greg Dotson (Abington, Pa.) is the only other Pioneer in double figures, averaging 11.4 points per game. Tonight's contest will be preceded by a Senior Night ceremony for Torres, Williams, Isiah Stokley (Queens, N.Y.) and Charles McCann (Springfield Gardens, N.Y.).

Daemen (18-8, 13-5 ECC) would be the third seed in the upcoming East Coast Conference Tournament, but the Wildcats are ineligible for postseason play until the 2015-16 season, when they become a full-fledged NCAA member. Daemen defeated Western New York rival Roberts Wesleyan, 59-54, on Tuesday (Feb. 24) in Rochester to earn the season sweep. Senior guard Kyle Clifford (West Seneca, N.Y.) had a career-high 24 points on 6-for-8 shooting from long range in the win. The Wildcats overcame a slower performance from senior forward Gerald Beverly (Rochester, N.Y.) to pick up the victory. The reigning ECC Defensive Player of the Year and Preseason Co-Player of the Year had 15 points and nine rebounds for Daemen.

Beverly is second in the conference with a 20.3 points per game average, and first in the ECC in rebounds per game (12.2) and field goal percentage (.602). Junior guard/forward Torrence Dyck (Rochester, N.Y.) is second on the team and fourth in the conference with a 19.3 points per game clip. As a team, Daemen has the best field-goal percentage (.481) in the East Coast Conference, and the Wildcats have a plus-4 rebounding margin. That mark is second only to the plus-6.3 rebounding edge that LIU Post gains on average per contest.

Daemen defeated LIU Post, 79-74, in the previous match-up between the two squads back on Jan. 23 in Amherst, N.Y. The Pioneers were led by Williams and Torres, who each scored 14 points. Dyck and Beverly provided double-doubles for the Wildcats, with Dyck scoring a game-high 23 points and pulling down 12 rebounds. Beverly added 18 and 12 in the win.

In the ECC standings, Bridgeport and St. Thomas Aquinas have locked up the top two seeds with identical 16-3 records. Molloy and Dowling are tied for third with matching 10-9 marks in conference play, while LIU Post and NYIT stand in a tie for fifth place at 9-9.

No. 3/2 Men's Lacrosse vs. Saint Leo - 7:30 p.m.
As part of the North Florida College Lacrosse Faceoff, the LIU Post men's lacrosse team will play two contests this weekend in the Sunshine State. First up for the green and gold is a Saint Leo squad with a prolific goal-scorer looking to spring the monumental upset.

The Pioneers (2-0, 1-0 ECC) won their conference and home opener on Sunday (Feb. 22) by defeating Roberts Wesleyan, 14-7, at Bethpage Federal Credit Union Stadium. Junior attackers Matt Bellando (Miami, Fla.) and Ryan Slane (North Babylon, N.Y.) and senior attackman Chris Caiazza (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) each scored a hat trick for the Pioneers, as the team led 5-1 after one quarter, 9-2 at halftime, and 13-3 following three periods of play. Bellando had a six-point outing in his home debut as a Pioneer, collecting three assists, while Slane, senior midfielder Connor Drost (Wading River, N.Y.) and freshman midfielder Kris Alvarado (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) had two helpers apiece on the day. Senior defenseman Dan Jeannotte (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) continued his dominance on faceoffs, winning 10 of 13 draws to set up the Pioneers' attack. Junior goalie Adam Winne (Ridgefield, Conn.) made six saves in three periods of play to pick up the win.

Saint Leo (1-0) used a four-goal first period to defeat Coker, 14-9, on Valentine's Day in South Carolina. The Lions were led by junior midfielder Dylan Yonts (Penn Yan, N.Y.), who scored seven goals on 13 shots to lead the offense. Four of Yonts's goals were on the man-advantage, and seven other players tallied a goal for Saint Leo in the win. Junior netminder Dave Moore (Lake Mary, Fla.) made eight saves in the win, and third-year midfielder Will Cothron (Ocala, Fla.) won 19 of 25 faceoffs for the Lions. Cothron also collected a game-high 16 ground balls in the triumph.