Acton Earns ECAC Weekly Defensive Honor

CENTERVILLE, Mass. – Loyola University Maryland senior defender Reid Acton was named the ECAC Co-Defensive Player of the Week on Monday after helping the Greyhounds’ defense hold Ohio State University just four goals and 23 shots in a 9-4 conference win on Saturday afternoon in Columbus.

Acton, who shared this week’s award with the U.S. Air Force Academy’s Kyle O’Brien, took on primary marking responsibilities for the Buckeyes’ Logan Schuss, Ohio State’s leading scorer with 20 goals entering Saturday’s contest.

The Loyola co-captain held Schuss without a goal during the time that he was covering him; the reigning ECAC Offensive Player of the Year’s only goal came 55 seconds into the contest when he pushed up to the midfield and scored against a Loyola defensive midfielder.

Acton held Schuss to only five shots, just two that were on goal. Additionally, Acton was part of a Loyola defense that had a 29-20 advantage in credited ground balls, and he helped force 16 Ohio State turnovers, three by Schuss.

Over the past two games, Acton and the Greyhounds have allowed just seven total goals by opponents.

The award is the third of Acton’s career after he earned Defensive Player of the Week honors three times last season. It is also the fifth-straight week a Loyola player has won the award this season.

Loyola (8-2 overall, 4-0 ECAC) returns to Ridley Athletic Complex for its next game, a 2:30 p.m. contest against Fairfield University.

Ward, Fletcher Earn ECAC Weekly Honors

CENTERVILLE, Mass. – A pair of Loyola University Maryland juniors – attacker Justin Ward (co-offensive) and defender Joe Fletcher (defensive) – earned weekly honors from the ECAC Lacrosse League on Monday following the Greyhounds’ 13-7 victory over the United States Air Force Academy in the Whitman’s Sampler Mile High Classic on Saturday.

Ward, who was named the Mile High Classic game Most Valuable Player, tallied his second game with seven or more points this season, scoring two goals and matching his career-high with five assists, contributing to more than half of the Greyhounds’ goals. Three of his five assists were to players within two yards of the crease, giving his teammates one-on-one opportunities with the goalkeeper. He scored the Greyhounds’ third goal of the game, wrapping up a 3-0 run that put Loyola on top, 3-1, with 3:47 to play in the first quarter.

Ward also had two assists during a 4-0 third-quarter run that pushed Loyola’s lead to six. He also caused a turnover and picked up two ground balls. Ward continues to lead the team in scoring this season with 18 goals and 16 assists for 34 points in seven games.

Fletcher had an outstanding performance on close defense when he took the assignment of covering Air Force’s offensive quarterback, Preseason All-American Keith Dryer, and he held the attacker without a point. Dryer had four goals and a team-leading 10 assists entering the game.

Fletcher, a Preseason First Team All-American had three ground balls and a caused turnover in the game, and he did the little things that did not show up in the box score. He twice outraced Air Force players after a Falcons’ shot that went out of bounds, garnering possession for the Greyhounds.

The weekly awards are the third and fourth of the season for Loyola players and the first of both Ward and Fletcher’s careers. Goalkeeper Jack Runkel and long-stick midfielder Scott Ratliff earned Defensive Player of the Week honors each of the two preceding weeks.

Ward, Fletcher and the Greyhounds return to the field on Wednesday, March 20, for their final midweek game of the 2013 regular-season when they play at Georgetown University in a 7 p.m. contest.

Ratliff Picks Up ECAC Weekly Honor

CENTERVILLE, Mass. – Loyola University Maryland senior long-stick midfielder Scott Ratliff was named the ECAC Lacrosse League Defensive Player of the Week on Monday marking the second week in a row a Greyhounds’ player has claimed the honor.

Ratliff was the leader of the Greyhounds’ defensive and possession teams on Friday night against Duke. He scored Loyola’s first goal of the game in the first quarter after causing a turnover, picking up the ground ball and clearing it himself into the offensive end before firing a shot for a goal.

Ratliff finished the game with a game-high seven ground balls, helping Loyola to a 35-25 advantage in the category, and he also led all players with four caused turnovers.

Last week, Loyola goalkeeper Jack Runkel earned ECAC Defensive Player of the Week honors. This week’s award is the fifth of Ratliff’s career. He won a Defensive Player of the Week award in each of the last two seasons and two Specialist of the Week honors last year.

Cambridge, Mass.- UMBC senior goalkeeper Adam Cohen (Arnold, Md./The Severn School) was named America East Men’s Lacrosse Player of the Week for games ending Feb. 24, 2012.

Cohen led the Retrievers in the squad’s 11-7 victory over Rutgers at UMBC Stadium on Feb. 23. Over the final three quarters, the Retriever netminder made 12 of his 13 saves and allowed only five goals over the same span of time.

The 13 stops were one shy of his career high of 14 made at Rutgers in 11-7 victory in 2012. He also received America East Conference Player of the Week honors after his performance in that contest a season ago.

UMBC (1-1) faces defending national champions and current No. 4 Loyola (2-1) at Ridley Athletic Complex on Tues., Feb. 26 at 7:00 p.m.

Cormier Named MAAC Player Of The Week

EDISON, N.J. – Loyola University Maryland junior guard Dylon Cormier (Baltimore, Md./Cardinal Gibbons High School) was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Player of the Week on Monday after leading the Greyhounds to a pair of league victories last week.

Cormier led Loyola in scoring and steals last week, averaging 20.5 and 4.0, respectively, as the Greyhounds defeated Canisius College, 68-64, at home on Thursday and Siena College, 80-57, on Saturday in Albany, N.Y. He shot 92.9-percent from the free-throw line in the games, making all but one of his 14 attempts.

Against the Golden Griffins in a game between two teams tied for second place, at the time, Cormier scored 17 points, dished out three assists and had three steals.

He followed that performance with a 24-point outburst on Saturday night at Siena, making 9-of-10 at the line against the Saints. His 24 points led all scorers, and he recorded a game-best five steals.

This season, Cormier is fourth in the MAAC and tops on the team with a 17.0-points per game average. He also leads the league in steals (54) and steals per game (2.0).

The 19-9 Greyhounds step out of conference play for their next game, a Saturday night contest at Tennessee State University in Nashville as part of the Ramada Worldwide Bracketbuster event.

JERRELLE BENIMON NAMED CAA PLAYER OF THE WEEK FOR THE FOURTH TIME

Junior Forward Averaged 18.5 Points & 12.0 Rebounds in Towson’s Wins at UNCW & Drexel

RICHMOND, Va. - Towson University junior Jerrelle Benimon was named the Colonial Athletic Association Men’s Basketball Player of the Week, it was announced by the league on Monday. It marks the fourth time this season that the forward has won the weekly award.

Benimon averaged 18.5 points, 12.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 4.0 blocks per game as Towson posted road wins against UNC Wilmington and Drexel last week.

The junior forward had a team-high 19 points, eight rebounds, a career-high tying five assists and a career-best five blocks as the Tigers handed UNCW its first home loss of the year, 69-64. He followed with a game-high 18 points, 16 rebounds, four assists and three blocks in a 69-66 victory at Drexel that snapped the Dragons’ 17-game CAA winning streak.

Benimon ranks fifth nationally in both rebounds per game (11.7) and double-doubles (9). He’s also Top 5 in the CAA in scoring (16.5 ppg), blocks (2.0 bpg) and field goal percentage (52.7).

Towson will seeks its fourth straight win and a 3-0 start in CAA play on Wednesday as the Tigers host William & Mary at 7 p.m.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Jerrelle Benimon • Towson
Jr., F, 6-8, 245 – Warrenton, Va./Fauquier
Benimon scored a team-high 20 points and grabbed a career-high 21 rebounds in Towson’s 67-66 overtime victory at Oregon State on Saturday. It was the eighth double-double of the year for Benimon, who became the first Division I player with 20+ points and 20+ rebounds in a game this season. The junior forward was 8-of-16 from the floor and played all 45 minutes.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK:
Jerome Hairston • Towson
Fr., G, 6-3, 190 – Cheyenne, Wyo./Christ School
Hairston contributed nine points, five rebounds and three assists in Towson’s 67-66 overtime win at Oregon State. The freshman point guard played a career-high 36 minutes and committed only one turnover. All nine of Hairston’s points came in the second half as the Tigers rallied from a 19-point deficit.

CONFERENCE NOTES:

Towson Upsets Oregon State: Towson overcame a 19-point deficit with 16:06 remaining and defeated Oregon State 67-66 in overtime on Saturday. Junior Marcus Damas nailed a game-winning jumper with 0.8 seconds left in the extra session as the Tigers earned their first win over a team from a BCS conference since beating Louisville on Jan. 30, 1995 in the Towson Center. Junior forward Jerrelle Benimon led Towson with 20 points and a career-high 21 rebounds, becoming the first Division I player to post 20+ points and 20+ rebounds in a game this season.

Conference Play Resumes On Wednesday: Conference play resumes in the CAA this week with nine games on the slate. On Wednesday, Old Dominion hosts James Madison, Drexel travels to Georgia State and UNCW entertains Towson. On Thursday, Northeastern meets George Mason in a game televised nationally on NBC Sports Network. There are five games on Saturday, with Delaware at Old Dominion and George Mason at William & Mary televised regionally on Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, Philadelphia and New England as well as CSS. William & Mary topped ODU 71-62 in the only December conference game on Dec. 1. Hofstra will be the final team to start CAA play on Jan. 7.

Drexel Closes In On Consecutive CAA Wins Record: Drexel enters its conference opener at Georgia State on Wednesday having won 16 consecutive CAA games. The streak is the third-longest in league history, trailing only George Mason (18 from Jan. 12, 2011-Jan. 8, 2012) and Richmond (17 from Feb. 1988-Feb. 1989). It was the Dragons who ended George Mason’s streak last season with a 60-53 victory in Philadelphia.

Three CAA Players Among Cousy Award Candidates: Drexel’s Frantz Massenat, James Madison’s Devon Moore and Georgia State’s Devonta White are among 85 candidates for the Bob Cousy Award, which is presented to the nation’s top collegiate point guard. The list of candidates will be trimmed to 20 in early January and the winner will be announced at the Final Four.

Doubling Up: Delaware senior Jamelle Hagins and Towson junior Jerrelle Benimon are among the nation’s leaders with eight double-doubles. Seven other CAA players have multiple double-doubles: UNCW’s Keith Rendleman (5), ODU’s DeShawn Painter (4), Towson’s Bilal Dixon (2), Northeastern’s Quincy Ford (2), JMU’s Rayshawn Goins (2), Northeastern’s Reggie Spencer (2) and UNCW’s Cedrick Williams (2). All 11 teams have had at least one player post a double-double this season.

Down To The Wire: Of the 131 non-conference games involving CAA teams this season, 57 of them (43.5%) have been decided by six points or less and 11 have gone to overtime. Nine of George Mason’s 12 games have had margins of five points or less. Towson has had seven games with margins of six points or less, Delaware has had five and Drexel has had four. Northeastern has had five games decided by three points or less. Georgia State has won three games by two points or less and dropped its last four by a total of 12 points and James Madison has been involved in three one-point decisions and a two-point contest.

UD’s Saddler, Hagins Moving Up Career Lists: Delaware guard Devon Saddler has the second-most career points (1,252) of any junior in Division I, trailing only Creighton’s Doug McDermott. Saddler, who is averaging a league-best 19.8 ppg this season, has also moved up to 15th on UD’s all-time scoring list. Blue Hens’ forward Jamelle Hagins has 871 career rebounds and is just 46 shy of UD’s all-time record. He ranks 7th in CAA history with 240 career blocked shots.

Youth Movement: There are just eight seniors among the top 30 scorers in the CAA through games of Dec. 30 and Northeastern’s Joel Smith and UNCW’s Keith Rendleman are the only seniors among the top 10. The top 30 also includes 12 juniors, six sophomores and four freshmen.

Freshmen Among Steals Leaders: JMU guard Andre Nation ranks second in the CAA with 2.0 steals per game and is among five freshmen among the league’s top 15 in steals. GSU’s R.J. Hunter is 4th (1.9 spg), ODU’s Keenan Palmore is tied for 6th (1.8 spg), Northeastern’s David Walker is 12th (1.5 spg) and Towson’s Jerome Hairston is 14th (1.5 spg).

Delaware

• Have been off since an 83-60 win over Penn on Dec. 21. UD hosts Rider on Monday.

• Senior Jamelle Hagins had 18 points, 13 rebounds and 3 blocks in the Penn win. Hagins, who has a league-high 8 double-doubles this season, leads the CAA in rebounding (12.2 rpg) and ranks 2nd in FG% (57.4%) and blocks (2.3 bpg).

• Junior Devon Saddler, who leads the CAA in scoring with 19.8 ppg, contributed 12 points vs. Penn. Saddler has scored double digits in 18 straight games and has topped the 12-point mark in every game this season.

• Freshman Terrell Rogers scored 12 points vs. Penn while fellow rookie Marvin King-Davis tallied a career-high eight points.

• Sophomore Jarvis Threatt contributed a season-high 18 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists vs. Penn. Threatt is averaging 16.5 ppg over his past two contests.

Drexel

• Have been off since defeating Davidson 69-58 on Dec. 22 for their first home win of the year. Drexel hosts St. Joseph’s on Monday.

• Sophomore Damion Lee led Drexel in scoring for the 5th straight game with 26 points and 11 rebounds vs. Davidson. Lee has scored 15 or more points in each of his last eight games and ranks second in the CAA in scoring with 18.6 ppg.

• Junior Frantz Massenat contributed 14 points and six assists in the Davidson win. Massenat is 2nd in the CAA in assists (4.5 apg) and has scored double digits in seven of his last eight games.

• Senior Daryl McCoy grabbed 9 rebounds vs. Davidson and went over 700 rebounds (702) for his career. He ranks 12th all-time in rebounds at Drexel.

• Drexel outrebounded the Wildcats 40-14. The Dragons had more offensive rebounds (19) than Davidson had total caroms.

George Mason

• Fell 61-57 at South Florida on Saturday. All of five of the Patriots’ losses have been by seven points or less.

• Junior Sherrod Wright scored a team-high 22 points at USF. He has scored 20+ points in 4 straight games, becoming the first Mason player to do so since Jason Miskiri in January, 1999.

• Wright has been Mason’s top scorer in 10 of 12 games and ranks among the CAA’s top 5 in scoring, FG% and 3-point FG%.

• Sophomore Corey Edwards is averaging 10.0 ppg and 2.5 spg over his past two games

• Mason is 18-2 at home under coach Paul Hewitt, including 3-1 this season.

• Mason tops the CAA in scoring defense (61.1 ppg) and ranks 3rd in FG% defense (39.8%).

• Sophomore Erik Copes contributed seven points, six rebounds and two blocks at USF.

Georgia State

• Lost 68-64 in overtime at Ga. Southern on Saturday. The Panthers have dropped four straight games by a total of 12 points.

• Guard R.J. Hunter, who leads all CAA freshmen in scoring (15.5 ppg) and rebounding (5.8 rpg), had 14 points and 3 steals at Ga. Southern. He’s scored double figures 10 times and has five 20-point outings.

• Junior guard Devonta White aIso scored 14 points at Ga. Southern. He’s reached double digits in 12 of 13 games. White leads the CAA in steals and ranks 8th in assists.

• Junior Manny Atkins had 11 points and 8 rebounds at Ga. Southern , which was his 9th straight game scoring in double figures. Atkins leads GSU in rebounding (6.6 rpg) and is 2nd in the CAA in 3-pt FG% (42.3%).

• GSU has 109 steals in 13 games after ranking 4th nationally (9.3 spg) last year.

• Senior James Vincent had 11 points, nine rebounds and five blocks at Ga. Southern. He leads the CAA with 2.5 bpg.

Hofstra

• Have been off since falling 83-62 to Tulane in Brooklyn, N.Y. on Dec. 22. Will try to stop a 7-game slide at Florida Atlantic on New Year’s Day.

• Sophomore guard Taran Buie scored a team-high 15 points vs. Tulane. The Penn State transfer has tallied double figures in seven straight games and nine of his last 10 contests. He’s 9th in the CAA in scoring.

• Senior Stevie Mejia contributed nine points, eight rebounds and six assists vs. Tulane. Mejia ranks 3rd in the CAA with 4.2 apg and has also scored double digits six times.

• Freshman Jordan Allen scored a career-high 13 points on 5-of-6 FG shooting vs. Wright State and followed with eight points vs. Tulane.

• Senior Matt Grogan tied his career-high with seven points vs. Tulane and freshman Adam Savion established a new career-high with six points.

James Madison

• Have been off since defeating San Jose St. 77-68 and San Diego 62-59 in the Vegas Holiday Hoops event on Dec. 22-23. JMU has won five of its last six games after starting with a 1-5 mark.

• JMU shot 78.3% from the floor in the second half vs. SJSU, including a perfect 7-of-7 from 3-point range. The Dukes are among the top three in the CAA in scoring offense, FG percentage and 3-point FG percentage.

• Senior Devon Moore contributed 12 points and seven assists vs. SJSU and 13 second-half points vs. San Diego. Moore is averaging 16.5 ppg over the last four games and leads the CAA in assists (4.6 apg).

• Senior Rayshawn Goins had 13 points and a team-high nine rebounds at SJSU and scored a team-high 15 points vs. San Diego.

• Senior A.J. Davis scored a team-high 18 points in 22 minutes off the bench vs. SJSU and followed with 11 points and a season-high four steals in the San Diego win.

UNCW

• Suffered a 72-60 setback at Campbell on Saturday. UNCW is 5-0 at home, but 0-7 on the road this season.

• Senior Keith Rendleman posted his 5th double-double with team-highs of 18 points and 11 rebounds at Campbell. It was the 9th time he’s led UNCW in scoring. Rendleman ranks among the CAA’s top 6 in scoring, rebounding and FG percentage.

• Freshman Craig Ponder added 12 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists at Campbell. Ponder is averaging 15.5 ppg over his last 2 games.

• Guard Tyree Graham scored eight points in 14 minutes off the bench at Campbell. It was his most points since netting 12 in the season opener vs. UNC Asheville.

• Sophomore Freddie Jackson has made three or more steals four times and ranks 8th in the CAA with 1.7 spg.

• Sophomore Cedrick Williams has grabbed 10+ rebounds three times this season.

Northeastern

• Fell 83-63 at UAB on Saturday. It was the Huskies’ first loss in a true road game this season.

• Sophomore Quincy Ford posted his 2nd double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds at UAB. He’s scored double figures in 9 games and ranks among the top 20 in the CAA in scoring and rebounding.

• Senior Jonathan Lee added 11 points and 3 steals at UAB. Lee has scored double digits in all 3 games and is averaging 15.0 ppg since returning from a preseason foot injury.

• Sophomore Reggie Spencer chipped in 13 points at UAB, which was his 9th game in double figures this season. He leads the CAA in FG percentage (58.5%).

• Senior Joel Smith was held to 4 points at UAB, ending a streak of 9 straight games in double figures. Smith ranks 5th in the CAA in scoring (16.7 ppg) and leads the league with 32 three-pointers.

Old Dominion

• Fell 55-54 to Fairfield on Saturday. It was ODU’s seventh loss in eight home games.

• Senior DeShawn Painter had team-highs of 16 points, 11 rebounds and 4 blocks vs. Fairfield. It was his fourth double-double of the season. Painter is averaging 16.2 ppg and 8.8 rpg over his last five games.

• Sophomore Richard Ross scored a season-high 15 points on 6-of-8 FG shooting vs. Fairfield. He also had 5 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 steals.

• ODU has outrebounded 11 of its 13 opponents and was even on the glass in the other 2 games. The Monarchs lead the CAA in rebound margin (+6.7 rpg).

• Junior Donte Hill has scored double figures eight times this year. Hill is also 5th in the CAA in steals (1.8 spg).

• ODU shot 46.7% from the floor vs. Fairfield, including 52.4% in the first half.

Towson

• Rallied from a 19-point second-half deficit to upset Oregon State 67-66 in overtime on Saturday. It was the Tigers’ first win over a team from a BCS conference since 1995.

• Junior Jerrelle Benimon posted his eighth double-double in the past 11 games with 20 points and a career-high 21 rebounds at OSU. It was Benimon’s fifth game with 16+ rebounds and fourth game with 20+ points.

• Junior Marcus Damas added 16 points at OSU, including the game-winning shot with 0.8 seconds left in OT. It was his fifth double-digit effort of the season.

• The Tigers committed only eight turnovers at OSU – its 2nd-lowest total of the year.

• The Tigers are outrebounding opponents by 6.2 rpg and have beaten 11 of their last 12 opponents on the glass.

• Rafriel Guthrie had eight points and a career-high tying six rebounds at OSU.

William & Mary

• Lost 73-66 at Purdue on Saturday, ending a four-game winning streak.

• Sophomore Marcus Thornton had a team-high 21 points and a career-high six assists at Purdue. Thornton has tallied double digits in 13 straight games and ranks 3rd in the CAA in scoring (18.3 ppg) and 2nd in 3-pointers per game (2.5).

• Junior Kyle Gaillard added 12 points at Purdue. He’s averaging 12.2 ppg and shooting 73.7% over the last six games.

• Junior Tim Rusthoven had 16 points and a team-high 7 rebounds at Purdue. He’s scored double figures in 9 of 11 games and has grabbed 7 or more boards eight times.

• W&M shot 49.1% from the floor against Purdue’s 30th-ranked defense, which was the best by any opponent vs. PU this year.

• Junior guard Brandon Britt chipped in 11 points at Purdue, which was his eighth double-digit effort of the season.

NORFOLK, Va. – Coppin State’s Michael Murray has been selected as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Player of the Week the league announced on Monday.

Murray averaged 15.0 points and 11.5 rebounds in games against UMBC and Wagner. The junior scored 19 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in the Eagles victory at UMBC and added 11 points and 10 rebounds against Wagner.

He shot 63.2 percent from the floor, including 60.0 percent from the three-point line, in the two games. He also added three assists, three steals and a blocked shot.

Murray leads the Eagles averaging 13.4 points and 10.8 rebounds per game and has seven double-doubles for the year.

Rashid Gaston of Norfolk State was named the MEAC Rookie of the Week and Austin Witter of North Carolina A&T took home the Defensive Player of the Week honors.

BENIMON NAMED CAA CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Junior Wins Award for Second Time After Averaging 20 Points & 13 Rebounds Last Week

RICHMOND, Va. - Towson University junior forward Jerrelle Benimon was selected as the Colonial Athletic Association Co-Player of the Week on Monday, the league announced.

The Warrenton, Va. native averaged 20.0 points, 13.0 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 2.0 steals as Towson split a pair of road games last week.

The junior forward scored a career-high 29 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a 68-64 victory at defending America East champion Vermont and contributed a team-high 11 points and a career-high tying 16 rebounds in a 46-40 loss to 15th-ranked Georgetown.

Benimon shot 63.6 percent from the floor and 78.6 percent from the free throw line for the week.

Benimon and William & Mary’s Marcus Thornton are the only two-time winners of the award this season. The Tiger junior also won the weekly honor on November 19th after his stellar play at the 2012 Comfort Suites Invitational.

The Tigers are back in action on Wednesday as they travel to the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, Pa. to take on the Temple Owls. Tip time is set for 7 p.m.

CAA Men’s Basketball Weekly Report – Nov. 19