Meyer on Morris Link

Moon Township, Pa. – Karvel Anderson didn't just school Sacred Heart Thursday night. He "Schoolcrafted'' the Pioneers.
 
In a performance rivaling his 54-point burst for Glen Oaks Community College against Schoolcraft College in junior college two seasons ago, Anderson dropped 36 points on the Pioneers while leading Robert Morris to a 79-70 victory in the Northeast Conference opener for both teams.
 
"Karvel had a spectacular game,'' RMU coach Andrew Toole said. "Incredible. The first four or five minutes, he really didn't do much, but then he hit a three and got his confidence.''
 
"Their best player just outplayed us,'' Sacred Heart coach Anthony Latina said. "We just couldn't do anything with him.''
 
Anderson had an amazingly efficient performance. The senior guard was 15-of-19 from the field, including 6-for-7 from beyond the arc, en route to recording the sixth-best single game scoring performance by a Colonial. Maurice Carter set the single-game record with 42 points at Eastern Michigan Nov. 26, 2002.
 
"It was one of those evenings when you could see he was feeling it,'' Toole said of Anderson's spree. "His teammates did a good job of getting him the ball. It wasn't like he was forcing anything, either. He really diversified his offense. He was driving to the rim and finishing.''
 
"The only way we were going to stop him was to make someone else shoot,'' Latina said. "Unfortunately, we didn't do that. Karvel Anderson, in watching film, is arguably the best guard -- if not the best player -- in the league right now. You can defend him well and he still can make a shot. Not many guys at this level can do that.''
 
Anderson definitively, and decisively, demonstrated that near the end of the game.
 
Following a turnover by the Pioneers and with the Colonials holding a 74-70 lead and the shot clock winding down, Anderson drilled a three from well beyond the top of the key that sealed the deal with 29 seconds remaining. That shot gave Anderson 22 points in the second half.
 
"I think he was channeling the Schoolcraft game there,'' said Toole said, who's seen highlights of that game on film. "He hit some ridiculous shots in that game with two or three guys guarding him. (Against Sacred Heart), he rocked, went between his legs, raised up and made it.''
 
Lucky Jones scored RMU's final two points on free throws several seconds later. Jones finished with 17 points, raising his career total to 923.
 
The Colonials will need solid efforts from Anderson and Jones Saturday when they play at Bryant at 1 p.m. The Bulldogs began their NEC schedule Thursday night by beating visiting Saint Francis University, 77-67.
 
What also will help Robert Morris Saturday is a quicker start.
 
"We have to come out with better energy and intensity," Toole said. "I think that comes from within inside of each of us as we go and prepare for the game."
 
At Sacred Heart, the Colonials trailed early and were behind, 18-13, with 11 and-a-half minutes left in the first half before finding their game.
 
Junior David Appolon played a key role at that point.
 
He followed his offensive rebound with a basket at 8:26. He grabbed another offensive rebound and scored at 7:02. He made a layup at 5:54 to put RMU ahead, 27-25. Thus, Appolon scored all six of his points in less than three minutes.
 
An Anderson trey with 5:25 left sent the Colonials ahead, 30-28, and began a 13-3 run that closed the half.
 
"Dave really gave us a spark off the bench,'' Toole said. "He spearheaded that run in the first half. He gave us great energy. He rebounded. He got some loose balls. He was engaged. He was active. If he can give us 10, 12 or 14 minutes like that every game, he could really help us.''
 
It's worth noting, too, about the Sacred Heart game that freshman point guard Britton Lee played six minutes. Doesn't look like much, but it is when one considers that Lee had played in only two games previously, for a total of four minutes, and hadn't played since the Kentucky game Nov. 17.
 
"He's had a good last few weeks in practice,'' Toole said. "He's trying to work himself into the rotation.''
 
Heretofore, fellow freshman Kavon Stewart had been the only rest-giver for senior point guard Anthony Myers-Pate.
 
"We still need (Lee) and Kavon to come along and contribute,'' Toole said. "In practice, there's been a noticeable difference when (Lee's) on the floor and when he's not. For the most part, he was solid (Thursday). We need some consistency from one of them (Stewart or Lee). We've talked about it as coaches. We thought we'd give Britton a shot.''
 
One other item from Thursday's game.
 
In his postgame media session, Latina said he thinks Robert Morris "is the best offensive
team in our league.''
 
When apprised of that Friday, Toole seemed surprised, maybe because he'd much rather his team be noted for its defense. The Colonials pretty much scrapped their man-to-man defense a month ago in favor of a 2-3 zone, which seems to have become its defensive trademark.
 
"It might be the trademark of the Colonials,'' Toole said, "but it's sometimes the death of me.''
 
UP NEXT: Bryant, picked in the preseason by the NEC coaches to finish in a second-place tie with Robert Morris, had a 44-27 halftime lead over St. Francis U. and was never really threatened in the second half. Alex Francis led the Bulldogs with 23 points, including an 11-of-14 performance from the free throw line, and eight rebounds.
 
Corey Maynard added 18 points, and shooting guard Dyami Starks scored 16 points. Starks, averaging 20.9 points per game, was 4-of-6 from international waters.
 
In two games against the Colonials last season, Starks scored a total of 46 points and was 11-of-19 from beyond the arc.
 
SEAHAWKS SOAR: Wagner, picked by the coaches to win the NEC championship, had no trouble in its conference opener.
 
The Seahawks won at Central Connecticut State, 88-59.
 
"Good teams go on the road and win,'' Wagner coach Bashir Mason told the Staten Island Advance. "Every time we step on the floor in these conference games, we are playing for home court advantage in the NEC Tournament. That's something we talk about, and (Thursday night) we played like we understood the importance of that.''
 
Good for the Seahawks, because they're scheduled to play six of their first eight NEC games on the road, including a date at Robert Morris Saturday, Jan. 25.
 
Wagner made 12-of-20 casts from deep, including an astonishing 10-for-12 in the first half en route to building a 48-32 lead at the break.
 
"We're a team that it's very difficult for us to come back when we're behind because we don't get enough (defensive) stops,'' Blue Devil coach Howie Dickenman told the New Britain Herald.
 
CCSU recently lost guard Matthew Hunter for the season because of academic problems. A couple of days before the Wagner game, they also lost top scorer Kyle Vinales (17.3 points per game) for at least a month when he broke a finger on his right hand while lifting weights.
 
Despite those significant personnel losses, Blue Devil captain Malcolm McMillan thought his team could have played better.
 
"I'd like to apologize to the fans and everyone who supports CCSU because that effort was unacceptable,'' McMillan told the New Britain Herald.
 
NEC NUGGETS: Sacred Heart has lost its first four home games. That last happened in the 2004-05 season … Host Saint Francis Brooklyn won its conference opener against neighboring LIU-Brooklyn, 78-64. The Terriers, who had 26 offensive rebounds, won the glass, 52-28. Jalen Cannon grabbed 14 rebounds and added 19 points. Ben Mockford scored a career-high 30 points, shooting 8-of-14 from deep, while guard Brent Jones had 12 assists. Landon Atterberry scored 19 points for the Blackbirds, while standout point guard Jason Brickman did his thing with 11 assists, including eight in the first half … Fairleigh Dickinson came from behind to nudge visiting Mount St. Mary's, 85-79. Sidney Sanders Jr. led the Knights with 32 points, making 12 of his 21 field goal attempts. FDU committed only six turnovers and was 29-of-36 from the free throw line. Julian Norfleet had 24 points and Rashad Whack added 23 for the Mountaineers, who were 16-for-24 from the free throw line.