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Brooklyn College rules the boards

Streaking Bulldogs Lead All Division III Schools in Rebounding

December 16, 2014 By John Torenli, Sports Editor Brooklyn Daily Eagle
The Brooklyn College Bulldogs have reeled off 10 consecutive wins and currently lead all Division III schools across the nation in rebounding. Photo courtesy of BC Athletics
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Perhaps Lionel Hollins should consult fellow first-year head coach Rich Micallef on how to get his Brooklyn squad to hit the boards.

Micallef, the new head men’s basketball coach at Brooklyn College, currently boasts the best rebounding team amongst all 408 qualifying programs in Division III. 

Not to mention that his red-hot Bulldogs have used their advantage off the glass to put together a season-high 10-game winning streak since opening the campaign with a 95-88 overtime loss at William Patterson on Nov. 15.

“We are further along than I would have originally thought and that’s because our guys have committed themselves to all aspects of our running game,” said Micallef after Friday night’s 91-72 rout of Lehman College at the West Squad Center, the Bulldogs’ final game before an extended break for final exams. 

At 10-1 overall and 4-0 in CUNYAC action, the Bulldogs won’t hit the hardwood again until Jan. 3, when they visit the College of Staten Island.

Micallef, who took over for longtime Bulldogs coach Steve Podias, has his unit running up and down the floor at a breakneck pace, wearing out opponents and helping his team climb to the top of D-3 in numerous other statistical categories. 

As of Sunday, BC was ranked second in total blocks (56), total assists (196) and free throw attempts (286) as well as pacing the nation with 490 total rebounds.

The Nets, meanwhile, rank 21st in the NBA in rebounding differential (-1.7 per game) and yield 11.9 offensive boards to their opponents per contest, good for 28th on the circuit, two numbers that Hollins knows he must fix if Brooklyn is to return to the playoffs for a third straight year since arriving in our fair borough. 

Though Division III is a long way from the NBA, Micallef has his team clicking on all cylinders as the stretch run for a coveted CUNYAC title begins in earnest at the turn of the new year.

“The most important part of our success so far is twofold,” Micallef, a Xaverian High School graduate and legendary BC player in his own right, revealed. “The way the guys have taken to understanding their roles and sharing the basketball.” 

On Friday, Lorenzo Williams led the Bulldogs with a game-high 25 points to go with six rebounds, six assists and two steals while fellow junior Egzon Gjonbalaj put up his fifth double-double of the year with 24 points and 14 boards.

The Bulldogs settled for a 41-41 deadlock with Lehman on the boards, but shot a blistering 57 percent from the field while holding the Lightning to 38 percent. 

Though they’ve only had one significantly close call during this winning streak – a 94-90 OT win over the Sage Colleges on Nov. 22 – Micallef is well aware that his Bulldogs can’t begin to view themselves as CUNYAC champions just yet.

“There is still a long way to go and we need to stay focused, concentrate on final exams, and then get ready for the second half of the season,” he noted. 

* * *

The LIU-Brooklyn men’s squad knocked off “Cinderella” on Sunday afternoon at the Steinberg Wellness Center, defeating NJIT, 65-49, behind a smothering defense and a balanced offensive attack. 

Senior Gerrell Martin paced a trio of Blackbirds in double figures with 15 points as LIU held the Highlanders, who gained national attention for their early season victory at nationally ranked Michigan, to a putrid 31 percent shooting performance. 

Martin Hermannsson scored 12 points and fellow freshman Nura Zanna added 11 for the Blackbirds, who have put together back-to-back wins after dropping six in a row to start the season. 

Elvar Fridriksson, one of three freshman starters on coach Jack Perri’s rejuvenated squad, battled foul trouble throughout, but managed to put up eight points, five assists and five rebounds.

Fridriksson, who along with Hermannsson forms LIU’s all-Icelandic starting backcourt, was named the NEC’s Rookie of the Week Monday. He averaged 13.5 points, 6.0 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals and shot 67 percent, including 50 from 3-point range, in the Blackbirds’ consecutive triumphs. 

In last week’s 83-70 win at Maine, Fridriksson, the replacement for legendary Blackbirds point guard Jason Brickman, finished with career highs of 19 points and seven assists. He currently ranks second in the Northeast Conference with 4.8 assists per contest.

The Blackbirds (2-6) will try to extend their season-high winning streak to three games Thursday night against visiting Florida International at Downtown’s Barclays Center.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Tickets for the game are still available on www.ticketmaster.com

* * *  

On Saturday, NEC preseason favorite St. Francis Brooklyn topped Mount Saint Vincent, 90-72, as senior point guard Brent Jones poured in 25 points and dished out six assists for the Terriers, who have won three of their last four games following an 0-5 start.

Senior forward Jalen Cannon, a candidate for NEC Player of the Year honors, chipped in with his fourth double-double of the campaign, registering 18 points and 12 boards for St. Francis (3-6), which knocked off the previously unbeaten Dolphins (6-1).

SFC will host Delaware State at Remsen Street’s Pope Center Wednesday afternoon at 4 p.m.

* * *

The LIU-Brooklyn women got nine points, 11 boards and nine assists from junior Shanice Vaughn on Sunday afternoon in an 83-74 victory over visiting Howard.

Junior Jolanna Ford paced four players in double figures with 15 points for the Blackbirds (2-6), who, like the men’s squad, have won two straight after dropping their first six games.

LIU is back at the Steinberg Wellness Center on Sunday to host Buffalo, while the SFC women, who suffered a loss to Army last week, will take on Vermont at the Pope Center on Wednesday afternoon.

* * * 

The BC women went into their finals break on a high note as senior forward Megan Campbell hit a pair of free throws with 0.4 seconds remaining Monday to give the Bulldogs their fourth consecutive win, 70-68, over William Patterson in Wayne, N.J. 

Campbell dominated the contest with 29 points and 15 rebounds for BC, which improved to 6-3 overall this season.

“Great team win!” said BC head coach Alex Lang. “We fell behind early, but never gave up. We kept attacking and hit some huge shots late. Great win for us going into the break.”

The Bulldogs will be back at it Jan. 3 against CUNYAC rival College of Staten Island. 

* * *

In some non-hoops local college sports news, SFC Brooklyn head men’s water polo coach Srdjan Mihaljevic announced his retirement this week.

Mihaljevic, who served on the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Men’s Water Polo Committee, guided the Terriers to the NCAA Men’s Water Polo Final Four in 2013 after the team captured the CWPA Championship and won the NCAA play-in game against Air Force.

Prior to taking over the team in 2013, Mihaljevic, the 2000-2001 St. Francis Brooklyn Male Student-Athlete of the Year, had served as the Terriers’ Women’s Water Polo Assistant Coach since his graduation from the College in 2001. 

He also performed as a volunteer Men’s Water Polo Assistant Coach from 2010 to 2012, helping lead the squad to a pair of Final Four appearances.

“Srdjan has been a vital member of St. Francis College since beginning his tenure as an outstanding student-athlete in 1997,” said SFC Director of Athletics Irma Garcia. “His knowledge of the sport has been a great asset to both our men’s and women’s programs and we hope that continues to be involved with our program.  We wish him the best of luck with his business career.”

Mihaljevic graduated from SFC with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics with a concentration in Finance.  Following his graduation, he went on to attain an MBA in Finance and Global Business from NYU’s Stern Business School in 2006. He is currently an Executive Director at Morgan Stanley, and has been employed there since May of 2000. 

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