The Spectrum

Issue date: 2/9/06 Section: Sports

Media Credit: The Spectrum/ Travis Flynn Trim is in the market for a good look: he leads the Pioneers with an 18.8 points per game average this season.

After ending its six game home winning streak, men's basketball will be rallying together to try and defeat Mount St. Mary's in their final meeting this season. 

The Pioneers will face Mount St. Mary's today in the Pitt Center at 7 p.m.

SHU stands directly above MSM in the Northeast Conference.  This will be the 13th all-time meeting between the schools, with MSM holding a 9-3 advantage, having won the last five straight.

In the last game versus the Mountaineers, the visiting Pioneers left with a 78-69 loss.  Much of MSM's success can be accredited to their tight defensive style. 

They have held their opponents to under 60 points in seven of the past 10 games, a feat they haven't accomplished since 1949.

They will prove to be tough competitors for the Pioneers, who will try and use their home court advantage to ensure a victory. 

"Playing at home will absolutely be an advantage," guard Luke Granato, a sophomore from Rocky Hill, said.  "We are very comfortable playing there and our crowd makes the Pitt Center a fun atmosphere to play in."

"We really feed off the energy from the fans out there; it gives us a lot of extra confidence to know they are behind us," guard Jarrid Frye, a junior from Queens, N.Y., said.

Having the game at home may be a benefit, but the guys recognize that they will need to work hard in order to earn the win. 

"We did not defend well the first time we played them.  If we focus and buckle down on defense, we will have a much better chance of winning," Granato said.

"We need to limit them on their three point attempts, which really killed us last game," Frye said.

On the offense, the Pioneers possess two of the top three NEC scorers in Frye and center Kibwe Trim, a senior from San Juan, Trinidad.  These players will be looked at to help the Pioneers hurtle past the Mountaineer's exceptional defense. 

Both Granato and guard Drew Shubick believe that the play of Trim and Frye is a prominent factor in the team's success this season.

"Kibwe and Jarrid have had great seasons so far and have carried us in a few games this year," Granato said.

The Pioneers' success can also be attributed to the hard work the team puts in as a whole. 

"I think the guys really worked hard on their games in the off-season," Frye said.

"On a whole I think we are playing with more chemistry and confidence," Granato said.  "We believe that we can win every game we play."     

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