2008 Woodie Awards
Men's hoops finish No. 2 in NEC
Jay Gagliardi
Issue date: 3/15/07 Section: Sports
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Last Wednesday the Pioneers were 3:50 away from extending their season to the biggest stage in college basketball, but SHU let a late 10-point lead slip away late in the second half to lose 74-40 in the NEC final against Central Connecticut State.
It was a game that proved to have everything an NEC final should, 12 lead changes in the first half, questionable calls, big plays, and a huge basket to change the outcome of the game.
The game started with NEC player of the year, Javier Mojica missing his first jump shot and a huge sigh of relief from the SHU cheering section. Joey Henley grabbed the rebound and Jarrid Frye converted on the other end.
If Mojica's jump shot was foreshadowing the rest of the game, Sacred Heart would be cutting down the nets no more than two hours later. That was merely wishful thinking.
In fact, if one had been following the season he would remember the 19-point lead that CCSU was able to overcome in the team's first meeting with the Pioneers.
The game was tied at 25 with 4:06 remaining in the half but Frye scored five of the last nine points for the Pioneers in this span and back to back lay-ups by him and Shubik gave the Pioneers a 34-33 lead going into intermission.
Statistically, the two teams had split in the major columns. The Pioneers shot better from the floor and committed two less turnovers than CCSU, but the Blue Devils converted on more three pointers and outscored SHU in the paint. Mojica and Frye even ended the half with the same amount of points, with 13 respectively.
Joey Henley had a quiet half for the Pioneers hitting only one field goal.
"I knew I had to calm down from the first half to the second half," said Henley, junior, Kent, Wash.
The second half started, Henley calmed down and he would become the go to guy for the Pioneers in the second half in an attempt to close the points in the paint gap.
The trend would continue and the Blue Devils turned the ball over their next three possessions, allowing the visiting Pioneers to start the half on an 8-0 run and jump out to a nine-point lead.
It was a game that proved to have everything an NEC final should, 12 lead changes in the first half, questionable calls, big plays, and a huge basket to change the outcome of the game.
The game started with NEC player of the year, Javier Mojica missing his first jump shot and a huge sigh of relief from the SHU cheering section. Joey Henley grabbed the rebound and Jarrid Frye converted on the other end.
If Mojica's jump shot was foreshadowing the rest of the game, Sacred Heart would be cutting down the nets no more than two hours later. That was merely wishful thinking.
In fact, if one had been following the season he would remember the 19-point lead that CCSU was able to overcome in the team's first meeting with the Pioneers.
The game was tied at 25 with 4:06 remaining in the half but Frye scored five of the last nine points for the Pioneers in this span and back to back lay-ups by him and Shubik gave the Pioneers a 34-33 lead going into intermission.
Statistically, the two teams had split in the major columns. The Pioneers shot better from the floor and committed two less turnovers than CCSU, but the Blue Devils converted on more three pointers and outscored SHU in the paint. Mojica and Frye even ended the half with the same amount of points, with 13 respectively.
Joey Henley had a quiet half for the Pioneers hitting only one field goal.
"I knew I had to calm down from the first half to the second half," said Henley, junior, Kent, Wash.
The second half started, Henley calmed down and he would become the go to guy for the Pioneers in the second half in an attempt to close the points in the paint gap.
The trend would continue and the Blue Devils turned the ball over their next three possessions, allowing the visiting Pioneers to start the half on an 8-0 run and jump out to a nine-point lead.
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