South Brunswick’s Young Leads The Way For Golden Falcons In 70-59 Victory
EAST STROUDSBURG, PA–On Friday afternoon, GMC Hoops took the long trip up to East Stroudsburg University to take in the opening round game of the Pocono Classic Tournament between Felician College and Shippensburg University. This is the first Division II college hoops game that the site has covered this season. Felician is located in Rutherford, New Jersey, and is a member of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference. Other member schools include Philadelphia University where former Bishop Ahr standout, Corey Francisco plays.
The Golden Falcons of Felician have made great strides in the past few seasons by winning the CACC Tournament and getting a berth in the Division II National Tournament last season, where it lost to Stonehill. Felician finished the year at 24-7 overall, and 14-4 in CACC play. A far cry from the 12-16 finish in 2006-07. South Brunswick’s Devon Young is on the roster, and he has been a tremendous success at the school. East Stroudsburg is a member of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. Shippensburg is located in Pennsylvania, and is nicknamed the Red Raiders. Entering the contest, Felician was 1-3 on the season. Young was leading the team in scoring with an 18 points per game average. The Monmouth Junction native was also averaging 5.7 rebounds per game, 2.7 assists per game, and 1.7 steals per game while also shooting just under 49 percent from the floor.
Kashiff Foster of Somerset is also on the Felician roster. Entering this game, the former Rutgers Prep standout was averaging 10 points per game, 4.7 rebounds per game, and an assist per game. Shippensburg had a record of 3-2 coming into the contest, and were led by Lamar Jackson, who came in averaging 12.8 points per game. Craig Von Scyoc was close behind with a 12.5 points per game average, had made 13 threes, and was shooting 54 percent from three point range. Young helped lead the way for Felician in a 70-59 victory. The former SBHS standout that played on the 27-4 Viking team that reached the Group IV state final in 2007, ended up with 15 points on 5 of 12 shooting from the floor and 5 of 7 from the foul line while also picking up 7 rebounds and 3 assists.
Foster chipped in with 12 points on 4 of 8 shooting including a three pointer while also collecting 6 rebounds and a steal. For the game, Felician shot 24 of 57 from the floor for 42 percent including 6 of 23 from beyond the arc. Shippensburg was 19 of 49 from the field for 39 percent including 7 of 22 from long distance. The Golden Falcons were 16 of 24 from the charity stripe while the Red Raiders were 14 of 24 from the line. The CACC squad won the turnover battle (8-16), but Shippensburg had more rebounds (38-33) including a 14-12 edge on the offensive glass. Felician had more assists (15-13) and steals (6-3). Each team had a block. For all the stats, check out the Felician Athletics web site. The game started out with both teams going back and forth. Young opened the scoring with a jumper for a 2-0 lead at the 18:45. Shippensburg then tied the score with a basket by Dylan Edgar (11 points and 14 rebounds) before the Golden Falcons went ahead with a score by Suquan Gary (7 of 11 FG, 1 of 2 3 Pt FG, 3 of 4 FTs for 18 points along with 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and a block) off an assist by Young with 16:39 left in the first half.
The Red Raiders had the three point shooting stroke going early hitting a trey from the right side for a 5-4 lead at the 16:25 mark. Foster, a 6’7, 210 pound, senior center, scored on a jumper at the 16:03 mark to put the Golden Falcons back on top at 6-5, but Shippensberg went back ahead with scores by Edgar and Jordan Stasysyn (4 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal) for a 9-6 lead with 14:09 to play in the first half. Felician got a basket from Gary to pull within two, but Shippensburg increased its advantage to four with another three pointer that made the score, 12-8. The Golden Falcons rallied back with five of the next seven points to pull within one at 14-13 with 11:15 to go in the half as a media timeout was called. Foster added another two points during the run with a jumper from the right side. Following a second media timeout at the 10:53 mark, Felician added another score on a jumper by Mike Edgehill (5 points, 2 assists, and 2 rebounds) to make it a 7-2 run for a 15-14 lead at the 10:38 mark.
A little over a minute later, Young got himself to the line, and made both his free throws at the 9:40 mark for a 17-14 Felician lead. Shippensburg came back down and got the ball to Jackson (10 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds, and a steal), who was fouled on a shot attempt by Foster, and made one of two free throw attempts at the 9:14 mark for a 17-15 Golden Falcon lead. On the next offensive possession for Felician, Foster grabbed an offensive rebound, and drew a foul down low that resulted in two charity shots for a 19-15 lead at the 8:56 mark. After getting a steal off Shippensburg, the Golden Falcons had a chance to go up even further, but was called for a foul, and the Red Raiders called time with 8:24 to go in the half.
Shippensburg couldn’t take advantage though, and Felician went up by seven as Ryan Moseley (7 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists) connected from downtown for a 22-15 lead prior to another media timeout at the 7:29 mark. The Red Raiders tried to claw their way back into the game with a 6-4 burst, but Foster drained a three pointer from the left corner at the 4:30 mark for a 29-21 lead. Shippensburg got those points back with a triple of its own for a 29-24 score, but Felician got a conventional three point play from Foster at the 2:42 mark, and a nice move through traffic by Young with 2:14 to go in the half for a 34-24 lead. The Falcons took a bit of a hit when Young picked up his second foul at the 1:41 mark, but the Red Raiders couldn’t take advantage.
Felician closed the half with four of the last six points including a three pointer from Edgehill and one of two from the line by Jimmy Schmitt (a point, a rebound, two assists, and a steal) for a 38-26 lead at the intermission. The second half started with a five point flurry by the Red Raiders as Van Scyoc connected for three at the 19:25 mark, and sank a short jumper at the 18:12 mark prior to Felician calling for a 30 second timeout with 18:09 to go in the contest to close the gap to 38-29. Over the next 2:23, the Golden Falcons regained their composure, and got two free throws by Young, and a driving score by C.T. Williams (6 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals), but Shippensburg continued to nibble away at the deficit with five more points for a 42-34 score as the Red Raiders called for a 30 second timeout with 15:46 to play.
Shippensburg continued to try to fight its way back into this one with five of the next seven points including two free throws by Lamar Jackson at the 14:29 mark for a 44-39 Felician lead. Young took over though with the next four points over the next 2:29 to give the Golden Falcons some breathing room again at 48-39. The Red Raiders battled back to within four by scoring the next five points including a three pointer by Van Scyoc at the 10:03 mark. Felician promptly replied though with a three pointer by Anthony D. Green (6 points, a rebound, and an assist) at the 9:46 mark for a 51-44 advantage. Edgar then made one of two from the line, and Justin Minter (6 points, 3 rebounds, and a block) got a basket as he was fouled to trim the deficit again to four at 51-47 with 8:44 to play. Young made one of two from the line for a 52-47 lead, but Shippensburg scored the next three including two foul shots by Jaren Gembe (13 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, and a steal) to pull within two at 52-50 at the 7:32 mark.
Almost a minute and a half later, Gembe was back at the line after being fouled by Schmitt at the 6:11 mark, and made one of two for a 52-51 Felician lead. On the Golden Falcons next possession, Williams drew a foul in the paint with 5:47 to play, and made two free throws for a 54-51 lead. Green then forced a turnover in front of the scorer’s table with 5:33 to go. At this point, emotions in the stands on both sides were starting to get tense. After a score by Minter pulled Shippensburg within one again at 54-53, Green beat the shot clock with a drive for a layin at the 4:19 mark for a 56-53 edge. The Red Raiders continued to hang around by scoring the next three points including two free throws by Van Scyoc for a 59-56 Felician lead. In a clutch possession, Felician beat the shot clock with a huge three pointer by Moseley for a 62-56 advantage with 1:06 left.
Gary then wrapped the game up with a emphatic slam dunk with under a minute to play for a 64-57 lead, and Felician went on to win from there by the final score of 70-59. The Golden Falcons improve to 2-3 on the season, and will play the host school, East Stroudsburg on Saturday night. Shippensburg falls to 3-3 on the year.