Men's Basketball: WVU to Play in Orlando Tourney

ESPN Regional Television (ERT), a subsidiary of ESPN, Inc., will own and operate The ESPNU Classic, a newly created eight-team, 12-game college basketball tournament to be played over three days Thanksgiving weekend at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando, Fla. The announcement was made by Pete Derzis, senior vice president and general manager, ESPN Regional Television and Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Commissioner Rich Ensor. The MAAC will serve as the sponsoring conference of the event.
The inaugural tournament field will feature a number of top quality teams: Arkansas, Marist, Minnesota, Montana, Southern Illinois, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and Western Michigan. The tournament will feature four games on each day with each team playing daily. The two undefeated teams will face off in a championship match on the final day of competition, while the remaining teams will play in consolation games. Team pairings and game times will be determined on a later date. The entire competition, which will take place Nov. 23, 24 and 26, will be televised live with nine games on ESPN2 and three on ESPNU.
"I am certainly impressed with the quality of teams appearing in this tournament, especially in its first year of existence," says WVU head coach John Beilein. "With the competition and ESPN television exposure, it will be a great experience for our team."

Iona vs. St. Peter's

Guard Steve Burtt and the Iona Gaels put aside all the questions, the frustrations and past bickering to finally come together when it mattered most.
Knowing that he and his fellow seniors could go down as one of Iona's best classes to never win a championship, Burtt scored 28 points to spark an 80-61 victory over St. Peter's in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship game Monday night. Burtt was named the tournament MVP in helping Iona clinch its eighth NCAA tournament berth.
"This is what I wanted more than the points, more than the accolades, more than the records," said Burtt. "My career wouldn't have been a success if I didn't get this championship. ... We were destined for this."
Burtt joined his father Steve Burtt Sr., who was named the tournament's MVP when Iona won the MAAC title in 1984.
"I thank that man so much," said Burtt, who leaped into his father's arms and gave him an extended bear hug shortly after the game ended. "I owe it all to him."
Coach Jeff Ruland smiled when discussing the two Burtts.
"This caps off that legacy," Ruland said.

Manhattan vs. Fairleigh Dickinson

Jason Wingate scored six points in the final 1:40 and Manhattan held off Fairleigh Dickinson 80-77 Tuesday night in the opening round of the National Invitation Tournament.
The Knights' Chad Timberlake fell short with a desperation 3-pointer with three seconds left.
The Jaspers (19-10), winners of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference regular-season title, played an NIT home game for the first time since a 67-65 decision against Wisconsin-Green Bay on March 19, 1992. They had lost three consecutive NIT games, all on the road, since then.
They travel to meet top-seeded Maryland on Saturday.
Wingate, who finished with 15 points, sank two foul shots to provide a 76-74 edge with 1:40 left before Michael Peeples hit a 3-pointer from the left side. Wingate countered with a driving score to make it 78-77 with 57 seconds remaining.
Gordon Klaiber went to the free throw line with 40.9 seconds to play for the Knights (20-12). He was short with both attempts, but the ball was tipped back to him. Fairleigh Dickinson squandered that chance, as well, when Manhattan's Arturo Dubois tipped away an errant pass to Wingate, who was quickly fouled. He sank both of his foul shots with 22.9 seconds left for the 80-77 margin.
Wingate finished 3-of-13 from the floor and had struggled before his late-game heroics.

Loyola-Maryland vs. Canisius

Jon Popofski's buzzer-beating layup lifted Canisius to a 74-72 win over Loyola, Md., Friday night in the first round of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament.
Popofski finished with 21 points and Kevin Downey scored 20 for the Golden Griffins (9-19), who entered the game as the tournament's ninth seed in the 10-team MAAC. Canisius advances to play Marist in a quarterfinal game on Saturday.
Andre Collins scored 24 points for Loyola (15-13), which was attempting to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2001. The Greyhounds, who swept their two-game regular-season series against Canisius, have lost their last five meetings against the Golden Griffins in tournament games.
The decisive play came when Canisius got a chance for one final shot after Collins' 17-footer dinged off the right side of the rim. Popofski ran down the rebound, allowing the Golden Griffins to call a timeout with 3.3 seconds left.
On the ensuing play, Downey inbounded a long pass to Popofski, who caught the ball just above the 3-point line in the Greyhounds' end. Cutting across the top of the key, Popofski drove the left lane through traffic and laid a shot in off the backboard just as the buzzer sounded, sparking a wild celebration among Golden Griffins players on the court.
Canisius won coming from behind and after squandering a 39-32 lead at the break. Loyola responded with a 22-6 run, capped when Collins completed a four-point play that put the Greyhounds up 54-45 with 12:30 left.
The Golden Griffins, however, responded and tied the game at 72 when Downey hit a hook shot in the right post with 1:27 remaining.
The fates appeared to be against the Greyhounds from the beginning when Collins and Hassan Fofana, the team's two leading scorers, were stuck in an elevator at their hotel for half an hour. They arrived about 50 minutes before tipoff, Loyola spokesman Eric Rhew said.

Iona-Marist

Ricky Soliver scored a career-high 31 points, leading Iona to a 100-84 victory over Marist in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament semifinals Sunday night.
Soliver, who finished 10-of-18, made his first five field-goal attempts and five free throws of the second half, sparking a surge that broke the game open for the Gaels (22-7). Steve Burtt added 30 points and Kiril Wachsmann had 18 to help Iona advance to the MAAC championship game for the 10th time in the tournament's 25-year history and first since 2001.
The Gaels will face St. Peter's Monday night with an automatic NCAA tournament berth on the line. St. Peter's beat Manhattan 84-74 earlier in the day, upsetting the conference's regular-season champion.
Jared Jordan scored 18 and Ben Farmer 17 for Marist (19-10). The Red Foxes failed to advance to the MAAC title game for the first time since joining the conference in 1997.
Tied at 46 at the half, the Gaels hit their first 10 attempts and built a 74-62 edge with 9:35 left. That's when Soliver completed a three-point play after he was fouled while tipping in Burtt's miss - Iona's first miss of the period.
Marist, which missed only seven of 23 attempts in the first half, couldn't keep up, never closing to within five points.
The 184 combined points mark the fifth most scored in the MAAC tournament, 12 short of the record set in a regulation game. Iona's 100 points were also the fifth most scored by one team in a tournament game.

MAAC-St. Peter's-Iona

Guard Steve Burtt and the Iona Gaels put aside all the questions, the frustrations and past bickering to finally come together when it mattered most.
Knowing that he and his fellow seniors could go down as one of Iona's best classes to never win a championship, Burtt scored 28 points to spark an 80-61 victory over St. Peter's in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship game Monday night. Burtt was named the tournament MVP in helping Iona clinch its eighth NCAA tournament berth.
``This is what I wanted more than the points, more than the accolades, more than the records,'' said Burtt. ``My career wouldn't have been a success if I didn't get this championship. ... We were destined for this.''
Burtt joined his father Steve Burtt Sr., who was named the tournament's MVP when Iona won the MAAC title in 1984.
``I thank that man so much,'' said Burtt, who leaped into his father's arms and gave him an extended bear hug shortly after the game ended. ``I owe it all to him.''
Coach Jeff Ruland smiled when discussing the two Burtts.
``This caps off that legacy,'' Ruland said.
Ricky Soliver shook off early foul trouble, scoring 12 for Iona, which won its conference-leading seventh MAAC title and first since 2001 - the last time the Gaels qualified for the NCAA tournament. Kiril Wachsmann added 11 points and 12 rebounds.
For St. Peter's, Keydren Clark's magnificent tournament run ended with the senior guard scoring 25 points to lead the Peacocks (17-15), who came out flat, a result of playing their fourth game in four nights.
Besides leading St. Peter's to its first MAAC championship game appearance since 1999, the senior guard scored 95 points in four games - passing both Oscar Robertson and Hersey Hawkins - and finishes with 3,058 career points to rank sixth on the NCAA scoring list.
``It's a part of life. I didn't want to end it this way,'' Clark said. ``Tonight they were the better team.''
Raul Orta added 13 points for St. Peter's, which dropped to 2-4 in MAAC championship games - it's last win coming in 1995.
The Gaels, 7-3 in the MAAC title game, took control early, sparked by a 15-0 run over a four-minute stretch. Burtt and Soliver each hit 3-point baskets and reserve forward Anthony Bruin capped the run completing a three-point play to put Iona up 25-12 with 10:13 left in the first half.
Burtt went 6-of-11 - including 3-of-5 in 3-point attempts - for 21 points in the first half, producing timely shots to avert any St. Peter's runs.
Ahead 46-33 at the break, the Gaels put the game away in the opening minutes of the second half when Burtt and Soliver hit back-to-back 3-point shots to put Iona ahead 54-39. The Peacocks never closed within 10 points down the stretch.
Clark and Burtt were the conference's two most prolific guards this season and also happened to be teammates at New York City's Rice High School. The two made sure to find each other following the game.
``I told him to go to the NCAA tournament and win a game for me,'' Clark said.
Burtt scored 83 points in three tournament games in helping the Gaels outscore their opponents by a combined margin of 260-199, including an 80-54 blowout of defending champion Niagara - a team the Gaels had never defeated in tournament play - in the quarterfinals.
In previous years, the players would sometimes bicker over sharing the ball.
``We went through a lot of obstacles,'' Soliver said. ``It was win or go home, man. ... We had a good year, a couple of letdowns, but this is where you've got to bring it.''
Burtt, who has 2,011 career points, became only the second Iona player to reach the 2,000-point plateau. The other was his father, who scored 2,534 in the early 1980s.
``We caught them on the fourth game in four days and I think we wore them down a little bit,'' Iona's coach Ruland said.
``I'm not going to use that as an excuse,'' Peacocks coach Bob Leckie said. ``We didn't have it tonight.''

Siena-Iona

Antoine Jordan scored 20 points and Tay Fisher added 19, leading Siena to an 82-76 win over Iona on Thursday night.
Steve Burtt had 33 points for Iona (20-6, 13-4). Ricky Soliver chipped in 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Gaels.
Kojo Mensah finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Saints (14-12, 9-8). David Ryan had 13 points for Siena.
Iona led 10-9 early in the first half but the Saints took control behind seven first-half 3-pointers. Siena finished 11-for-23 from beyond the arc.
The Gaels trimmed the lead after Kiril Wachsmann's dunk made the score 77-76 with 40 seconds to go. A three-point play by Mensah sealed the win for Siena.

St. Peter's-Fairfield

Terrance Todd scored 28 points and DeWitt Maxwell added 27 points as Fairfield won a 109-108 shootout over St. Peter's Tuesday in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game.
Maxwell's total was a career-high and it pushed him over the 1,000 mark for his career. It came one game after he was held scoreless. He also had a game-high 12 rebounds and six blocks.
Fairfield (9-15, 7-9 MAAC) withstood a 42-point effort from St. Peter's guard Keydren Clark, who moved within 125 points of 3,000 for his career. The two-time Division I scoring champ matched a season-high for points.
Fairfield got 14 points apiece from Michael Bell and Michael Van Schaick, who also handed out five assists.
Raul Orta had 16 points for St. Peter's (12-13, 8-8) and Kaimondre Owes added 15.
After a missed free throw by Bell with a second to play, Clark took a 60-footer that hit the front rim, but it wouldn't have counted.

Siena - Loyola, Md.

Kenny Hasbrouck scored 21 points to lead Siena to an 85-69 win over Loyola on Tuesday night.
Tay Fisher made six 3-pointers and finished with 19 points, while David Ryan added 18 for the Saints (13-11, 8-8 Metro Atlantic Athletic). Antoine Jordan had 14 points, nine rebounds and nine assists.
Siena led 36-33 at halftime, but Loyola (12-12, 6-10) scored first in the second half to get within a point.
The Saints used a 19-3 run to go up by 17 points with less than 13 minutes remaining. The Greyhounds could get no closer than eight points the rest of the game.
Andre Collins led Loyola with 20 points, while Brad Farrell chipped in 14.

Siena-Rider

Kenny Hasbrouck scored 22 points - one of five Siena players in double figures - to lead the Saints to a 92-73 win over Rider on Sunday.
Kojo Mensah, Antoine Jordan and Tay Fischer each had 17 points for Siena (12-11, 7-8 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference), while Mike Beers added 12 points and four steals. Terrance Mouton and Jason Thompson each had 17 points for Rider (8-15, 4-11), which had a tough night from the floor, hitting just 39 percent of their shots.
Sienna, which never trailed, took command early and held double-digit leads for most of the game. The Saints started the game with a 22-5 run, including 12 points from Fischer, and their defense kept Rider off-balance for most of the day.
The Broncs tried to rally midway through the second half with a 12-4 run that cut the Saints lead to seven points, but Sienna soon sealed the win with an 18-2 run. Mensah, who scored six points during that stretch, also finished with a game-high nine rebounds.

Manhattan-Loyola, Md.

Devon Austin and Jeff Xavier each scored 19 points and Mike Konovelchick had 18 to lead Manhattan to a 86-68 win over Loyola of Maryland on Sunday.
The Jaspers (14-7, 10-3 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) opened with an 18-0 run en route to their third win in the last four games. Konovelchick hit a pair of 3-pointers and Xavier converted a three-point play in the run.
Manhattan overcame 19 turnovers by making 13 3-pointers.
Andre Collins had 20 points and Shane James 12 for the Greyhounds (11-10, 5-8), who have lost five straight.
Xavier had 16 first-half points and Jason Wingate scored 10 of his 15 points in the opening period as the Jaspers led 49-29 at the break.
James scored to cut Manhattan's lead to 65-53 with 11:49 remaining, but the Greyhounds never got closer.
The Jaspers shot 57 percent from the field to Loyola's 38 percent.

Canisius-Rider

Terrance Mouton scored 17 points as Rider held off Canisius 73-69 in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game on Sunday.
Jason Thompson added 16 points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots for the Broncs (8-13, 4-9), while Edwin Muniz had 12 points and seven rebounds. Rider also made 11 3-pointers, but the outcome remained in doubt the Broncs made five of seven foul shots in the final 38 seconds.
Corey Herring scored 19 points and pulled down a game-high eight rebounds to lead Canisius (5-16, 4-9), which had five players in double figures. Chuck Harris added 14 points for the Golden Griffins, while Jon Popofski had 13.
Canisius seemed like it would run away with the game early on, scoring the first 12 points and taking a 22-9 lead before Rider rallied back with a 14-2 run midway through the first half. The Broncs then grabbed a 38-35 halftime lead and the teams traded baskets for most of the second half until Rider finally took the lead for good with an 8-3 run late in the game.

Marist-Iona

James Smith scored a career-high 27 points and Jared Jordan came within a rebound of a triple-double as Marist beat Iona 87-81 on Sunday.
Smith bettered his previous career high of 21 points before halftime, getting 24 as the Red Foxes (14-7, 8-5 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) took a 50-38 lead.
Jordan, a 6-foot-2 junior guard, had 16 points, 15 assists and nine rebounds.
Steve Burtt Jr. scored 16 of his 28 points in the second half for the Gaels (16-5, 10-3), who got within one point with just under 2 minutes to play. But Ryan Stilphen of Marist then hit a desperation 3-pointer as the shot clock was about to expire.

Niagara-Fairfield

Terrance Todd scored 14 points and Fairfield made 9-of-12 from the foul line in the final five minutes as it beat Niagara 68-64 in a Metro Atlantic Athletic game on Sunday.
Fairfield (8-13, 6-7 MAAC), which won its second straight, led by as many as 14 points in the second half.
Niagara (8-13, 5-8) pulled to within three points with the ball, but Clif Brown missed a 3-point attempt to tie with one minute to play.
The Stags put the game away at the foul line.
Jonathan Han, who made three of those foul shots, had 11 points and five assists. Brown led Niagara with 22 points and 15 rebounds.
J.R. Duffey and Lorenzo Miles scored 13 apiece.
Fairfield, which entered the game last in the conference in defense, held Niagara to 40 percent shooting and 5-of-20 from 3-point range.