Thursday, February 20

Mercyhurst @ FDU Mercyhurst wins 65-60
Stonehill @ Wagner WC wins 63-57
Central Connecticut @ Chicago State CCSU wins 81-75
Saint Francis U @ Le Moyne SFU wins 81-76

Saturday, February 22

Wagner @ Chicago State Wagner 64-52
FDU @ Saint Francis U SFU 85-80
Stonehill @ Central Connecticut. CCSU 67-41
LIU @ Le Moyne. LIU 75-61

Chicago gets a crack at the top team in the league, Central Connecticut this week. They are 19-6, and have won 8 straight. They defeated the Cougars 81-64 in the first matchup in New Britain.

They are way, way higher than anyone else in the NEC in the NET rankings. They did lose a couple games early in the conference season, but got things settled and have won consistently since then and sit alone at the top of the league.

They are talented and well coached. I like their style of play, and they play together well. From the games k have seen, they do go into droughts like any team, and can definitely be beat.

Saturday is a rematch with Wagner, who the Cougars defeated on the road for their first NEC win.

Chicago couldn’t hold on to their 10 point half time lead and fell by 6 to top ranked CCSU. Announcers said that CCSU has been down by over 10 in several recent games and come back to win them all, including going on a 27-0 run versus St Francis after being down. A true second half team it appears.

Games are becoming more crucial down the stretch, as the Cougars want to avoid being the 8 seed in the tournament and having to face CCSU in the first round. Any other opponent is more more favorable.

Disappointing game for the Cougars. First half was a disaster and I thought that was the ball game. But they quickly ate away at most of a huge halftime deficit early in half two. Got it close, and then couldn’t close it out. Shots stopped falling, Wagners shots started falling, and that was that.

2 road games to close out the NEC season. A win in one of them just might keep Chicago State out of the 8th seed.

(02-23-2025 01:18 AM)Todor Wrote:  Disappointing game for the Cougars. First half was a disaster and I thought that was the ball game. But they quickly ate away at most of a huge halftime deficit early in half two. Got it close, and then couldn’t close it out. Shots stopped falling, Wagners shots started falling, and that was that.

2 road games to close out the NEC season. A win in one of them just might keep Chicago State out of the 8th seed.

Why has Troy McKoy Jr not been playing?

(02-23-2025 03:33 PM)sloth Wrote:  

(02-23-2025 01:18 AM)Todor Wrote:  Disappointing game for the Cougars. First half was a disaster and I thought that was the ball game. But they quickly ate away at most of a huge halftime deficit early in half two. Got it close, and then couldn’t close it out. Shots stopped falling, Wagners shots started falling, and that was that.

2 road games to close out the NEC season. A win in one of them just might keep Chicago State out of the 8th seed.

Why has Troy McKoy Jr not been playing?

I don’t know. The announcers never really talk injuries much, but there has been at least one guy out virtually every game.

I’ve never heard what became of Cam Jernigan. When Quincy Allen was out, it was silence on why too.

Unfortunately, McKoy is is one I’d expect not to return. As a freshman, he probably still some big dream of being a star at a big school and will want to go ride the bench at some other low to mid major when he could likely be starting at Chicago next year. Just my hunch, but I hope I’m wrong. McKoy is talented.

(02-23-2025 03:33 PM)sloth Wrote:  

(02-23-2025 01:18 AM)Todor Wrote:  Disappointing game for the Cougars. First half was a disaster and I thought that was the ball game. But they quickly ate away at most of a huge halftime deficit early in half two. Got it close, and then couldn’t close it out. Shots stopped falling, Wagners shots started falling, and that was that.

2 road games to close out the NEC season. A win in one of them just might keep Chicago State out of the 8th seed.

Why has Troy McKoy Jr not been playing?

I did pick up from the announcers at St Francis that Troy McKoy is out with an ACL injury.