Scranton only needs Meredith Mesaris to play 24 minutes a game, but she leads the Royals with 18.6 points while she's in there. Scranton athletics photo

On the surface, there are plenty of similarities between the Scranton men’s and women’s basketball teams. They are both 20-3 overall, ranked second in the inaugural Mid-Atlantic regional rankings, lost to Cabrini, neither team was ranked in the Top 25 (until the men were this week) despite sterling records and could host the Landmark Conference tournament at the Long Center next weekend.

“The men are a little different than us,” Scranton women’s head coach Mike Strong said. “For starters, our center is a more of a post-up center, while the men’s center is more mobile center and can step out and hit the 3-pointer. We have our own idiosyncrasies even though we have the same record. It would mean a lot to our campus and in the community if we are fortunate enough to play a doubleheader for a conference title. We would all have a lot of people in the Long Center and that’s what we all want.”

Each team may be unique in how they have devoured their opponents this year, but the one thing they have in common is Scranton has a winning culture along with the expectations of excellence. Strong and men’s head coach Carl Danzig are each other’s biggest supporters and they have helped each other push their programs to heights of success.

The men locked up the No. 1 seed and regular season Landmark Conference title with a thorough 80-71 victory at Catholic on Saturday. In that game, junior guard Justin Klingman scored 21 points and Ross Danzig added 19 points for the Royals, who completed a perfect road mark through the conference and extended their winning streak to 10 games.

The win was significant for the men because it was the third time in the last four years and seventh times in the last 13 seasons, the Royals have won 20 games. In addition, Scranton has won 10 or more conference games in each of the last six seasons and 10 times in 13 years under Danzig.

“I go into each year with a blank slate,” Danzig said. “If you put expectations on a season, it puts added stress on you. We tell our kids at the start of preseason practice that it’s a new year and let’s make our own special season. In all honesty, working along Mike Strong has been great. We both challenge each other and compete. We have a great working relationship and we push each other buttons. He has set a great standard.”

The women are close to securing their first Landmark Conference regular season title and No. 1 seed since 2009. Scranton moved into sole possession of first place following its 77-66 win over Catholic on Saturday afternoon. The Lady Royals are one game ahead of both Catholic and Moravian with all three teams having two games remaining. The Royals hold the tiebreaker over the Cardinals after sweeping the season series. Scranton will travel to Moravian on Wednesday looking to avenge its only loss in Landmark play.

Strong is the only coach in NCAA Division III women's basketball history with more than 800 victories. Most fans don't remember that he was Bob Bessoir's top assistant coach when the Scranton men won the NCAA title in 1976. Another interesting side note is that Strong has coached 989 games and his longest losing streak is three games. That's unbelievable. The last time Strong lost three in a row was in 1997.

There are so many banners in Scranton’s gym that it resembles the outside of the United Nations building. Consider that the women’s program has qualified for the NCAA tournament 26 times and the Final Four nine times under Strong. The men’s program hasn’t been bad either under Danzig. They have qualified for the NCAA Tournament six times and advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2003 and Elite Eight in 2012.

“There’s a steady barometer of progress and built in goals that each player wants to achieve,” Danzig said. “Our next goal is to win the conference tournament, which gets us into the NCAA tournament. The winning is part of our fabric and something we don’t talk about because that’s what we expect to do. We’re excited about the season we’re having this year. I have had a fun bunch of kids to coach, which has made it fun for me.”

Carl Danzig's Scranton men won 19 games last season, as did Mike Strong's women's team. Each will finish with more wins this season. Scranton athletics photo

Both teams are also fortunate to have talented players. The best of the bunch may be Danzig, who is one of four men’s players to average double figures. He leads the Royals and Landmark Conference in scoring with a 20.4 point per game average. Danzig’s skill set is advanced and he could star in the Patriot League, Ivy League or the Division II Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. Danzig has in-the-gym range and can get to the basket basically anytime he needs to.

Brendan Boken chips in 16.7 points per outing. Tommy Morgan (12.8 points per game) and Klingman (11.8) also average double digits for the Royals. Meanwhile, Danzig, Klingman and Michael Barr have combined to make 87 percent of Scranton’s 3-pointers this season (144 of 164). The tough part about defending Scranton is that any player is capable of detonating for a 20-point performance.

“It’s hard to be a one-man show and be successful,” Danzig said. “We’re built upon a nucleus of kids who are built to step up. Even though we lost two overtime games at home, we knew we were headed in the right direction and we’ve learned a lot and knew what we needed to work on. I have a tough-minded group of players. Other coaches have said that we’re hard to guard.”

On the women’s side, the leaders have been seniors Ally Sweeny and Katie Sherry, who are having good years. Sweeny’s numbers are down a bit because of shared time. Sherry is the epitome of the Division III student-athlete as she was not recruited, but she has continued to make an impact each year even though playing time was never guaranteed to her.

Aside from her 8.3 point-per-game average, her biggest contribution is providing comic relief for a group of fun-loving individuals. Strong is aware that Sherry does an excellent imitation of him.

“Although I’ve never seen it,” Strong said of Sherry’s imitation. “I don’t think she’s going to do it in front of me while she has eligibility left.

“Seriously, she’s the person who holds the team together. She is a feel good story, who has helped us win a few games this year.”

The junior class is very talented with Lindsay Fluehr, Katie Sherry, Meredith Mesaris and Lia DiSciascio. Mesaris leads Scranton in scoring with 18.7 points per game and she pulls 6.4 rebounds per outing. Sarah Payonk contributes 10.3 points per game and a team best 8.4 rpg. Strong unleashes everybody except the Royal mascot on opponents as nine players average 14 or more minutes per game. Sweeney and DiSciascio have combined for 64 3-pointers.

Mesaris is a 6-1 center, who can shoot the 3-pointer. Fluehr is the point guard and she didn’t play the position in high school. DiSciascio has been the Lady Royals’ most steady performer. According to Strong, she’s a jack of all trades and her basketball IQ is very high.

“I think the key to our success this season has been our team chemistry,” Strong said. “The girls get along very well, work hard and take instruction extremely well. We try to make sure we improve every day and have a little goal. They have some talent and a wonderful attitude. My second five is a little quicker and better defensively and they play well as a unit.”

If the Lady Royals can beat Moravian and Goucher this week, then Scranton will be the place to be next weekend and possibly beyond. Both coaches know there are plenty of hoops remaining this season and that nothing is guaranteed. For now, they are focused on getting their teams to continue competing at a high level and supporting each other. It’s a great dynamic at Scranton and one that has worked consistently.

“It’s fun to see the women doing what they’re doing,” Danzig said. “It’s great for the school and community. We have a good give and take association between the both of us. I came in following a coach who led the program to a national championship. I’ve been fortunate to pick up the baton and run with it. Coach Strong was very receptive and we kicked off a good relationship right from the start. He helped me get my program to where it needs to be.”

Valentine’s day

Abe Valentine didn’t have a hatchet nor did he leave any flowers or chocolates for the Cabrini men’s basketball team Saturday night. Instead, Valentine was able to help Baptist Bible slay the Cavs with an assortment of jumpers, stick-backs and lay-ups. Valentine delighted the Baptist Bible home crowd by delivering a show-stopping 36-point performance that helped the Defenders hand second-ranked Cabrini its first loss of the season, 106-97.

Valentine was not a good host to his visitors from the opposite end of Interstate 476. His favorite player Kobe Bryant would have definitely delivered his seal of approval on Valentine’s performance.

The 6-1 sophomore guard from Elyria, Ohio is averaging 17.2 points per game. Against Cabrini, Valentine was coming off a seven-point performance against Keystone. However, against the Cavs, Valentine was so hot that he could have stood outside and melted snow by raising his arms. Scoring outbursts aren’t unusual for the sports management major. He registered a career-high 38 points against Rosemont on Jan. 4. Overall for the season, Valentine has scored at least 20 points seven times.

For a scorer, the unique stat for Valentine is that he makes 46.6 percent of his shots from the field (111-for-238) and shoots better than 35 from 3-point distance (33-for-92). Valentine is also an 82 percent foul shooter (107-for-129). So the kid definitely knows how to make an impact.

Prior to its win over Cabrini, Baptist Bible had lost six of its last seven games. The Defenders are now 8-15 overall and this was by far the biggest win in program history under veteran coach Eric Show. The Defenders have two of the top four scorers in the Colonial States Athletic Conference in Valentine, who is third and Luke Peterson, who is fourth at 17.1 points per game. Peterson scored 16 points in the win over Cabrini.

The Defenders shot an amazing 56.7 percent from the field to beat Cabrini.

Capital Athletic Chaos

It was an interesting week for the conference’s top two teams on the women’s side, Christopher Newport and York, Pa., each of whom split games last week. Perhaps the more surprising of the two losses was the Captains losing at home by 30 points to Mary Washington, 77-47. York got tripped up on the road, falling to Salisbury, 79-69. So what does this all means? The Captains are in control for the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament.

Terrific Tobie fuels Red Hawks’ rage

The Montclair State women’s basketball team delivered a punishing payback to Kean by claiming an 87-54 victory at home last Saturday. With the win, the Red Hawks clinched the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) regular season title, the No.1 seed in the upcoming tournament and extended their winning streak to eight games.

However, this was about revenge. Pure and simple. Forget about league titles and national rankings, the Red Hawks wanted this game in the worse way. Consider the debt paid in full with interest. Montclair made good on avenging its only conference loss of the season as it fell to the Cougars, 74-69 in Union on Jan. 18. The loss snapped the Red Hawks' 27-game NJAC regular-season unbeaten streak at the time.

Junior forward Melissa Tobie posted her second straight double-double (a career-best 33 points and 14 rebounds) to lead the way. Tobie, who also added four assists and a pair of blocks in the game, scored 17 of her 33 points in the first half as MSU used a 14-0 run to pull away. Tobie has eight double-doubles this season, including three in the Red Hawks’ last four games. Tobie, who beat her career high of 32 equaled two years ago and matched last Saturday at Richard Stockton, shot 13-of-19 from the floor as Montclair shot 52 percent (17-of-33) from the field in the second half.

She made sure that the senior night celebration for Sarah Kluth, Nicosia Henry and Alanna Loyle was memorable. Henry added a double-double of her own with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Junior guard Janitza Aquino added 12 points, including a pair of three-point field goals as she broke the MSU single-season mark. Aquino, who has connected 56 times behind the arc this season, bested the mark of 54 set by Jamie Ericson during the 2010-11 campaign.

After Tuesday’s season-ending tilt at TCNJ, the Red Hawks will rest for a week before hosting a NJAC semifinal contest on Tuesday, Feb. 25.

Like father, like son                  

A generation of New Jersey City University men's basketball fans watched legendary head coach Charlie Brown win 483 games at the helm of the Gothic Knights. Now his son and successor has joined him in an exclusive club. In a contest the Gothic Knights had to win to stay in the driver’s seat in the New Jersey Athletic Conference tournament race, five NJCU players scored in double figures and reigning NJAC Coach of the Year Marc Brown captured his 100th career victory as the program's head coach in a dominant 80-68 win over Montclair State University on February 12 at the Panzer Athletic Center.
 
Brown, in his seventh season became the fifth coach in the 81-year history of the program to win 100 career games and the two Browns became just the third known father/son combinations in the history of Division III to both reach the milestone. The other two father-son combos to each win 100 at the same school currently in Division III:  Page and Charlie Moir (Roanoke) and Brian and Don Lane (Transylvania).

“I look at this program as my dad's program and to have him in the crowd watching means a lot to myself and my family,” Brown said about what the milestone means. “I was happier about winning the game as a team and the way we won — with our style of play. This is special to my family, special for me and I know it's special for him [Charlie Brown].”

Meanwhile, Brown’s 101st win was cause for the real celebration as the Gothic Knights used a 33-2 burst to reverse a 14-point deficit and take control to beat TCNJ, 66-53. The win clinched a playoff spot for NJCU, who is playing its best basketball of the season.

TCNJ led 34-20 just 55 seconds in the second half before NJCU's explosive outburst and defensive dominance gave the Knights, winners of three straight after a four-game losing streak, a 53-36 cushion at 6:11. When TCNJ finally did score against with 5:10 remaining, it snapped a scoreless string that lasted more than a quarter of the game — a span of 10:31 in the middle of the second half.

NJCU can finish no worse than sixth in the league standings. Meanwhile, NJCU still can be the No. 4 seed and host an NJAC quarterfinal game on Feb. 22 if everything falls in its favor. With Kean University losing at Montclair State on Feb. 15 — a 100-83 setback and the third straight loss for the Cougars, NJCU and Kean are 8-9 in the league. Kean swept the season series from NJCU. However, if NJCU can defeat last-place Rutgers-Camden (4-20, 2-15 NJAC) on the road on Wednesday, Feb. 19 in the regular-season finale and Kean loses to first-place Rutgers-Newark — which must win to claim the NJAC regular season championship — than NJCU's late-season push will not only clinch a playoff berth but also a home tournament game.

Fantastic Fraser

Mount Saint Vincent junior Kelly Fraser recorded her 14th straight double-double (21 points, 12 rebounds) and her 18th overall on the season in a 76-57 win over St. Joseph’s (L.I.). She added three blocked shots and matched her career-high with six assists. Fraser has 27 double-doubles for her career. She scored a career-high 35 points against Randolph-Macon on Dec. 18. Fraser is averaging 17.9 points and 13.3 rebounds per game this season for the Dolphins, who are 17-6 overall and have won two straight games. The Dolphins also went 13-1 at home this season. Senior guard Tanisha Montague scored 14 points in the win for MSV.

Wesley’s David the Goliath

David Langan scored a career-high 33 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in 10th-ranked Wesley's 91-75 win at No. 13 Mary Washington on Saturday. In the process, Langan scored his 1,000th career point and set the school-record for rebounds. The Wolverines also matched their program-record for victories in a season. At 20-2 overall, the Wolverines clinched the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Capital Athletic Conference tournament. Langan is the 12th player at Wesley to score 1,000 career points. He now has 1,013 points and 776 rebounds in his career. His 114 blocks are also third on Wesley's all-time list. 

Atlantic Rim-Rockers

NJCU freshman Bria Smith posted her ninth double-double of the season (12 points and 11 rebounds) in a loss to Montclair State... Staten Island extended its program-record winning streak to 21 games by blasting CCNY, 97-70, Sunday as Jonathan Chadwick-Myers and Will Fonseca finished with a team-high 18 points each…Jerrome Jones had a double-double (18 points, 10 rebounds) and junior guard Jonathan Greenfield added 17 points, nine rebounds, and four assists to help Lehman stop a four-game losing streak with a 52-50 win over John Jay. ... Medgar Evers sophomore guard Nia Tompkins has been a bright spot in a tough season for the Panthers. She scored 25 points in a setback to Hunter…The 5-6 psychology major, who has scored 20 more points five times, leads the 2-21 Panthers with a 15.4 point per game average….Sarah Seipp has averaged 24 points per game for Salisbury during its recent three-game winning streak…Seipp dropped a career-high 32 points against Mary Washington on Feb. 8…Overall, Salisbury has won eight of 10 games to raise its mark to 15-8…Behind 18 points from Brooklyn Wilson, Lancaster Bible extended its program-best winning streak to 12 games with a 75-62 win over Keuka...The Chargers are 14-0 in the North East Athletic Conference…Granville Gittens powered Baruch to its third straight win, a 59-48 conquest over CCNY with 17 points, eight rebounds, five assists, four blocked shots and four steals…In a game featuring 12 lead changes and 11 ties, Richard Stockton won its fifth straight game with a hard-fought 70-69 victory over Ramapo…The victory marked the third straight season and sixth in the last seven years that Stockton has won 20 or more games.

Mid-Atlantic Crossovers

Stevenson capped off a big week by beating Messiah and Alvernia to clinch a playoff spot for the second straight year. Led by 21 points from junior Colby Giacubeno and a career-high seven blocks from junior Justin Kuntz, the Stevenson men's basketball team outscored Albright 42-20 in the second half en route to an 84-57 win. ... Alvernia senior Brian Parker scored the 1,000th point of his career in an 87-83 loss to Widener. Parker finished with 25 points and 15 rebounds…Marywood's Ryan Corrigan scored a game-high 31 points, one-shy of his career best, to lead the Pacers to a 71-68 win over Immaculata. The game was delayed twice: first due to bus problems for Immaculata and then because of a power outage in Marywood’s facility. ....Dickinson secured the top seed in the Centennial Conference playoffs, posting a 68-63 win at Johns Hopkins on Saturday afternoon. The Red Devils also set a school record for most conference wins in a season with 14. Dickinson improved to 19-4 overall and 14-2 in the CC. ... With a game-high 27 points from sophomore guard Malik Draper, Ursinus sent their seniors off in style in their final home game with a 89-76 win over Washington. Earlier in the week, Ursinus beat Franklin & Marshall for the first time since 2008. ... Sophomore Katie Clark scored a career-high 21 points, had nine rebounds and handed out seven assists as Johns Hopkins won its fourth straight game with a 61-55 victory over Gettysburg. ... Marrisa Manning notched 20 points to help King’s beat Manhattanville, 72-71. ... Delaware Valley improved to 9-0 at home by beating Misericordia, 68-48. Eireann Anastasi scored 21 points and had eight assists to lead the Aggies who won their straight game to improve to 15-8 overall…Delaware Valley’s perfect record at James Work Gym will be on the line as it closes the season by hosting unbeaten FDU-Florham on Saturday.