Random scraps of paper are very important in how we follow CAA basketball. We watch a lot of games and what we see shapes thoughts and trends of what the next day’s points of emphasis will become.

Generally I can keep those organized in my rapidly-aging mind. However sometimes these thoughts need specific numbers behind them. I want to be accurate. But honestly sometimes I don’t trust myself to remember certain things, so I write them down.

Last night, the margin of the latest LLBean catalog sufficed as a notebook. It became very apparent, and quickly, that the toll of the past week was in full force. In short: it was ugly. Very ugly.

• Mason missed 17 of its first 20 shots and trailed Hofstra 17-9 with three minutes left in the first half. Both teams put on a offensive show to finish the half in a 21-20 thriller.
• Northeastern and YouDee had combined to go 9-42 from the field (21.4%) and were locked in a 22-22 tie at the half.
• ODU and UNCW blitzed the rims to the tune of a combined 5-29 from the field (17.2%), 0-9 from three, and 1-4 from the line. The Monarchs led a robust game 11-10 with seven minutes to play in the  first half, which would end 18-17.

It says something for the evening when Drexel, typically known for its ofFENsive output, was the most OFFensive squad in the CAA. But I digress…

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Drexel was indeed the most impressive CAA squad last night. The Dragons used a mid-game run and Bruiser-mandated re-dedication to defense in the second half to drub Georgia State 68-46. The Panthers shot 43% in the first half but held to 7-28 (25%) in the second half.

The Dragons trailed Georgia State 19-14 with about seven minutes to play in the first half but went on a 37-10 run over the next 16 minutes. The end result was a 51-29 lead with 11 minutes to play in the game. The Panthers scored one point in the first 10 minutes of the second half.

Dartaye Ruffin (9pts/8rebs) played his second consecutive good game, and Samme Givens posted a 12/10 double-double. Chris Fouch shot 4-15 from the field and led the Dragons with 15 points. More on that in a smidge.

Let’s get to the big guys first. Ruffin has scored 27 points and hauled in 16 rebounds in his past two games. We mentioned last week the job Darryl McCoy has been doing of late–about seven points and nine rebounds in the four games prior to Ruffin’s breakout. Flint still loves to work inside-out and it’s paying off. Teams that didn’t worry about overplaying the post now have to, which in turn opens up the perimeter.

Add Samme Givens beginning to dominate–three double-figures games in his last five–plus Chris Fouch hoisting 10 threes last night, and you have a very nice blend of yesterday’s necessities and newfangled weaponry.

Stat notes: Givens is 27-34 since the start of the year from the foul line–huge. Also, Fouch’s 15 shot attempts ties a season high (ironically with the first Georgia State game) and his four three-point makes last night was the same amount he has made COMBINED since the first Georgia State game–a span of seven games.

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Ed Miller right here and Brian Mull right here have all the angles covered in ODUs 53-48 win over UNCW.

Takeaways: ODUs experience and muscle were the difference. The Monarchs are now 5-1 in the CAA on the road. UNCW freshman Freddie Jackson, who has been playing extremely well of late, injured his knee late in the game and will be evaluated today.

For a lot of reasons I love this quote from Kent Bazemore, as told to Mull:

“They’re hard to guard. The freshman guard, Adam Smith, he’s a player. Got a bright future ahead of him. Guy shoots it from everywhere, knows the game real well, knows how to read screens. He was really one of our focal points for the night, to find him in our zone and our man coverages. They’ve got a really bright future with Morales and the kid that got hurt tonight (Jackson). I wish the best of luck for him. He’s a great player too and Rendleman’s always a monster. They’ve got a pretty good foundation. They’re going to beat a lot of teams.”

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The CAAHoops Challenge–otherwise known as “pointing out a blatantly obvious statistic and using it in a game preview”–continues to pay dividends for varying schools. Last night it was Joel Smith shutting me up.

Smith, one day after being told by CAAHoops he is “in the middle of a terrible funk,” scored 20 points and hit the game-winning jumper with 1.1 seconds remaining, as Northeastern rallied from five down with 30 seconds to play to beat Delaware, 62-61.

The game was a back-and-forth affair and the ultimate example of today’s cliche: end game execution matters. In those last 30 seconds, NU made all four of its free throws and ran its stuff with a crispness.

Delaware, however, self-destructed, choosing often from the buffet of mistakes. The Hens committed a turnover, allowed an offensive rebound, missed the front end of a one-and-one, and then were unable to fight through a screen. Smith’s winner was a wide open look. A desperation heave with 1.1 seconds to play hit the scoreboard.

***

VCU dropped Towson in the expected manner. The Rams forced 14 steals and 24 turnovers and rolled to victory. No starter played more than 21 minutes, Darius Theus had 10 assists and zero turnovers, and it was the third straight game VCU has held an opponent to less than 50 points.

Most important for VCU was that Rob Brandenberg showed signs of life after what has become a most-of-the-season slump. Brandenberg was the star offensively with 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting, while also adding four steals and three rebounds.

“I really give all the credit to my teammates and coaches for always encouraging me to keep shooting and keep being aggressive,” Brandenberg said. “I’ve never been in a slump like that in my life and it was great to have them always in my ear to encouraging me all the time.”

***

Mason displayed an impressive bench in its 55-50 victory over Hofstra out on The Island. The subs scored 36 points (two-thirds of their total), hit all 17 free throws, and turned the ball over just four times.

Here’s what makes Mason especially dangerous. Bryon Allen, two days after an impressive overall performance and a career-high 17 points, missed all six field goals and didn’t scratch. Ryan Pearson–he of the dominating 24/12 double-double–scored seven points and committed five turnovers. Sharpshooter Vertail Vaughans only took one shot and it was a two and he missed.

No worries. Jon Arledge had a nice 10/7 game, Sherrod Wright scored 15 points and was fairly unstoppable, and Corey Edwards picked up Allen at the point. I’ve always believed when the going gets tough, having to scout to stop multiple players is far more difficult than scouting and beating a team with one star and a supporting cast. Thats what I see here.

Hofstra led 9-0, but trailed by eight points late in the second half. A David Imes jumper gave the Dutchmen a 50-48 lead, but that was quickly erased by Wright’s three-point play with 1:46 left. The Patriots scored the game’s final seven points.

Nat Lester scored in double figures for the CAA-leading 14th straight game.

Here’s Jerry Beach.

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STANDINGS, AFTER WEDNESDAY

Mason:  9-1

VCU:  8-2

Drexel:  8-2

ODU:   8-2

Georgia State:  6-4

Northeastern:  6-4

Delaware: 5-5

UNCW:   4-6

William & Mary:  2-7

JMU:    2-7

Hofstra:  1-9

Towson:  0-10