Hounds Ready to Host 45th Steel Club Classic on December 29-30
BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian University men's basketball team will host the 45th Steel Club Classic in Johnston Hall on December 29-30.
BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian University men's basketball team will host the 45th Steel Club Classic in Johnston Hall on December 29-30. The first two years of the tournament were played as a season-opening tournament before switching to a January tournament during the 1980-81 season. The tournament was not held in 2014-15 or 2015-16 due to a conflict with the Landmark Conference schedule and the tournament was also cancelled in 2020-21 due to the pandemic. The tournament was also held twice in the calendar year of 2022 in both January and December.
Host Moravian has a 56-31 record in the 44-year history of the tournament, and the Hounds have won 18 tournament titles including last December. The Hounds will take on FDU-Florham on Monnday at 4:30 p.m. in the first game of the tournament with the Devils making their fifth appearance in the tournament. Monday's second game features Hunter (N.Y.) College, which is making its second tournament appearance and tournament newcomer Ursinus College playing at 6:30 p.m. The Consolation game is set for 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday and will be followed by the championship contest at 5:30 p.m.
The Greyhounds had a 16-day break after hosting King's (Pa.) College on December 13. Moravian heads into the tournament with a 5-3 mark and a 2-2 slate in Landmark Conference action. Moravian is led by Interim Head Coach Michael Mayes, who is in his first season leading the Hounds.
Senior forward Marquis Ratcliff leads the Greyhounds with averages of 24.9 points and 9.8 rebounds per game to go along with 14 blocked shots, 21 assists, 11 three-pointers and seven steals. Senior guard Porter Kelly is contributing 17.4 points per contest to go along with 31 rebounds, 32 assists, 20 three-pointers and 15 steals while senior guard Chad Kratzer is netting 16.1 points per outing with 29 boards, 22 three-pointers, 24 assists and 13 steals.
Junior guard Joel Baez is registering 11.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game with 11 assists, nine three-pointers, four steals and four blocked shots while senior forward Liam Cummiskey is adding7.0 points and 4.5 rebounds per contest to go along with with 11 three-pointers, 15 assists and five steals. Sophomore guard Dylan Costa has registered 44 points, 12 assists, four steals and four three-pointers while junior forward Riley Flood has 17 points and nine rebounds.
Junior guard George Cutler has points 16 points, 15 assists, 11 boards, five steals and three blocked shots while senior guard Colin Farrell has contributed 11 rebounds, nine assists, nine points and seven steals and sophomore forward Brave Haugh has posted nine points and nine rebounds.
FDU-Florham from Madison, New Jersey took a 4-5 record in its semester break, which began after a game on December 6. The Devils compete in the Middle Atlantic Conference/Freedom Conference and have not begun conference play this season. FDU-Florham is led by Keith Hack, who is in his third season.
Junior forward Chris Smith leads the Devils with averages of 15.4 points and 6.3 rebounds per game to go with ten blocked shots, nine assists and seven steals while sophomore guard Frankie Denvir is recording 12.8 points and 6.1 rebounds per contest with 23 assists, 21 steals and 16 three-pointers. Senior guard Mac Creek is posting 12.6 points and 5.2 rebounds per outing to go along with 40 assists, 14 steals, 14 three-pointers and three blocked shots while senior forward Noach Pagan has averages of 10.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game with seven assists and five blocked shots.
Sophomore guard Gino Romano is contribiting 7.4 points per contest to go with 18 rebounds, 14 three-pointers, 14 assists and four steals while freshman guard O'Malley King has added 25 points, 19 rebounds, ten assists and a pair of blocked shots. Senior guard Micah Moore has 22 points, 18 rebounds and four steals while senior forward Jorarei Bile has registered 19 points, 11 boards and five assists.
Senior guard Ryan Merz has postd 17 assists, 16 points, 20 rebounds, four steals and a trio of three-pointers while junior guard Ethan Klueh has added 15 points, five assists, four boards and three three-pointers. Senior forward Nate Mbuyamba has 23 rebounds and ten points while freshman forward Keem Langevine has added 16 boatds, ten points and six blocked shots and junior guard Jack Loucks has 11 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.
Hunter College from New York, New York took a 2-9 record in its semester break, which began after a game on December 11. The Hawks compete in City University of New York Athletic Conference and are 0-2 this season. Hunter is led by Jamel Gist who is in his third season.
Senior forward Jayden Jarrett leads the Hawks with averages of 11.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game to go with seven blocked shots, six assists and four steals while freshman guard JP Maaba is netting 11.2 points per contest to go along with 49 assists, 27 rebounds, 15 steals and eight three-pointers. Freshman guard Georgios Gatsias is recording 10.0 points per outing to go with 18 rebounds, eight assist and five three-pointers while junior center Sloan Ireland isregistering 9.9 points and 8.9 rebounds per game with 14 blocke shots, seven assists, four steals and a trio of three-pointers.
Freshman gaurd/forward Jeremiah Otasowie is adding 9.4 points and 3.6 rebounds per contest with 29 assists, eight three-pointers, seven steals and four blocked shots while sophomore forward Demetrios Kontos is posting 6.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per outing with 13 blockeed shots, 15 three-pointers, seven steals and six assists while sophomore guard Noah Outmezguine has 31 points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals.
Freshman forward Kristian Nunez has added 37 rebounds, 31 points, 16 assists, 12 blocked shots and 11 steals while junior guard Zachary Lebowitz has 30 points, 18 rebounds, 13 assists, four three-pointers and three stieals and junior guard Matthew Kelleher has posted 22 points, four boards and four three-pointers.
Ursinus College from Collegeville, Pennsylvania headed into its break, which started after a contest on December 20, with a 6-3 overall mark. The Bears compete in Centennial Conference and have not started conference play this winter. Ursinus is led by Kevin Small, who is in his 26th season.
Sophomore guard Jamie Murphy leads the Bears with averages of 19.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game to go along with 18 assists, 18 steals and a trio of three-pointers while senior guard Mohamed Toure is contributing 13.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per contest with ten blocked shots, ten steals, five assists and four three-pointers. Senior guard Nick Nocito is registering 10.6 points and 3.4 rebounds per outing with 51 assists, 17 steals and four three-pointers while sophomore guard Porter Kelly is posting 8.9 points per game to go with 20 boards, 13 three-pointers, seven steals and four assists.
Junior guard Luke Nieman is recording 8.8 points per contest to go with 19 three-pointers, 18 rebounds, ten steals and six assists while freshman guard Tomas Belaiter is adding 7.1 points and 5.0 rebounds an outing with 11 assists, six steals, four blocked shots and four three-pointers. Junior forward Matthew Field has averages of 6.7 points and 5.2 rebounds per game with ten assists, ten steals and four blocked shots while freshman guard/forward Trevor Toulson has 37 points, 24 rebounds, nine blocked shots, eight assists and eight steals and freshman guard Jasper Buck has 31 points, nine three-pointers, five rebounds and four steals.
