HARTFORD COURANT, 'POST PUTS FRUSTRATION IN PAST'

February 7, 2007

By TOM YANTZ

Hartford Courant Staff Writer

Post University was a combined 17-38 in its past two basketball seasons.

This season, the Eagles are avoiding some of the frustrations of those disappointing years.

Post, which has won 10 of 12, went to 10-0 at home with a 72-63 victory over University of the Sciences Saturday at Drubner Center in Waterbury. Post (13-9, 11-4 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference) is one game behind first-place Philadephia University.

"We've relied on our quickness and more help defense," coach Mike Donnelly said. "There also is the confidence factor. We won three straight games earlier by one point. An A.J. Reitter floater with 11 seconds left [to beat Goldey-Beacom of Wilmington, Del., 59-58], Gary Shick grabbed an offensive rebound and hit a three [to beat Wilmington, 63-62] and Peter Lawal had a dunk with 14 seconds left [to beat Bloomfield College, 96-95]."

The Eagles have a balanced offense led by junior swingman Arthur Robertson (12 .9 points), sophomore forward Reitter (10.8), junior forward Lawal (10.5), senior guard Shick (8.3) of Bloomfield and sophomore center Jesse Iyalekhue (7.6).

"We're quick, rotate and recover well on defense," Donnelly said. "We're athletic and we try to make guys score over us."

On offense the Eagles thrive when they run. They spread the court in half-court sets.

"At the Division II level you're not going to get position players necessarily. We have guys who just play basketball. We try to manipulate the matchups. So for example, we'll move our big guys outside to force them to try to guard us."

The spread offense creates gaps in the defense.

Post's 83-67 victory over Philadelphia University, which featured Central Connecticut transfer forward Jason Hickenbottom, is its most impressive.

"Last year [11-17] we didn't hit the big shots, didn't get to enough loose balls and didn't make enough of the extra passes," Donnelly s aid. "We didn't make enough plays to be a consistent, winning team.

"I told the team before this season to keep believing because I knew we had good players, and that their time would come. And they stuck with it. They've done what we've asked in practice and games. And when you win, especially winning some of those close ones, it's amazing how confidence spills over into everything you do. You believe and play like you're a solid team."