Men extend losing streak to five with lopsided lashing vs. Vermont

The University at Albany men’s basketball team continued to struggle, dropping its fourth and fifth consecutive games.
   The Great Danes (6-18, AE 1-8) dropped a close one against Hartford at SEFCU Arena last Wednesday, 64-62, after redshirt freshman Jake Lindfors missed a leaner in the lane and freshman Mike Black missed a 3-point shot in the game’s closing moments.
   The team followed that performance up with a 64-46 loss at Vermont on Saturday. The Danes held the lead heading into half, but a 39-17 second half — including a 6-for-25 shooting performance — ultimately lost them the game.
   And the schedule doesn’t get any easier this week.
   UAlbany will travel to Binghamton (9-13, AE 4-3) tomorrow – whom they lost to 62-57 at home last month.
   UAlbany then returns home Saturday to host Boston University (11-10, AE 6-3) in the Big Purple Growl.
   The Terriers are led by junior forward John Holland, who is averaging 19.2 points per game, which places him among the top 40 scorers in the nation. The Danes didn’t fare any better in their previous matchup, losing 79-58, a game in which Holland had 21 points.
   UAlbany coach Will Brown said playing these teams previously helps in preparation and creating familiarity with their game plans.
   “You look in your notes and you find out what was successful the first time you played those teams and what you struggled with,” Brown said. “It gives you an opportunity to see what you learned, to make those adjustments and go out there and try to change the results from the first time you played them.”
   One adjustment the Danes will need to make against the Bearcats is in rebounding. Binghamton controlled the boards with ease, out-rebounding the Danes, 41-28.
   “[We have to] block out and emphasize to our guys that [rebounding] was the biggest issue last time we played them besides missing shots,” he said. “They dominated us on the glass, and that’s probably the first time that I can remember that we’ve been bullied on the backboards. This year is the weakest rebounding team we’ve had in four or five years, but we’re still out-rebounding teams overall.”
   Brown isn’t concerned at all with the fact that his team split games with each opponent last season. Before the season, Binghamton dismissed six of its top players from the team without explanation.
   “I think Binghamton is a completely different team,” Brown said. “The Events Center where they play will be packed. They draw big crowds. It’s a tough place to play and Boston University has so many weapons on the perimeter that they’re very difficult to guard.
   “Both teams present problems for us. Both teams are playing good basketball right now, and they’re going to be two tough games for us.”
   Redshirt freshman guard Logan Aronhalt believes that the team needs to stop committing turnovers, of which they had a combined 35 against Binghamton and Boston University.
   “It definitely gives us a little more confidence to know that we can be there as long as we can put ourselves in a position to win games,” Aronhalt said. “That’s the most important thing.”
   Meanwhile, senior forward Scotty McRae thinks the team needs to focus on positives in the losses.
   “We can’t look at it like ‘We can’t win a game,’” McRae said. “We have to like at it like ‘We’re getting better every game, and we’re going to pull one out.’ That’s been the talk in our locker room that we just have to put one together. But that we’ve been playing better, and that’s what’s really important to us.”
   Moving forward, Brown said he needs junior guard Tim Ambrose to pick up his play.
   “[I expect Ambrose] to play like a veteran,” Brown said. “Tim has a lot of ability and he has to take it as a compliment that he’s going to get a very good defender on him every game. When Tim is aggressive and he attacks and he reads defenses he’s pretty good. When he tries to create something out of nothing is when he struggles.”
   UAlbany’s matchup at Binghamton will begin at 7 p.m. tomorrow, and the home matchup with Boston U. will begin at 7 p.m. as part of the Big Purple Growl.