Offense Full Tommies Need to Improve Defence to Win: Mid-Season Review

After a 4-0 start, the St. Thomas University Tommies have come back to earth in their last four games of the Fall Semester. They've dropped three of their last four, two games being to the Crandall University Chargers and one to the Mount Saint Vincent University Mystics. At the Winter Break, the Tommies sit at a 5-3 record, tied with the Mystics for third in the ACAA. 

Tommies' head coach John Hickey said his team has been great on the offensive side of the court but will need to improve their defence in order to get back to their winning ways. 

"We're very good offensively but we're not close to where we need to be defesnivley," Hickey said. "We're constantly talking about that and trying to figure it out as a team." 

The Tommies have allowed 87.3 points per game, the fifth most in the ACAA - a number Hickey would like to improve. 

"We need to look at different combinations to figure out what's right," Hickey said. The Tommies' lineup is deep with offensive talent, but Hickey wants to find the right lineup that will perform defensively. "We're going to continue to tweak things ... we've got a good number of guys who deserve to start, so we'll be changing things a lot for sure." 

The Tommies will rely on Gayo Isaya (Fredericton, NB), a former Dyrick McDermott Award winner for the best defensive player in the ACAA. Isya has averaged two steals per game, tied for eighth most in the ACAA. Isaya has the ability to match up with any opposing player. 

The Tommies' offense has been their key to success - scoring triple digits in their first three games of the season and averaging 95.4 points per game, the second most in the ACAA. Shooting at the highest rate from the 3-point line in the league, making 42.4% of their 3's, the Tommies' new additions have played a big part in their revamped offense. Tanner Hoyt (Grand Bay-Westfield, NB), a fourth-year guard and trasnfer from the University of New Brunswick Saint John, has shot 46.7% from the 3-point line. Rookie Tre Campbell (Scarborough, ON) has shot 46.9% coming off the bench, putting up 9.4 points per game on 13.6 minutes. 

Vincent Lyttleton (Markham, ON) has taken a jump in his game, leading the Tommies in scoring with 17.1 points per game. The second-year guard has upped his scoring from his rookie season by just about six points. Lyttleton finished last season shooting 40.3% from the field and 35.8% from beyond the arc. Now, at the halfway point, those numbers are at 46.9% and 53.7% - making nearly three 3's on five attempts per game. He's also averaging 2.3 steals per game.

"His shot selection has been better ... he's playing a bigger role," Hickey said of his starting point guard. "He's been a big boost for us." 

The second semester presents a challenge for the Tommies - they'll take on the first place Holland College Hurricanes three times, twice being on the road. They'll also have to play the Chargers and Mystics once more and have two more matchups with the Mount Allison University Mounties, a team they narrowly beat in their season opener. For Hickey, it doesn't matter what the schedule looks like or who they play. He knows how talented the league is and every game is a challenge, no matter who they play. 

"If you're not on point every single night, you're going to lose," he said. "There's no easy games."