≈ Saturday, February 11, 2006
New tourney format coming
Bucknell radio guy Doug Birdsong reported in the postgame after the Bison win over Holy Cross that Patriot League Executive Director Carolyn Schlie Femovich said in a radio interview next year's tournament will have first round games at the 4 highest seeds, with the remaining ames at the home of the higher seed.
The women will go to a one-site tournament.
Nothing official on the league Web site yet, but we will try to get details when they become available.
The women will go to a one-site tournament.
Nothing official on the league Web site yet, but we will try to get details when they become available.
Lehigh 69, Army 44
It was over early. Army made but 4 field goals (4 of 20, 20 percent) in the first half, trailing 33-13 at the break.
Joe Knight with 16 points, including 4 treys for Lehigh. Knight's 30 minutes were tops played for Lehigh. Nobody else in double figures, but 7 guys scored between 5 and 9, giving the Mountain Hawks good balance.
Jarrell Brown with 14 to lead Army. Matt Bell 1 for 12, 2 points.
Joe Knight with 16 points, including 4 treys for Lehigh. Knight's 30 minutes were tops played for Lehigh. Nobody else in double figures, but 7 guys scored between 5 and 9, giving the Mountain Hawks good balance.
Jarrell Brown with 14 to lead Army. Matt Bell 1 for 12, 2 points.
Gameday readaround
I talked myself out of the 6-hour drive to Worcester, with a return trip likely to be through lots of snow. I thought about riding a BU fan bus, but they leave immediately after the game, so I would miss the press conference and have no way to post the gamer anyhow until I got back.
The appeal of seeing my dauighters' last rec games of a season I have pretty much missed was also a factor.
Actually, despite all the hype, especially in the HC end, Bucknell media are pretty much shunning the trip. Even before the , the general attitude among the beat writers covering the Bison was that it is not a big enough game to be worth a 6-hour drive each way. Last I heard, only one of the papers that cover the Bison were thinking about making the trek. And that guy was said to be wavering due to weather concerns.
would be going, 'cept his paper had a team in the state high school team wrestling championships, so his boss went there, the guy who does prep hoops took the desk, leaving E to cover a key HS game. Life at a small paper.
Even if BU loses, they can win the top seed by beating Lafayette on the road and taking the last two at home over Lehigh and Army.
Even more realistic is that HC will beat Lehigh in Worcester when they play again. Then even if Lehigh would also beat BU, they'd still get the top seed since all three would have two losses, with splits head to head. The tiebreaker would be RPI.
Any how, here's this morning's read (and listen) around, along with our usual preview capsules:
LISTEN UP: Boxman has a link on his to an from Boxman's Show With No Name on WCHC-FM.
Also over at Boxman's blog, a that gives one guys view of the matchups in this afternoon's Bucknell-Holy Cross game. This is a link, not an endorsement. Lots of folks don't agree with his view. Feel free to join in the discussion over on the -- they have a going there.
TOM'S TAKE: Bucknell beat guy Tom Housenick of The Daily Item also in this morning's paper.
TALK ABOUT IT: By the way, folks will be chatting during the Bucknell-HC game in the . Just click on that link, log in and select the Patriot League room (when you enter, you will be in the Ivy Room. Folks who follow other league teams can join the chat and talk Patriot League hoops. Those listening to or tracking the other two games, who would like to keep everyone updated, are particularly encouraged to visit. We'll join the conversation as soon as we get back from the kid's big game.
Patriot League scoreboards
| | | |
Bucknell at Holy Cross, 3:30 p.m.: It's a must-win for Holy Cross. A loss would all but end the Crusaders hopes of securing a home court edge in the first two rounds of the league tournament. For Bucknell, it's not as life-and death, but it is still a big game. Bucknell would clinch at least second place and the chance to host the first two rounds in Sjoka Pavilion with a win. A win would also make BU 11-0 in the conference, equalling Fordham's record for the best start in league play. The Rams went 11-0 before finishing 11-1 in 1990-91, the first season of Patriot League hoops.
Bucknell's 10-game win streak is not the only streak on the line. The Bison have won 14 straight in conference play, dating back to last season. Holy Cross has won 15 straight regular season league home games, including 4 this season. Of course the modifer "regular season" is needed becuse Bucknell won at the Hart Center in last year's league final.
Over the last six seasons, HC is 34-4 in the Hart Center. Two of those losses, though, came at the hands of Bucknell, which is 8-8 all-time against HC in Worcester. The Bison have won five of seven overall against Holy Cross over the last three seasons.
There is no end to the analyzing that can be done of the matchups between these two, but if forced to boil it down to three keys, they would probably be:
1. Bucknell's defense vs. Holy Cross' offense. If the Bison hold Holy Cross under 60, it might be tough for the Crusaders to win. HC is 2-6 in games in which it scores less than 60 this season. Bucknell is 16-0 in games where the opponent scored 60 or less.
2. Chris McNaughton vs. Tim Clifford. The two best offensive big men in the league. Establishing McNaughton in the post has been a key for the Bison in its last two wins over HC. The lack of a corresponding post presence for HC was a key shortcoming when Bucknell won 56-42 in Sjoka earlier this season. Clifford has emerged since then, but the lack of quality big men in the rest of the league means he has yet to prove he can produce against legitimate opposition in the post. Watch Clifford's foul situation. He tends to get into foul trouble, and guarding McNaughton could amplify that problem. McNaughton, on the other hand, will get plenty of help on defense from Darren Mastropaolo and Tarik Viaer-McClymont, who gives away a few inches to Clifford, but matches up well in strength.
3. Bucknell's bench vs. the HC bench. Ralph Willard has been using an eight-man rotation; Pat Flannery generally goes nine deep. But the difference is bigger than those numbers. When Bucknell goes to the bench, it brings in Donald Brown, John Griffin, sharpshooting freshman Jason Vegotzky and Viaer-McClymont. Willard's bench is senior big man Kevin Hyland and a pair of freshmen-- Lawrence Dixon and Colin Cunningham. Look for Bucknell to try to wear the Crusaders down in the second half. This might be the place to mention how important it is for Holy Cross that Keith Simmons avoid cramping up in the second half and be available to play most of the game.
One thing to watch for: In the preseason, Flannery talked about Bucknell pressing and trapping more. In recent games the Bison have shown some of that from time to time. Will Flannery press more here in an effort to wear HC down, especially Torey Thomas, who is the only point guard Willard has available.
On the other side of that coin, Holy Cross has had some success in the past by pressing Bucknell, and the Bison have shown some signs of having trouble handling full court pressure. Will Willard try to press the Bison, or will he stay in halfcourt defensive looks to avoid wearing out his guards, who already log a lot of minutes.
| | | |
Lafayette at Navy, 3 p.m.: Alone in fourth place, Lafayette could solidify that spot with a win at Navy. That won't come easy. The Leopards are pretty solid at home, but they have struggled on the road, going 4-8 outside of Kirby. They are 2-3 on teh road in league play, coming off a win at Colgate.
| | | |
Lehigh at Army, 1 p.m.: Army's notes mention the fact that Lehigh will be screboard watching late in the afternoon, hoping Holy Cross can knock off Bucknell and help the Hawks even the league race. First they need to beat the Cadets, who have been an enigma all season. Army took Lehigh to the wire in Bethlehem earlier this season, losing by just three. They also played Bucknell tough in West Point, before falling to the Bison. But the Black Knights of the Hudson have yet to defend their home court in league play. Matter of fact, they have not beaten a Division I opponent in Christl all season.
| | |
The appeal of seeing my dauighters' last rec games of a season I have pretty much missed was also a factor.
Actually, despite all the hype, especially in the HC end, Bucknell media are pretty much shunning the trip. Even before the , the general attitude among the beat writers covering the Bison was that it is not a big enough game to be worth a 6-hour drive each way. Last I heard, only one of the papers that cover the Bison were thinking about making the trek. And that guy was said to be wavering due to weather concerns.
would be going, 'cept his paper had a team in the state high school team wrestling championships, so his boss went there, the guy who does prep hoops took the desk, leaving E to cover a key HS game. Life at a small paper.
Even if BU loses, they can win the top seed by beating Lafayette on the road and taking the last two at home over Lehigh and Army.
Even more realistic is that HC will beat Lehigh in Worcester when they play again. Then even if Lehigh would also beat BU, they'd still get the top seed since all three would have two losses, with splits head to head. The tiebreaker would be RPI.
Any how, here's this morning's read (and listen) around, along with our usual preview capsules:
LISTEN UP: Boxman has a link on his to an from Boxman's Show With No Name on WCHC-FM.
Also over at Boxman's blog, a that gives one guys view of the matchups in this afternoon's Bucknell-Holy Cross game. This is a link, not an endorsement. Lots of folks don't agree with his view. Feel free to join in the discussion over on the -- they have a going there.
TOM'S TAKE: Bucknell beat guy Tom Housenick of The Daily Item also in this morning's paper.
TALK ABOUT IT: By the way, folks will be chatting during the Bucknell-HC game in the . Just click on that link, log in and select the Patriot League room (when you enter, you will be in the Ivy Room. Folks who follow other league teams can join the chat and talk Patriot League hoops. Those listening to or tracking the other two games, who would like to keep everyone updated, are particularly encouraged to visit. We'll join the conversation as soon as we get back from the kid's big game.
| | | |
Bucknell at Holy Cross, 3:30 p.m.: It's a must-win for Holy Cross. A loss would all but end the Crusaders hopes of securing a home court edge in the first two rounds of the league tournament. For Bucknell, it's not as life-and death, but it is still a big game. Bucknell would clinch at least second place and the chance to host the first two rounds in Sjoka Pavilion with a win. A win would also make BU 11-0 in the conference, equalling Fordham's record for the best start in league play. The Rams went 11-0 before finishing 11-1 in 1990-91, the first season of Patriot League hoops.
Bucknell's 10-game win streak is not the only streak on the line. The Bison have won 14 straight in conference play, dating back to last season. Holy Cross has won 15 straight regular season league home games, including 4 this season. Of course the modifer "regular season" is needed becuse Bucknell won at the Hart Center in last year's league final.
Over the last six seasons, HC is 34-4 in the Hart Center. Two of those losses, though, came at the hands of Bucknell, which is 8-8 all-time against HC in Worcester. The Bison have won five of seven overall against Holy Cross over the last three seasons.
There is no end to the analyzing that can be done of the matchups between these two, but if forced to boil it down to three keys, they would probably be:
1. Bucknell's defense vs. Holy Cross' offense. If the Bison hold Holy Cross under 60, it might be tough for the Crusaders to win. HC is 2-6 in games in which it scores less than 60 this season. Bucknell is 16-0 in games where the opponent scored 60 or less.
2. Chris McNaughton vs. Tim Clifford. The two best offensive big men in the league. Establishing McNaughton in the post has been a key for the Bison in its last two wins over HC. The lack of a corresponding post presence for HC was a key shortcoming when Bucknell won 56-42 in Sjoka earlier this season. Clifford has emerged since then, but the lack of quality big men in the rest of the league means he has yet to prove he can produce against legitimate opposition in the post. Watch Clifford's foul situation. He tends to get into foul trouble, and guarding McNaughton could amplify that problem. McNaughton, on the other hand, will get plenty of help on defense from Darren Mastropaolo and Tarik Viaer-McClymont, who gives away a few inches to Clifford, but matches up well in strength.
3. Bucknell's bench vs. the HC bench. Ralph Willard has been using an eight-man rotation; Pat Flannery generally goes nine deep. But the difference is bigger than those numbers. When Bucknell goes to the bench, it brings in Donald Brown, John Griffin, sharpshooting freshman Jason Vegotzky and Viaer-McClymont. Willard's bench is senior big man Kevin Hyland and a pair of freshmen-- Lawrence Dixon and Colin Cunningham. Look for Bucknell to try to wear the Crusaders down in the second half. This might be the place to mention how important it is for Holy Cross that Keith Simmons avoid cramping up in the second half and be available to play most of the game.
One thing to watch for: In the preseason, Flannery talked about Bucknell pressing and trapping more. In recent games the Bison have shown some of that from time to time. Will Flannery press more here in an effort to wear HC down, especially Torey Thomas, who is the only point guard Willard has available.
On the other side of that coin, Holy Cross has had some success in the past by pressing Bucknell, and the Bison have shown some signs of having trouble handling full court pressure. Will Willard try to press the Bison, or will he stay in halfcourt defensive looks to avoid wearing out his guards, who already log a lot of minutes.
| | | |
Lafayette at Navy, 3 p.m.: Alone in fourth place, Lafayette could solidify that spot with a win at Navy. That won't come easy. The Leopards are pretty solid at home, but they have struggled on the road, going 4-8 outside of Kirby. They are 2-3 on teh road in league play, coming off a win at Colgate.
| | | |
Lehigh at Army, 1 p.m.: Army's notes mention the fact that Lehigh will be screboard watching late in the afternoon, hoping Holy Cross can knock off Bucknell and help the Hawks even the league race. First they need to beat the Cadets, who have been an enigma all season. Army took Lehigh to the wire in Bethlehem earlier this season, losing by just three. They also played Bucknell tough in West Point, before falling to the Bison. But the Black Knights of the Hudson have yet to defend their home court in league play. Matter of fact, they have not beaten a Division I opponent in Christl all season.
| | |
Friday, February 10, 2006
Tale of 100 tickets
It will be a sold out crowd in Holy Cross' Hart Center Saturday when Bucknell comes to town. That does not mean it will be entirely a sea of purple.
The Bison faithful have traveled well all season, showing up in significant numbers everywhere the Orange and Blue have played.
Bucknell is bringing two fan buses and sources at the Lewisburg school say many students are passing on the buses in favor of making the drive themselves. Reports indicate many started buying their tickets long ago in anticipation of this being a big game.
Also on hand will be over 100 fans of Bucknell senior Kevin Bettencourt, who grew up a little over an hour away in Peabody, Mass.
Kevin's father, Ed Bettencourt, said he started buying blocks of tickets a few months ago in anticipation of demand from friends and family anxious to see Kevin in his last trip "home."
"There will be a lot of Bettencourts there," laughed Ed in a phone interview Friday afternoon. "It's the last trip home. Hopefully it will be a successful one."
Ed started buying tickets in blocks of about 30. Eventually, as the total he bought grew, it raised a red flag with the Holy Cross box office.
Sources at Bucknell said Holy Cross cut Bettencourt off. Ed said it wasn't quite like that.
"I wouldn't say they cut me off, but I did find it funny they made a call to Bucknell complaining," Ed Bettencourt said. "Once they heard the last name, they knew."
That Bettencourt last name is familiar to the folks in Worcester. Kevin's older brother, Ted, was a four-year letter winner at Holy Cross and a captain on the Crusaders 1995-96 team that finished 17-12, losing to Adonal Foyle and Colgate in the league final.
Dad said blood is thicker than school ties; Ted will be rooting for Kevin and Bucknell in this one.
"After the season is over, he can change back. But right now, it is all Bucknell," Ed Betterncourt said.
The Bison faithful have traveled well all season, showing up in significant numbers everywhere the Orange and Blue have played.
Bucknell is bringing two fan buses and sources at the Lewisburg school say many students are passing on the buses in favor of making the drive themselves. Reports indicate many started buying their tickets long ago in anticipation of this being a big game.
Also on hand will be over 100 fans of Bucknell senior Kevin Bettencourt, who grew up a little over an hour away in Peabody, Mass.
Kevin's father, Ed Bettencourt, said he started buying blocks of tickets a few months ago in anticipation of demand from friends and family anxious to see Kevin in his last trip "home."
"There will be a lot of Bettencourts there," laughed Ed in a phone interview Friday afternoon. "It's the last trip home. Hopefully it will be a successful one."
Ed started buying tickets in blocks of about 30. Eventually, as the total he bought grew, it raised a red flag with the Holy Cross box office.
Sources at Bucknell said Holy Cross cut Bettencourt off. Ed said it wasn't quite like that.
"I wouldn't say they cut me off, but I did find it funny they made a call to Bucknell complaining," Ed Bettencourt said. "Once they heard the last name, they knew."
That Bettencourt last name is familiar to the folks in Worcester. Kevin's older brother, Ted, was a four-year letter winner at Holy Cross and a captain on the Crusaders 1995-96 team that finished 17-12, losing to Adonal Foyle and Colgate in the league final.
Dad said blood is thicker than school ties; Ted will be rooting for Kevin and Bucknell in this one.
"After the season is over, he can change back. But right now, it is all Bucknell," Ed Betterncourt said.
Return of Ralph
Been a while since Holy Cross coach Ralph Willard had posted an update on his great CoachRalph site. Finally a today, looking back at the past several Holy Cross games and offering this take on Saturday's meeting with BucknellRalph Willard: Holy Cross Basketball - Team Report:
We are playing a very talented, mentally tough, well-coached team Saturday, who have had an outstanding year. We will have to execute much better than we have in the last two games to have a chance to beat them. In light of that I am going to change my pre-game talk to my half time talk. Obviously the pre-game talk the past two games belongs in the dumpster. Should be another fun atmosphere. I am trying to get our guys to look at it that way.As we seem to say every time Ralph makes a new post, this is a must click.
Friday morning readaround
JOSE, JOSE -- Ever wonder where Lehigh's Jose Olivero gets his toughness from? In today's Morning Call. the Mountain Hawks' high-scoring guard, and reveals that secret:
LOW NUMBERS -- Not many Lehigh students actually get to see Olivero display his talents. If you have been to a game at Stabler in recent seasons, you won't be surprised by this about poor student attendance at Lehigh sporting events. One thing they left out: They mention an organization called the Pink Ladies that brought out 255 female students for the Lehigh-Holy Cross women's game. What would have added some perspective to the story is that by the time the men's nightcap started, less than a dozen of those pink T-shirts could still be seen in the Stabler stands.
BUS CRASH FOLLOW -- Ed Laubach doesn't write enough. The Express-Times sports editor was one of the guys who covered the league when it first started playing hoops back in the day, and still ranks as one of the top guys ever to have covered the Patriot League beat. These days, his management duties keep him away from the gyms for the most part, but now and then he checks in with a story, like on last Saturday's fatal crash that involved the Holy Cross team bus.
ET'S NOTEBOOK -- Eric Thomas, who covers Bucknell for the Shamokin News-Item, uses his personal blog to supplement the coverage he does for the paper. That's where he from the Bucknell-American game, including a defense of our previous claim that Darren Mastropaolo is the second best big man in the league, behind his teammate Chris McNaughton. We wrote that before Holy Cross' Tim Clifford got his game on track, but we're not sure that makes any difference. As E points out, Mastropaolo does all the things that don't show up in box scores, and does them very well.
Olivero is a mirror image of his father, Jose Raul Olivero, a retired U.S. Army Green Beret and former Colonel of Special Forces in Afghanistan.His father, by the way, lettered in soccer and lacrosse at Army.
LOW NUMBERS -- Not many Lehigh students actually get to see Olivero display his talents. If you have been to a game at Stabler in recent seasons, you won't be surprised by this about poor student attendance at Lehigh sporting events. One thing they left out: They mention an organization called the Pink Ladies that brought out 255 female students for the Lehigh-Holy Cross women's game. What would have added some perspective to the story is that by the time the men's nightcap started, less than a dozen of those pink T-shirts could still be seen in the Stabler stands.
BUS CRASH FOLLOW -- Ed Laubach doesn't write enough. The Express-Times sports editor was one of the guys who covered the league when it first started playing hoops back in the day, and still ranks as one of the top guys ever to have covered the Patriot League beat. These days, his management duties keep him away from the gyms for the most part, but now and then he checks in with a story, like on last Saturday's fatal crash that involved the Holy Cross team bus.
ET'S NOTEBOOK -- Eric Thomas, who covers Bucknell for the Shamokin News-Item, uses his personal blog to supplement the coverage he does for the paper. That's where he from the Bucknell-American game, including a defense of our previous claim that Darren Mastropaolo is the second best big man in the league, behind his teammate Chris McNaughton. We wrote that before Holy Cross' Tim Clifford got his game on track, but we're not sure that makes any difference. As E points out, Mastropaolo does all the things that don't show up in box scores, and does them very well.
Thursday, February 09, 2006
McNaughton leads BU
(Originally posted Wed. at 10:11 p.m., Links added at 7:33 a.m.)
For about half of the first half of Bucknell's 74-57 win Wednesday night over American, the Eagles were right in the game.
Matter of fact, when Garrison Carr drained a three with 11:10 to go in the opening stanza, the Eagles held a 17-16 lead over the first place Bison.
Then Chris McNaughton got it going. After missing his first two shots of the game, McNaughton hit four of the next five he took, scoring 8 quick points to key the 14-1 run the Bison used to take control and Bucknell never looked back. McNaughton went on to lead all scorers with 16 points, going 8 for 12 from the field.
The 16 points were McNaughton's most since he scored the same number against Colgate five games ago.
As American coach Jeff Jones pointed out: "McNaughton was outstanding. His numbers could have been a lot better if they had tried to just pound the ball inside on us."
Instead, the Bison took advantage of the holes McNaughton's presence in the post created to put together a well-balanced offensive attack that saw three more players join McNaughton in double figures and a fifth, Donald Brown, finished with 9. Charles Lee had 15, Kevin Bettencourt 11 and freshman Jason Vegotsky finished with 10 on a perfect shooting night, going 3 for 3 from the field, 2 for 2 from the arc and 2 for 2 at the foul line.
Vegotsky and McNaughton were not the only Bison to shoot the ball well. Bucknell finished the game 26 of 45 (57.8 percent) from the field, hitting 51.7 percent in the first half, then topping that effort with a scorching 68.8 percent show in the second.
It all started with McNaughton.
"As Chris got established, that put us over the top. We got a lot of good looks," said Bucknell coach Pat Flannery.
"He really just opens the floor," added Lee.
"They softened us up by throwing it in there," Jones said.
For McNaughton, the mostly single coverage he got from American was a refreshing change from the constant doubles and triples most teams in the league have been running at him.
"They really didn't double me. They got me the ball where I could do something with it. I had some great looks," McNaughton said.
Bucknell did not rely just on offense. The Bison D was solid, especially while the game was still in doubt, and they owned the glass. American shot just 39.1 percent in the first half, and despite shooting over 50 percent after the break to finish the game at 19 of 42 (45.2 percent) from the field, the Eagles managed only 57 points. It was the 10th time in a row and the 16th time this season that the opposition has failed to reach 60 against the Bison. Bucknell outrebounded AU by a 28-16 margin, grabbing more of its own misses (12 offensive boards) than American did (8 defensive rebounds).
The Bison also got a good game from point guard Abe Badmus, who scored 6 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, dished 5 assists and made a pair of steals.
"They are just a very well-balanced team. They don't have a whole lot of weaknesses," Jones said.
Bucknell's lead was 40-26 at the intermission. The lead stretched to 23 points in the second half before American was able to close the game with a 10-4 spurt in the final 5:04.
Derrick Mercer finished with 13 for American. Mercer, who had 2 assists and 3 turnovers, was lucky to not be thrown out of the game after a WWE-style body slam of Badmus after the Bison point guard out-jumped everybody in the paint for an offensive rebound with 5:38 to play.
The win was Bucknell's 10th straight this season, It is the second time in league history a team has started conference play 10-0 (Fordham went 11-0 to start the first season of league play in the 1991). It was also Bucknell's 22nd straight at home and 14th straight overall against league opponents.
It also sets up Saturday's showdown against Holy Cross, the last team to beat the Bison in league play, at the Hart Center, the last place the Bison lost against a conference foe.
Game blog
For about half of the first half of Bucknell's 74-57 win Wednesday night over American, the Eagles were right in the game.
Matter of fact, when Garrison Carr drained a three with 11:10 to go in the opening stanza, the Eagles held a 17-16 lead over the first place Bison.
Then Chris McNaughton got it going. After missing his first two shots of the game, McNaughton hit four of the next five he took, scoring 8 quick points to key the 14-1 run the Bison used to take control and Bucknell never looked back. McNaughton went on to lead all scorers with 16 points, going 8 for 12 from the field.
The 16 points were McNaughton's most since he scored the same number against Colgate five games ago.
As American coach Jeff Jones pointed out: "McNaughton was outstanding. His numbers could have been a lot better if they had tried to just pound the ball inside on us."
Instead, the Bison took advantage of the holes McNaughton's presence in the post created to put together a well-balanced offensive attack that saw three more players join McNaughton in double figures and a fifth, Donald Brown, finished with 9. Charles Lee had 15, Kevin Bettencourt 11 and freshman Jason Vegotsky finished with 10 on a perfect shooting night, going 3 for 3 from the field, 2 for 2 from the arc and 2 for 2 at the foul line.
Vegotsky and McNaughton were not the only Bison to shoot the ball well. Bucknell finished the game 26 of 45 (57.8 percent) from the field, hitting 51.7 percent in the first half, then topping that effort with a scorching 68.8 percent show in the second.
It all started with McNaughton.
"As Chris got established, that put us over the top. We got a lot of good looks," said Bucknell coach Pat Flannery.
"He really just opens the floor," added Lee.
"They softened us up by throwing it in there," Jones said.
For McNaughton, the mostly single coverage he got from American was a refreshing change from the constant doubles and triples most teams in the league have been running at him.
"They really didn't double me. They got me the ball where I could do something with it. I had some great looks," McNaughton said.
Bucknell did not rely just on offense. The Bison D was solid, especially while the game was still in doubt, and they owned the glass. American shot just 39.1 percent in the first half, and despite shooting over 50 percent after the break to finish the game at 19 of 42 (45.2 percent) from the field, the Eagles managed only 57 points. It was the 10th time in a row and the 16th time this season that the opposition has failed to reach 60 against the Bison. Bucknell outrebounded AU by a 28-16 margin, grabbing more of its own misses (12 offensive boards) than American did (8 defensive rebounds).
The Bison also got a good game from point guard Abe Badmus, who scored 6 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, dished 5 assists and made a pair of steals.
"They are just a very well-balanced team. They don't have a whole lot of weaknesses," Jones said.
Bucknell's lead was 40-26 at the intermission. The lead stretched to 23 points in the second half before American was able to close the game with a 10-4 spurt in the final 5:04.
Derrick Mercer finished with 13 for American. Mercer, who had 2 assists and 3 turnovers, was lucky to not be thrown out of the game after a WWE-style body slam of Badmus after the Bison point guard out-jumped everybody in the paint for an offensive rebound with 5:38 to play.
The win was Bucknell's 10th straight this season, It is the second time in league history a team has started conference play 10-0 (Fordham went 11-0 to start the first season of league play in the 1991). It was also Bucknell's 22nd straight at home and 14th straight overall against league opponents.
It also sets up Saturday's showdown against Holy Cross, the last team to beat the Bison in league play, at the Hart Center, the last place the Bison lost against a conference foe.
Around the league
(Originally posted Wed. at 10:13 p.m., links added at 7:19 a.m.)
Holy Cross 88, Army 38 -- The widest HC margin of victory in the Hart Center ever.
The Crusaders used a pair of 8-0 runs to build a lead in the first half, then closed the half on a 16-0 note, taking a 42-14 lead at the break.
Four of five starters were in double figures for Holy Cross, led by Torey Thomas, who had 21 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds and a pair of steals. Kevin Hamilton (15) Keith Simmons (12) and Tim Clifford (13) also in double figures for Holy Cross, which shot 32 of 59 (54.2 percent) from the field and hit 11 treys, four by Thomas.
At the other end of the floor, it was vintage Crusaders defense. Army finished with only 11 field goals, five in the first, six in the second half. For the game, Army shot 21.6 percent (11 of 51).
Lafayette 63, Colgate 55 -- Trailing 34-28 at the break, Lafayette opened the second half with a 9-0 run. The Raiders countered with a 9-0 spurt of their own. But Lafayette scored the next 13 points and went on to beat Colgate on its own floor.
Lafayette did not shoot well, hitting 21 of 53 (39.6 percent). But they were 19 of 23 from the free throw line while Colgate only shot 10 free throws (6-10) and went 8 for 31 (25.8 percent) in the second half.
Andrei Capusan led the Leopards with 18 points. Everest Schmidt (12) and Pat Betley (11) also reached double figures.
Mark Daniels posted a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double. But he only played 27 minutes due to foul trouble. Daniels had 4 personals. Jon Simon added 10 points for the Raiders.
(wrap also includes Lehigh game)
Lehigh 74, Navy 49 -- Lehigh shot 74 percent in the second half to bury the Mids, who trailed just 31-26 at the break.
The Mountain Hawks opened the second half on an 18-4 note and went on to hit 15 of its first 19 shots in the half. Navy was 1 for 11 to start the second half, finishing the half 8 for 34 (23.5 percent).
Jose Olivero led Lehigh with 18 points. Joe Knight added 14 and Kyle Neptune 13.
Matt Fannin was the only Mid in doublke figures. Fannin scored all of his 12 points in the first half.
Holy Cross 88, Army 38 -- The widest HC margin of victory in the Hart Center ever.
The Crusaders used a pair of 8-0 runs to build a lead in the first half, then closed the half on a 16-0 note, taking a 42-14 lead at the break.
Four of five starters were in double figures for Holy Cross, led by Torey Thomas, who had 21 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds and a pair of steals. Kevin Hamilton (15) Keith Simmons (12) and Tim Clifford (13) also in double figures for Holy Cross, which shot 32 of 59 (54.2 percent) from the field and hit 11 treys, four by Thomas.
At the other end of the floor, it was vintage Crusaders defense. Army finished with only 11 field goals, five in the first, six in the second half. For the game, Army shot 21.6 percent (11 of 51).
Lafayette 63, Colgate 55 -- Trailing 34-28 at the break, Lafayette opened the second half with a 9-0 run. The Raiders countered with a 9-0 spurt of their own. But Lafayette scored the next 13 points and went on to beat Colgate on its own floor.
Lafayette did not shoot well, hitting 21 of 53 (39.6 percent). But they were 19 of 23 from the free throw line while Colgate only shot 10 free throws (6-10) and went 8 for 31 (25.8 percent) in the second half.
Andrei Capusan led the Leopards with 18 points. Everest Schmidt (12) and Pat Betley (11) also reached double figures.
Mark Daniels posted a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double. But he only played 27 minutes due to foul trouble. Daniels had 4 personals. Jon Simon added 10 points for the Raiders.
Lehigh 74, Navy 49 -- Lehigh shot 74 percent in the second half to bury the Mids, who trailed just 31-26 at the break.
The Mountain Hawks opened the second half on an 18-4 note and went on to hit 15 of its first 19 shots in the half. Navy was 1 for 11 to start the second half, finishing the half 8 for 34 (23.5 percent).
Jose Olivero led Lehigh with 18 points. Joe Knight added 14 and Kyle Neptune 13.
Matt Fannin was the only Mid in doublke figures. Fannin scored all of his 12 points in the first half.
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
Bucknell-American Game blog
American 8, Bucknell 6 (15:54 first) Mastropaolo asserting himself early, a bucket and a block in the first minute. Lee with a trey and 1-2 at the line for Bucknell.
American is getting to the hole early, its first 8 points all in the paint, including an Andre Ingram dunk off a steal.
Bucknell 2-5 from the field, AU 4-8.
By the way, Bucknell's pep band consists of about a dozen tonight. The student sections at either end are only about three-quarters full, plenty of seats on both sides, but still a decent crowd. It would probably easily overflow old Davis.
Bucknell 30, AU 18 (4:48 first)
It's mostly about offense right now. Both teams shooting 7-14 from the field. Bucknell 3-4 from 3-point range, including one off the bench by Jason Vegotsky that was answered by AU frosh Garrison Carr.
Bucknell 22, AU 17 (7:58 first)
We once again have the displeasure of watching Mr. Rich Giallella at work. There might be worse officials working the league, but they are not as noticeably bad as this guy has been every time we have seen him this season.
McNaughton more assertive tonight. Has five shots so far and has hit the last two. Bucknell on a little 6-0 run at the moment.
Bucknell 22, AU 17 (7:58 first)
Last post we said McNaughton getting going. Right after that he hit two more buckets, giving him six straight points and 8 of Bucknell's dozen on a 12-2 run. Run reached 14-2 before Derrick Mercer hit a three for AU to end the draught.
Vegotsky answered with a trey for BU.
We take back what we said about Giallella. The rest of this crew is just as bad. Not sure who the other two guys are. Don't recognize them.
Want to get the crowd loud during a timeout? Bring in a little girl who can do handsprings by the dozen, dress he in a little white cheerleader outfit trimmed in orange and blue and have her do tumbling runs while your less athletic regular cheerleaders build a formation behind her.
Bucknell 40, AU 26 (Halftime)
Another way to get the crowd going: A Donald Brown dunk on the follow after Charles Lee mis-times his jump on a breakaway and misses the dunk the crowd had anticipated. Ahs to Oohs in the time it takes Giallella to comb his hair.
At the break, Bucknell shooting 15-29 (51.7 percent) 5-8 on three-pointers
McNaughton 5-8, 10 points and 5 rebounds for Bucknell
Vegotsky 8 points on 3-3 shooting, 2-2 on treys
Bucknell winning the boards 19-10
For AU, after a strong start, they are now at 9-23 from the field (39.1 percent)
Mercer and Carr each with 5 points. Ingram's only points on the breakaway. He's 1-2 and sat a long spell with three personals.
In fairness to Giallella, we should mention the names of the other two guys working the game -- John Regan and Jeff Janosik.
Google Janosik and you will find mostly Division 3 box scores prior to this season. Too many John Regans deemed more important by Google for us to find any boxes with his name in the short time we have to search during the intermission.
Bucknell 47, AU 34 (15:49 second)
Mercer with two quick fouls in the second half. The first when he tackles Badmus in frustration after Badmus picked him clean out near midcourt.
Ingram hit AU's first two shots of the half, one a three. He now has 7, which must be close to a career high vs. Bucknell for the AU senior.
McNaughton with 4 early in the half, he now has 14 and has not missed in a while.
Team fouls at the first media timeout: AU 5, BU 1.
Billbe and Ingram with three each for AU. Brown with 3 personals for BU.
Bucknell 54, AU 37
Bison on a 9-3 spurt, 7 of the points from Charles Lee, who now has 13, including two treys.
Giallella just called a double dribble on Vegotsky with Eitutavicius draped across his back.
At the timeout, one of the two Js on the crew comes over and says he heard me talking about him. Probably before the start of the second half when I discussed the Google searches. Told him I was writing about him too. Wonder if he will Google himself tomorrow.
Bucknell 63, AU 47 (7:48 second)
Bright spot for AU, three-point shooting. Eagles are 7-11 from the arc, including 3-3 by Mercer, who has 11 points.
McNaughton (16), Lee (13) and Vegotsky (10) in double figures for the Bison.
Bucknell 70, AU 47 (5:38 left)
BU student chants -- Airball, Airball everytime Linas Lekvicius touches the ball (he has had two); Gary Coleman, Gary Coleman when Mercer has the rock.
Mercer just took Badmus down WWE style after Badmus outleaped everybody under the rack for an offensive board.
Would have been an illegal slam in real wrestling. He is hit with a personal and a T, should have been ejected. It was flagrant. AP scribe Jeff Fishbein says it would even cost two minutes in Hockey, but really, probably would be a game misconduct.
Bettencourt his one of two on the T, Badmus one of two. The Coleman chant has been replaced by a chorus of boos when Mercer has the ball.
Bucknell 74, AU 53 (2:13 left)
Bettencourt now also in double figures with 11. Brown has 9.
Bucknell 74, AU 57 (FINAL)
Another way to excite the crowd, put Holland Mack in the game (1:18 left)
The final minute is left to the far ends of both benches.
Bucknell finishes 26-45 (57,8 percent) from the field 8-13 from the arc.
McNaughton 16, Lee 15, Bettencourt 11, Vegotsky 3-3 from the field, 2-2 from 3-pt., 2-2 FT 10 points. Brown 4-5, 9 points. Badmus 5 assists, 6 rebounds.
AU -- 19-42 (45.2 percent) from the field 8-15 3s
Mercer 4-4, 3-3 on treys, 2-2 FT -- 13 points
American is getting to the hole early, its first 8 points all in the paint, including an Andre Ingram dunk off a steal.
Bucknell 2-5 from the field, AU 4-8.
By the way, Bucknell's pep band consists of about a dozen tonight. The student sections at either end are only about three-quarters full, plenty of seats on both sides, but still a decent crowd. It would probably easily overflow old Davis.
Bucknell 30, AU 18 (4:48 first)
It's mostly about offense right now. Both teams shooting 7-14 from the field. Bucknell 3-4 from 3-point range, including one off the bench by Jason Vegotsky that was answered by AU frosh Garrison Carr.
Bucknell 22, AU 17 (7:58 first)
We once again have the displeasure of watching Mr. Rich Giallella at work. There might be worse officials working the league, but they are not as noticeably bad as this guy has been every time we have seen him this season.
McNaughton more assertive tonight. Has five shots so far and has hit the last two. Bucknell on a little 6-0 run at the moment.
Bucknell 22, AU 17 (7:58 first)
Last post we said McNaughton getting going. Right after that he hit two more buckets, giving him six straight points and 8 of Bucknell's dozen on a 12-2 run. Run reached 14-2 before Derrick Mercer hit a three for AU to end the draught.
Vegotsky answered with a trey for BU.
We take back what we said about Giallella. The rest of this crew is just as bad. Not sure who the other two guys are. Don't recognize them.
Want to get the crowd loud during a timeout? Bring in a little girl who can do handsprings by the dozen, dress he in a little white cheerleader outfit trimmed in orange and blue and have her do tumbling runs while your less athletic regular cheerleaders build a formation behind her.
Bucknell 40, AU 26 (Halftime)
Another way to get the crowd going: A Donald Brown dunk on the follow after Charles Lee mis-times his jump on a breakaway and misses the dunk the crowd had anticipated. Ahs to Oohs in the time it takes Giallella to comb his hair.
At the break, Bucknell shooting 15-29 (51.7 percent) 5-8 on three-pointers
McNaughton 5-8, 10 points and 5 rebounds for Bucknell
Vegotsky 8 points on 3-3 shooting, 2-2 on treys
Bucknell winning the boards 19-10
For AU, after a strong start, they are now at 9-23 from the field (39.1 percent)
Mercer and Carr each with 5 points. Ingram's only points on the breakaway. He's 1-2 and sat a long spell with three personals.
In fairness to Giallella, we should mention the names of the other two guys working the game -- John Regan and Jeff Janosik.
Google Janosik and you will find mostly Division 3 box scores prior to this season. Too many John Regans deemed more important by Google for us to find any boxes with his name in the short time we have to search during the intermission.
Bucknell 47, AU 34 (15:49 second)
Mercer with two quick fouls in the second half. The first when he tackles Badmus in frustration after Badmus picked him clean out near midcourt.
Ingram hit AU's first two shots of the half, one a three. He now has 7, which must be close to a career high vs. Bucknell for the AU senior.
McNaughton with 4 early in the half, he now has 14 and has not missed in a while.
Team fouls at the first media timeout: AU 5, BU 1.
Billbe and Ingram with three each for AU. Brown with 3 personals for BU.
Bucknell 54, AU 37
Bison on a 9-3 spurt, 7 of the points from Charles Lee, who now has 13, including two treys.
Giallella just called a double dribble on Vegotsky with Eitutavicius draped across his back.
At the timeout, one of the two Js on the crew comes over and says he heard me talking about him. Probably before the start of the second half when I discussed the Google searches. Told him I was writing about him too. Wonder if he will Google himself tomorrow.
Bucknell 63, AU 47 (7:48 second)
Bright spot for AU, three-point shooting. Eagles are 7-11 from the arc, including 3-3 by Mercer, who has 11 points.
McNaughton (16), Lee (13) and Vegotsky (10) in double figures for the Bison.
Bucknell 70, AU 47 (5:38 left)
BU student chants -- Airball, Airball everytime Linas Lekvicius touches the ball (he has had two); Gary Coleman, Gary Coleman when Mercer has the rock.
Mercer just took Badmus down WWE style after Badmus outleaped everybody under the rack for an offensive board.
Would have been an illegal slam in real wrestling. He is hit with a personal and a T, should have been ejected. It was flagrant. AP scribe Jeff Fishbein says it would even cost two minutes in Hockey, but really, probably would be a game misconduct.
Bettencourt his one of two on the T, Badmus one of two. The Coleman chant has been replaced by a chorus of boos when Mercer has the ball.
Bucknell 74, AU 53 (2:13 left)
Bettencourt now also in double figures with 11. Brown has 9.
Bucknell 74, AU 57 (FINAL)
Another way to excite the crowd, put Holland Mack in the game (1:18 left)
The final minute is left to the far ends of both benches.
Bucknell finishes 26-45 (57,8 percent) from the field 8-13 from the arc.
McNaughton 16, Lee 15, Bettencourt 11, Vegotsky 3-3 from the field, 2-2 from 3-pt., 2-2 FT 10 points. Brown 4-5, 9 points. Badmus 5 assists, 6 rebounds.
AU -- 19-42 (45.2 percent) from the field 8-15 3s
Mercer 4-4, 3-3 on treys, 2-2 FT -- 13 points
Full slate tonight
| | | |
Army at Holy Cross, 7 p.m.: The big game for Holy Cross this week is Saturday, when Bucknell comes to town. If the Crusaders are looking ahead to that sold-out showdown, it could cost them, though. And it would be easy to look past Army, which has lost four in a row and 13 of its last 14 against Division I foes. Adding to that temptation, the Crusaders beat Army by 38 points when they met earlier this season at West Point.
Army has played better since then. Last week the Cadets led Bucknell in the second half. They also came within 3 points at Lehigh and took American to overtime in Bender.
Holy Cross has won 10 straight against Army and all time, they are 26-2 against the Cadets in the Hart Center. The Crusaders have won 14 straight regular season Patriot League home games, and as long as they don't make the mistake of taking Army too lightly, that streak should be at 15 when Bucknell comes to town.
| | |
American at Bucknell, 7 p.m.:NOTE THE TIME, WE HAD IT INCORRECT EARLIER TODAY. It's the lone home game in a three-week stretch for Bucknell, which was on the road for a pair last week and has three more road games ahead, starting Saturday at Holy Cross and finishing next Saturday in the BracketBuster at Northern Iowa. Another team with streaks on the line, the Bison have won nine in a row, 13 straight against league opponents and 21 straight league games in Sojka Pavilion.
This one was close when the two met at Bender a few weeks ago, but Bucknell's defense, ranked fourth in the nation, has not allowed a league opponent to score more than 47 points in Sojka.
The Bison have owned AU's Andre Ingram since he came into the league. Ingram's was 2-10 from the field the last time these tow met, making him 17-78 (21.8 percent) for his career against the Bison. If that trend continues, it will be tough for American to outscore Bucknell, especially in Sojka, where the atmosphere should be charged by a student crowd hungry to see their team at home for a change. Can't be there? We will be live blogging this one.
| | | | |
Lehigh at Navy, 7:30 p.m.: Navy has no offense, Lehigh has tremendous defense and enough firepower in Jose Olivero and Joe Knight to get by.
A caveat: when these tow met in Bethlehem, Navy played the Mountain Hawks tough, with a no-call that turned into a Billy Lange technical playing a key role in the Lehigh win. Navy was without Matt Fannin in that one. Fannin is hardly 100 percent now, playing with a brace holding his injured knee in place. But even a hobbled Fannin could pose some trouble for the legion of stiff that make up Lehigh's post players.
| | | |
Lafayette at Colgate, 7 p.m.: Lafayette has only three league wins this season, but one of them came against the Raiders, 85-74, in Easton. The Leopards' performance in the first half against Holy Cross Saturday might be something Fran O'Hanlon can build on as his young squad heads to Hamilton with a chance to take sole possession of fourth place in the league. A Leopards win and an American loss at Bucknell would accomplish that.
That won't be easy. Colgate's only wins in its past 9 games have come over Army. The Raiders are 1-3 at home in conference play, again the win coming over Army. But two of the losses came against Lehigh and Bucknell and Lafayette is 3-8 on the road and by all accounts has been a very different team outside of the Kirby Sports Center.
| | | |
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Traveling men
The most grueling part of Holy Cross' schedule wrapped up at Lafayette Saturday.
The Crusaders went 2-1 on the trip, an eight-day oddyssey featuring three games and over 1,100 miles of travel. It's not easy being the most remote outpost in the league. While the Pa. and D.C-area teams are all within an easy drive of each other, no place in the league is close to Worcester.
Ralph Willard described the Crusaders' jourrneys after the Lafayette game:
The Crusaders went 2-1 on the trip, an eight-day oddyssey featuring three games and over 1,100 miles of travel. It's not easy being the most remote outpost in the league. While the Pa. and D.C-area teams are all within an easy drive of each other, no place in the league is close to Worcester.
Ralph Willard described the Crusaders' jourrneys after the Lafayette game:
"We're tired right now. I'm tired. This has been a tough trip, this last week-- three games in eight days, planes trains and automobiles."Willard rues the day the league did away with the Friday-Sunday travel partners:
"We pulled in from Lehigh at 3 o'clock in the morning on Saturday night. Then we had to leave Tuesday to go to Navy. We got back Thursday at 11:30 in the morning. We had to get up at 5 o'clock to catch the flight to make most of our classes. How do you think these guys are going to class on that Thursday. I couldn't even stay awake, and I didn't play in the basketball game. You can imagine what these guys are doing going to class on that Thursday. To me it is a total travesty."
"The Big East, the MAC, everybody does Saturday-Mondays, they do two games in three days. Why we have gone back to this is beyond me. I think it is hypocrisy, is what I think it is personally. These kids should not be put through this.The Crusaders are home for three games, then:
"I felt that way when I first got into the league and I feel that way now. To the life of me, I don't know why we changed back from the travel partners. Ity certainly was better for the student athlete. Forget about basketball coaches, it was better for the student-athlete.
"From a coaching standpoint, this is better for me in terms of preparation, probably. But it is not fair to the kids. It really isn't."
"...the week after next, we are going away to Colgate, which is a bear of a trip for us, with the snow usually, I mean when does it not snow in Hamilton. Then we've got to fly down to American on Friday. I am really dissapointed we have gone away from the travel partners."
Tuesday morning readaround
But we found this bit about gutsy Navy captain Matt Fannin in the from Sunday's Army-Navy Star game:
Fannin, who is playing with a torn ACL in his left knee and left the game in the first half when his knee gave out on him, struggled all game with his shot, as he was unable to elevate with his injured leg. He had made just one of his previous nine attempts before knocking down the tough jumper off glass to give the Mids the lead for good.
Monday, February 06, 2006
Bison still unranked
Despite losses last week by a number of teams ranked ahead of Bucknell in the two major polls, the Bison remain unranked in the latest released this afternoon.
The Bison did move closer to the Top 25, though. In the AP poll, Bucknell's 81 points makes them third among the "others receiving votes." Unoffically that is like being ranked No. 28. The Bison are fifth in the "others receiving" category in the Coaches' Poll, with 29 points.
Bucknell's Bracket Buster foe, Northern Iowa, dropped out of the coaches' top 25 after losing last week to Creighton. The Panthers are third among others receiving with 36 points. UNI stayed in 25th spot in the AP Top 25.
No change at the top of the latest , where Bucknell continues to get one first place vote and remains at No. 2 behind Gonzaga, which got the other 30 first place votes. Northern Iowa, despite a loss to Creighton last week, stays No. 3. (Creighton moves up a notch from 6 to 5 this week.)
One change does occur in the bottom of the poll, with Lehigh now listed among others receiving votes. The Mountain Hawks with 6 votes, placing them unofficially at No. 48 in the rankings.
Meanwhile, if you need some meatier reading to fix your hoops jones, try this about how Bucknell' success has changed things around Sojka Pavilion.
The Bison did move closer to the Top 25, though. In the AP poll, Bucknell's 81 points makes them third among the "others receiving votes." Unoffically that is like being ranked No. 28. The Bison are fifth in the "others receiving" category in the Coaches' Poll, with 29 points.
Bucknell's Bracket Buster foe, Northern Iowa, dropped out of the coaches' top 25 after losing last week to Creighton. The Panthers are third among others receiving with 36 points. UNI stayed in 25th spot in the AP Top 25.
No change at the top of the latest , where Bucknell continues to get one first place vote and remains at No. 2 behind Gonzaga, which got the other 30 first place votes. Northern Iowa, despite a loss to Creighton last week, stays No. 3. (Creighton moves up a notch from 6 to 5 this week.)
One change does occur in the bottom of the poll, with Lehigh now listed among others receiving votes. The Mountain Hawks with 6 votes, placing them unofficially at No. 48 in the rankings.
Meanwhile, if you need some meatier reading to fix your hoops jones, try this about how Bucknell' success has changed things around Sojka Pavilion.
Navy 67, Army 62 (OT)
(Originally posted Sunday at 11:37 p.m., links added at 7:53 a.m.)
Using the word "hero" in a report on a game between two teams full of guys who are training to make a living in the hero business almost seems trite.
But how else would Navy fans describe Greg Sprink, who hit a three to send the game into overtime, or Midshipmen captain Matt Fannin hitting the game-winner, playing on a knee that belongs in an orthopedic surgeon's office, not on a basketball court.
It was a tight game throughout, as might be expected by a pair of teams that seem evenly matched, playing for a kind of pride that few college athletes can understand. There were 14 ties and 18 lead changes. Neither team led by more than 7 points.
Sprink's tying trey came with 1:32 to go in regulation. He added another three, and a pair of free throws, to account for 5 of Navy's 10 points in OT. Sprink finished with 23 points. Fannin added 10.
Matt Bell led Army with 18 points, but he missed a free throw that could have put Army up by 4 prior to Sprink's tying bucket and did not score in the extra session. Jarell Brown added 15 points, but like Bell, did not score in OT. Corban Bates scored all 6 of the Cadets points in OT, finishing with a double-double, 11 points and 14 rebounds.
Using the word "hero" in a report on a game between two teams full of guys who are training to make a living in the hero business almost seems trite.
But how else would Navy fans describe Greg Sprink, who hit a three to send the game into overtime, or Midshipmen captain Matt Fannin hitting the game-winner, playing on a knee that belongs in an orthopedic surgeon's office, not on a basketball court.
It was a tight game throughout, as might be expected by a pair of teams that seem evenly matched, playing for a kind of pride that few college athletes can understand. There were 14 ties and 18 lead changes. Neither team led by more than 7 points.
Sprink's tying trey came with 1:32 to go in regulation. He added another three, and a pair of free throws, to account for 5 of Navy's 10 points in OT. Sprink finished with 23 points. Fannin added 10.
Matt Bell led Army with 18 points, but he missed a free throw that could have put Army up by 4 prior to Sprink's tying bucket and did not score in the extra session. Jarell Brown added 15 points, but like Bell, did not score in OT. Corban Bates scored all 6 of the Cadets points in OT, finishing with a double-double, 11 points and 14 rebounds.
A Lehigh view of the Knight affair
An anonymous e-mailer sent along this in the Lehigh student paper giving an apologists view of the Joe Knight story.
The e-mailer must have thought this paragraph was important since it was included in the message:
Actually, a lot of folks had a different interpretation, for good reason. Lehigh's interpretation of the phase "hours earned or accepted for degree credit toward any of the institutions degree program" is fundamentally flawed.
Those who drink Brown Koo-Aid want to believe that means "hour earned" can be read independent of the "toward any of the institution's degree program."
At the risk of boring those who already know the background of NCAA Bylaw 14.4.3.4.1, let us explain this one more time. The idea is to make sure students are on a reasonable track to get their degree. It's the rule that keeps athletes from taking four years of assorted 100 level gut courses, getting good enough grades to have an eligible GPA while never getting close to earning a degree.
The Brown and White writes:
There are other things in the story that are not quite accurate. For example:
And then there is this:
Frankly, we are tired of this whole story. We are tired of it. There's a good race going on for the Patriot League championship. We'd prefer to discuss Knight's role in that race than the games he did not play. We remain convinced that it is fundamentally unfair that the only one punished was Knight, who relied on the guidance of people paid to know better.
What we are most tired of is the seemingly absolute refusal of anyone other than Knight to admit mistakes were made. It's not the fact that Knight appeared in games he should not have played that bothers us most. What bothers us most is the way Lehigh has handled the whole mess, from the initial cover-up to the ongoing denials.
We wonder what kind of role models Lehigh's educators are when they are unwilling to admit and take responsibility for their mistake.
The e-mailer must have thought this paragraph was important since it was included in the message:
When consulted, the registrar at Lafayette College came up with the same interpretation Lehigh's registrar had. The only group having a different interpretation was the governing body of the NCAA.Our suggestion: next time consult someone in the athletic department at another school. That way you might find someone familiar with the intent of the NCAA rule that govens this situation.
Actually, a lot of folks had a different interpretation, for good reason. Lehigh's interpretation of the phase "hours earned or accepted for degree credit toward any of the institutions degree program" is fundamentally flawed.
Those who drink Brown Koo-Aid want to believe that means "hour earned" can be read independent of the "toward any of the institution's degree program."
At the risk of boring those who already know the background of NCAA Bylaw 14.4.3.4.1, let us explain this one more time. The idea is to make sure students are on a reasonable track to get their degree. It's the rule that keeps athletes from taking four years of assorted 100 level gut courses, getting good enough grades to have an eligible GPA while never getting close to earning a degree.
The Brown and White writes:
(Lehigh athletic director Joe) Sterrett said he does not believe an error was made, just a miscommunication.What the phrase means is the credits, whether earned there or accepted from elsewhere, must count towards a degree program if you want to count them for eligibility.
"I don't think it's an honest mistake, just a different interpretation," Sterrett said.
There are other things in the story that are not quite accurate. For example:
Sterrett has already contacted most of the athletic directors from the schools Lehigh played in non-league games and beat last year. Two of the athletic directors have replied and neither accepted his offer of a forfeit in lieu of the Knight complications because they are under the impression that Lehigh, its coaching staff, athletic department and Joe Knight did nothing illegal or immoral under the NCAA guidelines.Who are those ADs? Did you talk to them? Did they tell you that was the reason they did not accept the forfeit? And don't you think it is worth a mention that at least one non-conference opponent, Ivy League member , has accepted the forfeit.
And then there is this:
Knight has never been in academic difficulty in terms of GPA or lack of credit hours at any of the schools he has attended.Depends how you define "academic difficulty." Sterrett previously described Knight's GPA at High Point as being around 2.0. Knight himself is quoted in the story saying:
"If I did it right at the beginning in the classroom, I wouldn't be in this situation now."It was also nice of the Brown and White to let us know:
. . . Knight said he wanted to challenge himself more academically. His search for a more rigorous academic experience took him to Lehigh . . .Up until now, we'd been under the impression Knight's interest in Lehigh was more basketball than books. We probably got that impression because, in an interview with Sterrett, the Lehigh A.D. mentioned Knight's connection with Lehigh assistant Bret Reed, who originally recruited Knight when he was an assistant at High Point, as the catalyst of Knight's interest.
Frankly, we are tired of this whole story. We are tired of it. There's a good race going on for the Patriot League championship. We'd prefer to discuss Knight's role in that race than the games he did not play. We remain convinced that it is fundamentally unfair that the only one punished was Knight, who relied on the guidance of people paid to know better.
What we are most tired of is the seemingly absolute refusal of anyone other than Knight to admit mistakes were made. It's not the fact that Knight appeared in games he should not have played that bothers us most. What bothers us most is the way Lehigh has handled the whole mess, from the initial cover-up to the ongoing denials.
We wonder what kind of role models Lehigh's educators are when they are unwilling to admit and take responsibility for their mistake.
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Forget the records, this one is big
| | | |
Navy at Army, 1 p.m.: For these two struggling teams, the season can be made with a win today. Oh sure, if Army loses, it can take consolation in having beat the Midshipmen in Annapolis earlier this season. But that game was sort of a warmup. This one is for the "Star", which loosely translated means this is the one that really counts. Players at the two academies can add a star to their varsity letter for a win over their archrivals, when the two meet more than once in a season in a sport, then one game is designated the star game.
That is why this is the meeting between Army and Navy that will be nationally televised on CBS (that and the fact that the two schools made televising an Army-Navy basketball game a part of the package for the rights to the annual football classic).
To best understand the significance of the rivalry between Army and Navy, pick up John Feinstein's account of the Army-Navy football game, "A Civil War." Or if you don't feel like reading a football book (it really is more than just a football book), browse some of the little shops in downtown Annapolis and notice the amount of Navy merchandise that includes the slogan "Beat Army." They even make Gold and Blue Navy beanie bears, the one with "Go Navy" embroidered on the foot, the other tagged with "Beat Army." Or go to a game at Alumni Hall and notice how many Navy cheers include that line, even when they are playing against somebody else.
This game has added significance this year, too. The two teams are in a virtual tie for last place, each with just a single league win. This is probably both team's best chance to pick up a second win to escape the cellar and the dreaded first round matchup on the top seed's homecourt.
| | | |
HC bus involved in fatal crash
(Originally posted Sat. at 7:15 p.m., updated at 8:57 a.m.)
Two teenagers were killed Saturday in a collision with the bis carrying the Holy Cross men's team back to Worcester following the Crusaders win at Lafayette.
Police said the car carrying the two teen-aged males was headed west on Route 22 when it cross the median and struck the eastbound bus head on.
Lopatcong Twp. police Sgt. Jason Garcia "the wreck was 'about one of the worst' he's seen."
The driver of the bus was transported to a local hospital. None of the people in the Holy Cross travel party were injured.
Reports of the accident first filtered back to Kirby Sports Center around halftime of the HC-Lafayette women's game, when word came that the bus that carried the women's team from Worcester had been sent to the scene to pick up the men's team. A local bus was chartered to take the women back to Worcester.
Bill Gibbons, the HC women's coach, said there had been at least one fatality, but that the team was safe, though "shaken up."
Two teenagers were killed Saturday in a collision with the bis carrying the Holy Cross men's team back to Worcester following the Crusaders win at Lafayette.
Police said the car carrying the two teen-aged males was headed west on Route 22 when it cross the median and struck the eastbound bus head on.
Lopatcong Twp. police Sgt. Jason Garcia "the wreck was 'about one of the worst' he's seen."
The driver of the bus was transported to a local hospital. None of the people in the Holy Cross travel party were injured.
Reports of the accident first filtered back to Kirby Sports Center around halftime of the HC-Lafayette women's game, when word came that the bus that carried the women's team from Worcester had been sent to the scene to pick up the men's team. A local bus was chartered to take the women back to Worcester.
Bill Gibbons, the HC women's coach, said there had been at least one fatality, but that the team was safe, though "shaken up."
Holy Cross rallies past Lafayette
(Originally posted Sat. at 7:08 p.m., links added at 9:10 a.m.)
EASTON, Pa. -- Things were not looking good for the Holy Cross men early in the second half of their 77-61 win Saturday at Lafayette. Missed shots and turnovers were piling up quicker than credit card interest charges. Trailing the homestanding Leopards by 5 points, with their starting center was sitting on the bench with 4 fouls and more than 15 minutes left on the clock, the ingredients for an upset were in the kettle, just waiting to be stirred.
How bad did thing seem at that point? When asked after the game what went through his mind when 6-10 Tim Clifford picked up his third and fourth fouls in quick succession shortly after the halftime intermission, Willard replied, "Prayers, lots of prayers."
It's doubtful that God actually determined the outcome of basketball games. After all, we all know He works in mysterious ways, and there was no mystery about what turned the game around for the Crusaders (13-10 overall, 6-2 Patriot League). With the chips down and the game on the line, Holy Cross relied on what has been a bedrock of the program since Willard returned to his alma mater seven seasons ago.
"Our basketball team is built on defense," said Willard.
So was this win. When Clifford sat down, Lafayette (9-12, 3-5) held a 40-35 lead. It took the Leopards over two minutes to get another field goal. That bucket, an Andrew Brown layup, was the only interruption in the 15-2 run Holy Cross used to take control of the game.
The defensive intensity was there from the start of the second half. Even though the Crusaders only points in the first six minutes of the half came on a pair of Clifford layups, Lafayette's lead never got bigger than the five points it had been at the break.
"It took us a while to get going, but we were able to hold them. They never were able to get separation," Willard said.
Once the Crusaders scoring got on track, the defense seemed get even tougher. The Crusaders held Lafayette to five field goals the entire second half. Three of those came in the first seven minutes.
"Obviously we did a better job defensively in the second half. . . . They had five field goals in the second half, which is great from our standpoint," Willard said.
Defense was a big part of the run that turned the game around. Lafayette had only 11 turnovers in the game, but three of them came during that stretch, leading to 7 quick points for Holy Cross.
Once the Crusaders offense got on track, they were on a roll. Of the 77 points HC put up, 40 came in the final 14 minutes. Most of those came from the hands of Kevin Hamilton and Keith Simmons, who led four Crusaders in double figures with 22 points each. Hamilton had 14 of his in that stretch, Simmons 11. Point guard Torey Thomas (11) and Clifford (10) also scored in double figures for HC.
After shooting 11 for 30 (36.7 percent) in the first half, Holy Cross hit 13 of 22 (59.1 percent) in the second. They also did a much better job of taking care of the basketball in the second half, giving away only six turnovers after having 14 in the first 20 minutes.
Another key for Holy Cross was rebounding. No doubt the halftime deficit would have been greater had the Crusaders not grabbed as many of their own missed shots as Lafayette did. Holy Cross' 11 offensive boards helped make up for most of the possessions lost by the turnovers. At the same time, second chances were rare for Lafayette, which managed only three offensive rebounds in the half. The Crusaders domination of the glass continued in the second half, with HC piling up a season-high 50 rebounds. Lafayette's 24 boards tied an opposition low set Wednesday night by Navy.
Hamilton, whose 13 rebounds gave him his first double-double of the season, led the HC effort on the boards. Hamilton, Thomas (8 rebounds) and Simmons (7) gave the Crusaders backcourt more boards than the entire Lafayette team.
Andrei Capusan was the lone bright spot for the Leopards. The slender, 6-8 senior from Romania used a variety of short jumpers and crafty post moves to score 22 points, fouling out Clifford and HC backup center Kevin Hyland in the process. Capusan also led Lafayette with seven rebounds.
The win capped a tough three-game road swing that saw the Crusaders wrap two long bus rides to the Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley around a flight to Navy in a span of eight days. Holy Cross now returns to the Hart Center for three straight home games, with visits by Army (Wed.) and Navy (Feb. 15) wrapped around a highly anticipated matchup Saturday with league-leading Bucknell.
EASTON, Pa. -- Things were not looking good for the Holy Cross men early in the second half of their 77-61 win Saturday at Lafayette. Missed shots and turnovers were piling up quicker than credit card interest charges. Trailing the homestanding Leopards by 5 points, with their starting center was sitting on the bench with 4 fouls and more than 15 minutes left on the clock, the ingredients for an upset were in the kettle, just waiting to be stirred.
How bad did thing seem at that point? When asked after the game what went through his mind when 6-10 Tim Clifford picked up his third and fourth fouls in quick succession shortly after the halftime intermission, Willard replied, "Prayers, lots of prayers."
It's doubtful that God actually determined the outcome of basketball games. After all, we all know He works in mysterious ways, and there was no mystery about what turned the game around for the Crusaders (13-10 overall, 6-2 Patriot League). With the chips down and the game on the line, Holy Cross relied on what has been a bedrock of the program since Willard returned to his alma mater seven seasons ago.
"Our basketball team is built on defense," said Willard.
So was this win. When Clifford sat down, Lafayette (9-12, 3-5) held a 40-35 lead. It took the Leopards over two minutes to get another field goal. That bucket, an Andrew Brown layup, was the only interruption in the 15-2 run Holy Cross used to take control of the game.
The defensive intensity was there from the start of the second half. Even though the Crusaders only points in the first six minutes of the half came on a pair of Clifford layups, Lafayette's lead never got bigger than the five points it had been at the break.
"It took us a while to get going, but we were able to hold them. They never were able to get separation," Willard said.
Once the Crusaders scoring got on track, the defense seemed get even tougher. The Crusaders held Lafayette to five field goals the entire second half. Three of those came in the first seven minutes.
"Obviously we did a better job defensively in the second half. . . . They had five field goals in the second half, which is great from our standpoint," Willard said.
Defense was a big part of the run that turned the game around. Lafayette had only 11 turnovers in the game, but three of them came during that stretch, leading to 7 quick points for Holy Cross.
Once the Crusaders offense got on track, they were on a roll. Of the 77 points HC put up, 40 came in the final 14 minutes. Most of those came from the hands of Kevin Hamilton and Keith Simmons, who led four Crusaders in double figures with 22 points each. Hamilton had 14 of his in that stretch, Simmons 11. Point guard Torey Thomas (11) and Clifford (10) also scored in double figures for HC.
After shooting 11 for 30 (36.7 percent) in the first half, Holy Cross hit 13 of 22 (59.1 percent) in the second. They also did a much better job of taking care of the basketball in the second half, giving away only six turnovers after having 14 in the first 20 minutes.
Another key for Holy Cross was rebounding. No doubt the halftime deficit would have been greater had the Crusaders not grabbed as many of their own missed shots as Lafayette did. Holy Cross' 11 offensive boards helped make up for most of the possessions lost by the turnovers. At the same time, second chances were rare for Lafayette, which managed only three offensive rebounds in the half. The Crusaders domination of the glass continued in the second half, with HC piling up a season-high 50 rebounds. Lafayette's 24 boards tied an opposition low set Wednesday night by Navy.
Hamilton, whose 13 rebounds gave him his first double-double of the season, led the HC effort on the boards. Hamilton, Thomas (8 rebounds) and Simmons (7) gave the Crusaders backcourt more boards than the entire Lafayette team.
Andrei Capusan was the lone bright spot for the Leopards. The slender, 6-8 senior from Romania used a variety of short jumpers and crafty post moves to score 22 points, fouling out Clifford and HC backup center Kevin Hyland in the process. Capusan also led Lafayette with seven rebounds.
The win capped a tough three-game road swing that saw the Crusaders wrap two long bus rides to the Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley around a flight to Navy in a span of eight days. Holy Cross now returns to the Hart Center for three straight home games, with visits by Army (Wed.) and Navy (Feb. 15) wrapped around a highly anticipated matchup Saturday with league-leading Bucknell.
Bucknell 68, Colgate 59
(Originally posted Sat. at 9:28 p.m., links added at 9:12 a.m.)
Another tale of two halves for the Bison, who again started slow and finished fast in winning their ninth straight.
Colgate jumped to an early 16-5 lead and held Bucknell to 8 field goals (8-25, 32 percent) in the first half, taking a 28-20 lead at the break. Bucknell missed its first seven shots and 15 of its first 17. Bucknell also struggled at the foul line, going 3 for 9 in the first half.
The second half, though, was a different story, with Bucknell hitting 14 of 21 (66.7 percent) from the field and 16-19 at the free throw line to pull away.
The Bison also tightened up on defense after the intermission. After allowing Colgate to hit 10 of 22 (45.5 percent) including 5 of 8 from the three-point arc, Bucknell limited the Raiders to 7 second half field goals on 21 tries (33.3 percent), including 3 of 13 from three-point range. Colgate also turned the ball over 23 times.
Colgate actually led by as many as 12 early in the second half, taking a 32-20 lead following a pair of Kyle Roemer free throws on a technical on Bucknell coach Pat Flannery. Then the Bison went on a 16-2 run to tie it and went on to the win.
Roemer led all scorers with 19 points. Todd Checovich added 10 off the Colgate bench.
Bucknell had four guys in double figures, led by Kevin Bettencourt's 17. Charles Lee (13), Abe Badmus (10) and Chris McNaughton (12) were also in doubles for the Bison, who have now won 13 in a row against Patriot League foes, dating to last season.
It was Flannery's 100th Patriot League win.
Another tale of two halves for the Bison, who again started slow and finished fast in winning their ninth straight.
Colgate jumped to an early 16-5 lead and held Bucknell to 8 field goals (8-25, 32 percent) in the first half, taking a 28-20 lead at the break. Bucknell missed its first seven shots and 15 of its first 17. Bucknell also struggled at the foul line, going 3 for 9 in the first half.
The second half, though, was a different story, with Bucknell hitting 14 of 21 (66.7 percent) from the field and 16-19 at the free throw line to pull away.
The Bison also tightened up on defense after the intermission. After allowing Colgate to hit 10 of 22 (45.5 percent) including 5 of 8 from the three-point arc, Bucknell limited the Raiders to 7 second half field goals on 21 tries (33.3 percent), including 3 of 13 from three-point range. Colgate also turned the ball over 23 times.
Colgate actually led by as many as 12 early in the second half, taking a 32-20 lead following a pair of Kyle Roemer free throws on a technical on Bucknell coach Pat Flannery. Then the Bison went on a 16-2 run to tie it and went on to the win.
Roemer led all scorers with 19 points. Todd Checovich added 10 off the Colgate bench.
Bucknell had four guys in double figures, led by Kevin Bettencourt's 17. Charles Lee (13), Abe Badmus (10) and Chris McNaughton (12) were also in doubles for the Bison, who have now won 13 in a row against Patriot League foes, dating to last season.
It was Flannery's 100th Patriot League win.
Lehigh 65, American 58
(Originally posted Sat., 9:50 p.m., updated at 9:09 a.m.)
Lehigh used a 7-0 run to break a 44-44 tie midway through the second half and held off American, despite a 21-point career night from Paulius Joneliunas.
Jose Olivero had 21 for the Mountain Hawks. Joe Knight added 18. Together, the two Lehigh guards shot 19 free throws, making 16. The whole American team only shot 16 free throws (12-16).
The free throw line was the difference. American shot better (21-50, 42 percent to Lehigh's 17-48, 35.4 percent), had more points in the paint (24-16), more points off turnovers (15-13) and more second chance points (12-4). But Lehigh had the edge at the stripe, making 23 of 28.
©2005 Hoop Time. All rights reserved.
Lehigh used a 7-0 run to break a 44-44 tie midway through the second half and held off American, despite a 21-point career night from Paulius Joneliunas.
Jose Olivero had 21 for the Mountain Hawks. Joe Knight added 18. Together, the two Lehigh guards shot 19 free throws, making 16. The whole American team only shot 16 free throws (12-16).
The free throw line was the difference. American shot better (21-50, 42 percent to Lehigh's 17-48, 35.4 percent), had more points in the paint (24-16), more points off turnovers (15-13) and more second chance points (12-4). But Lehigh had the edge at the stripe, making 23 of 28.
