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Monday, December 31, 2007
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Box score
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Both teams made 25 field goals, but Sacred Heart made 10 three-pointers to hand the Crusaders a 61-58 setback Sunday.
It was the second loss in as many games for Holy Cross (7-3), which shot the ball well, but allowed Sacred Heart (5-8) to do the same. Both teams were 25 for 48 (52.1 percent) from the field. Holy Cross had an edge at the foul line, hitting 5 of 9 free throws while the Pioneers shot just 2 foul shots and made only 1. But SH was 10 for 23 from the arc, while HC was 3 for 10 from long range.
Tim Clifford had 24 points for Holy Cross, and 7 rebounds, 6 on the offensive glass. The last of those caroms came after Colin Cunningham (10 points) missed a three that would have tied the game with 2 seconds to go.
Clifford got the ball to Adam May, but May's try from the arc was blocked, giving Sacred Heart its fifth win of the season.
Holy Cross held a 27-20 edge on the boards, and had 12 offensive rebounds to 9 for Sacred Heart. But one of those nine proved to be the key down the stretch for Sacred Heart.
After Holy Cross cut the Pioneers' lead to 59-58 on a Cunningham layup with 1:27 to go, the Crusaders got the stop they needed when Chauncey Hardy missed a jumper with 57 seconds left. But SH's Brice Brooks came up with the offensive board, leading to a Drew Shubik bucket with 21 seconds to play that forced HC to go for a three on its last possession.
The Crusaders trailed by as many as 9 in the first half before battling back to take a 29-28 lead at the intermission. HC led by as many as 6 early in the second half, and was still up 49-46 with 8:28 to go when SH went on an 8-1 run to take the lead for good. The game featured five ties and four lead changes, with neither team ever managing to push its advantage to double digits.
The win was Sacred Heart's fifth in its last seven games after an 0-6 start.
Box score | AP | Telegram & Gazette | Connecticut Post
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It was the second loss in as many games for Holy Cross (7-3), which shot the ball well, but allowed Sacred Heart (5-8) to do the same. Both teams were 25 for 48 (52.1 percent) from the field. Holy Cross had an edge at the foul line, hitting 5 of 9 free throws while the Pioneers shot just 2 foul shots and made only 1. But SH was 10 for 23 from the arc, while HC was 3 for 10 from long range.
Tim Clifford had 24 points for Holy Cross, and 7 rebounds, 6 on the offensive glass. The last of those caroms came after Colin Cunningham (10 points) missed a three that would have tied the game with 2 seconds to go.
Clifford got the ball to Adam May, but May's try from the arc was blocked, giving Sacred Heart its fifth win of the season.
Holy Cross held a 27-20 edge on the boards, and had 12 offensive rebounds to 9 for Sacred Heart. But one of those nine proved to be the key down the stretch for Sacred Heart.
After Holy Cross cut the Pioneers' lead to 59-58 on a Cunningham layup with 1:27 to go, the Crusaders got the stop they needed when Chauncey Hardy missed a jumper with 57 seconds left. But SH's Brice Brooks came up with the offensive board, leading to a Drew Shubik bucket with 21 seconds to play that forced HC to go for a three on its last possession.
The Crusaders trailed by as many as 9 in the first half before battling back to take a 29-28 lead at the intermission. HC led by as many as 6 early in the second half, and was still up 49-46 with 8:28 to go when SH went on an 8-1 run to take the lead for good. The game featured five ties and four lead changes, with neither team ever managing to push its advantage to double digits.
The win was Sacred Heart's fifth in its last seven games after an 0-6 start.
Box score | AP | Telegram & Gazette | Connecticut Post
Labels: games, Holy Cross
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For the second game in a row, the Radiers were held under 50 points. This time, though, they managed to score just enough to get the win.
If you look at the box score, you'd have a tough time believing it was close. On the scoreboard, though, Colgate escaped with a 49-46 win after the Wildcats missed two three-pointers in the final 1:03 that could have sent the game to overtime.
Particularly quirky from a statistical viewpoint was the first half, which ended with UNH up 27-24 despite the Raiders holding them to 26.7 percent (8-30) shooting from the field. Colgate didn't exactly shoot the lights out in the half, but it did shoot 39.1 percent (9-23) from the field.
The difference was 5 UNH three-pointers (on 10 attempts) to 3 for Colgate (11 tries) and UNH's 6 for 8 showing at the foul line. Colgate was 3 for 8 on first half free throws.
In front of a Colgate-esque crowd of 703, the Raiders finished 19 of 42 (45.2 percent) from the field, 4 for 16 at the arc and just 7 of 15 at the foul line. New Hampshire shot 25.9 percent from the field (14-54), 7 of 23 from three-point range and 11 of 15 at the charity stripe.
Alex Woodhouse was the only Colgate player in double figures. The springy 6-8 junior scored a career-high 17 points and pulled down 9 rebounds. Woodhouse was 7 for 7 from the field and 3 for 5 at the foul line. His free throw with 3:55 to play was Colgate's only point in the final 6:57, a stretch where they nearly saw a 10-point lead evaporate thanks to 0 for 6 shooting and 3 turnovers.
The turnovers were a problem all afternoon for the Raiders, who coughed the ball up 23 times.
Box score | AP | Portsmouth Herald News |
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If you look at the box score, you'd have a tough time believing it was close. On the scoreboard, though, Colgate escaped with a 49-46 win after the Wildcats missed two three-pointers in the final 1:03 that could have sent the game to overtime.
Particularly quirky from a statistical viewpoint was the first half, which ended with UNH up 27-24 despite the Raiders holding them to 26.7 percent (8-30) shooting from the field. Colgate didn't exactly shoot the lights out in the half, but it did shoot 39.1 percent (9-23) from the field.
The difference was 5 UNH three-pointers (on 10 attempts) to 3 for Colgate (11 tries) and UNH's 6 for 8 showing at the foul line. Colgate was 3 for 8 on first half free throws.
In front of a Colgate-esque crowd of 703, the Raiders finished 19 of 42 (45.2 percent) from the field, 4 for 16 at the arc and just 7 of 15 at the foul line. New Hampshire shot 25.9 percent from the field (14-54), 7 of 23 from three-point range and 11 of 15 at the charity stripe.
Alex Woodhouse was the only Colgate player in double figures. The springy 6-8 junior scored a career-high 17 points and pulled down 9 rebounds. Woodhouse was 7 for 7 from the field and 3 for 5 at the foul line. His free throw with 3:55 to play was Colgate's only point in the final 6:57, a stretch where they nearly saw a 10-point lead evaporate thanks to 0 for 6 shooting and 3 turnovers.
The turnovers were a problem all afternoon for the Raiders, who coughed the ball up 23 times.
Box score | AP | Portsmouth Herald News |
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For 22 minutes, Lafayette was right there. Then Robert Morris got red-hot and shot down the Leopards hopes for a road win.
Lafayette led 35-34 at the intermission after holding RMU to 33.3 percent (13-39) shooting in the first half. And the Leopards were up by four, 43-39, with 18:02 left to play.
Then the Colonials went on a 10-0 run over the next four minutes and went on to an 88-76 win.
All those first half shots must have helped RMU get dialed in. After that 33.3 percent half, the Colonials shot the olights out in the second half, knocking down 20 of 28 (71.4 percent) from the field.
Andrew Brown hit six treys en route to a team-high 24 points for Lafayette. Bilal Abdullah added four more three-pointers and 16 points for the Leopards (8-4), who shot 42.1 percent (24-57) from the field.
RMU outrebounded the 'Pards 42-33 and forced 19 Lafayette turnovers.
Box score | Post-Gazette | Tribune-Review
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Lafayette led 35-34 at the intermission after holding RMU to 33.3 percent (13-39) shooting in the first half. And the Leopards were up by four, 43-39, with 18:02 left to play.
Then the Colonials went on a 10-0 run over the next four minutes and went on to an 88-76 win.
All those first half shots must have helped RMU get dialed in. After that 33.3 percent half, the Colonials shot the olights out in the second half, knocking down 20 of 28 (71.4 percent) from the field.
Andrew Brown hit six treys en route to a team-high 24 points for Lafayette. Bilal Abdullah added four more three-pointers and 16 points for the Leopards (8-4), who shot 42.1 percent (24-57) from the field.
RMU outrebounded the 'Pards 42-33 and forced 19 Lafayette turnovers.
Box score | Post-Gazette | Tribune-Review
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Sunday, December 30, 2007
A pair of afternoon games on today's three-game schedule, starting with Colgate at New Hampshire at 1 p.m. That game is followed by Holy Cross at Sacred Heart at 4 p.m. Lafayette closes the day with a 7 p.m. start at Robert Morris in the first of two games in the Pittsburgh area in four days for the Leopards, who will stay in western Pa. to meet Pitt Wednesday.
SCOUTING NEW HAMPSHIRE: Now in his third season at UNH, former Drexel and East Carolina head coach Bill Herrion is finding it tough to turn the Wildcats program around. Winners of 22 games total his first two seasons, New Hampshire is on a similar pace after losing its last six in a row, turning a 3-1 start into its current 3-7 mark.
The Wildcats are 2-3 at home, but have lost the last three in a row in Detrick Gymnasium.
that UNH has actually outscored its opponents this season, averaging 71.8 points per game while allowing 71.3, is a statistical oddity brought about by a 49-point win over Division III Suffolk and a tendency to play close in losses. Only one loss came by more than 11 points and four of the Wildcats' setbacks have been by six or less points.
Four players average in double figures -- 6-2 junior Tyrece Gibbs (13.5 ppg), 6-8 senior Mike Christensen (13.1 ppg), 6-1 junior Eric Gilchrese (11.8 ppg) and 6-1 freshman Alvin Abreu (11.8 ppg). Gibbs is the top three-point threat, averaging 2.5 per game and hitting at a 43.1 percent clip from the arc.
BONUS LINKS:
New Hampshire stats
Livestats
SCOUTING SACRED HEART: After an 0-6 start, the Pioneers have begun to come around, winning four of their last six, the two losses coming on the road to Providence and Boston College by a combined 10 points.
Drew Skukik, a 6-4 senior, leads Sacred Heart with 11.6 points and 6 rebounds per game. Brice Brooke, a 6-7 senior, averages 10.7 ppg.
BONUS LINKS:
Sacred Heart stats
Sacred Heart game notes
SCOUTING ROBERT MORRIS: The Colonials are 7-5 under first-year head coach Mike Rice, who came to RMU after serving as Jamie Dixon's top assistant at Pitt.
Tony Lee leads Robert Morris. The 6-0 senior guard is the team's top rebounder (7.3 rpg), top assists man (7.6 apg) and second-leading scorer (14.3 ppg.) He also teams with 6-8 sophomore Jeremy Chappell to give opposing offenses fits. Lee leads the Northeast Conference with 3.25 steals per game. Chappell is second with 2.9 per game. Chappell also scores a team-high 16.7 ppg.
A.J. Jackson, a 6-6 senior, is averaging 13.3 ppg.
Sophomore point guard Jimmy Langhurst is averaging 10.9 ppg and has hit 13 of 20 from the arc in the Colonials' last three games. Over the last seven games he has dished out 31 assists while turning the ball over just 10 times.
While Langhurst has been taking good care of the ball, others have struggled for RMU. The Colonials average 18.4 turnovers per game, which puts a damper on an offense that is shooting 47.1 percent from the field.
In RMU's five losses, opponents have averaged 26 points per game off RMU turnovers. In its seven wins, opponents have scored 17.4 points per game off Colonials' giveaways.
BONUS LINKS:
Robert Morris stats
Robert Morris game notes
The spotlight has a way of always finding RMU's Lee (Ppost-Gazette)
Duquesne, RMU prepare for quick returns (Tribune-Review)
Brown typifies Lafayette (Express-Times)
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SCOUTING NEW HAMPSHIRE: Now in his third season at UNH, former Drexel and East Carolina head coach Bill Herrion is finding it tough to turn the Wildcats program around. Winners of 22 games total his first two seasons, New Hampshire is on a similar pace after losing its last six in a row, turning a 3-1 start into its current 3-7 mark.
The Wildcats are 2-3 at home, but have lost the last three in a row in Detrick Gymnasium.
that UNH has actually outscored its opponents this season, averaging 71.8 points per game while allowing 71.3, is a statistical oddity brought about by a 49-point win over Division III Suffolk and a tendency to play close in losses. Only one loss came by more than 11 points and four of the Wildcats' setbacks have been by six or less points.
Four players average in double figures -- 6-2 junior Tyrece Gibbs (13.5 ppg), 6-8 senior Mike Christensen (13.1 ppg), 6-1 junior Eric Gilchrese (11.8 ppg) and 6-1 freshman Alvin Abreu (11.8 ppg). Gibbs is the top three-point threat, averaging 2.5 per game and hitting at a 43.1 percent clip from the arc.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING SACRED HEART: After an 0-6 start, the Pioneers have begun to come around, winning four of their last six, the two losses coming on the road to Providence and Boston College by a combined 10 points.
Drew Skukik, a 6-4 senior, leads Sacred Heart with 11.6 points and 6 rebounds per game. Brice Brooke, a 6-7 senior, averages 10.7 ppg.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING ROBERT MORRIS: The Colonials are 7-5 under first-year head coach Mike Rice, who came to RMU after serving as Jamie Dixon's top assistant at Pitt.
Tony Lee leads Robert Morris. The 6-0 senior guard is the team's top rebounder (7.3 rpg), top assists man (7.6 apg) and second-leading scorer (14.3 ppg.) He also teams with 6-8 sophomore Jeremy Chappell to give opposing offenses fits. Lee leads the Northeast Conference with 3.25 steals per game. Chappell is second with 2.9 per game. Chappell also scores a team-high 16.7 ppg.
A.J. Jackson, a 6-6 senior, is averaging 13.3 ppg.
Sophomore point guard Jimmy Langhurst is averaging 10.9 ppg and has hit 13 of 20 from the arc in the Colonials' last three games. Over the last seven games he has dished out 31 assists while turning the ball over just 10 times.
While Langhurst has been taking good care of the ball, others have struggled for RMU. The Colonials average 18.4 turnovers per game, which puts a damper on an offense that is shooting 47.1 percent from the field.
In RMU's five losses, opponents have averaged 26 points per game off RMU turnovers. In its seven wins, opponents have scored 17.4 points per game off Colonials' giveaways.
BONUS LINKS:
Labels: Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette
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Bucknell's 61-57 win over Long Beach State in Saturday's consolation game at Cal's Golden Bear Classic was not pretty. But it was a win, and the way the Bison are struggling of late, that is all that really mattered.
After losing three of its last four coming in, Bison coach Pat Flannery shook up his starting lineup, benching sophomore Patrick Behan in favor of freshman G.W. Boon. Boon responded with a career-high 12 points, but the move hardly solved Bucknell's offensive woes.
The Bison (5-7) shot just 25.8 percent from the field in the first half (8-31) and finished the game 21 for 60 (35 percent). They had scoreless stretches of over five minutes in each half and jacked up 33 shots from the arc (making 11).
But they played good enough defense to pick up the W over the defending Big West champions. Despite the woeful first half shooting, the Bison managed to lead 23-16 at the intermission after holding the 49ers (3-8) to 5 field goals (on 24 attempts, 20.8 percent).
Long Beach shot much better in the second half, going 14 for 28 from the field, including 7 treys (on 12 tries). But Bucknell managed to hang on, thanks in part to junior center Josh Linthicum, who scored 6 of his 9 points in the final 2:38, including a pair of huge putbacks in the final 1:13.
Linthicum finished with 12 rebounds, helping the Bison to a 42-32 advantage on the boards.
John Griffin finished with 15 points to lead the Bison. Justin Castleberry added 12, including a pair of free throws with nine seconds to go that sealed the victory.
Box score | Sports Network | AP
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After losing three of its last four coming in, Bison coach Pat Flannery shook up his starting lineup, benching sophomore Patrick Behan in favor of freshman G.W. Boon. Boon responded with a career-high 12 points, but the move hardly solved Bucknell's offensive woes.
The Bison (5-7) shot just 25.8 percent from the field in the first half (8-31) and finished the game 21 for 60 (35 percent). They had scoreless stretches of over five minutes in each half and jacked up 33 shots from the arc (making 11).
But they played good enough defense to pick up the W over the defending Big West champions. Despite the woeful first half shooting, the Bison managed to lead 23-16 at the intermission after holding the 49ers (3-8) to 5 field goals (on 24 attempts, 20.8 percent).
Long Beach shot much better in the second half, going 14 for 28 from the field, including 7 treys (on 12 tries). But Bucknell managed to hang on, thanks in part to junior center Josh Linthicum, who scored 6 of his 9 points in the final 2:38, including a pair of huge putbacks in the final 1:13.
Linthicum finished with 12 rebounds, helping the Bison to a 42-32 advantage on the boards.
John Griffin finished with 15 points to lead the Bison. Justin Castleberry added 12, including a pair of free throws with nine seconds to go that sealed the victory.
Box score | Sports Network | AP
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For about 11 minutes Saturday afternoon, it looked like American might pull off its second shocker against a D.C. area power team in a week.
Then Georgetown changed its defense and ran away from the Eagles for a 78-51 win.
AU led early, with Garrison Carr and Derrick Mercer combining to go 5 for 5 from the three-point arc to start the game. When Mercer hit his second, with 12:53 to go in the opening half, the Eagles were up 19-13.
Then Georgetown began switching on screens to take away those open looks and picked up its defensive intensity. After Cornelio Guibunda scored against his old teammates to give AU a 21-19 lead with 9:12 to go in the half, Georgetown went on a 10-0 run that, for all intents and purposes, determined the outcome of the game.
AU was 0 for 4 with 4 turnovers during that stretch. The turnovers would be a probolem the rest of the way for American, which turned the ball over 21 times, leading to 27 Georgetown points.
In case AU had any comeback dreams, the Hoyas put the game away with a 17-0 run in the second half. That run capped a 50-15 Georgetown spurt that stretched across both halves.
Mercer finished with 17 points, including 4 of 7 from the arc. Carr had 16, including 5 treys on 7 attempts. The rest of the Eagles went 1 for 9 on three-pointers. AU finished the game 18 for 47 (38.3 percent) from the field.
Georgetown hit 29 of 48 (60.4 percent) from the field, 8 of 16 from three-point territory. The Hoyas outscored AU 38-14 in the paint. Georgetown's bench accounted for 30 points; AU's reserves scored 7.
Box score | Wash. Post | Wash. Moonie | Sports Network | HoopsWorld | AP
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Then Georgetown changed its defense and ran away from the Eagles for a 78-51 win.
AU led early, with Garrison Carr and Derrick Mercer combining to go 5 for 5 from the three-point arc to start the game. When Mercer hit his second, with 12:53 to go in the opening half, the Eagles were up 19-13.
Then Georgetown began switching on screens to take away those open looks and picked up its defensive intensity. After Cornelio Guibunda scored against his old teammates to give AU a 21-19 lead with 9:12 to go in the half, Georgetown went on a 10-0 run that, for all intents and purposes, determined the outcome of the game.
AU was 0 for 4 with 4 turnovers during that stretch. The turnovers would be a probolem the rest of the way for American, which turned the ball over 21 times, leading to 27 Georgetown points.
In case AU had any comeback dreams, the Hoyas put the game away with a 17-0 run in the second half. That run capped a 50-15 Georgetown spurt that stretched across both halves.
Mercer finished with 17 points, including 4 of 7 from the arc. Carr had 16, including 5 treys on 7 attempts. The rest of the Eagles went 1 for 9 on three-pointers. AU finished the game 18 for 47 (38.3 percent) from the field.
Georgetown hit 29 of 48 (60.4 percent) from the field, 8 of 16 from three-point territory. The Hoyas outscored AU 38-14 in the paint. Georgetown's bench accounted for 30 points; AU's reserves scored 7.
Box score | Wash. Post | Wash. Moonie | Sports Network | HoopsWorld | AP
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Greg Sprink and Kaleo Kina combined to score 56 points, including nearly every key basket in Navy's 85-83 win Saturday at St. Francis (NY).
Had there been any kind of a crowd on hand in Brooklyn Heights, we might have tried for some sort of "Navy pair beats full house" headline. But only 278 hardy souls witnessed Sprink's 33-point performance.
It was the most points by a Midshipmen since Dec. 22, 2005, when Sprink put up 34 against Brown. The total was not the most impressive part of Sprink's performance. It wasn't his 11 buckets on 18 shots that made the difference as much as the timing of those makes, especially on three of his four three-pointers (on 9 tries).
Navy took tghe lead nine seconds into the game on a Kina three-pointer and never trailed. Four times St. Francis managed to pull even. Three of those four times, it was Sprink who answered to keep Navy on top.
The two times the Terriers tied the game in the second half, Sprink hit a three to put Navy back in the lead. The last time came after SF tied the game at 68-68 with 4:08 to play. That was when Sprink responded with not one, but two threes, back to back, followed by a layup for a one-man 8-0 run that kept the Mids ahead the rest of the way.
The assist on both those threes came from Kina, who finished with 6 dishes and 6 boards to go with his 23 points. Back in the starting lineup, Kina also had three steals in 38 minutes of action.
St. Francis closed to within 3 at 76-73 with a minute to play, but Navy held the Terriers off by hitting 9 of 10 free throws down the stretch. Sprink was 5 for 6 in that span, Kina 2 for 2.
The win, on the heels of last week's win at Maryland-Eastern Shore, gives Navy (5-8) back-to-back wins for the first time this season. With 0-13 New Jersey Institute of Technology (Jan. 2) and 2-12 Longwood (Jan. 5) both set to visit Annapolis next week, the Mids could be riding a four-game win streak when they open conference play Jan. 11 at Bucknell.
Box score | AP
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Had there been any kind of a crowd on hand in Brooklyn Heights, we might have tried for some sort of "Navy pair beats full house" headline. But only 278 hardy souls witnessed Sprink's 33-point performance.
It was the most points by a Midshipmen since Dec. 22, 2005, when Sprink put up 34 against Brown. The total was not the most impressive part of Sprink's performance. It wasn't his 11 buckets on 18 shots that made the difference as much as the timing of those makes, especially on three of his four three-pointers (on 9 tries).
Navy took tghe lead nine seconds into the game on a Kina three-pointer and never trailed. Four times St. Francis managed to pull even. Three of those four times, it was Sprink who answered to keep Navy on top.
The two times the Terriers tied the game in the second half, Sprink hit a three to put Navy back in the lead. The last time came after SF tied the game at 68-68 with 4:08 to play. That was when Sprink responded with not one, but two threes, back to back, followed by a layup for a one-man 8-0 run that kept the Mids ahead the rest of the way.
The assist on both those threes came from Kina, who finished with 6 dishes and 6 boards to go with his 23 points. Back in the starting lineup, Kina also had three steals in 38 minutes of action.
St. Francis closed to within 3 at 76-73 with a minute to play, but Navy held the Terriers off by hitting 9 of 10 free throws down the stretch. Sprink was 5 for 6 in that span, Kina 2 for 2.
The win, on the heels of last week's win at Maryland-Eastern Shore, gives Navy (5-8) back-to-back wins for the first time this season. With 0-13 New Jersey Institute of Technology (Jan. 2) and 2-12 Longwood (Jan. 5) both set to visit Annapolis next week, the Mids could be riding a four-game win streak when they open conference play Jan. 11 at Bucknell.
Box score | AP
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Saturday, December 29, 2007
Coming off last week's win at Maryland, American travels across town to take on No. 5 Georgetown this afternoon in the feature game of the day. Navy is also on the road, traveling to Saint Francis (NY) and Bucknell looks to salvage its trip to the West Coast when it faces Long Beach State in the consolation game of Cal's Golden Bear Classic.
SCOUTING GEORGETOWN: The No. 5 ranked Hoyas come into the game at 8-1 after suffering their first loss of the season at No. 2 Memphis. If you are looking for a one-word description of Georgetown, that word might be "balanced." Leading scorer Roy Hibbert, a 7-2 senior with an NBA future, leads the Hoyas in scoring, averaging 12 ppg. Sophomore DaJuan Summers (6-8) averages 11.8 ppg. They are the only Hoyas averaging in double figures, but three others are averaging 9.2 ppg or better.
Georgetown plays lockdown defense, as evidenced by opponents 35.9 percent shooting against the Hoyas. That number drops to 28.3 percent at the arc. Opponents are scoring 55.7 points per game, a number inflated by the 85 Memphis posted. Alabama (60) is the only other team to score above the 50s against the Hoyas.
On offense, G-town is efficient, scoring 73.8 ppg while shooting 51.4 percent as a team, 38.8 percent from three-point range. Hibbert tops the Georgetown shooters, connecting on 62.3 percent of his attempts. His 7 rebounds per game are one reason the Hoyas outrebound opponents by almost 7 boards. Hibbert also averages 2.2 rejections.
BONUS LINKS:
Georgetown stats
Georgetown game notes
Georgetown looks to bounce back against American (HoopsWorld)
Eagles Try to Put Game Faces Back on for Hoyas (Washington Post)
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/basketball/ncaa/wires/12/28/2060.ap.bkc.american.s.shockers.0790/ (SI.com)
SCOUTING ST. FRANCIS (NY): The word small can be used multiple ways in describing the Terriers. There is the small roster, with just one guy taller than 6-7, the small crowd expected for the game (SF has averaged 435 fans for its first four home games), and the small number of wins the 3-9 Terriers have managed thus far.
All three wins have come at home, where SF is 3-1, with victories over Hartford, Hofstra and Fairfield.
Robert Hines, a 6-5 senior, is the Terriers leading scorer (16.4 ppg). Jamaal Womackm a 5-8 senior, is also in double figures at 11.4 ppg. Neither is shooting 40 percent from the field, which helps explain Saint Francis' 28.3 percent shooting as a team.
BONUS LINKS:
St. Francis (NY) stats
SCOUTING LONG BEACH STATE: The defending Big West champions are 3-7 following Friday's 102-65 loss to Cal. The 49ers gave up 16 three-pointers in the loss.
Long Beach State is 0-6 away from home under first-year coach Dan Monson, who came to LBS after stints at Minnesota and Gonzaga.
Fresno State transfer Donovan Morris (6-3 junior) leads the 49ers in scoring (16 ppg) and rebounding 6.1 rpg). Junior Brian Freeman (9.1 ppg), a 6-10 juco transfer, is shooting 63 percent from the field and has three-point range (5-7).
BONUS LINKS:
Long Beach St. stats
Long Beach St. tournament notes
Record shooting night way too much for Long Beach State (S.F. Chronicle)
49ers go into Bear den for tourney (Long Beach Press-Enterprise)
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SCOUTING GEORGETOWN: The No. 5 ranked Hoyas come into the game at 8-1 after suffering their first loss of the season at No. 2 Memphis. If you are looking for a one-word description of Georgetown, that word might be "balanced." Leading scorer Roy Hibbert, a 7-2 senior with an NBA future, leads the Hoyas in scoring, averaging 12 ppg. Sophomore DaJuan Summers (6-8) averages 11.8 ppg. They are the only Hoyas averaging in double figures, but three others are averaging 9.2 ppg or better.
Georgetown plays lockdown defense, as evidenced by opponents 35.9 percent shooting against the Hoyas. That number drops to 28.3 percent at the arc. Opponents are scoring 55.7 points per game, a number inflated by the 85 Memphis posted. Alabama (60) is the only other team to score above the 50s against the Hoyas.
On offense, G-town is efficient, scoring 73.8 ppg while shooting 51.4 percent as a team, 38.8 percent from three-point range. Hibbert tops the Georgetown shooters, connecting on 62.3 percent of his attempts. His 7 rebounds per game are one reason the Hoyas outrebound opponents by almost 7 boards. Hibbert also averages 2.2 rejections.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING ST. FRANCIS (NY): The word small can be used multiple ways in describing the Terriers. There is the small roster, with just one guy taller than 6-7, the small crowd expected for the game (SF has averaged 435 fans for its first four home games), and the small number of wins the 3-9 Terriers have managed thus far.
All three wins have come at home, where SF is 3-1, with victories over Hartford, Hofstra and Fairfield.
Robert Hines, a 6-5 senior, is the Terriers leading scorer (16.4 ppg). Jamaal Womackm a 5-8 senior, is also in double figures at 11.4 ppg. Neither is shooting 40 percent from the field, which helps explain Saint Francis' 28.3 percent shooting as a team.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING LONG BEACH STATE: The defending Big West champions are 3-7 following Friday's 102-65 loss to Cal. The 49ers gave up 16 three-pointers in the loss.
Long Beach State is 0-6 away from home under first-year coach Dan Monson, who came to LBS after stints at Minnesota and Gonzaga.
Fresno State transfer Donovan Morris (6-3 junior) leads the 49ers in scoring (16 ppg) and rebounding 6.1 rpg). Junior Brian Freeman (9.1 ppg), a 6-10 juco transfer, is shooting 63 percent from the field and has three-point range (5-7).
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Labels: American, Bucknell, Navy, previews
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Defense was the key in Lehigh's 56-39 win Friday night over Monmouth.
Coming off a 20-day layoff for finals and the holidays, the Mountain Hawks (6-5) were solid, but hardly stellar on offense, going 20 for 45 (44.4 percent) from the field and turning the ball over 19 times.
The way they played D, it hardly mattered. Sure Monmouth (2-10) is the lowest scoring team in the Northeast Conference, but until Friday night, they had scored fewer than 53 points only once this season (a 76-33 loss at Notre Dame).
The Mountain Hawks held Monmouth to a 5 for 22 showing in the first half (1-2 from three-point range). Monmouth was barely better in the second (8-25), finishing 13 for 47 (27.7 percent) from the field, 4 of 21 from the arc. Monmouth didn't help itself at the free throw line, going 9 for 22 there. Lehigh also dominated the glass, outrebounding Monmouth 43-26.
The 39 points were the fewest Lehigh has allowed a Division I opponent since Feb. 8, 2004, when the Mountain Hawks Patriot League championship team scored a 66-38 win at Navy.
Marquis Hall led Lehigh with 12 points and 5 assists. Freshman Rob Keefer added 11. Bryan White keyed Lehigh's dominance on the boards with 13 rebounds, the last of which was the 500th of his career.
Box score | Morning Call | Asbury Park Press
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Coming off a 20-day layoff for finals and the holidays, the Mountain Hawks (6-5) were solid, but hardly stellar on offense, going 20 for 45 (44.4 percent) from the field and turning the ball over 19 times.
The way they played D, it hardly mattered. Sure Monmouth (2-10) is the lowest scoring team in the Northeast Conference, but until Friday night, they had scored fewer than 53 points only once this season (a 76-33 loss at Notre Dame).
The Mountain Hawks held Monmouth to a 5 for 22 showing in the first half (1-2 from three-point range). Monmouth was barely better in the second (8-25), finishing 13 for 47 (27.7 percent) from the field, 4 of 21 from the arc. Monmouth didn't help itself at the free throw line, going 9 for 22 there. Lehigh also dominated the glass, outrebounding Monmouth 43-26.
The 39 points were the fewest Lehigh has allowed a Division I opponent since Feb. 8, 2004, when the Mountain Hawks Patriot League championship team scored a 66-38 win at Navy.
Marquis Hall led Lehigh with 12 points and 5 assists. Freshman Rob Keefer added 11. Bryan White keyed Lehigh's dominance on the boards with 13 rebounds, the last of which was the 500th of his career.
Box score | Morning Call | Asbury Park Press
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It is becoming more and more apparent with every game, when the jump shots are not falling, Bucknell is not a very good team. And they were not falling Friday night in the Bison's 68-60 loss to North Dakota State in the opening round of Cal's Golden Bear Classic.
The game was really not as close as the final score. Like the Drexel loss that preceded this one, the game was all but over at the half. Bucknell (4-7) trailed by as many as 16 points in the first half and was down 30-16 at the intermission. It was the second game in a row, and the fourth this season, in which the Bison failed to reach the 20-point mark by intermission.
Like in those other games, the primary reason was an inability to knock down the three-point shots this season's edition of the Bison has come to live and die by. When those long balls are dropping, Bucknell can play with anybody, as seen in the tough early season loss at Villanova. When they are not, like Friday night in Berkley, where Bucknell was 0 for 13 from the arc in the first half (and missed its first four three-point tries of the second half), the results are not very pretty.
John Griffin, Bucknell's leading scorer, finished the game with more fouls (and more turnovers) than points. Griffin played 26 minutes before fouling out with 4 points, 4 assists and 5 turnovers. The senior captain was 2 for 10 from the field, 0 for 7 from three-point range.
As a team, Bucknell finished the night shooting 39.7 percent from the field (23-58), 3 for 21 from the arc.
Add in NDSU's BW-squared attack and you have the makings of a game where Bucknell trailed by as many as 26 points in the second half. The deficit was in double digits until a Justin Castleberry three-point play cut it to 9 with 1:08 remaining.
Brett Winkelman, the forward half of NDSU's high-scoring combo, finished with 21 points and 14 rebounds, going 8 for 13 from the field. The other BW -- guard Ben Woodside, had an even bigger offensive night, going 12 for 17 to finish with 31 points.
The silver lining for the Bison was the continued strong play of junior center Josh Linthicum, who posted his second double-double of the season with a career-high 18 points and 11 rebounds. It was Linthicum's third double-figures scoring effort in four games since returning to the starting lineup Dec. 16 at Wake Forest. Linthicum also had 5 blocked shots.
Patrick Behan (10 points) and Castleberry (14) also reached double figures for the Bison, who will face Long Beach State in today's consolation game.
BISON CHIPS: Freshman center Todd O'Brien played a season-low 8 minutes, finishing with 2 points . . . O'Brien made the only shot he took . . . It was the first time in his college career O'Brien did not block a shot . . . NDSU's 68 points were its fewest in a win this season . . . NDSU had averaged 98.5 points in its other six wins . . . It was the fifth time this season Woodside and Winkelman combined for 50 points or more.
Box score | The (Fargo) Forum
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The game was really not as close as the final score. Like the Drexel loss that preceded this one, the game was all but over at the half. Bucknell (4-7) trailed by as many as 16 points in the first half and was down 30-16 at the intermission. It was the second game in a row, and the fourth this season, in which the Bison failed to reach the 20-point mark by intermission.
Like in those other games, the primary reason was an inability to knock down the three-point shots this season's edition of the Bison has come to live and die by. When those long balls are dropping, Bucknell can play with anybody, as seen in the tough early season loss at Villanova. When they are not, like Friday night in Berkley, where Bucknell was 0 for 13 from the arc in the first half (and missed its first four three-point tries of the second half), the results are not very pretty.
John Griffin, Bucknell's leading scorer, finished the game with more fouls (and more turnovers) than points. Griffin played 26 minutes before fouling out with 4 points, 4 assists and 5 turnovers. The senior captain was 2 for 10 from the field, 0 for 7 from three-point range.
As a team, Bucknell finished the night shooting 39.7 percent from the field (23-58), 3 for 21 from the arc.
Add in NDSU's BW-squared attack and you have the makings of a game where Bucknell trailed by as many as 26 points in the second half. The deficit was in double digits until a Justin Castleberry three-point play cut it to 9 with 1:08 remaining.
Brett Winkelman, the forward half of NDSU's high-scoring combo, finished with 21 points and 14 rebounds, going 8 for 13 from the field. The other BW -- guard Ben Woodside, had an even bigger offensive night, going 12 for 17 to finish with 31 points.
The silver lining for the Bison was the continued strong play of junior center Josh Linthicum, who posted his second double-double of the season with a career-high 18 points and 11 rebounds. It was Linthicum's third double-figures scoring effort in four games since returning to the starting lineup Dec. 16 at Wake Forest. Linthicum also had 5 blocked shots.
Patrick Behan (10 points) and Castleberry (14) also reached double figures for the Bison, who will face Long Beach State in today's consolation game.
BISON CHIPS: Freshman center Todd O'Brien played a season-low 8 minutes, finishing with 2 points . . . O'Brien made the only shot he took . . . It was the first time in his college career O'Brien did not block a shot . . . NDSU's 68 points were its fewest in a win this season . . . NDSU had averaged 98.5 points in its other six wins . . . It was the fifth time this season Woodside and Winkelman combined for 50 points or more.
Box score | The (Fargo) Forum
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Friday, December 28, 2007
Editor's note: Updated at 4:57 p.m. to correct the schedule -- Thanks, Bill, for the heads up!
Two teams in action today as teams get back in action following the holiday.American, coming off its big win at Maryland, will try for another shocker when it travels across town to take on No. 5 Georgetown. Bucknell travels across the country to face North Dakota State in the first round of Cal's Golden Bear Classic, while Lehigh is at home against Monmouth in a battle of the Hawks.
SCOUTING NORTH DAKOTA STATE: One of two Division I schools other than Bucknell to go by the nickname "Bison," N.D. State has never faced With a pair of 1,000-point scorers in the lineup and a third guy set to join the 1,000-point club sometime in January, North Dakota State likes to push tempo and score the basketball. The Bison, who are still in the transitional stage of their move to Division I, come in at 6-5, averaging 83 points per game.
Thousand-point scorers Ben Woodside (5-11 jr. guard) and Brett Winkelman (6-6 jr. forward) lead the offense. The pair are the highest scoring two-player combo in all of Division I. Woodside, the CBS Sports pick as the preseason Summit League player of the year and the league's official player of the month in Nov., is averaging 23 points per game. Winkelman, who earned Summit player of the week honors after a 26-point, 11-rebound double-double against Colorado State in N.D. State's last game (Dec. 15). Woodside has three 30-point games to his credit this season, Winkelman has two.
Junior Guard Mike Nelson (6-4) is currently 58 points shy of 1,000. Nelson (14.7 ppg) is the best three-point shooter of the bunch, hitting treys at a 46.6 percent rate. Woodside and Winkelman each are shooting the rock better than 40 percent from the arc.
N.D. State shoots the ball well (46.5 percent from the field, 38.7 percent on threes), but also allows opponents to do the same. Foes have connected on 48.3 percent from the field against N.D. State, 37.2 percent on three-pointers.
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N.D. State stats
Livestats
N.D. State game notes
Tourneys lack glitz, but keep action (SF Chronicle)
Bison meet Bison (The Forum)
Winter (fast) break (East Bay Express)
SCOUTING MONMOUTH: It's Hawks at Mountain Hawks, with the Hawks of Monmouth the decided underdog. Monmouth (2-9) comes in riding a six-game losing streak, its last win coming well over a month ago, when it beat Charlotte in the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands. Coupled with a win over Wichita State in the same tournament, things looked promising then for Monmouth. The back-to-back wins gave them a 2-3 record, with the losses coming at Colgate, at Seton Hall in overtime and against Notre Dame in the first round of the Paradise Jam.
Since then, though, the wheels have come off. The Hawks are shooting 37.5 percent as a team, 30.3 percent from three point range, while opponents are hitting at a 45.5 percent clip (36.1 percent from the arc). Monmouth is being outrebounded by almost 10 boards per game and averages nearly 16 turnovers.
Sophomore guard Jhamar Youngblood (6-1) is the only Monmouth player averaging in double figures (14.7 ppg).
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Monmouth stats
Monmouth game notes
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Two teams in action today as teams get back in action following the holiday.
SCOUTING NORTH DAKOTA STATE: One of two Division I schools other than Bucknell to go by the nickname "Bison," N.D. State has never faced With a pair of 1,000-point scorers in the lineup and a third guy set to join the 1,000-point club sometime in January, North Dakota State likes to push tempo and score the basketball. The Bison, who are still in the transitional stage of their move to Division I, come in at 6-5, averaging 83 points per game.
Thousand-point scorers Ben Woodside (5-11 jr. guard) and Brett Winkelman (6-6 jr. forward) lead the offense. The pair are the highest scoring two-player combo in all of Division I. Woodside, the CBS Sports pick as the preseason Summit League player of the year and the league's official player of the month in Nov., is averaging 23 points per game. Winkelman, who earned Summit player of the week honors after a 26-point, 11-rebound double-double against Colorado State in N.D. State's last game (Dec. 15). Woodside has three 30-point games to his credit this season, Winkelman has two.
Junior Guard Mike Nelson (6-4) is currently 58 points shy of 1,000. Nelson (14.7 ppg) is the best three-point shooter of the bunch, hitting treys at a 46.6 percent rate. Woodside and Winkelman each are shooting the rock better than 40 percent from the arc.
N.D. State shoots the ball well (46.5 percent from the field, 38.7 percent on threes), but also allows opponents to do the same. Foes have connected on 48.3 percent from the field against N.D. State, 37.2 percent on three-pointers.
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SCOUTING MONMOUTH: It's Hawks at Mountain Hawks, with the Hawks of Monmouth the decided underdog. Monmouth (2-9) comes in riding a six-game losing streak, its last win coming well over a month ago, when it beat Charlotte in the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands. Coupled with a win over Wichita State in the same tournament, things looked promising then for Monmouth. The back-to-back wins gave them a 2-3 record, with the losses coming at Colgate, at Seton Hall in overtime and against Notre Dame in the first round of the Paradise Jam.
Since then, though, the wheels have come off. The Hawks are shooting 37.5 percent as a team, 30.3 percent from three point range, while opponents are hitting at a 45.5 percent clip (36.1 percent from the arc). Monmouth is being outrebounded by almost 10 boards per game and averages nearly 16 turnovers.
Sophomore guard Jhamar Youngblood (6-1) is the only Monmouth player averaging in double figures (14.7 ppg).
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Labels: Bucknell, Lehigh, previews
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Thursday, December 27, 2007
It was a happy holiday season for American and Lafayette, as both teams went into the Christmas break with momentum. When the Eagles knocked off Maryland, 67-59, on Saturday, it marked the first victory for a Patriot League school against any ACC opponent since 2001. The Leopards won a pair of road games against Towson and Mount St. Mary's during the week. For their efforts, Lafayette junior Andrew Brown and freshman Deirunas Visockas earned Patriot League Anaconda Player and Rookie of the Week honors.
Patriot League Men's Basketball Release - 12.26.07
Anaconda Player of the Week (Dec. 17-23)
Andrew Brown, Lafayette Jr., G, 5'11, 175, Littleton, Colo./Heritage
After sitting out the Dec. 19 game at Towson with a nagging heel injury, Brown returned to the lineup with a career-high 32 points and a school-record nine three-pointers in Lafayette's 76-72 win over Mount St. Mary's on Friday. Brown hit six three-pointers in the first half as Lafayette built a 20-point halftime lead, and nailed three in the second half. His final three-pointer came with 27 seconds left and provided the final margin. The nine three-pointers topped the previous school record of eight held by three players (Larry Spigner, Tyson Whitfield and Brown who hit eight against Holy Cross last season). He made 11-of-16 shots overall, and 9-of-14 from three-point range. Brown leads Lafayette and is second in the Patriot League with 18.0 points per game. He has made 40 three-pointers and is shooting 50 percent from beyond the arc. Brown earns his first-ever Anaconda Player of the Week nod, and the first for a Lafayette men's basketball student-athlete since 2005-06.
Anaconda Rookie of the Week (Dec. 17-23)
Deirunas Visockas, Lafayette Fr., G, 6'3, 185, Los Angeles, Calif./University
Visockas poured in 14 points, including four three-pointers, in Lafayette's 79-69 overtime victory over Towson on Wednesday. He connected on a three-pointer and a layup as Lafayette outscored Towson, 17-7, in the extra session. He made 5-of-9 shots and 4-of-8 three-pointers in the game. Visockas also chipped in by making his only shot of the game, a three-point field goal, in Lafayette's 76-72 win over Mount St. Mary's on Friday. He leads the Patriot League in three-point shooting at 55 percent for the season (11-of-20). Visockas earns his first Anaconda Rookie of the Week honor.
Patriot League Notebook
American's Big Win Highlights Solid Weekend
Six years to the day after they recorded the Patriot League's first and only win over an ACC team, the American Eagles accomplished the feat again with a 67-59 triumph over Maryland on Saturday. Derrick Mercer had 18 points in the game, and American led by at least five points throughout the second half as it knocked off Maryland for the first time in 80 years and 14 meetings. American recorded the only other win over an ACC opponent when it knocked off Florida State on Dec. 22, 2001 in its first season of competition as a Patriot League member. The Eagles were not the only team to come through over the weekend, as Lafayette, Navy and Army also recorded victories. The Leopards beat Mount St. Mary's, 76-72, for their third win in a row, while Army won its second straight with a 59-56 triumph over Dartmouth. Navy beat Maryland-Eastern Shore, 85-61. Holy Cross, Bucknell and Colgate all fell on the road, with the Crusaders losing at Siena, 84-77, in overtime.
Back in Action After Christmas Break
All eight Patriot League teams have off for Christmas break from Monday-Thursday, but seven of the squads return to the court beginning on Friday. And once again, the schedule will be road-heavy with seven of the eight games away from home. Bucknell plays North Dakota State in the Golden Bear Classic at Cal. The Bison will also take the court on Saturday against either Cal or Long Beach State. Lehigh returns from its 20-day layoff to host Monmouth on Friday. In addition to Bucknell's game on Saturday, American is at No. 8 Georgetown and Navy visits St. Francis (N.Y.). The week concludes with three games on Sunday, with Colgate at New Hampshire, Holy Cross at Sacred Heart and Lafayette at Robert Morris.
Patriot League Teams on Record Pace
With a 47-39 record, the Patriot League is on pace for it best-ever non-League mark. The top record thus far, and only winning mark, came in a 54-53 effort in the 2000-01 season. Last season was the only other campaign at the .500 mark in non-League action, as the Patriot League's 60 wins were the most in its 17-year history. The 47 non-League wins are already the seventh-highest total in Patriot League history, which is made even more impressive being the first season of an all Division I schedule for the League. Patriot League teams still have 31 games remaining to boost the win total, as well as any postseason competition. The remaining strech will be difficult, however, as 21 of the 31 games will be played away from home and games against Georgetown, Pittsburgh and Mississippi State are left.
Don't Adjust Your Eyes
A quick glance at the Patriot League statistics would be enough to give anyone a "Brown" out. The surname Brown appears prominently in the League leaderboard, as Army's Jarell Brown and Lafayette's Andrew Brown appear right next to each other in multiple categories. Jarell leads the League in scoring with 19.6 ppg, while Andrew is second with 18.0 ppg. Both players are tied for third in three-point field goal percentage at 50 percent, and Andrew has a slight lead over Jarell for the top spot in three-pointers made per game. They are both in the top ten in overall field goal percentage and foul shooting. Each player does get to avoid the other "Brown" in some categories. Andrew is seventh in assists, and Jarell is eighth in rebounding and third in steals.
Time to GET SIRIUS
The Patriot League has once again partnered with SIRIUS Satellite Radio to broadcast select men's basketball games for the 2007-08 season. The League has three games set for January's schedule, beginning with Holy Cross traveling to Lafayette in the season opener on Jan. 12. In addition to regular-season coverage, all seven games of the 2008 Patriot League Men's Basketball Tournament will be aired. Bucknell's visit to Holy Cross will be broadcast on Jan. 18, and the Bison's matchup at home against Colgate on Jan. 26 will wrap up the January schedule. Lehigh's matchup with Princeton on Jan. 6 will also be broadcast on SIRIUS. The schedule of Patriot League games for February will be announced at a later date. For an updated listing of all SIRIUS games and channels involving Patriot League teams, see page 5 of this release or www.patriotleague.com.
Holy Cross at No. 7 in Mid-Major top 25
Saturday's loss at Siena didn't do too much damage to Holy Cross in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major top 25. The defending Patriot League champions fell from fifth to No. 7 in the latest rankings released on Monday. American garnered two points in the poll after its win over Maryland on Saturday, and also picked up a vote in the AP Top 25. While Holy Cross is the only Patriot League team to earn a ranking this season, American, Colgate and Bucknell have now all appeared in the receiving votes category.
Four in the top 200 in RPI
Four Patriot League teams found a spot in the top 200 in the updated Collegiate Basketball News RPI Report, with one more falling just outside the group. Holy Cross checks in at No. 52 with a 7-2 overall record. The Crusaders' only losses came against No. 18 Dayton and No. 31 Siena. Lafayette made a significant jump after beating Towson and Mount St. Mary's last week, as the Leopards are all the way up to No. 142 with an 8-3 record. Colgate checks in at No. 174, while Bucknell is No. 194. American's victory over Maryland helped it move up to No. 201 in the rankings. The Patriot League ranks No. 21 among 31 Division I conferences.
Finally Some Company in the Road Win Column
After 34 days of standing alone, another conference finally joined the Patriot League with at least one road victory for all of its members. The Horizon League became the second conference to accomplish the feat when Wright State won at CS-Fullerton on Saturday. The Patriot League set the mark on Nov. 17 when Lehigh won at St. Francis (Pa.). Six of the eight Patriot League schools have at least two road victories, and five have three road wins or more. The Patriot League has a 22-23 record in true road games.
Team Notebooks
American: The Eagles posted an impressive week in two tough road venues, knocking off Maryland, 67-59, on Saturday after losing a close game at Dayton, 63-56, on Wednesday...The victory over the Terps was just the second for a Patriot League team over an ACC opponent...American notched the other win, knocking off Florida State on Dec. 22, 2001...It was the first time in 80 meetings and 14 seasons that the Eagles knocked off the Terps...Derrick Mercer led the way with 18 points, while Bryce Simon had a career-high 17 and Brian Gilmore added 12...The Eagles closed the first half with a 10-3 run to take a 25-20 halftime lead...They held Maryland without a field goal for a 10:33 stretch of the first half...It was their 11th halftime lead in 12 contests this season...They opened the lead to nine early in the second half, and led by anywhere from five to 12 points the rest of the way...The Eagles hit 7-of-8 free throws in the final 43 seconds to seal the win....American held a 40-33 rebounding edge...Garrison Carr scored a career-high 26 points against Dayton...Carr connected on 9-of-19 shots overall, and nailed a career-high seven three-pointers on 14 attempts...Carr's seven treys tied for fourth-most in a game in American history...The two games this week started a seven-game road swing which goes into the first two contests of League play...It continues at No. 8 Georgetown at 1 p.m. on Saturday in a game shown on MASN...The Eagles are celebrating the 25th anniversary of defeating the fifth-ranked Hoyas on Dec. 15, 1982.
Army: The Black Knights returned to the court after an exam break and won their second game in a row with a 59-56 triumph over Dartmouth on Saturday...Army trailed, 49-43, with 8:38 left before outscoring the Big Green, 16-7, the rest of the way...Doug Williams had a season-high 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting, while Marcus Nelson and Jarell Brown each had 10...Army shot 47.8 percent for the game, while limiting Dartmouth to 37.5 percent shooting...Nelson gave Army the lead for good by hitting both ends of a 1-and-1 with 59 seconds to play...The Black Knights are now 4-1 in games decided by five-or-fewer points...Army has won four of its last five games and ends the 2007 portion of its schedule at 6-5...It is the first time the squad has been above the .500 mark since Feb. 10 of last season....Army has now won 21 games in the last two seasons after winning 20 total games from 2002-06...The Black Knights are currently 2-1 on a five-game homestand, and return to action on Jan. 2 against Brown.
Bucknell: The Bison fell at Drexel, 65-53, to complete a 1-1 record for the week...They also notched an 88-75 victory over Cornell on Wednesday...Bucknell struggled in the first half and trailed, 34-15, at the break against Drexel...They would get no closer than eight points in the second half...John Griffin had 11 points in the game, while G.W. Boon added 10...The Bison committed a season-low 11 turnovers...They set a Sojka Pavilion record with their highest scoring output in the last 85 games against Cornell...They had a 47-30 lead by halftime, and the 47 points are the most in a half this season...Griffin scored a career-high 27 points, shooting 7-of-12 from the field and 4-of-7 from three-point range...Justin Castleberry equaled a career high with 18 points, while Josh Linthicum had a career-high 12...Bucknell returns to action Friday against North Dakota State in the first round of the Golden Bear Classic in Berkeley, Calif...They will face either Cal or Long Beach State on Saturday.
Colgate: Colgate dropped a pair of tough road contests last week, falling at Penn State, 66-48, on Sunday and losing a regional matchup at Syracuse, 87-59, on Tuesday... Alex Woodhouse had eight points and nine rebounds against Penn State, while Kendall Chones notched nine points...The Raiders cut a 16-point deficit down to five early in the second half, but Penn State answered with an 18-6 run to put the game away...Colgate held Penn State to 38.1 percent shooting...Freshman Mike Venezia scored 11 points in his first collegiate action against Syracuse...Venezia injured his knee in preseason drills, and just returned to the lineup for the Raiders...Kyle Roemer and Chones both scored in double figures with 10 points apiece...The Raiders have played five games of a six-game road swing thus far, and have a 2-3 mark with this week's defeats as well as a loss at Notre Dame...The road swing wraps up on Sunday at New Hampshire.
Holy Cross: The Crusaders suffered a tough loss in their first game in two and a half weeks as they fell at Siena, 84-77, in overtime...Tim Clifford led the way with 26 points on 11-of-16 shooting, and also pulled down six rebounds...Holy Cross trailed by 10 early in the second half and was down seven with a minute to go, but rallied to force overtime...Clifford nailed two three-pointers in the final 12 seconds, including the game-tying shot as time expired in regulation...Holy Cross missed its first six shots in the extra session as Siena built a five-point lead...Colin Cunningham and Pat Doherty each had 15 points, while Alex Vander Baan had 13...No other player had more than five points, and only six players scored in the game...The Crusaders fell to seventh in Monday's College Insider.com Mid-Major top 25 after the loss...Holy Cross returns to action on Sunday when it travels to Sacred Heart.
Lafayette: The Leopards recorded a pair of impressive road wins, knocking off Mount St. Mary's, 76-72, on Friday and defeating Towson, 79-69, in overtime on Wednesday...Andrew Brown scored a career-high 32 points and made a school-record nine three-pointers in the win over Mount St. Mary's...His final three-pointer came with 27 seconds left and provided the final margin...The nine three-pointers topped the previous school record of eight held by three players (Larry Spigner, Tyson Whitfield and Brown who hit eight against Holy Cross last season)...The Leopards led by as many as 22 points in the first half and held a 45-25 advantage at halftime...Mount St. Mary's put together a 21-4 run to trim the Lafayette lead to 69-66 with 3:03 remaining...Lafayette shot 55 percent for the game, the Leopards' second-best shooting night of the season.....Five players scored in double figures in the win over Towson, with Bilal Abdullah, Deirunas Visockas and Matt Betley all notching 14...Abdullah played 41 minutes and recorded his first double-double of the season with a career-high 13 rebounds, while Betley notched nine rebounds...Lafayette trailed by seven with just over nine minutes to play, and did not tie the score until Michael Gruner scored with 8.1 seconds left...Abdullah and Visockas hit key three-pointers as Lafayette outscored Towson, 17-7, in overtime...Lafayette has played three of the five overtime games for Patriot League teams this year, and is the only team to win in the extra session....Lafayette has hit 10 or more three-pointers in 10 consecutive games...The Leopards have won three games in a row, and are 3-1 on the first four contests of an eight-game road stretch...The Leopards travel to Robert Morris on Sunday.
Lehigh: The Mountain Hawks return from a 20-day layoff to complete their three-game home stretch on Friday against Monmouth...Lehigh's layoff for finals and the holidays is its longest since the inception of Patriot League play in 1990...Lehigh stayed sharp with a 99-48 win in an exhibition against Briarcliff on Friday...They had 30 assists on 39 field goals in the game...Marquis Hall and Bryan White have emerged as individual stars for Lehigh...Hall is second in the Patriot League in assists (5.1), first in assist/turnover ratio (2.55;51/20), and ninth in scoring (13.7 ppg)...White averages a League-best 8.3 rebounds per game, and is only 13 shy of 500 boards for his career.
Navy: The Midshipmen split a pair of road games last week, downing Maryland-Eastern Shore, 85-61, on Saturday after falling to San Diego State, 86-76, on Monday...Kaleo Kina scored 20 points and Chris Harris had 19 in the win over UMES...Navy took a 41-23 lead at halftime, and shot 50.8 percent for the game...The 24-point victory was Navy's largest against a Division I foe since a 73-47 win over Morgan State on Dec. 8, 2006...Greg Sprink led the way with 26 points on 11-of-14 shooting against San Diego State...The Mids were done in by a 13-0 Aztec run late in the contest...Sprink has 1,346 career points, good for 11th in Navy history and 27th in Patriot League annals...Navy's 29 three-pointers during the last two games are tied for the most in school history during a two-game span. Navy also hit 29 combined three-pointers against Fordham (9) and Mount St. Mary's (20) on Nov. 24-27, 1990...The trio of Harris, Kina and Sprink are averaging 53.3 ppg between them in the last three games...The Mids have shot over 45.0 percent in three of their last four games, after accomplishing the feat just twice in the first eight games...Navy returns to action on Saturday at St. Francis (N.Y.), looking to win consecutive games for the first time this year.
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Patriot League Men's Basketball Release - 12.26.07
Anaconda Player of the Week (Dec. 17-23)
Andrew Brown, Lafayette Jr., G, 5'11, 175, Littleton, Colo./Heritage
After sitting out the Dec. 19 game at Towson with a nagging heel injury, Brown returned to the lineup with a career-high 32 points and a school-record nine three-pointers in Lafayette's 76-72 win over Mount St. Mary's on Friday. Brown hit six three-pointers in the first half as Lafayette built a 20-point halftime lead, and nailed three in the second half. His final three-pointer came with 27 seconds left and provided the final margin. The nine three-pointers topped the previous school record of eight held by three players (Larry Spigner, Tyson Whitfield and Brown who hit eight against Holy Cross last season). He made 11-of-16 shots overall, and 9-of-14 from three-point range. Brown leads Lafayette and is second in the Patriot League with 18.0 points per game. He has made 40 three-pointers and is shooting 50 percent from beyond the arc. Brown earns his first-ever Anaconda Player of the Week nod, and the first for a Lafayette men's basketball student-athlete since 2005-06.
Anaconda Rookie of the Week (Dec. 17-23)
Deirunas Visockas, Lafayette Fr., G, 6'3, 185, Los Angeles, Calif./University
Visockas poured in 14 points, including four three-pointers, in Lafayette's 79-69 overtime victory over Towson on Wednesday. He connected on a three-pointer and a layup as Lafayette outscored Towson, 17-7, in the extra session. He made 5-of-9 shots and 4-of-8 three-pointers in the game. Visockas also chipped in by making his only shot of the game, a three-point field goal, in Lafayette's 76-72 win over Mount St. Mary's on Friday. He leads the Patriot League in three-point shooting at 55 percent for the season (11-of-20). Visockas earns his first Anaconda Rookie of the Week honor.
Patriot League Notebook
American's Big Win Highlights Solid Weekend
Six years to the day after they recorded the Patriot League's first and only win over an ACC team, the American Eagles accomplished the feat again with a 67-59 triumph over Maryland on Saturday. Derrick Mercer had 18 points in the game, and American led by at least five points throughout the second half as it knocked off Maryland for the first time in 80 years and 14 meetings. American recorded the only other win over an ACC opponent when it knocked off Florida State on Dec. 22, 2001 in its first season of competition as a Patriot League member. The Eagles were not the only team to come through over the weekend, as Lafayette, Navy and Army also recorded victories. The Leopards beat Mount St. Mary's, 76-72, for their third win in a row, while Army won its second straight with a 59-56 triumph over Dartmouth. Navy beat Maryland-Eastern Shore, 85-61. Holy Cross, Bucknell and Colgate all fell on the road, with the Crusaders losing at Siena, 84-77, in overtime.
Back in Action After Christmas Break
All eight Patriot League teams have off for Christmas break from Monday-Thursday, but seven of the squads return to the court beginning on Friday. And once again, the schedule will be road-heavy with seven of the eight games away from home. Bucknell plays North Dakota State in the Golden Bear Classic at Cal. The Bison will also take the court on Saturday against either Cal or Long Beach State. Lehigh returns from its 20-day layoff to host Monmouth on Friday. In addition to Bucknell's game on Saturday, American is at No. 8 Georgetown and Navy visits St. Francis (N.Y.). The week concludes with three games on Sunday, with Colgate at New Hampshire, Holy Cross at Sacred Heart and Lafayette at Robert Morris.
Patriot League Teams on Record Pace
With a 47-39 record, the Patriot League is on pace for it best-ever non-League mark. The top record thus far, and only winning mark, came in a 54-53 effort in the 2000-01 season. Last season was the only other campaign at the .500 mark in non-League action, as the Patriot League's 60 wins were the most in its 17-year history. The 47 non-League wins are already the seventh-highest total in Patriot League history, which is made even more impressive being the first season of an all Division I schedule for the League. Patriot League teams still have 31 games remaining to boost the win total, as well as any postseason competition. The remaining strech will be difficult, however, as 21 of the 31 games will be played away from home and games against Georgetown, Pittsburgh and Mississippi State are left.
Don't Adjust Your Eyes
A quick glance at the Patriot League statistics would be enough to give anyone a "Brown" out. The surname Brown appears prominently in the League leaderboard, as Army's Jarell Brown and Lafayette's Andrew Brown appear right next to each other in multiple categories. Jarell leads the League in scoring with 19.6 ppg, while Andrew is second with 18.0 ppg. Both players are tied for third in three-point field goal percentage at 50 percent, and Andrew has a slight lead over Jarell for the top spot in three-pointers made per game. They are both in the top ten in overall field goal percentage and foul shooting. Each player does get to avoid the other "Brown" in some categories. Andrew is seventh in assists, and Jarell is eighth in rebounding and third in steals.
Time to GET SIRIUS
The Patriot League has once again partnered with SIRIUS Satellite Radio to broadcast select men's basketball games for the 2007-08 season. The League has three games set for January's schedule, beginning with Holy Cross traveling to Lafayette in the season opener on Jan. 12. In addition to regular-season coverage, all seven games of the 2008 Patriot League Men's Basketball Tournament will be aired. Bucknell's visit to Holy Cross will be broadcast on Jan. 18, and the Bison's matchup at home against Colgate on Jan. 26 will wrap up the January schedule. Lehigh's matchup with Princeton on Jan. 6 will also be broadcast on SIRIUS. The schedule of Patriot League games for February will be announced at a later date. For an updated listing of all SIRIUS games and channels involving Patriot League teams, see page 5 of this release or www.patriotleague.com.
Holy Cross at No. 7 in Mid-Major top 25
Saturday's loss at Siena didn't do too much damage to Holy Cross in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major top 25. The defending Patriot League champions fell from fifth to No. 7 in the latest rankings released on Monday. American garnered two points in the poll after its win over Maryland on Saturday, and also picked up a vote in the AP Top 25. While Holy Cross is the only Patriot League team to earn a ranking this season, American, Colgate and Bucknell have now all appeared in the receiving votes category.
Four in the top 200 in RPI
Four Patriot League teams found a spot in the top 200 in the updated Collegiate Basketball News RPI Report, with one more falling just outside the group. Holy Cross checks in at No. 52 with a 7-2 overall record. The Crusaders' only losses came against No. 18 Dayton and No. 31 Siena. Lafayette made a significant jump after beating Towson and Mount St. Mary's last week, as the Leopards are all the way up to No. 142 with an 8-3 record. Colgate checks in at No. 174, while Bucknell is No. 194. American's victory over Maryland helped it move up to No. 201 in the rankings. The Patriot League ranks No. 21 among 31 Division I conferences.
Finally Some Company in the Road Win Column
After 34 days of standing alone, another conference finally joined the Patriot League with at least one road victory for all of its members. The Horizon League became the second conference to accomplish the feat when Wright State won at CS-Fullerton on Saturday. The Patriot League set the mark on Nov. 17 when Lehigh won at St. Francis (Pa.). Six of the eight Patriot League schools have at least two road victories, and five have three road wins or more. The Patriot League has a 22-23 record in true road games.
Team Notebooks
American: The Eagles posted an impressive week in two tough road venues, knocking off Maryland, 67-59, on Saturday after losing a close game at Dayton, 63-56, on Wednesday...The victory over the Terps was just the second for a Patriot League team over an ACC opponent...American notched the other win, knocking off Florida State on Dec. 22, 2001...It was the first time in 80 meetings and 14 seasons that the Eagles knocked off the Terps...Derrick Mercer led the way with 18 points, while Bryce Simon had a career-high 17 and Brian Gilmore added 12...The Eagles closed the first half with a 10-3 run to take a 25-20 halftime lead...They held Maryland without a field goal for a 10:33 stretch of the first half...It was their 11th halftime lead in 12 contests this season...They opened the lead to nine early in the second half, and led by anywhere from five to 12 points the rest of the way...The Eagles hit 7-of-8 free throws in the final 43 seconds to seal the win....American held a 40-33 rebounding edge...Garrison Carr scored a career-high 26 points against Dayton...Carr connected on 9-of-19 shots overall, and nailed a career-high seven three-pointers on 14 attempts...Carr's seven treys tied for fourth-most in a game in American history...The two games this week started a seven-game road swing which goes into the first two contests of League play...It continues at No. 8 Georgetown at 1 p.m. on Saturday in a game shown on MASN...The Eagles are celebrating the 25th anniversary of defeating the fifth-ranked Hoyas on Dec. 15, 1982.
Army: The Black Knights returned to the court after an exam break and won their second game in a row with a 59-56 triumph over Dartmouth on Saturday...Army trailed, 49-43, with 8:38 left before outscoring the Big Green, 16-7, the rest of the way...Doug Williams had a season-high 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting, while Marcus Nelson and Jarell Brown each had 10...Army shot 47.8 percent for the game, while limiting Dartmouth to 37.5 percent shooting...Nelson gave Army the lead for good by hitting both ends of a 1-and-1 with 59 seconds to play...The Black Knights are now 4-1 in games decided by five-or-fewer points...Army has won four of its last five games and ends the 2007 portion of its schedule at 6-5...It is the first time the squad has been above the .500 mark since Feb. 10 of last season....Army has now won 21 games in the last two seasons after winning 20 total games from 2002-06...The Black Knights are currently 2-1 on a five-game homestand, and return to action on Jan. 2 against Brown.
Bucknell: The Bison fell at Drexel, 65-53, to complete a 1-1 record for the week...They also notched an 88-75 victory over Cornell on Wednesday...Bucknell struggled in the first half and trailed, 34-15, at the break against Drexel...They would get no closer than eight points in the second half...John Griffin had 11 points in the game, while G.W. Boon added 10...The Bison committed a season-low 11 turnovers...They set a Sojka Pavilion record with their highest scoring output in the last 85 games against Cornell...They had a 47-30 lead by halftime, and the 47 points are the most in a half this season...Griffin scored a career-high 27 points, shooting 7-of-12 from the field and 4-of-7 from three-point range...Justin Castleberry equaled a career high with 18 points, while Josh Linthicum had a career-high 12...Bucknell returns to action Friday against North Dakota State in the first round of the Golden Bear Classic in Berkeley, Calif...They will face either Cal or Long Beach State on Saturday.
Colgate: Colgate dropped a pair of tough road contests last week, falling at Penn State, 66-48, on Sunday and losing a regional matchup at Syracuse, 87-59, on Tuesday... Alex Woodhouse had eight points and nine rebounds against Penn State, while Kendall Chones notched nine points...The Raiders cut a 16-point deficit down to five early in the second half, but Penn State answered with an 18-6 run to put the game away...Colgate held Penn State to 38.1 percent shooting...Freshman Mike Venezia scored 11 points in his first collegiate action against Syracuse...Venezia injured his knee in preseason drills, and just returned to the lineup for the Raiders...Kyle Roemer and Chones both scored in double figures with 10 points apiece...The Raiders have played five games of a six-game road swing thus far, and have a 2-3 mark with this week's defeats as well as a loss at Notre Dame...The road swing wraps up on Sunday at New Hampshire.
Holy Cross: The Crusaders suffered a tough loss in their first game in two and a half weeks as they fell at Siena, 84-77, in overtime...Tim Clifford led the way with 26 points on 11-of-16 shooting, and also pulled down six rebounds...Holy Cross trailed by 10 early in the second half and was down seven with a minute to go, but rallied to force overtime...Clifford nailed two three-pointers in the final 12 seconds, including the game-tying shot as time expired in regulation...Holy Cross missed its first six shots in the extra session as Siena built a five-point lead...Colin Cunningham and Pat Doherty each had 15 points, while Alex Vander Baan had 13...No other player had more than five points, and only six players scored in the game...The Crusaders fell to seventh in Monday's College Insider.com Mid-Major top 25 after the loss...Holy Cross returns to action on Sunday when it travels to Sacred Heart.
Lafayette: The Leopards recorded a pair of impressive road wins, knocking off Mount St. Mary's, 76-72, on Friday and defeating Towson, 79-69, in overtime on Wednesday...Andrew Brown scored a career-high 32 points and made a school-record nine three-pointers in the win over Mount St. Mary's...His final three-pointer came with 27 seconds left and provided the final margin...The nine three-pointers topped the previous school record of eight held by three players (Larry Spigner, Tyson Whitfield and Brown who hit eight against Holy Cross last season)...The Leopards led by as many as 22 points in the first half and held a 45-25 advantage at halftime...Mount St. Mary's put together a 21-4 run to trim the Lafayette lead to 69-66 with 3:03 remaining...Lafayette shot 55 percent for the game, the Leopards' second-best shooting night of the season.....Five players scored in double figures in the win over Towson, with Bilal Abdullah, Deirunas Visockas and Matt Betley all notching 14...Abdullah played 41 minutes and recorded his first double-double of the season with a career-high 13 rebounds, while Betley notched nine rebounds...Lafayette trailed by seven with just over nine minutes to play, and did not tie the score until Michael Gruner scored with 8.1 seconds left...Abdullah and Visockas hit key three-pointers as Lafayette outscored Towson, 17-7, in overtime...Lafayette has played three of the five overtime games for Patriot League teams this year, and is the only team to win in the extra session....Lafayette has hit 10 or more three-pointers in 10 consecutive games...The Leopards have won three games in a row, and are 3-1 on the first four contests of an eight-game road stretch...The Leopards travel to Robert Morris on Sunday.
Lehigh: The Mountain Hawks return from a 20-day layoff to complete their three-game home stretch on Friday against Monmouth...Lehigh's layoff for finals and the holidays is its longest since the inception of Patriot League play in 1990...Lehigh stayed sharp with a 99-48 win in an exhibition against Briarcliff on Friday...They had 30 assists on 39 field goals in the game...Marquis Hall and Bryan White have emerged as individual stars for Lehigh...Hall is second in the Patriot League in assists (5.1), first in assist/turnover ratio (2.55;51/20), and ninth in scoring (13.7 ppg)...White averages a League-best 8.3 rebounds per game, and is only 13 shy of 500 boards for his career.
Navy: The Midshipmen split a pair of road games last week, downing Maryland-Eastern Shore, 85-61, on Saturday after falling to San Diego State, 86-76, on Monday...Kaleo Kina scored 20 points and Chris Harris had 19 in the win over UMES...Navy took a 41-23 lead at halftime, and shot 50.8 percent for the game...The 24-point victory was Navy's largest against a Division I foe since a 73-47 win over Morgan State on Dec. 8, 2006...Greg Sprink led the way with 26 points on 11-of-14 shooting against San Diego State...The Mids were done in by a 13-0 Aztec run late in the contest...Sprink has 1,346 career points, good for 11th in Navy history and 27th in Patriot League annals...Navy's 29 three-pointers during the last two games are tied for the most in school history during a two-game span. Navy also hit 29 combined three-pointers against Fordham (9) and Mount St. Mary's (20) on Nov. 24-27, 1990...The trio of Harris, Kina and Sprink are averaging 53.3 ppg between them in the last three games...The Mids have shot over 45.0 percent in three of their last four games, after accomplishing the feat just twice in the first eight games...Navy returns to action on Saturday at St. Francis (N.Y.), looking to win consecutive games for the first time this year.
Labels: American, Army, Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh, Navy, notebook
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Monday, December 24, 2007
No Colgate players managed to reach double figures in Sunday's 66-48 loss at Penn State.
Kendall Chones led the Red Raiders with 9 points. Chones was 4 for 12 from the field, which was pretty reflective of the way Colgate shot the ball. As a team, the Raiders, the Patriot League's top shooting team, went 20 for 57 (35.1 percent) from the field. Ranked fourth nationally in three-point shooting percentage coming in, Colgate was 4 for 14 from the arc. The Raiders shot 6 free throws, making 4 and turned the ball over 19 times.
Kyle Roemer, Colgate's leading scorer, was 1 for 9 from the field, 0 for 4 on three-pointers, finishing with 5 points, 13 below his average.
Penn State didn't shoot a whole lot better. The Nittany Lions went 24 for 63 (38.1 percent) from the field, 6 of 18 from the arc. But the Nits were 12 for 18 at the foul line and held a 42-34 edge on the boards, with 16 offensive rebounds.
Willie Morse, Colgate's State College product, was 2 for 4 with 4 points in 16 minutes in front of the folks in his hometown.
Box score | Centre Daily Times } Fight On State (Scout.com) (
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Kendall Chones led the Red Raiders with 9 points. Chones was 4 for 12 from the field, which was pretty reflective of the way Colgate shot the ball. As a team, the Raiders, the Patriot League's top shooting team, went 20 for 57 (35.1 percent) from the field. Ranked fourth nationally in three-point shooting percentage coming in, Colgate was 4 for 14 from the arc. The Raiders shot 6 free throws, making 4 and turned the ball over 19 times.
Kyle Roemer, Colgate's leading scorer, was 1 for 9 from the field, 0 for 4 on three-pointers, finishing with 5 points, 13 below his average.
Penn State didn't shoot a whole lot better. The Nittany Lions went 24 for 63 (38.1 percent) from the field, 6 of 18 from the arc. But the Nits were 12 for 18 at the foul line and held a 42-34 edge on the boards, with 16 offensive rebounds.
Willie Morse, Colgate's State College product, was 2 for 4 with 4 points in 16 minutes in front of the folks in his hometown.
Box score | Centre Daily Times } Fight On State (Scout.com) (
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Sunday, December 23, 2007
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Down by six in the second half, the Black Knights battled back to down Dartmouth.
Army trailed 49-43 with 8:38 to play. They outscored the Big Green 16-7 the rest of the way.
Doug Williams with his nbiggest game of the season, team-high 15 points on 7 of 8 shooting. Marcus Nelson and Jarell Brown each added 10 for Army.
Box score | Postgame quotes | Hudson Valley Press
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Army trailed 49-43 with 8:38 to play. They outscored the Big Green 16-7 the rest of the way.
Doug Williams with his nbiggest game of the season, team-high 15 points on 7 of 8 shooting. Marcus Nelson and Jarell Brown each added 10 for Army.
Box score | Postgame quotes | Hudson Valley Press
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The Midshipmen made 14 three-pointers in an 85-61 win over Maryland-Eastern Shore.
Kaleo Kina had three of those Navy treys, finishing with 20 points to lead the Midshipmen (4-8). Four came from Chris Harris (15 points) and two more from Greg Sprink (15 points, 9 rebounds).http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif
The Mids were 30 for 59 (50.8 percent) overall, shooting worse from close range than outside the arc. The Mids were 14 of 25 (56 percent) from long range.
Box score | Delmarva Daily Times | Annapolis Capital |
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Kaleo Kina had three of those Navy treys, finishing with 20 points to lead the Midshipmen (4-8). Four came from Chris Harris (15 points) and two more from Greg Sprink (15 points, 9 rebounds).http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif
The Mids were 30 for 59 (50.8 percent) overall, shooting worse from close range than outside the arc. The Mids were 14 of 25 (56 percent) from long range.
Box score | Delmarva Daily Times | Annapolis Capital |
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Holy Cross managed to force overtime, but faltered once it got there in a loss at Siena.
Tim Clifford (26 points) hit a pair of three-pointers in the final 12 seconds of regulation, giving the Crusaders (7-2) a chance to pull out a game in which it trailed most of the afternoon. But once it reached the extra session, Holy Cross went cold, missing its first six shots to allow Siena to pull away for good.
Siena (6-3) jumped to a 75-70 lead. Then, unlike regulation, where it missed three foul shots in the final minute to allow HC to send the game to OT, the Saints made 9 of 10 at the stripe to seal it.
Clifford led four Holy Cross players in double figures. Colin Cunningham and Pat Doherty each added 15 and Alex Vander Baan had 13 for the Crusaders, who went 27 for 62 (43.5 percent) from the field and turned the ball over 17 times.
Siena's Edwin Ubiles went 11 of 13 from the field lo lead all scorers with 29. Ubiles scored 22 of his points after the intermission. The Saints went 27 of 53 (50.9 percent) from the field and hit 25 of 32 free throws.
Box score | Worcester Telegram & Gazette | Albany Times-Union (gamer) | Albany Times-Union (sidebar)
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Tim Clifford (26 points) hit a pair of three-pointers in the final 12 seconds of regulation, giving the Crusaders (7-2) a chance to pull out a game in which it trailed most of the afternoon. But once it reached the extra session, Holy Cross went cold, missing its first six shots to allow Siena to pull away for good.
Siena (6-3) jumped to a 75-70 lead. Then, unlike regulation, where it missed three foul shots in the final minute to allow HC to send the game to OT, the Saints made 9 of 10 at the stripe to seal it.
Clifford led four Holy Cross players in double figures. Colin Cunningham and Pat Doherty each added 15 and Alex Vander Baan had 13 for the Crusaders, who went 27 for 62 (43.5 percent) from the field and turned the ball over 17 times.
Siena's Edwin Ubiles went 11 of 13 from the field lo lead all scorers with 29. Ubiles scored 22 of his points after the intermission. The Saints went 27 of 53 (50.9 percent) from the field and hit 25 of 32 free throws.
Box score | Worcester Telegram & Gazette | Albany Times-Union (gamer) | Albany Times-Union (sidebar)
Labels: games, Holy Cross
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On a day when the Patriot League's two flagship programs both suffered setbacks, the Eagles sent a message they expect to be reckoned with in conference play by handing Maryland a 67-59 loss.
Using tough defense to hold Maryland to just five field goals (5-24, 20.8 percent) in the first half, the Eagles took a 25-20 lead at the break and never looked back. During one stretch of the half, the Eagles held Maryland without a field goal for a stretch of 10:33.
AU stretched the lead to as many as 12 points in the second half and made 7 of 8 from the free throw line in the final minute after Maryland closed to within 6.
Derrick Mercer led AU with 18 points. Bryce Simon added a career-best 17 and Brian Gilmore finished with 12, going 7 of 8 from the free throw line, 4 for 4 down the stretch.
American's defense held Maryland to 35.8 percent shooting from the field (19-53) and the Eagles outrebounded the Terrapins 40-33.
It was just the second win ever by a Patriot League team over a school from the Atlantic Coast Conference. AU also has the other win, which came against Florida State in 2001. It was the Eagles first win over Maryland since the 1926-27 season, AU's first season of basketball. The Terps had woin 14 in a row over American since then.
Box score | Wash. Post | Wash. Moonie | Baltimore Sun (gamer) | Baltimore Sun (notebook) | Examiner
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Using tough defense to hold Maryland to just five field goals (5-24, 20.8 percent) in the first half, the Eagles took a 25-20 lead at the break and never looked back. During one stretch of the half, the Eagles held Maryland without a field goal for a stretch of 10:33.
AU stretched the lead to as many as 12 points in the second half and made 7 of 8 from the free throw line in the final minute after Maryland closed to within 6.
Derrick Mercer led AU with 18 points. Bryce Simon added a career-best 17 and Brian Gilmore finished with 12, going 7 of 8 from the free throw line, 4 for 4 down the stretch.
American's defense held Maryland to 35.8 percent shooting from the field (19-53) and the Eagles outrebounded the Terrapins 40-33.
It was just the second win ever by a Patriot League team over a school from the Atlantic Coast Conference. AU also has the other win, which came against Florida State in 2001. It was the Eagles first win over Maryland since the 1926-27 season, AU's first season of basketball. The Terps had woin 14 in a row over American since then.
Box score | Wash. Post | Wash. Moonie | Baltimore Sun (gamer) | Baltimore Sun (notebook) | Examiner
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Bison's jump-shooting ways result in a loss at Drexel.
By CHRIS A. COUROGEN
Of Hoop Time
One step forward, two steps back.
That must be how Pat Flannery feels about the progress of his basketball team after Saturday evening's 65-53 loss at Drexel.
Just three days after playing perhaps its best offensive half of the season in a win over Cornell, the Bison all but abandoned the inside-out mix that keyed that performance to pursue the jump-shooting perimeter style that is largely responsible for their 4-6 start.
It didn't help any that Bucknell forgot to guard Drexel guard Scott Rodgers much of the first half, or that the Dragons big men were able to bully Bucknell inside. Rodgers, who had never made more than three three-pointers in a single game, had that many in the first half, finishing with 18 points to lead all scorers. A career-26 percent shooter from the arc, Rodgers came into the game averaging 4.3 points per game, with five treys on 20 tries this season.
Rodgers found his stroke in solitude. There was something almost zen-like to the way in a room filled with 2,011 people, the majority of whom were dressed in enough orange to give the appearance of a Bucknell home game, Rodgers repeatedly found himself all alone in the corners for open looks. Given time to square up and set his feet, Rodgers went 5 for 10 from the field in the first half, 3 of 6 from the arc, including back-to-back treys that keyed an 11-3 run midway through the period that pushed Drexel's lead to double digits.
"We shot shots when we were open. Guys knocked them down," said Drexel coach Bruiser Flint.
Well, sort of. Actually, Drexel was hardly outstanding on offense. They shot just 42.9 percent (12-28) in the half. But with the Bison having a can't hit the ocean from a boat sort of half, it was more than enough to build what proved to be an insurmountable 34-15 margin at the intermission.
It was the sixth time this season Bucknell (failed to shoot at least 40 percent from the field. The Bison are 1-5 in thos games.
Give Drexel some credit, The Dragons (6-5) came in on a four-game losing streak, but it had not been the fault of the defense. George Mason is the only team that has shot 50 percent against Drexel, which came into the game holding opponents to 39.1 percent shooting from the field, a mark it bettered by limiting the Bison to an 18 of 53 (34 percent) showing.
That 34 percent figure is misleading. It is inflated by Bucknell's 12 of 24 second half, which was too little, too late to overcome the hole they dug when they went 6 for 29 (20.7 percent) over the first 20 minutes. Almost half of those shots (14) came from the arc. Only two of the made shots were worth three points.
"We didn't make very many shots," said Bison senior John Griffin, who was 3 for 11 (1 for 7 on threes) for 11 points on what was likely his last college game in his hometown of Philly.
It was a half totally devoid of any offensive flow for the Bison, who did not manage to string together even two unanswered field goals the entire half. As close as Bucknell got to a run in the opening stanza came midway through the half, when freshman Todd O'Brien hit the front end of a two-shot foul and Josh Linthicum made a layup three offensive rebounds later. That 3-0 spurt cut Drexel's lead to 14-10 with 10:28 to go in the half. Bucknell managed just two field goals the rest of the half, none in the final 6:56.
"They did a real good job pressuring us," Flannery said. "We got a little frustrated and it affected us a little bit."
From Flannery's vantage point, that frustration came out as rushed shots, most from long range.
"We were perimeter oriented. When we play well, we go inside and out," said Flannery. "We were not patient. We played rushed. We didn't play smart."
All true, but at the same time, it is not as if all those rushed shots were bad looks. A lot were simply missed open looks. Shots simply were not falling, even when they came from 15 feet away without a defender. Bucknell was 1 for 7 at the foul line in the first half.
The Bison tried to make a game of it after the intermission, cutting the lead to single digits on several occasions. But even though they shot better in the second half, they didn't shoot well enough to ever really make Drexel sweat.
The Dragons cooled off a little from the perimeter in the second half, but with O'Brien and Linthicum in foul trouble, Drexel was able to pound the ball inside to 6-9 center Frank Elegar, who scored all of his 16 points in the second half. O'Brien fouled out with 7 points and 5 rebounds in 14 minutes of play. He did manage to keep alive his streak of at least one block in every game. Linthicum, who reached double figures Bucknell's two previous games, had 8 points, 7 rebounds and blocked 2 shots. He was 0 for 1 at the foul line. Elegar went to the line 8 times in the second half, making all 8.
Bucknell's best opportunity to make a game of it came after three Griffin free throws made it a 53-44 game with 6:36 to go. The Bison got defensive stops on two straight trips, giving them two chances to cut the lead more. But they came up empty, despite a pair of Linthicum offensive rebounds on the second of those possessions.
The Bison break for the holidays, then will gather after Christmas in California, where they will face North Dakota State Friday in the first round of the Cal Golden Bear Classic.
Box score | Postgame audio | Daily Item | Philly Inquirer
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By CHRIS A. COUROGEN
Of Hoop Time
One step forward, two steps back.
That must be how Pat Flannery feels about the progress of his basketball team after Saturday evening's 65-53 loss at Drexel.
Just three days after playing perhaps its best offensive half of the season in a win over Cornell, the Bison all but abandoned the inside-out mix that keyed that performance to pursue the jump-shooting perimeter style that is largely responsible for their 4-6 start.
It didn't help any that Bucknell forgot to guard Drexel guard Scott Rodgers much of the first half, or that the Dragons big men were able to bully Bucknell inside. Rodgers, who had never made more than three three-pointers in a single game, had that many in the first half, finishing with 18 points to lead all scorers. A career-26 percent shooter from the arc, Rodgers came into the game averaging 4.3 points per game, with five treys on 20 tries this season.
Rodgers found his stroke in solitude. There was something almost zen-like to the way in a room filled with 2,011 people, the majority of whom were dressed in enough orange to give the appearance of a Bucknell home game, Rodgers repeatedly found himself all alone in the corners for open looks. Given time to square up and set his feet, Rodgers went 5 for 10 from the field in the first half, 3 of 6 from the arc, including back-to-back treys that keyed an 11-3 run midway through the period that pushed Drexel's lead to double digits.
"We shot shots when we were open. Guys knocked them down," said Drexel coach Bruiser Flint.
Well, sort of. Actually, Drexel was hardly outstanding on offense. They shot just 42.9 percent (12-28) in the half. But with the Bison having a can't hit the ocean from a boat sort of half, it was more than enough to build what proved to be an insurmountable 34-15 margin at the intermission.
It was the sixth time this season Bucknell (failed to shoot at least 40 percent from the field. The Bison are 1-5 in thos games.
Give Drexel some credit, The Dragons (6-5) came in on a four-game losing streak, but it had not been the fault of the defense. George Mason is the only team that has shot 50 percent against Drexel, which came into the game holding opponents to 39.1 percent shooting from the field, a mark it bettered by limiting the Bison to an 18 of 53 (34 percent) showing.
That 34 percent figure is misleading. It is inflated by Bucknell's 12 of 24 second half, which was too little, too late to overcome the hole they dug when they went 6 for 29 (20.7 percent) over the first 20 minutes. Almost half of those shots (14) came from the arc. Only two of the made shots were worth three points.
"We didn't make very many shots," said Bison senior John Griffin, who was 3 for 11 (1 for 7 on threes) for 11 points on what was likely his last college game in his hometown of Philly.
It was a half totally devoid of any offensive flow for the Bison, who did not manage to string together even two unanswered field goals the entire half. As close as Bucknell got to a run in the opening stanza came midway through the half, when freshman Todd O'Brien hit the front end of a two-shot foul and Josh Linthicum made a layup three offensive rebounds later. That 3-0 spurt cut Drexel's lead to 14-10 with 10:28 to go in the half. Bucknell managed just two field goals the rest of the half, none in the final 6:56.
"They did a real good job pressuring us," Flannery said. "We got a little frustrated and it affected us a little bit."
From Flannery's vantage point, that frustration came out as rushed shots, most from long range.
"We were perimeter oriented. When we play well, we go inside and out," said Flannery. "We were not patient. We played rushed. We didn't play smart."
All true, but at the same time, it is not as if all those rushed shots were bad looks. A lot were simply missed open looks. Shots simply were not falling, even when they came from 15 feet away without a defender. Bucknell was 1 for 7 at the foul line in the first half.
The Bison tried to make a game of it after the intermission, cutting the lead to single digits on several occasions. But even though they shot better in the second half, they didn't shoot well enough to ever really make Drexel sweat.
The Dragons cooled off a little from the perimeter in the second half, but with O'Brien and Linthicum in foul trouble, Drexel was able to pound the ball inside to 6-9 center Frank Elegar, who scored all of his 16 points in the second half. O'Brien fouled out with 7 points and 5 rebounds in 14 minutes of play. He did manage to keep alive his streak of at least one block in every game. Linthicum, who reached double figures Bucknell's two previous games, had 8 points, 7 rebounds and blocked 2 shots. He was 0 for 1 at the foul line. Elegar went to the line 8 times in the second half, making all 8.
Bucknell's best opportunity to make a game of it came after three Griffin free throws made it a 53-44 game with 6:36 to go. The Bison got defensive stops on two straight trips, giving them two chances to cut the lead more. But they came up empty, despite a pair of Linthicum offensive rebounds on the second of those possessions.
The Bison break for the holidays, then will gather after Christmas in California, where they will face North Dakota State Friday in the first round of the Cal Golden Bear Classic.
Box score | Postgame audio | Daily Item | Philly Inquirer
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Friday, December 21, 2007
5:29 p.m. -- Due to a technical glitch, the previews did not publish this morning.Finals are over. A five-game pre-holiday slate on tap today. Can I get a w00t.
Good matchups, too. American at Maryland, Albany at Siena and Bucknell at Drexel are the top attractions. The Defense Department is also busy today, with Dartmouth visiting Army and Navy across the bay at Maryland-Eastern Shore.
SCOUTING MARYLAND: This is a beatable Maryland team, as Ohio U. showed in the Terps' last outing. Maryland is 6-5, only one of those wins against a fellow high-major (Illinois). Northeastern took Maryland to OT earlier this season. They also have a win over Lehigh. maryland will also host Holy Cross ion January.
Three guys in double figures for the Terps: Greivis Vasquez (15.5 ppg), James Gist (13.8 ppg, 7.6 rpg) and Eric Hays (11.5 ppg). Maryland shoots 43.8 percent from the field and holds opponents to 38.4 percent shooting.
BONUS LINKS:
Maryland stats
Maryland game notes
SCOUTING DARTMOUTH: The Big Green comes to West Point with a 5-5 record, just one of those wins coming away from home. That win, by the way, came at Colgate.Dartmouth foes are shooting 47 percent and scoring over 70 ppg against the Green.
Alex Barnett (16.1 ppg, 41.2 percent from the arc) and Devon Mosley (13.9 ppg) lead Dartmouth's scoring.
BONUS LINKS:
Dartmouth stats
Dartmouth game notes
Gametracker
SCOUTING SIENA: The 5-3 Saints are 3-0 at home under former Lehigh coach Fran McCaffery, who is in his third season at Siena. McCaffery's tenure at Lehigh was back in 1985-88, well before the Patriot League began play, so he doesn't have that experience against Lehigh to draw on. But you can bet he has talked to another former Lehigh head coach, Billy Taylor, a former McCaffery assistant, for a report on Holy Cross. Siena's wins include one over then No. 20 Stanford and the Saints played Syracuse within single digits in the Carrier Dome.
Four guys in double figures for the high-scoring Saints, who are scoring 81.4 ppg. Junior All-MAAC pick Kenny Hasbrouck (6-3) is averaging 17.6 ppg. Sophomore Alex Franklin, a 6-5 force inside, shooting 61.3 percent from the field, averaging 17 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Edwin Ubiles, a 6-6 sophomore, hits at a 41.2 percent clip from the arc while scoring 16.3 ppg and 6-foot sophomore Ronald Moore is scoring 10.8 ppg.
BONUS LINKS:
Siena stats
Siena game notes
Albany Times Union Siena page
SCOUTING DREXEL: The Dragons count on their defense. They have to. They can't score. Currently riding a four-game losing streak, Drexel averages less than 58 points per game. During the losing streak, they scored more than 60 only in last week's 64-51 loss at Temple.
Drexel shoots 42.3 percent from the field as a team and turns the ball over 19.2 times per game. They do play tough defense. Opponents are shooting 39.1 percent against the Dragons.
Senior center Frank Elegar is a force inside. A second-team All-CAA pick last season, Elegar averages 13.5 points and 7.2 rebounds while shooting 57.1 percent from the floor. Tramaybe Hawthorne, a 6-foot junior, is the main perimeter threat, averaging 11.8 ppg. Freshman Geral Colds (5-11) is a three-point shooter off the bench, averaging 10.3 ppg. To stop Colds, force him inside the three-point line, or foul him. He shoots 39.5 percent from the field, but 46.2 percent from the arc, 47.6 percent from the free throw line.
BONUS LINKS:
Drexel stats
Drexel game notes
Philly.com Drexel page
SCOUTING UMES: Navy is not good enough to look past anybody, but if there is a team on its schedule that will tempt the Mids to take them for granted, the 2-10 Hawks might be it.
UMES is shooting 33 percent from the field and allowing opponents to score 76.7 ppg. Opposing teams are shooting 47.2 percent against UMES and outrebounding the Hawks by 9 per game.
Perhaps the most telling stat is Ed Tyson's 26 percent field goal shooting. Despite that bricklaying, Tyson is still second on the team in scoring (11.7 ppg). Marc Davis averages 19 ppg.
BONUS LINKS:
UMES stats
UMES game notes
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Good matchups, too. American at Maryland, Albany at Siena and Bucknell at Drexel are the top attractions. The Defense Department is also busy today, with Dartmouth visiting Army and Navy across the bay at Maryland-Eastern Shore.
SCOUTING MARYLAND: This is a beatable Maryland team, as Ohio U. showed in the Terps' last outing. Maryland is 6-5, only one of those wins against a fellow high-major (Illinois). Northeastern took Maryland to OT earlier this season. They also have a win over Lehigh. maryland will also host Holy Cross ion January.
Three guys in double figures for the Terps: Greivis Vasquez (15.5 ppg), James Gist (13.8 ppg, 7.6 rpg) and Eric Hays (11.5 ppg). Maryland shoots 43.8 percent from the field and holds opponents to 38.4 percent shooting.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING DARTMOUTH: The Big Green comes to West Point with a 5-5 record, just one of those wins coming away from home. That win, by the way, came at Colgate.Dartmouth foes are shooting 47 percent and scoring over 70 ppg against the Green.
Alex Barnett (16.1 ppg, 41.2 percent from the arc) and Devon Mosley (13.9 ppg) lead Dartmouth's scoring.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING SIENA: The 5-3 Saints are 3-0 at home under former Lehigh coach Fran McCaffery, who is in his third season at Siena. McCaffery's tenure at Lehigh was back in 1985-88, well before the Patriot League began play, so he doesn't have that experience against Lehigh to draw on. But you can bet he has talked to another former Lehigh head coach, Billy Taylor, a former McCaffery assistant, for a report on Holy Cross. Siena's wins include one over then No. 20 Stanford and the Saints played Syracuse within single digits in the Carrier Dome.
Four guys in double figures for the high-scoring Saints, who are scoring 81.4 ppg. Junior All-MAAC pick Kenny Hasbrouck (6-3) is averaging 17.6 ppg. Sophomore Alex Franklin, a 6-5 force inside, shooting 61.3 percent from the field, averaging 17 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Edwin Ubiles, a 6-6 sophomore, hits at a 41.2 percent clip from the arc while scoring 16.3 ppg and 6-foot sophomore Ronald Moore is scoring 10.8 ppg.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING DREXEL: The Dragons count on their defense. They have to. They can't score. Currently riding a four-game losing streak, Drexel averages less than 58 points per game. During the losing streak, they scored more than 60 only in last week's 64-51 loss at Temple.
Drexel shoots 42.3 percent from the field as a team and turns the ball over 19.2 times per game. They do play tough defense. Opponents are shooting 39.1 percent against the Dragons.
Senior center Frank Elegar is a force inside. A second-team All-CAA pick last season, Elegar averages 13.5 points and 7.2 rebounds while shooting 57.1 percent from the floor. Tramaybe Hawthorne, a 6-foot junior, is the main perimeter threat, averaging 11.8 ppg. Freshman Geral Colds (5-11) is a three-point shooter off the bench, averaging 10.3 ppg. To stop Colds, force him inside the three-point line, or foul him. He shoots 39.5 percent from the field, but 46.2 percent from the arc, 47.6 percent from the free throw line.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING UMES: Navy is not good enough to look past anybody, but if there is a team on its schedule that will tempt the Mids to take them for granted, the 2-10 Hawks might be it.
UMES is shooting 33 percent from the field and allowing opponents to score 76.7 ppg. Opposing teams are shooting 47.2 percent against UMES and outrebounding the Hawks by 9 per game.
Perhaps the most telling stat is Ed Tyson's 26 percent field goal shooting. Despite that bricklaying, Tyson is still second on the team in scoring (11.7 ppg). Marc Davis averages 19 ppg.
BONUS LINKS:
Labels: American, Army, Bucknell, Holy Cross, Navy, previews
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At the start of the season, you'd have looked at this game on the schedule and said this would be a good night to get some Christmas shopping done. That would have been before Lafayette and Mount St. Mary's combined to win 12 of their last 13 games.
Stephen Miller of the Morning Call (link below) says Andrew Brown, who sat out the win at Towson with plantar fasciitis might be back for this one. Paul Cummins' hyperextended knee is "day to day."
SCOUTING MOUNT ST. MARY'S: The Mount was 9-4 a month ago following a 66-45 home loss to American. Since then, they have won six in a row. Jeremy Goode (5-9 soph.) and 6-0 senior Chris Vann both averaged 15.4 ppg. Vann is the shooter -- he is hitting 46.8 percent from the arc. Will Howard, a 6-4 sophomore, is also averaging in double figures at 10.6 ppg.
The win streak is Mount's longest in more than 10 years and its second longest since they moved to Division I in 1988 )MSM won 15 straight during the 1995-96 season).
Defense has been the key to the win streak. Opponents have shot 37.4 percent and have averaged under 60 ppg in that six-game stretch.
BONUS LINKS:
Mount St. Mary's stats
Mount St. Mary's
Stephen Miller's column (Morning Call -- includes Lehigh items)
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Stephen Miller of the Morning Call (link below) says Andrew Brown, who sat out the win at Towson with plantar fasciitis might be back for this one. Paul Cummins' hyperextended knee is "day to day."
SCOUTING MOUNT ST. MARY'S: The Mount was 9-4 a month ago following a 66-45 home loss to American. Since then, they have won six in a row. Jeremy Goode (5-9 soph.) and 6-0 senior Chris Vann both averaged 15.4 ppg. Vann is the shooter -- he is hitting 46.8 percent from the arc. Will Howard, a 6-4 sophomore, is also averaging in double figures at 10.6 ppg.
The win streak is Mount's longest in more than 10 years and its second longest since they moved to Division I in 1988 )MSM won 15 straight during the 1995-96 season).
Defense has been the key to the win streak. Opponents have shot 37.4 percent and have averaged under 60 ppg in that six-game stretch.
BONUS LINKS:
Labels: Lafayette, Lehigh, previews
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Thursday, December 20, 2007
(Originally posted at 12:42 a.m., links added at 7:43 a.m.)
Bucknell big man sparks Bison in win over Ivy fave Cornell.
Josh Linthicum insists his benching had nothing to do with it.
"It really doesn't matter if I start or not," said Linthicum after his second career-high scoring night in as many games.. "It's a team effort."
Might be true. Or Linthiucm might be downplaying the impact it had on his game when he lost his starting job for two games early this month.
Maybe a fire was lit under the the 6-11 junior from New Mexico. Or maybe it is just a coincidence that he posted his first career double-double when he got his job back, and followed it last night with a 5 for 5, 12-point effort that keyed Bucknell's 88-75 win over Cornell.
Linthicum started the first five games for the Bison, but lost his spot in the lineup to freshman Todd O'Brien after a series of forgettable performances. His re-emergence could change the perception of the Bison, who looked a lot like a jump-shooting team with no inside presence in the early going this season.
To some extent, Linthicum was the beneficiary of a stellar showing by the Bucknell guards, especially in the first half, when the Bison ran some of the most efficient halfcourt offense you're likely to witness. But Linthicum deserves credit, too. The guards did their job, getting him the ball where he could score, and Linthicum did his part, finishing with a variety of post moves and jump hooks.
Six of his points came in a five minute span of the first half, including back-to-back buckets 50 seconds apart around the nine minute mark of the first half. At that point, it was still a close game, with Bucknell's lead in single digits. After that, 18 of Bucknell's next 27 points came on open threes made possible by the attention Cornell had to Bucknell's newfound inside presence.
"They probably were not ready for it. It opened up lanes we hadn't seen in a while," said John Griffin, who also set a career-high with his game-best 27.
Cornell came in with the lofty national ranking in three-point shooting accuracy, but it was Bucknell who put on the shooting clinic, hitting 11 of 21 from the arc while shooting 54.7 percent (29 of 53) from the field.
It was the kind of showing you want to film to show to kids when you teach halfcourt offense -- solid screens; hard, precise cuts; quick, accurate passes moving the ball with a minimum of bounces. The Bison found the open men and knocked down shots. In the first half, Bucknell recorded an assist on 15 of its 19 field goals and turned the ball over just five times.
"They had a great purpose on the offensive end," said Cornell coach Steve Donohue, whose usually sharpshooting side was held to 38.6 percent (22-57) shooting from the field. Cornell's 25 percent effort (6-24) from the arc was barely half its season average (48 percent).
"We really chopped it up," said Pat Flannery, Bucknell's cooach. "We had seven or eight layups, a bunch of mid-range jumpers, some threes. We had it all over the (shot) chart."
Already up by 11 as the half closed, Bucknell didn't wait for the second half to put Cornell away. Back-to-back threes in the last 45 seconds of the half, including one by Griffin that came from closer to the midcourt circle than the three-point arc, made it 47-30 at the break. The other came from Justin Castleberry, who equaled his career-high with 18 points.
The first half was played at a brisk pace reminiscent of the Charlie Woollum era, though Woollum's Breakin' Bison never showed the offensive patience, or defensive tenacity Flannery's sides play with. The second half was a choppy, poorly officiated free throw shooting contest, devoid of any rhythm or pace thanks to the constant whistles.
The two teams combined to shoot 50 foul shots in the second half, just one fewer than their combined 51 shots from the field. Three players fouled out, five finished with four fouls. Perhaps the best you can say about the second-half officiating is neither side was happy, both with good reason. All told the refs called 52 fouls and managed to completely piss off both coaches.
"The last 10 minutes seemed to take an eternity," said Griffin.
While it was ugly and devoid of entertainment value, it might have played into Bucknell's hands. With no flow, Cornell could never find its stride or get on any kind of run. Bucknell's margin was over 15 points most of the second half. Cornell never got closer than 11 points. The Big Red shot 27 free throws in the second half, knocking down 21. It was enough to keep them from being blown out, but not nearly enough to overcome a big deficit to a team that plays defense like Bucknell does. Especially not when you are going 2 for 17 from the arc in the half.
"Obviously that is a recipe for disaster against a good team like Bucknell," Donahue said.
BISON CHIPS: Bucknell freshman Daryl Shazier hit his first career three-pointer in the first half . . . Shazier was 0 for 12 from the arc coming into the game . . . Bison junior Jason Vegotsky, in his second game back from a foot injury that sidelined him since the start of the season, received a nice ovation when he stepped on to the Sojka Pavilion floor for the first time this season and an even louder round of cheers he knocked down the first shot he had taken this season, a three-pointer during the early 12-0 run that gave Bucknell control all night . . . Linthicum's biggest thrill didn't seem to come on any of his 5 buckets or on the shot he blocked. that moment seemed to come with 6:50 to play in the first half, when Linthicum, in the low post, found O'Brien slicing down the lane for a big dunk . . . Linthicum sported a huge grin after the play and sprinted back on defense . . . Stephen Tyree finished with three steals and 10 rebounds for Bucknell . . . O'brien had 7 points, 7 boards and two blocks . . . the two blocks give O'Brien at least two rejections in eight of his first nine games . . . Bucknell's 87 points is a Sojka Pavilion record . . . The Bison held a 36-31 adavantage in rebounds . . . It was the first time all season Bucknell has out-boarded an opponent.
Box score | Daily Item | Sun-Gazette | Ithaca Journal (gamer) | Ithaca Journal (sidebar)
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Bucknell big man sparks Bison in win over Ivy fave Cornell.
Josh Linthicum insists his benching had nothing to do with it.
"It really doesn't matter if I start or not," said Linthicum after his second career-high scoring night in as many games.. "It's a team effort."
Might be true. Or Linthiucm might be downplaying the impact it had on his game when he lost his starting job for two games early this month.
Maybe a fire was lit under the the 6-11 junior from New Mexico. Or maybe it is just a coincidence that he posted his first career double-double when he got his job back, and followed it last night with a 5 for 5, 12-point effort that keyed Bucknell's 88-75 win over Cornell.
Linthicum started the first five games for the Bison, but lost his spot in the lineup to freshman Todd O'Brien after a series of forgettable performances. His re-emergence could change the perception of the Bison, who looked a lot like a jump-shooting team with no inside presence in the early going this season.
To some extent, Linthicum was the beneficiary of a stellar showing by the Bucknell guards, especially in the first half, when the Bison ran some of the most efficient halfcourt offense you're likely to witness. But Linthicum deserves credit, too. The guards did their job, getting him the ball where he could score, and Linthicum did his part, finishing with a variety of post moves and jump hooks.
Six of his points came in a five minute span of the first half, including back-to-back buckets 50 seconds apart around the nine minute mark of the first half. At that point, it was still a close game, with Bucknell's lead in single digits. After that, 18 of Bucknell's next 27 points came on open threes made possible by the attention Cornell had to Bucknell's newfound inside presence.
"They probably were not ready for it. It opened up lanes we hadn't seen in a while," said John Griffin, who also set a career-high with his game-best 27.
Cornell came in with the lofty national ranking in three-point shooting accuracy, but it was Bucknell who put on the shooting clinic, hitting 11 of 21 from the arc while shooting 54.7 percent (29 of 53) from the field.
It was the kind of showing you want to film to show to kids when you teach halfcourt offense -- solid screens; hard, precise cuts; quick, accurate passes moving the ball with a minimum of bounces. The Bison found the open men and knocked down shots. In the first half, Bucknell recorded an assist on 15 of its 19 field goals and turned the ball over just five times.
"They had a great purpose on the offensive end," said Cornell coach Steve Donohue, whose usually sharpshooting side was held to 38.6 percent (22-57) shooting from the field. Cornell's 25 percent effort (6-24) from the arc was barely half its season average (48 percent).
"We really chopped it up," said Pat Flannery, Bucknell's cooach. "We had seven or eight layups, a bunch of mid-range jumpers, some threes. We had it all over the (shot) chart."
Already up by 11 as the half closed, Bucknell didn't wait for the second half to put Cornell away. Back-to-back threes in the last 45 seconds of the half, including one by Griffin that came from closer to the midcourt circle than the three-point arc, made it 47-30 at the break. The other came from Justin Castleberry, who equaled his career-high with 18 points.
The first half was played at a brisk pace reminiscent of the Charlie Woollum era, though Woollum's Breakin' Bison never showed the offensive patience, or defensive tenacity Flannery's sides play with. The second half was a choppy, poorly officiated free throw shooting contest, devoid of any rhythm or pace thanks to the constant whistles.
The two teams combined to shoot 50 foul shots in the second half, just one fewer than their combined 51 shots from the field. Three players fouled out, five finished with four fouls. Perhaps the best you can say about the second-half officiating is neither side was happy, both with good reason. All told the refs called 52 fouls and managed to completely piss off both coaches.
"The last 10 minutes seemed to take an eternity," said Griffin.
While it was ugly and devoid of entertainment value, it might have played into Bucknell's hands. With no flow, Cornell could never find its stride or get on any kind of run. Bucknell's margin was over 15 points most of the second half. Cornell never got closer than 11 points. The Big Red shot 27 free throws in the second half, knocking down 21. It was enough to keep them from being blown out, but not nearly enough to overcome a big deficit to a team that plays defense like Bucknell does. Especially not when you are going 2 for 17 from the arc in the half.
"Obviously that is a recipe for disaster against a good team like Bucknell," Donahue said.
BISON CHIPS: Bucknell freshman Daryl Shazier hit his first career three-pointer in the first half . . . Shazier was 0 for 12 from the arc coming into the game . . . Bison junior Jason Vegotsky, in his second game back from a foot injury that sidelined him since the start of the season, received a nice ovation when he stepped on to the Sojka Pavilion floor for the first time this season and an even louder round of cheers he knocked down the first shot he had taken this season, a three-pointer during the early 12-0 run that gave Bucknell control all night . . . Linthicum's biggest thrill didn't seem to come on any of his 5 buckets or on the shot he blocked. that moment seemed to come with 6:50 to play in the first half, when Linthicum, in the low post, found O'Brien slicing down the lane for a big dunk . . . Linthicum sported a huge grin after the play and sprinted back on defense . . . Stephen Tyree finished with three steals and 10 rebounds for Bucknell . . . O'brien had 7 points, 7 boards and two blocks . . . the two blocks give O'Brien at least two rejections in eight of his first nine games . . . Bucknell's 87 points is a Sojka Pavilion record . . . The Bison held a 36-31 adavantage in rebounds . . . It was the first time all season Bucknell has out-boarded an opponent.
Box score | Daily Item | Sun-Gazette | Ithaca Journal (gamer) | Ithaca Journal (sidebar)
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Another second half swoon dooms American's upset bid in Dayton.
American led 23-22 at the half and pushed the lead to 4 at the start of the half when Garrison Carr (career-high 26 points) hit one of his seven three-pointers. It was not enough.
It was the fourth time in five losses this season that American led at the half.
The Eagles managed to get that halftime lead by holding Dayton to nine first half field goals (9-24, 37.5 percent). That defense, and five first half treys, gave AU the lead at the break despite an icy 8 for 21 (38.1 percent) showing from the field.
American shot a little better (12-29, 41.4 percent) in the second half. Dayton's improvement was more marked. The Flyers shot 50 percent (12-24) after intermission and went to the line 22 times, making 14. Dayton finished 16 of 20 at the foul line. AU was 5 for 6. Dayton also had a 39-24 edge on the boards.
Box score | Dayton Daily News | Springfield News Sun (gamer) | Springfield News Sun (notes)
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American led 23-22 at the half and pushed the lead to 4 at the start of the half when Garrison Carr (career-high 26 points) hit one of his seven three-pointers. It was not enough.
It was the fourth time in five losses this season that American led at the half.
The Eagles managed to get that halftime lead by holding Dayton to nine first half field goals (9-24, 37.5 percent). That defense, and five first half treys, gave AU the lead at the break despite an icy 8 for 21 (38.1 percent) showing from the field.
American shot a little better (12-29, 41.4 percent) in the second half. Dayton's improvement was more marked. The Flyers shot 50 percent (12-24) after intermission and went to the line 22 times, making 14. Dayton finished 16 of 20 at the foul line. AU was 5 for 6. Dayton also had a 39-24 edge on the boards.
Box score | Dayton Daily News | Springfield News Sun (gamer) | Springfield News Sun (notes)
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Bilal Abdullah's double-double sparked the Leopard's in 79-69 overtime win at Towson.
Abdullah put up 14 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, but his biggest play might have come at the defensive end. It was Abdullah who swatted away Rodney Spruill's potential game-winning three-pointer with 3 seconds to go in regulation, allowing the Leopards to get to overtime.
In the extra session, Abdullah set the tone, burying the first of three Lafayette three-pointers on the Leopards first possession, putting Lafayette up for good.
Four other players reached double figures for Lafayette, which won its second in a row and sixth in its last seven. Lafayette is now 3-0 in OT games.
Matt Betley scored 14, Michael Gruner 13, Ted Detmer 11 and freshman Deirunas Visockas came off the bench for 14 points.
The Leopards won despite shooting a season-low 40.9 percent (27-66) from the field. The 'Pards were 10 for 30 from three-point range and hit 15 of 19 at the foul line. Lafayette shared the ball well, posting 22 assists on 27 field goals.
Towson shot just 39.1 percent (25-64), including 4 of 18 from the arc.
Lafayette won despite being without starters Andrew Brown and Paul Cummins, who sat out nursing injuries. Brown, the team's leading scorer, has been suffering from plantar fasciitis. No word on Cummins' injury.
Box score | Baltimore Sun
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Abdullah put up 14 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, but his biggest play might have come at the defensive end. It was Abdullah who swatted away Rodney Spruill's potential game-winning three-pointer with 3 seconds to go in regulation, allowing the Leopards to get to overtime.
In the extra session, Abdullah set the tone, burying the first of three Lafayette three-pointers on the Leopards first possession, putting Lafayette up for good.
Four other players reached double figures for Lafayette, which won its second in a row and sixth in its last seven. Lafayette is now 3-0 in OT games.
Matt Betley scored 14, Michael Gruner 13, Ted Detmer 11 and freshman Deirunas Visockas came off the bench for 14 points.
The Leopards won despite shooting a season-low 40.9 percent (27-66) from the field. The 'Pards were 10 for 30 from three-point range and hit 15 of 19 at the foul line. Lafayette shared the ball well, posting 22 assists on 27 field goals.
Towson shot just 39.1 percent (25-64), including 4 of 18 from the arc.
Lafayette won despite being without starters Andrew Brown and Paul Cummins, who sat out nursing injuries. Brown, the team's leading scorer, has been suffering from plantar fasciitis. No word on Cummins' injury.
Box score | Baltimore Sun
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Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Things are back to normal, or at least what passes for normal at the Hoop Time World Headquarters after a difficult few days in the wake of the weekend's winter storm.
The combination of ice and wind brought a tree limb down on our phone line, leaving us without Internet access until late yesterday. We managed some limited updates thanks to the free wireless at a local coffeehouse, but were unable to post our usual full reports.
Now if the tree guys get here to remove the huge branch hanging from our power line before thw wind blows enough to knock out our electiricity, we should be back up to full speed.
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The combination of ice and wind brought a tree limb down on our phone line, leaving us without Internet access until late yesterday. We managed some limited updates thanks to the free wireless at a local coffeehouse, but were unable to post our usual full reports.
Now if the tree guys get here to remove the huge branch hanging from our power line before thw wind blows enough to knock out our electiricity, we should be back up to full speed.
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It's the 43rd meeting between Cornell and Bucknell tonight in Lewisburg. The Bison have won the last four matchups to even the all-time series at 21-21. As an aside, the Patriot League holds a 6-4 lead in the season series with the Ivy League, though Cornell is 2-1 vs. Patriot teams.
SCOUTING CORNELL: The Big Red travel down Route 15 following a 17-day layoff for finals. Before the break, Cornell (4-2) had a three-game win streak snapped by Colgate (76-73).
Cornell will get the services of 7-footer Jeff Foote for the first time, for this game. But don't expect the former St. Bonaventure walk-on, who became eligible at the end of the first semester, to be a key to the game.
It's not the Big Red's interior attack that Bucknell needs to stop, it's the three-point shooters. Cornell is averaging almost 10 treys per game and leads the nation with its 48-percent accuracy from the arc.
Ryan Wittman, a 6-6 sophomore, leads the Big Red with 15.3 ppg. Louis Dale, a 5-11 guard, is scoring 14.5 points and dishing 7.3 assists per game. Collin Robinson, a 6-0 junior, is also scoring in double figures at 13.0 ppg. Robinson, who comes off the bench, has averaged 15 points in Cornell's last four games.
BONUS LINKS:
Cornell stats
Cornell game notes
Cornell basketball blog
Cornell vs. Bucknell preview (Ithaca Journal)
CU's Gore still searching for sharpshooting touch (Ithaca Journal)
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SCOUTING CORNELL: The Big Red travel down Route 15 following a 17-day layoff for finals. Before the break, Cornell (4-2) had a three-game win streak snapped by Colgate (76-73).
Cornell will get the services of 7-footer Jeff Foote for the first time, for this game. But don't expect the former St. Bonaventure walk-on, who became eligible at the end of the first semester, to be a key to the game.
It's not the Big Red's interior attack that Bucknell needs to stop, it's the three-point shooters. Cornell is averaging almost 10 treys per game and leads the nation with its 48-percent accuracy from the arc.
Ryan Wittman, a 6-6 sophomore, leads the Big Red with 15.3 ppg. Louis Dale, a 5-11 guard, is scoring 14.5 points and dishing 7.3 assists per game. Collin Robinson, a 6-0 junior, is also scoring in double figures at 13.0 ppg. Robinson, who comes off the bench, has averaged 15 points in Cornell's last four games.
BONUS LINKS:
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American will have a tough time extending its two-game win streak when it travels to Dayton while Lafayette, winners of five of its last six, looks to pick up where it left off before finals when it travels to Towson to meet an old East Coast Conference rival.
SCOUTING DAYTON: You might call Dayton (8-1) the High Flyers. UD has not lost in over a month, winning seven in a row, including games on the road at Holy Cross and Louisville.
The Flyers shoot almost 48 percent from the field, including just under 40 percent from three-point range, and are outscoring opponents by more than 10 points per game.
Guard Brian Roberts (6-2) and 6-8 freshman forward Chris Wright give Dayton a potent inside-outside combination. Roberts averages 18.7 ppg, and is shooting 52.6 percent from the field, including 48.2 percent from downtown. Wright scores 13.2 ppg and grabs 7.1 rebounds while shooting 62.7 percent from the field.
BONUS LINKS:
Dayton stats
Dayton game notes
Rivals.com game preview
Dayton Daily News UD page
SCOUTING TOWSON: Pat's Cats, as the billboards around the Baltimore area call them, have struggled to find their stroke. Towson is shooting 38.9 percent from the field, 25.3 percent from three-point range.
The Tigers have been off 10 days following an overtime win over Niagara that snapped a three-game losing streak that began with a loss at Navy. Towson also lost at home earlier this season to Bucknell.
Junior Hairston, a 6-8 junior, is a force to be reckoned with inside, averaging 13.8 points and 12.9 rebounds per game. Rodney Spruill, a 6-4 sophomore, also averages in double figures with 11.8 ppg.
BONUS LINKS:
Towson stats
Towson game notes
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SCOUTING DAYTON: You might call Dayton (8-1) the High Flyers. UD has not lost in over a month, winning seven in a row, including games on the road at Holy Cross and Louisville.
The Flyers shoot almost 48 percent from the field, including just under 40 percent from three-point range, and are outscoring opponents by more than 10 points per game.
Guard Brian Roberts (6-2) and 6-8 freshman forward Chris Wright give Dayton a potent inside-outside combination. Roberts averages 18.7 ppg, and is shooting 52.6 percent from the field, including 48.2 percent from downtown. Wright scores 13.2 ppg and grabs 7.1 rebounds while shooting 62.7 percent from the field.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING TOWSON: Pat's Cats, as the billboards around the Baltimore area call them, have struggled to find their stroke. Towson is shooting 38.9 percent from the field, 25.3 percent from three-point range.
The Tigers have been off 10 days following an overtime win over Niagara that snapped a three-game losing streak that began with a loss at Navy. Towson also lost at home earlier this season to Bucknell.
Junior Hairston, a 6-8 junior, is a force to be reckoned with inside, averaging 13.8 points and 12.9 rebounds per game. Rodney Spruill, a 6-4 sophomore, also averages in double figures with 11.8 ppg.
BONUS LINKS:
Labels: American, Lafayette, previews
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Colgate was in the game for about two minutes, then it was all Orange, as Syracuse rolled to its 42nd straight win over the Raiders, 87-59.
The Orangemen scored first and never trailed. Colgate managed to tie it at 5-5 on a Kyle Roemer trey with 17:53 to go in the first half. Then Syracuse went on an 11-0 run and that was it.
Colgate cut the lead to 9 on a Roemer jumper, but Arinze Onuaku's free throw pushed it back to double digits for good.
Freshman Mike Venezia, playing his first college game after suffering a preseason knee injury, led Colgate with 11 points. Roamer and Kendall Chones each added 10 for Colgate, which shot 37.3 percent (22-59) from the field. The Raiders came into the game ranked fourth nationally in three-point shooting percentage, but hit just 5 of 17 (29.4 percent) from the arc. 'Gate was outrebounded 45-29 and turned the ball over 21 times.
Syracuse shot 54/4 percent (31-57) from the field, including 6 of 17 from the arc, and went 19 for 32 at the foul line.
Box score | Syracuse Post-Standard | Rochester Democrat and Chronicle | Utica Dispatch
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The Orangemen scored first and never trailed. Colgate managed to tie it at 5-5 on a Kyle Roemer trey with 17:53 to go in the first half. Then Syracuse went on an 11-0 run and that was it.
Colgate cut the lead to 9 on a Roemer jumper, but Arinze Onuaku's free throw pushed it back to double digits for good.
Freshman Mike Venezia, playing his first college game after suffering a preseason knee injury, led Colgate with 11 points. Roamer and Kendall Chones each added 10 for Colgate, which shot 37.3 percent (22-59) from the field. The Raiders came into the game ranked fourth nationally in three-point shooting percentage, but hit just 5 of 17 (29.4 percent) from the arc. 'Gate was outrebounded 45-29 and turned the ball over 21 times.
Syracuse shot 54/4 percent (31-57) from the field, including 6 of 17 from the arc, and went 19 for 32 at the foul line.
Box score | Syracuse Post-Standard | Rochester Democrat and Chronicle | Utica Dispatch
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Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Three minutes out of 40. That was the difference Monday night in the Midshipmen's 86-76 loss at San Diego State.
With Greg Sprink impressing his friends and family from back home in California with a lights-out shooting display and Chris Harris dropping precision bombs from the arc, Navy played right with the Aztecs most of the game.
The Mids were ahead 37-35 at the half and stretched the lead to 43-35 by scoring the first six points of the second half. Even after SDSU used a 12-2 run to take the lead, the Mids stuck around. It was still tied at 61-61 with 7:55 to play when the Aztecs took off on a 13-0 run that decided the game.
It happened quick; in three seconds less than three minutes actually. It was a stretch where Navy, which shot 49.2 percent (29-59) from the field and hit 15 of 33 threes, went 0 for 5, including three straight misses from the arc. SDSU hit three treys in the same span, and had three offensive rebounds, including two on the three-shot possession that capped the run.
Navy battled, but could not get closer than 9 the rest of the way against an Aztecs side that shot 51.8 percent (29-58) from the field and went to the foul line 30 times (making 23). SDSU held a 39-21 edge on the boards.
Granted Navy's perimeter style of play is not real conducive to getting to the foul line, but you might suspect a little home cooking (we say suspect because, still tired from Sunday's travel odyssey, we dozed off early and missed most of the CSTV broadcast) in a game when the visitors from the opposite coast don't shoot a single free throw in the first half and don't get to the line for the first time until there are less than four minutes left on the clock. The Mids finished 3 for 4 from the line.
Sprink, who came in shooting 32.1 percent from the field, proved the old adage about shooters needing to keep shooting by finishing with 26 points on 11 for 14 shooting, all three misses coming outside the arc (4 for 7). Harris added six threes and 22 points and Kaleo Kina chipped in with 11 for the Mids (3-8).
Louisville transfer Lorrenzon Wade led five Aztecs in double figures with 18 points.
Box score | SDSU quotes | SDSU notes | SD Union-Tribune | North County Times
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With Greg Sprink impressing his friends and family from back home in California with a lights-out shooting display and Chris Harris dropping precision bombs from the arc, Navy played right with the Aztecs most of the game.
The Mids were ahead 37-35 at the half and stretched the lead to 43-35 by scoring the first six points of the second half. Even after SDSU used a 12-2 run to take the lead, the Mids stuck around. It was still tied at 61-61 with 7:55 to play when the Aztecs took off on a 13-0 run that decided the game.
It happened quick; in three seconds less than three minutes actually. It was a stretch where Navy, which shot 49.2 percent (29-59) from the field and hit 15 of 33 threes, went 0 for 5, including three straight misses from the arc. SDSU hit three treys in the same span, and had three offensive rebounds, including two on the three-shot possession that capped the run.
Navy battled, but could not get closer than 9 the rest of the way against an Aztecs side that shot 51.8 percent (29-58) from the field and went to the foul line 30 times (making 23). SDSU held a 39-21 edge on the boards.
Granted Navy's perimeter style of play is not real conducive to getting to the foul line, but you might suspect a little home cooking (we say suspect because, still tired from Sunday's travel odyssey, we dozed off early and missed most of the CSTV broadcast) in a game when the visitors from the opposite coast don't shoot a single free throw in the first half and don't get to the line for the first time until there are less than four minutes left on the clock. The Mids finished 3 for 4 from the line.
Sprink, who came in shooting 32.1 percent from the field, proved the old adage about shooters needing to keep shooting by finishing with 26 points on 11 for 14 shooting, all three misses coming outside the arc (4 for 7). Harris added six threes and 22 points and Kaleo Kina chipped in with 11 for the Mids (3-8).
Louisville transfer Lorrenzon Wade led five Aztecs in double figures with 18 points.
Box score | SDSU quotes | SDSU notes | SD Union-Tribune | North County Times
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Monday, December 17, 2007
Demon Deacons switch tactics to put away a pesky Bison side.
(originally posted Sunday, 6:04 p.m., links added at 10:13 a.m.)
By CHRIS A. COUROGEN
Of Hoop Time
Take a look at the box score from Bucknell's 72-56 loss at Wake Forest and you might get the impression it was the Demon Deacons' size up front that proved to be the Bison's demise.
Wake finished the game with a 43-39 edge on the boards, with 19 offensive rebounds that led to 21 second chance points. The Demon Deacons also outscored Bucknell 40-15 in the paint.
But it wasn't the trees in Wake's forest that proved to be Bucknell's undoing so much as it was the shrubs.
Dino Gaudio's decision to go to a smaller lineup with the score tied at 45-45 midway through the second halfwas the move that turned the game around. Up until that point, the Bison were hanging around by knocking down enough three-pointers to offset the production Wake was getting inside. From that point on, though, it was a different ballgame.
Bucknell hit 17 of its first 42 shots through the first 29 minutes of the game. That is not a great shooting percentage, but with eight of the 17 makes coming from three-point range, it was good enough to keep Bucknell in the ballgame, especially with Wake shooting at a similar 18 for 44 pace.
The last 11 minutes, the part of the game where Gaudio went to the smaller lineup, was a completely different story. Back to back buckets with Ishmael Smith -- the second from the arc -- started a 10-0 Wake run that decided the outcome. It took only a little over three minutes and just three shots from the field for Wake to take control. And it was the little guys -- 6-0 Smith and 6-2 Jeff Teague (with free throw help from 6-4 L.D. Williams) -- that got it done.
Teague's three capped the run, giving the Deacons a 55-45 edge with 8:21 to play. The freshman from Indianapolis finished with 16 points to lead Wake Forest. Smith and Williams each finished with 11 and Harvey Hale, another 6-2 guard, also reached double figures with 12.
But it was not the offense of the small guys as much as their defense that made the difference. During the decisive run, Bucknell went 0 for 4 from the field, three of the misses from three-point range, two by John Griffin. It was the start of a trend that lasted the rest of the game. From the time Gaudio went small, to the final buzzer, Bucknell went 4 for 15 overall, 1 for 9 from the arc. Griffin, who led the Bison with 16 points, went 1 for 7 from downtown in that stretch.
Part of the problem might have been fatigue. Both Griffin and Castleberry played 29 minutes, much of which was spent handling pressure from Wake's fleet of lightning quick guards when on offense, and the rest of it spent trying to keep up with them on defense.
"It takes a lot of energy chasing them around," said Bucknell coach Pat Flannery. "Eventually it wore us down."
"All my shots felt good," said Griffin. "Some where a little short. Maybe I needed more legs."
There was more to it than just legs, though. When Wake Forest had a bigger lineup on the floor, Griffin, and his backcourt mates, were able to take advantage of screens to get open looks. After the switch, those looks were harder to come by.
"They were using so many ball screens," said Gaudio. "We went smaller and just switched them and it really bothered them."
It was not all negative for the Bison, who fell to 3-5 with the setback. If silver linings are your cup of tea, then Josh Linthicum's 11-point, 11-rebound double-double against Wake's big, athletic front line ought to quench your thirst. With Darren Mastropaolo's return from summer knee surgery uncertain at best, Linthicum's career-afternoon (in both categories) is an encouraging sign with conference play just around the corner.
On the other hand, 6-11 freshman Todd O'Brien, who came off the bench after starting the last two games, was almost a non-factor, going scoreless (which happens when you don't take any shots) with 5 rebounds and one blocked shot. The block gives him at least one in all eight games of his young career, but ended a streak of at least two rejections per game through the first seven games.
Sophomore power forward Patrick Behan also struggled, finishing with 6 points and 4 rebounds on 3 of 8 shooting, most of which came from outside. Other than Linthicum, Bucknell got very little production inside of 10 feet from the basket.
The Bison who return home Monday to host Cornell, have six more non-conference games to use as on-the-court training for a young lineup that, thanks to injuries to Mastropaolo and Rob Thomas, includes just one senior and one guy (Griffin) who was a full-time starter last season.
Box score | Gameblog | Postgame audio | Burlington Times News | Charlotte Observer | Winston-Salem Journal
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(originally posted Sunday, 6:04 p.m., links added at 10:13 a.m.)
By CHRIS A. COUROGEN
Of Hoop Time
Take a look at the box score from Bucknell's 72-56 loss at Wake Forest and you might get the impression it was the Demon Deacons' size up front that proved to be the Bison's demise.
Wake finished the game with a 43-39 edge on the boards, with 19 offensive rebounds that led to 21 second chance points. The Demon Deacons also outscored Bucknell 40-15 in the paint.
But it wasn't the trees in Wake's forest that proved to be Bucknell's undoing so much as it was the shrubs.
Dino Gaudio's decision to go to a smaller lineup with the score tied at 45-45 midway through the second halfwas the move that turned the game around. Up until that point, the Bison were hanging around by knocking down enough three-pointers to offset the production Wake was getting inside. From that point on, though, it was a different ballgame.
Bucknell hit 17 of its first 42 shots through the first 29 minutes of the game. That is not a great shooting percentage, but with eight of the 17 makes coming from three-point range, it was good enough to keep Bucknell in the ballgame, especially with Wake shooting at a similar 18 for 44 pace.
The last 11 minutes, the part of the game where Gaudio went to the smaller lineup, was a completely different story. Back to back buckets with Ishmael Smith -- the second from the arc -- started a 10-0 Wake run that decided the outcome. It took only a little over three minutes and just three shots from the field for Wake to take control. And it was the little guys -- 6-0 Smith and 6-2 Jeff Teague (with free throw help from 6-4 L.D. Williams) -- that got it done.
Teague's three capped the run, giving the Deacons a 55-45 edge with 8:21 to play. The freshman from Indianapolis finished with 16 points to lead Wake Forest. Smith and Williams each finished with 11 and Harvey Hale, another 6-2 guard, also reached double figures with 12.
But it was not the offense of the small guys as much as their defense that made the difference. During the decisive run, Bucknell went 0 for 4 from the field, three of the misses from three-point range, two by John Griffin. It was the start of a trend that lasted the rest of the game. From the time Gaudio went small, to the final buzzer, Bucknell went 4 for 15 overall, 1 for 9 from the arc. Griffin, who led the Bison with 16 points, went 1 for 7 from downtown in that stretch.
Part of the problem might have been fatigue. Both Griffin and Castleberry played 29 minutes, much of which was spent handling pressure from Wake's fleet of lightning quick guards when on offense, and the rest of it spent trying to keep up with them on defense.
"It takes a lot of energy chasing them around," said Bucknell coach Pat Flannery. "Eventually it wore us down."
"All my shots felt good," said Griffin. "Some where a little short. Maybe I needed more legs."
There was more to it than just legs, though. When Wake Forest had a bigger lineup on the floor, Griffin, and his backcourt mates, were able to take advantage of screens to get open looks. After the switch, those looks were harder to come by.
"They were using so many ball screens," said Gaudio. "We went smaller and just switched them and it really bothered them."
It was not all negative for the Bison, who fell to 3-5 with the setback. If silver linings are your cup of tea, then Josh Linthicum's 11-point, 11-rebound double-double against Wake's big, athletic front line ought to quench your thirst. With Darren Mastropaolo's return from summer knee surgery uncertain at best, Linthicum's career-afternoon (in both categories) is an encouraging sign with conference play just around the corner.
On the other hand, 6-11 freshman Todd O'Brien, who came off the bench after starting the last two games, was almost a non-factor, going scoreless (which happens when you don't take any shots) with 5 rebounds and one blocked shot. The block gives him at least one in all eight games of his young career, but ended a streak of at least two rejections per game through the first seven games.
Sophomore power forward Patrick Behan also struggled, finishing with 6 points and 4 rebounds on 3 of 8 shooting, most of which came from outside. Other than Linthicum, Bucknell got very little production inside of 10 feet from the basket.
The Bison who return home Monday to host Cornell, have six more non-conference games to use as on-the-court training for a young lineup that, thanks to injuries to Mastropaolo and Rob Thomas, includes just one senior and one guy (Griffin) who was a full-time starter last season.
Box score | Gameblog | Postgame audio | Burlington Times News | Charlotte Observer | Winston-Salem Journal
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Talk about luck, or maybe a lack thereof: Navy gets a trip to San Diego, leaves Annapolis with a winter nor'easter bearing down, and arrives in usually sunny southern California to find foggy skies and highs barely reaching the 60s.
That's about 20 degrees warmer than forecast for Annapolis today, but hardly what you hope for when you head to a place like San Diego at the holidays.
The good news: they leave after tonight's game with San Diego State before the rain starts to fall for the rest of the week. The bad news, the forecast for tonight's game is worse than the weather in either locale.
SCOUTING SAN DIEGO STATE: Coached by Steve Fisher, who won a national title at Michigan, the Aztecs are, in a nutshell, a deep, talented side that can shoot the lights out. Three guys average in double figures, three others are 8.4 points per game or better, and that is without 6-7 Tim Shelton, who was averaging 10 ppg when he suffered a season-ending knee injury.
When Shelton went down, the Aztecs (8-2) barely skipped a beat. Freshman Billy White (6-8) stepped into the starting lineup and is shooting 64.3 percent from the field and averaging 8.4 ppg.
Lorenzo Wade, a junior who started his college career at Louisville, is a 6-9 leaper who is considered one of the top defensive players in the Mountain West Conference. The All-MWC pick is also an offensive force, shooting 50 percent from the field, 43.3 percent from the arc and averaging a team-high 14 ppg.
Juco transfer Kelvin Davis (6-3) is scoring 11.6 ppg while shooting 54.2 percent from the floor and 45.2 percent from the arc and 6-5 junior Kyle Span scores 12.3 ppg while shooting 44.8 percent from downtown (43.5 percent overall).
Junior Ryan Anderson is another big kid (6-8) who can score the ball. The Marquette transfer is averaging 9.8 ppg.
As a team, San Diego State is scoring 71.6 points per game while shooting 47.4 percent from the field as a team (39 percent from three-point range).
The defense is not horrible, either. Opponents are shooting 42.5 percent while averaging 61.9 ppg.
The Aztecs have won 10 in a row at home. One caveat about their record: None of the wins are particularly impressive and they lost the two games they played against top-caliber foes (Cal and St. Mary's).
BONUS LINKS:
San Diego State stats
San Diego State game notes
A role player at El Camino, Sprink returns as Navy leader (North County Times)
More than usual, San Diego a Navy town this week (San Diego Union-Tribune)
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That's about 20 degrees warmer than forecast for Annapolis today, but hardly what you hope for when you head to a place like San Diego at the holidays.
The good news: they leave after tonight's game with San Diego State before the rain starts to fall for the rest of the week. The bad news, the forecast for tonight's game is worse than the weather in either locale.
SCOUTING SAN DIEGO STATE: Coached by Steve Fisher, who won a national title at Michigan, the Aztecs are, in a nutshell, a deep, talented side that can shoot the lights out. Three guys average in double figures, three others are 8.4 points per game or better, and that is without 6-7 Tim Shelton, who was averaging 10 ppg when he suffered a season-ending knee injury.
When Shelton went down, the Aztecs (8-2) barely skipped a beat. Freshman Billy White (6-8) stepped into the starting lineup and is shooting 64.3 percent from the field and averaging 8.4 ppg.
Lorenzo Wade, a junior who started his college career at Louisville, is a 6-9 leaper who is considered one of the top defensive players in the Mountain West Conference. The All-MWC pick is also an offensive force, shooting 50 percent from the field, 43.3 percent from the arc and averaging a team-high 14 ppg.
Juco transfer Kelvin Davis (6-3) is scoring 11.6 ppg while shooting 54.2 percent from the floor and 45.2 percent from the arc and 6-5 junior Kyle Span scores 12.3 ppg while shooting 44.8 percent from downtown (43.5 percent overall).
Junior Ryan Anderson is another big kid (6-8) who can score the ball. The Marquette transfer is averaging 9.8 ppg.
As a team, San Diego State is scoring 71.6 points per game while shooting 47.4 percent from the field as a team (39 percent from three-point range).
The defense is not horrible, either. Opponents are shooting 42.5 percent while averaging 61.9 ppg.
The Aztecs have won 10 in a row at home. One caveat about their record: None of the wins are particularly impressive and they lost the two games they played against top-caliber foes (Cal and St. Mary's).
BONUS LINKS:
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Sunday, December 16, 2007
The story of Bucknell's loss at Wake Forest, compiled as it happened, from the airport to the final buzzer.
A little on the saga of the trip to Winston-Salem in a moment.
First let's catch up on the game, where Bucknell leads 11-9 with 14:31 to go on the strength of three three-pointers.
Josh Linthicum and Justin Castleberry back in the starting lineup for Bucknell this afternoon.
Stephen Tyree with two fouls before the first media timeout
Jason Vegotsky checks in for the first time this season shortly before the 14 minute mark.
We could hear the national anthem being played when we walked into the back door media entrance of Joel Coliseum after a trip that was more a combination of frustrating and curious than harrowing.
Here is a little of that saga, written while sitting in BWI waiting for the plane to North Carolina:
9:46 a.m. -- Sitting here at BWI, we are not at all sure if we will make it to this afternoon's Bucknell-Wake Forest game.
When we left Lewisburg Saturday night after taking Team Hoop Time to the Penn State-Bucknell women's game, we wondered if we would make it here as we drove through sleet and freezing rain down a dicey Routes 11&15. Things looked better when we got further south and the wintery stuff turned to just rain.
Back home, a check of the forecast said just rain this morning, and when we awoke to find the weather confirming that prognostication, we figured we'd dodged the storm that threatened to wipe out this trip. Seemed there would be no trouble making from Harrisburg down I-83 to Baltimore, and other than the threat of a bumpy ride due to gusty winds, things looked pretty good.
Even the inability to check the flight's status before leaving this morning (apparently an icy limb fell on the phone lines someplace) didn't seem a concern because the Baltimore weather forecast on Sirius radio said temps there were well above freezing.
What we didn't factor into things was the fact that the plane to Raleigh-Durham was coming from Albany, N.Y. That is why we found the words "weather advisory" and "delayed" posted next to our flight when we arrived at the gate.
The good news, which came around the same time our flight was to leave BWI, was that the plane finally got off the ground in Albany. The not so good news: Our new projected arrival in North Carolina is going to leave about two hours before game time, cutting things mighty close.
A Bucknell alum who coaches high school lacrosse in Durham and was waiting for the same flight said we ought to be able to make it to Winston-Salem in an hour-and-a-half from the airport. Factoring in time getting to the rental car, finding parking at Wake Forest, and getting to my seat. It figures to be mighty close.
Close enough to have us seriously considering bagging the trip and saving the ticket to use towards a postseason getaway with the wife.
10:01 a.m.. -- They just announced our plane should get here around 10:25. They figure 20 minutes or so to get the folks off that one and us on. It's only about an hour flight, but since the biggest part of that is probably the takeoff and the approach, they probably can't make up much time in the air.
10:08 a.m. -- By the way, at last night's womens' game, Daily Item beat writer Tom Housenick confirmed that Bucknell wing Jason vegotsky, who has been out all season with a stress fracture in his foot, is expected to dress this afternoon. No indication how much he might be ready to play, but certainly having him in uniform instead of street clothes has to boost the spirits of Bucknell folks. No word on the return of senior co-captain ROb Thomas, whose return from the torn MCL he suffered in the opener against Albany was projected to take 4 to 6 weeks. Also no update on the status of Darren Mastropaolo's condition as he tries to make it back this season from the torn ACL he suffered in a summer pickup game.
10:14 -- What's up with the chick at the Southwest counter wearing an Eli Manning jersey here in the D.C. suburbs on the day of a Redskins-Giants game. Guarantee you would not want to pull such a stunt in Philly on the day of an Eagles game.
10:17 -- Glancing at the sports page of the Washington Post, we are reminded how slow the part of the season around finals can be. The only D.C. area team to play yesterday was Georgetown, which thumped Radford. Of course that doesn't mean there would be much more coverage of college hoops in the Post if there were more local games. As we have noted at some time or another every season since launching this site, the Post does a horrible job covering Washington-area college basketball.
11:17 a,m. -- We're on the way south, running slightly behind the revised schedule, according to he pilot, after having to slow the plane down while passing through air that pilots call "bumpy" and passengers refer to as "scary as hell." What we will do sometimes to bring you coverage of Patriot League hoops defies both logic and the prefverences of the wife, who by now is used to us heading through all kinds of nasty ass weather to get to games, but still does not approve of it.
We would have started posting this misadventure in the airport, but $9.95 for an hour of wireless hardly fits the Hoop Time budget, which is already stretched by the airfare and rental car costs of the trip. Not that the trip is that expensive. Originally this game was not in our coverage plans. But the combination of a leftover vacation day at the day job, which had to be used by the end of the year, an attractive fare on Southwest, and a flight schedule that at least made it appear possible to fly down in the morn ing and back after the game, made this one a late addition to the slate. That decision, it is worth noting, came shortly after the Villanova game, when this looked a lot more like a potential Patriot League win over an ACC school than it does now.
That is not to discount the possibility of a Bison win. But certainly the way the games since 'Nova have gone does diminish a little of the expectations.
Not sure, will have to double check, but don't think a Patriot League team has ever beaten an ACC team. After Maryland's loss the other day, Holy Cross' visit to Maryland after the holidays is looking like the best possibility of that happening at the moment.
We're about to begin our descent, it's 11:31 and the pilot says we should be on the ground in about 20 minutes. Still looks to be cutting it mighty close to get to Winston-Salem on time.
Had we looked at a map before making these plans, we probably would not have made the trip. Based on road signs seen when we visited Duke a few years ago, we thought Winston-Salem was a lot closer to the airport than it is.
It doesn't help any that we chose Dollar Rent-a-car. Apparently one of the secrets to their low rates is having a single shuttle bus. We stand at the stop outside the airport watching bus after bus for the other companies drive past while we wait.
Thankfully the girl at the counter is quick and efficient. She also gives great directions, more than we can say for the road signs in the Winston-Salem area, which made finding the arena an adventure.
Back to the game: Jeff Teague picks Daryl Shazier's pocket and takes it in for an uncontested layup and a 22-15 Wake lead with 9:23 to go. Wake on a 10-2 run at the moment.
We have no stats monitor here, but Wake is killing the Bison on the boards. One wake bucket came on what had to be its fourth chance of the possession.
Seven-footer Chris McFarland has 6 points already, three of Wake's first four buckets, and the Demon Deacons are getting to the rim on a regular basis.
They just handed out partial box scores that show Wake's edge on the boards at 13-11 with 8:47 left. But Wake has 8 offensive rebounds.
Bucknell at that point -- 5 of 14 from the field, 3 of 8 from the arc. Wake is 10 for 23, 1 for 5 from downtown.
With 7:44 to play in the first half, it is Wake 22, Bucknell 16.
Tyree back on the floor picks up his third personal at the 7:15. Have to wonder why he was even on the floor with two in the first half.
Turnovers hurting the Bison. They have at least 9 with 4:40 to play. Still they are only down 27-23 after a G.W. Boon three and a pull up jumper by Justin Castleberry running the break after a steal.
Another Boon three with 2:52 left caps a 10-0 Bucknell run and puts the Bison up 28-27 with 2:29 to play.
Bison doing a better job on the defensive glass. The latests stats handout, with 3:54 to go in the half, shows the two teams even at 16-16 and Wake still with the 8 offensive boards it had early.
The half ends with a Wake player stealing a pass intended for John Griffin and heaving a three-quarters court shot that turned into a pass to yours truly -- who, truth be told, was wide open on the baseline.
AT THE INTERMISSION: Wake Forest 30, Bucknell 28
some halftime stats: Bucknell shooting 10 for 25 (40 percent), 5-14 from the arc.
Wake is 13-33 (39.4 percent), 2-9 from three-point.
Neither team sharp at the foul line, Bison 3-6, Wake 2-6.
Rebounds: BU 21 (5 offensive), Wake 20 (8 off).
Leading scorers: Bucknell Linthicum and Castleberry with 5 each. Wake: Teague with 9, McFarland 6
Turnovers: Bucknell 11, Wake 5.
Tyree with three is the only guy in any foul trouble.
Just now getting back to action for the second half after a delay of about 20 minutes due to a failure of the lights here.
That also knocked out our Internet connection
Starting the second half, Linthicum's put back ties it. At the other end, James Johnson hits one of two at the line. Wake got the offensive rebound but Griffin stole the ball back. Griffin hit in the face on the play, stopping action, but he appears to be OK.
Tyree starts the second half on the bench, then checks in for Boon with 16:35 to go.
Behan well defended on the sideline, close to a five second call, bringing Pat Flannery to call a timeout with 15:49 to go and Wake up 37-35.
Todd O'Brien block watch: The BU freshman's streak of at least one block in every game continues with a first half rejection. His streak of every game with multiple blocks still on hold at the moment.
15:34: Bison apparently unaware of the shot clock, let it expire, bringing the first media timeout of the half. It seemed as though they might have not remembered they had already used up some of the clock before Flannery's timeout.
Stats note -- Wake 18 points in the paint in the first half. Continuing to look inside in the second. Seeing Darren Mastropaol on the Bison bench in street clothes makes you wonder about what might be if he had not blown out his knee.
14:42 Wake is on a 9-3 run and the crowd is into it for the first time since the Demon Deacon rode into the arena on his motorcycle in the pregame. A Bison turnover further fuels their enthusiasm, though truth be told, it is still rather limited. This place holds 14,000+, but is probably a little over half full.
12:28: McFarland to the line for two after a horrible call when Griffin stripped the ball. he makes one of two, and Wake gets the offensive board, but the Bison steal it and grffin hits a three at the other end to make ita 1-point game. After a Wake bucket, Boon's three ties it at 45-45 with under 11 minutes to play.
A few questionable calls -- or non-calls -- at the Bison offensive end. Around the 13:20 mark, Daryl Shazier was hammered going to the rack and the refs swallowed the whistles (Griffin got the O rebound, followed, but failed to convert an and-one on the play.)
At the 10:20 mark, Linthicm hammered on his first shot, no call. He did manage to get the rebound and was fouled on his putback attempt. But it was wasted when he missed both shots. Linthicum now 1-4 at the line.
With 8:28 to go, O'Brien's second foul is Bucknell's 7th. Johnson misses the front end, but again Wake gets the rebound of a missed free throw and it results in a Teague three-pointer. Wake now on a 10-0 run.
at the 7:46 mark, it's Wake Forest 55, Bucknell 45
6:39: Griffin fouled going baseline, both teams now in the bonus. He hits both to make it a 57-49 game.
Stats note: as of the 7:45 mark, Bucknell 7 for 20 in the second half.
Tyree's fourth personal is Bucknell's 9th with 5:54 to play.
Behan's third 52 seconds later has Wake in the double bonus.
Johnson's putback slam with 4:00 to go keeps the Wake lead at 10, 64-54 and brings a Bucknell timeout.
They pull out Zombie Nation, quickly replacing Rock and Roll Part II as the most overplayed song in sports, to try to get the crowd going. It doesn't work near as well as Johnson's second stright slam, a tomahawk job after a Bison turnover that makes it 66-54 Wake.
Another turnover and a Bison foul will have Wake shooting two after the media timeout with 3:29 to go.
A missed free throw with 3:06 to go is O'Brien's first shot of the game. Linthicum, by the way, is in double figures with 11. Matter of fact, he has a double-double with 11 boards.
Behan putback with 1:48 to go makes it 70-56 with 1:48 as the crowd heads for the doors. He was hammered, but there will be no and one.
By the way, don't for a second think twe're making it sound like the refs are why BU is losing this one. They have given up 19 offensive rebounds and 21 second chance points, and Wake has a 38-14 edge in points in the paint.
Bucknell, as has been the case much of this season, is living and dying by the outside jumper. When you are shooting under 40 percent, even 9 treys are not enough to make up for that.
45.2 seconds to go: not many folks still here to see Grorge Medrano check in.
Final: Wke 72, Bucknell 56
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A little on the saga of the trip to Winston-Salem in a moment.
First let's catch up on the game, where Bucknell leads 11-9 with 14:31 to go on the strength of three three-pointers.
We could hear the national anthem being played when we walked into the back door media entrance of Joel Coliseum after a trip that was more a combination of frustrating and curious than harrowing.
Here is a little of that saga, written while sitting in BWI waiting for the plane to North Carolina:
9:46 a.m. -- Sitting here at BWI, we are not at all sure if we will make it to this afternoon's Bucknell-Wake Forest game.
When we left Lewisburg Saturday night after taking Team Hoop Time to the Penn State-Bucknell women's game, we wondered if we would make it here as we drove through sleet and freezing rain down a dicey Routes 11&15. Things looked better when we got further south and the wintery stuff turned to just rain.
Back home, a check of the forecast said just rain this morning, and when we awoke to find the weather confirming that prognostication, we figured we'd dodged the storm that threatened to wipe out this trip. Seemed there would be no trouble making from Harrisburg down I-83 to Baltimore, and other than the threat of a bumpy ride due to gusty winds, things looked pretty good.
Even the inability to check the flight's status before leaving this morning (apparently an icy limb fell on the phone lines someplace) didn't seem a concern because the Baltimore weather forecast on Sirius radio said temps there were well above freezing.
What we didn't factor into things was the fact that the plane to Raleigh-Durham was coming from Albany, N.Y. That is why we found the words "weather advisory" and "delayed" posted next to our flight when we arrived at the gate.
The good news, which came around the same time our flight was to leave BWI, was that the plane finally got off the ground in Albany. The not so good news: Our new projected arrival in North Carolina is going to leave about two hours before game time, cutting things mighty close.
A Bucknell alum who coaches high school lacrosse in Durham and was waiting for the same flight said we ought to be able to make it to Winston-Salem in an hour-and-a-half from the airport. Factoring in time getting to the rental car, finding parking at Wake Forest, and getting to my seat. It figures to be mighty close.
Close enough to have us seriously considering bagging the trip and saving the ticket to use towards a postseason getaway with the wife.
10:01 a.m.. -- They just announced our plane should get here around 10:25. They figure 20 minutes or so to get the folks off that one and us on. It's only about an hour flight, but since the biggest part of that is probably the takeoff and the approach, they probably can't make up much time in the air.
10:08 a.m. -- By the way, at last night's womens' game, Daily Item beat writer Tom Housenick confirmed that Bucknell wing Jason vegotsky, who has been out all season with a stress fracture in his foot, is expected to dress this afternoon. No indication how much he might be ready to play, but certainly having him in uniform instead of street clothes has to boost the spirits of Bucknell folks. No word on the return of senior co-captain ROb Thomas, whose return from the torn MCL he suffered in the opener against Albany was projected to take 4 to 6 weeks. Also no update on the status of Darren Mastropaolo's condition as he tries to make it back this season from the torn ACL he suffered in a summer pickup game.
10:14 -- What's up with the chick at the Southwest counter wearing an Eli Manning jersey here in the D.C. suburbs on the day of a Redskins-Giants game. Guarantee you would not want to pull such a stunt in Philly on the day of an Eagles game.
10:17 -- Glancing at the sports page of the Washington Post, we are reminded how slow the part of the season around finals can be. The only D.C. area team to play yesterday was Georgetown, which thumped Radford. Of course that doesn't mean there would be much more coverage of college hoops in the Post if there were more local games. As we have noted at some time or another every season since launching this site, the Post does a horrible job covering Washington-area college basketball.
11:17 a,m. -- We're on the way south, running slightly behind the revised schedule, according to he pilot, after having to slow the plane down while passing through air that pilots call "bumpy" and passengers refer to as "scary as hell." What we will do sometimes to bring you coverage of Patriot League hoops defies both logic and the prefverences of the wife, who by now is used to us heading through all kinds of nasty ass weather to get to games, but still does not approve of it.
We would have started posting this misadventure in the airport, but $9.95 for an hour of wireless hardly fits the Hoop Time budget, which is already stretched by the airfare and rental car costs of the trip. Not that the trip is that expensive. Originally this game was not in our coverage plans. But the combination of a leftover vacation day at the day job, which had to be used by the end of the year, an attractive fare on Southwest, and a flight schedule that at least made it appear possible to fly down in the morn ing and back after the game, made this one a late addition to the slate. That decision, it is worth noting, came shortly after the Villanova game, when this looked a lot more like a potential Patriot League win over an ACC school than it does now.
That is not to discount the possibility of a Bison win. But certainly the way the games since 'Nova have gone does diminish a little of the expectations.
Not sure, will have to double check, but don't think a Patriot League team has ever beaten an ACC team. After Maryland's loss the other day, Holy Cross' visit to Maryland after the holidays is looking like the best possibility of that happening at the moment.
We're about to begin our descent, it's 11:31 and the pilot says we should be on the ground in about 20 minutes. Still looks to be cutting it mighty close to get to Winston-Salem on time.
Had we looked at a map before making these plans, we probably would not have made the trip. Based on road signs seen when we visited Duke a few years ago, we thought Winston-Salem was a lot closer to the airport than it is.
It doesn't help any that we chose Dollar Rent-a-car. Apparently one of the secrets to their low rates is having a single shuttle bus. We stand at the stop outside the airport watching bus after bus for the other companies drive past while we wait.
Thankfully the girl at the counter is quick and efficient. She also gives great directions, more than we can say for the road signs in the Winston-Salem area, which made finding the arena an adventure.
Back to the game: Jeff Teague picks Daryl Shazier's pocket and takes it in for an uncontested layup and a 22-15 Wake lead with 9:23 to go. Wake on a 10-2 run at the moment.
We have no stats monitor here, but Wake is killing the Bison on the boards. One wake bucket came on what had to be its fourth chance of the possession.
Seven-footer Chris McFarland has 6 points already, three of Wake's first four buckets, and the Demon Deacons are getting to the rim on a regular basis.
They just handed out partial box scores that show Wake's edge on the boards at 13-11 with 8:47 left. But Wake has 8 offensive rebounds.
Bucknell at that point -- 5 of 14 from the field, 3 of 8 from the arc. Wake is 10 for 23, 1 for 5 from downtown.
With 7:44 to play in the first half, it is Wake 22, Bucknell 16.
Tyree back on the floor picks up his third personal at the 7:15. Have to wonder why he was even on the floor with two in the first half.
Turnovers hurting the Bison. They have at least 9 with 4:40 to play. Still they are only down 27-23 after a G.W. Boon three and a pull up jumper by Justin Castleberry running the break after a steal.
Another Boon three with 2:52 left caps a 10-0 Bucknell run and puts the Bison up 28-27 with 2:29 to play.
Bison doing a better job on the defensive glass. The latests stats handout, with 3:54 to go in the half, shows the two teams even at 16-16 and Wake still with the 8 offensive boards it had early.
The half ends with a Wake player stealing a pass intended for John Griffin and heaving a three-quarters court shot that turned into a pass to yours truly -- who, truth be told, was wide open on the baseline.
AT THE INTERMISSION: Wake Forest 30, Bucknell 28
some halftime stats: Bucknell shooting 10 for 25 (40 percent), 5-14 from the arc.
Wake is 13-33 (39.4 percent), 2-9 from three-point.
Neither team sharp at the foul line, Bison 3-6, Wake 2-6.
Rebounds: BU 21 (5 offensive), Wake 20 (8 off).
Leading scorers: Bucknell Linthicum and Castleberry with 5 each. Wake: Teague with 9, McFarland 6
Turnovers: Bucknell 11, Wake 5.
Tyree with three is the only guy in any foul trouble.
Just now getting back to action for the second half after a delay of about 20 minutes due to a failure of the lights here.
That also knocked out our Internet connection
Starting the second half, Linthicum's put back ties it. At the other end, James Johnson hits one of two at the line. Wake got the offensive rebound but Griffin stole the ball back. Griffin hit in the face on the play, stopping action, but he appears to be OK.
Tyree starts the second half on the bench, then checks in for Boon with 16:35 to go.
Behan well defended on the sideline, close to a five second call, bringing Pat Flannery to call a timeout with 15:49 to go and Wake up 37-35.
Todd O'Brien block watch: The BU freshman's streak of at least one block in every game continues with a first half rejection. His streak of every game with multiple blocks still on hold at the moment.
15:34: Bison apparently unaware of the shot clock, let it expire, bringing the first media timeout of the half. It seemed as though they might have not remembered they had already used up some of the clock before Flannery's timeout.
Stats note -- Wake 18 points in the paint in the first half. Continuing to look inside in the second. Seeing Darren Mastropaol on the Bison bench in street clothes makes you wonder about what might be if he had not blown out his knee.
14:42 Wake is on a 9-3 run and the crowd is into it for the first time since the Demon Deacon rode into the arena on his motorcycle in the pregame. A Bison turnover further fuels their enthusiasm, though truth be told, it is still rather limited. This place holds 14,000+, but is probably a little over half full.
12:28: McFarland to the line for two after a horrible call when Griffin stripped the ball. he makes one of two, and Wake gets the offensive board, but the Bison steal it and grffin hits a three at the other end to make ita 1-point game. After a Wake bucket, Boon's three ties it at 45-45 with under 11 minutes to play.
A few questionable calls -- or non-calls -- at the Bison offensive end. Around the 13:20 mark, Daryl Shazier was hammered going to the rack and the refs swallowed the whistles (Griffin got the O rebound, followed, but failed to convert an and-one on the play.)
At the 10:20 mark, Linthicm hammered on his first shot, no call. He did manage to get the rebound and was fouled on his putback attempt. But it was wasted when he missed both shots. Linthicum now 1-4 at the line.
With 8:28 to go, O'Brien's second foul is Bucknell's 7th. Johnson misses the front end, but again Wake gets the rebound of a missed free throw and it results in a Teague three-pointer. Wake now on a 10-0 run.
at the 7:46 mark, it's Wake Forest 55, Bucknell 45
6:39: Griffin fouled going baseline, both teams now in the bonus. He hits both to make it a 57-49 game.
Stats note: as of the 7:45 mark, Bucknell 7 for 20 in the second half.
Tyree's fourth personal is Bucknell's 9th with 5:54 to play.
Behan's third 52 seconds later has Wake in the double bonus.
Johnson's putback slam with 4:00 to go keeps the Wake lead at 10, 64-54 and brings a Bucknell timeout.
They pull out Zombie Nation, quickly replacing Rock and Roll Part II as the most overplayed song in sports, to try to get the crowd going. It doesn't work near as well as Johnson's second stright slam, a tomahawk job after a Bison turnover that makes it 66-54 Wake.
Another turnover and a Bison foul will have Wake shooting two after the media timeout with 3:29 to go.
A missed free throw with 3:06 to go is O'Brien's first shot of the game. Linthicum, by the way, is in double figures with 11. Matter of fact, he has a double-double with 11 boards.
Behan putback with 1:48 to go makes it 70-56 with 1:48 as the crowd heads for the doors. He was hammered, but there will be no and one.
By the way, don't for a second think twe're making it sound like the refs are why BU is losing this one. They have given up 19 offensive rebounds and 21 second chance points, and Wake has a 38-14 edge in points in the paint.
Bucknell, as has been the case much of this season, is living and dying by the outside jumper. When you are shooting under 40 percent, even 9 treys are not enough to make up for that.
45.2 seconds to go: not many folks still here to see Grorge Medrano check in.
Final: Wke 72, Bucknell 56
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Saturday, December 15, 2007
It's going to be a crazy day or two around here. After Team Hoop Time plays this morning, the girls will travel (please snow, hold off!) to Lewisburg for tonight's Penn State-Bucknell women's game, where they will scrimmage at halftime.
Then it's back down Routes 11 &15 for an hour or two of shut-eye before heading to Baltimore (insert another plea to the weather gods here) to catch a flight to North Carolina for the Bucknell-Wake Forest game.
That won't leave much time tomorrow for posting the Wake scouting report, so we're doing it this morning. You will also find a few non-BU-Wake links at the end, too.
Now repeat after us: Snow, snow, go away. Come again on a school day (the kids insisted we add that last part).
SCOUTING WAKE FOREST: It is not easy to get a handle on the Demon Deacons, who come in with a 5-3 record. Wake has lost three of its last four, but those three losses were all on the road, against the likes of Charlotte, Vanderbilt and Georgia.
The only victory you would call a quality win came Nov. 26 at Iowa. The other four wins came against Fairfield and three Division I transitional teams -- North Carolina Centeral, USC Upstate and Winston-Salem State.
Dino Gaudio, in his first season as Wake's head coach, is no stranger to Patriot League fans. Gaudio, who was an assistant to Skip Prosser, took over after Prosser's sudden and unexpected death this summer. Gaudio was head coach at Army from 1993 to 1997. Gaudio's teams went 14-38 in league play, but three of those wins came against Bucknell, including a shocker in the first round of the 1995 league tournament.
One of the story lines for the game is Skip Prosser's son Mark, who is a Bucknell assistant (see links below).
Wake is a young team, with five freshmen and five sophomores (including 6-10 redshirt soph reserve David Weaver). The highly touted freshman class includes 6-8 freshman James Johnson, who leads the Demon Deacons in scoring (13.3 ppg) and rebounding (9.4 rpg). L.D. Williams, a 6-4 sophomore guard, also averages in double figures (10.8 ppg).
Center Kyle Visser, who took advantage of Bucknell foul trouble to score 26 points in Wake's 86-83 OT win in Lewisburg last season, is graduated. But 6-2 junior guard Harvey Hale (20 points vs. BU last year) and 6-0 sophomore guard Ishmael Smith (14) are still around. Hale is averaging 9.9 ppg with four games in double figures. Smith has reached double figures in the last three games, raising his average to 8.0 ppg.
Center Chris McFarland, a 7-foot sophomore from Illinois by way of Worcester Academy, has bee inconsistent since joining the starting lineup six games ago. Against Iowa, McFarland scored 15 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. He also scored 12 against USC Upstate. In the last two games, though, McFarland has totalled 2 points and 5 rebounds.
Expect a defensive type of game. Wake only shoots 40 percent from the field (29.5 percent from the arc), but they have held opponents to 39.3 percent from the field (32.2 percent on threes). The Demon Deacons turn the ball over 16 times per game, but they average 10.1 steals and force opponents into 21 turnovers per contest.
BONUS LINKS:
Wake Forest stats
Wake Forest game notes
Prosser trying to maintain positive outlook (Daily Item)
Prosser's son to pay visit this weekend (Winston-Salem Journal)
WFU is running itself ragged (Winston-Salem Journal)
NON BU-WAKE LINKS:
Idle Mids pleased with basketball progress (Annapolis Capital)
Parkview's Gyawu made right call (Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Colgate recruit Yaw Gyawu)
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Then it's back down Routes 11 &15 for an hour or two of shut-eye before heading to Baltimore (insert another plea to the weather gods here) to catch a flight to North Carolina for the Bucknell-Wake Forest game.
That won't leave much time tomorrow for posting the Wake scouting report, so we're doing it this morning. You will also find a few non-BU-Wake links at the end, too.
Now repeat after us: Snow, snow, go away. Come again on a school day (the kids insisted we add that last part).
SCOUTING WAKE FOREST: It is not easy to get a handle on the Demon Deacons, who come in with a 5-3 record. Wake has lost three of its last four, but those three losses were all on the road, against the likes of Charlotte, Vanderbilt and Georgia.
The only victory you would call a quality win came Nov. 26 at Iowa. The other four wins came against Fairfield and three Division I transitional teams -- North Carolina Centeral, USC Upstate and Winston-Salem State.
Dino Gaudio, in his first season as Wake's head coach, is no stranger to Patriot League fans. Gaudio, who was an assistant to Skip Prosser, took over after Prosser's sudden and unexpected death this summer. Gaudio was head coach at Army from 1993 to 1997. Gaudio's teams went 14-38 in league play, but three of those wins came against Bucknell, including a shocker in the first round of the 1995 league tournament.
One of the story lines for the game is Skip Prosser's son Mark, who is a Bucknell assistant (see links below).
Wake is a young team, with five freshmen and five sophomores (including 6-10 redshirt soph reserve David Weaver). The highly touted freshman class includes 6-8 freshman James Johnson, who leads the Demon Deacons in scoring (13.3 ppg) and rebounding (9.4 rpg). L.D. Williams, a 6-4 sophomore guard, also averages in double figures (10.8 ppg).
Center Kyle Visser, who took advantage of Bucknell foul trouble to score 26 points in Wake's 86-83 OT win in Lewisburg last season, is graduated. But 6-2 junior guard Harvey Hale (20 points vs. BU last year) and 6-0 sophomore guard Ishmael Smith (14) are still around. Hale is averaging 9.9 ppg with four games in double figures. Smith has reached double figures in the last three games, raising his average to 8.0 ppg.
Center Chris McFarland, a 7-foot sophomore from Illinois by way of Worcester Academy, has bee inconsistent since joining the starting lineup six games ago. Against Iowa, McFarland scored 15 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. He also scored 12 against USC Upstate. In the last two games, though, McFarland has totalled 2 points and 5 rebounds.
Expect a defensive type of game. Wake only shoots 40 percent from the field (29.5 percent from the arc), but they have held opponents to 39.3 percent from the field (32.2 percent on threes). The Demon Deacons turn the ball over 16 times per game, but they average 10.1 steals and force opponents into 21 turnovers per contest.
BONUS LINKS:
NON BU-WAKE LINKS:
Labels: Bucknell, Colgate, Navy, previews
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Friday, December 14, 2007
The biggest difference between the Army team that downed Florida Gulf Coast last night and the Black Knights of a few years ago might boil down to this: The Cadets of old would try to win and fail at it. Last night's team tried to give one away and failed.
As Jim Crews was quick to point out in the postgame, FGCU is not a typical first-year Division I team. They have a mature roster, with a host of seniors, most of whom are transfers from schools in pretty decent conferences like the Big Ten and the MAC.
But they still came to snow-covered West Point 3-6, the three wins all coming against teams with a combined RPI of 918.
So what was Army doing trailing 32-26 at the half?
"We were just awful defensively in transition in the first half. They got five or six threes because we were scrambling around and not finding a man. They did a great job exposing that," said Crews.
FGCU shot 48 percent from the field in the first half (12-25), with 6 of their 12 field goals coming from the arc (6-12). The biggest beneficiary of Army's defensive woes was FGCU's Delvin Franklin, who was 4 for 4 from three-point range in the half, including two of the four threes that fueled FCGU's late 12-2 run that gave them the lead at the break.
It didn't help any that Jarrell Brown, Army's leading scorer, was 1 for 7 from the field in the first half.
The Eagles kept that lead for most of the first eight minutes of the second half and were still even with Army (48-48) with 11:05 to play when the Black Knights went on an 11-0 run that should have put the game away.
But up 59-48 with 7:44 to go, Army let FGCU get right back in the game with an 11-2 run, pulling tow within 2 (61-58) on a Rob Quaintance trey with 4 minutes left.
Army scored just one field goal the rest of the way -- a Cleveland Richards layup with 2:06 on the clock -- and went 3 for 6 from the foul line in the last 4 minutes. But they held FGCU to one field goal and a pair of free throws down the stretch and survived Quaintance's desperation heroics at the end.
With two seconds left, and Army up by 4, Quaintance was foolishly fouled by Army's Mitch McDonald. Quaintance made the first and managed to get his own rebound after intentionally missing the second. But his desperate heave at the buzzer was off the mark, allowing Army to escape with the win.
That final miss was one of 10 missed threes in the second half for FCGU, which followed its 6 for 12 first half with a 10 for 12 second half from the arc. Army held the Eagles to 8 second half field goals (on 30 tries, 26.7 percent).
Said Crews, "That was really great to see the kids respond and have that resiliency. We really dug in during the second half.”
The defense was not all that improved in the second half. Brown, who finished with 12 points, was just 2 for 5 from the field after intermission, but got to the line 6 times, making 5. Brown's streak of double figures games is now at seven, but his streak of 6 straight 20-point performances ended.
After an 11 for 26 (42.3 percent) first half shooting effort, the Black Knights were 14 for 26 (53.8 percent) after the break. Had they shot better at the foul line (10-19 in the second half, 12-22 for the game), it never would have come down to Quaintance's missed shot.
A good sign for Army -- three players reached double figures, led by sophomore Marcus nelson's career-best 14 points. Nelson tied his career assists mark with 7 dishes. Josh Miller (6 for 8 from the field) added 13 for Army. Doug Williams had 10 rebounds for the Black Knights.
It was the first time all season Army had three players reach double figures and the first Army win in a game in which Brown was not the team's leading scorer. It was also Army's first win when Brown did not score at least 20 points.
With six inches of snow falling in West Point, Army offered free admission. Announced attendance was 216, though the Army gameblog suggested far fewer actually were in the stands. The gameblog (link below), by the way, was a first by Army's sports info folks and the first such official effort by any Patriot League school. It's worth the click.
Box score | Army gameblog | Postgame quotes | Times Herald-Record | News-Press
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As Jim Crews was quick to point out in the postgame, FGCU is not a typical first-year Division I team. They have a mature roster, with a host of seniors, most of whom are transfers from schools in pretty decent conferences like the Big Ten and the MAC.
But they still came to snow-covered West Point 3-6, the three wins all coming against teams with a combined RPI of 918.
So what was Army doing trailing 32-26 at the half?
"We were just awful defensively in transition in the first half. They got five or six threes because we were scrambling around and not finding a man. They did a great job exposing that," said Crews.
FGCU shot 48 percent from the field in the first half (12-25), with 6 of their 12 field goals coming from the arc (6-12). The biggest beneficiary of Army's defensive woes was FGCU's Delvin Franklin, who was 4 for 4 from three-point range in the half, including two of the four threes that fueled FCGU's late 12-2 run that gave them the lead at the break.
It didn't help any that Jarrell Brown, Army's leading scorer, was 1 for 7 from the field in the first half.
The Eagles kept that lead for most of the first eight minutes of the second half and were still even with Army (48-48) with 11:05 to play when the Black Knights went on an 11-0 run that should have put the game away.
But up 59-48 with 7:44 to go, Army let FGCU get right back in the game with an 11-2 run, pulling tow within 2 (61-58) on a Rob Quaintance trey with 4 minutes left.
Army scored just one field goal the rest of the way -- a Cleveland Richards layup with 2:06 on the clock -- and went 3 for 6 from the foul line in the last 4 minutes. But they held FGCU to one field goal and a pair of free throws down the stretch and survived Quaintance's desperation heroics at the end.
With two seconds left, and Army up by 4, Quaintance was foolishly fouled by Army's Mitch McDonald. Quaintance made the first and managed to get his own rebound after intentionally missing the second. But his desperate heave at the buzzer was off the mark, allowing Army to escape with the win.
That final miss was one of 10 missed threes in the second half for FCGU, which followed its 6 for 12 first half with a 10 for 12 second half from the arc. Army held the Eagles to 8 second half field goals (on 30 tries, 26.7 percent).
Said Crews, "That was really great to see the kids respond and have that resiliency. We really dug in during the second half.”
The defense was not all that improved in the second half. Brown, who finished with 12 points, was just 2 for 5 from the field after intermission, but got to the line 6 times, making 5. Brown's streak of double figures games is now at seven, but his streak of 6 straight 20-point performances ended.
After an 11 for 26 (42.3 percent) first half shooting effort, the Black Knights were 14 for 26 (53.8 percent) after the break. Had they shot better at the foul line (10-19 in the second half, 12-22 for the game), it never would have come down to Quaintance's missed shot.
A good sign for Army -- three players reached double figures, led by sophomore Marcus nelson's career-best 14 points. Nelson tied his career assists mark with 7 dishes. Josh Miller (6 for 8 from the field) added 13 for Army. Doug Williams had 10 rebounds for the Black Knights.
It was the first time all season Army had three players reach double figures and the first Army win in a game in which Brown was not the team's leading scorer. It was also Army's first win when Brown did not score at least 20 points.
With six inches of snow falling in West Point, Army offered free admission. Announced attendance was 216, though the Army gameblog suggested far fewer actually were in the stands. The gameblog (link below), by the way, was a first by Army's sports info folks and the first such official effort by any Patriot League school. It's worth the click.
Box score | Army gameblog | Postgame quotes | Times Herald-Record | News-Press
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Thursday, December 13, 2007
A scouting report on Florida Gulf Coast University follows a brief history lesson.
Some places have strategic plans that call for slow, steady growth. Other places take a decidedly more hurried approach. Florida Gulf Coast University is definitely among the latter.
Founded in 1997, the school started its athletics program in 200, became a full-fledged NCAA Division II member in 2004 and began recruiting players for a move to Division I shortly thereafter.
In its first season as a D-I school, the 3-8 Eagles have seven seniors on the roster. Five of the seven are transfers, three from other D-I schools, two from jucos. The three juniors on the roster are all transfers, two from D-I institutions. Sophomore Reed Baker is also a D-I transfer (Michigan). For those keeping score at home, that is six D-I transfers on the roaster. There are also four juco transfers and another guy who transferred from a D-III school
SCOUTING FLORIDA GULF COAST: The Eagles are, in a word, big. The smallest guy in FGCU's starting lineup is 6-4, the rest are 6-6 or taller. Senior Casey Wohlieb, a 6-7 transfer from Marshall, is the leading scorer at 14.6 ppg. Ball State transfer Landon Adler is averaging 14.4 ppg. The 6-9 junior also leads the team in rebounds at 8.4 per game. Adam Liddell, a 6-7 senior transfer from Purdue, also averages in double figures at 10.9 ppg.
Looking for weaknesses? look no further than the defensive end of the floor, FGCU is allowing opponents to shoot almost 50 percent (49.2) from the field. The Eagles surrender 70.3 ppg.
That does not bode well for a team that barely shoots 40 percent (40.4) and struggles from the free throw line (57.6 percent).
One thing is certain, FGCU has its road game preparation routine down pat. Only one of the Eagles' 11 games have been at home. This is the eighth game of a nine-game road stretch for FGCU, which has only three non-conference home games on its schedule .
BONUS LINKS:
FCGU game notes
FCGU stats
Men's hoops on the road (News-Press)
Forward advancing his game (News-Press)
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Some places have strategic plans that call for slow, steady growth. Other places take a decidedly more hurried approach. Florida Gulf Coast University is definitely among the latter.
Founded in 1997, the school started its athletics program in 200, became a full-fledged NCAA Division II member in 2004 and began recruiting players for a move to Division I shortly thereafter.
In its first season as a D-I school, the 3-8 Eagles have seven seniors on the roster. Five of the seven are transfers, three from other D-I schools, two from jucos. The three juniors on the roster are all transfers, two from D-I institutions. Sophomore Reed Baker is also a D-I transfer (Michigan). For those keeping score at home, that is six D-I transfers on the roaster. There are also four juco transfers and another guy who transferred from a D-III school
SCOUTING FLORIDA GULF COAST: The Eagles are, in a word, big. The smallest guy in FGCU's starting lineup is 6-4, the rest are 6-6 or taller. Senior Casey Wohlieb, a 6-7 transfer from Marshall, is the leading scorer at 14.6 ppg. Ball State transfer Landon Adler is averaging 14.4 ppg. The 6-9 junior also leads the team in rebounds at 8.4 per game. Adam Liddell, a 6-7 senior transfer from Purdue, also averages in double figures at 10.9 ppg.
Looking for weaknesses? look no further than the defensive end of the floor, FGCU is allowing opponents to shoot almost 50 percent (49.2) from the field. The Eagles surrender 70.3 ppg.
That does not bode well for a team that barely shoots 40 percent (40.4) and struggles from the free throw line (57.6 percent).
One thing is certain, FGCU has its road game preparation routine down pat. Only one of the Eagles' 11 games have been at home. This is the eighth game of a nine-game road stretch for FGCU, which has only three non-conference home games on its schedule .
BONUS LINKS:
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Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Topping this morning's readaround, word from Worcester on an injury to a key Holy Cross reserve.
Jen Toland of the Telegram & Gazette reports Holy Cross sophomore big man Eric Meister will miss four to six weeks after breaking a bone in his left hand. Meister's injury is similar to one suffered last season by Pat Doherty.
Meister has been playing almost 20 minutes a game, spelling center Tim Clifford and four-man Alex Vander Baan. He has averaged 5 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.
In other league news:
Doherty off to fast start -- Holy Cross point guard Pat Doherty's hometown paper looks at his season to date.
Dick Jerardi's hoops column in the Philly Daily News includes a few Patriot-League reference
Sports information director leaving Cal U -- That is California, Pa., not Berkley. Why do we care about the SID at a Division II school in western Pa.? Because that guy is former Patriot League media relations director Tom Byrnes. Byrnes is leaving California to become the first-ever full-time commissioner of the Division III Capital Athletic Conference
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Jen Toland of the Telegram & Gazette reports Holy Cross sophomore big man Eric Meister will miss four to six weeks after breaking a bone in his left hand. Meister's injury is similar to one suffered last season by Pat Doherty.
Meister has been playing almost 20 minutes a game, spelling center Tim Clifford and four-man Alex Vander Baan. He has averaged 5 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.
In other league news:
Labels: Bucknell, Holy Cross
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Tuesday, December 11, 2007
This morning's readaround looks to the future will recruiting news and a glance at a couple of Bucknell's upcoming opponents.
Lehigh has announced its three-man recruiting class, Brett Reed's first as head coach of the Mountain Hawks. One that Reed did not land is Westfield, Va. guard Maurice Hubbard, who says the bond built when Billy Taylor was recruiting him to play at Lehigh is behind his decision to follow Taylor to Ball State.
Another one that got away is 6-5 Mike Shanahan of Norwin H.S. in Western Pa. A two-sport star, Shanahan turned some heads in the summer when he announced he would give up football in college to concentrate on hoops. He made official visits to Bucknell and some other mid-majors. But when high school football season rolled around, Shanahan decided to stick with football instead. Now he has committed to play football at Pitt.
Looking ahead to the weekend, Bucknell will end a 12-day layoff for finals Sunday when it visits Wake Forest, which is currently in the midst of an 8-day finals break of its own. The Demon Deacons, under former Army coach Dino Gaudio, have struggled in the fall semester to get their running game in gear
Looking further ahead , Ohio, currently 6-2, with the losses coming at Holy Cross and at the buzzer to Temple, will visit Bucknell Jan. 2, Before that, the Bobcats have a stretch of big games followed by a 10-day break before their trip to Lewisburg.
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Labels: Bucknell, Lehigh, notebook, previews
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Monday, December 10, 2007
Holy Cross moves up four spots in this week;s Mid-Major Top 25, plus the usual Monday evening stuff.
The Crusaders' win at Saint Joe's must have ompressed some voters. It was enough to bump Holy Cross up to No. 6 in the latest Mid-Major Top 25. Colgate back in the others receiving votes category with 3 points.
The Saint Joe's win apparently also impressed one voter in on of the two major Top 25 polls. Holy Cross with a single vote in this week's AP Poll. No mention of the Crusaders in the ESPN-USA Today poll.
Elsewhere, here is this week's memo from the league office in Center Valley:
Patriot League Men's Basketball Release - 12.10.07
At this time last week, Patriot League teams were teetering right around the .500 mark for the season with a 30-29 record in non-League action. But after a 10-3 performance that included winning records on every day but one last week, the Patriot League now has a 40-32 mark for the season.
Anaconda Player of the Week
John Griffin, Bucknell Sr., G, 6'1, 185, Philadelphia, Pa./Saint Joseph's Prep
Griffin scored a game-high 21 points, including the winning free throws with eight seconds left to play, to lift Bucknell past La Salle, 67-66, on Monday and win Patriot League Anaconda Player of the Week honors. Griffin scored 14 of his points after halftime as Bucknell rallied from a 16-point deficit, and hit a big 3-pointer with 4:04 left that sparked the team's game-ending 12-2 run. In addition to his 21 points, Griffin added three rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots, and he did not commit a turnover in 37 minutes of action. Griffin scored 20 or more points for the third time this season. The Preseason All-League pick leads Bucknell and is ninth in the Patriot League with 13.3 ppg for the season. Griffin earns his first-career Anaconda Player of the Week honor.
Anaconda Rookie of the Week
Andrew Beinert, Holy Cross Fr., G, 6'2, 175, Floral Park, N.Y./Chaminade
Beinert scored 10 points and dished out four assists with three rebounds as Holy Cross won at Saint Joseph's, 71-66. He connected on 3-of-6 shots from the field, including his only three-pointer, and made 3-of-4 foul shots. Beinert set new career marks for points and assists. He earned his first Rookie of the Week nod.
Patriot League Notebook
Strong Showing for the Week
At this time last week, Patriot League teams were teetering right around the .500 mark for the season with a 30-29 record in non-League action. But after a 10-3 performance that included winning records on every day but one last week, the Patriot League now has a 40-32 mark for the season. The League posted a 7-2 record in mid-week games, and American kept it going by rallying for a 52-50 victory over Jacksonville on Friday. Lehigh and Lafayette came through with victories over Harvard and Columbia, respectively, on Saturday to give the Patriot League five consecutive wins against Ivy League opponents and a 6-4 mark against the Ancient Eight this season. Sunday was the only day with a losing mark, as Army narrowly fell to Quinnipaic, 58-54. A pair of victories over Atlantic 10 teams highlighted the action earlier in the week, as Bucknell rallied past La Salle on Monday and Holy Cross posted an impressive win at Saint Joseph's on Tuesday.
Patriot League Teams on Record Pace......
With a .541 winning percentage (40-32), the Patriot League is on pace for it best-ever non-League mark. The top record thus far, and only winning mark, came in a 54-53 effort in the 2000-01 season. Last season was the only other campaign at the .500 mark in non-League action, as the Patriot League's 60 wins were the most in its 17-year history. The 40 non-League wins are already the 11th-highest total in Patriot League history, which is made even more impressive being the first season of an all Division I schedule for the League. Patriot League teams still have 45 games remaining to boost the win total, as well as any postseason competition.
......But There's a Long Road Ahead
While Patriot League teams are on a record-setting pace, there will be plenty of heavy lifting required to maintain the early-season success. Thirty-two of the final 45 non-League games will be played on the road, with trips to top 25 teams Georgetown and Pittsburgh and challenging matchups against the likes of Syracuse, Dayton, Maryland and Wake Forest. Bucknell will play in the Golden Bear Classic at Cal, and travel for its BracketBuster game. Lafayette and American have their entire remaining non-League schedule on the road, while Holy Cross and Colgate play four of their six games away from home. The Patriot League does have an 18-16 record in true road games, and five teams are at or above .500 in those contests.
From the Court to the Books
Seven of the eight Patriot League schools have entered their break in the schedule to focus on final exams. Army is the only team still playing in the early part of the week, as it takes on Florida Gulf Coast on Thursday before its exam schedule begins. Here are the institutional exam dates for all of the Patriot League schools: American = Dec. 10-15; Army = Dec. 15-22; Bucknell = Dec. 6-13; Colgate = Dec. 10-14; Holy Cross = Dec. 8-15; Lafayette = Dec. 11-18; Lehigh = Dec. 11-19; Navy = Dec. 7-14.
Early RPI Returns
The RPI may not mean much at this point of the season, but a few Patriot League teams have to like their standing so far. In Monday's Collegiate Basketball News RPI Report, Holy Cross checks in at No. 40 with its 7-1 overall record. The Crusaders' only loss came against Dayton, which placed No. 8 in the ratings. Colgate's 6-3 start earned it the second position for Patriot League teams, at No. 163 overall. Bucknell also made the top 200 at No. 194. The Patriot League ranks No. 22 among 31 Division I conferences in RPI rating.
Class of 2012
Bucknell, Holy Cross, Lehigh and American have put out releases for next year's incoming freshman recruits. For the Bison, forward Enoch Andoh (San Jose, Calif.), guard Bryan Cohen (Huntingdon Valley, Pa.) and forward Probese Leo (Houston, Texas) will join the fold. Holy Cross has guards R.J. Evans (Salem, Conn.) and Devin Brown (Randallstown, Md.) set to join the program. At Lehigh, Head Coach Brett Reed's first-ever recruiting class consists of forward John Adams (San Jose, Calif.), wing Jordan Hamilton (Seattle, Wash.) and center/forward Justin Maneri (Saddle Brook, N.J.). Forwards Stephen Lumpkins (San Mateo, Calif.) and Mike Technow (Boca Raton, Fla.) are both set to join American.
Patriot League in the NCAA Statistics
If the NCAA statistics are any indicator, Patriot League teams have excelled at playing defense and shooting from three-point range this season. Army's Jarell Brown is still the most visible Patriot League player in the individual statistics. The League's leading scorer ranks 19th in the country with 21.6 ppg, and is fourth with 4.4 three-pointers per game and 11th with a 52.6 three-point field goal percentage. He has company on the three-point lists, with Lafayette's Andrew Brown and American's Garrison Carr in the top 30 nationally with 3.4 makes per game and Andrew Brown ranking 36th with a 47.0 percentage from three-point land. Lafayette is fourth in the country with 10.7 three-pointers per game, and Colgate is fourth with a 45.8 three-point percentage. Lafayette and Lehigh are in the top 25 in three-point percentage. Holy Cross, American and Bucknell fare well in defensive statistics. The Crusaders are eighth in scoring defense at 55.3 ppg, while American and Bucknell are in the top 50. Both Holy Cross and Bucknell are in the top 50 in field goal percentage defense. Holy Cross is 23rd in rebounding margin. The Crusaders and Eagles are also in the top 30 in free throw percentage.
Still the Only One
When Lehigh won at St. Francis (Pa.) on Nov. 17, the Patriot League became the first of 31 Division I conferences to have all of its teams record at least one road victory this season. Three weeks later, the Patriot League is still the only one to accomplish the feat. Lehigh's home win over St. Peter's on Nov. 14 made the League the second conference to have every team record at least one win over a Division I opponent. The SEC beat the Patriot League to the mark by day.
Team Notebooks
American
The Eagles completed a 2-0 week with a come-from-behind, 52-50, win over Jacksonville on Friday...They were down by seven points with 3:41 to play, but came back to tie the score with 1:33 left...Brian Gilmore hit the game-winning free throws with 2.9 seconds remaining...Gilmore had a career-high 13 points, while Derrick Mercer led the Eagles with 17...American also had a 66-54 home victory over Howard on Tuesday...It was the 1,000th win in the 82-year history of the program...The Eagles now have a 1,001-947 (.514) record in the program's history... American trailed by 11 points in the first half, but rallied to take a 34-30 lead at halftime...They pulled away with a 10-0 run to start the second half, and led comfortably the rest of the way...Four Eagles were in double figures, led by Garrison Carr with 17...American is now 4-0 this season when four or more players score in double-digits...American completed its three-game homestand with a 2-1 record...The Eagles are off for their exam period from Dec. 10-15, and do not return until a Dec. 19 trip to Dayton which kicks off a seven-game road swing.
Army
Army saw its two-game winning streak come to an end with a 58-54 loss to Quinnipiac on Sunday...Quinnipiac scored the final eight points of the game, with game-winning points on free throws with 10 seconds to play...Jarell Brown was the only Army player in double figures, with 22 points...15 of Brown's points came in the second half...Brown has scored at least 20 points in six consecutive games, and leads the Patriot League with 21.6 ppg...He is the only Black Knight to score in double figures in the last three games...Brown was 5-of-8 from three-point range, and has made at least five three-pointers in five of the last six games...The Black Knights also posted a 54-44 triumph at NJIT on Thursday...Brown led the team with 23 points and also notched six rebounds...Josh Miller had nine points, a career-high eight rebounds and six assists...Army opened the game with a 14-0 run and would lead by at least nine points throughout the contest...Army forced 23 NJIT turnovers, including 16 in the first half...Army's wins over VMI and NJIT were its first back-to-back victories since January of 2007...The Black Knights finished a three-game road trip with a 2-1 mark...Army is in action Thursday against Florida Gulf Coast in the second of a five-game homestand.
Bucknell
The Bison snapped a four-game losing streak in dramatic fashion, rallying for a 67-66 win over La Salle on Monday...The Bison finished the game on a 12-2 run, culminating with John Griffin's two game-winning free throws with eight seconds left...Bucknell trailed by as many as 16 points in the first half, and by nine with five minutes to play before the final run....Griffin led the way with 21 points, while Justin Castleberry and Patrick Behan both set career highs with 18...Griffin had 14 points in the second half, and did not commit a turnover in 37 minutes of action...He scored 20 or more points for the third time this season...The trio accounted for 57 of Bucknell's 67 points and 21 of 26 field goals...Freshman Todd O'Brien had six rebounds and three blocks to go with four points...He has multiple blocked shots in every game this season, and at least six rebounds in the past four contests...It was the first meeting against La Salle since 1982-83, and first Bison victory since 1979-80, which was Head Coach Pat Flannery's senior year...Bucknell's exam period runs from Dec. 6-13, and the Bison are back in action on Sunday at Wake Forest.
Colgate
The Raiders won their second game in a row with a 73-55 victory at Binghamton on Wednesday...They improved to 2-1 on their season-long six-game road trip, and 4-1 on the road for the season...Colgate wins its sixth game of the season on Dec. 5th, after taking until Jan. 6 to win their sixth game last year ...Colgate had a two-point lead at halftime before taking control in the second half....Kyle Roemer had 21 points to lead four Raiders in double figures...He was Colgate's leading scorer for the ninth straight game...Kendall Chones had 15 points and eight boards, while Tim Pounds had 14 and Daniel Waddy finished with 10...Alex Woodhouse blocked a career-high five shots and notched eight rebounds...Colgate shot 52 percent from the field, while holding Binghamton to 33 percent shooting...Colgate is off until Dec. 18 at Syracuse because of final exams from Dec. 10-14...The road swing wraps up at Penn State on Dec. 23 and at New Hampshire on Dec. 30.
Holy Cross
The Crusaders rebounded from their first loss of the season with an impressive 71-66 victory at Saint Joseph's on Tuesday...The Crusaders opened the game with a 12-0 run, and took an 18-2 lead...The lead grew as large as 18 points (27-9)...They held the Hawks without a field goal for the first 15 minutes of the game, and without a two-point field goal for the entire first half...Saint Joseph's closed to within five points with two minutes left, but Holy Cross made 5-of-7 seven free throws down the stretch to seal the win....Tim Clifford and Alex Vander Baan each had 16 points and seven rebounds...Vander Baan hit 4-of-4 free throws in the final minute...Kyle Cruze had 13 points and six assists, while freshman Andrew Beinert had a career-high 10 points and four assists...The Crusaders had 22 assists on 25 made field goals, and shot 50 percent from the field and 57.1 percent from three-point range...Holy Cross has its exams period from Dec. 8-15 and does not play again until Dec. 22 at Siena.
Lafayette
Lafayette rebounded from a loss at Rutgers with a 78-64 triumph at Columbia...Andrew Brown scored a season-high 22 points in the win, connecting on 8-of-14 shots and 6-of-10 from three-point range...He hit six three-pointers for the first time this season....Lafayette shot a season-high 57.4 percent from the floor at Columbia, topping their previous best mark against Penn (52.6) on Nov. 28...Lafayette doled out a season-best 22 assists at Columbia, equaling the team's mark vs. FDU (11/16)...Paul Cummins matched his season high with 12 points, while Ted Detmer had a season-high 11...Earlier in the week, Lafayette beat NJIT, 81-56, and lost at Rutgers, 90-79...Five Lafayette players scored in double figures in the loss to Rutgers, led by Brown with 17...Lafayette led by as many as 35 points against NJIT...Every player who was dressed hit at least one field goal in the game...Lafayette won four straight games for the first time since notching seven in a row in the 2003-04 season...The Leopards started 5-2 for the first time since 1999-00...The Leopards are 1-1 on the first two games of an eight-game road swing...They will not play this week while taking final exams but return to action on Dec. 19 at Towson.
Lehigh
The Mountain Hawks won a pair of home games last week, with a 70-61 win over Harvard on Saturday...Lehigh trailed 33-22 at halftime before rallying for the win with a 48-28 second-half advantage....Lehigh used an 11-0 run to take a 54-49 lead with 6:23 to play...Marquis Hall led the way with 17 points, while Zahir Carrington had 14...The Mountain Hawks connected on 22-of-24 foul shots...With the win Lehigh pulled even at .500 for the first time after ten games since the 2003-04 season...The Mountain Hawks snapped a two-game losing streak with a 76-61 win against Stony Brook on Wednesday in the first of a three-game homestand...Dave Buchberger scored a career-high 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting in his first-ever start...Hall had a career-high 10 assists without any turnovers...Bryan White had 10 rebounds in each contest, and averaged 11 points and 10 rebounds in the two games...White is 13 rebounds shy of 500 for his career...Lehigh breaks for exams from Dec. 11-19, and does not return to complete its three-game home stretch until Dec. 28 against Monmouth...Lehigh's 20-day layoff for finals and the holidays is its longest since the inception of Patriot League play in 1990.
Navy
The Mids dropped a home contest to Mount St. Mary's, 62-58, on Monday...Navy held Mount St. Mary's to 27.9 percent shooting from the field, but shot only 32.7 percent itself, with a 4-of-22 effort from three-point range...It was the lowest shooting percentage for a Navy opponent since Feb. 28, 2004 (Army)...Navy fell behind 13-0 in the contest...The Mids held Mount St. Mary's to 4-of-26 shooting in the second half, and without a field goal for the final 7:19...Kaleo Kina and Greg Sprink each had 16 points, while Chris Harris scored 15...No other player had more than four points...Sprink had nine rebounds, while Kina had seven and Adam Teague notched eight...Kina played 27 minutes without a turnover, the first time since Jan. 22, 2006 that he did not commit a turnover...Sprink scored in double figures for the 66th time in his career...Navy breaks for its exam period that spans from December 7-14, and returns to the court when it travels to San Diego State on Dec. 17.
BONU LINK:
In his latest update on CoachRalph.com, Ralph Willard recaps Holy Cross' win at Saint Joe's and wonders who put together a schedule that includes just two games over a span of 25 day
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The Crusaders' win at Saint Joe's must have ompressed some voters. It was enough to bump Holy Cross up to No. 6 in the latest Mid-Major Top 25. Colgate back in the others receiving votes category with 3 points.
The Saint Joe's win apparently also impressed one voter in on of the two major Top 25 polls. Holy Cross with a single vote in this week's AP Poll. No mention of the Crusaders in the ESPN-USA Today poll.
Elsewhere, here is this week's memo from the league office in Center Valley:
Patriot League Men's Basketball Release - 12.10.07
At this time last week, Patriot League teams were teetering right around the .500 mark for the season with a 30-29 record in non-League action. But after a 10-3 performance that included winning records on every day but one last week, the Patriot League now has a 40-32 mark for the season.
Anaconda Player of the Week
John Griffin, Bucknell Sr., G, 6'1, 185, Philadelphia, Pa./Saint Joseph's Prep
Griffin scored a game-high 21 points, including the winning free throws with eight seconds left to play, to lift Bucknell past La Salle, 67-66, on Monday and win Patriot League Anaconda Player of the Week honors. Griffin scored 14 of his points after halftime as Bucknell rallied from a 16-point deficit, and hit a big 3-pointer with 4:04 left that sparked the team's game-ending 12-2 run. In addition to his 21 points, Griffin added three rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots, and he did not commit a turnover in 37 minutes of action. Griffin scored 20 or more points for the third time this season. The Preseason All-League pick leads Bucknell and is ninth in the Patriot League with 13.3 ppg for the season. Griffin earns his first-career Anaconda Player of the Week honor.
Anaconda Rookie of the Week
Andrew Beinert, Holy Cross Fr., G, 6'2, 175, Floral Park, N.Y./Chaminade
Beinert scored 10 points and dished out four assists with three rebounds as Holy Cross won at Saint Joseph's, 71-66. He connected on 3-of-6 shots from the field, including his only three-pointer, and made 3-of-4 foul shots. Beinert set new career marks for points and assists. He earned his first Rookie of the Week nod.
Patriot League Notebook
Strong Showing for the Week
At this time last week, Patriot League teams were teetering right around the .500 mark for the season with a 30-29 record in non-League action. But after a 10-3 performance that included winning records on every day but one last week, the Patriot League now has a 40-32 mark for the season. The League posted a 7-2 record in mid-week games, and American kept it going by rallying for a 52-50 victory over Jacksonville on Friday. Lehigh and Lafayette came through with victories over Harvard and Columbia, respectively, on Saturday to give the Patriot League five consecutive wins against Ivy League opponents and a 6-4 mark against the Ancient Eight this season. Sunday was the only day with a losing mark, as Army narrowly fell to Quinnipaic, 58-54. A pair of victories over Atlantic 10 teams highlighted the action earlier in the week, as Bucknell rallied past La Salle on Monday and Holy Cross posted an impressive win at Saint Joseph's on Tuesday.
Patriot League Teams on Record Pace......
With a .541 winning percentage (40-32), the Patriot League is on pace for it best-ever non-League mark. The top record thus far, and only winning mark, came in a 54-53 effort in the 2000-01 season. Last season was the only other campaign at the .500 mark in non-League action, as the Patriot League's 60 wins were the most in its 17-year history. The 40 non-League wins are already the 11th-highest total in Patriot League history, which is made even more impressive being the first season of an all Division I schedule for the League. Patriot League teams still have 45 games remaining to boost the win total, as well as any postseason competition.
......But There's a Long Road Ahead
While Patriot League teams are on a record-setting pace, there will be plenty of heavy lifting required to maintain the early-season success. Thirty-two of the final 45 non-League games will be played on the road, with trips to top 25 teams Georgetown and Pittsburgh and challenging matchups against the likes of Syracuse, Dayton, Maryland and Wake Forest. Bucknell will play in the Golden Bear Classic at Cal, and travel for its BracketBuster game. Lafayette and American have their entire remaining non-League schedule on the road, while Holy Cross and Colgate play four of their six games away from home. The Patriot League does have an 18-16 record in true road games, and five teams are at or above .500 in those contests.
From the Court to the Books
Seven of the eight Patriot League schools have entered their break in the schedule to focus on final exams. Army is the only team still playing in the early part of the week, as it takes on Florida Gulf Coast on Thursday before its exam schedule begins. Here are the institutional exam dates for all of the Patriot League schools: American = Dec. 10-15; Army = Dec. 15-22; Bucknell = Dec. 6-13; Colgate = Dec. 10-14; Holy Cross = Dec. 8-15; Lafayette = Dec. 11-18; Lehigh = Dec. 11-19; Navy = Dec. 7-14.
Early RPI Returns
The RPI may not mean much at this point of the season, but a few Patriot League teams have to like their standing so far. In Monday's Collegiate Basketball News RPI Report, Holy Cross checks in at No. 40 with its 7-1 overall record. The Crusaders' only loss came against Dayton, which placed No. 8 in the ratings. Colgate's 6-3 start earned it the second position for Patriot League teams, at No. 163 overall. Bucknell also made the top 200 at No. 194. The Patriot League ranks No. 22 among 31 Division I conferences in RPI rating.
Class of 2012
Bucknell, Holy Cross, Lehigh and American have put out releases for next year's incoming freshman recruits. For the Bison, forward Enoch Andoh (San Jose, Calif.), guard Bryan Cohen (Huntingdon Valley, Pa.) and forward Probese Leo (Houston, Texas) will join the fold. Holy Cross has guards R.J. Evans (Salem, Conn.) and Devin Brown (Randallstown, Md.) set to join the program. At Lehigh, Head Coach Brett Reed's first-ever recruiting class consists of forward John Adams (San Jose, Calif.), wing Jordan Hamilton (Seattle, Wash.) and center/forward Justin Maneri (Saddle Brook, N.J.). Forwards Stephen Lumpkins (San Mateo, Calif.) and Mike Technow (Boca Raton, Fla.) are both set to join American.
Patriot League in the NCAA Statistics
If the NCAA statistics are any indicator, Patriot League teams have excelled at playing defense and shooting from three-point range this season. Army's Jarell Brown is still the most visible Patriot League player in the individual statistics. The League's leading scorer ranks 19th in the country with 21.6 ppg, and is fourth with 4.4 three-pointers per game and 11th with a 52.6 three-point field goal percentage. He has company on the three-point lists, with Lafayette's Andrew Brown and American's Garrison Carr in the top 30 nationally with 3.4 makes per game and Andrew Brown ranking 36th with a 47.0 percentage from three-point land. Lafayette is fourth in the country with 10.7 three-pointers per game, and Colgate is fourth with a 45.8 three-point percentage. Lafayette and Lehigh are in the top 25 in three-point percentage. Holy Cross, American and Bucknell fare well in defensive statistics. The Crusaders are eighth in scoring defense at 55.3 ppg, while American and Bucknell are in the top 50. Both Holy Cross and Bucknell are in the top 50 in field goal percentage defense. Holy Cross is 23rd in rebounding margin. The Crusaders and Eagles are also in the top 30 in free throw percentage.
Still the Only One
When Lehigh won at St. Francis (Pa.) on Nov. 17, the Patriot League became the first of 31 Division I conferences to have all of its teams record at least one road victory this season. Three weeks later, the Patriot League is still the only one to accomplish the feat. Lehigh's home win over St. Peter's on Nov. 14 made the League the second conference to have every team record at least one win over a Division I opponent. The SEC beat the Patriot League to the mark by day.
Team Notebooks
American
The Eagles completed a 2-0 week with a come-from-behind, 52-50, win over Jacksonville on Friday...They were down by seven points with 3:41 to play, but came back to tie the score with 1:33 left...Brian Gilmore hit the game-winning free throws with 2.9 seconds remaining...Gilmore had a career-high 13 points, while Derrick Mercer led the Eagles with 17...American also had a 66-54 home victory over Howard on Tuesday...It was the 1,000th win in the 82-year history of the program...The Eagles now have a 1,001-947 (.514) record in the program's history... American trailed by 11 points in the first half, but rallied to take a 34-30 lead at halftime...They pulled away with a 10-0 run to start the second half, and led comfortably the rest of the way...Four Eagles were in double figures, led by Garrison Carr with 17...American is now 4-0 this season when four or more players score in double-digits...American completed its three-game homestand with a 2-1 record...The Eagles are off for their exam period from Dec. 10-15, and do not return until a Dec. 19 trip to Dayton which kicks off a seven-game road swing.
Army
Army saw its two-game winning streak come to an end with a 58-54 loss to Quinnipiac on Sunday...Quinnipiac scored the final eight points of the game, with game-winning points on free throws with 10 seconds to play...Jarell Brown was the only Army player in double figures, with 22 points...15 of Brown's points came in the second half...Brown has scored at least 20 points in six consecutive games, and leads the Patriot League with 21.6 ppg...He is the only Black Knight to score in double figures in the last three games...Brown was 5-of-8 from three-point range, and has made at least five three-pointers in five of the last six games...The Black Knights also posted a 54-44 triumph at NJIT on Thursday...Brown led the team with 23 points and also notched six rebounds...Josh Miller had nine points, a career-high eight rebounds and six assists...Army opened the game with a 14-0 run and would lead by at least nine points throughout the contest...Army forced 23 NJIT turnovers, including 16 in the first half...Army's wins over VMI and NJIT were its first back-to-back victories since January of 2007...The Black Knights finished a three-game road trip with a 2-1 mark...Army is in action Thursday against Florida Gulf Coast in the second of a five-game homestand.
Bucknell
The Bison snapped a four-game losing streak in dramatic fashion, rallying for a 67-66 win over La Salle on Monday...The Bison finished the game on a 12-2 run, culminating with John Griffin's two game-winning free throws with eight seconds left...Bucknell trailed by as many as 16 points in the first half, and by nine with five minutes to play before the final run....Griffin led the way with 21 points, while Justin Castleberry and Patrick Behan both set career highs with 18...Griffin had 14 points in the second half, and did not commit a turnover in 37 minutes of action...He scored 20 or more points for the third time this season...The trio accounted for 57 of Bucknell's 67 points and 21 of 26 field goals...Freshman Todd O'Brien had six rebounds and three blocks to go with four points...He has multiple blocked shots in every game this season, and at least six rebounds in the past four contests...It was the first meeting against La Salle since 1982-83, and first Bison victory since 1979-80, which was Head Coach Pat Flannery's senior year...Bucknell's exam period runs from Dec. 6-13, and the Bison are back in action on Sunday at Wake Forest.
Colgate
The Raiders won their second game in a row with a 73-55 victory at Binghamton on Wednesday...They improved to 2-1 on their season-long six-game road trip, and 4-1 on the road for the season...Colgate wins its sixth game of the season on Dec. 5th, after taking until Jan. 6 to win their sixth game last year ...Colgate had a two-point lead at halftime before taking control in the second half....Kyle Roemer had 21 points to lead four Raiders in double figures...He was Colgate's leading scorer for the ninth straight game...Kendall Chones had 15 points and eight boards, while Tim Pounds had 14 and Daniel Waddy finished with 10...Alex Woodhouse blocked a career-high five shots and notched eight rebounds...Colgate shot 52 percent from the field, while holding Binghamton to 33 percent shooting...Colgate is off until Dec. 18 at Syracuse because of final exams from Dec. 10-14...The road swing wraps up at Penn State on Dec. 23 and at New Hampshire on Dec. 30.
Holy Cross
The Crusaders rebounded from their first loss of the season with an impressive 71-66 victory at Saint Joseph's on Tuesday...The Crusaders opened the game with a 12-0 run, and took an 18-2 lead...The lead grew as large as 18 points (27-9)...They held the Hawks without a field goal for the first 15 minutes of the game, and without a two-point field goal for the entire first half...Saint Joseph's closed to within five points with two minutes left, but Holy Cross made 5-of-7 seven free throws down the stretch to seal the win....Tim Clifford and Alex Vander Baan each had 16 points and seven rebounds...Vander Baan hit 4-of-4 free throws in the final minute...Kyle Cruze had 13 points and six assists, while freshman Andrew Beinert had a career-high 10 points and four assists...The Crusaders had 22 assists on 25 made field goals, and shot 50 percent from the field and 57.1 percent from three-point range...Holy Cross has its exams period from Dec. 8-15 and does not play again until Dec. 22 at Siena.
Lafayette
Lafayette rebounded from a loss at Rutgers with a 78-64 triumph at Columbia...Andrew Brown scored a season-high 22 points in the win, connecting on 8-of-14 shots and 6-of-10 from three-point range...He hit six three-pointers for the first time this season....Lafayette shot a season-high 57.4 percent from the floor at Columbia, topping their previous best mark against Penn (52.6) on Nov. 28...Lafayette doled out a season-best 22 assists at Columbia, equaling the team's mark vs. FDU (11/16)...Paul Cummins matched his season high with 12 points, while Ted Detmer had a season-high 11...Earlier in the week, Lafayette beat NJIT, 81-56, and lost at Rutgers, 90-79...Five Lafayette players scored in double figures in the loss to Rutgers, led by Brown with 17...Lafayette led by as many as 35 points against NJIT...Every player who was dressed hit at least one field goal in the game...Lafayette won four straight games for the first time since notching seven in a row in the 2003-04 season...The Leopards started 5-2 for the first time since 1999-00...The Leopards are 1-1 on the first two games of an eight-game road swing...They will not play this week while taking final exams but return to action on Dec. 19 at Towson.
Lehigh
The Mountain Hawks won a pair of home games last week, with a 70-61 win over Harvard on Saturday...Lehigh trailed 33-22 at halftime before rallying for the win with a 48-28 second-half advantage....Lehigh used an 11-0 run to take a 54-49 lead with 6:23 to play...Marquis Hall led the way with 17 points, while Zahir Carrington had 14...The Mountain Hawks connected on 22-of-24 foul shots...With the win Lehigh pulled even at .500 for the first time after ten games since the 2003-04 season...The Mountain Hawks snapped a two-game losing streak with a 76-61 win against Stony Brook on Wednesday in the first of a three-game homestand...Dave Buchberger scored a career-high 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting in his first-ever start...Hall had a career-high 10 assists without any turnovers...Bryan White had 10 rebounds in each contest, and averaged 11 points and 10 rebounds in the two games...White is 13 rebounds shy of 500 for his career...Lehigh breaks for exams from Dec. 11-19, and does not return to complete its three-game home stretch until Dec. 28 against Monmouth...Lehigh's 20-day layoff for finals and the holidays is its longest since the inception of Patriot League play in 1990.
Navy
The Mids dropped a home contest to Mount St. Mary's, 62-58, on Monday...Navy held Mount St. Mary's to 27.9 percent shooting from the field, but shot only 32.7 percent itself, with a 4-of-22 effort from three-point range...It was the lowest shooting percentage for a Navy opponent since Feb. 28, 2004 (Army)...Navy fell behind 13-0 in the contest...The Mids held Mount St. Mary's to 4-of-26 shooting in the second half, and without a field goal for the final 7:19...Kaleo Kina and Greg Sprink each had 16 points, while Chris Harris scored 15...No other player had more than four points...Sprink had nine rebounds, while Kina had seven and Adam Teague notched eight...Kina played 27 minutes without a turnover, the first time since Jan. 22, 2006 that he did not commit a turnover...Sprink scored in double figures for the 66th time in his career...Navy breaks for its exam period that spans from December 7-14, and returns to the court when it travels to San Diego State on Dec. 17.
BONU LINK:
Labels: American, Army, Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh, Navy, notebook
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A cold-shooting first half put the Black Knights in a hole they could not dig out of against Quinnipiac.
Karl Anderson hit a pair of free throws with 10 seconds left for what proved to be the game-winning points in Quinnipiac's 58-54 win at Army. Anderson's free throws were part of an 8-0 Quinnipiac run at the end of the game that negated Army's second half comeback effort.
Army trailed 28-21 after shooting 7 for 24 (29.2 percent) from the field, 1 of 7 from three-point range, in the first half. But with Jarell Brown heating up after the break, the Black Knights not only got back in the game, but actually took the lead late.
Brown, who scored 15 of his 22 points after the break, hit 4 of his 5 threes in the second half, the last one, which came with 2:47 to go, put Army up by 4.
It also proved to be the last points Army would score. Quinnipiac tied it with buckets by Karl Anderson and DeMario Anderson (no relation). DeMario's tying bucket, with 1:29 to go, gave him 12 points for the game, over 8 below his average.
The two Andersons combined on what proved to be the game-winning play, with Karl grabbing the rebound of a DeMario miss and getting fouled with 10 seconds to go.
Anderson, a Hudson Valley native, also provided the defensive heroics that sealed Army's fate, blocking a Josh Miller runner in the lane with time running out. Evann Baker grabbed the rebound for Quinnipiac and made two free throws to account for the final margin.
Army finished the game 19 for 48 (39.6 percent) from the field, 5 of 14 from three-point range, all five made treys coming from Brown, who posted his sixth 20-point game in a row.
Box score | Times Herald Record | Times H-R sidebar
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Karl Anderson hit a pair of free throws with 10 seconds left for what proved to be the game-winning points in Quinnipiac's 58-54 win at Army. Anderson's free throws were part of an 8-0 Quinnipiac run at the end of the game that negated Army's second half comeback effort.
Army trailed 28-21 after shooting 7 for 24 (29.2 percent) from the field, 1 of 7 from three-point range, in the first half. But with Jarell Brown heating up after the break, the Black Knights not only got back in the game, but actually took the lead late.
Brown, who scored 15 of his 22 points after the break, hit 4 of his 5 threes in the second half, the last one, which came with 2:47 to go, put Army up by 4.
It also proved to be the last points Army would score. Quinnipiac tied it with buckets by Karl Anderson and DeMario Anderson (no relation). DeMario's tying bucket, with 1:29 to go, gave him 12 points for the game, over 8 below his average.
The two Andersons combined on what proved to be the game-winning play, with Karl grabbing the rebound of a DeMario miss and getting fouled with 10 seconds to go.
Anderson, a Hudson Valley native, also provided the defensive heroics that sealed Army's fate, blocking a Josh Miller runner in the lane with time running out. Evann Baker grabbed the rebound for Quinnipiac and made two free throws to account for the final margin.
Army finished the game 19 for 48 (39.6 percent) from the field, 5 of 14 from three-point range, all five made treys coming from Brown, who posted his sixth 20-point game in a row.
Box score | Times Herald Record | Times H-R sidebar
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Sunday, December 09, 2007
Is this guy the not-so=litle brother of this guy?
The first link goes to a New York Daily News account of a prep game in the New York City area. The headline "Holy Cross prevails in double OT" made the story show up in one of our preset searches. The summary, which included the name "Tim Beinert," immediately aroused our curiosity. We began scurrying to see if this was a relation to Andrew Beinert, a freshman for a different Holy Cross.
It appears that is the case. Andrew Beinert's profile in the Holy Cross (Worcester) media guide says he has a brother named Tim. Although they play at different high schools -- Andrew played at Chaminade on Long Island, Tim for Holy Cross, but they did play together in AAU ball for the Long Island Lightning. They also bear a strong resemblence in pics on this page, although Tim is a 6-6 forward and Andrew a 6-2 guard.
An uncommitted senior, the CAA Insider site says Tim Beinert has no offers, but has drawn interest from Lafayette and Lehigh, as well as some non-Patriot League schools.
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The first link goes to a New York Daily News account of a prep game in the New York City area. The headline "Holy Cross prevails in double OT" made the story show up in one of our preset searches. The summary, which included the name "Tim Beinert," immediately aroused our curiosity. We began scurrying to see if this was a relation to Andrew Beinert, a freshman for a different Holy Cross.
It appears that is the case. Andrew Beinert's profile in the Holy Cross (Worcester) media guide says he has a brother named Tim. Although they play at different high schools -- Andrew played at Chaminade on Long Island, Tim for Holy Cross, but they did play together in AAU ball for the Long Island Lightning. They also bear a strong resemblence in pics on this page, although Tim is a 6-6 forward and Andrew a 6-2 guard.
An uncommitted senior, the CAA Insider site says Tim Beinert has no offers, but has drawn interest from Lafayette and Lehigh, as well as some non-Patriot League schools.
Labels: Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh, recruiting
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For the next eight days, your Patriot League hoops fix will come from one place: West Point, N.Y. While everybody else is off taking finals this week, Army plays a pair of home games, beginning this afternoon when Quinnipiac visits in a Northeast-Patriot matchup.
The Patriot League's combined 6-9 record against the Northeast Conference. makes you wonder about the RPI, since the Patriot is No. 23 (down another spot) in the latest conference RPI calculations. The Northeast's conference ranking is 27.
Four of the six remaining games between the two conferences are on Northeast home courts. That makes Army holding serve against Quinnipiac a key to any chance the league has of salvaging the series.
SCOUTING QUINNIPIAC: The 3-4 Bobcats come in 3-4, winners of two of their last three games, including a 92-88 overtime win at Lehigh, the Bobcats only road win thus far (1-2). The loss in that stretch also was an overtime game at home against Brown.
The Bobcats won at home against St. Francis (NY) their last time out. Demario Anderson, a 6-4 transfer from Central Connecticut, posted a 25-point, 11 rebound double-double, his second of the season, in the win. Anderson averages 20.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.
Evann Baker (12 ppg), a 6-3 freshman guard, is also averaging in double figures. Baker is an efficient (6 for 12) three-point shooter.
Quinnipiac shoots 45.6 percent as a team and holds opponents to 43.3 percent shooting. But the Bobcats are still being outscored by almost 3 points per game. The Bobcats favor a faster pace (78.6 ppg), but they give uo a lot of points (opponents averaging 80.1 ppg).
BONUS LINKS
Quinnipiac stats
Quinnipiac game notes
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The Patriot League's combined 6-9 record against the Northeast Conference. makes you wonder about the RPI, since the Patriot is No. 23 (down another spot) in the latest conference RPI calculations. The Northeast's conference ranking is 27.
Four of the six remaining games between the two conferences are on Northeast home courts. That makes Army holding serve against Quinnipiac a key to any chance the league has of salvaging the series.
SCOUTING QUINNIPIAC: The 3-4 Bobcats come in 3-4, winners of two of their last three games, including a 92-88 overtime win at Lehigh, the Bobcats only road win thus far (1-2). The loss in that stretch also was an overtime game at home against Brown.
The Bobcats won at home against St. Francis (NY) their last time out. Demario Anderson, a 6-4 transfer from Central Connecticut, posted a 25-point, 11 rebound double-double, his second of the season, in the win. Anderson averages 20.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.
Evann Baker (12 ppg), a 6-3 freshman guard, is also averaging in double figures. Baker is an efficient (6 for 12) three-point shooter.
Quinnipiac shoots 45.6 percent as a team and holds opponents to 43.3 percent shooting. But the Bobcats are still being outscored by almost 3 points per game. The Bobcats favor a faster pace (78.6 ppg), but they give uo a lot of points (opponents averaging 80.1 ppg).
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A second half comeback pushes Mountain Hawks back to .500.
Down 11 at the break, Lehigh turned it up a notch at both ends of the floor, overcoming a slow start for a 70-61 win over visiting Harvard.
The Mountain Hawks trailed by as many as 13 in the first half, and went into the locker rooms at halftime on the short end of a 33-22 score after Harvard's Evan Harris drained the Crimson's fourth three of the half, just before the buzzer.
The deficit was a combination effort, Lehigh's 28 percent (7-25) shooting was part of it. The Mountain Hawks went one stretch of over seven minutes without scoring. Harvard's 56 percent (14-25) effort had something to do with it, too.
Lehigh's shooters were dialed in better after the break, knocking down 15 of 29 (51.7 percent) from the field. The Hawks also went 15 of 16 at the foul line in the second half, including 8 for 8 in the final 1:19 to seal it.
The Lehigh defense was better, too, holding Harvard to 9 for 23 (39.1 percent) from the floor after the break, including 2 of 10 threes after making 4 of 9 in the first half.
The Mountain Hawks were still down 10 early in the second half when they put together a 13-2 run to get back in the game. The score was tied twice and the two teams traded the lead four times over the next eight minutes.
Lehigh took the lead for good on a Marquis Hall (17 points, 5 assists) jumper with 7:44 to go and slowly, but steadily pulled away.
Zahir Carrington (14 points) an d Phil Anderson (10) also reached double figures for Lehigh. Bryan White fell a point shy of a double-double with 10 rebounds and 9 points
Box score | Morning Call
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Down 11 at the break, Lehigh turned it up a notch at both ends of the floor, overcoming a slow start for a 70-61 win over visiting Harvard.
The Mountain Hawks trailed by as many as 13 in the first half, and went into the locker rooms at halftime on the short end of a 33-22 score after Harvard's Evan Harris drained the Crimson's fourth three of the half, just before the buzzer.
The deficit was a combination effort, Lehigh's 28 percent (7-25) shooting was part of it. The Mountain Hawks went one stretch of over seven minutes without scoring. Harvard's 56 percent (14-25) effort had something to do with it, too.
Lehigh's shooters were dialed in better after the break, knocking down 15 of 29 (51.7 percent) from the field. The Hawks also went 15 of 16 at the foul line in the second half, including 8 for 8 in the final 1:19 to seal it.
The Lehigh defense was better, too, holding Harvard to 9 for 23 (39.1 percent) from the floor after the break, including 2 of 10 threes after making 4 of 9 in the first half.
The Mountain Hawks were still down 10 early in the second half when they put together a 13-2 run to get back in the game. The score was tied twice and the two teams traded the lead four times over the next eight minutes.
Lehigh took the lead for good on a Marquis Hall (17 points, 5 assists) jumper with 7:44 to go and slowly, but steadily pulled away.
Zahir Carrington (14 points) an d Phil Anderson (10) also reached double figures for Lehigh. Bryan White fell a point shy of a double-double with 10 rebounds and 9 points
Box score | Morning Call
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Their four-game win streak broken at Rutgers, the Leopards get back in the win column by beating Columbia 78-64.
A big road win for the Leopards, who put together that streak at home. Lafayette is now 2-1 on the road this season, 6-3 overall.
Andrew Brown (22 points) led four Leopards in double figures. Paul Cummins (12), Ted Detmer and Bilal Abdullah (11 each) also scored in double digits.
Lafayette, which shot 57.4 percent (31 of 54) from the field, took the lead a little over five minutes after the tip and built the margin to 12 by the half. The lead reached as many as 21 points in the second half. Columbia cut it to 9 once with 4:33 to play, but could get no closer. The Leopards had 22 assists.
The Leopards held Columbia to 20 for 56 shooting from the field (35.7 percent).
Some good notes from the Lafayette game recap:
Box score | AP
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A big road win for the Leopards, who put together that streak at home. Lafayette is now 2-1 on the road this season, 6-3 overall.
Andrew Brown (22 points) led four Leopards in double figures. Paul Cummins (12), Ted Detmer and Bilal Abdullah (11 each) also scored in double digits.
Lafayette, which shot 57.4 percent (31 of 54) from the field, took the lead a little over five minutes after the tip and built the margin to 12 by the half. The lead reached as many as 21 points in the second half. Columbia cut it to 9 once with 4:33 to play, but could get no closer. The Leopards had 22 assists.
The Leopards held Columbia to 20 for 56 shooting from the field (35.7 percent).
Some good notes from the Lafayette game recap:
Every Leopard stepped onto the hardwood against the Lions with the exception of freshman Jared Mintz, who dressed after sitting out the last five with an ankle injury. Andrew Brown scored 20 or more points for Lafayette the second time this season at Columbia (22), the first time was when the Littleton, Colo. native scored 21 against Fairleigh Dickinson.
<;i> This is the third time this season four Leopards finished with double figures in scoring. The last time that occurred this season was the 98-92 loss against Fairleigh Dickinson on Nov. 16.Lafayette approached the line eight times against Columbia, the fewest free-throw opportunities this season. The Leopards went 6-for-8 against the Lions. Lafayette set its previous high field-goal percentage mark against another Ivy League institution, Penn on Nov. 28 with 52.6 percent. The Leopards are undefeated in afternoon games in 2007-08 season (2-0).
Box score | AP
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Saturday, December 08, 2007
With the Trailing 4-3 in the season series with the Ivy League knotted at 4-4, the Patriot League's Lehigh Valley contingent has a chance to give the PL the lead with a sweep of two Ivy-Patriot matchups today. Harvard visit Lehigh while Lafayette buses east on I-78 for a visit to Columbia.
EDITOR'S NOTE: We missed the Colgate win at Cornell in updating the series numbers in the original post. Thanks Ken Doak for the catch.
SCOUTING HARVARD: Look behind Harvard's 4-5 record. There is more than meets the eye. Among the five losses are games at Stanford, at Providence, at Holy Cross and against U.S. Santa Barbara on a neutral floor. The wins include a 62-51 thumping of coach Tommy Amaker's old team, Michigan.
The Crimson prefer a faster pace than Lehigh. They are averaging 71.1 points per game. Harvard shoots 47.3 percent from the field as a team, 36.8 percent from three-point range. They also give up points -- opponents are shooting 46.3 percent from the field, 40.1 percent from the arc, and scoring over 77 points per game.
Drew Housman led the Crimson with 14.7 points per game. The 6-0 junior is a sniper from the arc, knocking down 54.5 percent of the threes he tries. Overall he is shooting 47.4 percent from the field.
Also in double figures are 6-2 sophomore Jeremy Linn (11.7 ppg), 6-2 junior Andrew Pusar (10.8 ppg, 63.1 percent from the field) and 5-9 junior Evan Harris (10.6 ppg, 5.7 rpg). Pat Magnarelli, a 6-7 sophomore, leads the team in rebounds (6.4 per game) and is shooting 56.7 percent from the field. Reserve Dan McGeary, a 6-1 sophomore, is a three-point shooter off the bench. McGeary leads Harvard is made threes (17) and attempts (44),
BONUS LINKS:
Harvard stats
Harvard game notes
Harvard Crimson basketball page (student paper)
SCOUTING COLUMBIA: This will be a good road test for the improving Leopards. Columbia is 3-5, but it has been ob the road its last seven games, going 3-4 in that stretch, including a win Tuesday at Wagner its last time out.
John Baumann, a 6-7 senior, is the only Lion averaging in double figures. Baumann is scoring 16.8 points per game and grabbing a team-best 6.3 rebounds.
Columbia is shooting 37.7 percent from the field as a team. Opponents are shooting 41.1 percent against the Lions.
BONUS LINKS:
Columbia stats
Columbia game notes
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EDITOR'S NOTE: We missed the Colgate win at Cornell in updating the series numbers in the original post. Thanks Ken Doak for the catch.
SCOUTING HARVARD: Look behind Harvard's 4-5 record. There is more than meets the eye. Among the five losses are games at Stanford, at Providence, at Holy Cross and against U.S. Santa Barbara on a neutral floor. The wins include a 62-51 thumping of coach Tommy Amaker's old team, Michigan.
The Crimson prefer a faster pace than Lehigh. They are averaging 71.1 points per game. Harvard shoots 47.3 percent from the field as a team, 36.8 percent from three-point range. They also give up points -- opponents are shooting 46.3 percent from the field, 40.1 percent from the arc, and scoring over 77 points per game.
Drew Housman led the Crimson with 14.7 points per game. The 6-0 junior is a sniper from the arc, knocking down 54.5 percent of the threes he tries. Overall he is shooting 47.4 percent from the field.
Also in double figures are 6-2 sophomore Jeremy Linn (11.7 ppg), 6-2 junior Andrew Pusar (10.8 ppg, 63.1 percent from the field) and 5-9 junior Evan Harris (10.6 ppg, 5.7 rpg). Pat Magnarelli, a 6-7 sophomore, leads the team in rebounds (6.4 per game) and is shooting 56.7 percent from the field. Reserve Dan McGeary, a 6-1 sophomore, is a three-point shooter off the bench. McGeary leads Harvard is made threes (17) and attempts (44),
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SCOUTING COLUMBIA: This will be a good road test for the improving Leopards. Columbia is 3-5, but it has been ob the road its last seven games, going 3-4 in that stretch, including a win Tuesday at Wagner its last time out.
John Baumann, a 6-7 senior, is the only Lion averaging in double figures. Baumann is scoring 16.8 points per game and grabbing a team-best 6.3 rebounds.
Columbia is shooting 37.7 percent from the field as a team. Opponents are shooting 41.1 percent against the Lions.
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Labels: Lafayette, Lehigh, previews
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Late game heroics by Brian Gilmore and Garrison Carr helped American avoid blowing another halftime lead in 52-50 win over Jacksonville.
Actually, that is a little misleading. The Eagles (6-4) did cough up the 27-22 advantage they held at the intermission. At one point late in the second half, that 5-point edge turned into a 7-point hole.
Then Carr and Gilmore arrived carrying shovels. With AU trailing 48-41, with 3:41 to play, Carr broke an 0 for 9 game-long slump with a jumper that started a decisive 11-2 end of game run for the Eagles. Carr followed his first make with a steal that led to a pair of free throws to pull AU within 3.
After Bryce Simon hit 1 of 2 at the foul line to make it a 2-point game, Gilmore tied it with a short jumper with 1:33 to go. Jacksoville (3-5) bumped the lead back to 2 on a, Ayron Hardy layup. Then Gilmore found Carr for the last of the game's 10 ties.
Gilmore was not done. With 31 seconds left, he got the ball back for the Eagles by drawing a charge on Jacksonville's Lehmon Colbert. After a timeout, AU ran the clock down to 3 seconds before Carr put up a shot that was blocked by Paul Kohlheim and rebounded by Gilmore. Gilmore, who was fouled on the play, hit both free throws to give Au the win.
Free throws were a key for Au. Jacksonville had two more field goals (19 of 46, 41.3 percent), and four more three-pointers (Jax was 5-13 from the arc). But AU went to the line 10 more times and made 10 more free throws (17 of 21), offsetting Jacsonville's edge from the field. American shot 28.6 percent (17-44) and was just 1 for 11 from the arc.
Carr, AU's leading scorer, finished with 5 points, more than 10 below his average. Carr was 2-12 from the field.
Derrick Mercer led the Eagles with 17 points, including a perfect 7 for 7 at the foul line. Gilmore added 13.
Box score | AP
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Actually, that is a little misleading. The Eagles (6-4) did cough up the 27-22 advantage they held at the intermission. At one point late in the second half, that 5-point edge turned into a 7-point hole.
Then Carr and Gilmore arrived carrying shovels. With AU trailing 48-41, with 3:41 to play, Carr broke an 0 for 9 game-long slump with a jumper that started a decisive 11-2 end of game run for the Eagles. Carr followed his first make with a steal that led to a pair of free throws to pull AU within 3.
After Bryce Simon hit 1 of 2 at the foul line to make it a 2-point game, Gilmore tied it with a short jumper with 1:33 to go. Jacksoville (3-5) bumped the lead back to 2 on a, Ayron Hardy layup. Then Gilmore found Carr for the last of the game's 10 ties.
Gilmore was not done. With 31 seconds left, he got the ball back for the Eagles by drawing a charge on Jacksonville's Lehmon Colbert. After a timeout, AU ran the clock down to 3 seconds before Carr put up a shot that was blocked by Paul Kohlheim and rebounded by Gilmore. Gilmore, who was fouled on the play, hit both free throws to give Au the win.
Free throws were a key for Au. Jacksonville had two more field goals (19 of 46, 41.3 percent), and four more three-pointers (Jax was 5-13 from the arc). But AU went to the line 10 more times and made 10 more free throws (17 of 21), offsetting Jacsonville's edge from the field. American shot 28.6 percent (17-44) and was just 1 for 11 from the arc.
Carr, AU's leading scorer, finished with 5 points, more than 10 below his average. Carr was 2-12 from the field.
Derrick Mercer led the Eagles with 17 points, including a perfect 7 for 7 at the foul line. Gilmore added 13.
Box score | AP
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Friday, December 07, 2007
Hurry, get your tickets now, before they sell out. The Jacksonville Dolphins are in town and American is hoping to lure a big crowd into Bender, where it has been averaging 1,168 fans per game, with free pizza for the first 500 students and foam fingers for the first 2,000 fans. "Tickets," says the AU Web site, "are limited." Is Artis Gilmore making a comeback? Who are these Dolphins that will lure such throngs to this game?SCOUTING JACKSONVILLE: The Dolphins head to the nation's capital for a pair of games as part of a four-game road swing. After tonight's visit to Bender, they will stay in town to pick up a check Sunday from Georgetown.
Jacksonville got off to a 3-0 start, but has dropped its last four in a row. Even the 3-0 start is a little suspect. One of those wins was by just 7 points over Concordia (NY), a Division II school.
The Dolphins' roster is young, and on the small side. There are six freshmen, three sophomores and just one guy -- a 6-10 freshman from Poland -- taller than 6-7.
The leading scorer is 5-10 Ben Smith, a sophomore who averages 16.6 points per game. Forwards Lehmon Colbert (13.7 ppg, 6 rpg), a 6-7 sophomore, and 6-7 junior Marcus Allen (11.9 ppg, 6.4 rpg) also score in double figures.
As a team, Jacksonville shoots 42 percent from the field, 27.3 percent from the arc and turns the ball over 18.4 times per game. Opponents are shooting 46 percent against the Dolphins.
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News and notebooks from around the league.
Bison freshmen handling uncertainly well -- Tom Housenick's weekly college hoops column from the Daily Item
Leopards improve from the arc -- Lehigh and Lafayette notes from Stephen Miller of the Morning Call
Prep Basketball: BCC event lures top teams, players Seattle Times preps notebook includes mention of Lehigh getting another recruit from Washington. According to the story: Men’s Basketball Returns To Face Leopards -- Columbia student paper previews Saturday's game
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Jordan Hamilton, 6-5 wing for Seattle Prep, was recruited by Lehigh assistant Matt Logie. Logie played at Mercer Island and every prep basketball fan in the state knows of Logie's famous grandfather, Mercer Island boys coach Ed Pepple.
Labels: Bucknell, Lafayette, Lehigh
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A 14-0 Army run to start the game was more than NJIT could handle.
After that start, the two teams played fairly even. The Black Knights never led by more than 16; NJIT (0-10) never got closer than 9.
Jarrell Brown led Army (4-4) with 23 points, his fifth straight 20-point game. Brown was 11 for 21 from the field, with one trey, and never got to the free throw line. As a team, Army only shot 8 free throws and made just 4.
The Black Knights were 24 of 57 from the field (42.1 percent), 2 of 9 from three-point range. NJIT was 14 for 41 (34.1 percent) from the field, 6 of 17 from the arc and 10 of 21 from the foul line. The Highlanders turned it over 23 times, 16 in the first half.
The game was played in front of 932 fans in Newark's new Prudential Center, which seats 18,500 for basketball.
Box score | AP
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After that start, the two teams played fairly even. The Black Knights never led by more than 16; NJIT (0-10) never got closer than 9.
Jarrell Brown led Army (4-4) with 23 points, his fifth straight 20-point game. Brown was 11 for 21 from the field, with one trey, and never got to the free throw line. As a team, Army only shot 8 free throws and made just 4.
The Black Knights were 24 of 57 from the field (42.1 percent), 2 of 9 from three-point range. NJIT was 14 for 41 (34.1 percent) from the field, 6 of 17 from the arc and 10 of 21 from the foul line. The Highlanders turned it over 23 times, 16 in the first half.
The game was played in front of 932 fans in Newark's new Prudential Center, which seats 18,500 for basketball.
Box score | AP
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Thursday, December 06, 2007
Some links for the recruitnix and an update on former Lehigh coach Billy Taylor.
Bullis basketball’s Petkovich works hard for what he wants -- A look at a Lafayette recruit who improved his SAT scores 160 points to fulfill his dream of playing in the Patriot League (Gaithersburg (Md.) Gazette)
Mitty hopes to go all the way to state title this time -- The San Francisco Chronicle's preview of the California preps season ranks Archbishop Mitty, with two Patriot League recruits on the roster, as the state's top team.
Serra buries Bearcats -- a game story from the San Mateo Daily Journal. American recruit Stephen Lumpkins starred in this one.
Bucknell men, women announce early signees -- The Daily Item takes two press releases and folds them together. Thenames have been known for a wile now, but this is the first Pat Flannery officially commented on any of BU's signeess.
Cardinals on the right course -- From the Ft. Wayne Journal Gazette, an update on the trials and tribulations of former Lehigh coach Billy taylor in his first season at Ball State.
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Labels: American, Bucknell, Lafayette, Lehigh, recruiting
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The Black Knights of the Hudson travel down river to take on winless NJIT in tonight's only game involving Patriot League teams.
SCOUTING NJIT: Here is all you really need to know about the Highlanders: Their 0-9 record is one of the bright spots on their stats sheet.
In just their second season at the Division I level, NJIT is being outscored by an average of over 26 points per game. The Highlanders are being outrebounded by 6 per game and average 21.4 turnovers. They have turned the ball over 193 times thus far, while dishing for just 86 assists.
As a team, NJIT is shooting under 40 percent from the field (35.6 percent), and under 30 percent (28.9) from the arc. They also struggle at the free throw line, where they shoot just 59.1 percent.
Nesho Milosevic leads the Highlanders, averaging 11.9 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Kraig Peters averages 10.3 ppg.
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NJIT stats
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SCOUTING NJIT: Here is all you really need to know about the Highlanders: Their 0-9 record is one of the bright spots on their stats sheet.
In just their second season at the Division I level, NJIT is being outscored by an average of over 26 points per game. The Highlanders are being outrebounded by 6 per game and average 21.4 turnovers. They have turned the ball over 193 times thus far, while dishing for just 86 assists.
As a team, NJIT is shooting under 40 percent from the field (35.6 percent), and under 30 percent (28.9) from the arc. They also struggle at the free throw line, where they shoot just 59.1 percent.
Nesho Milosevic leads the Highlanders, averaging 11.9 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Kraig Peters averages 10.3 ppg.
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In his first career start, Dave Buchberger led the Mountain Hawks to a 76-61 win, ending a two-game losing streak.
Before the seasopn, first-year Lehigh coach Brett Reed said Buchberger's defensive skills might earn him some playing time as a sophomore. But it was his offense that stood out against the Sea Wolves. As a freshman, Buchberger only took 11 shots all season. Through the Mountain Hawks' first eight games this season he had taken 15. Against Stony Brook he took 10 and knocked down 8, including 5 three-pointers, finishing with 21 points.
Bryan White, whose jumper 15 seconds into the game gave Lehigh a lead it held the whole way, posted a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double and freshman Rob Keefer added 10 points off the bench.
Lehigh won despite an off shooting night by Marquis Hall, who was 9 for 5 from the field. Hall did contribue other ways, grabbing 6 rebounds and dishing off 10 assists.
Lehigh hit 62 percent of its field goal tries (26-50), including 11 threes. Stony Brook was 19 for 53 from the field (35.8 percent), and shot just 24 percent in the first half, when Lehigh built a 31-20 lead.
Box score | Newsday
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Before the seasopn, first-year Lehigh coach Brett Reed said Buchberger's defensive skills might earn him some playing time as a sophomore. But it was his offense that stood out against the Sea Wolves. As a freshman, Buchberger only took 11 shots all season. Through the Mountain Hawks' first eight games this season he had taken 15. Against Stony Brook he took 10 and knocked down 8, including 5 three-pointers, finishing with 21 points.
Bryan White, whose jumper 15 seconds into the game gave Lehigh a lead it held the whole way, posted a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double and freshman Rob Keefer added 10 points off the bench.
Lehigh won despite an off shooting night by Marquis Hall, who was 9 for 5 from the field. Hall did contribue other ways, grabbing 6 rebounds and dishing off 10 assists.
Lehigh hit 62 percent of its field goal tries (26-50), including 11 threes. Stony Brook was 19 for 53 from the field (35.8 percent), and shot just 24 percent in the first half, when Lehigh built a 31-20 lead.
Box score | Newsday
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Colgate's 73-55 win Wednesday at Binghamton was a tale of two halves.
The first half was an even affair that ended with the Raiders (6-3) up 31-29 after a Kyle Roemer layup just before the break. But after Binghamton tied it to open the second half, it was pretty much all Colgate the rest of the way.
The Raiders scored the next five points and pushed the advantage to as many as 17 points.
Colgate actually made one more field goal in the first half (13-29, 44.8 percent), but was much more acccurate after the break, hitting 12 of 19 (63.2 percent). And after shooting just two free throws (1 made) in the first half, the Raiders got to the line 22 times in the second, making 16.
The Raiders also played better D after intermission. After Binghamton shot 12 for 25 from the field in the first, Colgate held them to 9 for 37 (24.3 percent) in the second.
Roemer led Colgate with 21 points. Kendall Chones added 15, Tim Pounds 14 (all in the second half) and Daniel Waddy had 10. Alex Woodhouse had 8 rebounds (sharing team honors with Chones) and a career-high 5 blocks in 19 minutes off the bench.
Box score | Press & Sun-Bulletin
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The first half was an even affair that ended with the Raiders (6-3) up 31-29 after a Kyle Roemer layup just before the break. But after Binghamton tied it to open the second half, it was pretty much all Colgate the rest of the way.
The Raiders scored the next five points and pushed the advantage to as many as 17 points.
Colgate actually made one more field goal in the first half (13-29, 44.8 percent), but was much more acccurate after the break, hitting 12 of 19 (63.2 percent). And after shooting just two free throws (1 made) in the first half, the Raiders got to the line 22 times in the second, making 16.
The Raiders also played better D after intermission. After Binghamton shot 12 for 25 from the field in the first, Colgate held them to 9 for 37 (24.3 percent) in the second.
Roemer led Colgate with 21 points. Kendall Chones added 15, Tim Pounds 14 (all in the second half) and Daniel Waddy had 10. Alex Woodhouse had 8 rebounds (sharing team honors with Chones) and a career-high 5 blocks in 19 minutes off the bench.
Box score | Press & Sun-Bulletin
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Five Lafayette players reached double figures, but it was not enough to keep the Leopards' win streak alive.
Rutgers, which came into the game shooting 27 percent from three-point range, hit 8 treys in the first half, 11 of 25 (44 percent) overall, and outscored the Leopards 90-79.
Lafayette managed to hang with the Scarlett Knights (6-2) much of the evening. After trailing as many as 10 in the first half, Lafayette closed to with 42-39 at the break and scored the first four points after intermission to take a brief lead with 18:06 left.
The Leopards managed to hang around, getting within 7 with an Andrew Brown three with 58 seconds left. Rutgers was 7 for 8 at the free throw line in the final minute to preserve its lead.
Brown led Lafayette with 17 points. Matt Betley posted a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double. Everset Schmidt scored a career-high 14 points. Bilal Abdullah (13) and Paul Cummins (12) also scored in double figures for the 'Pards (5-3), who saw a four-game win streak end.
J.R. Inman led five Rutgers players in double with 26.
Lafayette shot 45.3 percent from the field (29-64), including 10 for 23 from the arc, and hit 11 of 13 free throws. Rutgers was 30 for 65 (46.2 percent) from the field, the extra field goal coming from three-point range (11-25). That three, and eight extra trips to the foul line (19-21) made up the 11-point final margin.
Box score | Express-Times | Daily Targum (RU student paper) | Home News Tribune | Star-Ledger
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Rutgers, which came into the game shooting 27 percent from three-point range, hit 8 treys in the first half, 11 of 25 (44 percent) overall, and outscored the Leopards 90-79.
Lafayette managed to hang with the Scarlett Knights (6-2) much of the evening. After trailing as many as 10 in the first half, Lafayette closed to with 42-39 at the break and scored the first four points after intermission to take a brief lead with 18:06 left.
The Leopards managed to hang around, getting within 7 with an Andrew Brown three with 58 seconds left. Rutgers was 7 for 8 at the free throw line in the final minute to preserve its lead.
Brown led Lafayette with 17 points. Matt Betley posted a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double. Everset Schmidt scored a career-high 14 points. Bilal Abdullah (13) and Paul Cummins (12) also scored in double figures for the 'Pards (5-3), who saw a four-game win streak end.
J.R. Inman led five Rutgers players in double with 26.
Lafayette shot 45.3 percent from the field (29-64), including 10 for 23 from the arc, and hit 11 of 13 free throws. Rutgers was 30 for 65 (46.2 percent) from the field, the extra field goal coming from three-point range (11-25). That three, and eight extra trips to the foul line (19-21) made up the 11-point final margin.
Box score | Express-Times | Daily Targum (RU student paper) | Home News Tribune | Star-Ledger
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Wednesday, December 05, 2007
It has been a good start to the week for Patriot League teams, which have gone 4-1 so far, including two wins over Atlantic 10 sides. Lafayette will try to pick up a Big East scalp at Rutgers tonight in the only game where the Patriot League team will be the underdog. Colgate and lehigh both faces foes with only one win thus far. Colgate travels down scenic Route 12B to visit Binghamton, while Lehigh plays host to Stony Brook.
SCOUTING BINGHAMTON: Binghamton wrapped up a three-game road swing Saturday with a loss at Rider, the Bearcats fifth straight setback. It is the longest losing streak in the school's brief Division I history.
Defense is a problem for the 1-6 Bearcats. Opponents are shooting 49.7 percent from the field, including 37.4 percent from three-point range. Offense has not been overly impressive, either. Binghamton is shooting 42.5 percent as a team, and is under 30 percent (28.9) from the arc.
Richard Forbes, a 6-0 senior guard, leads Binghamton in scoring at 16 ppg. Lazur Trifunovic, a 6-8 sophomore from Serbia, averages 15.6 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.
BONUS LINKS:
Binghamton stats
SCOUTING RUTGERS: A 5-2 Big East team, on the road; sounds like a mismatch for Lafayette. But look closer. While the Leopards are certainly the underdogs, Rutgers season to date offers little to intimidate Lafayette. Those five wins include such name opponents as North Carolina Central, North Dakota State and Tennessee Tech. It also includes close scrapes at home against Dartmouth (by 5( and Princeton (by 4). One of the losses was to Florida, but the other came at St. Peter's.
Unlike senior-laden Lafayette, the Scarlet Knights are not real experienced. The roster includes six freshmen, just one senior.
Junior JR Inman, a 6-9 forward, leads Rutgers with 16.6 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. Freshman Corey Chandler, a 6-2 guard, is the only other guy in double figures, averaging 10.4 ppg.
Rutgers has been playing tough defense, holding foes to 38.9 percent shooting from the field (35.9 percent from the arc). The Knights are shooting 41.1 percent, and struggle from three-point range, hitting 26.5 percent.
BONUS LINKS:
Rutgers stats
Rutgers game notes
Rutgers-Lafayette men's basketball scouting report (Courier News)
NJ.com Rutgers site
RAC 'em up (Rutgers blog)
SCOUTING STONY BROOK: The Seawolves are coming off their first win of the season, at home against Dartmouth. That win came after an 0-6 start that included an 0-4 record on the road and losses at American and at home to Lafayette in OT.
Stony Brook is shooting 37.9 percent as a team, 26.7 percent from three-point range. The opposition has shot 43 percent (31.6 from the arc.
A pair of fifth-year seniors lead Stony Brook in scoring. Rickey Lucas (6-4) averages 11.6 ppg. Mitchell Beauford (5-11) is hitting for 10.7 ppg.
BONUS LINKS:
Stony Brook stats
Stony Brook game notes
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SCOUTING BINGHAMTON: Binghamton wrapped up a three-game road swing Saturday with a loss at Rider, the Bearcats fifth straight setback. It is the longest losing streak in the school's brief Division I history.
Defense is a problem for the 1-6 Bearcats. Opponents are shooting 49.7 percent from the field, including 37.4 percent from three-point range. Offense has not been overly impressive, either. Binghamton is shooting 42.5 percent as a team, and is under 30 percent (28.9) from the arc.
Richard Forbes, a 6-0 senior guard, leads Binghamton in scoring at 16 ppg. Lazur Trifunovic, a 6-8 sophomore from Serbia, averages 15.6 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.
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SCOUTING RUTGERS: A 5-2 Big East team, on the road; sounds like a mismatch for Lafayette. But look closer. While the Leopards are certainly the underdogs, Rutgers season to date offers little to intimidate Lafayette. Those five wins include such name opponents as North Carolina Central, North Dakota State and Tennessee Tech. It also includes close scrapes at home against Dartmouth (by 5( and Princeton (by 4). One of the losses was to Florida, but the other came at St. Peter's.
Unlike senior-laden Lafayette, the Scarlet Knights are not real experienced. The roster includes six freshmen, just one senior.
Junior JR Inman, a 6-9 forward, leads Rutgers with 16.6 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. Freshman Corey Chandler, a 6-2 guard, is the only other guy in double figures, averaging 10.4 ppg.
Rutgers has been playing tough defense, holding foes to 38.9 percent shooting from the field (35.9 percent from the arc). The Knights are shooting 41.1 percent, and struggle from three-point range, hitting 26.5 percent.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING STONY BROOK: The Seawolves are coming off their first win of the season, at home against Dartmouth. That win came after an 0-6 start that included an 0-4 record on the road and losses at American and at home to Lafayette in OT.
Stony Brook is shooting 37.9 percent as a team, 26.7 percent from three-point range. The opposition has shot 43 percent (31.6 from the arc.
A pair of fifth-year seniors lead Stony Brook in scoring. Rickey Lucas (6-4) averages 11.6 ppg. Mitchell Beauford (5-11) is hitting for 10.7 ppg.
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Labels: Colgate, Lafayette, Lehigh, previews
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(Originally posted Tues. at 10:38 p.m., links added at 8:17 a.m.)
When Tim Clifford is on the floor, Holy Cross is a very good basketball team. Good enough to build enough cushion to survive his absence for 10 minutes of the second half in a 71-66 win at Saint Joe's.
By CHRIS A. COUROGEN
OF HOOP TIME
PHILADELPHIA -- It will be a while until Holy Cross plays another basketball game. Last night's matchup at Saint Joseph's was the Crusaders final outing until after finals. But the Crusaders can feel pretty good about themselves for the next 17 days after beating a very good Saint Joseph's by a 71-66 margin.
Tim Clifford and Alex Vander Baan each chipped in 16 points. Kyle Cruze added 13, including a trio of huge second half three-pointers that helped keep the Hawks at bay. Freshman Andrew Beinert added 10 points to give the Crusaders four players in double figures for just the second time all season.
The team shot 50 percent from the field, something it has done just two other times during their 7-1 start. They dished out 22 assists and only turned the ball over 11 times, overall an impressive offensive showing.
Don't let those numbers fool you, though. Holy Cross still won the way it usually does, with lockdown defense.
After the game, Saint Joe's coach Phil Martelli tried shouldering some of the blame, saying he had not prepared his team well enough to attack Holy Cross' 2-3 zone. Truth be told, it was hardly Martelli's fault. He was not the one who went 0 for 11 through the first 15 minutes of the game. It was not Martelli who finished the half 3 for 16 from the field. Certainly he was not the one unable to get the ball inside to All-Atlantic 10 center Ahmad Nivins, who was an offensive non-factor all night.
Credit for much of Saint Joseph's offensive shortcomings is easy to blame, Just put it on the shoulders of the biggest man on the floor -- HC's own senior center, Tim Clifford, who thoroughly outplayed Nivins despite spending a large chunk of the second half on the bench in foul trouble.
Clifford finished the night 8 for 12 from the field, with 7 rebounds, a pair of blocks and a steal. But his biggest contribution shows in Nivins line, where it says the Hawks' star only shot the ball three times, and only made one.
"We were running a 2-3 zone and that is pretty tough on any post man," said Clifford, humbly trying to share the credit with the rest of his team. There are plenty such kudos to spread around, but for the moment, let's concentrate on Clifford, who foiled Bivins all night by keeping a big body on him from behind, with a hand in front of him denying any entry pass the ball.
"I pretty much frustrated him by not letting him get the ball," Clifford said. "If a guy can't tough the ball, he can't score. He can't hurt you."
When Clifford was on the floor, it seemed nobody in a Saint Joe's jersey could hurt Holy Cross in the paint. Up until Clifford picked up his fourth personal with 15:41 to go in the game, on a foul that should have gone against Colin Cunningham, Saint Joe's had scored just one two-point bucket all night. When Clifford sat down, with HC leading by 14, Saint Joe's began attacking the paint. It also started getting some better looks around the arc.
How big is the difference? Ask HC coach Ralph Willard.
"It's huge. Tim takes up so much space. He blocks shots. He changes shots. It also allows us to extend on the perimeter, knowing he is back there if somebody gets beat. When he is in the game, he really extends our defense," Willard said.
If you'd prefer a statistical answer to that question, consider this: While Clifford was on the floor in the second half, Saint Joe's was 8 for 21 from the field. While Clifford was on the bench, they hit 9 of 13.
Clifford was not the only hero. Senior guard Kyle Cruze scored 11 of his 13 in the second half, helping take up some of the offensive slack while Clifford was on the bench. Cruze hit three treys, each seeming to come at crucial moments when the Crusaders needed an answer. Vander Baan also had a pair of big second half threes when Clifford's absence forced HC's offense outside.
The rest of the team helped a little on the defensive end, too. Holy Cross opened the game with a 12-0 run and built the lead to 23-6 before Saint Joe's hit its first field goal of the night, a three by Tasheed Carr. At the half it was 34-21, HC, after the Crusaders held the Hawks to three field goals -- all three-pointers -- in the first 20 minutes. Saint Joe's needed a meaningless three-pointer at the end of the game to avoid shooting below 40 percent for the second time this season. Only Gonzaga, which held the Hawks to 31.7 percent here last week, has defended Saint Joe's better.
Pat Calathes, Saint Joe's 6-10 matchup nightmare at the small forward, finished with 19 points to lead the Hawks, all in the second half, 15 coming during the stretch when Clifford was sitting.
Holy Cross can feel good about this one for a long time. They don't play again until Dec. 22, when they travel to Siena.
Box score | Gameblog | Philly Daily News | Philly Inquirer
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When Tim Clifford is on the floor, Holy Cross is a very good basketball team. Good enough to build enough cushion to survive his absence for 10 minutes of the second half in a 71-66 win at Saint Joe's.
By CHRIS A. COUROGEN
OF HOOP TIME
PHILADELPHIA -- It will be a while until Holy Cross plays another basketball game. Last night's matchup at Saint Joseph's was the Crusaders final outing until after finals. But the Crusaders can feel pretty good about themselves for the next 17 days after beating a very good Saint Joseph's by a 71-66 margin.
Tim Clifford and Alex Vander Baan each chipped in 16 points. Kyle Cruze added 13, including a trio of huge second half three-pointers that helped keep the Hawks at bay. Freshman Andrew Beinert added 10 points to give the Crusaders four players in double figures for just the second time all season.
The team shot 50 percent from the field, something it has done just two other times during their 7-1 start. They dished out 22 assists and only turned the ball over 11 times, overall an impressive offensive showing.
Don't let those numbers fool you, though. Holy Cross still won the way it usually does, with lockdown defense.
After the game, Saint Joe's coach Phil Martelli tried shouldering some of the blame, saying he had not prepared his team well enough to attack Holy Cross' 2-3 zone. Truth be told, it was hardly Martelli's fault. He was not the one who went 0 for 11 through the first 15 minutes of the game. It was not Martelli who finished the half 3 for 16 from the field. Certainly he was not the one unable to get the ball inside to All-Atlantic 10 center Ahmad Nivins, who was an offensive non-factor all night.
Credit for much of Saint Joseph's offensive shortcomings is easy to blame, Just put it on the shoulders of the biggest man on the floor -- HC's own senior center, Tim Clifford, who thoroughly outplayed Nivins despite spending a large chunk of the second half on the bench in foul trouble.
Clifford finished the night 8 for 12 from the field, with 7 rebounds, a pair of blocks and a steal. But his biggest contribution shows in Nivins line, where it says the Hawks' star only shot the ball three times, and only made one.
"We were running a 2-3 zone and that is pretty tough on any post man," said Clifford, humbly trying to share the credit with the rest of his team. There are plenty such kudos to spread around, but for the moment, let's concentrate on Clifford, who foiled Bivins all night by keeping a big body on him from behind, with a hand in front of him denying any entry pass the ball.
"I pretty much frustrated him by not letting him get the ball," Clifford said. "If a guy can't tough the ball, he can't score. He can't hurt you."
When Clifford was on the floor, it seemed nobody in a Saint Joe's jersey could hurt Holy Cross in the paint. Up until Clifford picked up his fourth personal with 15:41 to go in the game, on a foul that should have gone against Colin Cunningham, Saint Joe's had scored just one two-point bucket all night. When Clifford sat down, with HC leading by 14, Saint Joe's began attacking the paint. It also started getting some better looks around the arc.
How big is the difference? Ask HC coach Ralph Willard.
"It's huge. Tim takes up so much space. He blocks shots. He changes shots. It also allows us to extend on the perimeter, knowing he is back there if somebody gets beat. When he is in the game, he really extends our defense," Willard said.
If you'd prefer a statistical answer to that question, consider this: While Clifford was on the floor in the second half, Saint Joe's was 8 for 21 from the field. While Clifford was on the bench, they hit 9 of 13.
Clifford was not the only hero. Senior guard Kyle Cruze scored 11 of his 13 in the second half, helping take up some of the offensive slack while Clifford was on the bench. Cruze hit three treys, each seeming to come at crucial moments when the Crusaders needed an answer. Vander Baan also had a pair of big second half threes when Clifford's absence forced HC's offense outside.
The rest of the team helped a little on the defensive end, too. Holy Cross opened the game with a 12-0 run and built the lead to 23-6 before Saint Joe's hit its first field goal of the night, a three by Tasheed Carr. At the half it was 34-21, HC, after the Crusaders held the Hawks to three field goals -- all three-pointers -- in the first 20 minutes. Saint Joe's needed a meaningless three-pointer at the end of the game to avoid shooting below 40 percent for the second time this season. Only Gonzaga, which held the Hawks to 31.7 percent here last week, has defended Saint Joe's better.
Pat Calathes, Saint Joe's 6-10 matchup nightmare at the small forward, finished with 19 points to lead the Hawks, all in the second half, 15 coming during the stretch when Clifford was sitting.
Holy Cross can feel good about this one for a long time. They don't play again until Dec. 22, when they travel to Siena.
Box score | Gameblog | Philly Daily News | Philly Inquirer
Labels: games, Holy Cross
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The Eagles' 66-54 win over Howard was the program's 1,000th of all time.
More important to the current generation, it got AU back above .500 at 5-4.
This one was a come-from-behind affair. American trailed by as many as 11 points early before using a 15-0 run to get back in the game. The Eagles took the lead for good on a Brian Gilmore (11 points) free throw with 1:50 to go in the first half and built that edge to 34-30 at the break. Then AU opened the second half with a 10-0 run and never led by less than 9 the rest of the way.
American coach Jeff Jones made a change to his starting lineup, inserting juco transfer Frank Borden at the off guard in place of junior Garrison Carr, the team's leading scoeer. Borden was 1 for 5 with 2 points. carr scored a team-high 17, shooting 6 for 9 with 4 treys on 6 attempts.
Also in double figures for AU were Bryce Simon (10) and Jordan Nichaols (11).
American was 19 for 41 from the field (46.3 percent), 7 for 15 from the arc, and went to the foul line 32 times, making 21. Howard was 21 for 54 (38.9 percent), 6 for 17 threes and 6 for 11 at the charity stripe.
Box score | AP
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More important to the current generation, it got AU back above .500 at 5-4.
This one was a come-from-behind affair. American trailed by as many as 11 points early before using a 15-0 run to get back in the game. The Eagles took the lead for good on a Brian Gilmore (11 points) free throw with 1:50 to go in the first half and built that edge to 34-30 at the break. Then AU opened the second half with a 10-0 run and never led by less than 9 the rest of the way.
American coach Jeff Jones made a change to his starting lineup, inserting juco transfer Frank Borden at the off guard in place of junior Garrison Carr, the team's leading scoeer. Borden was 1 for 5 with 2 points. carr scored a team-high 17, shooting 6 for 9 with 4 treys on 6 attempts.
Also in double figures for AU were Bryce Simon (10) and Jordan Nichaols (11).
American was 19 for 41 from the field (46.3 percent), 7 for 15 from the arc, and went to the foul line 32 times, making 21. Howard was 21 for 54 (38.9 percent), 6 for 17 threes and 6 for 11 at the charity stripe.
Box score | AP
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Tuesday, December 04, 2007
A running courtside account of Holy Cross' big win at Saint Joseph's, posted live, as it happened.
It is almost two hours until tip-off at Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse.
First on the floor is St. Joe's forward Arvydas Lidzius, getting extra work on his shot. Lidzius started at closer range, with a manager rebounding, working his way around the basket, moving back a few steps and reversing his path. He is now about a foot-and-a-half outside the arc, and hitting at a pretty impressive rate.
The 6-9 senior from Lithuania can use the extra work. He has played in five of six games, averaging 10 minutes, but he has shot the ball just eight times in game action. He is 2 for 3 from three-point range, so HC'd best not forget about him when he is on the floor. Best not to let a driveway shooter get his feet set.
5:25: Holy Cross arrives. The team flew in last night, taking advantage of those Southwestern fares out of Providence. Their return flight leaves around noon tomorrow.
Joining Lidzius on the floor is Rockwell moody, a little used 6-9 sophomore forward. Moody looks springy and athletic, but he plays behind some pretty good upperclassmen. Actually, plays behind is not very accurate. Better to say sits behind. so far this season, he has pleayed seven minutes in four games. If he gets in tonight, it is either very good or very bad nbews for Holy Cross. It definitely won't be a sign the game is close.
5:35: Kyle Cruze first on the floor for HC. Bad news for the Crusaders, the guy rebounding for Cruze is Lawrence Dixon, who is wearing street clothes. HC SID Charles Bare says Dixon is still having problems with his knee. he was dressed for the shootaround this morning, and has dressed for recent games and saw six minutes of action against Yale.
Looking at the A-10 stats: a few comparisons between St. Joe's and Dayton, who HC played last time out.
FG Percentage: SJ 45.3, Dayton 48.5
FFG Pct. defense: SJ 41.0, Dayton 43.0
Rebounding Margin: SJ -0.8, Dayton +5
Assist to turnover ratio: SJ 1.17, Dayton 0.86
Three-pointer made: SJ 8.17 per game, Dayton 5.33
The Crusaders faced the A-10's top field goal percentage guy, Chris Wright (66.7 pct.) against Dayton. Tonight they face the guy No. 2 in the league, St. Joe's Ahmad Nivins (65.2 pct). St. Joe's Tasheed carr leads the A-10 in assists (7 apg), Dayton's Brian Roberts ( 5 apg) is third.
5:47: The entire HC team now out and going through warmup drills. Dixon appears to be the only injury concern. Everyone else in uniform; nobody particularly heavily taped.
55 Minutes to game time: Holy Cross has had a lot of success against A-10 schools. Since Ralph Willard arrived in Worcester, the 'Saders are 10-4 against the A-10. They are, 0-3 all-time against St. Joe's, including that NIT second round loss here two years ago.
St. Joe's coach Phil Martelli has not been afraid to play Patriot League schools. The Hawks had a two-for-one deal with Bucknell that brought the Bison to Philly twice in the last three seasons, with the Hawks visiting Lewisburg in 2005. They also played a home and home with Lafayette in 2005 and 2006.
This apparently is the start of a series between St. Joe's and HC, according to Ralph Willard's post on coachralph.com. Ralph does not say how many games the deal is for, but said it made sense for the two Jesuit institutions to play. He compared it to the old Fordham series, except "St Joe's is a lot better and Phil doesn't try to pretend the program is something it's not."
31 MIN TO GAME TIME: Bob Fouracre's keys to the game: 1) Shut down the St. Joe's three-point shooters 2) Tim Clifford has to stay out of foul trouble (Bob notes: "When he plays a full game, he averages over 20 points. Holy Cross can't have him sitting on the bench with two fouls five minutes into the game.") 3) Pat Doherty needs to step it up from three-point range, where he is shooting just 14.3 percent this season.
Fouracre also worries about St. Joe's ball movement foiling HC's zone defense.
24 minutes to game time: Noticeably absent from St. Joe's rotation is 6-2 sophomore guard D.J. Rivera, last season's sixth man. Rivera, who averaged over 23 minutes per game as a freshman, is sitting out the fall semester to concentrate on academics. His status for the second semester will be determined at the end of the first.
19 minutes to game time: A not so secret St. Joe's weapon HC needs to be aware of is 6-8 senior forward Rob Ferguson. Ferguson is averaging 9 points per game, fifth on the team. But he has reached double figures in the past two games, including 15 against Penn State last time out. Worth noting, nobody on St. joe's roster has more career double-figures games than Ferguson's 42.
14 minutes to game time: Worst seat in the house? That's easy -- the Saint Joe's pep band is tucked in a corner on the sideline at the end of the bleachers, without enough elevation to see the far end of the floor over the fans seated in the sections to their left. Tough to see them, but they sound real good.
5 minutes to tip: Signs at the entrance to the ticket lobby said this game is sold out. The student section has been full, and loud, for a while now, and with the Hawks entering the floor, they get even louder. Very few splotches of purple in here. Aside from a handful of folks in the sfive rows of bleachers behind the HC bench, less than a dozen other folks sporting HC colors thus far.
1 minute to tip: Is St. Joe's coach popular with the students? From the sound of the Phil Martelli, Phil Martelli chant when he makes his way on to the floor, you'd assume so.
You know you are at a Catholic school when the PA guy pages a lady named Mary Cathleen to the lobby.
If you have never been here, a quick description of the fieldhouse. It is old, small, faded and loud. It is reminiscent in size, age and the steel girders of the arched roof to Bucknell's old Davis Gym. It even has the same hung from the ceiling style backboards. Seating in the upper level is chairback seats with pull out bleachers below. The place badly needs a coat of paint. It will get that, and more (including at least 1,000 new seats) in a renovation project that could be complete for the 2010 season.
15:49 first half: the first media timeout is the second stoppage of the game. Martelli called a quick one around the 17:37 mark after Alex Vander Baan's runner in the lane made it 6-0 Holy Cross.
Tim Clifford with 4 points and a block already. He also has a foul. one of three team fouls for HC in a six second span between the 18:38 and 18:32 marks. St. joe's is 0-2 with 5 turnovers.
11:39 first half: Holy Cross 15, St. Joe's 2. St. Joe's ends HC's 12-0 run with two free throws at the 12:54 mark. The Hawks still without a field goal.
Tim Clifford is a monster so far. The Big Purple Dog with 8 points, the latest two on a tip that was his second offensive rebound of the possession. He kept the ball in HC's hands by grabbing the carom when Eric Meister missed the back end of a two shot foul, then tipped in the miss that followed.
The only negative: Doherty has picked up his second foul and sat down at the 12:54 mark. With him on the bench, St. Joe's is trying trapping pressure against HC. Thus far with little success.
HC 21, SJ 5, 7:55 first half The offensive frustration for St. Joe's is becoming obvious. Ahmad Nivins, unable to get touches with HC packed around him in the zone, is practically begging for the ball, trying to signal his guards to toss an alley-oop his way.
Fouls mounting for the Crusaders. Adam May's second, at the 8:52 mark, is the team's ninth. St. Joes has been in the one and one since the 11:39 mark.
Thus far, HC has taken the crowd right out of the game. Holding the home team without a field goal for over 12 minutes and building a 16-point lead will do that. The Hawks are 0 for 9 from the field, with 7 turnovers. They will shoot some free throws this half, though. Kyle Cruze just became the third HC player with two fouls, and SJ is now in the double bonus, though Tasheed Carr is not taking advantage. He shot two each of the last two SJ trips and is 2 for 4.
HC 27, SJ 9 (3:21 first half) : By the way, Calathes has two fouls for St. Joe's. He has stayed in the game, though. Holy Cross with two shot clock violations thus far. Following the second, carr hit a three-pointer for St. Joe's first field goal. It comes after 15 minutes and 11 missed shots.
Calathes is sitting now. He picked up his third personal with 4:39 to play in the half.
Adam May's backdoor layup makes it 27-9 and brings Martelli to his feet to call another timeout. Key stat: HC leads in reounds 18-7.
HC 34, SJ 21 HALFTIME HC finally reaches the 1 and 1 with 55.7 seconds to go in the half.
Nice momentum play at the end of the half for HC. With SJ having clawed back to within 11, the Hawks press nearly causes a turnover. But Colin Cunningham alertly jumped over two guys battling on the floor for the loose ball, stayed inbounds and got the ball to Clifford in the frontcourt, who fed Vander Baan for an uncontested layup just before the buzzer.
At the half, St. Joe's shooting 18.8 percent, 3 for 16 from the field, all three from the arc. The Hawks took 15 trips to the foul line, made 12. Holy Cross is 12 for 26 (46.2 percent), 2 for 4 from the arc. 8 of 10 at the line.
Two huge stats: Rebounds -- HC 19, SJ 10. Turnovers: HC 5, SJ 8.
Carr has 12 of Saint Joe's 21, including two of its three field goals. Calathes 0-4 for Saint Joe's. Nivins has had just one shot from the field.
For HC: Clifford 4 for 7, 8 points, 4 rebounds -- all on the offensive glass. Vander baan 3 for 5, 6 points. Adam may 2-3, including 1 for 1 on threes - 6 points. Andrew Beinert 7 points.
Points in the paint: HC 16, SJ 0; Pts off turnovers: HC 10, SJ 0; Bench points: HC 15, SJ 0
SECOND HALF
HC 37, SJ 26 (18:07 to play: St. Joe's first two-point basket is Nivins' first field goal. It comes at the 18:07 mark and will have Nivins on the line for a three-point play after Clifford was called for his third foul on the play.
Clifford appeared to have his arms straight up and merely stood his ground as a frustrated Nivins tried to bull his way through a double-team to the basket. Might have been with the body.
Two teams opened the half trading threes, Ferguson for SJ, vander Baan for HC. Nivins can't convert the free throw.
HC 43, SJ 29 (15:41 to play) Doherty his third foul at the 17:38 mark.
Then a very bad call with 15:41 to go. Clifford's fourth, called by a ref behind the play. Should have been called on Cunningham, who reached in to stop Nivins from shooting.
Clifford had just scored 6 straight points for HC, giving him 14 for the game.
Team fouls already at 5 for HC,just 1 for St. Joe's.
HC 53, SJ 42 (9:56 to play): With Clifford out, the middle is opening up for SJ. Garrett Willimason scored on back-to-back slashes through the paint and added two free throws after being fouled by Eric Meister on his way to the rack, Meister's third. The free throws cut the lead to 45-36. Team's 6th with 13:11 to play. Team fouls HC 6, SJ 1.
Calathes now heating up, wraps a pair of threes around a Meister jump hook to cut the lead to 9 again. At the other end, beinert puts it back in double digits with a drive down the lane.
Adam May's fourth puts SJ in the bonus with 9:56 to go. SJ still with just two team fouls.
HC 59, SJ 57 (4:14 to go): HC using the three-pointer to maintain its cushion, 5 of 7 from the arc in the second half so far.
HC 64, SJ 55 : Saint Joe's cuts it to 62-53 and is at the line for the second time with a chance to cut it further. Darrin Govens missed the and-one following Cruze's third (team's 8th), but SJ got the rebound and now Calathes has two shots after Beinert's first foul. Calathes hits them both.
Clifford back in at 4:49, answers with an 18-foot jumper at the other end.
Calathes just got his fourth foul.
HC 64, SJ 57 (3:19 to go): Vander Baan backs in for a charge, team's 10th. SJ will shoot two the rest of the way. Hawks still have just 4 team fouls. That could aid HC in running the clock down at the end, since SJ needs to give 3 before it can put the Saders on the line for 1 and 1.
HC 64, SJ 59 (2:26 left): Clifford snuffs Nivins and takes the ball out of his hands at the 3:05 mark, also snuffing the crowd's chants of "The Hawk will never die" momentarily. Crowd back in it after Calathes's putback cuts it to 5
HC 65, SJ 61 (45.5 left): HC finally in the one and one on Calathes fifth personal. He leaves with 19, all in the second half.
Moments earlier, a horrible no call when a SJ defender grabbed Clifford's arm to keep him from finishing after Doherty made a terrific drive and dish play with the shot clock running down.
HC 70, SJ 61 34.1 to go): Just need to make free throws now. Vander baan has just madefour in a row, but Clifford misses the front of a 1 and 1 and SJ scores at the other end to cut it to 70-63, but unless they have a five point play or two up their sleeves, this will be a big, big win for HC.
HOLY CROSS 71, SAINT JOE'S 66: GOOD NIGHT FROM HAWK HILL
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It is almost two hours until tip-off at Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse.
First on the floor is St. Joe's forward Arvydas Lidzius, getting extra work on his shot. Lidzius started at closer range, with a manager rebounding, working his way around the basket, moving back a few steps and reversing his path. He is now about a foot-and-a-half outside the arc, and hitting at a pretty impressive rate.
The 6-9 senior from Lithuania can use the extra work. He has played in five of six games, averaging 10 minutes, but he has shot the ball just eight times in game action. He is 2 for 3 from three-point range, so HC'd best not forget about him when he is on the floor. Best not to let a driveway shooter get his feet set.
5:25: Holy Cross arrives. The team flew in last night, taking advantage of those Southwestern fares out of Providence. Their return flight leaves around noon tomorrow.
Joining Lidzius on the floor is Rockwell moody, a little used 6-9 sophomore forward. Moody looks springy and athletic, but he plays behind some pretty good upperclassmen. Actually, plays behind is not very accurate. Better to say sits behind. so far this season, he has pleayed seven minutes in four games. If he gets in tonight, it is either very good or very bad nbews for Holy Cross. It definitely won't be a sign the game is close.
5:35: Kyle Cruze first on the floor for HC. Bad news for the Crusaders, the guy rebounding for Cruze is Lawrence Dixon, who is wearing street clothes. HC SID Charles Bare says Dixon is still having problems with his knee. he was dressed for the shootaround this morning, and has dressed for recent games and saw six minutes of action against Yale.
Looking at the A-10 stats: a few comparisons between St. Joe's and Dayton, who HC played last time out.
FG Percentage: SJ 45.3, Dayton 48.5
FFG Pct. defense: SJ 41.0, Dayton 43.0
Rebounding Margin: SJ -0.8, Dayton +5
Assist to turnover ratio: SJ 1.17, Dayton 0.86
Three-pointer made: SJ 8.17 per game, Dayton 5.33
The Crusaders faced the A-10's top field goal percentage guy, Chris Wright (66.7 pct.) against Dayton. Tonight they face the guy No. 2 in the league, St. Joe's Ahmad Nivins (65.2 pct). St. Joe's Tasheed carr leads the A-10 in assists (7 apg), Dayton's Brian Roberts ( 5 apg) is third.
5:47: The entire HC team now out and going through warmup drills. Dixon appears to be the only injury concern. Everyone else in uniform; nobody particularly heavily taped.
55 Minutes to game time: Holy Cross has had a lot of success against A-10 schools. Since Ralph Willard arrived in Worcester, the 'Saders are 10-4 against the A-10. They are, 0-3 all-time against St. Joe's, including that NIT second round loss here two years ago.
St. Joe's coach Phil Martelli has not been afraid to play Patriot League schools. The Hawks had a two-for-one deal with Bucknell that brought the Bison to Philly twice in the last three seasons, with the Hawks visiting Lewisburg in 2005. They also played a home and home with Lafayette in 2005 and 2006.
This apparently is the start of a series between St. Joe's and HC, according to Ralph Willard's post on coachralph.com. Ralph does not say how many games the deal is for, but said it made sense for the two Jesuit institutions to play. He compared it to the old Fordham series, except "St Joe's is a lot better and Phil doesn't try to pretend the program is something it's not."
31 MIN TO GAME TIME: Bob Fouracre's keys to the game: 1) Shut down the St. Joe's three-point shooters 2) Tim Clifford has to stay out of foul trouble (Bob notes: "When he plays a full game, he averages over 20 points. Holy Cross can't have him sitting on the bench with two fouls five minutes into the game.") 3) Pat Doherty needs to step it up from three-point range, where he is shooting just 14.3 percent this season.
Fouracre also worries about St. Joe's ball movement foiling HC's zone defense.
24 minutes to game time: Noticeably absent from St. Joe's rotation is 6-2 sophomore guard D.J. Rivera, last season's sixth man. Rivera, who averaged over 23 minutes per game as a freshman, is sitting out the fall semester to concentrate on academics. His status for the second semester will be determined at the end of the first.
19 minutes to game time: A not so secret St. Joe's weapon HC needs to be aware of is 6-8 senior forward Rob Ferguson. Ferguson is averaging 9 points per game, fifth on the team. But he has reached double figures in the past two games, including 15 against Penn State last time out. Worth noting, nobody on St. joe's roster has more career double-figures games than Ferguson's 42.
14 minutes to game time: Worst seat in the house? That's easy -- the Saint Joe's pep band is tucked in a corner on the sideline at the end of the bleachers, without enough elevation to see the far end of the floor over the fans seated in the sections to their left. Tough to see them, but they sound real good.
5 minutes to tip: Signs at the entrance to the ticket lobby said this game is sold out. The student section has been full, and loud, for a while now, and with the Hawks entering the floor, they get even louder. Very few splotches of purple in here. Aside from a handful of folks in the sfive rows of bleachers behind the HC bench, less than a dozen other folks sporting HC colors thus far.
1 minute to tip: Is St. Joe's coach popular with the students? From the sound of the Phil Martelli, Phil Martelli chant when he makes his way on to the floor, you'd assume so.
You know you are at a Catholic school when the PA guy pages a lady named Mary Cathleen to the lobby.
If you have never been here, a quick description of the fieldhouse. It is old, small, faded and loud. It is reminiscent in size, age and the steel girders of the arched roof to Bucknell's old Davis Gym. It even has the same hung from the ceiling style backboards. Seating in the upper level is chairback seats with pull out bleachers below. The place badly needs a coat of paint. It will get that, and more (including at least 1,000 new seats) in a renovation project that could be complete for the 2010 season.
15:49 first half: the first media timeout is the second stoppage of the game. Martelli called a quick one around the 17:37 mark after Alex Vander Baan's runner in the lane made it 6-0 Holy Cross.
Tim Clifford with 4 points and a block already. He also has a foul. one of three team fouls for HC in a six second span between the 18:38 and 18:32 marks. St. joe's is 0-2 with 5 turnovers.
11:39 first half: Holy Cross 15, St. Joe's 2. St. Joe's ends HC's 12-0 run with two free throws at the 12:54 mark. The Hawks still without a field goal.
Tim Clifford is a monster so far. The Big Purple Dog with 8 points, the latest two on a tip that was his second offensive rebound of the possession. He kept the ball in HC's hands by grabbing the carom when Eric Meister missed the back end of a two shot foul, then tipped in the miss that followed.
The only negative: Doherty has picked up his second foul and sat down at the 12:54 mark. With him on the bench, St. Joe's is trying trapping pressure against HC. Thus far with little success.
HC 21, SJ 5, 7:55 first half The offensive frustration for St. Joe's is becoming obvious. Ahmad Nivins, unable to get touches with HC packed around him in the zone, is practically begging for the ball, trying to signal his guards to toss an alley-oop his way.
Fouls mounting for the Crusaders. Adam May's second, at the 8:52 mark, is the team's ninth. St. Joes has been in the one and one since the 11:39 mark.
Thus far, HC has taken the crowd right out of the game. Holding the home team without a field goal for over 12 minutes and building a 16-point lead will do that. The Hawks are 0 for 9 from the field, with 7 turnovers. They will shoot some free throws this half, though. Kyle Cruze just became the third HC player with two fouls, and SJ is now in the double bonus, though Tasheed Carr is not taking advantage. He shot two each of the last two SJ trips and is 2 for 4.
HC 27, SJ 9 (3:21 first half) : By the way, Calathes has two fouls for St. Joe's. He has stayed in the game, though. Holy Cross with two shot clock violations thus far. Following the second, carr hit a three-pointer for St. Joe's first field goal. It comes after 15 minutes and 11 missed shots.
Calathes is sitting now. He picked up his third personal with 4:39 to play in the half.
Adam May's backdoor layup makes it 27-9 and brings Martelli to his feet to call another timeout. Key stat: HC leads in reounds 18-7.
HC 34, SJ 21 HALFTIME HC finally reaches the 1 and 1 with 55.7 seconds to go in the half.
Nice momentum play at the end of the half for HC. With SJ having clawed back to within 11, the Hawks press nearly causes a turnover. But Colin Cunningham alertly jumped over two guys battling on the floor for the loose ball, stayed inbounds and got the ball to Clifford in the frontcourt, who fed Vander Baan for an uncontested layup just before the buzzer.
At the half, St. Joe's shooting 18.8 percent, 3 for 16 from the field, all three from the arc. The Hawks took 15 trips to the foul line, made 12. Holy Cross is 12 for 26 (46.2 percent), 2 for 4 from the arc. 8 of 10 at the line.
Two huge stats: Rebounds -- HC 19, SJ 10. Turnovers: HC 5, SJ 8.
Carr has 12 of Saint Joe's 21, including two of its three field goals. Calathes 0-4 for Saint Joe's. Nivins has had just one shot from the field.
For HC: Clifford 4 for 7, 8 points, 4 rebounds -- all on the offensive glass. Vander baan 3 for 5, 6 points. Adam may 2-3, including 1 for 1 on threes - 6 points. Andrew Beinert 7 points.
Points in the paint: HC 16, SJ 0; Pts off turnovers: HC 10, SJ 0; Bench points: HC 15, SJ 0
SECOND HALF
HC 37, SJ 26 (18:07 to play: St. Joe's first two-point basket is Nivins' first field goal. It comes at the 18:07 mark and will have Nivins on the line for a three-point play after Clifford was called for his third foul on the play.
Clifford appeared to have his arms straight up and merely stood his ground as a frustrated Nivins tried to bull his way through a double-team to the basket. Might have been with the body.
Two teams opened the half trading threes, Ferguson for SJ, vander Baan for HC. Nivins can't convert the free throw.
HC 43, SJ 29 (15:41 to play) Doherty his third foul at the 17:38 mark.
Then a very bad call with 15:41 to go. Clifford's fourth, called by a ref behind the play. Should have been called on Cunningham, who reached in to stop Nivins from shooting.
Clifford had just scored 6 straight points for HC, giving him 14 for the game.
Team fouls already at 5 for HC,just 1 for St. Joe's.
HC 53, SJ 42 (9:56 to play): With Clifford out, the middle is opening up for SJ. Garrett Willimason scored on back-to-back slashes through the paint and added two free throws after being fouled by Eric Meister on his way to the rack, Meister's third. The free throws cut the lead to 45-36. Team's 6th with 13:11 to play. Team fouls HC 6, SJ 1.
Calathes now heating up, wraps a pair of threes around a Meister jump hook to cut the lead to 9 again. At the other end, beinert puts it back in double digits with a drive down the lane.
Adam May's fourth puts SJ in the bonus with 9:56 to go. SJ still with just two team fouls.
HC 59, SJ 57 (4:14 to go): HC using the three-pointer to maintain its cushion, 5 of 7 from the arc in the second half so far.
HC 64, SJ 55 : Saint Joe's cuts it to 62-53 and is at the line for the second time with a chance to cut it further. Darrin Govens missed the and-one following Cruze's third (team's 8th), but SJ got the rebound and now Calathes has two shots after Beinert's first foul. Calathes hits them both.
Clifford back in at 4:49, answers with an 18-foot jumper at the other end.
Calathes just got his fourth foul.
HC 64, SJ 57 (3:19 to go): Vander Baan backs in for a charge, team's 10th. SJ will shoot two the rest of the way. Hawks still have just 4 team fouls. That could aid HC in running the clock down at the end, since SJ needs to give 3 before it can put the Saders on the line for 1 and 1.
HC 64, SJ 59 (2:26 left): Clifford snuffs Nivins and takes the ball out of his hands at the 3:05 mark, also snuffing the crowd's chants of "The Hawk will never die" momentarily. Crowd back in it after Calathes's putback cuts it to 5
HC 65, SJ 61 (45.5 left): HC finally in the one and one on Calathes fifth personal. He leaves with 19, all in the second half.
Moments earlier, a horrible no call when a SJ defender grabbed Clifford's arm to keep him from finishing after Doherty made a terrific drive and dish play with the shot clock running down.
HC 70, SJ 61 34.1 to go): Just need to make free throws now. Vander baan has just madefour in a row, but Clifford misses the front of a 1 and 1 and SJ scores at the other end to cut it to 70-63, but unless they have a five point play or two up their sleeves, this will be a big, big win for HC.
HOLY CROSS 71, SAINT JOE'S 66: GOOD NIGHT FROM HAWK HILL
Labels: games, Holy Cross
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WIth finals looming, Holy Cross faces an end of semester test tonight at Saint Joe's.
BY CHRIS A. COUROGEN
Of Hoop Time
It is quiet inside Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse, or at least as quiet as it can get with a basketball workout going on.
Ralph Willard is putting his Holy Cross team through its morning shootout, final preparation for tonight's game with the St. Joe's Hawks. Willard runs his club through the scouting report, reviewing what to expect from the Hawks on each end of the floor. He know he has to get the instructions across now. In a few hours, it won't be this quiet.
Matter of fact, it will be loud as hell inside the band box on Hawk Hill. Communications, other than at timeouts, will be difficult at best, impossible if the home team gets on a run and fuels the fever in the stands.
"The crowd energizes them," says Willard, who brought the Crusaders here for an NIT game in 2005. "They are 10 points better in here."
Ten points better for a team that took Syracuse to the limit in the Carrier Dome is pretty tough. Ten points better for a team that is 4-2, with the two looses coming by three at Syracuse and by five in overtime to Gonzaga (here in the fieldhouse), means a true challenge for the 6-1 Crusaders, coming off their first loss of the season.
"Tonight will be a good measuring stick for us," Willard says. "You're not going to face a tougher environment."
Nor will HC face many tougher teams. Saint Joe's is big, quick, athletic, well-coached -- everything but deep. The Hawks only run seven guys in their rotation. But those seven are pretty good.
Ahmad Nivins is as athletic a big man as the Crusaders will face, a 6-9 first team All-Atlantic 10 and All-Big Five pick who is shooting 65.2 percent from the field and scoring 15.7 points per game. For good measure, he also leads the Hawks in rbounding with 8.3 per game.
Guard Darrin Govens, a 6-1 sophomore who followed Jameer Nelson's path from Chester, Pa. to City Line Ave., hits 41.7 percent from the arc and averages 13.8 ppg.
Junior Tasheed Carr, a 6-4 Iowa State transfer, is dishing out over 7 assists per game and still finds time to score 9.7 points per contest. Rob Ferguson, a 6-8 senior, is another Hawk with three-point range. His average of 9.0 ppg will probably sneak into double figures when he find the touch from the arc that enabled him to shoot 42.9 percent there last season. Sooner or later you have to think he will heat up and improve his current 25-percent mark.
And then there is 6-10 senior Pat Calathes, a matchup nightmare at the three for Saint Joe's.
"Calathes is the real key," says Willard. "He does so many things. He is 6-11 and he runs the floor like a gazelle.. He posts you up, shoots threes."
Stopping him won't be a one-man job. It will take concerted effort by the Crusaders zone to know where Calathes is at all times. It will also take Tim Clifford staying out of foul trouble and on the floor so the perimeter defenders can pressure St. Joe's on the arc.Clifford's size and strength can help neutralize Nivins, but not from the bench.
The Crusaders can't let this turn into an up and down affair. If they watched any film of Bucknell's recent wins over the Hawks, they will have noticed St. Joe's can tend towards impatience when forced to strap it up and play a halfcourt game.
"If we let them get in transition, we have no chance," Willard says.
Another key will be maintaining focus if the Crusaders get a lead. That has been a problem. HC has been up by double figures in every game, but has struggled with its end game.
"We lose focus with leads. We haven't learned to play with the lead yet, to put people away," says Willard.
Despite its 6-1 record, Willard still is not convinced about this ballclub.
"We're doing some things very well, but we are not very good yet," said Willard.
Willard is anxious to get this one, and finals, out of the way. What looked like a tremendously long time between games when the schedule came out looks a whole lot better given where his team is at right now. After tonight, the 'Saders have 18 days off until they travel to Siena on Dec. 22. After that it is another week off before facing Sacred Heart.
"I didn't like it at first," Willard says. "Looking at it now with our team, it's a positive. It will give us a lot of time to improve on things we are not good at."
The Crusaders will practice every other day during finals, which begin Saturday, then will have a full week before the Siena game and another week off after that.
Which suits the coach just fine.
Says Willard, "We need a lot of practice right now."
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BY CHRIS A. COUROGEN
Of Hoop Time
It is quiet inside Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse, or at least as quiet as it can get with a basketball workout going on.
Ralph Willard is putting his Holy Cross team through its morning shootout, final preparation for tonight's game with the St. Joe's Hawks. Willard runs his club through the scouting report, reviewing what to expect from the Hawks on each end of the floor. He know he has to get the instructions across now. In a few hours, it won't be this quiet.
Matter of fact, it will be loud as hell inside the band box on Hawk Hill. Communications, other than at timeouts, will be difficult at best, impossible if the home team gets on a run and fuels the fever in the stands.
"The crowd energizes them," says Willard, who brought the Crusaders here for an NIT game in 2005. "They are 10 points better in here."
Ten points better for a team that took Syracuse to the limit in the Carrier Dome is pretty tough. Ten points better for a team that is 4-2, with the two looses coming by three at Syracuse and by five in overtime to Gonzaga (here in the fieldhouse), means a true challenge for the 6-1 Crusaders, coming off their first loss of the season.
"Tonight will be a good measuring stick for us," Willard says. "You're not going to face a tougher environment."
Nor will HC face many tougher teams. Saint Joe's is big, quick, athletic, well-coached -- everything but deep. The Hawks only run seven guys in their rotation. But those seven are pretty good.
Ahmad Nivins is as athletic a big man as the Crusaders will face, a 6-9 first team All-Atlantic 10 and All-Big Five pick who is shooting 65.2 percent from the field and scoring 15.7 points per game. For good measure, he also leads the Hawks in rbounding with 8.3 per game.
Guard Darrin Govens, a 6-1 sophomore who followed Jameer Nelson's path from Chester, Pa. to City Line Ave., hits 41.7 percent from the arc and averages 13.8 ppg.
Junior Tasheed Carr, a 6-4 Iowa State transfer, is dishing out over 7 assists per game and still finds time to score 9.7 points per contest. Rob Ferguson, a 6-8 senior, is another Hawk with three-point range. His average of 9.0 ppg will probably sneak into double figures when he find the touch from the arc that enabled him to shoot 42.9 percent there last season. Sooner or later you have to think he will heat up and improve his current 25-percent mark.
And then there is 6-10 senior Pat Calathes, a matchup nightmare at the three for Saint Joe's.
"Calathes is the real key," says Willard. "He does so many things. He is 6-11 and he runs the floor like a gazelle.. He posts you up, shoots threes."
Stopping him won't be a one-man job. It will take concerted effort by the Crusaders zone to know where Calathes is at all times. It will also take Tim Clifford staying out of foul trouble and on the floor so the perimeter defenders can pressure St. Joe's on the arc.Clifford's size and strength can help neutralize Nivins, but not from the bench.
The Crusaders can't let this turn into an up and down affair. If they watched any film of Bucknell's recent wins over the Hawks, they will have noticed St. Joe's can tend towards impatience when forced to strap it up and play a halfcourt game.
"If we let them get in transition, we have no chance," Willard says.
Another key will be maintaining focus if the Crusaders get a lead. That has been a problem. HC has been up by double figures in every game, but has struggled with its end game.
"We lose focus with leads. We haven't learned to play with the lead yet, to put people away," says Willard.
Despite its 6-1 record, Willard still is not convinced about this ballclub.
"We're doing some things very well, but we are not very good yet," said Willard.
Willard is anxious to get this one, and finals, out of the way. What looked like a tremendously long time between games when the schedule came out looks a whole lot better given where his team is at right now. After tonight, the 'Saders have 18 days off until they travel to Siena on Dec. 22. After that it is another week off before facing Sacred Heart.
"I didn't like it at first," Willard says. "Looking at it now with our team, it's a positive. It will give us a lot of time to improve on things we are not good at."
The Crusaders will practice every other day during finals, which begin Saturday, then will have a full week before the Siena game and another week off after that.
Which suits the coach just fine.
Says Willard, "We need a lot of practice right now."
Labels: Holy Cross, previews
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Out of the frying pan, into the fire for Holy Cross, which comes off a home loss to Dayton to travel to Hawk Hill for a meeting with Saint Hoseph's that ought to be the Crusaders' toughest challenge to date. Elswhere, Howard is at American.
SCOUTING SAINT JOE'S: The Hawks are the second straight top notch Atlantic 10 side on HC's schedule. Saint Joe's comes in 4-2, the two losses coming to Gonzaga in overtime and to Syracuse, by three, in the Carrier Dome.
Center Ahmad Nivins is an athletic 6-9 specimin who could might give Tim Clifford fits. Nivins, a first team All-A-10 and All Big Five pick as a sophomore, the junior is averaging 15.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per game.
Pat Calathes is a matchup nightmare, a 6-10 senior swingman with three-point range. Calathes is not afraid to shoot the three-ball, he is averaging almost two treys per game. A third-team All A-10 pick as a sophomore, Calathes also earned second team All Big Five accolades. Calathes has been good for 17.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game thus far.
Darrin Govens (6-1 soph.), the latest Saint Joe's point guard from Chester, is hitting 41.7 percent from the arc, scoring 13.8 ppg.
BONUS LINKS:
Saint Joe's stats
Saint Joe's game notes
SCOUTING HOWARD: The Bison (3-5) are coming off a loss to Hampton in a game in which Howard managed just 31 points. Howard's record includes a win over Navy. As a team, teh Bison are shooting 40.7 percent from the field, 25.4 percent from three-point range. Opponents are hitting at a 45.4 percent rate overall, 34.3 percent on three-pointers. Howard turns the ball over 18.6 times per game and is being out rebounded by 10 per game and outscored by 18.2 points per game.
Eugene Myatt is the only Bison in double figures. Myatt avrages 17.8 ppg, shooting 50.9 percent from the field, 41.7 percent from the arc.
BONUS LINKS:
Howard stats
Howard game notes
Box score
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SCOUTING SAINT JOE'S: The Hawks are the second straight top notch Atlantic 10 side on HC's schedule. Saint Joe's comes in 4-2, the two losses coming to Gonzaga in overtime and to Syracuse, by three, in the Carrier Dome.
Center Ahmad Nivins is an athletic 6-9 specimin who could might give Tim Clifford fits. Nivins, a first team All-A-10 and All Big Five pick as a sophomore, the junior is averaging 15.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per game.
Pat Calathes is a matchup nightmare, a 6-10 senior swingman with three-point range. Calathes is not afraid to shoot the three-ball, he is averaging almost two treys per game. A third-team All A-10 pick as a sophomore, Calathes also earned second team All Big Five accolades. Calathes has been good for 17.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game thus far.
Darrin Govens (6-1 soph.), the latest Saint Joe's point guard from Chester, is hitting 41.7 percent from the arc, scoring 13.8 ppg.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING HOWARD: The Bison (3-5) are coming off a loss to Hampton in a game in which Howard managed just 31 points. Howard's record includes a win over Navy. As a team, teh Bison are shooting 40.7 percent from the field, 25.4 percent from three-point range. Opponents are hitting at a 45.4 percent rate overall, 34.3 percent on three-pointers. Howard turns the ball over 18.6 times per game and is being out rebounded by 10 per game and outscored by 18.2 points per game.
Eugene Myatt is the only Bison in double figures. Myatt avrages 17.8 ppg, shooting 50.9 percent from the field, 41.7 percent from the arc.
BONUS LINKS:
Box score
Labels: American, Holy Cross, previews
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(Originally posted Mon. at 9:55 p.m, links added at 7:27 a.m.)
Down most of the game, Bucknell put together a late run to get back in the game against LaSalle, then won it with free throws and defense down the stretch.
Things didn't look good in Lewisburg during the first half Monday night, with LaSalle raining threes to build a lead of as many as 16-points before settling for a 39-27 advantage at the intermission.
The Explorers only shoty 42.4 percent from the field in the half, but 9 of their 14 buckets came from behind the arc. Toss in 10 offensive rebounds and 7 Bucknell turnovers and it adds up to a double digit deficit despite Bucknell going 50 percent from the field in the first half.
The Bison made several small runs early in the second half, but could not get over the hump until late. LaSalle's lead was still at 9 when Ruben Guillandeaux made his third trey with 5:23 to play. But that was the last field goal LaSalle would score.
A Stephen Tyree tip and back-to-back threes by John Griffin and Juctin Castleberry made it a one-point game with 3:20 left. A pair of free throws by Yves Mekongo Mbala pushed LaSalle's lead back to 66-63, with 2:15 to play. That was the last time LaSalle scored.
A Todd O'Brien tip made it a one-point game with 43 seconds left, and after a defensive stop, Griffin put the Bison ahead with what proved to be a pair of game-winning free throws with nine seconds remaining. LaSalle had a chance to pull it out, but Guillandeaux's layup with 2 seconds left was off the mark and Castleberry gathered in the rebound.
Griffin led Bucknell with 21 points. Patrick Behan and Catleberry each added 18. Freshman center O'Brien continued his streak of multi-bloick games with three rejections.
The Bison were 16 for 25 from the field in the second half (55.2 percent) to finish the game at 53.1 percent (26-49, 5 of 13 threes). Bucknell held LaSalle to 7 for 25 shooting after the break (28 percent). Five of those seven made shots were threes (5-15). For the game, LaSalle finished 21 of 58 (36.2 percent), 14 for 29 from the arc.
Box score | Daily Item | Philly Inquirer
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Down most of the game, Bucknell put together a late run to get back in the game against LaSalle, then won it with free throws and defense down the stretch.
Things didn't look good in Lewisburg during the first half Monday night, with LaSalle raining threes to build a lead of as many as 16-points before settling for a 39-27 advantage at the intermission.
The Explorers only shoty 42.4 percent from the field in the half, but 9 of their 14 buckets came from behind the arc. Toss in 10 offensive rebounds and 7 Bucknell turnovers and it adds up to a double digit deficit despite Bucknell going 50 percent from the field in the first half.
The Bison made several small runs early in the second half, but could not get over the hump until late. LaSalle's lead was still at 9 when Ruben Guillandeaux made his third trey with 5:23 to play. But that was the last field goal LaSalle would score.
A Stephen Tyree tip and back-to-back threes by John Griffin and Juctin Castleberry made it a one-point game with 3:20 left. A pair of free throws by Yves Mekongo Mbala pushed LaSalle's lead back to 66-63, with 2:15 to play. That was the last time LaSalle scored.
A Todd O'Brien tip made it a one-point game with 43 seconds left, and after a defensive stop, Griffin put the Bison ahead with what proved to be a pair of game-winning free throws with nine seconds remaining. LaSalle had a chance to pull it out, but Guillandeaux's layup with 2 seconds left was off the mark and Castleberry gathered in the rebound.
Griffin led Bucknell with 21 points. Patrick Behan and Catleberry each added 18. Freshman center O'Brien continued his streak of multi-bloick games with three rejections.
The Bison were 16 for 25 from the field in the second half (55.2 percent) to finish the game at 53.1 percent (26-49, 5 of 13 threes). Bucknell held LaSalle to 7 for 25 shooting after the break (28 percent). Five of those seven made shots were threes (5-15). For the game, LaSalle finished 21 of 58 (36.2 percent), 14 for 29 from the arc.
Box score | Daily Item | Philly Inquirer
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(Originally posted Mon. at 10:46 p.m, links added at 7:23 a.m.)
Don't look now, but the team with the second-best record in the league is probably not who you might expect. Lafayette is 5-2 and on a four-game win streak after blasting the New jersey Institute of Technology, 81-56.
Some great game notes lifted straight from the Lafayette official version:
The skeptics will say they'd be far more impressed if those numbers came against better opposition. Still in its Division I infancy, NJIT is admittedly a weak, 0-9 side.
But it is the kind of game Lafayette had to scratch and claw through for wins a year or two ago. Now, a seasoned bunch of upperclassmen, and the first infusions of scholarship talent has Lafayette looking stronger than some expected.
Sure all four wins in the streak came at home, and aside from UMBC, none came against particularly tough foes. It's still four straight, something Lafayette hasn't managed in a long while. The UMBC win is legit and they breezed in the other three.
They have what look to be winnable games on the upcoming eight-game road swing leading up to a conference opener at home against Holy Cross. If Lafayette keeps playing well, that could suddenly be one of the season's big games.
Lafayette is 5-2. A split on the trip is optimistic, but doable. It probably will take winning four out of five against Towson, Mt. St. Mary's, Columbia, Princeton and Robert Morris. The stretch opens Wednesday at Rutgers. Games at Pittsburgh and Mississippi State leave little margin for error in the other five.
It should be fun to watch Fran O'Hanlon's team if they are starting to turn the corner
Box Box score } Morning Call | Express-Times
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Don't look now, but the team with the second-best record in the league is probably not who you might expect. Lafayette is 5-2 and on a four-game win streak after blasting the New jersey Institute of Technology, 81-56.
Some great game notes lifted straight from the Lafayette official version:
NJIT led 2-0, then got blown to Phillipsburg by the Leopards, who pieced together a pair of 13-point runs in the first half, leading by as many as 22. which is where the margin stood at the break. Lafayette quickly built the lead to 35 points, and cruised home, giving the entire bench a nice run. The only guy to play less than 14 minutes was starting point Andrew Brown, who sat down with 9 points after playing 7 minutesEvery player who was dressed for the Leopards scored at least one field goal. The last time the Leopards won four-straight was during the 2003-04 campaign when they rattled off seven-straight from Jan.10-Feb. 1 during a season in which they finished with an 18-10 overall record. The last time Lafayette started 5-2 was in the 1999-2000 campaign, a season in which the Leopards earned their second-consecutive NCAA Tournament berth. The last time Lafayette had a 20-plus point win was in an 82-61 win over Army on Jan. 25, 2006. The 15 steals were a season-high and the most by a Patriot League team this season, surpassing Navy's 14 against Longwood earlier in the year. The 19 first half points by NJIT were the fewest scored in any half by a Lafayette opponent this season while the 41 first half points scored by the Leopards were the most in an opening half this season. Jeff Kari's five steals were a career-high. Freshman Ben Wheeler made his first appearance of the season, playing 20 minutes and finishing with two points, two rebounds and two assists. Lafayette shot 52.4 percent (11-of-21) from three-point range, the team's highest percentage of the season
The skeptics will say they'd be far more impressed if those numbers came against better opposition. Still in its Division I infancy, NJIT is admittedly a weak, 0-9 side.
But it is the kind of game Lafayette had to scratch and claw through for wins a year or two ago. Now, a seasoned bunch of upperclassmen, and the first infusions of scholarship talent has Lafayette looking stronger than some expected.
Sure all four wins in the streak came at home, and aside from UMBC, none came against particularly tough foes. It's still four straight, something Lafayette hasn't managed in a long while. The UMBC win is legit and they breezed in the other three.
They have what look to be winnable games on the upcoming eight-game road swing leading up to a conference opener at home against Holy Cross. If Lafayette keeps playing well, that could suddenly be one of the season's big games.
Lafayette is 5-2. A split on the trip is optimistic, but doable. It probably will take winning four out of five against Towson, Mt. St. Mary's, Columbia, Princeton and Robert Morris. The stretch opens Wednesday at Rutgers. Games at Pittsburgh and Mississippi State leave little margin for error in the other five.
It should be fun to watch Fran O'Hanlon's team if they are starting to turn the corner
Box Box score } Morning Call | Express-Times
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(Originally posted Mon. at 10:28 p.m, links added at 7:19 a.m.)
Poor shooting doomed any chance Navy might have had of overcoming the early 13-point lead it spotted Mount Saint Mary's in Monday night's 62-58 loss.
You'd have thought somebody opened the big door to Alumni Hall -- the one they call the elephant door -- and left it open. It was that cold. The two teams combined to shoot 30.2 percent from the field (35-116), going 8 for 38 (21 percent) from three-point range.
Navy actually had the better field goal stats -- 18 of 55 (32.7 percent), 4 of 22 from the arc. Mount Saint Mary's finished 17 of 61 (27.9 percent), also with 4 treys (on 16 attempts. The difference came at the foul line, where getting 12 more shots resulted in just enough more points to pull out the four-point win. MSM went 24 for 35 at the free throw line. Navy shot 23 foul shots, making 18.
The Mids were 0 for 7 with 5 turnovers in the first 5:39 of the game, allowing the Mount to build a 13-0 lead before Kaleo Kina hit a jumper to end Navy's drought. navy battled back to within a point, cutting the deficit to 30-29 on a pair of Chris Harris free throws with 1:37 to go in the half. Jason Loughry's jumper with three seconds to go until the break gave MSM a 32-29 lead at the half, Navy never got closer the rest of the way.
Greg Sprink led Navy with 16 points and 9 rebounds, but the 6-5 senior was 0 for 9 from the arc, 5 for 19 overall. Kina added 16 points and 7 boards off the bench and Harris finished with 15.
Navy got outrebounded by a 51-37 margin. MSM had 19 offensive boards.
Box score | Frederick News-Post | AP
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Poor shooting doomed any chance Navy might have had of overcoming the early 13-point lead it spotted Mount Saint Mary's in Monday night's 62-58 loss.
You'd have thought somebody opened the big door to Alumni Hall -- the one they call the elephant door -- and left it open. It was that cold. The two teams combined to shoot 30.2 percent from the field (35-116), going 8 for 38 (21 percent) from three-point range.
Navy actually had the better field goal stats -- 18 of 55 (32.7 percent), 4 of 22 from the arc. Mount Saint Mary's finished 17 of 61 (27.9 percent), also with 4 treys (on 16 attempts. The difference came at the foul line, where getting 12 more shots resulted in just enough more points to pull out the four-point win. MSM went 24 for 35 at the free throw line. Navy shot 23 foul shots, making 18.
The Mids were 0 for 7 with 5 turnovers in the first 5:39 of the game, allowing the Mount to build a 13-0 lead before Kaleo Kina hit a jumper to end Navy's drought. navy battled back to within a point, cutting the deficit to 30-29 on a pair of Chris Harris free throws with 1:37 to go in the half. Jason Loughry's jumper with three seconds to go until the break gave MSM a 32-29 lead at the half, Navy never got closer the rest of the way.
Greg Sprink led Navy with 16 points and 9 rebounds, but the 6-5 senior was 0 for 9 from the arc, 5 for 19 overall. Kina added 16 points and 7 boards off the bench and Harris finished with 15.
Navy got outrebounded by a 51-37 margin. MSM had 19 offensive boards.
Box score | Frederick News-Post | AP
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Monday, December 03, 2007
Every Monday we bring you the latest Mid-Major Top 25 poll and juicy, hot excerpts from the league office's latest memo. So regular, you could set your calendar by it.
Holy Cross hangs on to the No. 10 spot in this week's Mid-Major Top 25. No other league schools receiving votes.
Meanwhile, here is the latest weekly memo from the league office:
Dec. 3, 2007
Four of the six games involving Patriot League teams were decided by three points or less on Saturday, with the League splitting the nail-biters. Army and Colgate posted tight victories on the road, but the close games did not turn out as well for Holy Cross and Bucknell. In other action, American and Lehigh fell on Saturday. Lafayette and Navy were off for the weekend.
Patriot League Men's Basketball Release - 12.3.07
Anaconda Player of the Week
Jarell Brown, Army Sr., G, 6'2, 183, Cleveland, Ohio/St. Peter Chanel
Brown had another huge week to earn his second consecutive Anaconda Player of the Week honor, and fifth in his career. He opened the week by joining the Patriot League's 1,000-point club during a 24-point effort in a 70-64 loss at Hartford. Then, he had a spectacular game at VMI with a career-high 34 points and 10 rebounds for his first-career double-double in a 71-69 victory. Brown shot 11-of-13 from the field and 8-for-9 from three-point range in the game, and made all four foul shots. He averaged 29.0 points and 7.5 rebounds for the week, and connected on 64.5 percent from the field and 60.9 percent from beyond the arc. He accounted for 42.9 percent of Army's offense during the two games, and has now scored at least 20 points in a career-high four straight games. Brown has also made at least five three-pointers in each of the last four games, including a career-high eight twice.
Anaconda Rookie of the Week
Todd O'Brien, Bucknell Fr., C, 6'11, 225, New Holland, Pa./Garden Sport
O'Brien posted an impressive effort with 14 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks in Bucknell's 57-54 loss to St. Francis (Pa.) on Saturday. He also notched three points, seven rebounds and two blocks in a loss to Marist on Wednesday, and finished the week with 8.5 points, 10.0 rebounds and three blocks per game in the two contests. The effort against St. Francis (Pa.) came in his first-career start. O'Brien has blocked at least two shots in every game so far, and leads the Patriot League with 2.83 blocks per game for the year. The four blocks against St. Francis (Pa.) were a career high. O'Brien earns his first Rookie of the Week honor.
Patriot League Notebook
Down to the Wire
Four of the six games involving Patriot League teams were decided by three points or less on Saturday, with the League splitting the nail-biters. Army and Colgate posted tight victories on the road. The Black Knights knocked off VMI, 71-69, when Grant Carter hit a three-pointer with 1.6 seconds left for the go-ahead score. It was just Carter's second field goal of the season, and gave Army a win in a game it led by 16 points with 13 minutes to play. Colgate scored 50 points in the second half, 18 of them from Kyle Roemer, in a 76-73 win at Cornell. The Raiders trailed by eight points with 9:40 to play, but used a 9-0 run to take the lead at 50-49 with 6:58 left and made 14-of-16 free throws down the stretch. The close games did not turn out as well for Holy Cross and Bucknell. The Crusaders suffered their first loss of the year, 55-53 to Dayton. They held a 40-33 lead with 10:40 left, but Dayton took command with a 15-1 run. Holy Cross closed to within two, but could not get off a shot on the final possession. Bucknell lost a wild game at home to St. Francis (Pa.). The Bison led by nine early in the second half, trailed by 16 with 2:00 to play, and scored 14 points in 53 seconds without allowing Saint Francis to cross halfcourt. John Griffin's shot to tie the game rimmed out in the closing seconds. American and Lehigh also fell on Saturday, while Lafayette and Navy were off for the weekend.
Tough Tests
Holy Cross and Lafayette have enjoyed the best starts in the Patriot League, but both will face difficult contests on the road this week. The Crusaders travel to Saint Joseph's on Tuesday, while the Leopards kick off an eight-game road trip that goes all the way to League play with a trip to Rutgers on Wednesday. Every team plays once from Monday-Thursday, with the Leopards playing NJIT at home on Monday in addition to the game at Rutgers. Bucknell, Navy, American and Lehigh all host contests, while Colgate and Army are on the road.
Then, the "REAL" Tough Tests
Holy Cross, Colgate and Bucknell all have an extended break after their upcoming games, as Patriot League schools begin the end of semester exam schedules. The League's instiutional exam dates are: American = Dec. 10-15; Army = Dec. 15-22; Bucknell = Dec. 6-13; Colgate = Dec. 10-14; Holy Cross = Dec. 8-15; Lafayette = Dec. 11-18; Lehigh = Dec. 11-19; Navy = Dec. 7-14;.
Living up to Their Billing
Preseason All-League status might not mean anything, but the five selections to the Patriot League preseason team are showing why they are so highly regarded. Army guard Jarell Brown leads the Patriot League with 21.3 ppg for the season, and posted a huge effort with 34 points and 10 rebounds in Saturday's win over VMI. Brown entered the Patriot League's 1,000-point club, and has 1,048 for his career. Navy's Greg Sprink was already a 1,000-point man, and has kept it up by placing third in the League with 17.4 ppg for the year. Preseason Player of the Year Tim Clifford has four 20-point efforts for Holy Cross after a slow start, and is seventh in the League with 15.4 ppg. Clifford also leads the League by hitting 60.8 percent from the field. Lehigh's Marquis Hall is eighth in scoring (14.5 ppg), tied for second in assists (4.5) and tied for first in assist/turnover ratio at 1.89. Bucknell's John Griffin completes the group by ranking 10th in the League with 12.0 ppg.
Still the Only One
When Lehigh won at St. Francis (Pa.) on Nov. 17, the Patriot League became the first of 31 Division I conferences to have all of its teams record at least one road victory this season. Two weeks later, the Patriot League is still the only one to accomplish the feat. Lehigh's home win over St. Peter's on Nov. 14 made the League the second conference to have every team record at least one win over a Division I opponent. The SEC beat the Patriot League to the mark by day.
Team Notebooks
American
The Eagles saw their two-game winning streak come to an end with an 83-68 loss to UMBC on Saturday...On Monday, they completed a 2-1 road stretch with a 66-45 victory at Mount St. Mary's on Monday...Derrick Mercer had a strong week, doing a bit of everything with eight points, six rebounds and seven assists against Mount St. Mary's and then posting a career-high 28 points in the loss to UMBC...He shot 10-of-12 from the field and 3-of-4 from three-point range in the contest, and is shooting 54.8 percent overall and 55.6 percent on three-pointers for the year...Mercer leads the Eagles with 16.2 ppg and 4.5 assists per game for the year...He is second in the Patriot League in assists, and tied for first with a 1.89 assist/turnover ratio...The win over Mount St. Mary's was the first time all season that someone other than Mercer or Garrison Carr led the team in scoring, as Travis Lay notched 17 points...American hosts Howard on Tuesday and Jacksonville on Friday to complete a three-game homestand.
Army
The Black Knights won a thriller, 71-69, at VMI on Saturday after falling to Hartford, 70-64, on Wednesday...Grant Carter hit a three-pointer with 1.6 seconds left to give the Black Knights the win at VMI after squandering a 16-point lead...It was Carter's second basket of the season, and first since hitting a three in the season opener at Minnesota...Jarell Brown had a career-high 34 points and 10 rebounds for Army's first double-double of the season....Brown has scored at least 20 points in a career-high four straight games, and leads the Patriot League with 21.3 ppg for the year...Brown now has 1,048 career points, good for 24th on Army's all-time list and up to 48th in Patriot League annals...The Black Knights shot a season-high 58.7 percent in the game, and held VMI to 35 points below its 103.7 average coming into the game...The Keydets had scored 156 points in their game against Columbia Union prior to the Army matchup...Doug Williams made his season debut at VMI, and notched seven points and eight rebounds while also assisting on Carter's game-winner...Army had its lowest (20) and highest (44) scoring half of the season in the loss to Hartford...The Black Knights conclude their three-game road trip Thursday at NJIT, and return home to face Quinnipiac on Sunday.
Bucknell
The Bison have lost four games in a row after a 2-0 start, falling to St. Francis (Pa.), 57-54, on Saturday and Marist, 55-40, on Wednesday at home last week....Bucknell had a nine-point lead early in the second half against St. Francis, trailed by 16 with 2:00 to play, then scored 14 points in 53 seconds without allowing Saint Francis to cross halfcourt...John Griffin had a potential tying jumper rim out in the closing seconds, however...Freshmen Todd O'Brien and Darryl Shazier made their first career starts in the Saint Francis game, making six different Bison who have started for the first time this season...The loss to Marist broke a 10-game home winning streak that dated back to the beginning of Patriot League play last season...The 40-point total was the team's lowest in a game since 1998, and lowest total at home since losing, 25-15, to Penn State in 1951...The Bison wrap up a three-game homestand on Monday against La Salle, then are off until Dec. 16 at Wake Forest as the Bucknell final exam period runs from Dec. 6-13.
Colgate
The Raiders snapped a three-game losing streak with a 76-73 victory at Cornell on Monday...The Big Red had already knocked off Lehigh and Army at home this season, and had a 4-0 home record entering the game...Kyle Roemer scored a game-high 18 points, all in the second half, as Colgate rallied from a halftime deficit...Roemer averaged 15.5 ppg and 4.5 apg for the week, and has led Colgate in scoring in all eight games this season....He is second in the Patriot League with 19.0 ppg...Willie Morse notched 11 first-half points in the game as Roemer was out with foul trouble...Daniel Waddy hit 9-of-10 foul shots in the closing minutes against Cornell...The Raiders also lost to Notre Dame, 94-63, on Monday...Waddy is the only other Raider in double figures for the year, averaging an even 10.0 ppg...Colgate leads the Patriot League in field goal percentage (47.1) and three-point percentage (45.0)...It plays the third game of a six-game road trip on Wednesday at Binghamton, then is off until Dec. 18 at Syracuse because of final exams from Dec. 10-14.
Holy Cross
The Crusaders knocked off Ohio, 62-60, on Monday and beat Yale, 60-39, on Wednesday to improve to 6-0 for the first time since 1988-89, but fell to Dayton, 55-53, on Saturday at the DCU Center in Worcester...Kyle Cruze hit the game-winning shot with two seconds remaining in the win over Ohio, while Tim Clifford dominated with 23 points, eight rebounds and six blocks against Yale...They held Yale to 17 first-half points and just 26.7 percent shooting from the field for the game...Clifford led the way with 20 points against Dayton, but a 15-1 Dayton run in the second half turned a seven-point Holy Cross lead into a seven-point deficit...Clifford hit two three-pointers in the final seconds to keep the game within reach...He averaged 18.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg and 2.7 bpg for the week, while shooting 64.7 percent from the field...He broke the school record for blocked shots, and now has 155 blocks for his career...The record had been held by Nate Lufkin (153 blocks, 2001-05)...Holy Cross plays at Saint Joseph's on Tuesday, then has its exams period from Dec. 8-15 and does not play again until Dec. 22 at Siena.
Lafayette
Lafayette won its third consecutive game with an 81-69 triumph over Penn on Wednesday...The Leopards broke an eight-game losing skid against the Quakers, and snapped the Patriot League's 23-game streak against Penn...Both dated back to a Lafayette win in 1997...Six players, including all five starters, scored in double figures in the game...It marked the first time since Dec. 13, 2004 that six players scored in double figures, and first time since 2002 that all five starters did it...The Leopards have won three straight for the first time since beating St. Peter's, Lycoming and NJIT in non-League play a year ago...Head Coach Fran O'Hanlon evened his career record at 175-175 in his 350th game...The Leopards are now 3-0 in televised games, and are the only Patriot League team to win a televised game this season...The Leopards will try to win their fourth consecutive game when they conclude a five-game homestand on Monday against NJIT....They hit the road to Rutgers on Wednesday and Columbia on Saturday to open up an eight-game road swing.
Lehigh
The Mountain Hawks posted a 1-2 record during the week, knocking off NJIT, 67-58, on Monday, falling to Quinnipiac, 92-88, in double overtime on Wednesday and losing at Central Connecticut State, 65-55, on Saturday...Six players scored seven points or more against NJIT, led by Marquis Hall with 12....Hall also totaled a game-high eight assists...Lehigh forced 19 turnovers, while committing only nine of its own....Against Quinnipiac, Hall had a game-high 27 points and notched seven assists, while Zahir Carrington recorded a career-high 23 on 11-of-14 shooting...The 11 field goals tied the most for a Patriot League player this season...Carrington is shooting over 70 percent in his last five games, and averaging 11.3 points in 19 minutes per game for the year...Bryan White had 14 points and eight rebounds, and hit the first three-pointer of his career to send the game to double overtime...Frehsman Rob Keefer averaged 9.3 points and 4.0 rebounds for the week, and tied his career-high and with 12 points against CCSU...Lehigh enters a three-game homestand with games against Stony Brook on Wednesday and Harvard on Saturday.
Navy
The Midshipmen came back from a 75-65 loss at Howard on Tuesday with an impressive 73-59 triumph at home against Towson on Thursday...Navy shot a season-high 50.9 percent from the field against Towson, and posted their best field goal percentage defense by holding the Tigers to 34.5 percent...Kaleo Kina and Adam Teague combined for 29 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists in the contest...The Mids used a 16-4 second-half run to take a 16-point lead and pull away for the win...They tallied 22 assists, a high mark under Head Coach Billy Lange...Eleven players scored against Towson, with seven players netting at least five points...Leading scorer Greg Sprink was held to four points, dropping his season average to 17.4....Navy won for the first time since 2005-06 when Sprink was held in single digits...Navy's bench has outscored the Navy starting five each of the last two games, averaging 40.0 ppg to the starters' 29.0 ppg...Navy plays at home against Mount St. Mary's on Monday, then breaks for its exam period that spans from December 7-14...The Midshipmen return when they travel to San Diego State on Dec. 17.
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Holy Cross hangs on to the No. 10 spot in this week's Mid-Major Top 25. No other league schools receiving votes.
Meanwhile, here is the latest weekly memo from the league office:
Dec. 3, 2007
Four of the six games involving Patriot League teams were decided by three points or less on Saturday, with the League splitting the nail-biters. Army and Colgate posted tight victories on the road, but the close games did not turn out as well for Holy Cross and Bucknell. In other action, American and Lehigh fell on Saturday. Lafayette and Navy were off for the weekend.
Patriot League Men's Basketball Release - 12.3.07
Anaconda Player of the Week
Jarell Brown, Army Sr., G, 6'2, 183, Cleveland, Ohio/St. Peter Chanel
Brown had another huge week to earn his second consecutive Anaconda Player of the Week honor, and fifth in his career. He opened the week by joining the Patriot League's 1,000-point club during a 24-point effort in a 70-64 loss at Hartford. Then, he had a spectacular game at VMI with a career-high 34 points and 10 rebounds for his first-career double-double in a 71-69 victory. Brown shot 11-of-13 from the field and 8-for-9 from three-point range in the game, and made all four foul shots. He averaged 29.0 points and 7.5 rebounds for the week, and connected on 64.5 percent from the field and 60.9 percent from beyond the arc. He accounted for 42.9 percent of Army's offense during the two games, and has now scored at least 20 points in a career-high four straight games. Brown has also made at least five three-pointers in each of the last four games, including a career-high eight twice.
Anaconda Rookie of the Week
Todd O'Brien, Bucknell Fr., C, 6'11, 225, New Holland, Pa./Garden Sport
O'Brien posted an impressive effort with 14 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks in Bucknell's 57-54 loss to St. Francis (Pa.) on Saturday. He also notched three points, seven rebounds and two blocks in a loss to Marist on Wednesday, and finished the week with 8.5 points, 10.0 rebounds and three blocks per game in the two contests. The effort against St. Francis (Pa.) came in his first-career start. O'Brien has blocked at least two shots in every game so far, and leads the Patriot League with 2.83 blocks per game for the year. The four blocks against St. Francis (Pa.) were a career high. O'Brien earns his first Rookie of the Week honor.
Patriot League Notebook
Down to the Wire
Four of the six games involving Patriot League teams were decided by three points or less on Saturday, with the League splitting the nail-biters. Army and Colgate posted tight victories on the road. The Black Knights knocked off VMI, 71-69, when Grant Carter hit a three-pointer with 1.6 seconds left for the go-ahead score. It was just Carter's second field goal of the season, and gave Army a win in a game it led by 16 points with 13 minutes to play. Colgate scored 50 points in the second half, 18 of them from Kyle Roemer, in a 76-73 win at Cornell. The Raiders trailed by eight points with 9:40 to play, but used a 9-0 run to take the lead at 50-49 with 6:58 left and made 14-of-16 free throws down the stretch. The close games did not turn out as well for Holy Cross and Bucknell. The Crusaders suffered their first loss of the year, 55-53 to Dayton. They held a 40-33 lead with 10:40 left, but Dayton took command with a 15-1 run. Holy Cross closed to within two, but could not get off a shot on the final possession. Bucknell lost a wild game at home to St. Francis (Pa.). The Bison led by nine early in the second half, trailed by 16 with 2:00 to play, and scored 14 points in 53 seconds without allowing Saint Francis to cross halfcourt. John Griffin's shot to tie the game rimmed out in the closing seconds. American and Lehigh also fell on Saturday, while Lafayette and Navy were off for the weekend.
Tough Tests
Holy Cross and Lafayette have enjoyed the best starts in the Patriot League, but both will face difficult contests on the road this week. The Crusaders travel to Saint Joseph's on Tuesday, while the Leopards kick off an eight-game road trip that goes all the way to League play with a trip to Rutgers on Wednesday. Every team plays once from Monday-Thursday, with the Leopards playing NJIT at home on Monday in addition to the game at Rutgers. Bucknell, Navy, American and Lehigh all host contests, while Colgate and Army are on the road.
Then, the "REAL" Tough Tests
Holy Cross, Colgate and Bucknell all have an extended break after their upcoming games, as Patriot League schools begin the end of semester exam schedules. The League's instiutional exam dates are: American = Dec. 10-15; Army = Dec. 15-22; Bucknell = Dec. 6-13; Colgate = Dec. 10-14; Holy Cross = Dec. 8-15; Lafayette = Dec. 11-18; Lehigh = Dec. 11-19; Navy = Dec. 7-14;.
Living up to Their Billing
Preseason All-League status might not mean anything, but the five selections to the Patriot League preseason team are showing why they are so highly regarded. Army guard Jarell Brown leads the Patriot League with 21.3 ppg for the season, and posted a huge effort with 34 points and 10 rebounds in Saturday's win over VMI. Brown entered the Patriot League's 1,000-point club, and has 1,048 for his career. Navy's Greg Sprink was already a 1,000-point man, and has kept it up by placing third in the League with 17.4 ppg for the year. Preseason Player of the Year Tim Clifford has four 20-point efforts for Holy Cross after a slow start, and is seventh in the League with 15.4 ppg. Clifford also leads the League by hitting 60.8 percent from the field. Lehigh's Marquis Hall is eighth in scoring (14.5 ppg), tied for second in assists (4.5) and tied for first in assist/turnover ratio at 1.89. Bucknell's John Griffin completes the group by ranking 10th in the League with 12.0 ppg.
Still the Only One
When Lehigh won at St. Francis (Pa.) on Nov. 17, the Patriot League became the first of 31 Division I conferences to have all of its teams record at least one road victory this season. Two weeks later, the Patriot League is still the only one to accomplish the feat. Lehigh's home win over St. Peter's on Nov. 14 made the League the second conference to have every team record at least one win over a Division I opponent. The SEC beat the Patriot League to the mark by day.
Team Notebooks
American
The Eagles saw their two-game winning streak come to an end with an 83-68 loss to UMBC on Saturday...On Monday, they completed a 2-1 road stretch with a 66-45 victory at Mount St. Mary's on Monday...Derrick Mercer had a strong week, doing a bit of everything with eight points, six rebounds and seven assists against Mount St. Mary's and then posting a career-high 28 points in the loss to UMBC...He shot 10-of-12 from the field and 3-of-4 from three-point range in the contest, and is shooting 54.8 percent overall and 55.6 percent on three-pointers for the year...Mercer leads the Eagles with 16.2 ppg and 4.5 assists per game for the year...He is second in the Patriot League in assists, and tied for first with a 1.89 assist/turnover ratio...The win over Mount St. Mary's was the first time all season that someone other than Mercer or Garrison Carr led the team in scoring, as Travis Lay notched 17 points...American hosts Howard on Tuesday and Jacksonville on Friday to complete a three-game homestand.
Army
The Black Knights won a thriller, 71-69, at VMI on Saturday after falling to Hartford, 70-64, on Wednesday...Grant Carter hit a three-pointer with 1.6 seconds left to give the Black Knights the win at VMI after squandering a 16-point lead...It was Carter's second basket of the season, and first since hitting a three in the season opener at Minnesota...Jarell Brown had a career-high 34 points and 10 rebounds for Army's first double-double of the season....Brown has scored at least 20 points in a career-high four straight games, and leads the Patriot League with 21.3 ppg for the year...Brown now has 1,048 career points, good for 24th on Army's all-time list and up to 48th in Patriot League annals...The Black Knights shot a season-high 58.7 percent in the game, and held VMI to 35 points below its 103.7 average coming into the game...The Keydets had scored 156 points in their game against Columbia Union prior to the Army matchup...Doug Williams made his season debut at VMI, and notched seven points and eight rebounds while also assisting on Carter's game-winner...Army had its lowest (20) and highest (44) scoring half of the season in the loss to Hartford...The Black Knights conclude their three-game road trip Thursday at NJIT, and return home to face Quinnipiac on Sunday.
Bucknell
The Bison have lost four games in a row after a 2-0 start, falling to St. Francis (Pa.), 57-54, on Saturday and Marist, 55-40, on Wednesday at home last week....Bucknell had a nine-point lead early in the second half against St. Francis, trailed by 16 with 2:00 to play, then scored 14 points in 53 seconds without allowing Saint Francis to cross halfcourt...John Griffin had a potential tying jumper rim out in the closing seconds, however...Freshmen Todd O'Brien and Darryl Shazier made their first career starts in the Saint Francis game, making six different Bison who have started for the first time this season...The loss to Marist broke a 10-game home winning streak that dated back to the beginning of Patriot League play last season...The 40-point total was the team's lowest in a game since 1998, and lowest total at home since losing, 25-15, to Penn State in 1951...The Bison wrap up a three-game homestand on Monday against La Salle, then are off until Dec. 16 at Wake Forest as the Bucknell final exam period runs from Dec. 6-13.
Colgate
The Raiders snapped a three-game losing streak with a 76-73 victory at Cornell on Monday...The Big Red had already knocked off Lehigh and Army at home this season, and had a 4-0 home record entering the game...Kyle Roemer scored a game-high 18 points, all in the second half, as Colgate rallied from a halftime deficit...Roemer averaged 15.5 ppg and 4.5 apg for the week, and has led Colgate in scoring in all eight games this season....He is second in the Patriot League with 19.0 ppg...Willie Morse notched 11 first-half points in the game as Roemer was out with foul trouble...Daniel Waddy hit 9-of-10 foul shots in the closing minutes against Cornell...The Raiders also lost to Notre Dame, 94-63, on Monday...Waddy is the only other Raider in double figures for the year, averaging an even 10.0 ppg...Colgate leads the Patriot League in field goal percentage (47.1) and three-point percentage (45.0)...It plays the third game of a six-game road trip on Wednesday at Binghamton, then is off until Dec. 18 at Syracuse because of final exams from Dec. 10-14.
Holy Cross
The Crusaders knocked off Ohio, 62-60, on Monday and beat Yale, 60-39, on Wednesday to improve to 6-0 for the first time since 1988-89, but fell to Dayton, 55-53, on Saturday at the DCU Center in Worcester...Kyle Cruze hit the game-winning shot with two seconds remaining in the win over Ohio, while Tim Clifford dominated with 23 points, eight rebounds and six blocks against Yale...They held Yale to 17 first-half points and just 26.7 percent shooting from the field for the game...Clifford led the way with 20 points against Dayton, but a 15-1 Dayton run in the second half turned a seven-point Holy Cross lead into a seven-point deficit...Clifford hit two three-pointers in the final seconds to keep the game within reach...He averaged 18.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg and 2.7 bpg for the week, while shooting 64.7 percent from the field...He broke the school record for blocked shots, and now has 155 blocks for his career...The record had been held by Nate Lufkin (153 blocks, 2001-05)...Holy Cross plays at Saint Joseph's on Tuesday, then has its exams period from Dec. 8-15 and does not play again until Dec. 22 at Siena.
Lafayette
Lafayette won its third consecutive game with an 81-69 triumph over Penn on Wednesday...The Leopards broke an eight-game losing skid against the Quakers, and snapped the Patriot League's 23-game streak against Penn...Both dated back to a Lafayette win in 1997...Six players, including all five starters, scored in double figures in the game...It marked the first time since Dec. 13, 2004 that six players scored in double figures, and first time since 2002 that all five starters did it...The Leopards have won three straight for the first time since beating St. Peter's, Lycoming and NJIT in non-League play a year ago...Head Coach Fran O'Hanlon evened his career record at 175-175 in his 350th game...The Leopards are now 3-0 in televised games, and are the only Patriot League team to win a televised game this season...The Leopards will try to win their fourth consecutive game when they conclude a five-game homestand on Monday against NJIT....They hit the road to Rutgers on Wednesday and Columbia on Saturday to open up an eight-game road swing.
Lehigh
The Mountain Hawks posted a 1-2 record during the week, knocking off NJIT, 67-58, on Monday, falling to Quinnipiac, 92-88, in double overtime on Wednesday and losing at Central Connecticut State, 65-55, on Saturday...Six players scored seven points or more against NJIT, led by Marquis Hall with 12....Hall also totaled a game-high eight assists...Lehigh forced 19 turnovers, while committing only nine of its own....Against Quinnipiac, Hall had a game-high 27 points and notched seven assists, while Zahir Carrington recorded a career-high 23 on 11-of-14 shooting...The 11 field goals tied the most for a Patriot League player this season...Carrington is shooting over 70 percent in his last five games, and averaging 11.3 points in 19 minutes per game for the year...Bryan White had 14 points and eight rebounds, and hit the first three-pointer of his career to send the game to double overtime...Frehsman Rob Keefer averaged 9.3 points and 4.0 rebounds for the week, and tied his career-high and with 12 points against CCSU...Lehigh enters a three-game homestand with games against Stony Brook on Wednesday and Harvard on Saturday.
Navy
The Midshipmen came back from a 75-65 loss at Howard on Tuesday with an impressive 73-59 triumph at home against Towson on Thursday...Navy shot a season-high 50.9 percent from the field against Towson, and posted their best field goal percentage defense by holding the Tigers to 34.5 percent...Kaleo Kina and Adam Teague combined for 29 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists in the contest...The Mids used a 16-4 second-half run to take a 16-point lead and pull away for the win...They tallied 22 assists, a high mark under Head Coach Billy Lange...Eleven players scored against Towson, with seven players netting at least five points...Leading scorer Greg Sprink was held to four points, dropping his season average to 17.4....Navy won for the first time since 2005-06 when Sprink was held in single digits...Navy's bench has outscored the Navy starting five each of the last two games, averaging 40.0 ppg to the starters' 29.0 ppg...Navy plays at home against Mount St. Mary's on Monday, then breaks for its exam period that spans from December 7-14...The Midshipmen return when they travel to San Diego State on Dec. 17.
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It's an anniversary edition of the HOOP TIME NOTEBOOK.
A little over three years ago, we decided to kill a free evening by driving to Lewisburg to see the Bison play St. Francis.
The actual date was Nov. 22, 2004. A date that will only live in infamy for as long as we keep this site going, assuming we remember each year to remind you.
We were not actually covering that game. Plans were to get a look at the Bison in advance of some freelance gigs later in the season, say hello to some old friends, stop for a beverage with my brother on the way home.
There were no plans to write about that game as we drove north along the Susquehanna River on U.S. Routes 11&15. Matter of fact, there were not even any plans for this Web site, which was born that night. Those plans came together on the drive home.
Thank, or blame -- depending how you view this site -- Bucknell Sports Information Director Jon Terry. Terry was sort of the site muse. After the game, I told JT it was a shame I didn't have anyplace to write about the game. Terry's response: "You ought to start a Web site or something."
At 1:27 the next morning, the first post was up on the newest concept to carry the Hoop Time name.
Since then, the Hoop Time Notebook has been an irregular feature of the site. Here is the latest version:
MUM'S THE WORD: One of the casualties of this year's officiating point of emphasis on bench decorum apparently is the dialogue coaches and officials used to carry on during games. Despite the high-profile coach rants and outbursts that get noticed by most fans, coaches and officials used to have an open line of communications during games. Refs would routinely offer coaches an explanation of calls, especially confusing ones like the one made around the eight-minute mark of the second half in Bucknell's loss to Saint Francis.
That was when Devin Sweetney collided with Bucknell defenders on his way to the rack, drawing a whistle and an initial signal that Sweetney was being called for an offensive charge. The official who made the initial call also signaled Sweetney's basket did not count. But then, for some unknown reason, Sweetney went to the foul line and completed a three-point play.
Even Bucknell coach pat Flannery was in the dark. Asked after the game about the call, Flannery said, "I don't know what happened there,"
The refs would have explained it to the coach last season. This season, though, "There's no dialogue, no conversation," Flannery said.
RULES INTERPRETATION: In our story from that game, we mentioned the lack of a technical foul on Saint Francis when Marquis Ford tried to take Chris Berry's spot at the free throw line for a crucial one-and-one in the final 30 seconds. The rule covering such shenanigans does give the officials an out on such plays. The interpretation in the rule book states:
The officials don't have access to a team's stats during the game, so they would not have realized that Ford might have been motivated to try the switcheroo by the fact that Berry is a 57.1 percent free throw shooter. But you do have to wonder why it took Bucknell players and coaches drawing their attention to the switch for the officials to notice. It is not like Berry -- who stands 6-4 -- and the 5-11 Ford look alike, or have similar jersey numbers (Berry wears a single digit -- 5, Ford sports 11).
RATINGS DROP: With about a month left in non-conference play, the Patriot League is going to have to do some scrambling if it wants to continue its trend of moving up in the conference RPI rankings. The league's standing has improved in each of the last three seasons, going from No. 26 in 2004 to 23 in 2005, 21 in 2006 and No. 17 last season. As recently as two weeks ago, the Patriot League was up to No. 13. Since then it has dropped like a
FADE AWAY: When American failed to hold a halftime Saturday against UMBC, it was not the first time this season it had happened. Not the second, either. The Eagles have simply not been a very good second half team.
Three of AU's four losses came in games they led at the break. They trailed by two in the other.
The problem seems to be at both ends of the floor. American scores fewer points after intermission and gives up more. In eight games thus far, the Eagles have scored 274 first half points. That is 67 more than opponents have scored. Second half has been a different story, with opponents scoring 288 points and American 243 -- 31 less than they score in first halves.
INDECISIVE: While previewing the Army-VMI game, we mentioned the Keydets had used a different starting lineup every game. VMI coach Duggar Baucom is not the only coach who is having a hard time settling on a first five. In coverage of Central Connecticut's win Saturday over Lehigh, the Hartford Currant's Tom Yantz points out:
Bucknell, after starting the same five for the first five games, replaced juniors Justin Castleberry and Josh LInthicum with freshmen Daryl Shazier and Todd O'Brien. Four guys have started all seven Holy Cross games.Sophomore Eric Meister started in place of forward Alex Vander Baan in one game when Vander Baan was injured. A similar situation exists at American, where four guys have started every game and Cornelio Guibunda has started in seven of the eight. Colgate and Lehigh have been even more consistent, the same five starting every game.
At the other end of the spectrum, Navy has used eight men as starters. Lafayette has used nine,
BLOCK PARTY: With his four blocks against St, Francis on Saturday, Bucknell center Todd O'Brien how has 17 blocked shots. The 6-11 freshman from New Holland, Pa has multiple blocks in every game thus far. His average of 2.8 blocks per game leads the Patriot League by over a block per game. Holy Cross senior Tim Clifford, who owns the Crusaders' career blocks mark (currently sitting at 155), is averaging 1.7 per game.
As prolific O'Brien has been, he is not on pace to challenge the Bison single-season record of 100 set by Mike Butts as a senior in 1989. At O'Brien's current pace of 2.8 blocks per game, the Bison would need to advance to the Sweet Sixteeen for him to reach Butts' single-season mark.
A little sobering perspective: To reach Adonal Foyle's single-season Patriot league record of 190, O'Brien would need 64 games at his current pace.
PADDING THE NUMBERS: When Navy hit 28 of 55 from the field (season-high 50.9 percent) against Towson, it marked just the third time all season the Midshipmen shot better than 40 percent in a game. It was the first time the Mids shot better than 50 percent since the season-opener at Longwood, when they hit 50.8 percent. Navy shot 47.2 percent in the loss to Texas-San Antonio. In Navy's other six games, their best night was against Robert Morris, when they hit 39.7 percent. Their showing against Towson brought the Mids season field goal numbers above 40 percent, improving from 39.2 percent to 40.4 percent.
BOMBS AWAY: Last season Lafayette set a school record 256 three-pointers, hitting 8.5 per game, a rate that ranked 25th nationally. At their current pace, the Leopards will shatter that mark this season. Lafayette is hitting 10.8 treys per game, a pace that would give them 354 for the season if they maintain it. The Leopards have hit 65 threes thus far, 18 more than they had last season after six games. Three-pointers account for 40.8 percent of all Lafayette scoring. Of 341 shots Lafayette has put up from the field, 159 (47 percent) have come from behind the arc, where they are hitting at a 40.9 percent clip. Although threes account for just 41.9 percent of all made Navy field goals, 52 percent of the Mids scoring from the field comes from the arc. Navy has scored 195 points on threes, 180 on two-point shots and 102 at the foul line.
ICE, ICE, BAY-BEE: When the girls of Team Hoop Time went 2 for 24 from the field in season-opening loss to the Carlisle Thunder, it was hard to imagine a colder shooting effort might be going on elsewhere. But when some of the girls got to Sojka Pavilion that evening to watch the Bucknell men play, they found out they didn't shoot so bad after all. At least not compared to what happened that same afternoon in the Bucknell women's game at Marist.
Women hate when you use the adjective 'frigid' to describe anything but the weather, but what else would you call Bucknell's 0 for 28 start in that game. The Bison trailed 19-0 before getting on the scoreboard with a free throw 9:55 into the game. They went 14:31 before finally getting their first field goal, a Kristina Collymore jumper at the 5:29 mark.
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A little over three years ago, we decided to kill a free evening by driving to Lewisburg to see the Bison play St. Francis.
The actual date was Nov. 22, 2004. A date that will only live in infamy for as long as we keep this site going, assuming we remember each year to remind you.
We were not actually covering that game. Plans were to get a look at the Bison in advance of some freelance gigs later in the season, say hello to some old friends, stop for a beverage with my brother on the way home.
There were no plans to write about that game as we drove north along the Susquehanna River on U.S. Routes 11&15. Matter of fact, there were not even any plans for this Web site, which was born that night. Those plans came together on the drive home.
Thank, or blame -- depending how you view this site -- Bucknell Sports Information Director Jon Terry. Terry was sort of the site muse. After the game, I told JT it was a shame I didn't have anyplace to write about the game. Terry's response: "You ought to start a Web site or something."
At 1:27 the next morning, the first post was up on the newest concept to carry the Hoop Time name.
Since then, the Hoop Time Notebook has been an irregular feature of the site. Here is the latest version:
MUM'S THE WORD: One of the casualties of this year's officiating point of emphasis on bench decorum apparently is the dialogue coaches and officials used to carry on during games. Despite the high-profile coach rants and outbursts that get noticed by most fans, coaches and officials used to have an open line of communications during games. Refs would routinely offer coaches an explanation of calls, especially confusing ones like the one made around the eight-minute mark of the second half in Bucknell's loss to Saint Francis.
That was when Devin Sweetney collided with Bucknell defenders on his way to the rack, drawing a whistle and an initial signal that Sweetney was being called for an offensive charge. The official who made the initial call also signaled Sweetney's basket did not count. But then, for some unknown reason, Sweetney went to the foul line and completed a three-point play.
Even Bucknell coach pat Flannery was in the dark. Asked after the game about the call, Flannery said, "I don't know what happened there,"
The refs would have explained it to the coach last season. This season, though, "There's no dialogue, no conversation," Flannery said.
RULES INTERPRETATION: In our story from that game, we mentioned the lack of a technical foul on Saint Francis when Marquis Ford tried to take Chris Berry's spot at the free throw line for a crucial one-and-one in the final 30 seconds. The rule covering such shenanigans does give the officials an out on such plays. The interpretation in the rule book states:
When the attempt by A2 is due to a justifiable misunderstanding, there shall be no penalty. The error shall be corrected under Rule 2-11. When it is reasonable to believe that A2 knew that A1 was the designated shooter, a direct technical foul for unsportsmanlike conduct shall be called.In other words, the question is, should Ford, who was looking for a pass from Berry when Bucknell's Stephen Tyree wrapped his arms around Ford out near midcourt, have known that he was not the shooter. Or was it reasonable for him to think he was the one who was fouled after seeing the obvious play in front of him and catching a pass after the whistle had blown.
The officials don't have access to a team's stats during the game, so they would not have realized that Ford might have been motivated to try the switcheroo by the fact that Berry is a 57.1 percent free throw shooter. But you do have to wonder why it took Bucknell players and coaches drawing their attention to the switch for the officials to notice. It is not like Berry -- who stands 6-4 -- and the 5-11 Ford look alike, or have similar jersey numbers (Berry wears a single digit -- 5, Ford sports 11).
RATINGS DROP: With about a month left in non-conference play, the Patriot League is going to have to do some scrambling if it wants to continue its trend of moving up in the conference RPI rankings. The league's standing has improved in each of the last three seasons, going from No. 26 in 2004 to 23 in 2005, 21 in 2006 and No. 17 last season. As recently as two weeks ago, the Patriot League was up to No. 13. Since then it has dropped like a
FADE AWAY: When American failed to hold a halftime Saturday against UMBC, it was not the first time this season it had happened. Not the second, either. The Eagles have simply not been a very good second half team.
Three of AU's four losses came in games they led at the break. They trailed by two in the other.
The problem seems to be at both ends of the floor. American scores fewer points after intermission and gives up more. In eight games thus far, the Eagles have scored 274 first half points. That is 67 more than opponents have scored. Second half has been a different story, with opponents scoring 288 points and American 243 -- 31 less than they score in first halves.
INDECISIVE: While previewing the Army-VMI game, we mentioned the Keydets had used a different starting lineup every game. VMI coach Duggar Baucom is not the only coach who is having a hard time settling on a first five. In coverage of Central Connecticut's win Saturday over Lehigh, the Hartford Currant's Tom Yantz points out:
"Central Connecticut coach Howie Dickenman used his sixth different starting lineup in game No. 7 Saturday."That got us wondering about starting lineups around the league.
Bucknell, after starting the same five for the first five games, replaced juniors Justin Castleberry and Josh LInthicum with freshmen Daryl Shazier and Todd O'Brien. Four guys have started all seven Holy Cross games.Sophomore Eric Meister started in place of forward Alex Vander Baan in one game when Vander Baan was injured. A similar situation exists at American, where four guys have started every game and Cornelio Guibunda has started in seven of the eight. Colgate and Lehigh have been even more consistent, the same five starting every game.
At the other end of the spectrum, Navy has used eight men as starters. Lafayette has used nine,
BLOCK PARTY: With his four blocks against St, Francis on Saturday, Bucknell center Todd O'Brien how has 17 blocked shots. The 6-11 freshman from New Holland, Pa has multiple blocks in every game thus far. His average of 2.8 blocks per game leads the Patriot League by over a block per game. Holy Cross senior Tim Clifford, who owns the Crusaders' career blocks mark (currently sitting at 155), is averaging 1.7 per game.
As prolific O'Brien has been, he is not on pace to challenge the Bison single-season record of 100 set by Mike Butts as a senior in 1989. At O'Brien's current pace of 2.8 blocks per game, the Bison would need to advance to the Sweet Sixteeen for him to reach Butts' single-season mark.
A little sobering perspective: To reach Adonal Foyle's single-season Patriot league record of 190, O'Brien would need 64 games at his current pace.
PADDING THE NUMBERS: When Navy hit 28 of 55 from the field (season-high 50.9 percent) against Towson, it marked just the third time all season the Midshipmen shot better than 40 percent in a game. It was the first time the Mids shot better than 50 percent since the season-opener at Longwood, when they hit 50.8 percent. Navy shot 47.2 percent in the loss to Texas-San Antonio. In Navy's other six games, their best night was against Robert Morris, when they hit 39.7 percent. Their showing against Towson brought the Mids season field goal numbers above 40 percent, improving from 39.2 percent to 40.4 percent.
BOMBS AWAY: Last season Lafayette set a school record 256 three-pointers, hitting 8.5 per game, a rate that ranked 25th nationally. At their current pace, the Leopards will shatter that mark this season. Lafayette is hitting 10.8 treys per game, a pace that would give them 354 for the season if they maintain it. The Leopards have hit 65 threes thus far, 18 more than they had last season after six games. Three-pointers account for 40.8 percent of all Lafayette scoring. Of 341 shots Lafayette has put up from the field, 159 (47 percent) have come from behind the arc, where they are hitting at a 40.9 percent clip. Although threes account for just 41.9 percent of all made Navy field goals, 52 percent of the Mids scoring from the field comes from the arc. Navy has scored 195 points on threes, 180 on two-point shots and 102 at the foul line.
ICE, ICE, BAY-BEE: When the girls of Team Hoop Time went 2 for 24 from the field in season-opening loss to the Carlisle Thunder, it was hard to imagine a colder shooting effort might be going on elsewhere. But when some of the girls got to Sojka Pavilion that evening to watch the Bucknell men play, they found out they didn't shoot so bad after all. At least not compared to what happened that same afternoon in the Bucknell women's game at Marist.
Women hate when you use the adjective 'frigid' to describe anything but the weather, but what else would you call Bucknell's 0 for 28 start in that game. The Bison trailed 19-0 before getting on the scoreboard with a free throw 9:55 into the game. They went 14:31 before finally getting their first field goal, a Kristina Collymore jumper at the 5:29 mark.
Box score
Labels: American, Army, Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh, Navy, notebook
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Three league teams in action tonight, all on their home floors. Navy looks to win its second in a row when it hosts Mount Saint Mary's tonight. Lafayette looks for its third straight win against NJIT and Bucknell tries to end a three-game losing streak when LaSalle visits Sojka Pavilion.
SCOUTING LaSALLE: The Explorers come in 3-2, riding a two-game win streak. They have been in every game they have played. In fact, they have had at least an 8-point lead at some point in all five games and have led all five at the half. The Explorers have outscored the opposition 170-137 in first halves, but have been outscored 185-152 after the intermission.
Senior Darnell Harris (6-1) leads LaSalle in scoring with 13.8 ppg. A career-1,000-point scorer, Harris is a three-point shooter, hitting better (41.3 percent) from the arc than he is overall (34.9 percent). Soph Rodney Green(6-5) is just behind at 13.4 ppg. An Atlantic-10 All-Rookie pick last season, Green is shooting 42.9 percent from three-point range.
Inside, LaSalle is getting a strong contribution from the 6-8 Williams twins, Jerrell and Terrell, who are combining for 12 points and 9.2 rebounds per game in 35 shared minutes per contest.
Sophomore Ruben Guillandeaux led the team in assists last season. Guillandeaux has missed the Explorer's first five games and is listed as questionable for this one.
With Guillandeaux out, LaSalle has been turning the ball over more than 18 times per game. The Explorers shoot 40.9 percent from the field, holding opponents to 39.4 percent. LaDalle has outrebounded its foes by better than 6 per game.
BONUS LINKS:
LaSalle stats
LaSalle game notes
SCOUTING MOUNT ST. MARY'S: The Mounts picked up their first win Saturday, handling Loyola (Md.) with relative ease, 70-58. Among their four losses to open the season was one at American.
Chris Vann leads all Mount scorers with his 17 ppg average. Jeremy Goode has been the leading scorer the last three games and stands just behind Vann at 16.3 ppg. Will Holland also averages in double figures (10.6 ppg.)
BONUS LINKS:
Mount stats
Mount game notes
SCOUTING NJIT: Last time we checked in on the Highlanders, they were dropping Thanksgiving weekend games to American and Lehigh. Since then, 0-8 NJIT has lost two more.
The Highlanders are being outscored by an average of 26.5 points per game, outrebounded by almost 8 per game and average 21 turnovers. Opponents are shooting 50.1 percent against NJIT and holding the Highlanders to 36.2 percent from the field.
Junior Nesho Milosevic, a 6-8 forward from Montenegro, is the only Highlander averaging in double figures at 11.5 ppg. Kraig Peters, a 6-4 senior, is scoring 9.9 ppg.
BONUS LINKS:
NJIT stats
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SCOUTING LaSALLE: The Explorers come in 3-2, riding a two-game win streak. They have been in every game they have played. In fact, they have had at least an 8-point lead at some point in all five games and have led all five at the half. The Explorers have outscored the opposition 170-137 in first halves, but have been outscored 185-152 after the intermission.
Senior Darnell Harris (6-1) leads LaSalle in scoring with 13.8 ppg. A career-1,000-point scorer, Harris is a three-point shooter, hitting better (41.3 percent) from the arc than he is overall (34.9 percent). Soph Rodney Green(6-5) is just behind at 13.4 ppg. An Atlantic-10 All-Rookie pick last season, Green is shooting 42.9 percent from three-point range.
Inside, LaSalle is getting a strong contribution from the 6-8 Williams twins, Jerrell and Terrell, who are combining for 12 points and 9.2 rebounds per game in 35 shared minutes per contest.
Sophomore Ruben Guillandeaux led the team in assists last season. Guillandeaux has missed the Explorer's first five games and is listed as questionable for this one.
With Guillandeaux out, LaSalle has been turning the ball over more than 18 times per game. The Explorers shoot 40.9 percent from the field, holding opponents to 39.4 percent. LaDalle has outrebounded its foes by better than 6 per game.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING MOUNT ST. MARY'S: The Mounts picked up their first win Saturday, handling Loyola (Md.) with relative ease, 70-58. Among their four losses to open the season was one at American.
Chris Vann leads all Mount scorers with his 17 ppg average. Jeremy Goode has been the leading scorer the last three games and stands just behind Vann at 16.3 ppg. Will Holland also averages in double figures (10.6 ppg.)
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING NJIT: Last time we checked in on the Highlanders, they were dropping Thanksgiving weekend games to American and Lehigh. Since then, 0-8 NJIT has lost two more.
The Highlanders are being outscored by an average of 26.5 points per game, outrebounded by almost 8 per game and average 21 turnovers. Opponents are shooting 50.1 percent against NJIT and holding the Highlanders to 36.2 percent from the field.
Junior Nesho Milosevic, a 6-8 forward from Montenegro, is the only Highlander averaging in double figures at 11.5 ppg. Kraig Peters, a 6-4 senior, is scoring 9.9 ppg.
BONUS LINKS:
Labels: Bucknell, Lehigh, Navy, previews
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Sunday, December 02, 2007
Derrick Mercer scored a career-high 28 points, but the Eagles fell to UMBC, 83-68.
It was a case of a second-half collapse for AU (4-4), which led at the half and was up 43-36 early in the second when UMBC (6-1) reeled off a 9-0 run to take the lead, then began pulling away.
The Eagles, 23 of 52 for the game (49.2 percent) from the field, shot 34.8 percent after the break.
UMBC was 25 of 54 (46.3 percent) from the field, including 9 of 19 from the arc. The Retrievers were 24 of 28 at the foul line (AU 12-16).
Box score | Baltimore Sun
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It was a case of a second-half collapse for AU (4-4), which led at the half and was up 43-36 early in the second when UMBC (6-1) reeled off a 9-0 run to take the lead, then began pulling away.
The Eagles, 23 of 52 for the game (49.2 percent) from the field, shot 34.8 percent after the break.
UMBC was 25 of 54 (46.3 percent) from the field, including 9 of 19 from the arc. The Retrievers were 24 of 28 at the foul line (AU 12-16).
Box score | Baltimore Sun
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So far a predicted winter storm has not struck the Hoop Time World Headquarters in Central Pa., but conditions were frigid Saturday for Lehigh at Central Connecticut.
Marquis Hall finished with 13 points. But Lehigh's leading scorer was 3 for 15 from the field in the Mountain Hawks' 65-55 loss to CCSU (2-5). You might see where this one is going.
The Hawks (3-5) shot 21 for 49 from the field, a misleading 42.9 percent. Take away a combined 10 for 14 from Zahir Carrington (13 points) and freshman Rob keefer (12) and the rest of the Lehigh roster was 11 for 35 (31.4 percent).
Lehigh's defense held CCSU to a 19 of 49 night from the field (38 percent), but 9 threes on 20 tries and 18 points from the free throw line -- double what Lehigh earned at the stripe, were the difference. CCSU went 18 for 27 on free throws, Lehigh was perfect, but only shot 9.
Box score | Hartford Courant
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Marquis Hall finished with 13 points. But Lehigh's leading scorer was 3 for 15 from the field in the Mountain Hawks' 65-55 loss to CCSU (2-5). You might see where this one is going.
The Hawks (3-5) shot 21 for 49 from the field, a misleading 42.9 percent. Take away a combined 10 for 14 from Zahir Carrington (13 points) and freshman Rob keefer (12) and the rest of the Lehigh roster was 11 for 35 (31.4 percent).
Lehigh's defense held CCSU to a 19 of 49 night from the field (38 percent), but 9 threes on 20 tries and 18 points from the free throw line -- double what Lehigh earned at the stripe, were the difference. CCSU went 18 for 27 on free throws, Lehigh was perfect, but only shot 9.
Box score | Hartford Courant
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Three straight losses, two at home, had taken a little of the shine off Colgate's 4-0 start. The Raiders restored a little of the luster with an impressive road win Saturday.
Kyle Roemer scored 18 points for Colgate, which trailed as many as 8 points in the second half before rallying to beat Cornell 76-73. A 9-0 run gave the Raiders a 50-49 lead with 6:58 left. Cornell tied it at 53-53, but Roemer scored 5 straight points to put Colgate ahead for good.
Daniel Waddy with a save in relief of Roemer at the foul line down the stretch. Whether by design, or forced by denial defense on Roemer, it was Waddy's hands on the ball down the stretch, when Cornell was fouling to extend the game. It was a tactic wasted. Waddy knocked down 9 of 10 in the last 31 seconds, finishing with 16 points.
Willie Morse with 11 off the bench for the Raiders, who handed Cornell its first home loss in five games this season.
Box score | Ithaca Journal | AP
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Kyle Roemer scored 18 points for Colgate, which trailed as many as 8 points in the second half before rallying to beat Cornell 76-73. A 9-0 run gave the Raiders a 50-49 lead with 6:58 left. Cornell tied it at 53-53, but Roemer scored 5 straight points to put Colgate ahead for good.
Daniel Waddy with a save in relief of Roemer at the foul line down the stretch. Whether by design, or forced by denial defense on Roemer, it was Waddy's hands on the ball down the stretch, when Cornell was fouling to extend the game. It was a tactic wasted. Waddy knocked down 9 of 10 in the last 31 seconds, finishing with 16 points.
Willie Morse with 11 off the bench for the Raiders, who handed Cornell its first home loss in five games this season.
Box score | Ithaca Journal | AP
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Dayton's best player, quiet all night, made the big noise at the end of the Flyers' 55-53 win over the Crusaders in the DCU Center Saturday night.
Roberts came in averaging 22.4 points per game. He was 2 for 7 with 5 points with 33 seconds to go in the game when he hit a jumper to put Dayton up by 5. Ralph Willard said it was the mortal blow to HC's six-game season-opening win streak.
“Roberts’ shot,” Willard told Jen Toland of the Telegram and Gazette, “was a killer.”
Tim Clifford, who had 20 points for Holy Cross, hit two threes back to back late in the last 30 seconds, but it the Crusaders could not get off a shot on their final possession.
Box score | Springfield News-Sun (gamer) | News-Sun (notebook)
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Roberts came in averaging 22.4 points per game. He was 2 for 7 with 5 points with 33 seconds to go in the game when he hit a jumper to put Dayton up by 5. Ralph Willard said it was the mortal blow to HC's six-game season-opening win streak.
“Roberts’ shot,” Willard told Jen Toland of the Telegram and Gazette, “was a killer.”
Tim Clifford, who had 20 points for Holy Cross, hit two threes back to back late in the last 30 seconds, but it the Crusaders could not get off a shot on their final possession.
Box score | Springfield News-Sun (gamer) | News-Sun (notebook)
Labels: games, Holy Cross
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Army senior Grant Carter had only hit one three-pointer thus far this season. He only took one against VMI. He will probably remember it for a long, long time.
Carter's trey, with 1.6 seconds to play, gave the Black Knights a 71-69 win over VMI. VMI thought it won the game with a three at the buzzer off an inbounds play that was triggered with .3 seconds on the clock. But the shot was waived off since by rule, you cannot catch and shoot in that amount of time. For Carter, who came off the bench with 14.5 seconds to play for his only shot of the game. His only other made shot this season was also a three.
The real star of the win, though, was the Army defense, which held the nation's highest scoring team 34 points below its 103.7 ppg average. It was just the second time all season VMI has scored fewer than 87 points. Only Ohio State has held the Keydets to fewer (59).
VMI shot just 35.2 percent from the field (21-58), 13-35 from the arc and missed 8 free throws on 22 attempts.
Jarrell Brown also had his hot hand in the win. If the Army senior should win the Patriot League scoring title this season by a narrow margin, folks will look back at VMI's distaste for long possessions and halfcourt defense and suggest an asterisk be added. Brown went off for a 34-point, 10-rebound double-double, both numbers career-highs. Army shot 58.7 percent (27-46) from the field, 9 for 11 at the arc.
Box score |
Roanoke Times
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Carter's trey, with 1.6 seconds to play, gave the Black Knights a 71-69 win over VMI. VMI thought it won the game with a three at the buzzer off an inbounds play that was triggered with .3 seconds on the clock. But the shot was waived off since by rule, you cannot catch and shoot in that amount of time. For Carter, who came off the bench with 14.5 seconds to play for his only shot of the game. His only other made shot this season was also a three.
The real star of the win, though, was the Army defense, which held the nation's highest scoring team 34 points below its 103.7 ppg average. It was just the second time all season VMI has scored fewer than 87 points. Only Ohio State has held the Keydets to fewer (59).
VMI shot just 35.2 percent from the field (21-58), 13-35 from the arc and missed 8 free throws on 22 attempts.
Jarrell Brown also had his hot hand in the win. If the Army senior should win the Patriot League scoring title this season by a narrow margin, folks will look back at VMI's distaste for long possessions and halfcourt defense and suggest an asterisk be added. Brown went off for a 34-point, 10-rebound double-double, both numbers career-highs. Army shot 58.7 percent (27-46) from the field, 9 for 11 at the arc.
Box score |
Roanoke Times
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Some calls went against the Bison, but what happened before that is what cost them the game.
BY CHRIS A. COUROGEN
Of Hoop Time
If you were among the announced crowd of 3,348 in Sojka Pavilion Saturday night, chances are you left Bucknell's 57-54 loss at the hands of St. Francis (Pa.) wondering just what the heck the refs were thinking at three crucial junctures in the game.
You probably have questions about why they called a foul on Bucknell's Daryl Shazier when Saint Francis' Marquis Ford tripped over his own two feet, 40 feet from the basket, with 32.8 seconds to go in a two-point game. If you know the rule book a little better than the casual fan, you probably are still trying to figure out why no technical was called on the Red Flash's Marquis Ford when he tried to take Chris Berry's place on the foul line with 26 seconds left after St. Francis had gotten an offensive rebound when Ford missed the back end of the two shots he was rewarded for his graceful maneuver. You might also be curious about how, much earlier in the half, St. Francis guard Devin Sweetney ended up with a three-point play after the officials had called him for a charge and waved off the bucket.
Good questions all. Questions that will go unanswered. And questions that ultimately miss the real question, which is how was it that Bucknell (2-4), playing at home against a winless team, happened to be in such a situation, a situation where having a few key calls go against you could cost you the game.
You need to rewind the tape to long before the manic rally in the final 2:12 that brought Bucknell to a point where those two calls involving Ford even mattered. The answers to what cost Bucknell this one lie in how a team that seemed in control at the half came to be down 16 before those frantic final minutes.
Two versions of that story emerged in the postgame. The St. Francis version, told by Red Flash coach Bobby Jones, went like this: "Our defensive pressure and our focus got us an opportunity to get jump-started in the second half."
It wouldn't be fair to not give the Flash a little credit for defense. Teams don't go over 10 minutes without a field goal without the opposition having something to do with it. And that is what happened to Bucknell after freshman center Todd O'Brien, who posted a 14-point, 13-rebound double-double in his first collegiate start, put Bucknell up 32-24 with a putback to open the second half.
O'Brien, whose four blocks made it his sixth straight game with multiple rejections, stretched the lead to 9 when he hit one of two from the foul line 26 seconds later. But between O'Brien's foul shot, and his next bucket, a layup with 8:55 left, the Bison went scoreless, missing 10 straight shots during that crucial 10:22 stretch.
Pat Flannery's version was a little difference. taking nothing away from the Red Flash's defensive effort, Flannery pointed out the Bison were certainly guilty of being accomplices in their own demise. The euphoria of a first half where 50 percent of their shots dropped led to some out of character play in the second half.
"We came out the second half and took some ill-advised shots, some quick shots," Flannery said.
It snowballed when St. Francis hit four straight treys, three by Cale Nelson, to seemingly take control of the game.
"That stretch there in the second half was the ballgame, when they found some guys," Flannery said.
"It seemed like they hit a couple shots and we went into panic mode. We stopped looking inside-out," said Bucknell forward Stephen Tyree.
In reality, the story was a combination of both the St. Francis and Bucknell versions. Certainly the Red Flash defense had something to do with some of those missed shots, and St. Francis also deserves some credit for the six Bucknell turnovers during that stretch. The Bison also jacked up some seemingly ill-advised three-pointers early in the shot clock while squandering the lead.
It is also true the Bison had more than a few good, open looks that just wouldn't drop. By the time the St. Francis lead reached its pinnacle, Bucknell had missed at least four layups and a number of other shots from close range.
"It seems like we are rushing a little bit," said Flannery. "I am trying to get them to relax."
Maybe the opposite approach would work better. Bucknell was at its best when it went into panic mode during the final two minutes of the game. Down by 16, the game seemingly out of reach, the Bison pressed their to within a halfway down, rimmed-out John Griffin three-pointer of sending it to overtime.
After Griffin hit a three with 1:56 to go, cutting the deficit to 56-43, Bucknell applied desperate trapping pressure that resulted in five steals and 11 straight Bucknell points before St. Francis managed to even get the ball across the midcourt stripe again.
When Justin Castleberry hit a pair of free throws to pull Bucknell within two at 56-54 with 1:94 to play, what has seemed impossible less than a minute earlier, now seemed to be about to happen. Especially when Bucknell's pressure on the ensuing inbounds play forced St. Francis to call a timeout to avoid a five-second violation.
After the timeout, St. Francis managed to get the ball in, and after failing to trap the Red Flash right away in the backcourt, Bucknell dropped back to look for a stop in its halfcourt defense. It was a sound strategy for a team that had held the Red Flash to 39.7 percent shooting from the floor on the night, and struggling with Nelson, whose hot hand had gotten St. Francis the lead, having fouled out.
What might have happened had Shazier picked up the loose ball and gone the other way when Ford's right shoelace grabbed his left ankle/ We'll never know. All we know is is Ford made 1 of 2, leaving a three-to-tie as Bucknell's only offensive option. It didn;t help St. Francis got the offensive rebound -- its 19th of the game -- when Ford missed the second shot. Even though Berry eventually found his way to the foul line and missed the front end, keeping the Bison's hopes alive. But it cost six valuable ticks off the clock.
Would the outcome have been different if Ford would have been called for the technical when he tried to take Berry's place at the line? All we know is Griffin, who has been clutch in similar situations so many times for the Bison, had two open looks from the right side of the arc in the final 12 seconds and couldn't connect, allowing the Red Flash to become the first opposing team to win two games in Sojka Pavilion.
The loss is Bucknell's second in a row in Sojka, something that has only happened one other time, last season when the Bison lost to Wake Forest and Northern Iowa in back-to-back home games while starting the season 2-4.
For those hurrying to predict pestilence and doom for the Bison in the wake this one, a little historical perspective. The last time Bucknell lost to St. Francis at home, they went on to a 24-win season that included the upset of Kansas in the NCAA Tournament. Last season's 2-4 start ended in 22 wins and a spot in the Patriot League final.
Flannery is not predicting that sort of success for this year's team. Not yet. But he is not pushing any panic buttons either. The way he figures it, his guys shoot the ball too well for the offensive woes that plagued it in the first half of the Marist loss and much of the second half of this one to continue.
Freshman point guard Daryl Shazier, 2 for 11 against St. Francis in his first BU start, is going to bounce back from what is now a 9 for 32 start to his college career. Shazier shoots the ball to well for his current 0-fer (0-10 on the season) from the three-point arc to continue indefinitely.
"When he makes a couple, they're going to pour in. He is a good shooter," said Flannery.
Ditto for the rest of his squad.
"Some shots go down and it's going to be contagious. It all has to do with confidence," Flannery said.
First he has to find a way to get them to stop aiming at their own feet.
Box score | Gameblog | Daily Item
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BY CHRIS A. COUROGEN
Of Hoop Time
If you were among the announced crowd of 3,348 in Sojka Pavilion Saturday night, chances are you left Bucknell's 57-54 loss at the hands of St. Francis (Pa.) wondering just what the heck the refs were thinking at three crucial junctures in the game.
You probably have questions about why they called a foul on Bucknell's Daryl Shazier when Saint Francis' Marquis Ford tripped over his own two feet, 40 feet from the basket, with 32.8 seconds to go in a two-point game. If you know the rule book a little better than the casual fan, you probably are still trying to figure out why no technical was called on the Red Flash's Marquis Ford when he tried to take Chris Berry's place on the foul line with 26 seconds left after St. Francis had gotten an offensive rebound when Ford missed the back end of the two shots he was rewarded for his graceful maneuver. You might also be curious about how, much earlier in the half, St. Francis guard Devin Sweetney ended up with a three-point play after the officials had called him for a charge and waved off the bucket.
Good questions all. Questions that will go unanswered. And questions that ultimately miss the real question, which is how was it that Bucknell (2-4), playing at home against a winless team, happened to be in such a situation, a situation where having a few key calls go against you could cost you the game.
You need to rewind the tape to long before the manic rally in the final 2:12 that brought Bucknell to a point where those two calls involving Ford even mattered. The answers to what cost Bucknell this one lie in how a team that seemed in control at the half came to be down 16 before those frantic final minutes.
Two versions of that story emerged in the postgame. The St. Francis version, told by Red Flash coach Bobby Jones, went like this: "Our defensive pressure and our focus got us an opportunity to get jump-started in the second half."
It wouldn't be fair to not give the Flash a little credit for defense. Teams don't go over 10 minutes without a field goal without the opposition having something to do with it. And that is what happened to Bucknell after freshman center Todd O'Brien, who posted a 14-point, 13-rebound double-double in his first collegiate start, put Bucknell up 32-24 with a putback to open the second half.
O'Brien, whose four blocks made it his sixth straight game with multiple rejections, stretched the lead to 9 when he hit one of two from the foul line 26 seconds later. But between O'Brien's foul shot, and his next bucket, a layup with 8:55 left, the Bison went scoreless, missing 10 straight shots during that crucial 10:22 stretch.
Pat Flannery's version was a little difference. taking nothing away from the Red Flash's defensive effort, Flannery pointed out the Bison were certainly guilty of being accomplices in their own demise. The euphoria of a first half where 50 percent of their shots dropped led to some out of character play in the second half.
"We came out the second half and took some ill-advised shots, some quick shots," Flannery said.
It snowballed when St. Francis hit four straight treys, three by Cale Nelson, to seemingly take control of the game.
"That stretch there in the second half was the ballgame, when they found some guys," Flannery said.
"It seemed like they hit a couple shots and we went into panic mode. We stopped looking inside-out," said Bucknell forward Stephen Tyree.
In reality, the story was a combination of both the St. Francis and Bucknell versions. Certainly the Red Flash defense had something to do with some of those missed shots, and St. Francis also deserves some credit for the six Bucknell turnovers during that stretch. The Bison also jacked up some seemingly ill-advised three-pointers early in the shot clock while squandering the lead.
It is also true the Bison had more than a few good, open looks that just wouldn't drop. By the time the St. Francis lead reached its pinnacle, Bucknell had missed at least four layups and a number of other shots from close range.
"It seems like we are rushing a little bit," said Flannery. "I am trying to get them to relax."
Maybe the opposite approach would work better. Bucknell was at its best when it went into panic mode during the final two minutes of the game. Down by 16, the game seemingly out of reach, the Bison pressed their to within a halfway down, rimmed-out John Griffin three-pointer of sending it to overtime.
After Griffin hit a three with 1:56 to go, cutting the deficit to 56-43, Bucknell applied desperate trapping pressure that resulted in five steals and 11 straight Bucknell points before St. Francis managed to even get the ball across the midcourt stripe again.
When Justin Castleberry hit a pair of free throws to pull Bucknell within two at 56-54 with 1:94 to play, what has seemed impossible less than a minute earlier, now seemed to be about to happen. Especially when Bucknell's pressure on the ensuing inbounds play forced St. Francis to call a timeout to avoid a five-second violation.
After the timeout, St. Francis managed to get the ball in, and after failing to trap the Red Flash right away in the backcourt, Bucknell dropped back to look for a stop in its halfcourt defense. It was a sound strategy for a team that had held the Red Flash to 39.7 percent shooting from the floor on the night, and struggling with Nelson, whose hot hand had gotten St. Francis the lead, having fouled out.
What might have happened had Shazier picked up the loose ball and gone the other way when Ford's right shoelace grabbed his left ankle/ We'll never know. All we know is is Ford made 1 of 2, leaving a three-to-tie as Bucknell's only offensive option. It didn;t help St. Francis got the offensive rebound -- its 19th of the game -- when Ford missed the second shot. Even though Berry eventually found his way to the foul line and missed the front end, keeping the Bison's hopes alive. But it cost six valuable ticks off the clock.
Would the outcome have been different if Ford would have been called for the technical when he tried to take Berry's place at the line? All we know is Griffin, who has been clutch in similar situations so many times for the Bison, had two open looks from the right side of the arc in the final 12 seconds and couldn't connect, allowing the Red Flash to become the first opposing team to win two games in Sojka Pavilion.
The loss is Bucknell's second in a row in Sojka, something that has only happened one other time, last season when the Bison lost to Wake Forest and Northern Iowa in back-to-back home games while starting the season 2-4.
For those hurrying to predict pestilence and doom for the Bison in the wake this one, a little historical perspective. The last time Bucknell lost to St. Francis at home, they went on to a 24-win season that included the upset of Kansas in the NCAA Tournament. Last season's 2-4 start ended in 22 wins and a spot in the Patriot League final.
Flannery is not predicting that sort of success for this year's team. Not yet. But he is not pushing any panic buttons either. The way he figures it, his guys shoot the ball too well for the offensive woes that plagued it in the first half of the Marist loss and much of the second half of this one to continue.
Freshman point guard Daryl Shazier, 2 for 11 against St. Francis in his first BU start, is going to bounce back from what is now a 9 for 32 start to his college career. Shazier shoots the ball to well for his current 0-fer (0-10 on the season) from the three-point arc to continue indefinitely.
"When he makes a couple, they're going to pour in. He is a good shooter," said Flannery.
Ditto for the rest of his squad.
"Some shots go down and it's going to be contagious. It all has to do with confidence," Flannery said.
First he has to find a way to get them to stop aiming at their own feet.
Box score | Gameblog | Daily Item
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Saturday, December 01, 2007
Posted live from courtside, how it happened, as it happened.
Shake it up baby. that is the song they should have played in the pregame warmups. Bucknell with two new starters in the lineup. Freshmen Todd O'Brien and Daryl Shazier replacing Josh Linthicum and Justin Castleberry.
O'brien pays immediate dividends. In the first 4:17 of the game, he has 2 points -- a dunk to open the scoring -- two assists and one rebound and his defensive presence has already forced Saint Francis players to alter a few shots.
The result is a Bucknell 8-2 lead at the first media timeout.
Linthicum and Castleberry check in at the timeout. Linthicum playing with his left elbow heavily wrapped.
The crowd is pitiful by Bucknell standards. Both student sections only about half full, which is not surprising given the historically bandwagon-jumping nature of the Bucknell students.
The season ticket holder sections on the sides also have lots of empty seats.
Bucknell shooting 6 for 9 thus far. Bison leading 13-9 at the second media timeout with 11:32 to go in the half.
O'Brien now 2 for 2 after a nice 10-foot jumper from the baseline. He has 2 assists, 2 rebounds and would have 3 assists if you could credit him on one for Stephen Tyree's putback after G.W. Boon missed a three on a nice O'Brien kickout.
Before I could finish typing that, O'Brien with a layup for his 6th points.
Bucknell picks up team foul number 7 at the 10:08 mark, putting SF into the bonus early.
O'Brien will be playing a lot of minutes tonight, and not just because he is a more complete player than Linthicum. Linthicum is having a lot of trouble against SF's 6-9 junior Bassitou Dieng, and has picked up three fouls already in very limited first half minutes. Dieng is a handful -- he has 11 points and 5 rebounds already with 3:16 to play in the half.
It's Bison basketball, up 26-23 out of the timeout thanks to a heady play by John Griffin, who drew a charge from Nelson after Nelson had already dished the ball off on a 3 on 2 break. It was Nelson's third foul.
At the third media timeout, with 7:11 to go, Bucknell is up 22-14, thanks in no small part to its defense, which is holding SF to 20 percent (6 of 20) from the field, The Bison shooting 62.5 percent (10 of 16), and the good news, not settling for jumpers. Only four shots from the arc, two made.
What was Cabe Nelson thinking when he tried to challenge O'Brien at the 6:44 mark? Nelson, who is listed at 5-10, but looks like he would have to get a stepladder to look Derrick Mercer in the eyes, had his shot deposited in the second row of the corner bleachers, O'Brien's first block of the game.
Saint Francis with back to back cherry-picking dunks has cut the Bucknell lead to 22-18 with 5:20 to go, bringing Pat Flannery off the bench for a quick timeout.
Boon's first in Bucknell's 10th personal with 1:44 to go. Dieng at the line misses both. He is 1-4 ... to bad there are not enough big guys on the Bison bench to play Hack-a-Shaq defense on him. He goes to the line again 40 seconds later on a questionable call against O'Brien -- his first -- and makes 1 of 2.
At the half, Bucknell 30, Saint Francis 24
First half stats: Bucknell 13 of 26 from the field, 2 for 7 from the arc, 2 for 2 at the foul line.
Saint Francis is 10-28 (35.7 percent), 1-9 from three-point range and 3-9 at the foul line.
Rebounds are 19-15, Saint Francis, 10 of those on the offensive end. Saint Francis with 9 turnovers, Bucknell 8.
Behan with 8, O'Brien and Tyree with 6 each for Bucknell. Dieng with 12 for SF.
O'Brien's full line: 3 for 5 from the field, 6 points, 2 assists, 5 rebounds and a block.
Dieng 12 points and 7 rebounds, 3 offensive. He is 2 for 7 at the foul line.
By the way, chatted with Bucknell's injured Jason Vegotsky prior to the game. The boot is off his injured foot and barring any setbacks, he hopes to be back in action when the Bison travel to Wake Forest Dec. 16. Bucknell's next game is Monday against LaSalle, then they are off for 13 days for finals before the Wake Forest trip.
No word on the progress of Rob Thomas and Darren Mastropaolo.
SECOND HALF
O'Brien starts the half strong with a bucket,a block and a free throw in the first minute. Should have been credited with a steal, too, but from the stats monitor, it appears they missed it. He picked up his third block around the 15:00 mark.
Bucknell up 33-31 with the ball out of the first media timeout at 14:43.
After a Bucknell turnover, Nelson hits a three with 14:15 to play, giving SF its first lead, 34-33. Bison 1 for 8 in the first 7:22 of the half. 0 for 4 from the arc.
At the media timeout with 11:54 to go, Bucknell still trails 34-33. Neither team has scored since Nelson's trey. Bucknell is now 1 for 11 in the second half.
The only guy who seems to be able to find the bottom of the net is Nelson, who hit back-to-back treys about a minute apart to make it a 40-33 Saint Francis lead with 9:23 to go. Bucknell still with one field goal -- O'Brien's to open the half, since intermission.
O'Brien finally breaks Bucknell's draught with a power layup with 8:53 to play.
With 8:14 to go, the ref signals a charge on SF's Devin Sweetney. Then mysteriously the call is reversed and Sweetney goes to the line to finish a three-point play. SF then gets what we can only call a "very physical steal", leading to a Sweetney layup and a 45-35 Saint Francis lead with 7:30 to play.
Nelson has fouled out with 2:26 to go. It doesn't matter. He has done his damage and the way Bucknell is shooting, the Saint Francis 54-40 lead would probably hold up if they didn't score and played with four guys the rest of the way.
To say this half has been ugly would be a gross understatement. How ugly? Can't put it in numbers. Our stat monitor is frozen at the 7:57 mark, with Bucknell down 10. Says Bucknellian writer Matt Saylor, "I'm fine with it where it is. It reminds me of a happier time.
Perhaps we spoke a little prematurely. Griffin hit a three to ignite an 8-0 run and suddenly O'Brien is on the line for two with the Bison down 56-48 and 1:26 to play. He hit one of two. Then Bucknell stole the inbounds and Castleberry hit a three to make it a four point game.
Another steal and Castleberry is on the line shooting two with 1:04 to play. He makes both and it is a 56-54 game and the crowd is going nuts. How big is that turnaround call on the charge now?
32.8 an utter travesty of a call. Marquis Ford literally trips over his own feet and they call a foul on Shazier. Ford makes one of two and SF gets the offensive board, but Bucknell stays alive when Chris Berry misses the front end.
At the other end, Griffin's three is halfway down when it rims out.
The Bison get another chance when Ford misses the front end of another 1-1 with 10.5 to play, but Griffin's thee is off the mark. Bucknell bench and fans wanted a foul. I didn't get a good look at the play.
FINAL Saint Francis 57, Bucknell 54
Another curious officiating factor: Saint Francis tried to send the wrong guy to the foul line on Berry's free throws, which is supposed to be a technical.
Of course, had the Bison made some of the host of layups they missed, the officials would not have been a factor. Still, we can't help but be reminded of the night we started this whole thing we call Hoop Time.
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Shake it up baby. that is the song they should have played in the pregame warmups. Bucknell with two new starters in the lineup. Freshmen Todd O'Brien and Daryl Shazier replacing Josh Linthicum and Justin Castleberry.
O'brien pays immediate dividends. In the first 4:17 of the game, he has 2 points -- a dunk to open the scoring -- two assists and one rebound and his defensive presence has already forced Saint Francis players to alter a few shots.
The result is a Bucknell 8-2 lead at the first media timeout.
Linthicum and Castleberry check in at the timeout. Linthicum playing with his left elbow heavily wrapped.
The crowd is pitiful by Bucknell standards. Both student sections only about half full, which is not surprising given the historically bandwagon-jumping nature of the Bucknell students.
The season ticket holder sections on the sides also have lots of empty seats.
Bucknell shooting 6 for 9 thus far. Bison leading 13-9 at the second media timeout with 11:32 to go in the half.
O'Brien now 2 for 2 after a nice 10-foot jumper from the baseline. He has 2 assists, 2 rebounds and would have 3 assists if you could credit him on one for Stephen Tyree's putback after G.W. Boon missed a three on a nice O'Brien kickout.
Before I could finish typing that, O'Brien with a layup for his 6th points.
Bucknell picks up team foul number 7 at the 10:08 mark, putting SF into the bonus early.
O'Brien will be playing a lot of minutes tonight, and not just because he is a more complete player than Linthicum. Linthicum is having a lot of trouble against SF's 6-9 junior Bassitou Dieng, and has picked up three fouls already in very limited first half minutes. Dieng is a handful -- he has 11 points and 5 rebounds already with 3:16 to play in the half.
It's Bison basketball, up 26-23 out of the timeout thanks to a heady play by John Griffin, who drew a charge from Nelson after Nelson had already dished the ball off on a 3 on 2 break. It was Nelson's third foul.
At the third media timeout, with 7:11 to go, Bucknell is up 22-14, thanks in no small part to its defense, which is holding SF to 20 percent (6 of 20) from the field, The Bison shooting 62.5 percent (10 of 16), and the good news, not settling for jumpers. Only four shots from the arc, two made.
What was Cabe Nelson thinking when he tried to challenge O'Brien at the 6:44 mark? Nelson, who is listed at 5-10, but looks like he would have to get a stepladder to look Derrick Mercer in the eyes, had his shot deposited in the second row of the corner bleachers, O'Brien's first block of the game.
Saint Francis with back to back cherry-picking dunks has cut the Bucknell lead to 22-18 with 5:20 to go, bringing Pat Flannery off the bench for a quick timeout.
Boon's first in Bucknell's 10th personal with 1:44 to go. Dieng at the line misses both. He is 1-4 ... to bad there are not enough big guys on the Bison bench to play Hack-a-Shaq defense on him. He goes to the line again 40 seconds later on a questionable call against O'Brien -- his first -- and makes 1 of 2.
At the half, Bucknell 30, Saint Francis 24
First half stats: Bucknell 13 of 26 from the field, 2 for 7 from the arc, 2 for 2 at the foul line.
Saint Francis is 10-28 (35.7 percent), 1-9 from three-point range and 3-9 at the foul line.
Rebounds are 19-15, Saint Francis, 10 of those on the offensive end. Saint Francis with 9 turnovers, Bucknell 8.
Behan with 8, O'Brien and Tyree with 6 each for Bucknell. Dieng with 12 for SF.
O'Brien's full line: 3 for 5 from the field, 6 points, 2 assists, 5 rebounds and a block.
Dieng 12 points and 7 rebounds, 3 offensive. He is 2 for 7 at the foul line.
By the way, chatted with Bucknell's injured Jason Vegotsky prior to the game. The boot is off his injured foot and barring any setbacks, he hopes to be back in action when the Bison travel to Wake Forest Dec. 16. Bucknell's next game is Monday against LaSalle, then they are off for 13 days for finals before the Wake Forest trip.
No word on the progress of Rob Thomas and Darren Mastropaolo.
SECOND HALF
O'Brien starts the half strong with a bucket,a block and a free throw in the first minute. Should have been credited with a steal, too, but from the stats monitor, it appears they missed it. He picked up his third block around the 15:00 mark.
Bucknell up 33-31 with the ball out of the first media timeout at 14:43.
After a Bucknell turnover, Nelson hits a three with 14:15 to play, giving SF its first lead, 34-33. Bison 1 for 8 in the first 7:22 of the half. 0 for 4 from the arc.
At the media timeout with 11:54 to go, Bucknell still trails 34-33. Neither team has scored since Nelson's trey. Bucknell is now 1 for 11 in the second half.
The only guy who seems to be able to find the bottom of the net is Nelson, who hit back-to-back treys about a minute apart to make it a 40-33 Saint Francis lead with 9:23 to go. Bucknell still with one field goal -- O'Brien's to open the half, since intermission.
O'Brien finally breaks Bucknell's draught with a power layup with 8:53 to play.
With 8:14 to go, the ref signals a charge on SF's Devin Sweetney. Then mysteriously the call is reversed and Sweetney goes to the line to finish a three-point play. SF then gets what we can only call a "very physical steal", leading to a Sweetney layup and a 45-35 Saint Francis lead with 7:30 to play.
Nelson has fouled out with 2:26 to go. It doesn't matter. He has done his damage and the way Bucknell is shooting, the Saint Francis 54-40 lead would probably hold up if they didn't score and played with four guys the rest of the way.
To say this half has been ugly would be a gross understatement. How ugly? Can't put it in numbers. Our stat monitor is frozen at the 7:57 mark, with Bucknell down 10. Says Bucknellian writer Matt Saylor, "I'm fine with it where it is. It reminds me of a happier time.
Perhaps we spoke a little prematurely. Griffin hit a three to ignite an 8-0 run and suddenly O'Brien is on the line for two with the Bison down 56-48 and 1:26 to play. He hit one of two. Then Bucknell stole the inbounds and Castleberry hit a three to make it a four point game.
Another steal and Castleberry is on the line shooting two with 1:04 to play. He makes both and it is a 56-54 game and the crowd is going nuts. How big is that turnaround call on the charge now?
32.8 an utter travesty of a call. Marquis Ford literally trips over his own feet and they call a foul on Shazier. Ford makes one of two and SF gets the offensive board, but Bucknell stays alive when Chris Berry misses the front end.
At the other end, Griffin's three is halfway down when it rims out.
The Bison get another chance when Ford misses the front end of another 1-1 with 10.5 to play, but Griffin's thee is off the mark. Bucknell bench and fans wanted a foul. I didn't get a good look at the play.
FINAL Saint Francis 57, Bucknell 54
Another curious officiating factor: Saint Francis tried to send the wrong guy to the foul line on Berry's free throws, which is supposed to be a technical.
Of course, had the Bison made some of the host of layups they missed, the officials would not have been a factor. Still, we can't help but be reminded of the night we started this whole thing we call Hoop Time.
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While Navy takes a day to bask in the glory of its win over Towson and Lafayette continues to enjoy its rare win over Penn, everybody else is in action. Army visit VMI, Lehigh travels to Central Connecticut and Colgate is at Cornell while Bucknell is home against St. Francis (Pa.), American hosts UMBC and Holy Cross entertains Dayton at the DCU Center. All these following the days big game, the season-opener for the girls of Team Hoop Time, who take on the Carlisle Thunder this morning at 10. We wish we had a scouting report on that one. Meanwhile, here is a look at today's other opponents:
SCOUTING VMI: The nation's highest scoring team a year ago, the Keydets (3-3) are leading the nation again this season, averaging 103.7 points per game. No other school is averaging in triple digits. Those numbers are skewed by oddities like a 156-91 win over Division II Columbia Union and the 135 points they scored against West Virginia Weslyan, another D-II. Still, expect the Keydets to try to turn this into a chuck-and-duck, track meet affair. They don't really know how to play any other way.
Picked to finish third in the Big South, after pulling off two upsets to reach the conference final last season, VMI is young and small. No expected starter is taller than 6-6 and the roster includes six freshmen. We use that adjective "expected" because we are only going by the lineup listed in VMI's game notes. Don't be too surprised if the five that tip it off are different than the five listed in the notes though. Keydets coach Duggar Baucom has used a different starting lineup every game. Ten different players have started already this season. Even Reggie Williams, the team's 6-6 senior preseason All-Big South pick, who is sixth in the nation in scoring (25.2 ppg) has come off the bench twice.
BONUS LINKS:
VMI stats
VMI game notes (pdf)
Sports Network matchup
SCOUTING DAYTON: It will be a real shame if this game doesn't draw a nice crowd to the DCU Center. The Flyers are a program with a dandy pedigree and this year's version is looking strong, coming in at 4-1, riding a three-game win streak. The only loss was a 9-point setback at George Mason.
Brian Roberts, a 6-2 senior guard, leads Dayton with 22.4 points per game. Roberts can flat out shoot the basketball. He came into the season a two-time All Atlantic 10 pick with over 1,300 career points and one of the top three three-point shooting percentages in A-10 history (43.3 percent). Last year he was above his career percentage, hitting over 45 percent from the arc and thus far this season he is well above that, knocking down 56.3 percent of the treys he has shot. Roberts also knows how to dish, averaging 5.2 assists per game.
One of the beneficiaries of Roberts' passes is 6-8 freshman Chris Wright, a genuine blue chip averaging 15.8 points and 7.4 rebounds. Wright was ranked among the top 20 prospects in the nation by some recruiting services and is considered the top frosh in the A-10. Big and athletic, with tremendous hops (39.5 inch vertical leap), Wright is shooting 66 percent from the field.
BONUS LINKS:
Dayton stats
Dayton game notes (pdf)
Sports Network matchup
Willard doesn't want repeat of last year (Springfield Oh. News-Sun)
Preview: Dayton at Holy Cross (Springfield Oh. News-Sun)
SCOUTING CCSU: The Blue Devils come home to host Lehigh after losing two straight on the road, including a 71-54 setback Monday at Lafayette. That was followed Wednesday by a 59-55 loss at LaSalle, dropping CCSU to 1-4.
Senior guard Tristan Roberts leads the team in scoring (13 ppg), even though he has been the top scorer in only one game. Ken Horton, a 6-6 freshman, has been the top scorer in two of the last three games. Horton averages 11.2 ppg.
CCSU is shooting 40.1 percent from the field as a team, while allowing opponents to shoot 46.2 percent. The Blue Devils are also being outrebounded by 4.4 per contest.
BONUS LINKS:
CCSU stats
CCSU game notes
Sports Network matchup
SCOUTING UMBC: The Retrievers bounced back from their overtime loss at Lafayette to post a pair of wins in the last 10 days, downing George Washington and Morgan State to improve to 5-1.
If you want to play a hoops version of the Kevin Bacon game, the Retrievers beat Morgan State 84-76; Morgan State beat American 62-54. Not that you can necessarily attach much significance to a single common opponent, especially when Morgan State was home against AU and at UMBC.
The Retrievers are another small team that likes to go up and down, averaging over 80 ppg. The starting five includes just one player -- 6-8 senior Cavell Johnson -- taller than 6-4. Four of the five are averaging in double figures. Brian Hodges, a 6-3 senior, tops the list at 17.5 ppg. Junior Darryl Proctor plays bigger than his 6-4 height, averaging over 8 rebounds per game. Proctor has reached double figures scoring in every game, averaging 16.3 ppg. Ray Barbosa, a 6-2 senior, has raised his season average to 17 ppg after averaging 22.7 per game in UMBC's last three outings. Johnson is a second half demon, scoring 12 of his 17.2 ppg after the break. He averages 9 rebounds per game.
The starter not scoring in double figures, 5-8 junior Jay Greene, leads the America East conference with 7.8 assists per game.
BONUS LINKS:
UMBC stats
UMBC game notes
Sports Network matchup
SCOUTING ST. FRANCIS (PA): The 0-6 Red Flash are still looking for their first win of the season. Included in their losses are home setbacks against American and Lehigh. St. Francis gives up 72 points per game and allows opponents to shoot 46.3 percent from the field, 39.1 percent from the arc.
Cale Nelson (12.2 ppg), a 5-10 junior, and Chris Berry (11.3), a 6-4 junior, are the only Red Flash players averaging in double figures.
BONUS LINKS:
St. Francis stats
St. Francis game notes (pdf)
Sports Network matchup
Bucknell seniors are opposites that attract (The Daily Item)
Season becoming repetitive (Altoona Mirror)
SCOUTING CORNELL: The high-scoring, three-point shooting Big Red come into this one 4-1, including two wins over Patriot League teams (Lehigh and Army). Cornell, the Syracuse of the Ivy League, is 4-0 at home, its only loss coming at Ohio in its only game outside of Ithaca.
The Big Red love the three-point shot. They are hitting them at a 50.5 percent clip , second in the nation behind Texas. Overall they are shooting 51.9 percent while averaging 85 points per game, tops in the Ivy. It's all about outscoring opponents -- they give up 81 points per outing.
Four guys average in double figures. Sophomore guard Louis Dale (6-0) leads the way at 15.4 ppg. Ryan Wittman, a 6-6 sophomore averages 15 ppg, 6-0 junior Collin Robinson is scoring 12.8 per game off the bench. Fellow reserve Brian Kreefer (6-7 Jr.) averages 10 ppg. Starters Jason Hartford, a 6-9 senior (9.8 ppg) and 6-0 junior Adam Gore (9.4) are just under double figures for the Big Red.
BONUS LINKS:
Cornell basketball blog preview
Cornell stats (pdf)
Cornell game notes
Men's basketball faces second in-state rival (Cornell Daily Sun)
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Cornell searching for milestone victory against Colgate (Ithaca Journal)
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SCOUTING VMI: The nation's highest scoring team a year ago, the Keydets (3-3) are leading the nation again this season, averaging 103.7 points per game. No other school is averaging in triple digits. Those numbers are skewed by oddities like a 156-91 win over Division II Columbia Union and the 135 points they scored against West Virginia Weslyan, another D-II. Still, expect the Keydets to try to turn this into a chuck-and-duck, track meet affair. They don't really know how to play any other way.
Picked to finish third in the Big South, after pulling off two upsets to reach the conference final last season, VMI is young and small. No expected starter is taller than 6-6 and the roster includes six freshmen. We use that adjective "expected" because we are only going by the lineup listed in VMI's game notes. Don't be too surprised if the five that tip it off are different than the five listed in the notes though. Keydets coach Duggar Baucom has used a different starting lineup every game. Ten different players have started already this season. Even Reggie Williams, the team's 6-6 senior preseason All-Big South pick, who is sixth in the nation in scoring (25.2 ppg) has come off the bench twice.
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SCOUTING DAYTON: It will be a real shame if this game doesn't draw a nice crowd to the DCU Center. The Flyers are a program with a dandy pedigree and this year's version is looking strong, coming in at 4-1, riding a three-game win streak. The only loss was a 9-point setback at George Mason.
Brian Roberts, a 6-2 senior guard, leads Dayton with 22.4 points per game. Roberts can flat out shoot the basketball. He came into the season a two-time All Atlantic 10 pick with over 1,300 career points and one of the top three three-point shooting percentages in A-10 history (43.3 percent). Last year he was above his career percentage, hitting over 45 percent from the arc and thus far this season he is well above that, knocking down 56.3 percent of the treys he has shot. Roberts also knows how to dish, averaging 5.2 assists per game.
One of the beneficiaries of Roberts' passes is 6-8 freshman Chris Wright, a genuine blue chip averaging 15.8 points and 7.4 rebounds. Wright was ranked among the top 20 prospects in the nation by some recruiting services and is considered the top frosh in the A-10. Big and athletic, with tremendous hops (39.5 inch vertical leap), Wright is shooting 66 percent from the field.
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SCOUTING CCSU: The Blue Devils come home to host Lehigh after losing two straight on the road, including a 71-54 setback Monday at Lafayette. That was followed Wednesday by a 59-55 loss at LaSalle, dropping CCSU to 1-4.
Senior guard Tristan Roberts leads the team in scoring (13 ppg), even though he has been the top scorer in only one game. Ken Horton, a 6-6 freshman, has been the top scorer in two of the last three games. Horton averages 11.2 ppg.
CCSU is shooting 40.1 percent from the field as a team, while allowing opponents to shoot 46.2 percent. The Blue Devils are also being outrebounded by 4.4 per contest.
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SCOUTING UMBC: The Retrievers bounced back from their overtime loss at Lafayette to post a pair of wins in the last 10 days, downing George Washington and Morgan State to improve to 5-1.
If you want to play a hoops version of the Kevin Bacon game, the Retrievers beat Morgan State 84-76; Morgan State beat American 62-54. Not that you can necessarily attach much significance to a single common opponent, especially when Morgan State was home against AU and at UMBC.
The Retrievers are another small team that likes to go up and down, averaging over 80 ppg. The starting five includes just one player -- 6-8 senior Cavell Johnson -- taller than 6-4. Four of the five are averaging in double figures. Brian Hodges, a 6-3 senior, tops the list at 17.5 ppg. Junior Darryl Proctor plays bigger than his 6-4 height, averaging over 8 rebounds per game. Proctor has reached double figures scoring in every game, averaging 16.3 ppg. Ray Barbosa, a 6-2 senior, has raised his season average to 17 ppg after averaging 22.7 per game in UMBC's last three outings. Johnson is a second half demon, scoring 12 of his 17.2 ppg after the break. He averages 9 rebounds per game.
The starter not scoring in double figures, 5-8 junior Jay Greene, leads the America East conference with 7.8 assists per game.
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SCOUTING ST. FRANCIS (PA): The 0-6 Red Flash are still looking for their first win of the season. Included in their losses are home setbacks against American and Lehigh. St. Francis gives up 72 points per game and allows opponents to shoot 46.3 percent from the field, 39.1 percent from the arc.
Cale Nelson (12.2 ppg), a 5-10 junior, and Chris Berry (11.3), a 6-4 junior, are the only Red Flash players averaging in double figures.
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SCOUTING CORNELL: The high-scoring, three-point shooting Big Red come into this one 4-1, including two wins over Patriot League teams (Lehigh and Army). Cornell, the Syracuse of the Ivy League, is 4-0 at home, its only loss coming at Ohio in its only game outside of Ithaca.
The Big Red love the three-point shot. They are hitting them at a 50.5 percent clip , second in the nation behind Texas. Overall they are shooting 51.9 percent while averaging 85 points per game, tops in the Ivy. It's all about outscoring opponents -- they give up 81 points per outing.
Four guys average in double figures. Sophomore guard Louis Dale (6-0) leads the way at 15.4 ppg. Ryan Wittman, a 6-6 sophomore averages 15 ppg, 6-0 junior Collin Robinson is scoring 12.8 per game off the bench. Fellow reserve Brian Kreefer (6-7 Jr.) averages 10 ppg. Starters Jason Hartford, a 6-9 senior (9.8 ppg) and 6-0 junior Adam Gore (9.4) are just under double figures for the Big Red.
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Labels: American, Army, Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lehigh
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