Patriot League Notebook

Patriot League Notebook

by Steve Sheridan

Holy Cross-Lehigh Battle Turns Very One-Sided

In one of the most anticipated league match-ups of the season, Holy Cross quickly dashed any chance of an exciting game. With caped Crusaders throughout the Hart Center, the HC dominated early and never looked back, cruising to an easy 73-53 triumph. Everyone got in on the act for Holy Cross, as Nate Lufkin returned from a sprained ankle to contribute 10 points and six rebounds, while Torey Thomas got his first start since mid-January and added eight points, 11 assists and five steals. With two more wins over the weekend, Holy Cross extended its winning streak to 11 games and appears destined for the top spot in the Patriot League Tournament – the team has already clinched at least a No. 2 seed.

Colgate Going Up, American Going Down

One team has won three games in a row, while the other has lost three consecutively. The two teams met on Sunday, and the Raiders showed that they are certainly the team on the upswing. Colgate dominated the Eagles for much of the game before calling off the dogs late and allowing American to score some garbage-time points, with the final score ending up at 73-63. The score doesn’t reflect the dominance of the Raiders for most of the game, as American seems to be tiring quickly as the regular season winds down. Colgate, meanwhile, looks to be making a customary late-season push.

Baldwin Returns From Prolonged Suspension

The tumultuous season for Navy center Carlton Baldwin has finally gotten the center back on the court. After missing the season’s first three games due to injury and then playing in four contests, Baldwin was suspended by the team for violating Naval Academy rules. After a 15-game absence, Baldwin returned to action this weekend against Colgate and Bucknell, scoring 11 points and hauling in nine rebounds in a combined 26 minutes of action.

Player of the Week

Matt Bell, Army
It’s not often I give an award to an Army player, but 44 points in two games will do that. Besides averaging 22 points in the Black Knights’ two losses, Bell also averaged seven rebounds, 4.5 assists and two steals in each contest. Bell leads the Army squad in scoring, averaging 13.6 points per game, good enough for fourth in the league.

Rookie of the Week

Kyle Roemer, Colgate
The Patriot League’s leading three-point shooter continued his success this weekend, averaging 14 points per game in Colgate’s two victories over Navy and American. The Martinez, Calif., native shot 56 percent (9-of-16) from the field and 63 percent (5-of-8) from beyond the arc in two games, increasing his league leading three-point percentage to an even 47 percent.

Team Recaps

Holy Cross Crusaders (10-1 PL, 19-5 overall)

The Crusaders moved two big steps closer to another Patriot League title this weekend, handily defeating Lafayette on Friday night and then easily passing what was supposed to be a difficult Lehigh test on Sunday afternoon, keeping the team’s two-game lead firmly intact.

Holy Cross won its 10th consecutive game Friday night, pounding Lafayette 81-60. Five Crusaders scored in double figures, led by Keith Simmons and Kevin Hamilton each with 16 points. The Crusaders led the game throughout, but the team’s lead was in jeopardy at the 10:59 mark of the second half before Simmons hit three straight three-pointers to give his team a comfortable lead that would not be challenged again. John Hurley had a double-double with 11 points and 11 boards, while Simmons also added 10 rebounds for Holy Cross, which swept the season series with the Leopards with the win.

At the Hart Center on Sunday, the Crusaders ran the winning streak to 11 games – and with great ease, too. Holy Cross shot 56 percent from the field in the first half and held Lehigh to only five field goals in the first 20 minutes, jumping out to a 17-point halftime edge and cruising to a 73-53 win. The Crusaders’ stifling defense struck again against the Mountain Hawks, forcing 16 Lehigh turnovers and converting them into 23 points, while also amassing eight blocks and nine steals – five from Torey Thomas, who got his first start since separating his shoulder on January 15. Hamilton led three Crusaders in double figures with 20 points, as the HC emphatically staked its claim to the top seed in the Patriot League.

With a two-game lead in the Patriot League with three games remaining, there isn’t much left for the Crusaders to do. On Saturday, the team faces possibly the second-hottest team in the league in Colgate on Cotterell Court, where Holy Cross lost last season. Here’s a guess that the Crusaders won’t be taking any game lightly this time around, however.

Bucknell Bison (8-3 PL, 17-7 overall)

With two wins over American and Navy, Bucknell claimed sole possession of second place in the league and set itself up well to host one half of the league tournament.

Bucknell used solid team defense and excellent three-point shooting to defeat American on Friday night, 65-52. The Bison put on an basketball clinic in the first half, keeping American to 29 percent shooting and hitting 50 percent of its shots, including 6-of-10 shooting from beyond the arc. The Bison sprinted out to a 13-point halftime edge. In the second half, the Bison lead never shrunk below 11 points. Kevin Bettencourt led three Bison in double figures with 20 points, including 5-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc. In splitting the season series with the Eagles, Bucknell remained in a second-place tie with Lehigh.

Bucknell then got revenge on Navy for an early-season game on Sunday afternoon, taking down the Midshipmen by a score of 71-60. Charles Lee scored 19 of his game-high 22 points in the first half on 6-of-6 shooting as the Bison came out strong and held on against Navy. Late in the game, the Bison defense kicked in, holding Navy without a field goal for the final 5:29 of play. Besides Lee, Abe Badmus also reached double figures for Bucknell with 10 points, as the team won its 13th consecutive league home game and clinched a winning league record for the 13th time in 15 years.

Bucknell takes the unusual step of playing a non-league game this late in the season on Tuesday, when the team faces off with Bucknell graduate Jay Wright and his Villanova Wildcats. The team returns to league play on Saturday with a game against last-place Army.

Lehigh Mountain Hawks (7-4 PL, 13-11 overall)

It wasn’t a very pretty weekend for Lehigh. First, the team barely squeaked by last-place Army on Friday, and then was blown out of the gym on Sunday afternoon against first-place Holy Cross. With the loss, Lehigh moves down into third place.

Against Army, Lehigh had a tougher time than the team expected, but in the end the Mountain Hawks’ skill outlasted the Black Knights, 69-64. Lehigh was unable to shake the Knights in the first half and for much of the second, but a late run gave the Hawks a double-digit lead that they held onto for the rest of the contest. The Mountain Hawks shot 70 percent from the field in the second half, allowing the team to show its superior shooting game. Joe Knight led the home team with 20 points, but the team’s sparkplug on the offensive end was first-year player Bryan White, with 10 points and six rebounds.

On Sunday, a very poor first half doomed the Mountain Hawks from the very beginning in Worcester, as the team was run over by the Crusaders. Joe Knight and Jose Olivero combined to score 20 points – but did so on terrible 5-of-27 shooting, which was symbolic of the afternoon the Hawks had. Lehigh made only five field goals in the first half and headed into the break down 17 points, and the team never made a serious challenge to Holy Cross in the second stanza. Olivero was the only Mountain Hawk player in double figures with 12 points, but no Lehigh player could overcome the raucous Hart Center crowd and the sizzling Crusader squad.

After seeing its three-game winning streak go down in flames, Lehigh hopes to get back on the winning track on Saturday evening, when the Hawks host Navy in an important league showdown for both teams.

American Eagles (6-5 PL, 13-10 overall)

American suffered through one of its worst league weekends of the season, as the team followed up a disappointing loss to Holy Cross last weekend with back-to-back losses to Bucknell and Colgate.

American suffered a tough league blow on Friday against the Bison, as the Eagles could not match the intensity of Bucknell and in turn lost the game by 13 points. Andre Ingram and Jason Thomas combined to score just nine points, as American as a team shot the ball poorly all afternoon. The team shot 38 percent from the field, including only 3-of-16 makes from three-point land, as American could not solve Bucknell on either the offensive or defensive end. Linas Lekavicius was the only Eagle player in double figures with 13 points, as no other American player could get anything going. The lack of effort did not bode well as the team headed into Hamilton on Sunday.

Coming off huge games against Holy Cross and Bucknell, the Eagles looked worn out as they traveled to Hamilton and were beaten badly by Colgate, 67-57. American scored the opening basket but never led again, as the team looked lethargic throughout. The Eagles tried to stay with Colgate in the opening half, but the team collapsed in the second stanza, causing head coach Jeff Jones to send in the reserves and also get himself a technical foul late in the contest. The American bench scored the game’s final 12 points to make the score respectable, but make no mistake – this game was a rout.

Coming off two of their worst games of the season, the Eagles must find a way to regroup on Saturday, when American travels to Easton to take on Lafayette. With another bad performance, American could fall out of the top half of the Patriot League – and that would get Jeff Jones really mad.

Colgate Raiders (6-5 PL, 11-13 overall)

The roller coaster ride that is the Colgate Raiders’ season is now back on the upswing. Following a close win over Navy and an impressive performance against American, the Raiders have moved into a fourth-place tie with the Eagles and are threatening for to move higher.

In a fast-paced contest filled with runs, Kyle Roemer provided a huge second-half spark on Friday night as Colgate held off Navy, 72-67. Colgate came out very flat in the first half, as the team couldn’t hit many shots and went into halftime down by eight points. Despite the fact that the team could hit any free throw attempts (48 percent), the team managed to steal a win thanks to solid second-half shooting (56 percent) and some excellent defense. Roemer scored a game-high 18 points, including 15 in the second half, while Andrew Zidar added 10 points and 13 rebounds against the taller Middies.

Sunday, the Raiders improved their league record to 5-1 at Cotterell Court this season, with a dominating 67-57 win over American. The Raiders used some abnormally hot shooting to shoot down the Eagles, shooting 51 percent from the field and a sizzling 63 percent (10-of-16) from beyond the arc. Alvin Reed led the Raider offensive attack with a game-high 17 points, as the Colgate offense couldn’t miss and the Colgate defense constantly frustrated the Eagles’ offense. The lead grew to as much as 25 in the second half, as the performance elicited the best crowd response of the season from the Cotterell Court faithful.

The team heads into its biggest game of the season with the most momentum it has had all year. The team welcomes league-leading Holy Cross on Saturday afternoon, looking to take down the Patriot League’s top team – a trick it pulled against Lehigh earlier in the season.

Lafayette Leopards (3-8 PL, 7-17 overall)

With one win on Sunday, Lafayette moved up a notch from seventh into a tie for sixth (with the tiebreaker in its favor) with the league games winding down.

Lafayette had trouble all evening long shooting the ball on Friday, and offensive weakness was quickly turned into a blowout loss by the home standing Crusaders. Lafayette hit only one field goal in the first eight minutes, as the HC came out strong and never looked back. Sean Knitter was the only Leopard player with any touch, hitting 5-of-12 points for 13 points in only 18 minutes of play. Jamaal Douglas scored 12 points, six of which came from the free throw line, but Bilal Abdullah continued his late-season disappearing act, scoring only three points in 23 minutes.

In a game that could have dropped the team into the league cellar, Lafayette outlasted Army on Sunday afternoon, 76-73, to move up into a tie for sixth place with Navy. The team got a big performance from Sean Knitter, who scored a season-high 21 points off the bench and nailed two free throws with 5.5 seconds left to account for the final score. Knitter scored 19 of his 21 in the second half, as the Leopards shot 65 percent as a team in the final 20 minutes of play. Douglas and Marcus Harley also reached double figures for Lafayette, as the Leopards held off the Black Knights down the stretch.

Although the Leopards are now in possession of sixth place, thanks to their season sweep of Navy, they cannot afford to let up this weekend. The team hosts a struggling American squad at the Kirby Sports Center with a chance to put some distance between it and the Middies.

Navy Midshipmen (3-8 PL, 7-17 overall)

Coming into the weekend having won three of four games, Navy returned to its past form against Colgate and Bucknell, losing twice to fall back into a sixth-place tie.

Navy came into Friday’s game with Colgate very hot, but the team’s offense betrayed it down the stretch and the Midshipmen fell 72-67. Navy was unable to hit any shots in the second half from anywhere on the court, shooting under 40 percent from the floor, 17 percent from three-point land and only 55 percent from the charity stripe. First-year player Greg Sprink attempted to single-handedly keep his team in the game near the end, ending up with 16 points on 6-of-15 shooting, but the team couldn’t hit its free throws in the second half and that proved to be Navy’s downfall.

Looking for a season sweep against Bucknell, the Middies instead found a tough defeat and a two-game losing streak. Sprink once again attempted to single-handedly win the game for the Middies, attempting 19 shots – but only making four of them. Sprink finished with a team-high 14 points and 10 rebounds, but the team went ice cold from the floor in the game’s waning minutes. Navy was held without a field goal for the 5:29 of the game, as the team was unable to get the lead below seven points in the second half.

The road gets no easier for Navy on Saturday evening, as the team must travel to Lehigh to take on a team that will be looking to take out some anger after the team’s tough loss at Holy Cross. The Middies will likely need a win to stay in a sixth-place tie, so this game will be crucial – and may also be a preview of a first-round Patriot League Tournament game.

Army Black Knights (1-10 PL, 3-20 overall)

Don’t tell Cory Sinning and Matt Bell that Army isn’t a good basketball team. But despite the best efforts of the Army duo, the Knights lost another two games to fall into an even deeper hole in the Patriot League.

Sinning and Bell combined to score 34 of the team’s 64 points on Friday against Lehigh, but the team’s late-game rally fell just short and the team fell to 1-9 in the league. The Black Knights shot the ball as well as they had all season in all categories, and yet the team could not erase all of Lehigh’s 15-point edge in the final 7:50 of the game. The Knights hit 8-of-12 shots after the Hawks’ lead grew to 15, but the team’s defense gave Lehigh too many opportunities to put space between the squads on the scoreboard. Sinning had a career-high 20 points for Army, as the team continues to struggle in league play.

On Sunday, the duo upped their efforts even more – and the team still lost. Against Lafayette, Bell scored 30 points and Sinning again added 20, but it was not enough to overcome the Leopards. Bell and Sinning took control of the team down the stretch, scoring the team’s final 17 points and 39 of the team’s 50 second half points. Both players played all 40 minutes, showing that both players will be vital parts to this Black Knight team for the rest of the season and into the future. Unfortunately, they cannot do it alone – and at this point, that’s the only choice they have.

The Black Knights continue to play out the remainder of the league season on Saturday, when they travel to Lewisburg to take on the Bucknell Bison.

Patriot Notebook

Patriot League Notebook

by Steve Sheridan

Holy Cross Led By The Not So Usual Crew

Kevin Hamilton was “held” to 21 points and Keith Simmons scored 26 points in two games this weekend, but at this point it seems as if nothing can stop Holy Cross. With their two stars held below their season averages, the Crusaders used some of their many other weapons to defeat Navy and American. Big man John Hurley had two of his best games of the season, scoring 15 and 13 points, respectively, while forgotten guard Torey Thomas and unheralded Tim Clifford combined for 28 points to defeat American. At the moment, Holy Cross is making it look inevitable as it rushes for its fourth league title in five years.

Flannery Returns To Bison Bench

Bucknell head coach Pat Flannery returned to the Bison bench this weekend for the team’s Friday game at Lafayette after missing Bucknell’s last three games due a temporary medical leave of absence. Flannery, the longest-tenured head coach in the Patriot League, had been involved in the team’s practices and game preparation, but did not follow the team on the road last weekend. He was given the OK by his doctors and Bucknell athletic director John Hardt, however, and so he returns to guide the Bison in the final seven league games of the season.

Okpwae Back With The Eagles

After serving a two-game suspension for breaking curfew, American senior Patrick Okpwae returned to the Eagle lineup this weekend. The forward averaged nine points and four rebounds in limited action against Army and Holy Cross, and will be asked to once again be a big contributor to Jeff Jones’ squad down the stretch.

Player of the Week

Andre Ingram, American
Ingram scored 45 points in the Eagles’ two games this weekend, leading American to a win over Army and a tough loss to Holy Cross. In the two games, the Richmond, Va., native shot over 56 percent from the field and over 54 percent from beyond the three-point arc. He also pulled down 12 rebounds for American.

Rookie of the Week

Greg Sprink, Navy
Sprink put together back-to-back 14-point efforts in Navy’s loss to Holy Cross and its win over Army. The Cardiff, Calif., native notched his second career double-double against Army, adding 10 rebounds to go along with 14 points.

Holy Cross Crusaders (8-1 PL, 17-5 overall)

Another weekend, another sweep for Ralph Willard’s crew. The weekend did not come without its nervous moments, however, as the team came back late against Navy and then did it again on Sunday against American. The results are still the same, however: more wins for the Crusaders and more losses for their opponents.

The Crusaders survived a big scare on Friday night against the Midshipmen, overcoming a 10-point second-half deficit and then holding on to defeat Navy, 68-66. Holy Cross was very inconsistent against the Middies, jumping out early but then allowing Navy to retake the lead and carry it into halftime. After coming back from its second-half deficit thanks to a pair of three-pointers from freshman Pat Doherty, The HC almost gave the game away by hitting just one of six free throws in the final 30 seconds, but luckily the team managed to escape Annapolis with a win. Keith Simmons scored 22 points off the bench and John Hurley added 13, as the team was able to overcome a relatively quiet night by Kevin Hamilton (seven points).

The team faced another very tough opponent on Sunday in American, and the team found a way to pull out a 76-67 overtime victory. Holy Cross fell behind midway through the first half and trailed for most of the second, and the team got lucky when Andre Ingram missed a potential game-winning free throw with six seconds left. Presented with a new life, the Crusaders took control. Torey Thomas scored 10 of his 15 points in the overtime and Tim Clifford added six of his career-best 13 points in the extra session as the visitors, unlike in the game against Navy, hit 11-of-14 free throws to seal the game. Holy Cross, which played only eight players in the game, won despite only four points from Kevin Hamilton – because Clifford and Thomas stepped it up big time.

Winners of nine consecutive games, the Crusaders are looking as dangerous as ever with the emergence of Clifford and the re-emergence of Thomas. The HC, which now holds a two-game lead over the three second place teams, hosts Lehigh and Lafayette this weekend.

Bucknell Bison (6-3 PL, 15-7 overall)

The Bison had a mixed weekend, destroying Lafayette but falling to Lehigh on a buzzer-beater. Luckily for Bucknell, the team remains in a three-way tie for second place in the Patriot League.

Coming off two consecutive losses, the Bison responded in style by reaching a season-high in points in the team team’s 89-69 win over Lafayette. In head coach Pat Flannery’s first game back at the helm, Bucknell put on an offensive show, shooting nearly 60 percent from the field. The team’s defense left something to be desired, as Lafayette shot 50 percent from the field and was able to hang with the Bison for much of the first half, but a late first-half run extended the lead to double figures and the visitors didn’t break a sweat in the second half. The team also broke the league record for free-throw accuracy, hitting all 20 of its attempts from the charity stripe. Kevin Bettencourt led four Bison players in double figures with 29 points.

Against Lehigh, Bucknell came out strong but faded down the stretch in a 57-54 loss. The Bison led 20-7 early on but allowed Lehigh to get back into the game by the half, as the Bison endured foul trouble all game long. The Mountain Hawks had as many made free throws by halftime as the Bison would have at game’s end, counteracting Bucknell’s superior shooting numbers. Bucknell’s defense came up big near the end of the game, as Darren Mastropaulo swatted away a Jason Mgebroff shot and then hit two free throws to tie the game with seven seconds left, which unfortunately for Bucknell set up a 22-foot buzzer-beater by Lehigh’s Joe Knight. Abe Badmus led three Bison players in double figures, but in the end the Bison came up one shot short.

The Bison return home this weekend for a pair of important league games, including a very important game with American, a team currently tied with Bucknell for second place in the league, on Friday evening and a Sunday afternoon match-up with Navy.

American Eagles (6-3 PL, 13-8 overall)

Like Bucknell, American split its two games this weekend, staying in second place in the Patriot League as we head into the final few weekends of league play.

Against the Black Knights, American scored the first seven points of the contest and never relinquished the lead in an easy 86-58 win over Army. The Eagles came out flying in the first half, shooting over 51 percent from both the floor and from beyond the arc, and used a couple big first-half runs to erase any doubt before halftime. By game’s end, the Eagles actually shot better from beyond the arc (55 percent) than they did from the floor (52 percent). With the lead growing to as many as 35 late in the contest, American head coach Jeff Jones was able to rest up his starters and give some reserves some well-deserved court time. Among the starters, Andre Ingram and Jason Thomas combined to score 41 points on 15-of-24 shooting.

With a chance to jump into a first-place tie, American couldn’t close out Holy Cross on Sunday afternoon and fell at home. The Eagles came out strong in the first half, shooting 54 percent from the field, and then attempted to hold onto its lead as the game wound down. Andre Ingram had a chance to win the game with five seconds left, but after hitting the game-tying free throw he missed the second shot, sending the game into overtime. It seemed as if the Eagles were demoralized by the missed opportunity, as Holy Cross outscored American by nine in the extra session, with 11 of the Crusaders’ points coming from the charity stripe. Ingram led all scorers with 22 points on 10-of-20 shooting, but it was the one shot he missed that looms largest for Jeff Jones and his crew.

American goes on the road this weekend for two important road games, starting Friday with a game against Bucknell that has huge conference tournament implications. The team then travels to Hamilton to face off with Colgate on Sunday afternoon.

Lehigh Mountain Hawks (6-3 PL, 12-10 overall)

Lehigh was the one team that moved itself up the standings this week, defeating Colgate and Bucknell to jump into a three-way tie for second place with five league games remaining.

The Mountain Hawks used the free throw line to overcome a poor shooting performance as the team avenged its earlier loss to Colgate, defeating the Raiders by a score of 63-53. Lehigh only shot 37 percent from the floor for the game, but kept Colgate to 38 percent shooting and was able to pull out the victory by making 18-of-23 attempts from the charity stripe. Conversely, Lehigh committed only 10 fouls in the game and sent the Raiders to the free throw line for only four attempts all game. The game was close for its entirety, but a mini-run by Lehigh in the closing minutes finally allowed the home team to pull away. Jose Olivero led the Hawks in scoring with 21, including 15 in the first half, while Joe Knight finally returned to double figures in scoring with 12 points.

The free throw line was once again a huge help to Lehigh on Sunday, as the team shot terribly from the field yet made its free throws in a win over the Bison. The Mountain Hawks shot 29 percent from the floor in the first half and yet went into halftime with a one-point lead thanks to making 13-of-16 free throw attempts. The team stayed with Bucknell again in the second half and had the fortune to hold the ball last in a back-and-forth affair. With the game tied and seven seconds left on the clock, Knight drove down the court and launched up a game-winning three-pointer as time expired, providing another dramatic win for the Hawks. Knight, who finally seems to have regained his offensive groove, was the only Lehigh player in double figures with a game-high 24 points.

After finishing their four-game home stand with two difficult victories, the Mountain Hawks return to the road to take on the league’s worst and best. Lehigh travels to Annapolis on Friday to take on Army, and then travels to Worcester for a Sunday showdown with the red-hot Crusaders.

Colgate Raiders (4-5 PL, 9-13 overall)

The Raiders continued their mediocre season by splitting games with Lehigh and Lafayette, staying among the middle of the pack in the Patriot League.

When the Raiders faced off with Lehigh, Colgate could never get going offensively and didn’t get itself to the free throw line nearly enough. The defense was very solid for the Raider men, which in itself is a big accomplishment, but they couldn’t compliment that with solid offensive work. The Colgate bench played well, contributing 19 points, but freshman guard Kyle Roemer was held without a point on 0-of-9 shooting and sophomore guard Jon Simon was limited to seven points. Freshman Alex Woodhouse continued to play well for Colgate, amassing a game-high nine rebounds, but Colgate simply didn’t have enough offense to overcome Lehigh. This isn’t a good sign – considering it wouldn’t have taken much offense to beat the Hawks.

The Raiders then barely escaped Easton with a win on Sunday over Lafayette, using a last-second free throw to down the Leopards, 62-61. The game was very close throughout, with neither team gaining a solid lead in the second half. After a Woodhouse free throw tied the game with 36 seconds left, Colgate got away with a questionable non-call on a possible foul on the defensive end and Reed then took the ball to the basket as time ran down. The junior guard was fouled by Lafayette’s Matt Betley with one second remaining, and Reed hit the front end to give Colgate the one-point victory. Simon led the Raiders with 11 points while Reed and Woodhouse both added 10, while Roemer was relegated to the bench and responded with eight points.

This weekend, Colgate will host Navy and American, looking to revenge on the two squads that swept the Raiders just two weekends ago. The team plays Navy on Friday night and American on Sunday afternoon.

Navy Midshipmen (3-6 PL, 7-15 overall)

Navy played very well again this weekend, stretching league leader Holy Cross to the limit on Friday evening before gaining a measure of revenge on Army by destroying the Black Knights in the annual ‘Star Game” on Sunday afternoon.

The Midshipmen took on top-ranked Holy Cross on Friday evening and came ever so close to defeating its second top team in two weekends. Navy played very well in spurts but gave The HC had many opportunities to win the game, and in the end the Middies simply ran out of time. The team held a 10-point edge in the second half but gave it away, and the team’s late run (helped along by Holy Cross’ atrocious free throw shooting) fell just short, as a David Rhoiney jumper that would have tied the game just rimmed out at the last second. Four Navy played reached double figures, including Corey Johnson leading the way with 17 points – and that didn’t include George O’Garro, who was held to just two points on 1-of-7 shooting.

After being soundly defeated by Army in the two teams’ first meeting, Navy came back with a vengeance on Sunday, winning 84-69 in front of a national television audience. The Middies opened the game strong, running out to a 12-1 edge and never looking back. Greg Sprink scored eight of the team’s first 12 points, providing the home team with a solid cushion for the remainder of the game. Navy didn’t shoot the ball particularly well (39 percent), but still managed to send a season-high five players into double figures. Playing in his last Star Game, senior Taj Mathews had the best game of his career, scoring 26 points, and was aided by Sprink, Johnson, O’Garro and Matt Fannin, all in double figures.

Playing as well as they have all season long, the Middies look to keep the good play going this weekend, when they go on the road to take on Colgate and Bucknell on Friday and Sunday, respectively.

Lafayette Leopards (2-7 PL, 6-16 overall)

The woes continue for Lafayette, as the team fell to seventh place in the league after a rough outing against Bucknell and a devastating last-second loss to Colgate.

Sean Knitter and Jamaal Douglas combined to score 40 points, but it was not nearly enough as the Leopards fell to Bucknell on Friday evening. Despite the scoring from the duo, including a career-high 20 points from Douglas, the Leopards forgot to play any defense against the Bison. Lafayette allowed the visitors to shoot at will all game long and was never able to get back into the game in the second half because the team couldn’t come close to matching Bucknell on the offensive end. Bilal Abdullah once again began the game on the bench for Lafayette, and he scored seven points in 24 minutes – while the team’s four starters (minus Douglas) combined to score only 12 points.

Against the Raiders, Douglas again led the way as the Leopards came back strong in the second half but couldn’t put the game away. Lafayette had a chance to win the game, holding the ball with 22 seconds left and the game tied. But Marcus Harley’s drive through the lane drew contact but neither a foul nor a bucket, giving Colgate a 3-on-1 break the other way as time drew short. Lafayette’s Matt Betley made a desperation foul attempt in order to prevent an easy basket, and after one made free throw, the Leopards had another league loss. Douglas has another excellent game for Lafayette, scoring 18 points and adding 11 rebounds, but he and Harley were the only Leopards in double figures, as both teams had trouble finding the net for most of the game.

Lafayette gets its second shot at league-leading Holy Cross on Friday evening, but the more important game may be Sunday’s game at Army. A win will keep the Leopards out of the Patriot League cellar, while a loss might mean a first round date with the same Crusaders in the league tournament.

Army Black Knights (1-8 PL, 3-18 overall)

It was another tough weekend, for the Black Knights. The Army men didn’t have enough offense on Friday against American, and then failed to provide enough defense on Sunday afternoon in a loss to archrival Navy.

Army traveled to Washington, D.C., on Friday night and fell victim to the Eagles, who won their ninth consecutive game over the Knights. Army was dominated in all aspects of the game, being out-rebounded by 23 and shooting more than 10 percentage points below the Eagles. Army’s deficient offense kept pace with American for a little while in the first half, but the team’s offense began to sputter and its defense did likewise in the second half. The team was unable to get within 10 in the final 20 minutes, thanks to a 14-minute stretch in which it scored only nine points. Colin Harris was the sole Knight in double figures with 16 points and also tied a team-high with four rebounds.

In the nationally-televised “Star Game,” Army fell behind early and could never fully recover. Army was once again beaten in nearly every offensive category, including rebounds (47-29) and free throws (23-12), and yet curiously had a higher shooting percentage than the Middies – a rare occurrence for the Knights. Grant Carter and Matt Bell attempted to carry the Black Knights on their backs, combining for 27 points, but the team’s offense continued to sputter. Carter got his points thanks to his seven three-pointers in the game, an Army-Navy game record, as all but one of his attempts came from beyond the arc.

The Black Knights welcome Lehigh and Lafayette to Christl Arena this weekend, facing Lehigh on Friday and then facing off with Lafayette in a battle for last place on Sunday afternoon.

Patriot League Notebook

Patriot League Notebook

by Steve Sheridan

First Army Wins, Now Navy Wins…Twice!

Taking a cue from its fellow service academy, Navy improbably decided to start winning Patriot League basketball games this weekend. The Midshipmen garnered their first league victory of the season on Friday evening, defeating Colgate 82-71 at home. George O’Garro led the Middies with a career-high 24 points, and the win also coincided with the return of leading scorer and rebounder Laramie Mergerson, who has missed all but one of the team’s league games due to a broken hand. But the biggest shocker of the weekend was the team’s 66-62 victory over Bucknell on Sunday, which pulled the Middies out of last place and into a tie for sixth place in the league. The two wins, combined with the return of Mergerson, may signal the beginning of a resurgence for this young Navy squad as it looks to live up to its full potential.

Bucknell Tastes First League Defeat…And Second, Too

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Bucknell Bison had their first taste of Patriot League defeat on Friday, falling to American by a score of 68-59. The Bison, who came into the game with an 11-game winning streak (the fifth-longest in the nation), fell behind early and never fully recovered against the Eagles. As good as American is, nobody expected the Navy Midshipmen to defeat the Bison on Sunday afternoon, but that is exactly what happened. It’s not too often that you see the top team in the league lose twice and the bottom team win twice in the same week. For Bucknell, the two losses signal some major problems in the road ahead.

The Cross Is On Fire

While other teams experience their ups and downs, the Holy Cross Crusaders just continue to win. Ralph Willard’s crew has now won seven games in a row and six straight league contests, suddenly finding itself all alone atop the Patriot League standings. With stellar guard play from the dangerous duo of Kevin Hamilton and Keith Simmons, the HC is playing as well as it has in a long time.

Okpwae Suspended By American

Despite American having an excellent weekend on the court, all was not well in the nation’s capital. Patrick Okpwae, a 6’6″ senior from Yaounde, Cameroon, has been suspended indefinitely from the American men’s basketball team, according to head coach Jeff Jones. Okpwae apparently missed the team’s curfew on Friday night after the team’s game against Bucknell. Okpwae, who has averaged 8.3 points and 4.2 rebounds per game for the Eagles this season, began his suspension on Sunday when the Eagles faced off against Colgate.

Weekly Awards

Player of the Week

George O’Garro, Navy

The senior from Panorama, Calif., put together his best weekend of the season as he helped his team garner its first two Patriot League wins of the season. O’Garro averaged 20 points and nine rebounds in victories over Colgate and Bucknell, including a career-high 24 points against the Raiders. O’Garro also added five blocks and five steals for the Midshipmen, and has become the catalyst for the Navy offensive attack.

Rookie of the Week

Pat Doherty, Holy Cross

Doherty averaged 11.0 points, 2.3 assists and 2.3 steals in the Crusaders’ two wins over Lehigh and Lafayette last weekend. Holy Cross is now 5-0 with the Scranton, Pa., native in the starting lineup, showing that he may never leave the starting five again this season.

Onto the team recaps…

Holy Cross Crusaders (6-1 PL, 15-5 overall)

With the two losses by Bucknell, the title of “League’s hottest team” is certainly befitting of Holy Cross. After victories over Lafayette and Lehigh this weekend, the Crusaders are in the midst of a seven-game winning streak and have won nine of their last 10. Most important, the win over Lehigh vaulted the team into sole possession of first place in the Patriot League at the midway point of the league schedule.

In the first half of the team’s Pennsylvania trip, the Crusaders stormed into Easton and came away with a 74-57 victory against Lafayette. The trio of Kevin Hamilton, Keith Simmons and Nate Lufkin combined to nearly equal the total of the entire Lafayette squad, as the trio scored a combined 51 points. As usual, Holy Cross did it with defense, holding the Leopards to three points in the first 9:20 of the game and 18 points total in the opening half. The HC, meanwhile, continued to shoot the ball very well, shooting 48 percent in the first half and then shutting the door with a 65 percent-shooting second half. Hamilton led the way with 22 points and six rebounds, while Simmons added 18 and six for the Crusaders. The lead grew to as many as 22 midway through the second half, and the game was never in doubt during the final 20 minutes. The game was the sixth consecutive contest in which Holy Cross made over half of its shots.

On Sunday, the Crusaders proved that they could win during an off-shooting night as well. The team survived a rough second half to outlast Lehigh 58-56. Holy Cross again started strong, building a 10-point first-half lead, but Lehigh battled back and Holy Cross went into halftime with only a 27-26 lead. The team’s defense kicked in once again to begin the second stanza, however, as the Crusaders held Lehigh to a single field goal for the first 11 minutes of the half and built up a sizable 16-point advantage. Unlike many other teams, however, the Mountain Hawks would not roll over – and yet it still wasn’t enough to take down the Crusaders. Hamilton led the Holy Cross with 17 points and Simmons and Pat Doherty each added 14 points, but the game was not over until Lufkin blocked Lehigh’s last shot attempt in the waning seconds.

As it begins the second half of the league schedule, Holy Cross will not have the target squarely on its back. The team faces off with a suddenly dangerous Navy team on Friday evening in Annapolis and then moves on to Washington, D.C. to take on second-place American in a game with definite PL Tournament implications. Two wins this weekend would send a strong message to the rest of the Patriot League that the Crusaders are for real.

American Eagles (5-2 PL, 12-7 overall)

Another team that is suddenly proving itself to be for real is the American Eagles. The Eagles used a second-half push to overtake the previously unbeaten Bucknell Bison on Friday evening, and then came back on Sunday afternoon to defeat the Colgate Raiders. With the two wins, American quickly jumped up into a tie for second in the league.

On Friday evening, the Eagles toppled the league’s top team, 68-59, thanks to a solid performance by Jason Thomas. The senior guard scored 18 points, had five rebounds and added three steals in 38 minutes to lead the Eagles over the Bison. American sprinted out of the game against Bucknell, building a first-half lead that grew to as many as 19 before settling for an 11-point advantage at the break. The lead was 20 with 8:16 left before Bucknell attempted to come back, but the lead got no lower than six points after that point. American did its best to allow the Bison back into it, missing five of its last eight free throw attempts (all by Thomas), but in the end the Eagles became the first league team this season to take down the Bison. Matej Cresnik added 13 points and Raimondas Petrauskas contributed 10 points, while Patrick Okpwae added eight points and four rebounds in his last game before being suspended indefinitely by the team.

Against Colgate, American used a combination of excellent shooting and a huge rebounding edge to overcome the Raiders, 78-59, and avoid a letdown after the Bucknell game. The Eagles shot 56 percent from the field and held an 18-rebound edge on the boards as the dominated the Raiders from the opening tip. Petrauskas led the Eagle starters with a season-best 22 points, as the starting five scored all but four points for American on the afternoon. The lack of bench production didn’t matter for American in this game, however, as Thomas and Ingram combined for 35 points on 14-of-26 shooting, giving American an offensive edge over the overmatched Raiders. Every time Colgate attempted to come back on American, the Eagles would answer with a timely bucket or defensive stop, as the home team led from the very start and never looked back.

The Eagles, who currently sit in a tie for second in the league with Bucknell, have an early chance to get some retribution for the team’s disappointing loss at Holy Cross last weekend on Sunday, when they welcome the Crusaders to Washington, D.C. But first, the team must not overlook last place Army, which visits Bender Arena on Friday evening.

Bucknell Bison (5-2 PL, 14-6 overall)

My, how the mighty have fallen. And hard. After surviving their first five league games this season, the Bison finally had their luck run out against American and Navy, falling to both teams in surprising outcomes.

The team’s 11-game winning streak came to a screeching halt on Friday, when the team traveled to Bender Arena to take on American. The Bison came out flat on Friday, scoring the first four points of the game but then allowing American to go on a 15-0 run that put the Bison behind the eight-ball early. The Bison didn’t quit in the second half despite being down big, using some defensive pressure to keep the Eagles to just one field goal for the final eight minutes of the game. Unfortunately for the visitors, however, the three-pointers were not falling (2-for-11 in the second half), and Bucknell could never fully recover from its slow start. Charles Lee led three Bucknell players in double figures with 16 points, but Kevin Bettencourt had another disappointing outing for the Bison, scoring seven points on 1-of-8 shooting. The loss was the first for Bucknell since falling to Penn on December 1.

Unfortunately for the team, the loss turned into an actual losing streak on Sunday afternoon, when the team was upset by the Midshipmen of Navy, 66-62. Bettencourt responded very nicely to his off game against the Eagles, scoring a season-high 27 points and becoming the 30th Bucknell player to record 1,000 points in a career. The milestone came on a down night, however, because the Bison surprisingly could not hold a second-half lead. The team led by nine early on in the second stanza and held a tenuous one-point edge with 1:28 left before Navy’s Corey Johnson hit two free throws that gave Navy the lead for good. Bucknell seemed to be in good position to retake the lead after the two free throws, but a careless turnover turned into two Navy points and Bettencourt’s subsequent three-pointer was off the mark. The loss continues Bucknell’s struggles at Alumni Hall, where the Bison have lost 14 of their last 15 games.

Still without the services of head coach Pat Flannery, the Bison have to find a way to right the ship soon. The team finishes up its four-game road trip this weekend with games at Lafayette on Friday and Lehigh on Sunday. The team will likely need to win both of those games both in order to stay with the top teams in the Patriot League and to keep some semblance of confidence as we head towards the end of the season.

Lehigh Mountain Hawks (4-3 PL, 10-10 overall)

Coming off a bad week last weekend, the Mountain Hawks now sit in fourth place in the Patriot League after splitting its two games against Army and Holy Cross.

Lehigh faced off with the hapless Black Knights on Friday evening and cruised to a 63-45 victory behind the combined efforts of Jose Olivero and Nick Monserez. The duo totaled 39 points and 15 rebounds as the Mountain Hawks jumped out to a 23-6 lead and never looked back. Monserez scored 10 of his game-high 20 points in the first 10 minutes of the contest. Lehigh turned its attention to defense in the second half, holding Army to 7-of-24 shooting in the final 20 minutes and one field goal in the final 7:53. The Hawks also did an excellent job of corralling all those Army misfires, holding a 39-20 edge in rebounding. With the efforts of Monserez and Olivero, not much was needed by the remaining Mountain Hawk players – and that was good, since only one other Lehigh player made more than one field goal.

On Sunday afternoon, Lehigh became the latest Patriot League team to fall victim to the Holy Cross buzz saw. The Mountain Hawks fell behind early and came back in the opening half, but the team was unable to pull the same trick in the second half. The team went cold to open the second stanza, hitting one field goal in 11 minutes, and then attempted to claw its way back from the free throw line. The team hit 16-of-23 attempts from the charity stripe in the second half, but in the end it was not enough to overcome a 16-point second half deficit. Olivero led the Mountain Hawks with a game-high 24 points while Jason Mgebroff and Mitch Gilfillan each added 10, but it was not enough to overcome the Crusaders’ talented guards.

A major story for Lehigh has been the recent disappearance of Joe Knight, one of the team’s top scorers earlier in the season. The junior transfer did not play in the win against Army and didn’t hit a field goal against Holy Cross. Knight and the rest of the Mountain Hawks look to regroup this weekend.

Colgate Raiders (3-4 PL, 8-12 overall)

One weekend they’re great, the next they’re terrible: this is the story of the Colgate Raiders this season. Coming off two big league victories, the team responded this weekend by dropping games to Navy and American, falling back under the .500 mark in the Patriot League.

In the team’s game against previously winless Navy, the Raiders kept up with the Midshipmen in all offensive categories except one: free throws. Colgate shot only 9-of-15 from the free throw line while allowing the Middies to take 35 free throw attempts and make 24 of them, giving Navy its first league win of the season with an 82-71 triumph. Colgate’s struggles continued against the lower echelon teams of the Patriot League (remember, the Raiders lost to Army twice last season), as the team had no answer for Navy’s George O’Garro down low. Andrew Zidar had 14 points and eight rebounds for Colgate, but it was not enough of an inside presence to deter Navy from going that route. Colgate, as has been a problem all season long, also committed way too many fouls, getting into foul trouble and giving the opposition too many free shots at the basket.

The Raiders confirmed that the weekend was a complete waste on Sunday afternoon, as the team never could find the shooting touch in its 78-59 loss to American. The team shot 37 percent for the contest and allowed the Eagles to shoot at a 56 percent clip as American scored the first four points and never trailed. Despite being down by 13 points at halftime, Colgate came out in the second half and decreased the American lead to only two on two occasions, but the lead quickly ballooned to double figures and stayed there for the majority of the second half. Colgate hit only one field goal in the final 4:59, a three-pointer by Alvin Reed. Jon Simon led Colgate for the second consecutive game with 19 points while Reed added 11, but even four Raiders in double figures and a bench that outscored American 20-4 couldn’t overcome the hot Eagle shooting.

Headed into last weekend with high aspirations, Colgate now heads into February with plenty of doubt. The team travels to Lehigh and Lafayette this weekend, two teams that Colgate beat just two weeks ago at Cotterell Court. This time, however, the Raiders will have to prove they can win a game on the road – which has been difficult for the squad in the past.

Lafayette Leopards (2-5 PL, 6-14 overall)

The Leopards are in limbo right now. The team’s lackluster play as of late has kept the squad near the bottom of the league standings, and the team currently sits in a tie for sixth place in the league after splitting its two games this weekend, falling to the red-hot Crusaders before saving face with a victory over Army.

Against Holy Cross, a poor first half gave the team little hope for a victory right away. The Leopards hit one field goal in the first 9:20 of the game and hit only five field goals in the first 20 minutes, heading into halftime with 18 points and facing a 13-point deficit. The team heated up in the second half, shooting the ball at a 48 percent rate, but the team’s defense also disintegrated at the same time, allowing Holy Cross to hit over 65 percent of its shots. The Leopards fell 74-57. Jamaal Douglas scored 11 of his team-high 14 points in the second half as the Leopard offense began to shoot more accurately, but as has been the case with the team all season long, no other player stepped up to match Douglas’ effort.

Head coach Fran O’Hanlon went with an altered starting lineup on Sunday against Army, and though one of the new starters didn’t play well, the Leopards still managed to defeat the Black Knights 66-49. Paul Cummins and Matt Betley got the start in place of Bilal Abdullah and Jamaal Hilliard, and Betley responded well with a 12-point, eight-rebound and five-assist effort. Cummins, meanwhile, was held without a point. As a team, the Leopards dominated the interior, out-rebounding the Knights by 19 – helping to overcome the team’s 36 percent shooting day. Betley and Douglas combined to score the team’s first 13 points, as Betley’s three-pointer on the game’s opening possession put Lafayette up for good early. Douglas and Sean Knitter led the way for Lafayette with 14 points each.

With a weekend split, the Leopards gain no ground in the Patriot League standings and now are suddenly tied with Navy for the sixth position. The team will host a pair of struggle teams, Bucknell and Colgate, this weekend in an attempt to get it back on track in the second half of the Patriot League season.

Navy Midshipmen (2-5 PL, 6-14 overall)

The Midshipmen are the story of the week in the Patriot League. After losing their first five league games of the season, the Navy men got the monkey off their backs against Colgate and then came back on Sunday to take down Bucknell. The two wins have given the team a lot of confidence headed into the second league go-around.

The team welcomed back Laramie Mergerson, the team’s leading rebounder and scorer who had been out with a broken hand, on Friday, but it was the play of senior George O’Garro that led the Middies to their first league win, 82-71 over Colgate. O’Garro posted his second-career double-double with a career-high 24 points and 11 rebounds, as he seemed to will his team to victory. The Middies didn’t shoot the ball particularly well, hitting only 40 percent of their shots, but the team was able to get to the free throw line 35 times – including 13 times just for O’Garro. Matt Fannin and David Hooper were also in double figures for Navy, while Mergerson contributed nine points, three boards and three assists in his first action since breaking his non-shooting hand on January 10.

The team came back on Sunday afternoon and made those free throws count again, holding off Bucknell in the second half to win, 66-62. The Bison held the lead for the majority of the game, but the Midshipmen stayed with Bucknell throughout and were there at the end of the game to steal away a victory. Corey Johnson hit two free throws to give the Middies the lead and O’Garro increased the lead to three with a pair of his own before Greg Sprink iced the game with eight seconds left. In the second half, Navy scored 20 of its 41 points from the charity stripe, as it again took advantage of its opponents’ propensity to foul. Sprink and O’Garro led Navy with 17 and 16 points, respectively, both on 5-of-10 shooting. With the win, Navy surpassed its win total from all of last season (five), and gave itself some much-needed momentum.

After getting first-year head coach Billy Lange his first two Patriot League victories, the Navy men will surely be hungry for more this weekend. The team plays the streaking Holy Cross Crusaders on Friday night, and then hosts Army in a nationally-televised contest on Sunday afternoon. The Star Game will surely be a hard-fought match-up, as the Middies attempt to make up for the embarrassing loss at the hands of the Black Knights a few weekends ago.

Army Black Knights (1-6 PL, 3-16 overall)

I hope the Black Knights enjoyed their one week out of the Patriot League cellar, because the team is now settled back into that spot. With losses to Lehigh and Lafayette, Army fell to 1-6 in the league and, with Navy’s two victories, assumed the bottom position once again.

In the team’s 63-45 loss to Lehigh, the Knights fell behind early and never fully recovered. The team fell behind 23-6 out of the gate and was down by 17 again later in the half before going on a 12-2 run to get the lead down to a manageable seven points. The Knights then hung around for most of the second half, trailing by only seven at the 7:54 mark before Lehigh went on a decisive 13-2 run over the game’s final eight minutes to finally put Army away. Colin Harris led the Black Knights with 18 points, including a span to begin the second half in which he scored 12 of the team’s 15 points. The game wasn’t the best display of Black Knight offense, as only five Army players were able to make a field goal and only three scored more than four points.

The team didn’t fare any better on Sunday afternoon, as the Black Knights traveled to Easton and fell to Lafayette 66-49. Once again, the team was unable to get anything going on the offensive end, shooting only 36 percent from the field. The Leopards also shot 36 percent, but Lafayette had the advantage thanks to a 47-28 rebounding edge that allowed them to take 11 more shots than the Black Knights. Neither team shot the ball well from beyond the arc, as Army hit only 5-of-28 attempts while Lafayette was little better, making 6-of-28 tries in a war of offensive attrition in which the Leopards finally prevailed. Cory Sinning led the Black Knights in a losing effort with a career-high 16 points, while Matt Bell was the only other Army player in double figures with 10. Only six Black Knight players were able to put points on the board, yet another example of the team’s obvious offensive weakness.

The Army men have a pair of difficult league games coming up this weekend. On Friday, the team travels to American to face off with the Eagles, and then the Knights travel to Annapolis for a nationally-televised showdown with the Midshipmen on Sunday. Once again, the team’s game against Navy may be its best shot at another league victory, so the Black Knights should be fired up for the annual Star Game.

Patriot League Notebook

Patriot League Notebook

by Steve Sheridan

Army FINALLY Wins A Division I Game

Army has finally returned to legitimacy in the world of college basketball…okay, that may be a stretch, but the team did do something this weekend that it hadn’t done all season long. It took the Black Knights 15 games, but Army finally came up with its first win against a Division I opponent this season on Sunday – against a Patriot League foe, no less. The team not only defeated archrival Navy, but it destroyed the Midshipmen, winning the game by 20 points. With the win, the Black Knights are out of the Patriot League cellar for the first time this season. Maybe this win will be the start of a huge run for the service academy…then again, maybe not.

Flannery Takes Leave Of Absence

Bucknell head coach Pat Flannery is taking a temporary leave of absence that began with Sunday’s game against Lehigh. According to Bucknell Athletic Director John Hardt, Flannery has been experiencing some medical developments, including an episode during the team’s game against Lafayette last Friday. Flannery missed the last weekend of regular season play last season due to medical reasons as well, and that may have been a reason for the precaution this season. We wish Coach Flannery a full and speedy recovery, and hope that he can return to guide his Patriot League-leading Bison as soon as possible.

Patriot-Ivy Recap

After 23 games between the two scholarly conferences of Division I college basketball, the Ivy League edged out the Patriot League, winning 13 of 23 games played. Holy Cross has the strongest record on the Patriot League side, winning three of its four games, while on the other side the biggest bullies were Princeton, which went 3-0, and Columbia, which went 3-1. The Patriots were able to destroy the lesser competition of the Ivy League, going a combined 5-0 against Ivy patsies Dartmouth and Yale. But even with those victories, the non-league battling was a little disappointing for the Patriot League, which usually plays well against their Ivy counterparts. For this year, however, the Ivies get the bragging rights as the best scholarly league in the country.

Holy Cross Named In Top 100 College Hoops Programs

The Holy Cross men’s basketball program was named the 68th best program of all-time in Street and Smith’s 100 Greatest College Basketball Programs of All-Time, which comes into bookstores this month. The Crusaders, who have been graced by some all-time great such as Bob Cousy and Tom Heinsohn, have won one NCAA Tournament and one NIT title it the 86 years of the program, in which the team has compiled a record of 1189-775 (.605).

Player of the Week

Alvin Reed, Colgate
The junior guard from San Bernardino, Calif., receives his first Player of the Week award after leading his Raiders to a 3-0 record, including league wins over Lehigh and Lafayette. Reed averaged 21.3 points per game, including tying a career high with 26 points against Lafayette on Sunday. Reed is currently third in the league in scoring, averaging 14.1 ppg.

Rookie of the Week

Pat Doherty, Holy Cross
Once again, it’s Doherty. In his first three collegiate starts, the freshman from Scranton, Pa., has not disappointed, averaging 12.7 ppg, 5.3 assists per game and 4.0 steals per game, filling in for Torey Thomas as the team’s newest talented guard. In the team’s three games last week, Doherty shot 50 percent both from the floor (10-of-20) and from beyond the arc (7-of-14).

Team Recaps

Bucknell Bison (5-0 PL, 14-4 overall)

The league-leading Bison continue to roll through the first half of the Patriot League season. On Friday, the team’s win gave it sole possession of first place in the league, and Sunday’s last-second victory kept Bucknell sitting pretty atop the standings and increased its winning streak to 11 games.

Against Lafayette on Friday night, the Bison increased the winning streak to double figures and survived a poor shooting night from Kevin Bettencourt to overcome the Leopards, 71-54. Bettencourt shot only 2-of-12 from the field and scored just five points, but that is the thing about this Bison squad: there are so many weapons on the floor that can beat you that it can overcome one bad night. Chris McNaughton scored a game-high 17 points and Charles Lee added 10 of his own, while the Bucknell bench combined to score 33 points in the win. The Bucknell defense exerted its will over the Leopards for most of the contest, holding Lafayette to 32 percent shooting and keeping the lead in double figures for the last 10 minutes of the game. Bucknell, meanwhile, shot the ball at a 45 percent clip from the field.

On Sunday, the team played its first game without head coach Pat Flannery, who left the team indefinitely for personal reasons, and the opponent was not an easy one: Lehigh. Two of the best teams in the Patriot League collided in Sojka Pavilion on Sunday afternoon and put on a show, but the home crowd went home happy thanks to a frantic 65-63 win for the Bison. The beginning of the game was not pretty for the home crowd, as the Bison came out flat, hitting only five of their first 18 shots, but a late first-half run allowed Bucknell to head into halftime down only six points. The lead see-sawed for much of the second half, but the Bison appeared to have the game wrapped up, holding a seven-point edge with 1:17 remaining in the game. The Bison then nearly handed the game to the Mountain Hawks, as a turnover and missed lay-up allowed Lehigh to score eight points in 31 seconds to take a lead. Luckily for the Bison, Abe Badmus came to the rescue, hitting a clutch three-pointer with six seconds remaining to give Bucknell the two-point victory. Lee, McNaughton and Bettencourt all reached double figures for Bucknell, while Badmus added nine points – including the most important three of the day.

The Bison, which now hold the sixth longest winning streak in school history, will look to extend the streak to lengths not seen since 1919 this weekend, when they travel from the friendly confines of Sojka Pavilion to face off against American and Navy.

Holy Cross Crusaders (4-1 PL, 13-5 overall)

The Holy Cross Crusaders are getting on a roll at the right time of the season, as the team has now won five games in a row following three wins last week over non-league Iona and league opponents Navy and American.

In the team’s final non-league game of the season, the Crusaders put on a clinic in taking down the Iona Gaels, 78-53. The HC shot the lights out of the DCU Center in Worcester, hitting 59 percent of its shots on the evening, while holding Iona to 42 percent shooting. The team’s weapon of choice in the contest was the three-pointer, as it made 12 of them – including an absurd second half in which the Crusaders did not miss a shot from beyond the arc (8-for-8). Holy Cross also had 18 steals and forced 24 Gael turnovers, as the Crusaders played well in all aspects of the game. Kevin Hamilton led the way with 24 points and five steals, while Keith Simmons added 14 points and Kevin Hyland added 12 of his own, as the home team led by as many as 32 in the second half before ending up a 25-point victor.

The team kept up its momentum on Friday night against the hapless Navy Midshipmen, as five Crusaders scored in double figures to lead Holy Cross to an easy 79-56 win. The Crusaders moved back into their home arena and shot the lights out of the Hart Center too, shooting 56 percent from the field while keeping Navy to 38 percent shooting. In a twist, however, the Crusaders relied not on the three-pointer but on their inside game to dominate the Midshipmen, as the HC outscored the Middies 44-18 in the paint. Freshman Pat Doherty led five Holy Cross players in double figures with 15 points in addition to six assists and five steals, proving himself worthy in his first collegiate start. John Hurley added 12 points and a team-high seven rebounds for Holy Cross, which had very little trouble against the last-place team in the league.

In a game that was postponed due to the snowstorm that hit the East Coast hard, the Crusaders played a team that should have posed much more of a problem and yet beat them as easily as they did Navy. On Monday evening, the Crusaders took out the American Eagles with ease, cruising to an 80-56 victory. It was another game, another 50+ percent shooting day for Holy Cross, which shot 53 percent in the win. The Crusaders came out of the game smoking, building up a lead as great as 21 in the first half alone and never fretting about the outcome in the second half. Hamilton once again led the way for Holy Cross, scoring 23 points and adding seven assists and five steals. With his play as of late, Hamilton is positioning himself as a front-runner for the year-end Player of the Year award, as his constant offense has been the propellant behind this explosive Crusader offensive attack. Doherty added 15 points in his second collegiate start, making a late run at the Rookie of the Year himself.

Times are good at the Cross, which is looking like a title contender once again and making the believers forget about the atypical league season-opening loss to Bucknell. The Crusaders make the Pennsylvania trip this weekend, traveling to Lafayette on Friday and Lehigh on Sunday in another pair of league contests.

American Eagles (3-2 PL, 11-7 overall)

The Eagles had two very different games last weekend, an easy win against a struggling Army team and a big loss at the hands of a streaking Crusader squad. After this week, the team will have to find out which team is the real American squad.

The Eagles began the weekend in style, cruising to a very easy 72-37 victory over Army. American, which shot the ball at a 50 percent clip for the game, didn’t have to do too much against the Black Knights, who themselves could not find the basket. American put the game away early, beginning the contest on a 17-2 run and hitting 16 first-half field goals as compared to just four for Army, and never looked back in the second half. The Eagles also did a good job of hauling in all those Black Knight misses, out-rebounding the Knights by 20, 46-26. Raimondas Petrauskas led three Eagle players in double figures with 12 points and seven rebounds, while Andre Ingram and Patrick Okpwae each added 11 points. The last time that the Eagles held an opponent under 40 points was during the 2001-2002 season, when UNC-Wilmington couldn’t get past the 39-point mark.

Unfortunately for the Eagles, the next game was not nearly as easy. In fact, it was downright impossible for them to win when faced with the flaming hot Crusaders. American was blitzed from the very beginning and never could keep up with the play of the Crusaders. No Eagle player made more than three field goals on the afternoon, as only Ingram and Matej Cresnik reached double figures – and barely, each with 10 points. Whether the team was affected more by the Holy Cross team or the 28 inches of snow that kept them in Worcester longer than expected remains to be seen, but in either case the American squad will have to figure out a way to erase this game from their memory.

After the loss to Holy Cross, American must regroup this weekend when it returns home to the nation’s capital. There, the team will welcome Bucknell on Friday and Colgate on Sunday to Bender Arena. A win against Colgate, one of the teams currently tied with American for third place in the league, will be a big boost to the confidence of the Eagles squad.

Lehigh Mountain Hawks (3-2 PL, 9-9 overall)

The Mountain Hawks had a tough weekend. After entering Friday’s match-up with Colgate in a tie for first place, Lehigh finished Sunday in a three-way tie for third place after two losses dropped the Hawks in the standings.

On Friday evening, the Mountain Hawks visited Colgate at Cotterell Court, a place where they have had no success in the last 14 games, and came out with the same result: a loss. The Lehigh offense could muster very little against the Raiders, as the team’s top two scorers, Jose Olivero and Joe Knight, combined to shoot 2-of-20 from the field for a total of 11 points. Neither team was able to shoot the ball well over the course of the game, with Lehigh shooting at a 32 percent clip and Colgate not much better at 35 percent. The Hawks could never completely overtake Colgate in the game, tying the game on several occasions in the second half but not once taking a lead after the 10-minute mark of the first half. Senior Nick Monserez picked up some of the slack for Lehigh, scoring a game-high 16 points, but the team was unable to avoid its 14th consecutive loss in Hamilton.

After the loss to Colgate, the Mountain Hawks traveled to Lewisburg for a showdown with the league-leading Bucknell Bison. The team gave a valiant effort against the Bison, but a last-second game-winning attempt by Earl Nurse rattled off the rim and Lehigh was defeated, 65-63. The visitors came out very strong in the first half, shooting 48 percent and keeping Bucknell to 33 percent shooting, and headed into the half with a lead. But the tables turned in the second 20 minutes, as the Bison got hot and Lehigh suddenly went cold on the offensive end, shooting only 30 percent. The team did not quit down the stretch, however, erasing a seven-point deficit in about 30 seconds in the game’s waning minutes. But, Nurse’s last-ditch effort just missed the target and Lehigh went home with its second consecutive league loss. Monserez had another big game for the Mountain Hawks, scoring a career-high 22 points, including six three-pointers, while Olivero added 15. The Hawks may have been done in by another poor outing from Knight, who hit only 1-of-11 shots and scored just four points.

The Mountain Hawks will look to get back into the win column this weekend, when they return home to host two Patriot League opponents. On Friday evening, Lehigh welcomes Army to Stabler Arena and then has another very tough task against the Holy Cross Crusaders on Sunday afternoon. With two consecutive league losses, the Mountain Hawks will need at least one victory this weekend to keep up with the teams tied with them in the league.

Colgate Raiders (3-2 PL, 8-10 overall)

The Colgate Raiders may have started their late-season charge a little early this year. After finishing up their non-league schedule with a win over Dartmouth, the Raiders took out visiting Lehigh and Lafayette over the weekend, propelling the team to a 3-2 league mark and giving the Raiders some momentum as the Patriot League season continues.

In its final non-league game of the season, the Raiders shot the ball well on their way to a 69-61 win over the Big Green. Colgate shot nearly 50 percent in the first half as it jumped out to a 12-point halftime lead, despite spotting the Big Green leads of 7-0 and 11-3 to start the game. Kyle Roemer scored 12 of his 14 points in the first half, spearheading the Raider attack to begin the game. Junior Alvin Reed had an excellent game for Colgate, scoring 23 points to lead all scorers, including 8-of-12 shooting from the field and 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. The Raiders used two big runs in the first half to take control, a 19-3 run that turned an eight-point deficit into an eight-point edge, and a 12-2 run that gave the team a 39-27 halftime advantage that it never gave back.

Heading back to Patriot League action, the Raiders knocked off the then-first place Mountain Hawks of Lehigh for the second consecutive season on Friday evening, winning 61-54. Reed again led the way for Colgate with 15 points, while Andrew Zidar had his first double-double of the season with 11 points and 11 rebounds. The Raiders did not shoot the ball very well for the game, but did a solid job of containing Joe Knight and Jose Olivero, who combined for 11 points, while providing just enough offense themselves to overtake the Mountain Hawks. Colgate’s free throws almost allowed Lehigh to get back into the game late, as Colgate missed 4-of-9 attempts in the final 90 seconds, but the Raiders responded by allowing Lehigh to make only one free throw during that span.

On Sunday afternoon, the Raiders increased their modest winning streak to three after holding off a pesky Lafayette squad, 80-72. Neither team was able to gain a big advantage in the first 20 minutes, with both teams making runs to keep the game close. Coming out for the second half, however, Colgate went on an initial 17-3 run, aided by all Roemer’s nine points, to take an 18-point advantage. In the second half, Colgate shot 58 percent from the floor to keep the Leopards at bay, despite not making a field goal after Alex Woodhouse’s dunk with 4:48 remaining in the second half. Colgate instead finished the game off at the free throw line, where the team scored its last 14 points. Reed equaled his career-high with 26 points on 10-of-20 shooting, as the junior guard was the catalyst for the Raider offense all afternoon. Zidar recorded his second consecutive double-double, registering a career-high 15 rebounds and 13 points.

Coming off two very important league victories, the Raiders must keep the momentum going in the right direction. The team first gets a crack at league cellar-dweller Navy on Friday afternoon in Annapolis, and then travels to Washington, D.C. for an important league match-up with American on Sunday afternoon.

Lafayette Leopards (1-4 PL, 5-13 overall)

As been the case all season long, the Lafayette Leopards are still searching for a complete team effort. In so many games, one player has stepped up his play while the rest of the squad watches, resulting in solid individual performances but not many victories. This was the case yet again this weekend, as the Leopards fell to Bucknell and Colgate.

In the team’s final non-league game of the season, the Leopards welcomed Penn to Easton and gave the Quakers a nice parting gift: an 85-63 win. Lafayette’s main culprit in this game was its lack of defense, as the hosts were way too generous to their Quaker visitors, allowing Penn to shoot 50 percent from the field for the game. The Leopards hung with the visitors in the first half, shooting 54 percent from the floor, but the team cooled off considerably in the second half, shooting only 32 percent. Lafayette was basically dominated in all aspects of the game, having considerable deficits in rebounding (41-26) and all three types of shooting percentages. Marcus Harley led the Leopards with 14 points and was aided by 11 from Andrei Capusan, but the team simply could not keep up with Penn on the offensive end.

Against the league-leading Bison, the Leopards had a poor shooting night and saw only Bilal Abdullah reach double figures in the team’s 71-54 loss. The team shot only 32 percent for the game, and yet still found itself within five points of Bucknell early in the second half. It was then that Lafayette’s poor shooting finally caught up to it, as the Bison rolled off a 14-3 run that put the lead in double figures and put the game away for the home team. Lafayette allowed the Bison to shot the ball at a 45 percent clip, including 50 percent in the decisive second half. Only Capusan had more than two field goals for the Leopards, who once again were unable to find a go-to player when they needed one most. Abdullah led the team with 11 points, but the points were spread out among 10 Leopard players.

Following the loss to Lehigh, the Leopards traveled to Cotterell Court to take on the Raiders, but the team’s poor shooting continued in the 80-72 loss. The team shot only 35 percent from the field for the game, including 7-of-30 from beyond the arc. Despite the off shooting night, the Leopards would not quit against Colgate, despite being down by as much as 18 early in the second half. Leading the charge in the second half was Abdullah, who scored 12 of his 15 points after halftime, and Jamaal Douglas, who scored a team-high 18 points and grabbed a team-best 10 boards. The team’s second-half surge came on the backs of the Leopard underclassmen, as senior Sean Knitter and junior Capusan had little impact on the contest at all for the visitors. The focal point for the Leopards was its outside shooting, as the team launched three after ill-advised three (especially Knitter and Douglas, the big men) throughout the afternoon that never let Lafayette get fully back into the game after a slow start.

The Leopards return home this weekend for two home games, during which the team hopes to get its elusive second league victory. On Friday evening, the Leopards welcome Holy Cross to Lewisburg for a 7 p.m. match-up, and then take on visiting Army on Sunday afternoon.

Army Black Knights (1-4 PL, 3-14 overall)

The Black Knights had a breakthrough weekend, at least for their low standards. Despite being beaten up by American on Friday afternoon, the Army men snapped their eight-game losing streak and defeated their first Division I team of the season on Sunday, taking down Navy.

When the Black Knights welcomed American to Christl Arena, the Eagles went right to work and never let the game be in doubt. As is becoming custom with Army, the Knights shot the ball horrendously in the first half and, to add to the frustrations, forgot how to play defense as well. The team hit only 4-of-26 field goal attempts in the first 20 minutes – including 1-of-14 attempts from beyond the arc – and the Eagles were off and running without any opposition. Thanks to their terrible shooting, the Black Knights entered halftime down by 27 points – the team would not have made up the deficit in the second half if American has not scored a single basket. Reserve Steve Stoll led Army in scoring with 11 points and was the only Black Knight in double figures, as Army once again proved that it is very difficult for the team to have more than one player playing well at the same time.

But don’t mind that, because Army came back on Sunday to finally drag itself out of the Patriot League cellar, thanks to a 63-43 drubbing of fellow service academy Navy. In the first half, the two teams played evenly until a 12-4 run by the host Knights gave them an eight-point lead headed into the intermission. The second half was, dare I say, all Army. Matt Bell scored 11 of his game-high 20 points in the second stanza, as the Black Knights held the Middies to 26 percent shooting in the final 20 minutes, including not allowing a single three-pointer in 13 attempts. Army, meanwhile, shot 38 percent for the game – not exactly a pretty number, but nonetheless effective against a team that has as many offensive worries as the Knights. Cory Sinning and Grant Carter also scored in double figures for Army – only the second time this season that three Army players reached double figures against a D-I opponent, as the Black Knights handed the Midshipmen their worst loss in the rivalry between the schools since 1970.

Coming off the team’s biggest victory of the season (not saying much, but work with me here), the Black Knights head on the road for league games against Lehigh and Lafayette. If the team can pull out a win over the Leopards, it would rocket all the way up to sixth in the league standings, so the Black Knights will surely be ready for Sunday’s contest.

Navy Midshipmen (0-5 PL, 4-14 overall)

One team’s gain is another team’s loss, and now the Navy Midshipmen are all alone in the basement of the Patriot League. The team’s three games last week were not exactly promising for the Navy men, as they were blown out by Holy Cross (expected) and Army (certainly not), while also losing a close game to non-league foe Columbia.

In the team’s one game of the week that didn’t matter in the league standings, Navy played its best, which isn’t exactly saying much. The Midshipmen hung around with the Lions for the majority of the game, although they never made a second-half move and lost to Columbia, 69-63. The Middies seemed to rely too heavily on the three-point shot, one that they didn’t make too often, as the team hit only 5-of-25 attempts from downtown. Despite the fact that Navy shot 53 percent from the free throw line and allowed Columbia to shoot around that percentage from the field in the second half, it was still somehow close down the stretch. If those statistics didn’t give up the game for the Middies, it was the team’s 22 turnovers, which gave up many opportunities to take the game from the Lions. Matt Fannin led Navy with 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting, but the team still can’t hear the calls of head coach Billy Lange to get Fannin the ball more often.

The team returned to league play on Friday against the Crusaders, and were met with stiff opposition. Navy once again allowed its opponent to go wild on the offensive end, as Holy Cross shot 56 percent from the field on the way to an easy 79-56 win over the Middies. Navy, in comparison, shot only 38 percent for the game, thanks in large part to the Crusaders’ dominance in the paint, where they outscored Navy 44-18. The Midshipmen attempted to stay with Holy Cross throughout, making some runs once the lead got too out-of-hand, but one final HC run in the second half proved to be too much for the Navy team to handle. Corey Johnson led Navy in scoring with 13 points, but the Middies were physically unable to keep up with the Crusaders shooting, both in the paint and in general.

And then, in what is to this point of the season the team’s lowest point, the Midshipmen were sunk by the rival Army Black Knights, losing in embarrassing fashion, 64-43. After the Middies jumped out to an early lead, the team scored just nine points in the final 13 minutes of the first half and went into the break down by eight points. The second half played out like the end of the first, as Navy was only able to cut the lead below double figures once in the final 20 minutes of play. The team once again struggled mightily from beyond the arc, hitting only 3-of-27 three-point attempts, including an 0-for-13 streak in the second half. Fannin again led the team, this time with 17 points, but at this point in the season should be getting even more of the ball, since he is the team’s only reliable scorer. Fannin shot 60 percent for the game, while the rest of the Navy team combined to only shoot 21 percent – not a good sign for Billy Lange and his boys.

After settling into its position at the bottom of the Patriot League barrel, the Midshipmen will look to right the ship and halt their eight-game losing streak this weekend, when they play host to Colgate and Bucknell on Friday and Sunday, respectively.

Patriot League Notebook

Patriot League Notebook

by Steve Sheridan

Bison Cannot Be Stopped

This just in: Bucknell is a good basketball team. After the team’s wins over Colgate and Army, the Bison have won nine straight games, the longest streak in the 11-year tenure of head coach Pat Flannery. Bucknell is ranked No. 22 in the latest CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll, and at this point hasn’t had a very stiff challenge from a Patriot League opponent. Of course, that only means that teams will be gunning more than ever to take down the top dogs – err, Bison.

Patriot Defense

The Patriot League teams have been playing their share of defense so far this season, placing three teams within the top 17 in the nation in scoring defense. Not incidentally, the three teams that place high (Bucknell, Holy Cross and Lehigh) are three of the top teams in the league this season. The Bison come in at the No. 10 position (57.9 points per game), followed closely by the Crusaders (No. 11, 58.0 ppg) and the Mountain Hawks (No. 17, 58.7 ppg). Army, meanwhile, ranks fourth from the bottom in D-I in scoring offense – just for a little perspective on some of these teams’ opposition.

New Eagle Heading Into The Nest

The American University Eagles announced Tuesday that Paulius Joneliunas, a sophomore center, will transfer to the Washington, D.C., school from the University of South Carolina. Joneliunas has participated in 16 games in his two seasons with the Gamecocks, averaging one rebound and less than one point per game. The Vilnius, Lithuania, native will certainly feel welcome on the Eagle squad, which already features three players from the eastern European country.

Player of the Week

Kevin Hamilton, Holy Cross
The junior guard led Holy Cross to two wins last week, including the team’s win over Army in which he scored only 11 fewer points than the entire Black Knight squad. In the two games, the Queens Village, N.Y., native averaged 18.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4 steals, as he continues to lead the Crusaders towards the top of the Patriot League.

Rookie of the Week

Pat Doherty, Holy Cross
Doherty made his first significant contributions to the Crusader cause last week, averaging 11 points, 4.5 assists and three rebounds in his team’s two games. The Scranton, Pa., native is just another in a long line of talented Crusader guards this season (see Player of the Week, for example), and only adds to the danger of playing Holy Cross.

Bucknell Bison (3-0 Patriot League, 12-4 overall)

With 10:18 left in the second half on Wednesday evening, Bucknell looked to have wrapped up its second Patriot League victory of the season early. But the lead nearly evaporated down the stretch and the Bison had to work for the W, holding back the Colgate Raiders by a score of 71-69. After a three-pointer by John Griffin put the Bison up by 17, Bucknell was held to only two field goals for the remainder of the game, as the team’s nine free throws barely allowed it to escape Hamilton with a victory. After a three-pointer dwindled the Bison lead to two, Bucknell’s Charles Lee sunk four key free throws in the final 30 seconds to clinch the win. Lee scored a team-high 19 points, helped along by 15 from Chris McNaughton and 13 from Kevin Bettencourt. Both teams shot the ball very well on the evening, with Bucknell hitting 57 percent of its shots and Colgate hitting 48 percent of its attempts, but the 15 made free throws for Bucknell put them over the top in a contest that ended up being very entertaining at the end.

The Bison made it nine in a row with a 63-46 win over Army, although the Bucknell team did its best to give the game away in the first half. In the opening 20 minutes, the Bison shot a terrible 23 percent (7-of-30) from the field, including 1-of-12 from beyond the arc, and yet still managed to head into halftime with a one-point lead because Army was just an inept on the offensive end. Bucknell was able to find the net with a greater frequency in the second half, hitting 50 percent of their shots, thanks in large part to Chris McNaughton. The center played only eight minutes in the first half after picking up two quick fouls, but scored all 12 of his points in the second half to give Bucknell a much needed offensive spark. Charles Lee led the team with 15 points and nine rebounds, as the Bison struggled somewhat to overcome a poor shooting night from Kevin Bettencourt (2-of-12 from the field). The Bison also played the game without head coach Pat Flannery, who was attending to a family matter.

Lehigh Mountain Hawks (3-0, 9-7)

Whenever Lehigh and Lafayette get together, the records are put aside and the rivalry between the schools always helps to produce a quality basketball game. Wednesday night was no different, as the host Mountain Hawks jumped out early, gave it back in the second half but eventually took home a 63-55 win. The first half was evenly played, but a late run by Lehigh sent it into the break with a 10-point lead and a lot of confidence, and the lead was upped to 16 early in the second half. But, as evidenced by the Bucknell game, nothing will come easy this season. The Leopards streaked on a 21-4 run in eight minutes to take the lead. Lehigh, meanwhile, suddenly could not find the basket, shooting just 29 percent in the second half. The Mountain Hawks were bailed out by their free throw shooting. They hit 9-of-10 attempts from the line in the final five minutes, while the Lehigh defense limited Lafayette to one field goal in the final 6:14. Jose Olivero led four Mountain Hawk players in double figures with 15 points.

The Hawks then got off to their third 3-0 league start in three years under head coach Billy Taylor, thanks to a 72-67 victory over Navy. Like Bucknell, Lehigh also tried to give this game away, letting the Middies erase a 16-point second half lead before escaping Annapolis with a win. In the opening half, Joe Knight and Jason Mgebroff combined for 25 points to help the Mountain Hawks take a five-point advantage into the locker room. In the second half, it looked like Lehigh would run away with the game, opening up a 16-point edge with 9:55 left, but the Middies would not die. Lehigh’s offense went south and Navy came all the way back to tie the game at 60 at the 4:01 mark. But Knight came back to lead his team to victory, making some key plays down the stretch. Knight finished the game with a game-high 25 points, while Olivero had 10 points – including some important free throws near the end of the game – in limited action after being poked in the eye early on.

It’s all league games from this point on for the Mountain Hawks, and this weekend will be an important one for Billy Taylor and his club. First off, the team travels to Colgate to battle with the Raiders, but then travels to Bucknell to go toe-to-toe with the top team in the league. Lehigh, which has had its share of problems on the road this season, has two tough road games this weekend in which to prove that it belongs at the top of the Patriot League.

Holy Cross Crusaders (2-1, 10-5)

When your Patriot League opener is a big loss at the hands of Bucknell, there is only one thing that could remedy any ills facing a team: playing Army! The Black Knights were just what the doctor ordered for Holy Cross, which rebounded from its loss to the Bison with a 66-29 pasting of Army. Kevin Hamilton and Keith Simmons led the Crusaders with 18 points apiece – the duo outscored the entire Army team by seven points – as the visitors allowed the home team to hang around for a while in the first half before blowing the game open in the second half. The Crusaders made sure there was no chance of any comeback in this one, shooting 57 percent in the second half and playing their harassing style of defense that kept Army on its heels all night long. Holy Cross recorded eight steals and eight blocks in the game and the Crusaders held an opponent to the fewest points in a game since a 71-29 win over Tufts in January of 1947. You can’t say much more about a blowout than that.

Coming off such an easy win, Holy Cross made it two in a row with a 74-64 win over Colgate. The Crusaders scored the first 10 points of the game and never looked back, despite some tense moments near the game’s end. The Crusaders controlled the flow of play for much of the first half, shooting the ball well and keeping Colgate from making any significant runs at the lead. In the second half, Holy Cross’ shooting was still strong, but its defense slacked off somewhat, allowing Colgate to shoot 62 percent from the floor and giving the Raiders some good three-point looks. The Crusader lead was 12 with 11:59 to play but was down to only two points with 2:14 left when Hamilton came to the rescue, hitting a big three-pointer and then swiping the ball on consecutive Colgate possessions as Holy Cross upped the lead back up to seven and took the game. Hamilton led three Crusaders in double figures with 19 points, while Simmons added 18 and freshman Pat Doherty had the best game of his young college career, scoring 14 points.

The Crusaders finish up their non-league schedule tomorrow night when they host Iona, then get back into the meat of the Patriot League season against Navy and American. Early on, the Crusaders and Eagles are battling for the third spot in the league standings, and so each game between the two squads will be vitally important down the road. But with the way that Simmons and Hamilton are playing, Holy Cross has an edge on almost every team it plays at this point.

American Eagles (2-1, 9-6)

In yet another close league contest, American outlasted the Midshipmen of Navy in the second half to win, 66-60. The game was tied at 38 with five minutes gone in the second half before the Eagles went on a 21-9 run that gave them a secure lead. Jason Thomas led the charge for American in the win, keying the decisive run with a three-pointer and finishing the game with a game-high 17 points and nine rebounds. Raimondas Petrauskas has another solid outing for American off the bench, adding 12 points, while Andre Ingram added 11 of his own. The Eagles shot the ball well, especially in the second half, in which they hit 52 percent of its shots, even though only one Eagle starter (Thomas) hit more than half of his shots. The win was the eighth consecutive victory for American as a member of the Patriot League over Navy and the ninth overall.

American followed up the Navy victory with another close call against Lafayette, becoming the second league team to defeat the Leopards on a last-second shot, winning 76-74. In the first half, the star for American was Linas Lekavicius, who scored all 14 of his points in 16 first-half minutes. Lekavicius shot 6-of-7 from the floor in the first half, and the Eagles jumped out to an early lead they couldn’t hold in the second half. Following a turnover by Jason Thomas with 17 seconds left, the Leopards tied the game up with 14 ticks left with a lay-up, setting the stage for one last American effort. With the game on the line, the Eagle naturally turned to their offensive leader, Andre Ingram, and the sophomore did not disappoint, hitting the game-winning shot with 0.4 seconds left on the game clock. Once again, the Eagles won in spite of their terrible bench, which only scored six points between the five players. As the season wears on, it will be interesting to see whether the five Eagle starters will tire at all.

American has also completed its non-league schedule for the season, and heads into next weekend with one easy game and one tough one. On Friday evening the team travels to West Point to be the next team to take down Army, and follows that up on Sunday afternoon with a tough contest against Holy Cross. The Eagles will face a very tough challenge in the Crusaders, who pride themselves on solid defense and will surely focus on Ingram and Thomas, the two main scorers for the Eagles.

Colgate Raiders (1-2, 5-10)

Playing against the top team in the Patriot League, Colgate got down early but did not fold against Bucknell, clawing back and making the game interesting before falling 71-69. Colgate trailed by as much as 21 in the second half before decreasing the lead to as little as two, but it could not overtake the Bison. Andrew Zidar led Colgate with a game-high 21 points and seven rebounds, but even 58 percent second-half shooting could not overcome the Raiders’ poor start to the game. The Raiders allowed Bucknell to shoot at will for the majority of the contest, only turning up the defensive pressure when the situation turned dire. But while Colgate lost the game, the team could take from it the confidence that, if it had played a complete ballgame, it may have been able to unseat the Bison from the top of the league. However, as past Raider teams have learned the hard way, inconsistency is not something that can be easily shaken.

Against the Crusaders, head coach Emmett Davis changed up the starting lineup in an attempt to spark the offense, and while one of the three starters performed well, the team as a whole did not and Colgate suffered another league loss, 74-64. The Raiders’ top two offensive players, Zidar and Jon Simon, combined for 14 points, with Zidar coming off the bench for the first time all season. In his place, freshman Alex Woodhouse had the finest game of his young career, scoring 12 points and grabbing five rebounds. Classmate Kyle Roemer went 5-for-5 from beyond the arc for 15 points and Alvin Reed led the team with 16 points off the bench, but Colgate could not find a way to overtake the Crusaders. The Raiders as a team shot 73 percent (11-of-15) from beyond the arc, a team-high for the season, and yet the defense was unable to stop the HC from scoring, allowing the visitors to shoot the ball at a 52 percent clip for the contest.

This weekend, Colgate welcomes Lehigh and Lafayette to Cotterell Court, in an opportunity to get itself back into the thick of things in the Patriot League. The team faces off with Lehigh on Friday evening and Lafayette on Sunday afternoon on their home floor, on which the Raiders defeated both teams last season. Colgate can only hope for some more of that home cookin’ this weekend.

Lafayette Leopards (1-2, 5-10)

Lafayette also started poorly and finished strong in its game against Lehigh, but ended up with the same result as Colgate did versus Bucknell: a loss. Lehigh played well in the first half and the Leopards did not shoot the ball well, but Lafayette used some good defense and timely scoring to climb out of a 16-point hold to take a second-half lead, using a 21-4 run in which eight different Leopards scored. Lafayette increased its lead to as much as four before its offense went south, as the Leopards hit only one field goal – a meaningless last-second bucket by Marcus Harley – after that point. In this contest, it seemed as if Lafayette’s greatest asset – its deep bench – may have led to its downfall, as no Leopard player stepped up as the game wound down to make a clutch shot. Some player on this team will have to step up in the future, if Lafayette looks to keep itself near the top of the league.

Losing at the buzzer is always difficult for a team, but the loss is made that much more painful when the team made up a deficit to tie the game before losing it, 76-74 to American. That was the case with Lafayette on Saturday against Lehigh, as the Leopards were down by 12 early in the second half and fell behind by six with 43 seconds left before tying the game – at least until Andre Ingram hit a game-winning shot for the Eagles. The Leopards got back into the game due to the play of Marcus Harley and Sean Knitter. Harley scored six of his team’s last nine points on his way to a 13-point game, while Knitter was huge on the boards for Lafayette, collecting 10 rebounds to go along with his team-high 17 points. I am still trying to figure out why Fran O’Hanlon continues to start center Jamie Hughes, who did not score a point and turned the ball over twice in eight minutes of action. O’Hanlon would be much better off allowing Knitter, one of the team’s top offensive players, to get more action and become even more productive than he already is.

Lafayette has two important games this weekend, the first being a Friday match-up with fellow 1-2 team Colgate. The winner of this game has a chance to end the weekend in the top four in the league standings, which is a key goal for many teams heading towards the league tournament. And while the season is still young, a win over Colgate or Sunday’s opponent, Bucknell, would do wonders for this young but deep team.

Navy Midshipmen (0-3, 4-11)

One team looking to keep its head above water is Navy, which fell to 0-2 in the league after a 66-60 loss to American. Matt Fannin had a monster game on the glass for the Middies, hauling in 19 rebounds – the highest total for a Navy player since some guy named David Robinson had 21 rebounds in 1987. Fannin also scored 16 points and was aided by George O’Garro’s 10 points, but Navy could not survive 30 percent shooting from the field for the game. The team got plenty of looks at the basket – it launched 73 shots in 40 minutes – but the ball was simply not falling for Navy, which continues to play without two of its best forwards (Carlton Baldwin and Laramie Mergerson). O’Garro has helped to take up some of the offensive slack, proving himself to be a reliable scorer off the bench, but Navy will have to find some new offensive weapons in order to succeed, because at the moment the team is shooting its share of blanks.

Looking for revenge against the team that narrowly defeated them in last season’s Patriot League Tournament, the Midshipmen valiantly came back against the Lehigh Mountain Hawks in the second half but fell just short, falling 72-67. Lehigh owned a 16-point advantage with 9:29 left in the second half before an impressive 14-0 run by the Middies got them right back into the game. David Hooper and Greg Sprink each knocked down two field goals during the stretch, with both of Hooper’s hoops coming from beyond the arc. Another Hooper three tied the game at 60 with less than two minutes left, but Lehigh went on a 6-0 mini-run to finally put the game away. Taj Matthews led the Middies with 16 points, while O’Garro, Hooper and Sprink all also reached double figures for Navy, but Fannin received little chance to follow up on his monster game against American, totaling only five points and three boards.

Navy faces a tough task on Friday, when they travel to Worcester to take on Holy Cross. On Sunday afternoon, the team travels to West Point to take on a much easier opponent, Army. While that game may not seem important to most people, the Army-Navy contests are always closely contested and hard fought no matter what the records say. The game also will determine whether Navy can keep itself out of the league cellar as well, so expect the Middies to put up a good fight on Sunday.

Army Black Knights (0-3, 2-13)

And then there is Army. The Army of (Division) One continues to struggle mightily against its Division I opponents, staying winless against its D-I counterparts after losses to Holy Cross and Bucknell. Against the Crusaders, Army had little hope after a huge Holy Cross run exploited Army’s offensive deficiencies. Holy Cross’ duo of Kevin Hamilton and Keith Simmons combined to outscore the Black Knights as a team by seven points, as Army shot under 20 percent for the entire game. Jimmy Sewell had a (relatively speaking) huge offensive night for Army, scoring a team-high 11 points, but no other Black Knight player made more than one field goal or scored more than five points. At this point, I’m beginning to run out of things to say about Army’s offensive ineptitude.

Some teams need to take whatever positives they can from a game, and from Saturday’s loss to Bucknell, the Black Knights can take solace in one thing: they weren’t held to under 30 points again. After scoring 23 and 29 points, respectively, in the teams’ two match-ups last season, Army broke out with 46 points against the Bison, yet still lost by 17. The first half looked as if there may be a repeat of last season, as Army sunk only 6-of-22 field goals, but the Army defense was up to the task early as well, holding Bucknell to only 7-of-30 shooting. The second half saw things revert to form, however, as Bucknell used a 20-8 run midway through the second stanza to shake off Army for good. Colin Harris led Army with 14 points, but once again no second Black Knight was there to help the leading scorer. Other than Harris, no other Army player made more than two field goals or scored more than seven points. Something needs to be done with the Army offense, for while the team plays very solid defense, the men simply have no chance of winning due to their total inability to score.

Army hosts 2-1 American on Friday evening, and then has probably its best chance of winning a league game this season when it hosts Navy on Sunday afternoon. With Navy not at full strength and Army playing in front of its home crowd, this is the best chance the team will have all season to win both a Patriot League game and a Division I basketball game. If Army doesn’t take down Navy, it may go winless in the league and will lose some respect from all corners of the league.

Patriot League Notebook

Patriot League Notebook

by Steve Sheridan

Non-League Report Cards

The non-league performance of a team can tell you much about the character of the squad and its ability to contend for a league title. For the eight teams of the Patriot League, this non-league season was certainly no different. Bucknell, which had the best start to the season of any team, would have been in the top spot even before its huge upset of then-tenth ranked Pittsburgh – and the win certainly didn’t lower the Bison any. Army, meanwhile, continues to dwell in the Patriot League cellar after another disastrous non-league slate. For Bucknell, Army and all the teams between, however, the games already played will only serve as motivation for what is to come.

Bucknell Bison (9-4 non-league record): A+

Coming into this season, everyone was choosing Bucknell as the early favorite for the Patriot League title. As the team heads into the Patriot League schedule, the Bison have done absolutely nothing to make people think twice. Bucknell went 9-4 against non-league foes, including the biggest upset in school history, a 69-66 victory over nationally-ranked Pittsburgh, as well as a quality win at Saint Joseph’s. The team’s four losses did not come against bad teams, either, losing to the top team in the Ivy League (Princeton) as well as Big 12 member Iowa State, among others. Playing a quality non-league schedule, Bucknell has positioned itself well in its quest for a Patriot League title.

The Bison have been led all season by the trio of Kevin Bettencourt, Charles Lee and Chris McNaughton. Bettencourt leads the team in scoring (13.9 ppg), Lee is first on the squad in rebounds (6.4 rpg) and third in points (11.9 ppg), while McNaughton’s steady presence in the paint gives the team 13.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. All three players have started every game so far this season, and the two juniors and one sophomore are showing poise beyond their years on the court for head coach Pat Flannery. The excellence of Bucknell can be directly related to the quality play of these three players, which poses a big problem for any potential opponent: if you try to stop one of them, the other two will beat you. So far this season, few teams have been able to beat Bucknell.

Holy Cross Crusaders (8-4 non-league record): A

The Crusaders, like Bucknell, put together a very solid non-league schedule, and could have ended up with a 10-2 or 11-1 record instead of 8-4. The team had solid wins against Boston University and Rhode Island, but the team’s best games may have come in losses. The Crusaders had a comeback fall just short in a three-point loss to Princeton, almost conquered America East power Vermont, and gave undefeated Boston College its toughest test so far this season, falling 63-60 in overtime. Holy Cross actually outscored BC from the floor, but the Eagles held a wide free throw margin to escape with a win. Despite the number in the loss column, however, the Crusaders gained some valuable experience that will certainly serve them well as it looks to return to the top of the league after a one-year absence.

When Jave Meade graduated after last season, many Crusader fans wondered if any player would be able to step up and fill Meade’s shoes. As it turns out, no player was able to do that – but three Holy Cross guards have combined to fill the position just fine. Guards Kevin Hamilton, Keith Simmons and Torey Thomas have combined to score 34.5 points per game, dish out 105 assists and make 92 steals, leading the Crusaders to a solid non-league mark. Hamilton leads the team in scoring (13.8 ppg), but Simmons gives the team a huge spark off the bench, averaging 10.7 ppg while hitting nearly half of his shots (48 percent). The guard trio has helped to make up for a lackluster inside game, which has seen flashes of excellent from Nate Lufkin and John Hurley but has yet to develop any consistency. If the inside game develops, then Holy Cross could be even more dangerous.

American Eagles (7-5 non-league record): B

The Eagles began the season flying high, winning five of their first seven games, before losing three of their last four non-league contests. The team’s best win so far this season came against Vermont in a 67-64 victory, but the end of the slate wasn’t as promising. The team hung tough with Maryland before losing by 21 points, fought hard before finally succumbing to Missouri by 13, and in between suffered a disappointing loss to then-2-7 La Salle. The Eagles will have to learn how to play every game like they did against Missouri and Maryland and not like they did against La Salle and Niagara if it is to reach the Patriot League title game once again.

The game plan for American’s opponents is simple: stop Andre Ingram. The sophomore has averaged a team- and Patriot League-high 17.2 ppg so far this season, with many of those points coming from beyond the three-point arc. Besides Ingram, senior Jason Thomas has averaged 11.7 ppg and has shown signs of being able to take over a game. The duo has provided much of the offense for the Eagles this season – only one game this year has seen a player other than Ingram or Thomas lead the Eagles in scoring. The Eagles’ main problem is depth: the team relies very heavily on its five starters, and it will remain to be seen if the starting five will be able to hold up throughout an entire season. Either that, or some American bench players will have to step up their production to help the squad succeed.

Lehigh Mountain Hawks (7-6 non-league record): B-

Lehigh had itself a very up-and-down non-league slate, performing well at home but faltering badly on the road. The Mountain Hawks began the season with two tough losses to Penn State and Long Island – both on the road – and the team went another four games before picking up a victory away from Stabler Arena. The team didn’t have a very strenuous non-league schedule, with no real eye-popping wins, but the team won four of its six home contests. If Lehigh is to compete in the Patriot League this season, however, it will have to learn how to win on the road – and fast.

The Mountain Hawks are built very similar to American, with two scoring guards at the top of the pile, three other reliable starters, and not much else. Jose Olivero leads the team with 12.4 ppg, while junior transfer Joe Knight has been a much-needed offensive presence for head coach Billy Taylor, averaging 11.7 ppg and leading the team in steals and assists. Outside of Olivero and Knight, however, the offensive production has been very inconsistent, with very little production from the bench. No Mountain Hawk reserve averages more than 3.8 ppg, a statistic that makes it hard on the Lehigh starters to carry the game. Taylor will need to see much more production from the bench and his taller tandem of Jason Mgebroff and Earl Nurse in future league contests.

Colgate Raiders (4-8 non-league record): C+

The name of the game is inconsistency in Hamilton, N.Y., this season. For example: coming off the team’s best game of the season, in which Colgate managed to hang with the Syracuse Orange for three-fourths of the contest and showed signs of excellence, the team lost four of its next five games as it finished its non-league schedule at 4-8. The team’s overtime loss to Harvard has typified the season to this point, a game in which Colgate fought back to tie the game at the end of regulation, only to falter in the extra session. Despite the lackluster play, Colgate could still be a dangerous team as Patriot League play rolls around – if only it could find a way to play steadily.

The story of the Raiders so far this season has been the play of sophomore guard Jon Simon. Simon leads the team in scoring with 14.2 ppg, giving Raiders fans hope that there may be life after Mark Linebaugh after all. Andrew Zidar (13.5 ppg) and Alvin Reed (12.1 ppg) also have picked up the offensive slack, and along with surprising freshman Kyle Roemer have combined to form the nucleus of Colgate’s attack. Coach Emmett Davis is still looking to find that elusive effective fifth starter, after center Marc Daniels hurt himself early in the season. The Raiders’ problem is not scoring, however, but keeping the opponent from doing likewise – Colgate ranks sixth in the league by allowing 69.9 ppg.

Lafayette Leopards (4-8 non-league record): C

The Leopards were another team that put together a challenging non-league schedule and, while the wins and losses may not look good, the team gained some experience that is crucial for the inexperienced Leopards. Coming into a season in which all five starters departed Easton, Lafayette used games against teams such as nationally-ranked Louisville and Georgia Tech to improve its game headed into league play. The team also almost knocked off Princeton earlier in the season, losing by just two points, which shows that this young team may be on the way to better things this season and beyond. Until then, however, the wins might not come as frequently as they used to.

Senior Sean Knitter is the only Leopard player averaging in double figures in non-league play, scoring 11.1 ppg. Knitter has surprisingly not started a game this season for the Leopards, as head coach Fran O’Hanlon chooses to go with Jamie Hughes to begin games. Hughes has had minimal impact despite being a towering center, although forward Jamaal Douglas has stepped up his play under the glass, averaging eight rebounds per game. Freshman Bilal Abdullah has also been an emerging player for the Leopards, ranking second on the team with 9.8 ppg. The key to the team may be sophomore guard Marcus Harley, who is fourth on the team in scoring despite taking 21 more shots than any other Leopard. Harley will have to be more efficient on the offensive end for Lafayette as the season winds up.

Navy Midshipmen (4-8 non-league record): C-

In his first year as head coach of the Midshipmen, Billy Lange is attempting to establish a high-paced, up-tempo style of basketball in Annapolis. The offensive end has seen some improvement (Navy leads the league with over 70 ppg), but unfortunately for Lange, his style has yet to produce many wins — mainly because the Middies are not playing much defense. Navy gives up over 78 points per game – last in the Patriot League – and the result is a 4-8 record that saw Navy lose to a Division III team (Gettysburg) for the second time in three seasons. Playing an easy schedule populated heavily with military academies, Navy has not had many opportunities to play defense against quality teams, which may come back to haunt the Middies in league play.

As noted above, Navy has a very high-powered offense, with a league-best four players averaging in double figures. Laramie Mergerson leads the team in points (12.5 ppg) and rebounds (7.4 rpg, tops in the league), providing some senior leadership on the offensive end. David Hooper (11.5 ppg), Corey Johnson (10.8 ppg) and Matt Fannin (10.4 ppg) are all also averaging over 10 points per game. Lange is still trying to find his ideal starting lineup, however, as Navy has already had 10 different players start a game this season. It’s not starting the game but finishing it, however, that has hurt the Middies, as the team has been outscored by almost 100 in the second half of games. Navy, with its offense fully set, must find a way to stop their opponents from scoring if it is to have any chance in the Patriot League this season.

Army Black Knights (2-10 non-league record): F

When your team has yet to defeat a Division I opponent this season, things are not pretty. Thus is the situation in West Point, where the team has the lowest RPI in all of Division I (according to collegerpi.com) and yet still struggles to compete. Army came out very strong in its highest profile game of the season against Notre Dame, but the offense disintegrated after an initial spurt and the Black Knights fell to the Irish, 71-52. At this point in the season, Army has yet to prove that it can play a full 40 minutes of basketball against any D-I basketball team, and until that day comes things will be very rough for the Black Knights.

As occurred last season, the team’s major problem is scoring points. The team averages a mere 59.4 points per contest as the freshman and sophomore-laden squad attempts to learn how to compete at the collegiate level. The main bright spot for Army up to this point in the season is the play of sophomore Matt Bell, who ranks second in the league in scoring (14.9 ppg). Bell has been the major offensive weapon this season for the Knights, and combined with Colin Harris (10.7 ppg) accounts for much of Army’s offense. Army has many role players who have contributed occasionally, including Travis Owsley and Cory Sinning, but those players will have to step it up big time for the Black Knights to come close to competing this league season.

Other League Notes

Navy Ship Continues To Sink With Loss of Mergerson

Not much is going right in Annapolis as of late, and things got worse after news that senior forward Laramie Mergerson will miss a minimum of three weeks after breaking his left hand in practice Sunday. Mergerson leads the Middies in scoring and rebounding, and ranks eighth and second in the league in the respective categories. The Duncanville, Texas, native joins center Carlton Baldwin on the Navy injured list, giving another blow to Navy’s already slim chances in Patriot League play.

Bucknell Gets Some National Recognition After Huge Upset

Bucknell, fresh off its upset of top-10 Pittsburgh, received four votes in the latest Associated Press poll, giving the team an unofficial rank of 35th. The Bison were also ranked in the Mid-Major poll for the first time ever; they achieved a rank of 24, according to a poll released last Monday. Fellow Patriot League team Holy Cross also received votes in the poll, but right now the Bison are clearly the top team in the league.

Weekly Awards

Player of the Week

Joe Knight, Lehigh
In his last three games, Knight averaged 12.7 points and 3.7 assists as the Mountain Hawks won two out of three games. In Lehigh’s first Patriot League contest of the year, Knight scored all 14 of his points in the second half, including the game-winning three-pointer with 12 seconds left. The High Point transfer is second on the team in scoring, averaging 11.7 points per contest.

Rookie of the Week

Greg Sprink, Navy
Sprink scored a career-high 22 points in Navy’s Patriot League opener against Lafayette. The Cardiff, Calif., native was impressive in the loss, hitting six three-pointers, which matched the highest total for a Midshipman since David Hooper knocked down six in February of 2003.

Team Recaps (in order of Patriot League record)

Bucknell Bison (1-0 Patriot League, 10-4 overall)

The Bison are on a huge roll, and neither one of the country’s nor the league’s best teams could slow them down. In the biggest win in the history of the program, Bucknell led for most of the game and held off the previously unbeaten Pittsburgh Panthers, 69-66. The Bison led by as many as 12 points in the second half and withstood a Pitt comeback that included a 14-1 run midway through the second 20 minutes. With 23.3 seconds left, Kevin Bettencourt hit two go-ahead free throws to give the Bison the lead for the final time, and Charles Lee hit two insurance free throws with two seconds left. Chris McNaughton led Bucknell in scoring with 17 points, while Lee added 14 points and Bettencourt contributed 13. Both teams were hot on the offensive end, both shooting over 51 percent from the field, but Bucknell’s 87.5 percent shooting (14-of-16) from the free throw line put the visitors over the top, especially down the stretch when the pressure was greatest.

Then, in a battle of the Patriot League’s top two teams, Bucknell extended its winning streak to seven games and began the league season on the right foot with a 59-43 win over Holy Cross. Almost 4,000 people (3,897, a building record) packed Sojka Pavilion for the league opener for both teams and witnessed a strong showing by the home team. The Bison used an 11-0 run midway through the first half to break open a double-digit lead and headed into the break up by 12 points. Holy Cross shrunk the lead to just one with 11:14 left thanks to a 10-0 run, but Bucknell showed why it is the favorite to take home the league crown this season, responding with a 10-0 run of its own over the next 6:32 to regain its comfortable lead. Once again, the Bucknell trio of Bettencourt, Lee and McNaughton anchored the offensive attack, combining for 38 points. More important, however, Bucknell used some excellent defense to stifle the Crusader offense, allowing only one Crusader to score in double figures and keeping the team as a whole to 28 percent shooting.

The next stop on the Bucknell stampede is Hamilton, where the Bison will face off with Colgate on Wednesday evening, followed by a Saturday afternoon contest at home against Army. Bucknell went into Cotterell Court last season with a lot of momentum, only to be cut down by Colgate, and so the Bison must not overlook the Raiders or any other team looking to take down the streaking squad.

Lehigh Mountain Hawks (1-0, 7-7)

After winning its first road game of the season against Towson, Lehigh made it two in a row on the road last Sunday against Wagner, winning 59-45. Lehigh led the game from the very beginning and didn’t look back, holding Wagner without a field goal for the first 3:57 of an interesting first half. The visiting Mountain Hawks went into halftime leading by only six points, despite shooting 12-of-29 from the field and holding the Seahawks to 5-of-23 shooting. Wagner stayed in the game by hitting 10 free throws to Lehigh’s one. The second half was played much like the first, with Lehigh hitting shots and Wagner not, resulting in the Mountain Hawk victory. Jason Mgebroff led the visitors with 13 points and Joe Knight added 10 as Lehigh didn’t need a big offensive performance to win the game.

The team looked to get back over the .500 mark in its next game against Cornell, but the team lacked finishing on both the offensive and defensive ends in the second half and fell to the Big Red, 55-45. Neither team got anything going offensively in the first half, as the teams went into the locker rooms with a score of 19-15 in favor of Lehigh. The key to the game was Cornell’s three-point shooting, which was non-existent (0-for-9) in the first half but was perfect (6-for-6) in the second half. That shooting helped the Big Red shoot over 50 percent in the second half, while Lehigh shot just 30 percent over the final 20 minutes. Knight led the team with 14 points, but the Mountain Hawk bench contributed only seven points compared to 22 for Cornell.

Knight then took the cause into his own hands in the team’s league-opener against American, hitting the go-ahead three-pointer with 25 seconds to lift Lehigh to a 56-53 victory over the Eagles. In winning its fourth consecutive contest and fifth in six games against American, Knight capped an intense game that saw neither team lead by more than six points. Both teams shot the ball poorly in the first half, with Lehigh taking a one-point lead into the break. American came out strong in the second half, scoring the initial basket and securing the lead for most of the half, but Knight, who didn’t score in the first 20 minutes, scored 12 of his 14 second-half points in the final 4:28 of the game. Jose Olivero, who hit the Patriot League championship-winning shot the last time these two teams played, was the only other Mountain Hawk in double figures with 10, while the Lehigh bench was once again non-existent, scoring only eight points. But thanks to Knight’s heroics, that didn’t matter.

Lehigh returns to league action on Wednesday against interstate rival and fellow 1-0 team Lafayette, and then goes on the road Saturday afternoon to take on Navy.

Colgate Raiders (1-0, 5-8)

The Raiders had nine days to prepare for their Patriot League opener against Army, looking for revenge against the Black Knight team that inexplicably swept the season series against Colgate last season. Colgate gained some measure of revenge, opening the league season with a victory over Army, 60-56. The Raiders came out strong in the first half, shooting an even 50 percent from the field, but both offenses sputtered in the second half. The two teams combined to hit three field goals in the final 5:10 of the game after Army had battled back to cut the Raider lead to one point. An Andrew Zidar lay-up with 19 seconds left finally sealed the ugly win for Colgate, which always seems to play down to the level of its competition against Army. Jon Simon led Colgate in scoring with 17 points, while Zidar and Kyle Roemer each added eight points, as Colgate got off to a good start (record-wise, at least) in the Patriot League season.

Lafayette Leopards (1-0, 5-8)

Last Sunday, Sean Knitter, Bilal Abdullah and Marcus Harley all chipped in 11 points as the Leopards outlasted Columbia, 65-62. Lafayette came out of the gate very slowly, falling behind by as many as 13 in the first half before a 15-4 run at the end of the half capped by a Ted Detmer three-pointer closed the Leopard deficit to only two at the break. The second half saw Lafayette jump out early, but Columbia would not go away. The two teams went back and forth for the final 7:15 of the contest, with Knitter finally giving Lafayette the lead for good with an offensive rebound and lay-up with 26.4 seconds left. After a missed three-pointer by Columbia, Lafayette’s Jamaal Hilliard insured the win with two late free throws. The key to the win, however, was the Leopard bench, which contributed 29 points – led by Knitter’s 11.

In its final preparation for the beginning of league play, the Leopards fell behind early and could never fully recover against Saint Francis (NY), losing by a score of 79-64. After Jamie Hughes scored the opening basket for Lafayette, Saint Francis went on a 16-1 run that put Lafayette behind the eight ball early. The Leopards hit only two field goals in the first 11-plus minutes of the contest, contrasting greatly with the Terriers’ 59 percent first-half shooting. The host Terriers increased the lead to as much as 28 at one point early in the second half, leading to an easy victory. Freshman Paul Cummins was the lone bright spot for Lafayette in the loss, scoring 17 points. The Leopards were greatly hampered by injury for this game, as both Pat Betley and Andrei Capusan missed the game due to injury, and Jamaal Douglas played little after sustaining an injury in the first half.

Douglas rebounded from his injury-plagued game in a big way in the team’s league-opening game against Navy, scoring 18 points and hauling in 17 rebounds (both career highs) to lead his team to a 90-80 victory on Saturday. Lafayette controlled the first 20 minutes of play, leading by as much as 12 before Navy tied the game headed into the half. The Leopards seemed to have a hard time putting away the Midshipmen for much of the second stanza before finally taking a double-digit lead with 5:50 left and keeping the lead above single digits for the rest of the way. Douglas’ 18 points led five Leopards in double figures, including Capusan, who returned from injury to score 16 points in 20 minutes of play. Abdullah added 15 and Knitter 12 off the bench for Lafayette, which got an amazing 55 bench points from just four players (Capusan, Knitter, Abdullah and Hilliard).

Lafayette has two tough league tests coming up this week, beginning with a road match-up with intrastate rival Lehigh on Wednesday evening. The team then follows that game up with a Saturday afternoon road contest at American. These two games will be an early sign as to what Lafayette can expect from itself this season.

Holy Cross Crusaders (0-1, 8-5)

In the Crusaders’ first game of the week, the team didn’t put together a very good performance yet still found a way to defeat Rhode Island, 51-50. In a game that was ugly on both sides, Holy Cross found a way to win despite giving Rhode Island plenty of chances to snatch the game away. The first half saw neither team assume an advantage, with both squads shooting around 38 percent from the floor and each making 11 field goals. The Crusaders began to assert themselves in the second half, taking a 10-point lead with 7:08 remaining. The Rams fought back to get within two at the 5:08 mark, but a combination of bad Rhode Island shooting and solid Crusader defense held the Rams without a field goal for the remainder of the contest. Holy Cross was not much better, however, going the final 4:01 without sinking a field goal. But somehow the Crusaders escaped with a victory, led by 12 points from Kevin Hamilton and 11 from Torey Thomas.

Coming off the victory, Holy Cross came home and made it two in a row with an easy win over Dartmouth, 73-52. The purple men outscored their Big Green counterparts 16-5 to open things in the first half, taking a lead that they would never relinquish. After a few attempts, Dartmouth got the Crusader lead down to three with 14:53 left in the second half, but a three-pointer by Thomas and two field goals by Lufkin helped to crush any hopes of a second-half comeback for the Big Green. Hamilton scored 10 of his game-high 16 points in the first half to lead the Crusaders, complemented by Thomas scoring 10 of his 15 points in the second stanza. Center Nate Lufkin also had a good game with 12 points, as Holy Cross outscored Dartmouth 32-12 in the paint.

Having won four of its last five games, Holy Cross then stepped on the court with the hottest team in the Patriot League and put together its worst shooting performance of the season in a 59-43 loss. The Crusaders shot a mere 28 percent from the field for the game, including 5-of-22 (23 percent) from beyond the arc. Despite those stats, it was not just the poor shooting that killed Holy Cross, but also its inability to get to the free throw line. The Crusaders made 10-of-12 shots from the charity stripe, but in contrast Bucknell hit 26-of-37 free throw attempts – it had more attempts in the first half than HC had in the entire game. Hamilton tried to keep his team in the game, scoring 17 points on 5-of-15 shooting, but no other Crusader player scored more than seven points (Keith Simmons) for the game. Nate Lufkin also fouled out despite playing only 17 minutes – another sign that Holy Cross’ physical play came back to hurt them in this one.

Coming off the tough loss to Bucknell, Holy Cross hopes to rebound on Wednesday when it travels to West Point to take on Army. Then on Saturday afternoon the Crusaders welcome Colgate to the Hart Center, having defeated the Raiders in each of the last two seasons in Worcester.

American Eagles (0-1, 7-6)

The Eagles split their last two games headed into league play, coming from behind to defeat Delaware and falling to Missouri. Against the Fightin’ Blue Hens, American allowed Delaware to jump out to a quick lead and keep it for all of the first half, leading by five points headed into the break. But the visitors came back thanks to an 11-0 run in the middle of the second half. After Delaware threatened again, the Eagles once again went on a quick run to put some immediate distance between the two teams, securing the 64-58 win. Andre Ingram scored 13 of his team-high 20 points in the first half, while Patrick Okpwae and Matej Cresnik combined to score 23 points in the second stanza to help the Eagle eek out a victory. Delaware’s downfall in this game can be attributed to its reliance on the three-pointer, as the team attempted exactly half (29) of its shots from beyond the arc, yet only connected on nine of them.

American then went into league play on a down note after falling to Missouri, 64-51. The first half saw the Eagle hang tough with the Tigers for most of the first 20 minutes, before an 11-0 run in the final 2:11 of the period gave Mizzou a more comfortable lead. The lead ballooned to as much as 16 in the second half, but American kept to their game plan and cut the lead to six on two occasions, the last coming at the 8:39 mark. Ingram once again had a strong first half for the Eagles, scoring 13 of his 19 points before halftime, while Linas Lekavicius had a solid outing with 11 points and seven rebounds. The problem, however, continued to be the Eagle bench, which was outscored by its Tiger counterparts 26-6. The lack of bench production may be the reason why Ingram, who played all 40 minutes in order to provide offense, continues to taper off near the end of the game.

Against Lehigh, Ingram led all scorers with 19 points and Raimondas Petrauskas added 11 off the bench, but in the end it was still not enough to overcome Joe Knight and the Mountain Hawks, falling 56-53. Neither team shot the ball particularly well in either half, but Lehigh’s slightly higher percentage was almost counteracted by American’s ability to get to the free throw line. The Eagles went 17-of-21 from the charity stripe, while Lehigh only hit 8-of-17 free throw attempts. Despite the proficiency from the line, American was unable to shake off the Mountain Hawks and eventually Lehigh’s ability to hang around gave them the victory. American also had a big advantage on the boards against Lehigh (43-26), but that may have come because the Eagles hit only one field goal in the final 7:43 of the game, which eventually led to American’s downfall.

American finished up its non-league schedule for the season on Monday evening, defeating Yale, 69-65. The Eagles stormed out of the gate, building up a 22-point halftime lead, but saw the Bulldogs storm back to almost take the game. But American hit its free throws down the stretch and made some key shots to take the victory. The Eagles hope to keep their momentum going when they travel to Navy on Wednesday for their second league game. On Saturday, American comes back home to welcome Lafayette to Bender Arena in another league contest.

Navy Midshipmen (0-1, 4-9)

The Midshipmen continue to fall in the wrong direction after a pair of losses last week, first to Air Force and then to Lafayette. Against Air Force on Monday, Navy shot an even 50 percent from the field and still found itself outscored by 23 points, losing 69-46. Despite the good shooting, Navy apparently forgot to play defense, allowing Air Force to shoot 69 percent in the second half and 60 percent overall. With the solid shooting, the Falcons were able to slow down the pace and allowed Navy only 34 shots, a season low. The team went into the contest without Matt Fannin and reserve Kelvin Boatner because they both violated an unspecified team rule, but senior George O’Garro contributed 12 points and a team-high five rebounds in his largest role of the season. Laramie Mergerson once again led the team in points, scoring 13 for the game.

Against Lafayette, Navy made more field goals and three-pointers than the Leopards, but the free-throw line was very unkind for the Middies in their league-opening loss, 90-80. Navy was dominated physically by Lafayette, being out-rebounded by 10 and allowing the Leopards to attempt 44 free throws. The home team made 36 of those attempts from the charity stripe, while in comparison Navy only had 23 free-throw attempts for the entire game – less than Lafayette connected on in the second half. Despite the large disparity, Navy stayed with Lafayette and held its last lead with 12:14 left. The Midshipmen, however, lost their scoring touch from the field as the clock wound down. Freshman Greg Sprink exhibited his improved play once again, scoring a game-high 22 points in only 24 minutes of play, but he and the Middies could not possibly keep up with all the Lafayette points being scored at the free throw line.

Army Black Knights (0-1, 2-11)

The only team that could keep Navy from the cellar of the Patriot League is the Army Black Knights, who lost all three of their games last week to extend their losing streak to five games. In the team’s first game against Cornell, forward Luke Slater didn’t miss a shot all night from either the field or the line on the way to a team-high 15 points, but the team couldn’t get off enough shots on the offensive end on the way to a 58-51 loss. Despite having a higher shooting percentage than the Big Red, Army attempted 13 fewer shots than Cornell and couldn’t hold its first-half lead. The Black Knights hit only three field goals in the final 10 minutes of the game as Cornell took the lead and held off Army down the stretch. Jimmy Sewell was the only other Army player in double figures with 10 points.

Army went up against another Ivy League team on Tuesday and let a close game slip away in the second half, losing to Columbia by a score of 75-59. Army led the game for only 1:38 as the Lions broke open a one-point game with an 11-0 run spanning the halftime break, and the lead never shrunk below eight points for the remainder of the game. After a good first half that saw Army shoot 50 percent from the field, the team hit only 11-of-29 shots in the second half as Columbia finally began to pull away from the hapless Black Knights. Columbia also had a big advantage over Army on the boards, out-rebounding the home team by 16, forcing Army to rely on guards Matt Bell and Travis Owsley, who combined for 23 points in the loss.

After sweeping the season series with Colgate last season, Army could not rekindle the magic on Cotterell Court on Saturday, falling to Colgate, 60-56. The Black Knight bench scored 32 points – eight more than the team’s five starters – but it was not enough to overcome a balanced Raider attack. Colgate held an 11-point lead with 15:01 left in the second half, but a Colin Harris jumper dwindled the lead down to one with five minutes left in the game. Unfortunately for the Black Knights, however, they were unable to regain the lead after hitting only one field goal over the game’s final five minutes. Army’s defense also bewildered Colgate for much of the second half as well, keeping Colgate to just two field goals over the final 7:53, but Army was unable to fully capitalize on its solid defense.

Lost chances have been a constant theme for Army this season. The team has two more chances – although they are small ones – to win its first Division I game of the season on Wednesday and Saturday, when the Black Knights face off with Holy Cross and Bucknell, respectively.

Patriot League Notebook

Patriot League Notebook

by Steve Sheridan

Out With The Old Year, In With The New

2004 is in the books and 2005 is now upon us. Some teams, such as Bucknell, didn’t want to see the calendar turn, while some other squads, such as Navy and Lafayette, will be making some New Year’s resolutions to improve their play for the new year. With the turn of the calendar comes the last week of non-league play before the ever-important Patriot League season begins on January 8. Next week’s notebook will have a complete round-up of non-league play and a look ahead to another exciting season of Patriot League action.

Eagle Leaves The American Nest

According to head coach Jeff Jones, freshman forward Coleman LeClair has decided to leave the American basketball team. LeClair, who had not entered a game for American this season, returned to his home in Chicago following the decision. LeClair is not the first men’s hoops player in the Patriot League to leave his team this season, following the departures of Colgate twins Kendall and Kyle Chones from Hamilton at the beginning of the fall semester and Holy Cross sophomore Joe Young. LeClair’s absence, however, is not expected to have nearly as strong an impact as the Chones brothers’ departure.

Bucknell Continues To Stampede Through Schedule

The Bison are certainly sad to see 2004 go, as they have put together one of the school’s best non-league records in over a decade. The team ended 2004 with a five-game winning streak, winning its last two games against Niagara and Saint Joseph’s and earning the team its best start to the season since a 9-4 start in 1992-1993. The five-game streak also matches Bucknell’s longest non-league winning streak in 46 years.

Player of the Week

Keith Simmons, Holy Cross

In his last three games, the sophomore from Kingston, N.Y., averaged 19 points, including a career-high 30-point effort in the Crusaders’ victory over Brown. Simmons currently ranks second on the Holy Cross team with 11.5 points per game despite not starting any of his team’s 10 games. Simmons also leads his team in three-point field goal percentage, hitting 49 percent of his three-point shots.

Rookie of the Week

Matt Sprink, Navy

The Navy freshman made his first collegiate start a productive one, setting career highs in points (14) and rebounds (10) in the team’s win over Mount Saint Mary’s. In the team’s two games against MSM and The Citadel, Sprink averaged 10 points and seven rebounds, receiving a starting nod in both games. For the season, Sprink is averaging 4.3 points and 3.4 rebounds per game.

First Team Recaps of 2005

Bucknell Bison (8-4 overall)

The Bison only played two games in the last 11 days, but they still managed to pack a lot of excitement into 80 minutes of play. In the team’s first game, a December 23 contest with Niagara, Bucknell faced off with the nation’s highest scoring team and yet found a way to win. Both teams stayed within reach in the first half, with neither taking a lead of more than seven points. In the second half, Niagara began to assert itself, staying ahead or tied for 13:09.1 of the final 13:10 of the game, but that crucial nine-tenths of a second was the final moments of the game. Charles Lee hit a 17-footer within the final second of the game to break a 74-all tie and give the Bison a thrilling 76-74 victory. Lee finished with 13 points, while Kevin Bettencourt and Chris McNaughton led the home team with 21 points a piece.

Coming off that win, Bucknell traveled to Philadelphia and used some sharp shooting to defeat Saint Joseph’s, 69-62. The Bison handed the defending Atlantic-10 champs their first loss at Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse in two years thanks to 64 percent shooting, including 10-of-15 shots from beyond the arc. Bucknell shot 59 percent from the floor in the first half and yet was down by one point headed into the half, but the team began the second half with a 17-6 run that gave it a lead it would never relinquish. The lead stood up in part thanks to some solid Bison defense, which held Saint Joe’s to 37 percent shooting for the game. Bettencourt once again led his team with 21 points, including 5-of-6 shooting from three-point land, while Lee added 17 points and eight rebounds.

Bucknell has one more non-league game before the beginning of league play, and that game is a heck of a tune-up. The Bison will travel to Pittsburgh on Sunday to take on the nationally ranked and undefeated Panthers, as Bucknell attempts to knock off the defending Atlantic-10 and Big East champions in consecutive games.

Holy Cross Crusaders (6-4)

Holy Cross upped its record to 6-4 after two wins and one loss in its last three games. On December 21, the Crusaders defeated Brown behind a career night from Keith Simmons. The sophomore guard scored a career-best 30 points on 11-of-14 shooting, including hitting all six of his shots from beyond the arc. Holy Cross came out firing in the first half, hitting 22 shots and shooting 69 percent from the floor, but the team’s defense gave the squad the win in the second half. The Crusaders held the Bears to two field goals over the final 10:30, including a stretch of 9:06 in which Brown managed only six free throws. Kevin Hyland also added 14 points for the Crusaders after hitting all seven of his shots, while Kevin Hamilton had a solid all around game with 10 points, seven assists, seven rebounds and four steals.

The team made it two in a row with an 82-76 victory over Northeastern on Monday night. John Hurley (18 points) led five Crusaders in double figures as Hurley, Nate Lufkin and the rest of the Holy Cross squad made a living in the paint against a smaller Husky team. Ralph Willard’s crew outscored Northeastern 50-26 in the paint and out-rebounded the visitors by nine, as Northeastern’s starting frontcourt was held to a total of 11 points. NU scored the first four points of the contest, but Holy Cross responded quickly with a 14-2 run that gave it the lead for good only two minutes into the contest, once again using solid first-half shooting to jump out early and never look back.

HC ended 2004 on a down note, however, losing a tough 65-59 game to Vermont at the Hart Center. The dominance Holy Cross enjoyed in the paint over Northeastern was immediately counteracted by the nation’s second-leading scorer entering the game, Vermont’s Taylor Coppenrath. He outscored the Crusader starting frontcourt by himself, but the Holy Cross backcourt almost was able to overcome that. Simmons led the team with 15 points, while Torey Thomas added 14 and Hamilton scored 12 of his own in the loss. The game was very even throughout, with Holy Cross coming to within two points on a few occasions down the stretch, but the eventual scoring difference came from the free throw line. Vermont shot 16-of-21 from the charity stripe, while Holy Cross only attempted 11 free throws, making eight.

The Crusaders still have two more non-league games on the slate before the beginning of league play, with contests against Rhode Island on Sunday and Dartmouth on Wednesday.

American Eagles (5-4)

On the heels of a five-game winning streak, the Eagles ran into a rough patch with losses to both Maryland and La Salle. Against Maryland, ranked in the top 25 in the country, American led for the first 7:43 of the game and for a total of over 14 minutes in the opening half, keeping with the Terrapins for 30 minutes of play. The Eagles were down by just two points with 11:16 left in the second half, but Maryland responded with a 16-0 run that put the game well out of reach for the visitors. Jason Thomas led the Eagles with 14 points on 50 percent shooting, helping his team match the Terrapins in shooting percentage. The key to the Maryland win was its 44-28 rebounding edge, allowing the Terrapins to launch 66 shots – 13 more than the Eagles.

The Eagles officially ended the year on a losing streak after falling in their next game, 66-53 to La Salle on Tuesday. American struggled with its shooting all game long. Relying very heavily on its starting five, the team went into halftime down by just two thanks to taking 11 more shots than the Explorers. The second half began much more auspiciously for the Eagles, who started out with a 16-2 run to take a seemingly commanding lead. But the American offense disappeared down the stretch, hitting only two field goals and five free throws in the final 9:28. Andre Ingram scored a team-high 16 points for the Eagles, but the five bench players contributed only nine points. Thomas and Linas Lekavicius combined to shoot 1-for-20 from the field for three points, giving no support for Ingram and the rest of the Eagle offense.

American still has two tough road games left before league play begins, traveling to Delaware on Sunday and then moving on to match up with Missouri on Tuesday evening.

Lehigh Mountain Hawks (5-6)

The Mountain Hawks split their last two games, which is not a bad thing considering that one game came against Xavier and both contests were on the road – where Lehigh had yet to win this season. Against the Musketeers, Lehigh may have played its best game of the season, despite losing 69-63. Poor first-half shooting dug the visitors into a hole that they could not get themselves out of, as the Hawks connected at a 30 percent rate in the opening 20 minutes. Nick Monserez, who led the team with 20 points in his homecoming, was the only Mountain Hawk player to hit more than one shot in the first half as Xavier built up a 15-point halftime lead. The second half saw Lehigh put a scare into the home team, closing the double-digit lead and giving the Musketeers all they could handle down the stretch. The Mountain Hawks went on an 11-0 run and came to within four points with 1:39 left, but ultimately the first-half hole was simply too much to overcome.

But the highlight of the week for Lehigh was its 64-61 win over Towson, which snapped the team’s season-long eight-game road losing streak. The team’s road fortunes were reversed in the first half, as Lehigh shot 54 percent from the field and held Towson to 29 percent. Jose Olivero scored 14 of his game-high 16 points in the opening half as the Hawks raced out to a 15-point halftime lead and then held on for the victory. The roles changed in the second half as Lehigh couldn’t find the net and Towson couldn’t miss, but Lehigh still managed to avoid disaster. Up by 12 points with 1:47 left, the Tigers whittled the lead down to two but couldn’t overcome their poor first half, giving Lehigh its first road win since their February 7, 2004 win over Navy.

Lehigh has one more game left on its four-game road trip, a Sunday afternoon contest at Wagner. The team then prepares for league play with a home game against the Cornell Big Red on Tuesday.

Navy Midshipmen (4-7)

The Midshipmen finally ended their four-game losing streak on December 21, defeating Mount Saint Mary’s, 90-81. In one of the team’s most complete games of the season, three Midshipmen players recorded double-doubles: Laramie Mergerson (20 points, 10 boards), Matt Fannin (19 and 10) and Matt Sprink (14 and 10). Corey Johnson (14 points) and David Hooper (10) also reached double figures in points for the Middies. With 6:14 left in the first half, Navy went on a big 16-0 run in four minutes that gave the team a 12-point lead which it took into halftime. Navy, which shot 50 percent from the floor, also dominated the Mountaineers on the glass, out-rebounding its opponent 51-26. The win, which came after the team’s loss to Division III Gettysburg, looked to be a portent of things to come for Navy, but that was not the case.

Navy returned to the court on Thursday and lost for the fifth time in six games, falling 87-72 to The Citadel. The shooting touch that had helped the Middies to victory against Mount Saint Mary’s deserted Navy against the Bulldogs, as the team shot just 36 percent from the field for the game. More than shooting, however, Navy committed 23 turnovers that took away scoring opportunities and handed free points to the Bulldogs – The Citadel scored 20 points off of the 23 Navy turnovers. Hooper led Navy with 15 points and seven rebounds, while Mergerson (13 and 8) and Fannin (13 and 7) also had solid games for the Middies, but the team was unable to stop the Bulldogs on the offensive end, allowing The Citadel to shoot 49 percent for the game.

Navy has one more game in which to prepare for the upcoming Patriot League season, when the Middies face off with fellow service academy Air Force on Monday evening.

Colgate Raiders (4-8)

The Raiders were by far the busiest Patriot League team in the last 11 days, playing four games in that span. On December 21, Colgate hosted Loyola Marymount and wound up on the losing end of a 64-54 game. The Raiders shot the ball well in the first 20 minutes, especially guard Alvin Reed, who scored all 19 of his points in the first half of the game on 7-of-12 shooting. But Reed and the Raiders went cold in the second half, hitting only 6-of-24 shots from the field as the Lions outscored Colgate by 16 points after the half. Colgate’s Jon Simon, the team’s leading scorer, was held without a field goal and registered only two points in the loss.

Following the loss, Colgate traveled to Florida for two games in the Florida International Holiday Classic. In the opening round, the Raiders were paired up with the host FIU squad and fell to the Golden Panthers, 72-56. Once again, the Raiders were done in by poor shooting, especially from beyond the arc. Colgate launched 28 three-pointers in the game but only made five of them, including missing all 13 attempts in the second half. Reed once again led the team with 13 points, but his 4-for-13 shooting game typified the Raider offensive attack. The five Colgate starters combined to shoot 16-of-51 for the contest. In the consolation game, Colgate lost its third consecutive game overall and its first-ever game to Binghamton, 65-61. The Bearcats scored the first four points and never looked back, as the Raiders fell behind by as many as 17 in the first half and could never regain the lead, despite paring the lead to two points on numerous occasions in the second half. Andrew Zidar led Colgate with 14 points, but Simon had his third consecutive quiet game, scoring only nine points. In the two games of the tournament Simon scored a combined 16 points.

Against Florida Atlantic, Simon returned to form and Colgate returned to the win column. Simon scored a game-high 21 points, including 13 in the second half, to help Colgate break its three-game losing streak and win its first road game of the year, 81-75. The game was full of firsts for Colgate, including the first game in which Colgate had rebounded from a halftime deficit to win the game. The second half spurt came due to the Raiders’ excellent shooting, as the team hit 67 percent of its second half shots and 71 percent of its three-point attempts. Forward Kyle Roemer added 16 points and center Andrew Zidar contributed 14 of his own to help Colgate snap its losing streak heading into League play.

With the win, Colgate will head into the League portion of the schedule on an up note. The Raiders begin their league slate on Saturday, when they face off with Army.

Lafayette Leopards (3-7)

Lafayette had two very different games with two very different outcomes in the last 11 days, with a relatively easy win over Moravian followed up with a blowout loss at the hands of Georgia Tech. Against Moravian, the Leopards survived an initial Greyhound attack and took control of the contest with a 17-0 run over 4:35 that erased a five-point deficit and gave the Leopards a 12-point advantage. With a double-digit lead for the majority of the game, Lafayette got all 13 of its players into the game, with all but two Leopards draining at least one field goal. Andrei Capusan led the Leopards in scoring with 15 points, but the Lafayette bench contributed 31 points, compared to four for Moravian.

Coming off that victory, the Leopards had a predictably tough time with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, falling to the top-10 team, 92-58. As Patriot League teams have proven they could do in the past, Lafayette stayed with Georgia Tech for the first half and part of the second, as the Leopards went into halftime down by eight and lowered the deficit to six on three occasions in the final 20 minutes. The Leopards last trailed by six at the 13:16 mark, before Tech went on a 33-7 run over the next 9:01 to seal the game. Lafayette held Georgia Tech to 39 percent shooting in the first half to keep the game close early, but the Leopards were unable to stay with the quicker and stronger Yellow Jackets for the entire 40 minutes. Bilal Abdullah led the Leopards with 12 points, while Capusan was the game’s leading rebounder with 10 boards.

Before League play begins, Lafayette has two non-league games left. Lafayette welcomes Columbia to Easton on Sunday and then travels to New York to take on Saint Francis on Tuesday evening.

Army Black Knights (2-8)

The struggles continue for the Black Knights, as the team came off an 11-day layoff against Fairleigh Dickinson and fell to the Knights, 69-53. The first half was an anomaly for the Black Knights, who had a higher shooting percentage than the Knights but trailed by 12 at the half because they attempted half as many shots as Fairleigh Dickinson (16 to 32). The second half saw the Knights maintain their double-digit lead and cruise to victory, as Army once again could not find the net. The Black Knights had one 6:09 stretch in which the team couldn’t manage a field goal, and Army made only two field goals in the final 6:28 of the game. Colin Harris led Army with both 15 points and five rebounds while Travis Owsley added 10 points, but the Black Knight bench only managed to score five points in the loss.

As the team most likely to enjoy the turning of the calendar, the Black Knights’ New Year’s resolution to start winning begins on Sunday when they host Cornell, followed by a Tuesday evening home match-up with Columbia.

Patriot League Notebook

Patriot League Notebook

by Steve Sheridan

Finals Week Slowdown

As any college-age student can tell you, the final weeks of the semester are not an easy time to get through. Between finals, end-of-the-semester papers and packing for home, it’s not an easy time to concentrate on playing basketball. Of course, basketball players don’t get the luxury of the long winter vacation – they spend their time on campus, on the court. Because of the finals crunch, however, the action in the scholarly Patriot League was slowed greatly during the last week, with five of the eight league teams playing only one game and one team playing two. Therefore, between the lack of games and my own hectic finals week experiences, excuse me for the small size of this week’s league notebook.

American Garners One AP Top 25 Vote

American, the one Patriot League team that did not play a game in the last week, received one vote in the last Associated Press Top 25 poll. The Eagles, which currently sit at 5-2 on the young season, received the league’s first vote in the AP poll since the early stages of last season, when Lafayette jumped out to a great start and took home a few AP votes. The Eagles were led last week by senior guard Jason Thomas, who scored 52 points in two games on his way to his second consecutive Patriot League Player of the Week award. I’ll go a different route with my own award this week, however.

Weekly Awards

Player of the Week

Andrew Zidar, Colgate: The senior forward scored a career-high 28 points in Colgate’s high-scoring victory over Hobart. In a game without much defense, Zidar topped the scoring charts and also corralled six rebounds in helping Colgate snap a three-game losing streak.

Rookie of the Week

Bilal Abdullah, Lafayette: Abdullah was one assist shy of a triple-double in the Leopards’ win over Cal State-Northridge, scoring 21 points and adding 10 rebounds and nine assists. The guard from Anchorage, Alaska, scored 12 of his points from the free throw line, going 12-of-13 from the charity stripe.

Team Recaps

American Eagles (5-2)

As mentioned above, the Eagles were one of two teams in the Patriot League that did not have a game scheduled last week. The team currently sits in the midst of a five-game winning streak, with its last win coming last Saturday against Ohio University. The streak has coincided with the great play of Jason Thomas, who has matched or set his career high in points in each of his last three games. The team’s winning streak will be put to the ultimate test on Thursday, however, when the Eagles travel to College Park, Md., to take on the Maryland Terrapins. That game will be a true test of the strength of this Eagle team.

Bucknell Bison (6-4)

The 11-day finals break didn’t hinder the progress of the Bucknell Bison, who have now won three consecutive games after a 59-44 win over Cornell on Saturday. The first half was very evenly matched within the stat sheet: even in field goals, three-pointers, free throws and, most importantly, points. But after halftime, the Bison began to stampede and outscored the Big Red, 33-18, to take control of the game. The game was still in doubt with 11:41 left, however, as the Bison held a tenuous 38-36 lead. But Bucknell held Cornell to two field goals over the final 11 minutes, outscoring the Big Red by 13 points to secure the win. Bucknell shot 60 percent from the field in the second half, while the Big Red hit only 25 percent of its second-half shots. Chris McNaughton led the visiting Bison with 15 points and seven rebounds, while Charles Lee added 14 points, eight boards and five assists.

The Bison have only one game this week as well, a Wednesday evening home game against Niagara.

Holy Cross Crusaders (4-3)

The Crusaders, who left last week in second place in the Patriot League, dropped to third place without even playing a game. Holy Cross is in the middle of a tough stretch, having lost three of its last four games – but none of those losses were to mediocre teams; rather, the Crusaders lost to Minnesota, Princeton and Boston College. The Crusaders are already showing the great depth that they possess, as the team has had four different leading scorers in their seven games. Despite the depth, Kevin Hamilton is the unquestioned leader on the offensive end, averaging over 14 points per game so far this season. After 11 days in between games, the team will return to action against Ivy League foe Brown on Tuesday in Providence.

Lehigh Mountain Hawks (4-5)

The Mountain Hawks were the only Patriot League team to play more than once last week, splitting its two games against Eastern and Harvard. On Wednesday against Eastern, Lehigh came out smoking and never allowed the Eagles to take a lead. Thanks to 67 percent shooting, combined with the Eagles’ 3-for-22 (14 percent) shooting clip, the home team raced out to a huge 48-10 halftime lead. The big advantage allowed the Hawks to coast through the second half and give some game time to the bench players, with no Mountain Hawk player registering more than 22 minutes of action. Sophomore guard Jose Olivero led the game with 14 points in 21 minutes and 11 of 12 Lehigh players made at least one field goal in the rout.

After the easy win, however, the team fell to 0-4 on the road in a 67-56 loss to Harvard. The Mountain Hawks’ lackadaisical road efforts continued against the Crimson, as the visitors fell behind by as many as 10 in the opening half and couldn’t sustain any offensive rhythm in the second half. After the visitors took a 42-41 lead with 9:46 to go, Harvard used a 13-0 run to take the lead for good. Four Lehigh players scored in double figures, three with 11 points, but the Crimson also put four players over the 13-point barrier. One bright spot for Lehigh was Michael Fischman, who took down eight rebounds in 25 minutes. If Fischman can only improve on his offensive game, he could be a valuable paint presence for head coach Billy Taylor.

Lehigh’s next attempt at its first road win of the season will be a very tough one, as the Mountain Hawks travel to Cincinnati to take on Xavier, a team which made it to the Elite Eight last season. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Colgate Raiders (3-5)

The Raiders took out their finals-week frustrations on visiting Hobart on Saturday afternoon, snapping a three-game losing streak with a 101-85 victory. In beating the Statesmen for the 18th consecutive time, Colgate was led by senior forward Andrew Zidar and junior guard Alvin Reed. Zidar notched a career-high 28 points and Reed added a season-best 24 points, including five three-pointers. As evidenced by the score, both teams shot the ball at 50 percent or better for the game, but the Raiders’ 20 first-half field goals gave them a 52-37 halftime lead that shrunk to as little as three with 11:33 to play in the game. Colgate managed to stay even with Hobart in the second half, however, and left Cotterell Court with a victory.

The team’s only game next week is a Tuesday evening home contest with Loyola Marymount, a team which defeated Colgate, 78-54, last season in California.

Navy Midshipmen (3-6)

The Midshipmen extended their losing streak to four games on Saturday against Gettysburg, falling at home by a score of 75-69. The Middies held the lead for most of the game, holding a lead as large as 15 with 11:07 left to go in the contest. But Division III Gettysburg did not concede defeat, rebounding with a 17-0 run that temporarily gave them a lead. For the next few minutes, the lead switched back and forth between the two teams, with neither squad being able to shake the other. Navy hit only three field goals in the final 3:34 of play, however, allowing the Bullets to escape Annapolis with their first win over Navy in the team’s last 12 tries. Laramie Mergerson led four Midshipmen in double figures with 16 points, while Corey Johnson added 12 points and nine rebounds in a game-high 37 minutes of play.

The team has one more game before the holiday break, when it travels to Emmitsburg, Md., to take on Mount St. Mary’s on Tuesday night.

Lafayette Leopards (2-6)

Bilal Abdullah led a very balanced offensive attack that saw six Leopards reach double figures in the team’s 95-89 overtime win over Cal State-Northridge. Abdullah led the team with 21 points, while he and Jamaal Douglas both hauled in 10 rebounds as both teams attacked the boards throughout the game. The first half was very tight, but Lafayette appeared to pull away midway through the second half, taking a 16-point lead with 8:59 left and leading by 12 with 3:22 remaining. The Matadors then went on a 17-5 run to tie the game at the end of regulation, but Abdullah hit six free throws in the extra session and Jamaal Hilliard added eight of his 15 points in the extra five minutes to seal the win for the Leopards. Remarkably, Lafayette won the game despite taking a staggering 28 fewer shots than the Matadors, who launched the shots early and often.

The team’s final game before the holiday break comes on Wednesday, a 7 p.m. home contest against Moravian.

Army Black Knights (2-7)

In the most high profile game of the week involving a PL team, the Black Knights surprised the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame early but eventually succumbed to the nationally-ranked Irish, 71-52. Army jumped out to a quick 21-5 lead in the opening nine minutes, thanks to hitting 8-of-10 shots, but the team soon returned to form. The Black Knights shot just 31 percent from the field from that point on, allowing Notre Dame to tie the game headed into halftime and take the lead for good early in the second half. Army actually churned out a higher shooting percentage than Notre Dame for the game, but Army’s 19 turnovers allowed them fewer opportunities to put the ball in the net. Colin Harris led the Black Knights with 10 points and center Jimmy Sewell has a solid outing with seven points and 11 rebounds, despite the bigger Irish outrebounding Army by 19.

After the encouraging loss, the Black Knights have 10 days off before their final game of 2004, when they travel to take on Farleigh Dickinson on December 30.

Patriot League Notebook

Patriot League Notebook

by Steve Sheridan

Colgate, Lafayette Attempt To Hang With The Big Boys

While it’s still very early in the 2004-2005 season, some members of the Patriot League are already showing that they do not hesitate to match up against some of the top teams in the country. Both Lafayette and Colgate played games against teams ranked in the top-15 in the country, and while Louisville didn’t have much trouble with the Leopards, the Syracuse Orange had a surprisingly difficult time putting away the Raiders.

Making their annual trip to the Carrier Dome, the Raiders stayed with the Orange for 30 minutes before Syracuse finally showed its strength. Colgate was tied with the home team with 10:14 left in the contest, thanks in large part to the Raiders’ ability to solve the Syracuse defense, but then Syracuse went on a 10-0 run to finally put away the pesky Raiders. With the win, Syracuse has now won 39 straight games versus Colgate dating back to the 1961-62 season. This one, however, didn’t come easy for Jim Boeheim and his men.

Lafayette didn’t have as much success against the Louisville Cardinals, as the home team sprinted out to a 30-4 lead and never looked back in running over the Leopards, 98-57. Lafayette was totally outmatched in this contest, as it fell behind early and then kept hoisting the three-pointers in a desperate attempt to get back into it. The Leopards ended the game with 10 three-pointers made on 39 attempts, while hitting only nine of 28 attempts from inside the arc.

Knight Time For Lehigh

The Mountain Hawks have so far received a huge boost on the offensive end from junior transfer Joe Knight, who came to Bethlehem by way of High Point University in North Carolina. He averaged over 16 points per game in his sophomore season at High Point, and he looks like he may be headed for another such season. Knight has averaged 13 points per contest in his first seven games for Lehigh, proving to Mountain Hawk fans that Knight may be the answer to the loss of last season’s Patriot League Player of the Year – and fellow guard transfer – Austen Rowland.

Battle of the Brains

The non-conference slate of the Patriot League is always populated with games against the Ivy League, and this year is no different. So far this season, the Ivies have taken seven out of 11 games against their Patriot League counterparts, including three wins from the league’s top team, Princeton. There are still 11 more games to be played between the two leagues, however, and so the unofficial winner has yet to be decided.

Player of the Week

Jason Thomas, American. The senior guard averaged 25 points and 9 rebounds in his team’s last three games, including back-to-back double-doubles for the first time in his career. The 26 points scored against both Towson and Ohio are a next career high for the Herndon, Va., native.

Rookie of the Week

Kyle Roemer, Colgate. The first-year guard averaged 12 points in Colgate’s last three games, all losses. He set a career-high in points in his last outing against Harvard, a 19-point performance that included five three-pointers.

Team Recaps

American Eagles (5-2 overall)

The Eagles have kept themselves perched atop the Patriot League in the early going thanks to a five-game winning streak that followed two season-opening losses.

The team’s most impressive win to date was its 67-64 triumph over Vermont last Saturday. Jason Thomas had his first career double-double with 23 points and 11 rebounds in a full 40 minutes of action, hitting one-of-two free throws in the waning seconds to account for the final score and then stealing the subsequent full-court pass attempt. The Eagles did a decent job of containing Taylor Coppenwrath and his Vermont teammates, keeping him to seven points and his team to 30 percent shooting in the first half. American shot 48 percent for the game, yet almost allowed the Catamounts to come back by missing eight free throws, including four misses in the final minute.

Following the victory, the team did not let up on Wednesday, defeating Towson 75-64. Thomas recorded his second double-double in as many games for American, scoring 26 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. The two teams struggled to break from one another for the first five minutes, but the Eagles finally shook the Tigers and rolled from there, never allowing the Tigers within five points in the second half. Patrick Okpwae was the only other Eagle in double figures, scoring a career-high 16 points.

American then made it five in a row on Saturday with a 64-55 win over Ohio. Yet again, it was Thomas leading the way for the Eagles, scoring 26 points for the second straight game. The Eagles used a 16-0 run late in the first half to break open the game, but the Bobcats battled back to get within two points. Two free throws each from Thomas and Andre Ingram bumped the lead back up to six, however, and the Eagles held on for the victory.

After the win, the Eagles get 12 days off in order to prepare for one of its stiffest tests of the season, a contest against nationally ranked Maryland next Thursday. If American can stay with the Terrapins in that game, then the Eagles will know that they have a clear shot of taking home the Patriot League crown.

Holy Cross Crusaders (4-3)

Last year, Holy Cross entered the season with many fresh faces and a young, inexperienced squad. This season, the team has returned almost all of the key parts from last year, and it had shown vast improvement already in this young season.

The team sits in second place in the league after a 1-2 week, including two losses to very tough schools. Last Saturday, the team faced off with the Minnesota Golden Gophers in Minneapolis, falling to the home team by a score of 72-56. Other than junior guard Kevin Hamilton, who scored a career-high 22 points, the Crusaders were unable to get anything going on either end of the floor. On offense, Holy Cross shot 36 percent from the floor, while defensively it allowed the Gophers to shoot at a blistering 63 percent clip. Minnesota was also able to dominate in the paint, outscoring the Crusaders by 20 points in that area.

The team came back on Monday to defeat Fordham before dropping a heartbreaker to Boston College on Friday evening. Against the Rams, it was Hamilton once again leading the attack with 17 points, 14 of which came in the second half, in which Holy Cross outscored Fordham by 15 after a low-scoring first 20 minutes. The team then made the short trip to Chestnut Hill and almost upset the undefeated Eagles, falling 63-60 in overtime. With Hamilton having an off night (2-for-16 shooting, 5 points), four Crusaders scored in double figures, but it was still not enough to topple BC. Nate Lufkin led the team with 12 points and nine boards, while blossoming sophomore Torey Thomas added 10 points in a game-high 43 minutes of action. Fouls may have done in the Crusaders in this game, as they allowed BC to take 30 free throws, accounting for 22 of the Eagles’ points.

Holy Cross is now in the midst of an 11-day layoff, thanks to final exams. The team’s next game is on December 21, when they travel to Providence to take on Ivy League foe Brown.

Bucknell Bison (5-4)

Bucknell is another team that has put together a tough non-league schedule, matching up with some quality teams in preparation for the Patriot League season. In the early going, the team has already participated in two tournaments, losing in the opening round of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic against Princeton and taking falling to Iowa State in the championship game of the Cyclone Classic.

In the last two weeks, the team won two of its three games, with its lone loss coming against Ivy League power Pennsylvania. Against the Quakers, Bucknell came out slow in the first half and the home team took advantage, taking an initial 14-2 lead and heading into halftime with a 38-20 edge. In the opening half, Bucknell had twice as many turnovers (12) as field goals (six), allowing Penn to build up a comfortable lead in cruising to victory. Kevin Bettencourt led all scorers with 16 points, but it wasn’t nearly enough to overcome his team’s slow start. Bettencourt was held scoreless for 37 minutes in the Bison’s next game against Yale, but Charles Lee had a career day in Bucknell’s 73-65 overtime victory over the Bulldogs. Lee posted 22 points and 18 rebounds, including a three-pointer with 15 seconds left that sent the game into overtime. In the extra frame, Bettencourt scored five of his eight points, helping the team to escape New Haven with a victory.

Against Robert Morris, Bucknell survived another slow start to defeat the Colonials, 60-45. Despite shooting 28 percent in the first half, the team went into halftime with a one-point lead thanks to an excellent defensive effort, holding Robert Morris to 29 percent shooting in the first half and 32 percent for the game. Bucknell, and specifically Chris McNaughton, heated up in the second half, as the sophomore center scored 11 points in a row on his way to a 19-point effort. Bettencourt also got back on the right track, adding 10 points in the win.

The Bison are also in the middle of an 11-day finals layoff, with the team next in action on December 18 against the Cornell Big Red.

Lehigh Mountain Hawks (3-4)

One team whose slow start has been a little surprising is Lehigh, which currently sits under .500 after seven games. The team has begun the season 0-3 on the road, while also having its 16-game home winning streak snapped in the team’s last game against Columbia.

Last Saturday the team went on the road to face Stony Brook and came home with yet another road loss, 56-49. After the first half, it looked like Lehigh might pick up its first road win of the year, shooting 51 percent from floor and leading by two points. However, the team went ice cold in the second half, making only two field goals in 31 attempts (a wretched 6.5 percent). Despite the terrible shooting, the team somehow found itself within one point of Stony Brook with 1:51 remaining after a three-pointer by Jose Olivero, who led the team with 23 points. But the team still could not find the basket, and never was able to overcome the Seawolves.

The team returned to Stabler Arena on Monday and dropped its first home game of the season, 75-61 to Columbia. The team once again could not get it done in the second half, hitting just four field goals in the final 20 minutes; meanwhile Columbia shot over 53 percent for the game. Lehigh was able to stay in the game by converting at the free throw line, hitting 27-of-38 attempts from the charity stripe. Olivero, who did not make a field goal, scored all six of his points from the line, while Joe Knight and Erik Smith both reached double figures for the Mountain Hawks.

Lehigh has two games coming up this week, beginning with a home match up against Eastern on Wednesday night. The team then tries for the fourth time to get its first road win of the season on Saturday when the Hawks travel to Cambridge for a matinee with Harvard.

Navy Midshipmen (3-5)

Navy sits in fifth place in the Patriot League despite being in the midst of a three-game losing streak, including two games in which the Midshipmen were blown out of the water.

Last Saturday against Ohio, the Middies fell behind early and never had a chance, losing 90-55. The team was down 25-9 after only 11 minutes of play and headed into halftime down by 20 points. David Hooper was the lone Navy player in double figures with 15 points, but Ohio was in total control of the game, never letting the lead shrink to less than 21 points in the second half of play. The first half of Monday’s game with Belmont looked promising for the Midshipmen, as the team shot 41 percent in the first half and went into halftime down only four points. Navy actually upped that shooting percentage in the second half, but the team also forgot to play defense – Belmont shot a torrid 70 percent in the final 20 minutes of play. Navy was outscored, 52-31, in the second half, allowing the Bruins to cruise to victory and giving the Middies a second consecutive blowout loss. Laramie Mergerson led the Middies with 14 points and nine rebounds, despite missing 9-of-15 shots.

Coming off two blowouts, Navy faced off with Stony Brook and made the game much more interesting – but the result was still the same. Despite a strong performance from David Hooper and some end-of-regulation heroics by Corey Johnson, Navy fell to the Seawolves, 80-78 in overtime. Hooper scored a game-high 23 points and Johnson hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to send the game into overtime, but the Middies could not close out the Seawolves. Navy was up by five points with 1:30 left in the extra session, but Stony Brook outscored Navy 7-0 in the final 90 seconds, allowing the visitors to escape Alumni Hall with a victory.

Now mired in a three-game slump, the team gets one week off before its next game, on Saturday against Gettysburg.

Colgate Raiders (2-5)

The Raiders are in the midst of a three-game losing streak as well, following losses to Buffalo, Syracuse and Harvard. But the three losses offered some glimpses of hope for the Raiders, both for this season and for the future; namely the play of sophomore guard Jon Simon.

Colgate fell to Buffalo, 74-62, despite Simon’s game-high 20 points. The team was able to hang with Buffalo in the opening 20 minutes, but was unable to break through in the second half, coming within three points of the home team on three occasions. This game was won at the free-throw line for the Bulls, as Buffalo made 23 of its 29 attempts; meanwhile, Colgate attempted only 11 free throws, making nine of them.

The team’s next game, against the nationally ranked Syracuse Orange, may have been the team’s best outing of the year despite a 68-55 loss. Syracuse, which consistently has been able to play man-to-man defense against its lesser non-conference foes, was forced to turn to its vaunted 2-3 zone in the second half as Colgate exploited the Orange defense. Simon led the team with 18 points, and his jumper with 11:07 remaining tied the game for the third and final time in the second half. Although the team never led in the game, the Raiders left the Carrier Dome with a good feeling, headed into their next game against Harvard.

But, as has been characteristic of Raider teams of years past, the team followed up the quality game with a home loss to the Crimson, 85-82 in overtime, on Friday night. Harvard’s height was compounded by the loss of Raider starting center Marc Daniels, who broke his right foot in practice and will be sidelined for six weeks. Simon again led the team with 21 points, including a three-pointer with seven seconds left that send the game into overtime. First-year Kyle Roemer also added a career-high 19 points.

As with most teams, Colgate is off for finals week, next taking the court on Saturday against Hobart before welcoming Loyola-Marymount to Cotterell Court next Tuesday.

Army Black Knights (2-6)

The Black Knights have had a difficult beginning to their season, losing six of their first seven games before pulling out a victory over New York Maritime on Thursday night.

After its first win of the season over Polytechnic University, the team dropped two in a row to St. Francis (NY) and Albany before taking down NYM. Against St. Francis, Army came out strong and held a 29-17 lead with six minutes remaining in the first half, but the Terriers bounced back to tie the game headed into the half and took the lead for good early in the second stanza. Sophomore guard Matt Bell led Army with 22 points and classmate Cory Sinning added 14, but no other Black Knight scored more than eight points.

In the team’s next game, a Monday tilt with Albany, the team was routed by the Great Danes 73-46. The visitors jumped out to a quick lead and never relinquished it, as Army allowed Albany to shoot over 50 percent for the game. Bell was once again the team leader in points with 14, the team’s only double-digit scorer, but it helped little as his team was down by as many as 29 points in the second half. On Thursday night, the Black Knights finally returned to the win column with a 75-59 victory over New York Maritime. Bell and Colin Harris each scored 18 points for the team’s second win of the year, while the Privateers continued their winless streak through its seventh game of the season. Army came out strong, shooting 48 percent from the floor and keeping Maritime to 33 percent, which enabled the team to survive a second-half charge from the Privateers.

The Black Knights have a week to prepare for their next game, when they travel to South Bend to take on Notre Dame on Sunday. This game will pose a definite problem for the Black Knights, which have enough trouble stopping lesser opponents from scoring.

Lafayette Leopards (1-6)

The early going of the 2004-2005 season has not been kind to the Lafayette Leopards, as the team won its season-opener against Duquesne but has lost six straight after that. In the last week the team has faced three very tough challenges, and came out on the wrong end of two close contests and one blowout.

As mentioned above, the Leopards were blown out by the Louisville Cardinals last Saturday, 98-57. First-year Paul Cummins led Lafayette with 13 points and Marcus Harley added 12, but the team was done in by 28 percent shooting and 19 turnovers. The Leopards hit only six field goals in the first half on the way to 19 points, compared to 54 points for the Cardinals, meaning that the game was over very quickly for the awestruck visitors.

The team attempted to bounce back on Monday, but a last-second three-pointer bounced off the rim and Lafayette fell to Cornell, 75-72. The Big Red tried to put the game out of reach early in the second half, taking a 14-point lead with 17 minutes left, but the Leopards bounced back to make the game exciting right down to the final seconds. Jamaal Douglas led four Leopards in double figures with 16 points, but the Big Red countered with four double-digit scorers of their own.

Lafayette tried once again to play catch-up Friday night against Marist, but the team was unable to overcome a 17-point deficit with 5:24 to play in falling 83-79. Despite the deficit, the visitors fought back to get within two points with 52 seconds left, but Harley missed a short potential game-tying bucket with 10 seconds remaining, allowing the Red Foxes to send Lafayette home with yet another loss.

The Leopards’ next attempt at winning elusive game number two is this evening, when they welcome Cal-State Northridge to the Kirby Sports Center. The team is then off for nine days before taking on Moravian.

Patriot League Preview

Patriot League Preview

by Steve Sheridan

Last season in the Patriot League was a long roller coaster ride, one that left the diehard fan completely satisfied at the end. Lafayette jumped out quickly, Lehigh stormed ahead, and meanwhile the American Eagles continued their steady, unassuming play to be there until the very end. And with the majority of the teams losing at least one big factor from last season, expect nothing less from the 2004-2005 season. Last season was rightly termed the “year of the guard” in the Patriot League, as all five of the first-team all-League players held court in the backcourt. Although there are some quality guards returning this season – freshman sensations Jose Olivero and Andre Ingram immediately come to find – this season may see more dominating performances from the big men. Bucknell’s Chris McNaughton, Lehigh’s Jason Mgebroff and Holy Cross’ Nate Lufkin are just three of the big men who look to keep the ball headed into the paint all season long. Lafayette, the team that had the most stars last season, graduated four seniors and doesn’t look to play a big role in the title hunt this season. American and Lehigh, the two teams that battled in the league championship game, both graduated a few starters but have two of the best returning sophomores in the league to help elevate their team’s play in 2004-05. Bucknell, meanwhile, a team that was hot and cold for a majority of the league season, returns all five of its starters and looks to be the early favorite to take home the hardware. Looking deeper into last season’s standings, Holy Cross looks poised to rejoin the top teams in the Patriot League after a one-year absence from the upper half. The Navy Midshipmen look to keep heading in the right direction after a quality end to its season last year, while Colgate and Army unfortunately may be heading in the opposite direction.

Preseason Awards

First-Team All-League:
Kevin Bettencourt, Bucknell
Kevin Hamilton, Holy Cross
Andre Ingram, American
Chris McNaughton, Bucknell
Jose Olivero, Lehigh

League MVP:

Kevin Bettencourt, Bucknell

Defensive Player of the Year:

Nate Lufkin, Holy Cross

Coach of the Year:

Pat Flannery, Bucknell

Team-by-Team Previews (In order of expected finish)

1. Bucknell Bison (14-15 overall, 9-5 Patriot League, 4th place)

Projected Starting Five:
Kevin Bettencourt, Guard
Charles Lee, Guard
Abe Badmus, Guard
John Clark, Forward
Chris McNaughton, Center

The Bucknell Bison begin the 2004-2005 season with a huge advantage that no other team in the Patriot League can boast: the team has all five of its starters from last year returning, along with its top scorer off the bench. With that fact in mind, it’s no small wonder that I’m picking the Bison to take the Patriot League crown this year. The three major factors for the team are Bettencourt and Lee, each of whom was named to the Patriot League second-team last season, and McNaughton, who made the all-League freshman team. Bettencourt led the team in scoring (14.9 ppg, second in the league), three-pointers made (2.5 threes per game) and assists (2.8 apg), while Lee was the top assist man for the Bison and McNaughton hauled down the most rebounds. The duo of Bettencourt and McNaughton should be one of the most formidable inside-outside combinations in the league, and they are only a junior and sophomore, respectively – a scary thought for the rest of the Patriot League. Pat Flannery will once again be behind the bench of the Bison this season, despite missing two games against Holy Cross and Colgate late in the year. Flannery underwent an undisclosed precautionary medical procedure in late February, but he return the next weekend to guide the team in the Patriot League Tournament. Flannery and his very experienced team hope to advance further in the postseason then they did last year, when they were knocked out in the semifinals by eventual-champion Lehigh. This year, however, the team has the initial look of a champion. With so many returning players, the Bison have all the necessary weapons in place to contend for its third Patriot League championship. Of course, the team now has to go out and prove it on the court.

2. Lehigh Mountain Hawks (20-11 overall, 10-4 Patriot League, 1st place)

Projected Starting Five:
Jose Olivero, Guard
Nick Monserez, Guard
Dayne Mickelson, Forward
Earl Nurse, Forward
Jason Mgebroff, Center

What can the Lehigh Mountain Hawks do for encore? For sure, it will be very hard for the team to top last season, which saw the Mountain Hawks capture their first-ever Patriot League regular season and postseason championships. The team has a good chance to repeat, but the road will be a lot tougher thanks to the graduation of its main offensive force. Guard Austen Rowland, who had only one year of eligibility remaining after a transfer from Delaware, is now gone and leaves a big hole in the Lehigh offense. Rowland, who never saw a shot that he didn’t like, led the Patriot League in scoring (15.5 ppg) while also leading his team in assists (4.9 apg) and steals (1.9 spg). The explosive scorer, along with graduated guard Ra Tiah, leaves an empty backcourt that must be filled if the Mountain Hawks are to stay near the top of the league.

The majority of the offense from the guard position will be taken over by one of last year’s breakout freshmen, Jose Olivero. Olivero, who hit the game-winning shot to clinch the league championship against American, is the team’s top returning scorer and will likely score more than his 11.6-point average of last year in the absence of Rowland. Down low, sophomore Jason Mgebroff and senior Earl Nurse will continue to crash the boards for Lehigh. Mgebroff was a solid contributor in his freshman campaign, averaging seven points and four rebounds, while Nurse provides a veteran presence to go along with his team-leading 5.2 rebounds per game. A wild card in the team’s offensive plans is Joe Knight, a 6’2″ junior guard who transferred to Lehigh from High Point University in North Carolina. During his second season at High Point, Knight averaged 16.3 points per game, and his presence on the team may help to alleviate the loss of Rowland. Leading the Mountain Hawks for a third season is Billy Taylor, who has taken home the Patriot League Coach of the Year award in both of his first two seasons. Taylor continues to be at the helm of the amazing turnaround of the Lehigh program, which just three years ago went 5-23. After its first league title, you can bet that Taylor and his Hawks will be very hungry for a repeat.

3. Holy Cross Crusaders (13-15 overall, 7-7 Patriot League, 5th place)

Projected Starting Five:
Keith Simmons, Guard
Kevin Hamilton, Guard
Greg Kinsey, Guard
John Hurley, Forward
Nate Lufkin, Center

One team that has been accustomed as of late to seeing its name near the top of the Patriot League is the Holy Cross Crusaders. After three consecutive Patriot League titles, the young team struggled through a down season, but the men will look to return to the upper half of the league behind four returning starters. As opposed to last season, when the Crusaders had only one senior starter on the team, this season will see three seniors providing leadership on the court. Nate Lufkin returns, looking to avoid the injury bug that caught up with him last season. The low-post threat averaged 8.8 points and 4.9 rebounds last year despite missing some time early in the season. John Hurley and Greg Kinsey will also be expected to contribute on both offense and defense, as the team attempts to make up for the graduation of all-everything guard Jave Meade. Meade, who left the court as the league’s all-time assists and steals record-holder, will be missed both for his playmaking ability on offense and his stingy defense. Last year, the Crusaders held opponents to 58.6 points per game, tops in the Patriot League, but in order for that statistic to hold up the guard trio of Keith Simmons, Kevin Hamilton and Torey Thomas will have to step up. On the offensive end, Hamilton, a second-team all-league selection, was first in the league in three-point percentage; on the defensive side he placed second overall in steals. He will take over the bulk of Meade’s responsibilities, but Simmons, a member of the 2004 all-league freshman team, and Thomas will be a pair of very capable sophomores who will be sure to pick up some of the offensive slack. With the amount of experience the Crusader men gained from last season, they will be sure to come back strong this year. With four returning starters and a newfound determination, expect Holy Cross to once again challenge for the Patriot League title, just where it feels it belongs.

4. American Eagles (18-13 overall, 10-4 Patriot League, 2nd place)

Projected Starting Five:
Andre Ingram, Guard
Linas Lekavicius, Guard
Jason Thomas, Guard
Matej Cresnik, Forward
Raimondas Petrauskas, Forward

The American Eagles reached the Patriot League championship game for the third time in three seasons last year, but in three tries the team has yet to win that decisive final game. Last year, the team fielded a very solid team with the potent inside-outside combination of Andres Rodriguez and Jernavis Draughn, but both of those players are gone – and with them so may go American’s three-year streak. With the loss of Rodriguez, head coach Jeff Jones loses one of the most exciting players in recent memory. The stellar guard led the Patriot League in both assists and steals – including a 19-assist game against Navy – and his position as court general will not be easily filled. Draughn, meanwhile, provided the Eagles with a dependable low post presence, leading the team in rebounding and coming in second in scoring. It will remain to be seen whether the loss of these two players will be too much for the Eagles to overcome. One man who will surely be up to the challenge is last year’s Patriot League Freshman of the Year, Andre Ingram. Ingram led the team in scoring (13.6 ppg) in his first season in Washington, D.C., including a Patriot League-leading 78 three-pointers. With the team’s lack of returning height – only one letter winner stands above 6’7″ – you may see a lot more threes raining down from Bender Arena with Ingram around. The rest of the offensive load will fall to players such as Jason Thomas, Matej Cresnik and Raimondas Petrauskas, all of whom played important roles with the team last season but who were not counted upon to score often. That will change this year. Two new possibilities for the Eagles could be freshmen Brayden Bilbe, who stands in at 6’10″, and Coleman LeClair, who stands 6’9″ tall. With the aforementioned lack of height, these two players have the chance to step right in and provide meaningful minutes to the Eagles team. After three great years of success, the Eagles have a tall task ahead of them if they are to return once again to the League title game. But the presence of Ingram alone always will them a chance, and time will tell if some of the younger players can step up to fill the offensive void. But don’t count them out from soaring once again.

5. Lafayette Leopards (18-10 overall, 9-5 Patriot League, 3rd place)

Projected Starting Five:
Marcus Harley, Guard
Pat Betley, Guard
Jamaal Douglas, Forward
Andrei Capusan, Forward
Sean Knitter, Center

Last year was THE year for the Lafayette Leopards to win the Patriot League championship. With a star-studded senior class, the Leopards had all the tools in place to take home the title – and for the first half of the season, it seemed they would do just that. But the team collapsed down the stretch, didn’t win it all, and now faces a big rebuilding year. Justin DeBerry, Winston Davis, Mike Farrell and Rob Dill take away with them not just four roster spots, but a combined average of 44.2 points, 14.8 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game. Those are the type of statistics that are not easily replaced, especially when the Fab Four accounted for almost 60 percent of the team’s points. DeBerry and Davis, both all-League first team selections, will be especially hard for the Leopard backcourt to replace. Senior guard Pat Betley is the lone returning starter for the Leopards in 2004-2005, and will, along with sophomore Marcus Harley, be expected to fill the huge shoes of Davis and DeBerry. Together, the duo averaged 14.1 points per game, almost one point behind DeBerry’s season average of 14.9 ppg. The main returning offensive force for Lafayette is senior Sean Knitter. Knitter, another Delaware transfer who was overshadowed by his fellow former Blue Hen teammate Austen Rowland, put together a solid season last year and should blossom in his senior season. The forward averaged 9.4 points and four rebounds per game last season and will be the main frontcourt man, while oft-injured center Jamie Hughes and Andrei Capusan will look to provide some help under the glass. This will be the year for Lafayette’s five sophomores to get some significant playing time while also providing an opportunity for the team’s five freshmen – including Betley’s cousin Matt – to make a mark. Don’t count on any fast starts from this year’s Lafayette team, though, because their best chance for a league title just passed them by.

6. Navy Midshipmen (5-23 overall, 2-12 Patriot League, 8th place)

Projected Starting Five:
Taj Mathews, Guard
David Hooper, Guard
Carlton Baldwin, Forward (injured)
Chika Onyekanne, Forward
Laramie Mergerson, Forward

In the last season under legendary head coach Don DeVoe, the Navy Midshipmen did absolutely nothing during the majority of the regular season, but then showed some flashes of light near season’s end. The team defeated Lafayette and Army on the road, and then should have beaten Lehigh in the opening round of the Patriot League Tournament before losing in overtime. This year, the team looks to keep that momentum rolling. New head coach Billy Lange will welcome back three returning starters to this year’s squad, although one of those three will be out of action for a while. Sophomore Carlton Baldwin, who last season led the team in points (8.0 ppg) and rebounds (4.1 rpg), was supposed to be the focal point of the offense, but Baldwin is sidelined by a fractured toe on his left foot. The Mids expect Baldwin to be back in time for the team’s Patriot League slate, which begins in January. The team will hope that Baldwin can return and continue to be the inside presence that he was last season, as he is one of the many keys to the team’s offensive success this year. Besides Baldwin, Navy also returns second-leading scorer and rebounder David Hooper as well as senior center Laramie Mergerson, whose excellent play coincided with the emergence of the Midshipmen down the stretch in the beginning months of 2004.

That trio will look to surpass the play of graduated guards Kwame Ofori and Jeff Charles, and I think the solid play that the team had near the end of last season shows that they will have little trouble in replacing them. It was too bad that the team couldn’t give coach DeVoe a more proper send off than two League wins, but the team that DeVoe helped to construct will be sure to make him proud this season. Navy might not seem that impressive, but I think the Middies may sneak up on a few teams this year.

7. Colgate Raiders (15-14 overall, 6-8 Patriot League, 6th place)

Projected Starting Five:
Alvin Reed, Guard
Jon Simon, Guard
Keith Williams, Guard
Kendall Chones, Forward (academically ineligible, first semester)
Andrew Zidar, Center

After a season filled with disappointments and injuries, the Colgate Raiders return for another season looking for improvement and consistency. Head coach Emmett Davis, who himself has been feeling some pressure to perform, knew that this year’s task would be much tougher than last year’s, and it may have gotten a little tougher to begin things. This year will begin a new era of Raider basketball, as both Howard Blue and Mark Linebaugh graduated. The two, one of the most formidable guard-forward combos in the school’s history, combined to average 26.5 points and 10 rebounds per game – a figure that would have been higher if Blue had not injured his knee and missed a significant amount of time in midseason. Their leadership on and off the court was invaluable to the program, and a young cast of characters will hope to make up for their absences. Senior center Andrew Zidar and junior guard Alvin Reed are the two most productive returning players. Zidar led the League in rebounding last year (6.6 rpg) and placed fourth on the team in scoring, while Reed led the Raiders in assists and was the team’s third-leading scorer behind Blue and Linebaugh. The team recently encountered another speed bump when it learned that Kendall and Kyle Chones, twin brothers who played integral roles in sparking the team down the stretch last season, are both academically ineligible for the fall semester. Kendall, who filled in very nicely (7.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg) for Blue, was expected to fill Blue’s spot in the starting lineup, while Kyle was expected to be one of the first men off the bench. While both players will likely return for the spring semester, it will remain to be seen how their absence affects both them and their teammates. With only two seniors on the team, the Raiders will look to the underclassmen who received plenty of playing time last season to step up and contribute. While players such as Zidar and Reed are proven scorers, it remains to be seen whether the Chones brothers and guard Jon Simon can keep up the intensity throughout an entire season to lead the Raiders to the top half of the league. If not, coach Davis might start hearing some whispers behind him very quickly.

8. Army Black Knights (6-21 overall, 3-11 Patriot League, 7th place)

Projected Starting Five:
Travis Owsley, Guard
Marshall Jackson, Guard
Matt Bell, Guard
Colin Harris, Forward
Jimmy Sewell, Forward

For Jim Crews, last year was a perpetual nightmare season for his Black Knights. The team finished last in the league in scoring, averaging a mere 50.5 points per game while shooting a terrible 36 percent from the floor, epitomized especially by the team’s two games last year against Bucknell: in the two games, Army scored 48 points…combined. In the process, it almost broke the record for fewest points in a game in the shot-clock era. The good news? Last season is over. The bad news? This year might not be any better. Of the team’s 13 returning players, 11 of them are sophomores that gained their first collegiate experience last season as freshmen. With one senior and one junior, there will not be a lot of upperclassmen leadership, and so the sophomores will have to step up their play to help replace the trio of Josh Wilson, Sean O’Keefe and Bill Mohr. Matt Bell is the top returning scorer for Army, having averaged only 6.5 points per game last season. Travis Owsley, Colin Harris and Marshall Jackson also contributed somewhat to the team last year, but unfortunately for the Black Knights, it will take a whole lot more than what they can offer for the team to get itself out of the Patriot League basement. For Army, it would not take much to better last season’s terrible year. Unfortunately for Crews and his crew, this team may not have what it takes to get more than six wins this season, and most likely won’t get the requisite three Patriot League victories. If the amazingly young Black Knights finish outside the Patriot League cellar this season, it will come as a big surprise to this writer.

As everyone knows, preseason predictions don’t mean much until the teams get out onto the floor and play the games. But at this point the very experienced Bucknell Bison squad looks ready to take over the top of the Patriot League, while conversely the very inexperienced Black Knights team will likely end the season in the basement. There are a lot of teams in the middle of the pack who may or may not deliver on preseason expectations, and the regular season will be very entertaining in seeing which teams can separate themselves from the pack. But that’s the fun of playing the games. And while the Patriot League may not have the prestige of the ACC or the exposure of the Big 10, the teams that make up the league make sure to put on a show each and every night for their fans. Gentlemen, let the games begin…

Patriot League 2003-04 Season Recap

Patriot League 2003-04 Season Recap

by Steve Sheridan

In one of the most entertaining Patriot League seasons since the league’s inception, the Cinderella story of Lehigh finally came to completion one year after the Mountain Hawks first came out of the woodwork. It seemed like a constant game of musical chairs was occurring near the top of the standings in the season’s final weeks, but this only ratcheted up the intensity and excitement.

For the second consecutive season, the big story of the year was the Lehigh Mountain Hawks. Last season, coach Billy Taylor led his Lehigh team to a major turnaround but then faded down the stretch. But this season was different. The Mountain Hawks kept themselves perched near the top of the league all season long and did not fade this time around, claiming the school’s first Patriot League regular season title. A big reason for Lehigh’s success was the play of senior transfer Austen Rowland, who made his one season in Bethlehem a good one, earning Patriot League Player of the Year honors after leading the league in scoring.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, it was a bad year for the service academies. Navy needed 13 games before it won its first league game of the season – and then winning another game after its first win – while Army won just three league games all season and came dangerously close to setting NCAA records for offensive futility on numerous occasions. Neither team came close to contending for the league crown this season, and the year can only be looked at as part of rebuilding processes in both Annapolis and West Point.

The final few weeks of the regular season was one of the most interesting in a long while, as teams faded and others peaked in the season’s final games. Lafayette, which had spent the first part of the season solely atop the standings, tanked in the second half of the league campaign – losing its last four games and five of its last seven – to fall to third in the final standings. The Bucknell Bison had an interesting season as well, for after a slow start resulted in a 2-3 record, the Bison stampeded to seven straight wins and looked to possibly take the top seed in the tournament. The wheels inexplicably came off, however, as the team lost its final two games to fall to fourth in the standings. American, meanwhile, managed to ride its momentum to a second place finish after overcoming a mediocre start to win five of its last six games.

Then there was Holy Cross and Colgate. The former was picked to win the Patriot League in the preseason, while the latter was chosen to finish in the top three. Both teams felt the sting of the injury bug, as Holy Cross’ Nate Lufkin and Colgate’s Howard Blue both missed significant time with injuries that helped to derail any title chances by either squad. Both teams sleepwalked through the majority of the regular season before waking up in the final weekend, both knocking off Lehigh and Bucknell, but only managed to finish in fifth and sixth place, respectively.

Patriot League Tournament

For all their hard work, however, the Mountain Hawks nearly exited the Patriot League Tournament in the first round thanks to the most unlikely of teams – Navy. When Navy’s Jeff Charles stepped to the line for two free throws with three seconds left and his team down one, the Lehigh players must have been pretty nervous on the sidelines. Luckily for the top-seeded Mountain Hawks, Charles missed the second attempt and the game went into overtime. Lehigh managed to escape the opening round with a 62-60 win over the Midshipmen, and it seemed as if the scare provided a wake up call for coach Billy Taylor’s club.

Colgate provided the lone upset of the quarterfinals, finally getting the Leopard off its back in a 67-66 overtime thriller against third-seeded Lafayette, but the majority of the bracket held true, all the way to the championship game. After cruising past Army in the first round and defeating fourth-seeded Bucknell in the semifinals, American met up with Lehigh in a one-two battle for the League title.

The title game was a dandy, as American took an early lead but allowed the Mountain Hawks back into the game thanks to poor shooting. The game went back and forth in the final few minutes, and appropriately enough the game came down to one last shot. Freshman Jose Olivero was the man on the spot for Lehigh, and he responded for a national audience with a clutch runner with under four seconds remaining to hand Lehigh its first NCAA Tournament bid since 1988.

The Big Dance

With the win, the Mountain Hawks earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament – but not the field of 64. The team was slated for the “opening round” (play-in) game, where they faced Florida A&M. Despite being the only team in the tournament with a losing record, the Rattlers were able to rattle Lehigh with its tremendous speed and tenacious defense, eventually winning by a score of 72-57. With the loss, the dubious streak continues: no Patriot League men’s team has ever won an NCAA Tournament game.

Handing Out The Hardware

As was said in the preseason, this certainly looked to be the year of the guard. After a season’s worth of games, that definitely proved to be the case, judging by my all-League team:

Austen Rowland, Guard, Lehigh
Kevin Bettencourt, Guard, Bucknell
Justin DeBerry, Guard, Lafayette
Jave Meade, Guard, Holy Cross
Andres Rodriguez, Guard, American

League MVP:

Austen Rowland, Lehigh

It’s a shame he’ll graduate after only one season of play in the Patriot League, but it sure was a great one for Austen Rowland.

Co-Freshmen of the Year:

Andre Ingram, American and Jose Olivero, Lehigh

All year long, it was a battle between Olivero and American’s Andre Ingram. The Patriot League gave the nod to Ingram, but I think both players deserve to be recognized for their outstanding play this season. In one of the most outstanding freshman classes this league has ever seen, these two clearly rose above the rest.

Coach of the Year:

Billy Taylor, Lehigh

Everything has already been said about the job this man has done in resurrecting a moribund program and bringing it to the heights of the league. This one’s a no brainer.

Team-by-Team Recaps

Lehigh Mountain Hawks (10-4, 20-11)

The Mountain Hawks hung tough throughout the entire season, never putting themselves in danger of a late season swoon that killed them last year. Rowland was clearly the difference that put this team over the top, as his court vision and incredible shooting touch provided more than enough offense. But the team got contributions from everyone, including super-freshmen Jose Olivero and Jason Mgebroff, to finally reach the pinnacle of the league. After finally winning a league title, you can be sure that the Mountain Hawks and their crazy fans will be hungering for a repeat next season.

Team MVP: Austen Rowland

Top Scorer: Rowland, 15.5 ppg
Top Rebounder: Earl Nurse, 5.2 rpg
Top Assist Man: Rowland, 4.9 apg

Departing Starters:
Rowland (graduation)
Ra Tiah (graduation)

Key Players Returning:
Jason Mgebroff (freshman center, 7.0 ppg, 3.9 rpg)
Jose Olivero (freshman guard, 11.6 ppg)
Earl Nurse (junior guard, 5.2 rpg)

Lehigh will need huge years from Mgebroff and Olivero, who will be counted on to take on the bulk of the scoring left by Rowland’s departure. With Nurse and Mgebroff both coming back for the Mountain Hawks, the team’s inside presence will be fully intact, but the scoring of Rowland and the leadership of Tiah will be very hard to replace.

American Eagles (10-4, 18-13)

The Eagles played the role of sleeper throughout most of the regular season, hanging near the middle of the pack before sprinting towards the finish and placing second. The team relied heavily on its two seniors, Andres Rodriguez and Jernavis Draughn, to make things happen on the offensive end, and the seniors responded with excellent years. Andre Ingram also proved himself with an excellent freshman year, named the Rookie of the Year by the Patriot League, in picking up a bulk of the offensive load despite his inexperience. This season proved that American has what it takes to keep itself near the top of the league, while providing optimism that there will be life after Rodriguez and Draughn.

Team MVP: Andres Rodriguez

Top Scorer: Andre Ingram, 13.6 ppg
Top Rebounder: Jernavis Draughn, 6.5 rpg
Top Assist Man: Rodriguez, 7.3 apg

Departing Starters:
Rodriguez (graduation)
Draughn (graduation)

Key Players Returning:
Ingram (freshman guard, 13.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg)
Matej Cresnik (junior forward, 7.8 ppg)
Jason Thomas (junior guard, 6.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg)

American has two huge holes in its lineup with the graduation of Rodriguez and Draughn, who dominated play from the perimeter and in the paint, respectively, for the Eagles. While Ingram, the team’s leading scorer, returns, American will have to count on some lesser-known players to step up and fill the huge void next season.

Lafayette Leopards (9-5, 18-10)

Lafayette was the team to beat for most of the regular season before collapsing midway through to destroy any hopes of a league title. Justin DeBerry and Winston Davis combined to form the best backcourt in the league, while Mike Farrell and Rob Dill provided the Leopards with a big, physical presence inside. But whether it was fatigue, laxity or some other factor, Lafayette couldn’t keep up its solid beginning and faded down the stretch. It was a disappointing finish to such a promising season, one in which the team earned a few Top 25 votes near the beginning of the year.

Team MVP: Justin DeBerry

Top Scorer: DeBerry, 14.8 ppg
Top Rebounder: Mike Farrell, 5.8 rpg
Top Assist Man: DeBerry, 5.1 apg

Departing Starters:
DeBerry (graduation)
Farrell (graduation)
Rob Dill (graduation)
Winston Davis (graduation)

Key Players Returning:
Sean Knitter (junior center, 9.4 ppg)
Marcus Harley (freshman guard, 7.5 ppg)

With four seniors starting, this was the year for Lafayette to win it all. The team came up short, and now must go through some serious rebuilding. With both all-League members of the backcourt gone, some members of the squad will have to step up their play next season, but don’t expect nearly as good a season as the team had last year.

Bucknell Bison (9-5, 14-15)

The Bucknell Bison were an enigma all season long. The team started out slow, but came on strong near the end of the season to put itself near the top of the league before faltering on the final weekend of play. The team’s torrid mid-season stretch showed just how dangerous this team could be when they got hot. Kevin Bettencourt showed that his freshman year was certainly not a fluke, staying near the top of the league in scoring, while Chris McNaughton provided the Bison a versatile big man down low. And to top it off, this was done with a very young team, one that will come back even stronger next season.

Team MVP: Kevin Bettencourt

Top Scorer: Bettencourt, 14.9 ppg
Top Rebounder: Chris McNaughton, 5.5 rpg
Top Assist Man: Bettencourt, 2.8 apg

Departing Starters:
None

Key Players Returning:
Bettencourt (sophomore guard, 14.9 ppg)
McNaughton (freshman center, 11.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg)
Charles Lee (sophomore guard, 10.1 ppg, 5 rpg)

Despite fading down the stretch, this Bucknell team may be the early favorite to take home the Patriot League crown next season. With no starters graduating, the team will return in full force to take another run at the championship in 2005, and with Bettencourt and McNaughton controlling the play, the Bison have a very good shot of sealing the deal this time around.

Holy Cross Crusaders (7-7, 13-15)

At a school not used to losing, the 2003-2004 season was a trying one for the Crusaders. An early season injury to Nate Lufkin caused Holy Cross to play its freshman much more than anticipated, thus resulting in a lower than expected league standing. Kevin Hamilton emerged as a big scorer for the Crusaders, while Lufkin and John Hurley stepped up to admirably fill the big shoes of Patrick Whearty. With the difficulties faced by this team, a fifth place finish is respectable, and the experience gained will only serve to help them in the future.

Team MVP: Jave Meade

Top Scorer: Kevin Hamilton, 11.0 ppg
Top Rebounder: John Hurley, 5.0 rpg
Top Assist Man: Meade, 5.5 apg

Departing Starters:
Meade (graduation)

Key Players Returning:
Hamilton (sophomore guard, 11.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg)
Hurley (junior forward, 8.2 ppg, 5.0 rpg)
Nate Lufkin (junior center, 8.8 ppg, 4.9 rpg)
Keith Simmons (freshman guard, 8.5 ppg)

In what was an uncharacteristic down year for the Crusaders, the team attempted to mix in a new class of freshman with its existing core, which revolved around Jave Meade. His departure leaves a leadership opening and a point guard slot as well, but this team has an excellent mix of experience and youth and should return to the upper half of the Patriot League come next season.

Colgate Raiders (6-8, 15-14)

The Raiders were a team that left everyone scratching their heads. The team certainly had the talent to vie for the Patriot League title, but for various reasons it was unable to get the job done. The knee injury of Howard Blue had a lot to do with that, but that loss opened up a hole that was adeptly filled by freshman Kendall Chones. The team also continued its inconsistent ways, including two losses to Army, seemingly sleepwalking through its regular season before waking up at season’s end.

Team MVP: Mark Linebaugh

Top Scorer: Howard Blue, 13.7 ppg
Top Rebounder: Andrew Zidar, 6.6 rpg
Top Assist Man: Alvin Reed, 3.3 apg

Departing Starters:
Linebaugh (graduation)
Blue (graduation)

Key Players Returning:
Zidar (junior center, 9.5 ppg, 6.6 rpg)
Reed (sophomore guard, 11.4 ppg, 3.3 apg)
Kendall Chones (freshman forward, 7.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg)

The Raider men found a bit of misfortune when Blue went down for a majority of the Patriot League season, but many felt that the season was still a disappointment. The losses of Blue and Linebaugh will be very hard for the team to overcome next season, as Chones attempts to take over for Blue while freshman Jon Simon will try to fill the big shoes left by Linebaugh. But Colgate still has some questions that need to be answered before the beginning of next season – including the job security of head coach Emmett Davis.

Army Black Knights (3-11, 6-21)

For the majority of the season, the basket must have looked the size of a dime for the members of the Army team. The Black Knights recorded the second-fewest points in the shot-clock era in a game against Bucknell, and then almost did it again in the team’s second meeting of the year. The team’s mix of freshman and seniors never seemed to complete gel, resulting in an ineffective offensive unit that was rarely able to put together a solid 40 minutes of basketball. This was a season that the team will want to put behind them as soon as possible.

Team MVP: Sean O’Keefe

Top Scorer: Josh Wilson, 11.2 ppg
Top Rebounder: Wilson, 3.4 rpg
Top Assist Man: Matt Bell, 2.0 apg

Departing Starters:
O’Keefe (graduation)
Wilson (graduation)
Bill Mohr (graduation)

Key Players Returning:
Bell (freshman guard, 6.5 ppg, 3.0 apg)
Travis Owsley (freshman guard, 5.4 ppg)

It was a tough season for the Black Knights, as they generally failed to find the net on many occasions. This was a team that was made up almost entirely of seniors and freshman, so with three senior starters departing, the team will need to rely on those freshman who gained game experience last year to step up huge to help the team attempt to put itself back together. There is a good chance, however, that that may not happen anytime soon.

Navy Midshipmen (2-12, 5-23)

For the first 12 games of the Patriot League regular season, the Midshipmen looked lost at sea. The offense was sputtering, the defense was nonexistent and it looked like Don DeVoe might finish his final season in Annapolis without a league win. But the team turned it up a notch at season’s end, defeating Lafayette and Army before almost knocking off top-seeded Lehigh in the opening round of the Patriot League Tournament. If the team could have played its final three games for an entire season, then the team’s record would have been a whole lot better.

Team MVP: Carlton Baldwin

Top Scorer: Carlton Baldwin, 8.0 ppg
Top Rebounder: Baldwin, 4.1 rpg
Top Assist Man: Taj Mathews, 2.8 apg

Departing Starters:
Kwame Ofori (graduation)

Key Players Returning:
Baldwin, (freshman forward, 8.0 ppg, 4.1 apg)
Laramie Mergerson (junior center, 6.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg)
David Hooper (sophomore guard, 7.8 ppg, 4.0 rpg)

This team showed some promise towards the end of the season, which happened to occur during Laramie Mergerson’s period of excellent play. Look for him to excel in his senior year, and look for Navy to climb of the league cellar under new coach Billy Lange, who has spent the past three seasons as an assistant at Villanova. Lange replaced the beloved Don DeVoe, who spent the last 12 seasons at the Naval Academy before resigning at season’s end.

Pre-Pre-Pre-Season Outlook

At this point in time, it looks like the Bucknell Bison will be the favorites to win the league next season, thanks to its five returning starters. Other than them, every team will lose at least one key starter, with some teams, like Lafayette, being decimated by graduation. Teams such as Lehigh and Holy Cross should be as good if not better than last season due to the contributions of key freshman and sophomores, while other teams will have to find new ways to put the ball in the basket.

I think the standings could be completely changed up this time next year, as Lafayette will likely fall down a few pegs while Navy might be able to climb its way back towards respectability. Holy Cross should also return to the upper echelon of the league after one year in the bottom half, while teams such as American and Colgate will probably stay in the middle of the pack, depending on who can replace their departed seniors.

One things for sure, however, is that the Patriot League season will never be dull. And, after two years of being disregarded by the league, expect Lehigh to be given some respect in next year’s preseason polls.

Patriot League Finals Recap

Patriot League Finals Recap
		Recap by Steve Sheridan No. 1 Lehigh 59, No. 2 American 57 The Lehigh Mountain Hawks capped off a miraculous two-year turnaround with a hard-fought victory in the Patriot League championship game on Sunday afternoon, coming from behind to defeat American, 59-57 at Stabler Arena in Bethlehem. The American Eagles, meanwhile, fell in the title game for the third consecutive year. In the first half, both teams exhibited some of the rust that comes from having a week off between the semifinals and the title game. The first 20 minutes saw many rushed possessions, missed shots and sloppy play on both sides. Lehigh shot only 38 percent from the field and turned the ball over six times, but the Eagles were unable to capitalize. American shot 40 percent themselves, and the host Mountain Hawks went into the halftime break with a slim 30-29 lead. Jason Mgebroff had 11 of his 13 points in the first half and Kyle Neptune scored eight of his 11 during the first 20 minutes, in which American held a lead as great at seven but allowed Lehigh to get back into it late in the half. The second half was all Lehigh for its majority, as the Mountain Hawks fed off the energy of the Stabler Arena crowd and kept the Eagles at bay. Lehigh held a six-point lead with 1:22 to go, appearing to have the game in hand, but American battled back to tie the game after six points by Andres Rodriguez. Rodriguez carried his squad down the stretch, scoring his team’s last 10 points, as the senior guard hit a three-pointer and then followed with a lay-up and a free throw to tie the game with 21 seconds left. Holding for the last shot, freshman Jose Olivero then hit a clutch runner with 3.9 seconds remaining to cap the scoring and send his team to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1988 with the league’s automatic bid. After a timeout, American’s Matej Cresnik had a wide-open shot from 35 feet to win the game, but the last-ditch shot didn’t draw iron. The Mountain Hawks were led, as they have been all season, by regular season Player of the Year and Tournament MVP Austen Rowland, who scored 14 points. Mgebroff and Neptune were both in double figures, but most of their points came in the first half. The key for Lehigh was its bench, which outscored American 23-12, led by Neptune’s 11. Ra Tiah also had seven points off the bench, helping the team shot a solid 50 percent in the second half to hold off the Eagles. Rodriguez led his team with 16 points, six assists and four steals, helped by 10 points from Freshman of the Year Andre Ingram, but the rest of the Eagle squad was unable to contribute meaningful points. Jernavis Draughn and Jason Thomas combined for 15 points and 11 rebounds, but the duo shot a combined 4-of-16 from the field, as they were unable to help out the two Eagle stars when needed. The Eagles as a team couldn’t hit the big shots in the second half, with a 30 percent shooting percentage in the crucial final 20 minutes. For their efforts, two-time Patriot League Coach of the Year Billy Taylor and his crew will be rewarded with a likely 16-seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. But coming from a team that was picked to finish fifth in the preseason Patriot League polls, this team will be sure to put a scare into whatever powerhouse they draw in the opening round.

Patriot Quarterfinals Preview

Patriot League Quarterfinals Preview
		Preview by Steve Sheridan No. 1 Lehigh Mountain Hawks vs. No. 8 Navy Midshipmen On paper, this looks like it should be a romp for the top-seeded Mountain Hawks, but with the team’s lackluster play in the final weekend of the regular season, nothing can be assumed. Lehigh swept the season series with Navy, winning 80-61 and 66-38 during the regular season, but Navy now has two league wins under their belt and may be gaining some much-needed momentum. The Midshipmen have played many a team tough this season, and Lehigh will have to play its best to escape the classic first-round trap. The game pits the top two offensive rebounding teams in the Patriot League and features the league’s leading scorer, in Lehigh’s Austen Rowland. Rowland will have to find a way to snap out of a mini-slump he has been in for the past week, which coincidentally coincided with two Lehigh losses. Prediction: Despite the temptation to pick the underdog, I think Lehigh will pull one out and finish the great career of Navy head coach Don DeVoe, winning 74-51. No. 2 American Eagles vs. No. 7 Army Black Knights The American Eagles may be the most underrated team entering this tournament, despite the fact that the team has won four straight to vault to the number two seed and a share of the league title. The Eagles swept the season series against the hapless Black Knights, winning 60-46 and 54-48, and have won six straight overall against Army. If the Black Knights are to have any chance in this game, they are going to have to fix the team’s awful offense, which scores just 50 points per game and shoots just 36 percent from the field on average. A big advantage for American in this game is the team’s decided rebounding edge, as Army ranks last in the league in rebounding while American, with Jernavis Draughn, thrives under the glass. And with all the shots the Black Knights will most likely be missing, Draughn could have a huge game for the Eagles. Prediction: With American playing so well, this game shouldn’t be close. American, 82-49. No. 3 Lafayette Leopards vs. No. 6 Colgate Raiders This is a matchup of two teams headed in opposite directions, as the Leopards are free-falling from the top of the Patriot League while Colgate comes off victories over Lehigh and Bucknell. This is the third straight year these two teams have met in the first round of the tournament, with Lafayette winning both years despite being the lower seed. This season, the seeds are reversed and so, I believe, will the result. This game features the top two offenses four of the top seven scorers in the league, so this one should be a high-scoring affair. The key to this game is the Lafayette defense, ranked last in the league. The three-point loving Raider offense should be able to take advantage of a spotty Leopard defense and score enough points to counteract the potent Lafayette offense, just as American and Navy did last weekend. And if Navy can do it, anybody can. Prediction: In a game where the defenses take a backseat, I’ll take Colgate, 89-82. No. 4 Bucknell Bison vs. No. 5 Holy Cross Crusaders This is another pairing of two teams headed in opposite directions, as the Crusaders are heading up while the Bison are falling down. Ralph Willard’s club may be peaking at the right time, which is a scary thought for any team in the Patriot League, considering the past successes of the Worcester crew. The two teams split the season series, but Holy Cross’ decisive victory just last weekend over Bucknell gives them the edge over a team that seems to be running out of steam at the wrong time. Expect Jave Meade to have a big game in his final game(s) in a Crusader uniform, while both teams will look to rely on their defense, as the teams enter the contest as the two best in the league in that category. I think, in the end, the big game experience of Holy Cross will carry them to victory. Prediction: In a defensive struggle, I’ll go with the Crusaders, 65-57.

Patriot Quarterfinals Recap

Patriot League Quarterfinals Recap
		Recap by Steve Sheridan No. 1 Lehigh 62, No. 8 Navy 60 (OT) The top-seeded Mountain Hawks should be counting their blessings today, as the team was within a free throw of falling in the first-round of the Patriot League playoffs, but instead Lehigh was able to escape the Midshipmen, winning 62-60 in overtime. The Mountain Hawks, as they have all season, were led by Jason Mgebroff (19 points) and Patriot League Player of the Year Austen Rowland (17 points). And yet, it was not Lehigh that won this game as much as it was Navy that lost it. The Middies committed 27 turnovers, leading to 26 points for the Mountain Hawks, but with three seconds left Jeff Charles stepped to the line for two shots with his team down just one point. Charles drained the first shot but missed the second, sending the game into overtime. Navy shot atrociously from the charity stripe, hitting only 13-of-28 free throws, which was the major reason why there were not able to pull off the upset. Laramie Mergerson continued his torrid finish to the year with 20 points and 10 boards to lead his team, yet it wasn’t enough to prolong the career of head coach Don DeVoe, who is leaving the Naval Academy. No. 2 American 65, No. 7 Army 48 The streaking Eagles continued its excellent play as of late with an easy 65-48 win over Army on Saturday afternoon. The Eagles scored the first basket of the game and never looked back as they quickly dispatched of the Black Knights, as Army’s poor shooting appropriately ended its season. American jumped out to a 24-5 lead after 10 minutes of play and held the Black Knights to just six first half field goals as its big lead was never threatened. After getting out to the huge early lead, Army never got within 15 as the lead grew to as much as 24 on three occasions. First-team all-Patriot League guard Andres Rodriguez led a balanced Eagle attack with 16 points, while Jason Thomas and Patriot League Freshman of the Year Andre Ingram both added 13 points. Josh Wilson had 16 points to lead the Black Knights in his final collegiate game, but his team couldn’t overtime its typical 32 percent shooting from the field. The team tried to come back in the second half by launching threes, as all but one of its second half field goals came from beyond the arc, but the lead proved insurmountable by that point. No. 6 Colgate 67, No. 3 Lafayette 66 (OT) Apparently whenever these two teams face off in the tournament, the lower seed always wins. Colgate got some measure for two years of frustration against the Leopards in the only upset of the day, taking a wild 67-66 decision in overtime. This game was back and forth, with the teams knotted up at halftime and at the end of regulation, but Colgate was able to pull out a victory. Winston Davis sent the game into overtime with his only points of the second half, a three-pointer with 25 seconds left. Mark Linebaugh’s last-second attempt for Colgate rimmed out and the teams played five more minutes. Each team shot 5-of-8 in the extra frame, with the one difference being Alvin Reed’s three-pointer that eventually put Colgate over the top. Howard Blue was the deciding factor for Colgate, as the senior chipped in 17 points and 11 rebounds, seven of which came on the offensive end, where Colgate dominated. The Raiders collected 50 rebounds, 24 on the offensive glass, giving them multiple opportunities at the hoop. All-Patriot League first-teamer Justin DeBerry led his squad with 17 points in his final game for the Leopards, helped by three other Lafayette players with 10 points each. No. 4 Bucknell 66, No. 5 Holy Cross 60 Charles Lee scored 20 points and Chris McNaughton added 19 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Bison to a 66-60 victory over the Crusaders as Bucknell reaches the semifinals for the eleventh time in fourteen years. After a two-game losing streak without their head coach, Pat Flannery returned to the bench and the shooting touch returned to the Bison, as the team shot a scorching 62 percent from the field to help counteract 28 turnovers. The Bison took 23 fewer shots than the Crusaders in the game, but were able to get many of their points from the free throw line, where the team went 22-of-30, while the Crusaders hit only 5-of-15 attempts. The Bison faced a five-point deficit with 3:14 left in the first half, but responded with a 12-3 run and never gave up the lead the rest of the way. Kevin Hamilton paced the Crusaders with 19 points as The Cross was able to stay close thanks to its full-court press, but in the end it could not overcome the Bison’s hot shooting. The Bison also did a good job of neutralizing first-team all-Patriot Leaguer Jave Meade and Nate Lufkin, who combined for 14 points on 6-of-14 shooting.

Patriot Semifinals Preview

Patriot League Semifinals Preview
		Preview by Steve Sheridan No. 1 Lehigh vs. No. 4 Bucknell The Mountain Hawks and the Bison will battle to earn a spot in the championship game in what promises to be an exciting matchup. This game may well be decided on the boards, as Lehigh comes in leading the league in rebounding while Bucknell does the league’s best job of keeping its opponents off the glass. The game will also feature the top two scorers in the Patriot League, as Lehigh’s Austen Rowland will go one-on-one with Bucknell’s Kevin Bettencourt, and some of the top rookies in the league in Lehigh’s Jason Mgebroff and Jose Olivero and Bucknell’s Chris McNaughton. Mgebroff and Rowland have been carrying the Mountain Hawks down the stretch of the season, and the duo should once again share most of the offensive burden for Lehigh against the Bison, with Olivero also chipping in. The Bison, meanwhile, have three scorers in double figures led by Bettencourt, followed by McNaughton and sophomore guard Charles Lee. I believe this game will come down to the respective benches, and in that respect I feel Lehigh has a slight advantage. The two teams split the regular season series, with each team barely defending its home court. Both games came down to the final minutes, with one game coming down to the final shot, and so this game will certainly be close with a spot in a nationally televised championship game in the balance. Prediction: Lehigh will come out determined to prove its performance against Navy was a fluke and take a spot in the finals. Lehigh, 71-65. No. 2 American vs. No. 6 Colgate This game pits the two hottest teams in the Patriot League, as the Eagles have won five straight games for the first time since the 1991-92 season, while the Raiders have now won three straight against three of the top teams in the league. Floor general Andres Rodriguez leads his American team into the semifinals, averaging 10 points, seven assists and three steals per contest, while Freshman of the Year Andre Ingram leads the team with 14 points per game. Colgate will counter with the resurgent Howard Blue, who has averaged 13 points and eight rebounds in his best play since returning from a knee injury, and fellow senior Mark Linebaugh, who contributes 13 points per game. This game also includes the top two rebounders in the Patriot League, as Colgate’s Andrew Zidar and American’s Jernavis Draughn will battle under the boards for control of the paint. The two average 6.6 and 6.5 boards per game, respectively, so under the glass will be a very key battleground on Sunday evening in determining the winner of this game. American and Colgate historically have played each other very tough, and this year was no different. Although American swept the season series, each win was only by three points, and neither of those games featured Howard Blue in top form for Colgate. Prediction: The way American played on Saturday, they are a hard team to bet against, but something tells me Colgate has what it takes to go all the way this year. Colgate in a game that may come down to the final possession, 64-62.

Patriot Semifinals Recap

Patriot League Semifinals Recap
		Recap by Steve Sheridan No. 1 Lehigh 60, No. 4 Bucknell 45 For the first time ever, the Lehigh Mountain Hawks will play in and host the Patriot League Championship game after the team’s 60-45 victory over Bucknell on Sunday evening. The Mountain Hawks spotted the Bison a 6-0 advantage to start the game, but then went on a crushing 23-2 run over the next 9:34 to take a commanding 23-8 lead that would never be seriously threatened for the remainder of the game. The Bison, coming off a 62 percent shooting night game against Holy Cross on Saturday, hit only six field goals in the first half on the way to a 32 percent shooting night. Lehigh, meanwhile, missed its first eight shots but responded to hit 22-of-33 shots the rest of the way, ending the night at 54 percent from the floor. The Bison, in losing in the semifinals for the third consecutive year, scored the fewest points in a game this season at the worst time. The team was never able to get within eight points in the second half as the Mountain Hawk lead was consistently in double figures throughout. Reserve Kevin Tempest was the surprise leader for the Mountain Hawks, tallying 12 points and four steals, while Jose Olivero put together another solid game with 12 points of his own. These performances took the load off of Austen Rowland and Jason Mgebroff, who scored nine and 10 points, respectively, as the entire team got into the scoring act as they game went on. For the Bison, Kevin Bettencourt and Charles Lee both scored a team-high 10 points, but Bettencourt hit only 3-of-12 shots from the field and Lee sank just three of his nine attempts. The duo received little help from their teammates, with Chris McNaughton being held to seven points and seven rebounds, as the team in general was held in check by some impressive Mountain Hawk defense. Lehigh, meanwhile, rediscovered its shooting touch that had betrayed them the past few weeks, shooting at or better than 50 percent from the field, from beyond the arc and from the free throw line. No. 2 American 65, No. 6 Colgate 55 Jernavis Draughn had a big game for American with 16 points and eight rebounds to lead the Eagles to a 65-55 victory over Colgate, securing a spot in the league championship game on Saturday. The game was even for the first 20 minutes, as the two teams entered the halftime break even at 25 apiece. Howard Blue scored 12 points in the first half for the Raiders, but the senior would be a non-factor in the second half, not registering a single point in the second 20 minutes of play. The Eagles, meanwhile, came out flying to begin the second half, storming to a 12-0 run over the first 4:41 of the second half. Colgate was able to chip away at the lead, getting it down to three points with 8:14 to go, but American again responded with an 8-0 run that gave them a lead that could not be overcome by the poor-shooting Raiders. Colgate hit just one of eight shots in the final 2:47 of the game. Colgate shot just 35 percent from the field, despite a 41 percent mark from beyond the arc, as the team simply couldn’t hit enough clutch shots coming down the stretch. Alvin Reed led the Raiders with 18 points, but as mentioned above Blue did nothing for Colgate in the second half, while fellow co-captain Mark Linebaugh was never able to get anything going, hitting just 2-of-11 shots for nine points in his final game in a Raider uniform. Andrew Zidar also had an untimely quiet game for Colgate, notching just five points and four rebounds as he battled both Draughn and foul trouble. Draughn was helped out in the scoring department by Andres Rodriguez, who had 15 points and five assists, and Raimondas Petrauskas, who had 11 points and was one of three Eagles to corral six rebounds. American won the game on the boards, completely dominating Colgate to the tune of a 43-19 rebounding edge and continually getting second- and third-chance opportunities on the offensive end. Especially down the stretch, American was able to take extra time off the clock by taking down most of the rebounds, which combined with the Eagles’ 47 percent shooting as a team, proved to be too potent a combination for Emmett Davis’ squad to handle.

Patriot Finals Preview

Patriot League Finals Preview
		Preview by Steve Sheridan No. 1 Lehigh vs. No. 2 American Despite all the parity that has prevailed during this Patriot League season, in the end it comes down to number one against number two. The two teams come in on different terms, as Lehigh is competing in its first-ever league championship game while American has now appeared in three straight title games. For Lehigh, this game is the culmination of all the hard work put forth by Patriot League Coach of the Year Billy Taylor, who in two years has turned around a moribund program into on of the elite teams in the Patriot League. Against Bucknell, the Mountain Hawks showed that they can win a game with defense as well as offense, holding the Bison to under 32 percent shooting in a 60-45 victory. The team also proved that it was more than just Austen Rowland and Jason Mgebroff, as Jose Olivero and bench-player Kevin Tempest displayed that the Mountain Hawks have many ways to beat you. Rowland, however, is still very dangerous on the floor for Lehigh, as the Patriot League Player of the Year and points leader is never afraid to hoist up a shot. American, on the other hand, is becoming a staple near the top of the Patriot League. This year’s squad may be the best yet, as the team has reeled off six straight wins for the first time since the 1989-90 season. Like the Mountain Hawks, the Eagles also have many ways to beat you, led by Patriot League Freshman of the Year Andre Ingram, despite the fact that he was held to just five points and one field goal in the team’s 65-55 semifinal win over Colgate. Andres Rodriguez also is able to beat you, either with his shooting or with his dishing, as the Patriot League’s assist leader is never afraid to hand the ball off to his willing teammates. Jernavis Draughn is also capable of taking over a game on the glass, providing a steady presence down low for head coach Jeff Jones and his team. Lehigh swept the season series against American this year, winning an overtime struggle on the Eagles’ home court and running away with a win on their home court later in the season. Rowland and Olivero were the two main offensive forces in the two Mountain Hawk wins, and so the Eagles will be sure to keep a very careful eye on those two players come game time. In a game of this magnitude, anything goes. However, the home-court advantage that Lehigh will have could be the difference between two very evenly matched teams. Stabler Arena will be sure to be raucous on Saturday afternoon, and I believe that that intense atmosphere will push the top-seeded Mountain Hawks over the top and into the NCAA Tournament for the first time. Prediction: In a back-and-forth affair, Lehigh goes dancing with a 64-56 win.

Jave Meade

Meade Gets His Chance And Runs With It

by Phil Kasiecki

All Jave Meade ever needed was a chance. A chance to play the game, a chance to play his natural position, a chance to go to a good college.

Meade recently played his final home game at Holy Cross. The native of Queensbridge, New York was honored as the team’s only senior, and at various times before, during and after the game the crowd chants his name in appreciation for all he’s done. Before he can get to the locker room after the Crusaders’ 72-57 win over Lehigh, he has fans greeting him and wanting autographs. He happily signs for all of them, talking with the kids as well, before dutifully returning to the locker room with his team. Then after talking with the media, he comes right back out to be with his family and more kids that stayed around. The kids are so attracted to him, and he clearly loves talking to them while signing.

Asked, jokingly, if he feels like he’s a celebrity, he gets a good laugh and just says he appreciates the people who supported him his entire career, of which there were plenty. He got emotional during the pre-game ceremony honoring him, and even a little while talking to the media and thinking about his four years. He’s done so much winning – three Patriot League championships in a row and the team is peaking at the right time to try to win a fourth – but it wasn’t always clear he would get to this point. That’s probably why he appreciates where he is now more than anyone, and he talks about it right away in thinking back to what stands out about the last four years.

“Just Coach Willard giving me a chance,” he says, seemingly fighting back tears. “He gave me an opportunity to play as a freshman, and it was very special.”

Meade wasn’t originally a player who figured to play a lot of minutes right away for a Division I school. Although he played at national power Christ the King High School, he wasn’t heavily recruited, partly because he played out of position. Clearly a point guard now, he played shooting guard and even some small forward there, partly because he played alongside Omar Cook. Head coach Ralph Willard says he jokes with Meade about that, saying, “I told him – I always kid him – you took a lot of great pictures in high school.” He then spent a year at Northfield Mt. Hermon Academy, a solid academic school not known for having elite basketball talents. It was there that he started to blossom, getting to play the point for head coach Bill Batty (who was at his final home game) and averaging 15 points and 11 assists per game.

“He really was not heavily recruited, because nobody knew what his position was,” Willard reflected. “But I saw his intelligence from the beginning and his ability to control the basketball, control the game. He grew into the point guard role – he wasn’t a pure point guard when he came.”

Meade came in and played over 25 minutes per game as a freshman, making the Patriot League All-Rookie team. He averaged 7.3 points and 3.1 assists per game as the Crusaders went 22-8, losing to Kentucky in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. He also led the team in steals, which was the start of a trend: Meade is the Patriot League’s all-time leader in that category with 240 entering the Patriot League Tournament.

He has started every game since then, leading the Patriot League in assists, steals and assist/turnover ratio the last two seasons. This season, he was second in assists, and teammate Kevin Hamilton was one of two who topped him in steals, but he posted a career-best 3.04 assist/turnover ratio to once again lead the Patriot League. For his career, he has a 2.24 assist/turnover ratio, and enters the Patriot League Tournament seven assists shy of 600. He is the only player in the league’s history to score 1,000 points and hand out 500 assists.

Defense has long been Meade’s big staple, and it’s not just about steals. Troy Bell, the all-time leading scorer at Boston College and now a member of the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies, said that Meade was the toughest defender he played against in college. His dad was his first coach, and he set the tone for Jave’s career by stressing defense. It didn’t hurt that one player he grew up playing with was Indiana Pacer forward Ron Artest, long known for his defense.

“I’ve been playing with him since I was nine, and that’s all he cared about was defense,” Meade says of Artest. “If you weren’t playing defense, he would scream at you in front of everybody and throw you off the court.”

When he wasn’t taking on his older brother, who he says still beats him one-on-one, Meade was honing his game with and against the likes of Lamar Odom, Craig Claxton and Cook. He grew up surrounded by the many New York talents, making it easy for him to slip through and be a late bloomer.

This season at Holy Cross, there has been a New York connection in the backcourt. Meade has been joined by two freshman, Torey Thomas and Keith Simmons, each of whom has shown that they have good careers ahead. Simmons is from Kingston, a little upstate from New York City, but played with some of the area’s talent in AAU. Both have immensely benefited from Meade’s leadership this year, with Thomas already having a battle scar.

“If you see my left eye, that epitomizes everything,” Thomas says as he points to the eye. “I got six stitches in my eye from Jave. He’s a battler, a warrior; I just learned so much experience and court savvy and court awareness that’s unmatched by any other guard. I’ve got one of the top guards in the east that I play against in practice every day. I try my best to battle him every day in practice, and it’s been a great experience, an experience that you can’t match.”

“I look up to Jave a lot, he’s done so many things for this program,” Simmons adds. “I joke with him – I call him the poster boy, because you can’t talk about Holy Cross basketball without talking about Jave Meade. I’m sad to see him go, I only got one year with him, but I’m glad I got this one year. It’s definitely going to help me with my career.”

Could the school find a better poster boy? Besides his play, Meade is humble, soft-spoken, articulate and very likeable. Willard says the old cliché about him being a better person off the court, and you can’t help but think it really is true. Talking to him is like watching him play the game – enjoyable and pleasant. He’s a player you can’t help but want to see succeed on the court, and you just know he’ll be successful off the court, where the senior Sociology major would like to follow in his brother’s footsteps working in schools. His brother is a teacher and about to become a principal, and he thinks back to his background as a prime reason he would like to make a difference with young kids. It’s surely one more reason he enjoys all the kids he interacts with after the game.

“I came from a very, very, very rough neighborhood, and to be in this position, other people have had to help me come from where I’ve been,” he reflects.

Willard is one of those, for recruiting him and giving him his chance at Division I, and constantly pushing him to be better. He’s certainly been rewarded for it up to this point.

“I love him, he’s just a special person,” Willard says. “You just can’t say enough about him. He’s the consummate team guy, the consummate winner. His whole philosophy is to make everybody else around him better, and he’s done that for four years.

“I told our guys, I told him, it’s no secret that our success and his coming here coincided. He’s been such a great team player for 4 years and he’s meant so much to our program in terms of how unselfish he is, how much better he makes everyone else.”

The end of the season won’t be the end of his affiliation with Holy Cross basketball, although it will be in the background. While talking to the crowd on Senior Day, he noted the support of alumni, among others. He mentioned that teammates from his early years such as Jared Curry, Ryan Serravalle and Brian Wilson have kept in touch to find out how the team is doing, and he plans to do the same thing.

Considering how his coach and teammates feel about him, that doesn’t seem like it will happen with a feeling of obligation. Willard has particularly enjoyed this group of young men, and it’s a prime example of things starting at the top – from Willard, the coaching staff and Meade on through the lineup, it’s a group of fine young men on and off the court.

“This is a really good team – they love each other, they really respect one another, they care about one another, and they love Jave,” Willard says.

The players love him, the fans have loved him all along, and those who have watched Meade have loved the way he plays the game. Life after Jave won’t be the same, but players like Thomas and Simmons are well-prepared for the rest of their careers. Holy Cross has a long tradition of basketball achievement, so there will be more players who go on to achieve greatness. But it seems that few will leave behind what he will: a great career on and off the court, loved and respected by those who cross his path, and leaving such a lasting imprint.

Jave Meade got his chance, as he and the entire Holy Cross basketball program are all the better for it.

Patriot League Notebook

Patriot League Notebook

by Steve Sheridan

Pre-March Madness In The Patriot League

It is fitting that the last weekend of the regular season was the craziest one of them all in the Patriot League. Four teams won both of their games this weekend, yet three of those teams are in the bottom half of the Patriot League standings. The top three teams headed into the weekend, Lehigh, Bucknell and Lafayette, combined to win zero games as the have-nots showed to everyone that the Patriot League tournament is certainly anyone’s game.

Flannery Not Traveling With Bison

Bucknell head coach Pat Flannery, who left the team’s game with Navy two weekends ago at halftime after feeling under the weather, did not travel with his team this past weekend to Holy Cross and Colgate. Flannery underwent cardiac testing on Thursday and after consulting with doctors, a return date for the coach will be determined. Assistant coach Nathan Davis, in his first year of coaching for the Bison, took over the head coaching reigns this weekend for the Bison. Hopefully Coach Flannery will be able to recover quickly and return to the bench for the team’s first-round tournament game on Saturday.

Player of the Week

Laramie Mergerson, Navy; The junior forward becomes the first Midshipman to win the award since 2002 after leading the team to its first two Patriot League wins of the season. Mergerson was huge against Lafayette, scoring a career-high 19 points, and followed that up with a 10-point, 11-rebound effort against arch-rival Army.

Rookie of the Week

Keith Simmons, Holy Cross; Simmons finally earns his first Rookie of the Week award after averaging 12.5 points and 5.5 rebounds coming off the bench in two huge Crusader victories over Bucknell and Lehigh over the weekend.

Lehigh Clinches First Place Despite Two Losses

In the team’s first game as the newly crowned top team in the Patriot League, the Mountain Hawks (17-10 overall, 10-4 PL) traveled to Hamilton and put together their worst shooting game of the year in a 54-48 loss. Austen Rowland and Jason Mgebroff attempted to carry the team on their shoulders, scoring 21 of the team’s 28 first-half points. Facing an eight-point deficit at halftime, the visitors started the second half on an 11-0 run in the first 5:23 to take a three-point lead. Unfortunately for the Mountain Hawks, the team then went dead cold from the field, hitting only one field goal in the final 14:37 of the game and settling for seven free throws. Despite the good opening 20 minutes, Rowland was held in check by the Raiders, as the league’s leading scorer scored 19 points, with just six coming in the second half as Lehigh attempted its comeback. Lehigh shot only 32 percent from the field for the game, including just 23 percent in the decisive second half, as it continued its streak of futility at Cotterell Court that now stretches back 13 years to the Mountain Hawks’ last win in Hamilton.

Coming off that bad outing, Lehigh moved on to Worcester and once again killed itself with poor shooting. The Mountain Hawks again came out slow in the first half, hitting only eight field goals in the first 20 minutes of the game while turning the ball over nine times in that time frame. Four Mountain Hawks scored in double figures for Lehigh, but the remainder of the team scored only six points as the team was unable to get any offensive rhythm against the stifling Holy Cross defense. The visitors went into the half down eight points after a bad first half and had the deficit rise to as much as 20 points on a few occasions, with 11 points being the closest the Mountain Hawks got in the second half. Lehigh shot only 37 percent for the game, including 29 percent from beyond the arc, in yet another poor shooting performance that must have coach Billy Taylor worried heading into tourney time.

Despite the two losses, the Mountain Hawks amazingly were still able to share the regular season championship and clinch the top seed in the Patriot League tournament thanks to losses by its nearest opponents. Lehigh gets Navy in the first round of the tournament, having swept the Midshipmen in their two meetings this season. But if the team is not able to fix its wayward shooting, Lehigh might be heading home much sooner than they and their fans want.

Eagles Move Up In Standings On Final Weekend

The American Eagles (16-12 overall, 10-4 PL) began their final weekend of regular season action with a narrow 54-48 win over Army. The Eagles started out poorly, hitting one field goal in the game’s first seven minutes and five in the first 20 minutes, including an 0-for-10 effort from three-point range. The team went into the half down only six, however, and came out strong in the second half. An early 9-2 run put the Eagles in front for good and 9-of-10 free throws in the final 56 seconds of the game sealed the victory for American. The squad was led by Andre Ingram, who had 17 points and seven boards, and Matej Cresnik, with 15 points and five rebounds, while Andres Rodriguez added six points, six boards and seven assists.

The Eagles then gathered some more momentum as they head into the playoffs by taking down reeling Lafayette, 90-82 at the Kirby Sports Center. Ingram personally took control of this game for the Eagles, scoring 30 points on 11-of-19 shooting, including 5-of-11 from three-point range. The freshman had help, however, as Raimondas Petrauskas added 16 points, Rodriguez contributed 15 points and 13 assists, and Jernavis Draughn dropped in 11 points, with all three also taking down six boards each. The Eagles reeled off a 14-0 run midway through the first half to take a 12-point advantage and didn’t let the home team get within four points the rest of the way. American shot 53 percent from the floor to aid its cause, but more important, once again, was the team’s excellent free throw shooting down the stretch. The Eagles hit 16-of-18 free throws in the final 1:51 of the game to shut down any hopes of a Leopard comeback.

Thanks to the team’s two big wins, American vaulted all the way into a first-place tie in the league standings with Lehigh, taking the second seed after losing the tiebreaker with Lehigh. Instead of a presumed matchup with Holy Cross and Colgate, the Eagles now have a first round game with hapless Army. The Eagles have now won four in a row heading into the playoffs, and may be finally are hitting their stride at the exact right time.

Lafayette Stumbling Into The Playoffs

After being the front-runner for a large part of the season, the Lafayette Leopards (18-9 overall, 9-5 PL) have hit a major skid of late, having now lost four in a row and five of its last seven to end the regular season. That skid began against the most unlikely of teams, previously winless Navy. The Leopards, as occurred in the two teams’ first meeting of the season, scored only 22 points in the first half, but in this game Navy never relinquished its halftime lead. Lafayette got the lead down to one on two occasions in the second half, but missed opportunities prevented the team from overtaking the pesky Midshipmen. Winston Davis led the Leopard charge with 20 points, but it was the terrible night of Justin DeBerry that was the most obvious statistic. The league’s third-leading scorer hit only 1-of-13 shots for just two points, the star guard’s worst output of the season.

Lafayette then sent the home crowd home unhappy on Senior Day in Easton, falling to American in what was a battle for third place. Four senior starters scored in double figures for the home team on the afternoon, but the team was unable to overcome a seven-minute drought in the first half in which the team didn’t register a point, allowing American to build up a 12-point halftime edge. The Leopards shot a respectable 48 percent from the field, but was unable to stop the Eagles from shooting at an even higher clip. DeBerry bounced back from his bad outing with 17 points and seven assists, while Davis also added 17 to lead five Leopards in double figures, but the team was unable to outscore its high-flying opponents.

Despite its two losses, the Leopards managed to stay in third place in the league’s final standings, thanks to two losses by Bucknell. In the first round, Lafayette draws Colgate, a team that defeated the Leopards just a few weeks ago for the team’s first league loss of the year. Once again, however, the team is going to have to play much better to avoid a first round upset.

Bison Suddenly Struggling, Too

Bucknell (13-14 overall, 9-5 PL) had its seven-game winning streak snapped in Worcester on Friday night, falling 72-61 to the Crusaders. The Bison were behind for the majority of the game, as the team shot only 39 percent in the first 20 minutes of play. The visitors battled back from a 17-point halftime deficit to get the lead down to just three with four minutes remaining, but the Bison were only able to hit one field goal the rest of the way, allowing the Crusaders to walk away with the win. Kevin Bettencourt led the Bison with 21 points, but the team was done in by its poor three-point shooting. The team hit only three of 22 three-pointers in the game, showing why the team ranks last in the league in that category. Another area of concern for the Bison is opponents’ free throw shooting, as they allowed Holy Cross to get to the line 40 times, scoring 24 of the team’s 72 points from the charity stripe. If the Crusaders had shot better than 60 percent, the game would have been much worse for Bucknell.

Against Colgate on Sunday afternoon, the Bison started out well but faltered down the stretch in a 60-57 defeat. Bucknell sprinted out to a 27-18 halftime lead thanks to 50 percent shooting and keeping the Raiders to under 30 percent from the field. The Bison continued the pace for the first 10 minutes of the second half, holding a 10-point lead at the midway point of the final stanza. But upon taking that lead, Bucknell hit only two field goals the rest of the way, with one coming on Chris McNaughton’s lay-up as time expired. Seven free throws in the final 8:58 were certainly not enough to keep down the Colgate team, as Bucknell’s defense wilted in the second half. For a second straight game, the Bison shot terribly from beyond the arc, this time not hitting even one of its 14 three-point attempts. McNaughton led the visitors with 19 points on 9-of-13 shooting, but no other Bison player was able to reach double figures as Bucknell dropped its second straight game.

Bucknell was the one team that lost the most this weekend, as its two losses dropped the team from second place down to fourth place, as it lost the tiebreaker with Lafayette for the third spot. The Bison will now get Holy Cross, the team they just lost to on Friday, in the first round of the Patriot League tournament. And with Coach Pat Flannery’s condition still unknown, it will be interesting to see if Bucknell can rally around its coach and get back into the win column at the right time.

Crusaders Win Twice To Seal Up Fifth Position

Holy Cross (13-14 overall, 7-7 PL) was able to defeat that Bucknell team on Friday afternoon in an affair where the home team built up a huge lead early and never looked back. After Bucknell jumped out to a 12-4 lead, Holy Cross responded with a 15-0 run, led by Keith Simmons’ eight points, to take back the lead for good. After Bucknell was able to get the lead back down to one point, the Crusaders went on another run, this one a killer 17-3 sprint that gave the team a 15-point halftime edge. The second half was more of the same, as Bucknell again chipped away at the lead but was unable to get past the Cross, thanks in large part to the 33-18 point edge held by the home team’s reserves over their Bison counterparts. The starting five were led by senior point guard Jave Meade, who became the 40th player in Holy Cross history to score 1,000 points with 13 points on the evening. Meade also became the first player in Patriot League history to record 1,000 points and 500 assists over a career.

Then on Sunday afternoon, knowing that the team would need a win against Lehigh to keep control of the fifth seed, the Crusaders impressed the home fans with a 72-57 win against the Mountain Hawks. Holy Cross built up a nine-point halftime led thanks to some tough defense that kept the potent Lehigh offense in check while the team struggled itself from the field, but the Crusaders caught fire in the second half to put away the Mountain Hawks. The home team shot 57 percent from the field and 60 percent from beyond the arc in the final 20 minutes, not allowing the Lehigh squad to get back into the game. Kevin Hamilton had a big game for the Crusaders, scoring 17 points while adding six assists and five boards. Meade and Simmons both added 13 points for Ralph Willard’s club, which seems to be heating up just in time for the league tournament.

As mentioned above, Holy Cross kept its fifth position secure and will have a first round date with the Bucknell Bison, a team that split with the Crusaders this season. Despite going on the road to Lewisburg, Holy Cross seems to have all the momentum and will give Bucknell all they can handle. And just remember: they’ve won this thing three years in a row, so they can never be discounted.

Colgate Finally Rights The Ship In Time For Postseason

It took most of the regular season, but the Colgate Raiders (14-13 overall, 6-8 PL) finally look like the team picked third in the Patriot League pre-season poll after two weekend wins, starting Friday night against Lehigh. For the second time this season, the top team in the league came to Cotterell Court and left with a loss, with forward Andrew Zidar leading the way with 13 points and 10 boards. The Raiders were able to contain the high-powered tandem of Austen Rowland and Jason Mgebroff in the second half after the duo single-handedly kept their team in the game for the first 20 minutes, allowing Lehigh only six field goals in the second half. Even more amazing for Colgate, however, was that it shot a mere 17 percent (4-for-23) in the second half , including no field goals for the first 9:23 of the half, yet still came away with a win. In another very good sign for Colgate, Howard Blue scored 11 points and grabbed eight rebounds in by far his best game since coming back from a knee injury.

Colgate came back on Sunday, however, and executed a big second half comeback to take down the Bison. For only the fourth time in 15 chances this season, Colgate was able to overcome a halftime deficit by using its favorite weapon, the three-ball. The home team overcame a nine-point halftime deficit thanks to five different Raiders hitting three-pointers in the second half, including three in a huge 20-2 run that turned a 10-point Bucknell lead into a eight-point lead with 2:37 left. The Raiders hit just one field goal after than point, but the team had built up enough of a lead to overcome a last-minute Bison comeback. Mark Linebaugh led Colgate with 15 points while Blue had another solid game for the Raiders, scoring 10 points and taking down five boards in his first start since coming back from injury.

After playing its two best games of the season in its last two games of the regular season, Colgate drew Lafayette in its first round contest. The two teams each defended its home floor during the regular season and Colgate hasn’t fared well on the road this season, but with Blue back to form and the Raiders finally starting to play well as a team, this game is certainly up for grabs.

Army Continues Their Losing Ways

On Thursday evening, the Black Knights (6-20 overall, 3-11 PL) had their chances but in the end fell to the American Eagles, 54-48. Sean O’Keefe and Josh Wilson combined for 29 points for the home team, but the rest of the Army squad contributed only 19 points as the Black Knights continued their poor shooting. The team shot only 31 percent for the game, yet held a six-point halftime lead after holding American to just 16 points. The second half was a different story, however, as American caught fire and held off the Black Knights. O’Keefe scored Army’s last nine points on three-pointers, but American hit too many free throws down the stretch to keep the home team from grinding out a win.

In the annual “Star Game,” Army led for much of the game’s first 36 minutes, but was unable to hold the lead when the game was on the line, allowing Navy to slip away with a 43-37 victory. Wilson led the team with 15 points, but no other Black Knight scored more than five points as the team hit just four field goals in the second half on the way to 17 percent second half shooting. The Black Knights did a good job of keeping the Midshipmen in check in the first half and much of the second half, but the home team hit only one field goal in the final 4:23 while repeatedly sending the visitors to the free throw line, where it won the game. The Christl Arena record 5,125 spectators, along with the national TV audience on CBS, saw the two teams combine to shoot 27 percent for the game.

The losers of four straight games, Army will face off with second-seeded American in the first round of the tournament, who has won four straight games of their own. The Black Knights, as usual, will have to up their shooting performance if they are to get out of the first round with what would be considered a huge upset.

Navy Wins…Twice!!!

The Midshipmen (5-22 overall, 2-12 PL) won not once but twice in the final weekend of the regular season, giving Don DeVoe some happiness headed into the final games of his coaching career, starting off with a shocking first win of the league season against Lafayette. Navy used a similar strategy in the first half as they used in the team’s last meeting, slowing down the tempo and allowing the Middies to escape the first half with a six-point lead. In becoming the first team to defeat the Leopards at home this season, Navy used a different approach in the second half, keeping up with the high-powered Leopard offense enough to hold onto its lead. The Middies did so by hitting 10-of-12 free throws in the game’s final 49 seconds, seven of those coming from Mike Higgins, who scored 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Laramie Mergerson scored a career-high 19 points and took in a career-best six boards for the Middies, whose win was even more surprising because the team was without leading scorer and rebounder Carlton Baldwin and Leonard Green.

The team then went on national television and found a way to comeback and defeat Army on Sunday afternoon, giving the team some momentum headed into the league tournament. Mergerson played well once again for the Middies, notching 10 points and 11 rebounds, while David Hooper came up big with 11 points for the visitors, who came back in the second half to claim the N-Star for the second straight year and the eleventh time in the last 12 years. In the first half, Navy hit one field goal over the final 14 minutes, but managed to head into the half down just five points, allowing the team to hit nine free throws down the stretch to steal away a victory. With the win, DeVoe finishes his career against Army with a record of 26-3.

As they have known for quite a while, Navy will face off with the top seed in the Patriot League tournament, Lehigh. In the team’s two games this season, the Mountain Hawks outscored the Midshipmen by an average of 23 points, but don’t underestimate the passion of playing to keep a coach’s career going.

Patriot League Notebook

Patriot League Notebook

by Steve Sheridan

One Weekend Left

Two games are all the eight teams of the Patriot League have left in the regular season. Three teams, Lafayette, Lehigh and Bucknell, are busy battling for the top spot in the final league standings, with the Mountain Hawks currently holding a very slim one-game lead over its two pursuers. American has the fourth seed locked up, but is still attempting to move its way upwards. Colgate, Holy Cross and Army are all mixed up in the fight for the fifth seed, while Navy sits all alone in the bottom of the standings, already knowing that it will face off with the top seed in the first round of the playoffs. With so much still at stake, the fans can only hope that next weekend rivals this weekend in excitement.

Patriot League Unveils Regular Season, Postseason Changes

Although unable to affect the playoffs this season, the league made some changes to the schedule structure starting next year. The league has decided to eliminate men’s and women’s doubleheaders, so that the men’s and women’s teams will play at opposite sites on the same day. The fans are the major winners in this decision, as they will be able to see either a men’s or women’s game every league playing date of the season beginning in 2005. The basic format for the regular season, which includes four “travel partner” weekends, will return next season, with some small modifications. For the postseason, the league has decided to return the playoffs to Patriot League campuses. A new split tournament format would divide the eight teams into two four-team “tournaments” hosted by the two top teams in the league, with the winners of each bracket advancing to the League Championship game. The championship has always been played on the home court of the higher seed. Including this season, the playoffs (excluding the title game) have been played for the last three seasons at The Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, MD.

Home Court Advantage Huge To Some Teams

My last note then makes this paragraph even more important, although not for this season. The appeal of playing on one’s home court has been very pleasing to Lafayette, Lehigh and Bucknell this year. All three teams are undefeated on their home floors in league play this season, holding a huge advantage over their opponents. The Leopards, to top them all, are a perfect 11-0 on their home floor as this point in their schedule. The Mountain Hawks are 12-1 overall in Stabler Arena, having won all seven of their home league games as the regular season winds down. The Bison, meanwhile, lost just two non-league games on the floor of Sojka Pavilion this season. It is certainly no coincidence that these three teams are also the top three teams in the Patriot League standings.

Player of the Week

Austen Rowland, Lehigh

Rowland wins his second Patriot League Player of the Week honor this season after leading the Mountain Hawks to its first place perch in the league. The senior guard averaged 13.5 points, 8.5 assists and 4.5 boards in his two games last weekend, including his first double-double with the Mountain Hawks.

Rookie of the Week

Jason Mgebroff, Lehigh

Mgebroff helps Lehigh sweep the weekly awards with his first Rookie of the Week award. The freshman came up huge in the Mountain Hawks’ biggest weekend of the year, averaging over 18 points and seven rebounds in the team’s two games against Lafayette and Army.

Mountain Hawks Soar To The Top Spot

It took almost the entire regular season, but someone has finally dethroned Lafayette atop the Patriot League standings. After another excellent weekend, including a huge home win over Lafayette, the Lehigh Mountain Hawks (17-8 overall, 10-2 PL) overcame the Leopards in the standings and on the court.

Lehigh prepared itself for the showdown against Lafayette by beating Army in a surprisingly close 68-63 win. Jason Mgebroff led the home team with a career-high 25 points while Austen Rowland added 15 points, but the team was unable to pull away from the Black Knights. At one point, the team was down six points to the Black Knights and head coach Billy Taylor pulled all five of his starters off the court in frustration, and the reserves responded by creating a game-breaking 13-0 run with pressure-packed defense. In total, the bench contributed 22 points for the game, while the three starters other than Rowland and Mgebroff combined for only six points. Mgebroff, who came into the game with a career-best of 15 points, came close to eclipsing that in each half, scoring 12 and 13 in the two halves. Rowland had another stellar game, recording his first double-double for the Mountain Hawks by dishing out 10 assists to go along with his 15 points.

Coming off a close contest against Army, the Mountain Hawks then collided with the Leopards for the 200th time in the schools’ history, with first place in the Patriot League on the line. In a game that saw no team grab a lead of more than six points, five Mountain Hawk players scored in double figures in a game that almost topped the 111-104 thriller earlier this season. While double figures are to be expected from Rowland and Mgebroff (12 each), it was the bench that keyed the Lehigh victory. Kevin Tempest scored a team-high 13 points in a reserve role, while Ra Tiah and Kyle Neptune scored 11 and 10, respectively off the bench for Fran O’Hanlon. After 13 ties and nine lead changes, two Mgebroff free throws with 4:52 remaining gave the Mountain Hawks a lead they would not let go of. The biggest basket of the game came from Dayne Michelson, who tipped in a Rowland miss with 29 seconds left to give Lehigh a four-point edge. The win was a total team effort by the home squad, as nine players registered over 10 minutes of action in this one, with all nine scoring at least one basket.

Lehigh has but one weekend to defend its first place standing in order to head into the league tournament as the top seed. Two wins against Colgate and Holy Cross will place them at number one, while one win will guarantee them a share of the league crown. But as the new top gun, the Mountain Hawks will have to play just as they did last weekend if they want to hold off two upset-minded teams.

Bison Continue The Late-Season Stampede

The Bucknell Bison (13-12 overall, 9-3 PL) finished off the home portion of its schedule in grand style last weekend, taking down first place Lafayette and seventh place Army to make the leap to second place in the league standings headed into the final weekend of the regular season.

On Friday night, the Bison pulled to within one game of first place in front of the second-largest crowd in Sojka Pavilion history, taking down the once-mighty Leopards. The Bison did an excellent job of neutralizing the most potent offense in the Patriot League while giving the Leopards no chance of stopping them. Bucknell shot a sizzling 54 percent from floor for the game, including 57 percent in the decisive second half. That second half, in which the Bison outscored Lafayette by 15 points, was spurred in large part by freshman Chris McNaughton. The center scored 18 of his game-high 20 points in the second half, overcoming a first half in which he played just three minutes due to foul trouble. Kevin Bettencourt, currently second in the league in scoring, added 17 points, while Charles Lee and Abe Badmus chipped in 15 and 12, respectively. The Bison were victorious due to their lack of turnovers, especially in the second half, where the team turned the ball over twice in 20 minutes.

Coming off the team’s biggest win of the year, the team did not let down on Sunday afternoon against the Black Knights, holding the pathetic Army team to just 25 points in a 75-25 massacre in front of the home crowd. The largest margin of victory in school history was an appropriate gift for the Bison seniors on Senior Day, as all five seniors started the game and played significant minutes against a team that needed all the help they could get. All 15 Bison players saw action in this one, with senior Matt Quinn leading 12 Bison on the score sheet with 13 points. Stats were not important for the Bison, as no other player scored more than nine points, and yet the team still managed to shoot 60 percent from the field in its final home showing of the regular season. In the team’s two games against the Black Knights this season, Bucknell outscored Army by a ridiculous 131-48. One down note for the Bison was head coach Pat Flannery, who was taken to an area hospital in the second half due to some discomfort. The trip was precautionary, however, and hopefully Flannery will be back on the Bison sidelines as the team finishes up its regular season.

The Bison also get the Raiders and the Crusaders to finish up the regular season, looking to keep the team’s seven-game winning streak alive. Two wins will ensure the Bison of at least a share of second-place and may also set up, with a little help from the Black Knights, another game against Army. If that occurs, I advise all record-keepers to be in attendance.

A Lost Weekend For Leopards

Lafayette (18-7 overall, 9-3 PL) came into the weekend in first place by itself but left in a tie for second place after a pair of losses to Bucknell and Lehigh.

The Leopards traveled to Lewisburg to take on Bucknell on Friday night, and the team’s poor shooting led to a sloppy 79-61 loss. The Leopards temporarily dropped into a first place tie with Lehigh thanks in large part to the team’s 40 percent shooting, with only one Leopard player, Winston Davis, reaching double figures, matching a season-low total. Lafayette missed its first seven shots from the field, falling behind early before coming back, heading into the locker room down only three points. In that first half, Justin DeBerry hit his only two field goals of the game, on his way to a six-point night, 10 points below his season average, on 2-of-12 shooting. The Leopards, the highest scoring squad in the Patriot League, as a team was held 16 points below its season average on the way to its worst league performance of the year. Lafayette did themselves in in the second half, in which it shot only 37 percent and scored only 27 points, including a ten-minute span in which the team managed only one field goal.

That loss set up a first place showdown between the Leopards and Lehigh on Sunday afternoon, and Lafayette fell once again to the Mountain Hawks. Despite the loss, Lafayette still holds a commanding 132-68 lead in the all-time series, but that serves as no solace to the Leopards, who could have just about put a lock on the top seed with a win. The Leopards, coming off a poor shooting outing against Bucknell, shot the ball at a 46 percent clip, but couldn’t hit anything down the stretch. Lafayette could only hit one field goal in the final 7:27 of the game, allowing Lehigh to pull out the victory. DeBerry had a quiet 15 points for the visitors, despite taking just two shots in the final 20 minutes of the game. While the senior also dished out five assists, it was strange to see him not taking the clutch shots down the stretch for the Leopards, and that may have proven the team’s downfall. The team’s overall shooting percentage didn’t do them in, as they team actually shot better than Lehigh at 46 percent, but it was the lack of shots at the end of the game that cost the Leopards the game and first place.

Lafayette now hopes to rebound from an awful weekend with two games against winless Navy and fourth-place American. The Leopards will most likely need two wins to keep up with Bucknell and stay in a tie second place in the league, but the team will need to stop the bleeding in order to ensure itself as high a seed as it can get.

American Stays In The Hunt With Two Wins

American (14-12 overall, 8-4 PL) won its two games last weekend to stay one game back of the Leopards and the Bison, getting two critical wins to keep their chances of a three or even a two-seed still slimly alive.

The Eagles clinched at least a fourth-place finish in the Patriot League and gave coach Jeff Jones his 200th win with the team’s 65-51 win over Holy Cross on Friday night. Both teams played a very even first half, heading into the break tied at 25, but American came out firing in the second half, shooting 46 percent compared to Holy Cross’ 32 percent. Jervavis Draughn scored 10 of his 12 points in the final 20 minutes, while Jason Thomas added half of his twelve in the second half to help the team outscore the Crusaders by 14 in the second half. One area of domination for the Eagle on the evening was in the paint, where they outscored Holy Cross 36-14, thanks to Draughn and Patrick Okpawe, who scored eight points and grabbed five rebounds in just his second career start. The Eagles clinched the game at the free throw line, where American currently ranks sixth in the league, by hitting its final eight free throws in the final 1:27 of the game.

American then hung on to defeat Colgate on Sunday afternoon, 65-62, keeping up with the two teams ahead of them in the standings. The first half saw both teams trying to find a rhythm, with American gaining a small upper hand as they led by two at halftime. American turned it on in the second half, shooting 53 percent from the field and building up a 12-point lead with 9:35 to play. But the Raiders wouldn’t die and American, a team that came into the game sixth in the league shooting 65 percent from the line, won the game from the free throw line. Over the final 6:01, the Eagles hit 13-of-16 free throws, with oft-maligned Andres Rodriguez hitting nine of his 10 attempts. Over this same 6:01, the Eagles only managed to hit one field goal, and yet were able to pull out the victory after Mark Linebaugh’s last-second wide open three-pointer wouldn’t fall for Colgate. Rodriguez led his team with 17 points and seven assists on the afternoon, while Andre Ingram added 15 points and 10 rebounds to help the Eagles find a way to hold on.

American faces off with Army on Thursday night, and with a victory would set up a very important Saturday matchup with Lafayette. The winner of that game could potentially be the second seed in the tournament, while the loser will most likely fall into the fourth slot currently occupied by the Eagles. Both teams will be surely hyped up for that one.

Crusaders Split The Weekend, Stay In Fifth

With another weekend split, Holy Cross (11-14 overall, 5-7 PL) kept itself in line for a fifth place finish in the regular season – a position the Worcester faithful has not been accustomed to lately, but one that the fans will have to take.

Holy Cross was swept by American for the first time ever after the Crusaders’ 65-51 loss in a potential preview of a first-round tournament matchup. The Worcester crew shot just 32 percent on the evening, nine points below its season average, while allowing the Eagles to shoot over 46 percent over game’s last 20 minutes. Kevin Hamilton and Keith Simmons led the team with 14 and 11 points, respectively, but the team’s lack of an inside game hurt them in the second half. Nate Lufkin only scored one basket in 13 minutes thanks to foul trouble, picking up two in the first three minutes of the game and another two in a span of six seconds midway through the second half before eventually fouling out with five minutes left. John Hurley was the high-scorer for Crusader big men with seven points, but that certainly wasn’t enough to win in a game that, if won, would have given the Crusaders a chance at the fourth seed in the upcoming Patriot League tournament.

Coming off the disappointing effort against American, Holy Cross came back to hold a shot-block party on Navy’s home turf. The Crusaders blocked a season-high 11 shots in the team’s 76-47 win over the Midshipmen. The first half was total domination by the visitors, as they allowed just 11 points for the home team, although the Cross shot just 37 percent itself. With a 33-11 lead at the half, Holy Cross was able to cruise through the second half without incident, helped of course by 52 percent shooting to put away any hope of a Navy comeback. Hamilton, Simmons and Jave Meade all scored a lucky 13 points for the Crusaders, with all three hitting four field goals (2 threes apiece) and three free throws, providing a balanced attack for head coach Ralph Willard. On the defensive end, five Crusaders recorded at least one block, with Lufkin and Kevin Hyland each swatting away three Midshipman attempts. Hamilton, in addition to his 13 points, added two blocks, three assists and six steals in an excellent all-around effort.

Currently one game up on Colgate for the fifth spot in the league tournament, Holy Cross has a very tough weekend of basketball yet to play, as they welcome Bucknell and Lehigh to the Hart Center. Luckily for the Crusaders, Colgate, as Holy Cross’ “travel partner,” will face off with the same two teams. If both teams lose their remaining two games, the fifth spot will go to Holy Cross, but a win or two would give the team some much needed momentum headed into tourney time.

A Step Forward, A Step Back For Colgate

Colgate (12-13 overall, 4-8 PL) split its two road games this weekend against Navy and American – a huge accomplishment for this team – yet still finds itself one game behind Holy Cross for fifth place in the standings as the games wind down.

If you had 51 in the “Days Until Colgate Won Its First Road Game of 2004″ Pool, come forth to collect your prize. It took a while, but the Raiders finally won a game away from Cotterell Court, barely holding on to take a 60-59 decision against winless Navy. The Raiders came out strong in this one, hitting six of their first seven shots in jumping out to a early 13-3 lead, while holding Navy to 29 percent shooting en route to a 31-18 halftime advantage. The lead was still in double figures with 10 minutes remaining, but the Midshipmen were able to tie the game at 47 with under five minutes left. Colgate was able to step up the defensive pressure, while hitting seven of 11 free throws in the game’s final 3:36 on the offensive end to secure the win. Mark Linebaugh (11 points) and Kendall Chones (10) reached double figures for the ninth and eighth consecutive games, respectively, in the win.

The Raiders almost pulled into fifth place by themselves on Sunday, as the team was a last-second Linebaugh three-pointer from sending their game against American into overtime. Colgate was never able to get anything going in this one, as the squad never found its shooting touch. The team shot just 34 percent from the floor, including 28 percent in the first half, in a game that could have changed on one or two more made baskets. Andrew Zidar led the Raiders with 16 points and nine boards while Linebaugh added 11 points, but the most important three of the game wouldn’t fall for the senior, who last season defeated American on a last-second half-court prayer at Cotterell Court. The Raiders actually held a 10-rebound edge on the Eagles, a rarity for Colgate this season, which accounted for the team outpacing the hosts 22-4 in second chance points. Controlling the boards, however, was not enough, as too many shots didn’t fall for Colgate on this day.

The Raiders have a very difficult final weekend ahead of them, as they host first-place Lehigh and second-place Bucknell. The only good news for Colgate is that Holy Cross, the only team Colgate is able to catch, has the same pair of teams. Colgate may have to look for an improbable sweep if it wants to lock up the fifth position for the tournament, but two losses simply would not do.

Another Near-Record Setting Performance For Army

After two losses to Lehigh and Bucknell, I am starting to wonder more and more how Army (6-18 overall, 3-9 PL) was able to sweep the season series with Colgate this year.

Coming off the team’s win against Colgate last week, the Black Knights settled into their more familiar role, falling first to Lehigh on Friday night. Army certainly made the game a lot closer than it should have been, hanging with the Mountain Hawks all evening long and holding the lead as late as the 11:46 mark of the second half. The efforts of Josh Wilson and friends, however, simply were not enough. Wilson led the team with 19 points and five rebounds, and aided by Sean O’Keefe and Marshall Jackson, the visitors were able to put a scare into the second-place Mountain Hawks. The team did manage a very respectable 45 percent from the field, eight points above its league-low average, but the defense was unable to contain the Mountain Hawks, who stood right about at their season average of 69 points per game.

If Army played an entire season of games against Bucknell, this team would go down in history as the worst team to ever step onto a basketball court. Coming off a 56-23 last meeting, Army did little better in the scoring department and a lot worse on the offensive end, losing by 50 points to the Bison, 75-25. The Black Knight statistics for this one aren’t very pretty. 18 percent shooting from the field, 10 percent shooting from three-point range and 41 percent shooting from the line adequately describe the Army futility. The team managed just three field goals in the first half, a half in which it scored NINE points. The team exploded in the second half, however, putting a whopping 14 points on the board. The lead grew to as much as 56 late in the second half, before two goal-tended three-pointers brought the final deficit down to half-a-hundred.

Army will try again to stay out of the record books again this weekend, as it wraps up its regular season against American and Navy. The team’s game against Navy, being broadcast nationally by CBS, should come with a parental advisory warning, so that kids don’t emulate what they may see in a game that is being played solely for pride.

The Losses Keep Coming for The Naval Academy

They try and they try and they try, and yet the Midshipmen (3-22 overall, 0-12 PL) still can’t find a way to win a league game. The squad came close against Colgate, not so close against Holy Cross, and thus has one more weekend to give retiring head coach Don DeVoe a nice parting gift.

Against Colgate, a terrible first half was just enough to keep the Midshipmen from making a big second half comeback. A 29 percent shooting first half put the Navy team in a huge hole from which it could never fully get out of, despite a second half in which the Middies outscored the visiting Raiders by 12 points. Carlton Baldwin was the offensive star of the game for Navy, scoring 28 of the team’s 59 points, 12 of which came from the free throw line. Center Matt Fannin and forward Leonard Green also led an impressive Navy inside game, with Fannin scoring 11 points and adding 10 points and 10 boards. The loss was the second straight for Don DeVoe’s squad by two points or less, coming off the team’s two-point loss to Bucknell last week.

Senior Day didn’t go as planned for the three seniors on the Navy squad against Holy Cross, as the trio combined for just two points in their final home game. Navy came out a little flat in the first half, scoring 11 points in the first 20 minutes. (Sidenote: earlier this season, Lafayette scored 21 points in a five-minute overtime session; on Sunday, Army and Navy combined to score 20 points in 40 minutes of first-half play) Many of the team’s 68 shots just wouldn’t fall, however, as they team managed to hit just 28 percent of its attempts. Kwame Ofori was the lone Midshipmen senior to register a point in his final home game, scoring one basket.

Navy plays out the rest of the regular season with visits to American and Army. While neither of the games means anything in terms of the standings for the Middies, pride will certainly be on the line, especially in the team’s nationally-televised game against the rival Black Knights. And it would be nice to give the departing coach DeVoe something to smile at.