Jan. 7, 2008

Four teams are ready for the start of Patriot League play this weekend, while four others will play one more game before the schedule tips off. All four Patriot League teams in action during the early part of the week are on the road, with Holy Cross' visit to Maryland on Tuesday highlighting the slate. Also Tuesday, Colgate is at Harvard and Army goes to Presbyterian. Lafayette plays the final game before Patriot League play begins with a trip to Princeton on Wednesday.

Patriot League Men's Basketball Release - 1.7.08

Anaconda Player of the Week (Dec. 31-Jan. 6)

Jarell Brown, Army Sr., G, 6'2, 185, Cleveland, Ohio/St. Peter Chanel

Brown earns his third Patriot League Anaconda Player of the Week honor of the year, and sixth of his career, after averaging 27.0 ppg and connecting on 14-of-22 three-pointers (63.6 pct) in a 1-1 week for the Black Knights. Brown notched 32 points and tied a school-record with nine three-pointers in a 79-78 loss to Brown University on Wednesday. It was his third 30-point game of the season. On Saturday, he scored 18 of his 23 points in the second half to lift Army past Portland, 70-66. Brown hit four three-pointers in the half, and nailed all four of his free throws in the final minute to seal the win. He connected on 54.8 percent of his shots from the field, and made all seven attempts at the foul line in the two games. Brown has now scored in double figures in 10 straight games, including eight 20-point efforts. He has 207 career three-pointers, and needs only 13 more to crack the Patriot League top 10.

Anaconda Rookie of the Week (Dec. 31-Jan. 6)

Rob Keefer, Lehigh Fr., G, 6'3, 185, North Wales, Pa./Abington Friends

Keefer scored a career-high 16 points on Sunday against Princeton to cap a three-game week and earn his third Anaconda Rookie of the Week nod of the year. Keefer averaged 9.0 points and 4.3 rebounds as Lehigh lost to Penn State and Columbia and knocked off Princeton. He connected on 6-of-7 shots, including 3-of-4 from three-point range, to score 14 first-half points and lift Lehigh to a 41-19 advantage at the break against the Tigers. Keefer also tallied seven points and seven rebounds on Monday at Penn State. He hit on 10-of-16 field goals for the week, including 6-of-9 from long range. He made at least one three-pointer in all three games. Keefer leads all Lehigh freshmen in scoring, rebounding and minutes, and paces all Patriot League freshmen with 8.3 ppg for the year.

Patriot League Notebook

Gaining Steam Into Patriot League Play

After a 5-3 record over the weekend, six of the eight Patriot League teams have put up a "W" in their last game with the League schedule right around the corner. American became the last team to accomplish the feat, as the Eagles made up for a loss at Brown on Friday with a 69-56 win at Columbia on Sunday. Army (70-66 over Portland), Lehigh (68-49 over Princeton), Navy (73-55 over Longwood) and Holy Cross (67-63 in overtime at San Francisco) also scored victories over the weekend.The strong weekend showing gives the Patriot League a 59-51 record in non-League action this season, with seven regular-season games still to play.

One More Tune-Up

Four teams are ready for the start of League play this weekend, while four others will play one more game before the schedule tips off. All four Patriot League teams in action during the early part of the week are on the road, with Holy Cross' visit to Maryland on Tuesday highlighting the slate. Also Tuesday, Colgate is at Harvard and Army goes to Presbyterian. Lafayette plays the final game before Patriot League play begins with a trip to Princeton on Wednesday.

Non-League Success

With a 59-51 record and seven games remaining, the Patriot League is virtually assured of its best-ever non-League mark. Patriot League teams hit the mark with a 5-3 showing over the weekend, and are now just two wins away from breaking the record for total non-League victories. The current mark of 60 was set last season. The only winning non-League mark in history came in 2000-01, when the Patriot League closed the year with a 54-53 record against non-League competition (54-52 in regular season). The Patriot League finished at 60-60 against non-League competition in 2006-07, with a 60-59 record in the regular season. This year's success is even more impressive since it is the first season with an all Division I schedule for every team in the League.

More Early-Season Highlights

With the victories coming, the accomplishments have accumulated as well. For the first time in Patriot League history, seven teams have recorded seven non-League wins or more. Only Bucknell (5-9) has yet reach the mark, but the Bison's record gives the Patriot League its third season in an 18-year history where every team won at least five non-League games (2000-01, 2006-07 are the others). It also makes the Patriot League one of only seven conferences to have all of its members post at least five non-League victories thus far, and one of only two Mid-Major conferences (Missouri Valley) to pull it off. The Bison still have their BracketBuster game remaining in February, with a chance at giving every team six non-League wins for just the second time. The Patriot League has secured a winning season record against the Ivy League, with a 10-6 mark to date and two games remaining this week to conclude the series. Earlier in the year, the Patriot League became the first Division I conference to have every one of its teams record a road victory (Nov. 17) and the second to have all of its members beat a Division I opponent (Nov. 14).

Get your TIVO Ready!

The quest for the 2008 Patriot League men's basketball title begins Friday, when Bucknell hosts Navy at 7 p.m. in a game shown via the League's package on ESPNU (Dish Network Channel 148 and Direct TV Channel 609). But that is just the start of the televised action for teams in the first weekend of League play. All three of Saturday's games will be televised as well, beginning with Lafayette hosting preseason favorite Holy Cross at 1 p.m. on RCN-4, WBPH-60 and FSN-Pittsburgh. Colgate's contest with Army is on Time Warner Central New York at 2 p.m., while Lehigh's home date with American is on Service Electric2 Sports at 7 p.m. The League schedule will feature eight regular-season men's games on ESPNU and one on ESPN2, as well as the Championship game March 14 at 4:30 p.m. on ESPN2. Eighteen additional League games will be broadcast on other outlets.

Patriot League All-Access

Watch the majority of Patriot League Men's and Women's Basketball regular-season and tournament games on high-speed Broadband. For $7.95 a month, this cutting-edge technology takes you from your seat to the sideline with multi-camera coverage. Visit your school's website or www.PatriotLeague.com for more information.

Team Notebooks

American The Eagles split a pair of games on the road at Ivy League opponents over the weekend, defeating Columbia, 69-56, on Sunday and losing at Brown, 68-55, on Friday...American finishes its non-League schedule with an 8-7 mark...It was the third time in four years that they finished the non-League season with a winning mark...Garrison Carr scored 24 points, two off his career high, while connecting on 6-of-9 three-pointers...Carr hit five threes and tallied 19 points in the first half as American built a 12-point advantage at the break...Carr now has 57 three-pointers on the season, and is now well on pace to break the school record of 86 three-pointers set by Frank Ross in 1986, the first season in which the NCAA instituted the rule...The Eagles connected on 15-of-17 foul shots in the second half to seal the win...Derrick Mercer had 12 points and six assists, Travis Lay had 10 and Bryce Simon tied a career-high with nine rebounds while adding nine points and four assists...Lay led the Eagles with 12 points at Brown...American opens Patriot League play on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Lehigh.

Army The Black Knights completed a 3-2 homestand and moved back above .500 overall with a 70-66 victory over Portland on Saturday...Jarell Brown led the way with 23 points, his second consecutive game of 20+ and ninth this season...Brown scored 18 of his points in the second half, hitting 4-of-5 three-pointers and connecting on four fouls shots in the final 30 seconds...Army used a 12-3 run midway through the second half to break open a tie game and take the lead for good...The Black Knights dropped a heartbreaker in a 79-78 home loss to Brown on Wednesday...They held a 78-74 lead with 21 seconds to play, but Brown came back to win on a jumper with 1.7 seconds left...The loss spoiled a huge performance for Jarell Brown, who tied Army's single-game record with nine three-pointers and scored 32 points overall...Brown is only the third Army player to make 200 three-pointers (207)...He is currently the Patriot League career leader in three-point percentage (42.7)...Army has played five straight games decided by fewer than five points, and eight of the last nine have been decided by single digits. The Black Knights are 5-2 in games decided by five points or less...Army concludes its non-League schedule on Tuesday at Presbyterian, and opens Patriot League play on Saturday at Colgate at 2 p.m.

Bucknell The Bison dropped a pair of games during the week, losing at St. Bonaventure, 65-62, on Saturday and falling at home to Ohio, 53-47, on Wednesday...Justin Castleberry was Bucknell's leading scorer in both games, notching a career-high 22 against St. Bonaventure and 11 against Ohio...Bucknell led through most of the second half against the Bonnies, but twice failed to rebound a missed free throw and missed two free throws of their own in the final minute...Stephen Tyree scored a career-high 10 points in the game...,Bucknell led by one with 6:34 to play against Ohio, but the Bobcats countered with a 7-0 run to take the lead for good...Senior co-captain Darren Mastropaolo made his debut in the Bucknell lineup...Mastropaolo, who suffered a knee injury in a summer pickup game, finished with six points, one rebound and one assist in 18 minutes...Bucknell has a 5-9 record going into its Patriot League opener at home against Navy at 7 p.m. on Friday...The game will be shown on ESPNU...The Bison put their 35-game home winning streak against PL foes on the line.

Colgate Playing its first home game since Nov. 24, Colgate earned its second win in a row with a 70-62 triumph over Maine on Wednesday...Kyle Roemer led the way with 17 points, while Tim Pounds had 14 and Kendall Chones added 11...Chones made all five of his shots, while Pounds was 5-of-6...Colgate used a 7-0 run to build an eight-point lead early in the second half, and led by as many as 14 points down the stretch...The Raiders made 25-of-35 free throw attempts, including 22-of-30 in the second half....They held Maine without a field goal for a 10:50 stretch in the second half...This was only Colgate's fourth victory over the Black Bears in 21 meetings, and snapped a two-game losing streak in the series...Colgate's eight non-conference Division I victories are its most since equaling that number in 1992-93...Over the last four games, Alex Woodhouse has averaged 9.2 points per game and 7.7 rebounds. The Raiders travel to Harvard on Tuesday for their last contest before League play begins at home on Saturday at 2 p.m. against Army.

Holy Cross The Crusaders won a pair of games during the week, knocking off San Francisco, 67-63, in overtime on Saturday and recording a 65-62 triumph over Boston University on Wednesday...Adam May scored nine of the team's 12 points in overtime..The Crusaders fell behind, 61-55, in the extra session, but scored the next eight points to take the lead...After San Francisco tied the score at 63, May hit the eventual game-winning shot, then stole the ball and converted a fast-break layup to seal the win...Tim Clifford had 17 points in the game, while Pat Doherty added 16...Holy Cross is now 11-3 in overtime under Ralph Willard, including a 1-1 mark so far this season...Doherty led the team with a career-high 20 points in the win over Boston U...He scored five points during a 9-3 run that gave Holy Cross a 51-46 lead late in the second half....Clifford finished the night with 16 points, eight rebounds and six blocked shots, while Colin Cunningham added 16 points, four rebounds and three steals...The Crusaders improved to 5-0 at the Hart Center this year and have won 23 in a row overall at their home building...Holy Cross stays on the road for a pair of games this week....It visits Maryland in a game shown on Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic on Tuesday, and is at Lafayette in the Patriot League opener at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

Lafayette The Leopards dropped a pair of tough road contests, losing at Mississippi State, 77-53, on Saturday after falling at No. 13 Pittsburgh, 96-75, on Wednesday...Lafayette shot a season-low 26 percent from the floor against the Bulldogs..Bilal Abdullah led the Leopards with a season-high 21 points while Everest Schmidt chipped in with 10 points...The Leopards closed to within four points in the second half, but were done in by two big Mississippi State runs... Against Pittsburgh, Lafayette connected on a season-high 17 three-pointers, one off the school record and the most-ever against the Panthers...Matt Betley led the Leopards with a career-high 20 points, going a perfect 6-for-6 from behind the arc...The Leopards led by as many as seven points in the first half before leaving with the 41-39 advantage...Pitt used a 15-2 run midway through the second half to build its lead...The Leopards are 3-4 on their eight-game road trip, which concludes Wednesday at Princeton...They start Patriot League play on Saturday at 1 p.m. at home against Holy Cross.

Lehigh The Mountain Hawks capped a three-game week with a 68-49 win over Princeton on Sunday...They snapped a 23-game losing streak versus Princeton, defeating the Tigers for the first time since 1930...Zahir Carrington scored a career-high 27 points on 10-of-15 shooting in the win, while freshman Rob Keefer had a career-high 16...Carrington's 27 points were the most points scored by a non-guard at Lehigh since Jay Hipps netted 27 vs. Colgate on February 13, 1991..Keefer scored 14 first-half points as Lehigh built a 41-19 halftime lead...Earlier in the week, Lehigh fell at Penn State, 81-68, on Monday and lost to Columbia, 74-64, on Wednesday...It held a seven-point lead in the first half at Penn State, and was tied, 40-40, at halftime...Bryan White led the way with a career-high 23 points against Columbia...Lehigh is to 6-1 at home this season, but is 1-6 on the road...Lehigh enters league play with a .500 record for the first time since the 2003-04 season...It hosts American at 7 p.m. on Saturday in the first Patriot League contest of the year.

Navy The Midshipmen have now won four games in a row after beating Longwood, 73-55, on Saturday and knocking off NJIT, 84-55, on Wednesday...It is Navy's first four-game winning streak since Feb. 21 - March 4, 2001...The Navy defense held Longwood to shoot just 26.2 percent from the field, the lowest for an opponent since Army shot 25.6 percent on Feb. 28, 2004...The game was tied at 23 at halftime, but Navy started the second half with a 25-7 run and led by at least 11 the rest of the way...Greg Sprink had 21 points in the game, and recorded his sixth career double-double with 11 rebounds...Sprink needs just nine rebounds and two steals to become the second player in school history (Vernon Butler is the other) with 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 200 assists and 100 steals...Navy trailed for 19 seconds against Longwood. It was the first time during Navy's four-game winning streak that it trailed at any point... Kaleo Kina led the Mids with 23 points against NJIT, and scored 18 against Longwood...The Mids wrap up the non-League schedule at 7-8, and start the Patriot League season at Bucknell at 7 p.m. on Friday...The game can be seen on ESPNU.