Jan. 17, 2008

The Patriot League schedule is only a week old, but there are already key matchups on tap this weekend. Bucknell tries to stay undefeated in League play while Holy Cross looks for its first win when they meet on Friday in Worcester on ESPNU. On Saturday, Colgate is at American and Lafayette goes to Navy. The week wraps up on Sunday with Lehigh at Army.

Patriot League Men's Basketball Release - 1.17.08

Patriot League Notebook

Early-Season Showdowns on Tap

The names Bucknell and Holy Cross have been synonymous with success in Patriot League men's basketball for the past three seasons. The teams have combined to win the last three League championships, but they have started off the League schedule on opposite ends of the spectrum. The Bison try to move to 3-0 when they visit Holy Cross on Friday, while the Crusaders are in search of their first League victory after an 0-2 start. The game tips off at 9 p.m. and will be shown nationally on ESPNU. Saturday brings a pair of important contests. Colgate and American are both looking to move over .500 in League play when they match up at 2 p.m. in Washington. The nightcap has Lafayette traveling to Navy at 7 p.m., with the Leopards vying to remain perfect in Patriot League play and the Midshipmen trying to get above .500. The weekend concludes with Lehigh at Army on Sunday at 3 p.m. The Mountain Hawks are searching for their first win, while the Black Knights are playing to move to 2-1 in the League.

Some Wild Ones in Wednesday Action

If Wednesday's results are any indication, the 2008 Patriot League race is shaping up to be an unpredictable and exciting ride. Preseason favorite Holy Cross dropped its second League game and saw its 23-game home winning streak come to an end with a 53-39 loss against Army. Lafayette continued to prove its last-place preseason ranking wrong and won its fifth overtime game of the season in dramatic fashion with a 69-68 victory at Colgate. Bucknell has a share of first place with the Leopards after rallying from an 11-point halftime deficit at home to defeat American, 66-62. Navy got in the win column in League play with a 79-69 home victory against Lehigh. The Black Knights used a 20-4 run in the second half to take control of the game against Holy Cross. Lafayette won its NCAA-best fifth overtime game when Bilal Abdullah scored on a tip-in with 3.5 seconds to play against Colgate. Bucknell got the game-winning points on a jumper by Jason Vegotsky with 1:04 to play against American. Navy used a 26-10 run to close the game to overcome a six-point deficit and defeat Lehigh.

In the Spotlight

The Patriot League takes center stage on ESPNU again on Friday night, with the teams that have combined for the last three League titles renewing their rivalry. Bucknell travels to Holy Cross in a 9 p.m. tip that will be shown live on the network. Bucknell won the first ESPNU contest with an 85-77 win over Navy on Friday. The League schedule will feature six additional regular-season games on ESPNU and one on ESPN2, as well as the Championship game March 14 at 4:30 p.m. on ESPN2. Veteran broadcasters Bob Socci and John Feinstein will call the action on ESPNU. The game will be re-played at 1:30 a.m. on Saturday.

Watch and Listen to Patriot League Men's Hoops

With coverage on ESPNU, regional cable outlets and the Patriot League All-Access package, Patriot League men's basketball games are gaining more exposure than ever. Now, fans can also see highlights of the games and listen to audio interviews with Patriot League head coaches by clicking on the multimedia clips link at the sidebar of the men's basketball page at www.patriotleague.com. The page features mid-week and weekend highlights from games on Patriot League All-Access, with the package for mid-week games posted on Friday afternoon and the weekend games up on Tuesday afternoon. It also has the post-game wrapups of ESPNU broadcasts, and midseason audio interviews with Patriot League head coaches.

Working Overtime Again....and Again

Lafayette is getting pretty comfortable playing 45 minutes of basketball. When the Leopards defeated Colgate in the extra session on Wednesday, they improved to 5-0 in overtime this season. That made Lafayette the only team in NCAA Division I men's basketball to play five overtime games this season, and obviously the only team to win five games in the extra session. Seton Hall and Quinnipiac are the only other teams to even play in four overtime games, and just 10 additional squads have played in three OT contests. Seton Hall is the only one of that group to post three victories, which means Lafayette has more overtime wins on the road (four) than any one of the other 340 men's basketball teams has total. The overtime success is nothing new for the Leopards, who have won nine consecutive overtime contests since losing to Colgate in the 2004 Patriot League quarterfinals. The Leopards have won 12 consecutive regular-season overtime contests since falling to Holy Cross in 2002. The overtime success has helped Lafayette to an 11-6 overall record, which already gives it two more wins than the entire 2006-07 total of nine.

In Good Company

Navy's Greg Sprink moved into elite company when he pulled down his 500th career rebound in the Mids' win over Lehigh on Wednesday. Sprink became the 22nd player in Patriot League history to score 1,000 points and total 500 rebounds in his career. Sprink will move into even more exclusive real estate soon. He has 1,471 points and 509 rebounds in his career, and with 29 more points will become the seventh Patriot Leaguer of all-time with 1,500 points and 500 rebounds. He tops it off with an 83.4 career foul shooting percentage, which currently places sixth on the League's all-time list. Sprink became the fourth player in Navy history with 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 200 assists.

Non-League Success

With a 60-54 record and three games remaining, the Patriot League is assured of its best-ever non-League mark in the regular season. Patriot League teams have tied the record for total non-League victories, which was set at 60 just last season when the League finished an even 60-60 (60-59 regular season). With three non-League games remaining, the eight teams will finish at least three games over .500 in the 2007-08 regular season, which would top the best overall mark of 54-53 set in 2001 (54-52 in regular season). 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) did not 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. The Patriot League is one of three Mid-Major conferences (Missouri Valley, Horizon) with a winning non-League record. 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).

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.

Time to GET SIRIUS

The Patriot League has once again partnered with SIRIUS Satellite Radio to broadcast select men's basketball games for the 2007-08 season. The League has three games set for January's schedule, with Bucknell's visit to Holy Cross broadcast on Friday. The schedule began with Lafayette's 60-52 victory over Holy Cross in the Patriot League season opener on Saturday. The Bison's matchup at home against Colgate on Jan. 26 will wrap up the January schedule. All seven games of the 2008 Patriot League Men's Basketball Tournament will also be aired. In addition to the Patriot League package, Lehigh at Army (1/20) and Army at Navy (1/27) will be heard on SIRIUS via insitutional packages. The schedule of Patriot League games for February will be announced at a later date.

Patriot League Games

Bucknell (7-9, 2-0) at Holy Cross (9-6, 0-2), Friday, 9 p.m. (ESPNU)

Hart Center, Worcester, Mass.

Series: Bucknell, 25-20 Streak: Holy Cross, One Win Last Meeting: HC 74-66 (3.9.07)

Bucknell The Bison started Patriot League play with a 2-0 record for the fourth year in a row with a 66-62 victory over American on Wednesday ...It was their 13th consecutive regular-season Patriot League win, and 37th straight home victory over a League foe...Bucknell trailed by 11 points at halftime, but rallied in the second half...They opened the half with a 15-5 run...After falling behind by seven, the Bison took the lead with an 11-0 stretch late in the game...After American tied the score, Jason Vegotsky hit the game-winning jumper with 1:04 to play...Justin Castleberry sealed the win with six foul shots in the final 25 seconds...Castleberry led the team with 15 points, while John Griffin had 11...Darren Mastropaolo scored a season-high nine...Bucknell had a 17/6 assist to turnover ratio, recording its fewest turnovers in over a year...The Bison beat American for the eighth consecutive time...Bucknell has not lost a regular-season Patriot League game since falling at Holy Cross, 65-60, on Jan. 12, 2007...The Bison also lost at the Hart Center, 74-66, in the 2007 Patriot League Championship game...Bucknell beat Holy Cross in the title game in 2005 and 2006, winning in Worcester in 2005...Bucknell has a 6-3 mark in the series in the past three seasons.

Holy Cross The Crusaders fell to 0-2 in the Patriot League with a 53-39 loss to Army on Wednesday...They are 0-2 for the first time since 1998-99, when they dropped their first five games under then Head Coach Bill Raynor...The Crusaders also saw their 23-game home winning streak come to an end...The streak had been sixth-best nationally...The loss ended a 13-game winning streak against the Black Knights...The Crusaders held a 29-28 lead with 12 minutes to play, but were done in by a 20-4 run by Army...Tim Clifford had 13 points and eight rebounds in the loss, while Andrew Beinert added 12 points and Alex Vander Baan notched eight points and 10 rebounds..The Crusaders beat Bucknell twice at home last season, including a 74-66 victory in the Patriot League Championship...The teams have met in the past three League title games, and have squared off in the Patriot League Tournament in each of the last six seasons...They have split 18 meetings (9-9) in the past six years.

Colgate (9-7, 1-1) at American (9-8, 1-1), Saturday. 2 p.m.

Bender Arena, Washington, D.C.

Series: American, 12-3 Streak: American, Five Wins Last Meeting: American, 59-44 (2.28.07)

Colgate The Raiders lost a heartbreaker on Wednesday, falling at home in overtime to Lafayette, 69-68...Colgate rallied from a 10-point deficit with 6:08 to play, and sent the game to overtime on a layup by Kendall Chones with one second left...The overtime featured five lead changes and four ties before Colgate took a 68-67 lead with 22 seconds left on a pair of free throws by Peter Minchella...Lafayette won the game on a basket with 3.5 seconds remaining...Kyle Roemer and Daniel Waddy each had 16 points for the Raiders...Chones had nine points and seven rebounds...Colgate is 1-1 through two games in League play for the sixth year in a row...The Raiders will try to avoid falling to 1-2 for the fifth straight season when they visit American...Colgate has dropped the last five contests in the series, last winning at home in 2005...The Raiders have never won in seven trips to American since the Eagles joined the Patriot League in 2001-02.

American The Eagles could not hold an 11-point halftime lead in a 66-62 loss at Bucknell on Wednesday...They built the halftime edge behind 18 points from Garrison Carr, who went on to finish the game with a career-high 30...American lost the lead when Bucknell went on an 11-0 run late in the second half...The Eagles did come back to tie the score at 58 on a Nick Hendra jumper with 1:27 left before the Bison pulled away...Derrick Mercer was the only other Eagle in double figures, finishing with 12 points...American held a 37-22 edge on the boards...The Eagles played the last contest of a seven-game road trip, and finished up with a 3-4 mark...They play their first home game since Dec. 8 on Saturday against Colgate...The Eagles have a 7-0 record at home against Colgate since joining the Patriot League in 2001-02, and have won the last five contests in the series overall...American Head Coach Jeff Jones has a 12-2 record against the Raiders...The Eagles defeated Colgate, 59-44, at home in the quarterfinals of the 2007 Patriot League Tournament.

Lafayette (11-6, 2-0) At Navy (8-9, 1-1), Saturday, 7 p.m.

Alumni Hall, Annapolis, Md.

Series: Navy, 38-21 Streak: Navy, Three Wins Last Meeting: Navy, 70-63 (2.10.07)

Lafayette The Leopards moved to 5-0 in overtime this season with a 69-68 triumph at Colgate on Wednesday...They are 2-0 in the League for the first time since 2003-04, when they won the first seven League contests of the year...They technically also started 2-0 in 2004-05, with one of the victories coming later via a Lehigh forfeit...The Leopards earned the victory against Colgate when Bilal Abdullah tipped in a missed shot with 3.5 seconds remaining...There were four ties and five lead changes in the extra session...Lafayette scored 10 points in overtime, the fewest of its five games this season...Abdullah led the team with 18 points, hitting 7-of-11 field goals and all four three-pointers...Andrew Brown added 13, and all 11 Lafayette players to see action scored in the game...It was Lafayette's third consecutive win at Colgate, and fourth in the last five in the series overall...The Leopards have not beaten Navy since an 80-67 win on Jan. 14, 2006...They have dropped the last three games at Navy, with the last win on Feb. 1, 2004, finishing their 7-0 start in Patriot League action that season.

Navy The Mids evened their Patriot League record at 1-1 with a 79-69 victory over Lehigh on Wednesday...The win came six years to the day since Navy's last home victory against the Mountain Hawks (except for a forfeited win in 2005)...Navy's 1-1 start in Patriot League play is the first for the program since 2001-02...Navy trailed, 59-53, before closing the game on a 26-10 run...Chris Harris hit a trio of three-pointers in the run, giving the Mids the lead for good...He also helped seal the win with a three with 1:40 left to put Navy up seven...Greg Sprink had 26 points and 11 reounds in the game, and went over 500 rebounds (509) in his career...Sprink became the fourth player in school history with 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 200 assists...He was 14-of-15 at the line...Harris added 17 points, while Kaleo Kina had 15...The Mids look for their fourth win in a row in the series against Lafayette on Saturday...They have a three-game home winning streak in the series, and are 29-8 at home against the Leopards all-time...Head Coach Billy Lange has a 4-2 mark against Lafayette.

Lehigh (7-9, 0-2) at Army (8-8, 1-1), Sunday, 3 p.m.

Christl Arena, West Point, N.Y.

Series: Army, 56-26 Streak: Army, One Win Last Meeting: Army, 47-46 (2.28.07)

Lehigh The Mountain Hawks fell to 0-2 in Patriot League action for the first time since 1998-99 with a 79-69 loss at Navy on Wednesday...They used a 26-12 run in the second half to claim a 59-53 lead with just over eight minutes to play, but saw Navy come back with a 26-10 stretch to close the game...There were 11 ties and seven lead changes in the contest...Marquis Hall scored 20 points, his first 20-point game since November...Zahir Carrington added 14, while Bryan White scored 10 points and pulled down 11 reounds...The Mountain Hawks shot 43 percent from the field and made 15-of-19 foul shots...Lehigh has won four of its last five trips to Army, though a victory in 2005 was later forfeited...The Mountain Hawks lost to Army, 47-46, on a buzzer-beater in the quarterfinals of last year's Patriot League Tournament.

Army The Black Knights won one of their first two Patriot League games for the first time since 2002 and snapped a 13-game losing streak in the series against Holy Cross with a 53-39 win on Wednesday...They also put an end to the Crusaders' 23-game home winning streak...After Holy Cross took a 29-28 lead with 12:35 to play, Army answered with a 20-4 run to take command of the game...The Army defense forced 22 turnovers and limited the Crusaders to 33.3 percent shooting, including a 26.7-percent mark from long range...Army committed a season-low nine turnovers...Cleveland Richard led the team with a career-high 15 points, while Doug Williams and Jarell Brown each had 12...Williams scored all 12 of his points in the second half, while Brown had 10 of his 12 after halftime...Army's 39 points allowed was a season-low...The Black Knights have not allowed more than 52 points in any of their last three games...The Black Knights play their Patriot League home opener on Sunday...They snapped a four-game home losing streak to Lehigh with a 64-59 victory a year ago...Army also won at Lehigh, 47-46, in the 2007 Patriot League quarterfinals.