Feb. 8, 2010

Center Valley, Pa. - For the third time in the past seven sets of Patriot League men's basketball action, first place will be on the line for both teams in a League contest. This time the stakes are high at Lehigh, where the first-place Mountain Hawks will host Navy, tied for second, on Wednesday. Those two teams also accounted for Monday's weekly award winners after victories over the weekend. Navy's O.J. Avworo earned the Patriot League/Anaconda Player of the Week honor, while Lehigh's C.J. McCollum received his sixth Rookie of the Week award of the year.

Patriot League Men's Basketball Release - 2.8.10

Patriot League/Anaconda Player of the Week (Feb. 1-7)

O.J. Avworo, Navy Jr., G, 6'0, 200, Houston, Texas/Alief Elski
Avworo receives the Patriot League/Anaconda Player of the Week award for the first time after recording a double-double with a career-high 17 points and 10 assists in Navy's 81-79 win over Bucknell on Friday night. He made 5-of-8 shots, including his only three-pointer, and 6-of-11 free throws for his 17-point outing. Avworo had the 10 assist with just one turnover in 34 minutes of action to pace a Navy offense that made 13-of-25 three-point shots. He matched a career-high with 10 assists, and had his second straight double-double after recording 14 points and 10 assists in a victory over Colgate on Jan. 30. He became just the third player in school history with consecutive double-digit assist games, and the first-ever Navy player with a double-double of points and assists in consecutive games. He has scored in double figures in back-to-back games for the first time in his career. Avworo's 122 assists are the most for a Navy player since 1997, and his 5.5 per game average is in the top 30 in Division I. Avworo has just three turnovers with his 20 assists in the past two games. He is Navy's third different student-athlete to win the Player of the Week award this year, marking the first time since Lafayette in 2003-04 that three different players from one team have won the award in the same season.

Patriot League/Anaconda Rookie of the Week (Feb. 1-7)

C.J. McCollum, Lehigh Fr., G, 6'3, 165, Canton, Ohio/Glen Oak
McCollum earns his sixth Patriot League/Anaconda Rookie of the Week award, and fourth in the past five weeks, after posting his first-career double-double with 19 points and 13 rebounds to lead Lehigh past American, 77-65, on Saturday. The 13 rebounds marked a career high, and McCollum made 5-of-14 shots and 8-of-10 free throws in his 19-point afternoon. He made all six free throw attempts in the final two minutes as Lehigh iced the victory. He also had four assists and two steals with just two turnovers. The win moved Lehigh into sole possession of first place in the Patriot League, and snapped American's 20-game Patriot League home-winning streak. McCollum stands third in the Patriot League with 16.4 points per game for the year, and fourth in League play with 20.3 points per outing. He has scored in double figures 19 times this season, including the last 12 games where Lehigh has a 10-2 record. McCollum's six Rookie of the Week awards are tied for the fifth-most in Patriot League history, three off the record held by teammate Marquis Hall and Bucknell's Kevin Bettencourt (2002-06). Lehigh has claimed the last six Rookie of the Week honors, the second-longest stretch in League history and exceeded only by Hall's eight consecutive nods in 2006-07.

Honorable Mention Performances Last Week (Feb. 1-7)

Vlad Moldoveanu, American
Jr., F, 6'9, 215, Bucharest, Romania/St. John's College Moldoveanu had a game-high 24 points on 8-of-15 shooting and also pulled down six rebounds in a 77-65 loss to Lehigh Saturday.

Zahir Carrington, Lehigh Sr., F, 6'7, 220, Philadelphia, Pa./Masterman
Carrington led Lehigh with 20 points on 8-of-12 from the floor in a 77-65 win at American on Saturday.

Andrew Keister, Holy Cross Jr., F, 6'9, 235, Galloway, N.J./Absegami
Keister had his Patriot League-leading ninth double-double of the year with 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting and 10 rebounds in a 73-46 win over Lafayette on Saturday.

Cleveland Richard, Army Sr., G/F, 6'3, 196, Houston, Texas/Spring Westfield
Richard scored 17 points and pulled down six rebounds to help Army snap a three-game slide with a 63-49 win over Colgate on Sunday.

Patriot League Notebook

Lehigh Takes the Lead
Lehigh has moved into sole possession of first place in the Patriot League for the first time this season, as the Mountain Hawks went to American on Saturday afternoon and ended the Eagles' 20-game Patriot League home-winning streak with a 77-65 triumph. Lehigh has won by double digits in all six of its League victories. The Mountain Hawks took first place later in the day when Lafayette lost at Holy Cross, 73-46. Also over the weekend, Navy upended Bucknell, 81-79, at home on Friday and Army beat Colgate, 63-49, on Sunday at West Point. Navy and Lehigh swept the season series with their opponent, while the other two matchups were split.

First Place on the Line....Again
For the third time in the past seven sets of Patriot League action, first place will be on the line for both teams in a League contest. This time the stakes are high at Lehigh, where the first-place Mountain Hawks will host Navy, tied for second, on Wednesday. In previous matchups with first place on the line, Lafayette won at Navy, 90-77, on Jan. 16 and Lehigh defeated Lafayette at home, 75-57, a week later. If Navy wins, the Leopards can also claim a share of first place by beating Colgate. The other matchups will decide positioning in the standings, as Holy Cross and Army will break their tie for sixth place on Wednesday and Bucknell will visit American to get out of a fourth-place tie on Thursday on CBS College Sports Network.

Can Bison Bring a Close One to CBS College Sports Network?
None of the first four games shown on the CBS College Sports Network through the Patriot League package have been decided by single digits, but that can all change in the next two TV outings if the trends remain the same. That's because Bucknell will play on the network twice this week, at American on Thursday at 7 p.m. and at home against Holy Cross on Sunday at 2 p.m. Of the eight League games decided by five points or less this year, the Bison have been involved in six of them. That includes a 72-68 overtime win against American on Jan. 13, the fifth time in the past six meetings that the matchup was decided by four points or less.

Lehigh/Lafayette to be "Flexed" to CBS College Sports Network
The Patriot League announced the first "flex" game of the CBS College Sports Network package on Monday, and it will feature another rendition of the rivalry between League-leading Lehigh and second-place Lafayette from Easton on Feb. 21 at 2 p.m. Matchups pitting American at Holy Cross and Colgate at Bucknell will still be played in the same time slot, with Navy at Army on the network on Feb. 20 at 2 p.m. CBS College Sports Network is available through cable operators as well as on DIRECTV Channel 613 and Dish Network Channel 152. There will be another "flex" game on the final day of the regular season on Feb. 27 at 4 p.m., and one quarterfinal and semifinal game will also be broadcast on the network.

Home-court Advantage
Home court in the Patriot League is proving to be more important than anywhere else in the nation, as the 23-9 mark for home teams in League action is the highest winning percentage (.719) among all Division I conferences. The Northeast Conference is next with a .700 home winning percentage in league play. Home teams have won 16 of the past 20 Patriot League games after taking three of four over the weekend. The numbers could increase on Wednesday, with the Patriot League's top three home teams (Lehigh, Lafayette and Army) all hosting their contests.

Streak Snappers
When Lehigh ended American's 20-game Patriot League home-winning streak on Saturday, it wasn't the first time that the Mountain Hawks had ended a reign of home-court dominance by a Patriot League foe. In Head Coach Brett Reed's first season in 2008, the Mountain Hawks put an end to Bucknell's 38-game Patriot League home-winning streak with a 56-54 triumph on Jan. 30.

Seniors Making Their Mark in History
Lehigh senior guard Marquis Hall and Navy senior guard Chris Harris are solidfying spots among the elite Patriot League players of all time as their careers wind down. Hall recently became the first player in League history with more than 1,300 points and 500 assists in his career, and is on the verge of making that a 1,400/500 total. Harris is in the Patriot League record book for points, steals, three-pointers made and free-throw percentage, a group of records acheived only once before by Bucknell's Kevin Bettencourt (2002-06).

Lafayette Hoping to Avoid a Repeat
Lafayette has started the first eight games of Patriot League play in the exact same fashion it did in 2008. The Leopards are at 5-3 against the exact same schedule, posting the same wins and losses in each of the games. Lafayette hopes the similiarity ends there, as the Leopards slumped to a 6-8 finish in the League in 2008 and lost in the quarterfinal round after the hot start.

High-Scoring Action in League Play
Patriot League action has already included one 100-point outing, five 90+ point games and 11 80+ point games through just over half of the schedule. That dwarfs last year's totals of one 90-point game and four 80-point efforts. The individual scoring efforts have been much more plentiful as well. Patriot League players have scored 29 points or more 10 times in League action after nobody did it last year, and there have been seven 30-point efforts in League games. Eleven 30-point efforts have been put up for the season, including three by Colgate's Kyle Roemer and Navy's Chris Harris, after just four were recorded all of last year.

Not All That Close.....Most Of The Time
The weekend action featured games decided by 12, 14 and 27 points, and 19 of the 32 Patriot League games to date have been double-digit finishes. Of the 13 by less than 10 points, eight have been within five points or less. Bucknell has played in six of those eight games, with a 3-3 mark in the down-to-the-wire contests. Lehigh has been on the other end, with all six of its wins and seven of eight games overall decided by more than 10 points. The only close one for the Mountain Hawks: against Bucknell, of course, in an 81-76 overtime loss on Jan. 27.

Colgate's Roemer Goes Over 1,500
Colgate's Kyle Roemer recently became just the 19th player in Patriot League history to go over 1,500 career points. Roemer now occupies 18th place in League annals with 1,518 points. He became just the seventh player in Colgate history with 1,500 points, and first since Adonal Foyle with 1,500 points and 400 rebounds. Roemer is also just one off the Patriot League top ten for three-pointers made.

First-Year Success
While Hall, Harris and Roemer are three well-known veterans in the Patriot League, American's Vlad Moldoveanu and Lehigh's C.J. McCollum are becoming household names with huge first seasons. A transfer from George Mason, Moldoveanu is lighting up the League in his first go-round with the Eagles. His 22.9 points are the top mark in League action, and his 8.0 rebounds are third. Moldoveanu's 37-point effort against Navy on Jan. 27 was the highest in League play in two years. McCollum is fourth in League action with 20.3 points per game, and third for the entire season at 16.4.

Super Sophomores
Five of the top 10 and eight of the top 13 scorers in the Patriot League are sophomores. Colgate's Yaw Gyawu, Navy's Jordan Sugars, Holy Cross' R.J. Evans, Lafayette's Jim Mower and Army's Julian Simmons are all in the top 10 in scoring on the League leaderboard. Sugars, despite standing just 6-foot-3, is second in the League with 8.2 rebounds per game, with American's Stephen Lumpkins third in rebounds (7.8) and second in blocked shots (1.7) per contest. Sophomores hold four of the top six spots in three-point field goals per game and three-point field goal percentage.

Coaching Milestones
American's Jeff Jones earned his 300th career win on Jan. 23 against Holy Cross, after earlier recording his 150th win at the school. He's certainly not the only Patriot League coach with a milestone number this year. Lafayette Head Coach Fran O'Hanlon surpassed the 200-victory plateau and also became the Patriot League all-time leader in games coached. Colgate's Emmett Davis won his 150th career game and Navy' Billy Lange won his 75th at the school. Bucknell's Dave Paulsen recorded his 275th win.

Success Vs. NEC, Ivy League in Non-League Play
The Patriot League finished its non-League schedule with a 49-70 record, with 30 of the wins coming against rivals from the Northeast Conference and Ivy League. The Patriot League finished 17-7 against the NEC, and put up a 13-8 mark against the Ivy League.

Patriot League Games

Navy (11-12, 5-3) at Lehigh (15-8, 6-2)
Stabler Arena; Bethlehem, Pa. - Wednesday, 7 p.m.

Series Navy, 44-16 TV Service Electric 2 Sports
Streak Navy, One Win Last Meeting Navy, 94-83 (1.14.2010)
Last Lehigh Win 70-59 (2.11.2009) Last Five Games Navy, 4-1

Lehigh hosts Navy on Wednesday evening with first place on the line for both teams...The Mountain Hawks hold the top spot at 6-2 in League action, with the Mids at 5-3 and tied for second place with Lafayette...Navy is also going for a key tiebreaker edge over Lehigh by sweeping the season series, as the Mids earned a 94-83 victory in the first meeting at home on Jan. 14...Navy has had good luck in Bethlehem, with wins in the last three trips to Stabler Arena...The Mids have won five of the past six meetings in the series overall, with Lehigh's only win coming at Navy last season...The visiting team has won six of the past eight meetings...A 7-2 mark would extend Lehigh's best start since opening at 11-1 in 2006, while Navy has not been 6-3 in League play since finishing 9-3 in 2001.

Navy The Mids are in a tie for second place in the Patriot League after knocking off Bucknell, 81-79, in Annapolis on Friday night...Navy has won two straight to improve to 11-12 overall and 5-3 in the League, tied for second place with Lafayette...The Mids defeated the Bison for the fourth straight time, sweeping the season series for the second consecutive year...The total difference in those four wins is just 10 points, with Navy winning by two points in each of the last three meetings...Navy took a 22-21 edge in matchups against Bucknell as Patriot League members, and evened the regular-season League meetings at 19-19...Navy was down one at halftime and tied with less than nine minutes to play before taking the lead for good with a 10-2 run...Bucknell cut it to two with less than a minute left, but the Mids answered with 3-of-4 free throws and never allowed Bucknell to have the ball in a one-possession game...O.J. Avworo tallied a double-double with 17 points and 10 assists, his second straight double-double involving those categories...Jordan Sugars had a double-double of his own with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Romeo Garcia had a game-high 20 points and Chris Harris totaled 18...The Mids made 13-of-25 three-pointers one game after hitting 15-of-25 against Colgate...The Mids had 19 assists and just nine turnovers, with Avworo committing just one turnover in his 10-assist night...Navy has played five home games in League play, and holds a 4-1 record in League action and 9-3 overall at Alumni Hall....The Mids play their next two games in the Lehigh Valley, with the stretch concluding at Lafayette on Saturday.

Lehigh The Mountain Hawks are in sole possession of first place in the Patriot League after going to snowy Washington, D.C. and ending American's 20-game Patriot League home-winning streak with a 77-65 triumph on Saturday...Lehigh is 15-8 overall and 6-2 in the Patriot League, with wins in 11 of its last 13 games...Lehigh swept the Eagles after being swept in each of the past two seasons...The Mountain Hawks tied the all-time series in overall (10-10) and regular-season (9-9) matchups as Patriot League members...The Mountain Hawks have their best record through eight League games since 2006...Lehigh put together big runs late in the first half and at the end of the game to earn the victory...The Mountain Hawks closed with a 9-0 run before halftime for a 30-27 lead at the break, then put together an 8-0 surge late to pull away from a five-point game with just over three minutes to play...Lehigh's top three players handled most of the scoring load, with Zahir Carrington leading the way with 20 points, C.J. McCollum scoring 19 and Marquis Hall tallying 18...McCollum also tallied his first-career double-double with a career-high 13 rebounds...Lehigh only turned the ball over seven times and made 52 percent of its shots in the second half...The Mountain Hawks also hit 5-of-8 three-pointers and 16-of-18 foul shots to score 47 points after the break...Lehigh held a 35-30 edge on the boards led by freshmen McCollum and Gabe Knutson, who just missed a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds...It's the second time under Head Coach Brett Reed that Lehigh has ended a League opponent's home win streak after the Mountain Hawks snapped Bucknell's 38-game win streak in 2008...Lehigh stays home Saturday to face Army.

Holy Cross (6-17, 3-5) at Army (13-9, 3-5)
Christl Arena; West Point, N.Y. - Wednesday, 7 p.m.

Series Holy Cross, 53-16
Streak Army, One Win Last Meeting Army, 67-64 (1.13.2010)
Last Holy Cross Win 62-59 (2.11.2009) Last Five Games Holy Cross, 3-2

Two teams trying to move up the Patriot League standings meet at West Point when Holy Cross visits Army on Wednesday...They are tied for sixth place at 3-5 in League action...The Black Knights have been dominant at home this year with a 9-1 mark, but they are trying to snap a seven-game home losing streak to the Crusaders...Army's last home victory over Holy Cross came in 2002...The Black Knights have lost 16 of 18 overall against the Crusaders, but will try to sweep the season series against Holy Cross for the first time ever after winning on the road, 67-64, at the Hart Center on Jan. 13...Holy Cross is in search of its first road victory in Patriot League action.

Holy Cross The Crusaders played their most complete game of the season, going up by double digits early and pulling away in the second half for a 73-46 win over Lafayette on Saturday...It was Holy Cross' seventh straight home win over the Leopards, and the teams split the season series...The Crusaders have played five of their first eight League games at home, and are 3-2 at the Hart Center in Patriot League play...The Crusaders took a 17-7 lead after seven minutes, and held a 36-26 edge at the break...Lafayette made it a seven-point game early in the second half, but Holy Cross put together a 13-0 stretch to put the game away and eventually open up the 27-point win...Holy Cross held a commanding 45-23 edge on the boards and made over 50 percent of its shots...Andrew Keister had a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while R.J. Evans scored 15 points and had a career-high six assists...The Crusaders limited Lafayette to 28 percent shooting and 6-for-30 from beyond the arc in the game...Holy Cross dished out 19 assists with just 13 turnovers...Andrew Beinert scored 10 points, while Eric Meister had eight points and 10 boards...The Crusaders are in the midst of a three-game road trip which continues at Bucknell on Sunday in a CBS College Sports Network televised game.

Army The Black Knights put together a dominating second-half performance to pull away from Colgate, 63-49, at West Point on Sunday...Army held a 34-20 advantage after the teams were tied at halftime...Army snapped a three-game losing skid overall, and a three-game slide against the Raiders as the teams split the season series...The teams went to halftime tied at 29, but Army opened the second half on a 13-3 run over six-plus minutes to take the lead for good...It was a double-digt advantage for the last 12 minutes of the game as Army limited Colgate to 32 percent shooting overall and 1-of-9 from three-point range in the second half...Cleveland Richard scored 17 points to lead the way for Army, while Julian Simmons scored 14... Army distributed its scoring well with four other players scoring six points...The Black Knights held a 41-27 advantage on the boards, with Eric Zastoupil leading the way with seven...Army forced 14 Colgate turnovers and held the Raiders to under 40 percent shooting for the game and 6-for-19 from three-point range... The Black Knights will play their final two road games of the year next, starting with a trip to Lehigh on Saturday.

Colgate (6-16, 2-6) at Lafayette (14-9, 5-3)
Kirby Sports Center; Easton, Pa. - Wednesday, 7 p.m.

Series Colgate, 45-39 TV RCN-4, WBPH-60 Streak Lafayette, One Win
Last Meeting Lafayette, 95-82 (1.13.2010) Last Colgate Win 71-54 (2.11.2009) Last Five Games Lafayette, 3-2

Colgate and Lafayette will each try to snap two-game losing skids when they meet in Easton on Wednesday night...Lafayette is going for the sweep of the season series after winning at Colgate, 95-82, on Jan. 13, but sweeps have been hard to come by in this matchup for the Leopards...In the past three seasons, Lafayette has won the first meeting between the schools only to lose the rematch...That stretch included road wins for Colgate in 2007 and 2008 and a 71-54 victory at home last season...Lafayette is trying to go 6-3 in League play for the first time since an 8-1 start in 2004, while a loss would give Colgate its worst nine-game mark since 2006.

Colgate The Raiders dropped the first game of the second half of the League schedule, as they were outscored 34-20 after halftime of a 63-49 defeat at Army on Sunday...Colgate saw its three-game win streak over the Black Knights come to an end, and the teams split the season series...The Raiders have dropped six of seven games since knocking off Army to open the League schedule on Jan. 9...The Raiders have still won 10 of the last 12 against the Black Knights...The game was tied at halftime, but Colgate was outscored 13-3 to start the second half and trailed by double digits the rest of the way...Kyle Roemer led Colgate with 17 points, while Yaw Gyawu scored 13 and Ben Jonson added 10...Colgate shot just 32 percent and was 1-for-9 from three-point range in the second half...The Raiders return home for two games starting with American on Saturday.

Lafayette The Leopards had their lowest scoring output of the season in a 73-46 loss at Holy Cross on Saturday...Lafayette has dropped two straight and three of its last four games after a 4-0 start in League play...The teams split the season series, but Lafayette lost at Holy Cross for the seventh straight time...Lafayette trailed by double digits early on...The Leopards closed to seven early in the second half, but Holy Cross scored 13 straight points to put the game away...Lafayette shot just 28 percent from the field and 6-of-30 from three-point range, and was outrebounded 45-23...Ryan Willen was the only Leopard to score in double figures with 14 points...Lafayette concludes a brief two-game homestand when it welcomes Navy on Saturday.

Bucknell (9-15, 4-4) at American (7-16, 4-4)
Bender Arena; Washington, D.C. - Thursday, 7 p.m.

Series Bucknell, 26-20 TV CBS College Sports Network Streak Bucknell, One Win
Last Meeting Bucknell, 72-68 (OT) (1.13.2010) Last American Win 52-50 (2.11.2009) Last Five Games American, 3-2

Bucknell and American meet in a CBS College Sports Network telecast in Washington on Thursday with a spot in the top half of the Patriot League standings on the line...The teams are tied for fourth place at 4-4 in League action, with each squad having a three-game win streak snapped over the weekend...Bucknell ended American's three-game series win streak in dramatic fashion on Jan. 13, as the Bison held off the Eagles, 72-68, in overtime...The last two and five of the past six matchups have been decided by four points or less...American has won the last two meetings at home...The Eagles are trying to get over .500 through nine games for the third straight year, while the Bison look to do it for the sixth time in seven seasons.

Bucknell The Bison saw their three-game winning streak come to an end with an 81-79 loss at Navy on Friday night...Bucknell fell to 9-15 overall and 4-4 in the League, good for a tie for fourth place with American...Seven of Bucknell's eight League games have been decided by single digits, including six by five points or less...Bucknell has been swept by Navy in each of the past two years, with a total difference in the four losses of only 10 points...Navy has won the last three meetings by two points apiece...Bucknell held a one-point lead at halftime, and the back-and-forth game was still tied with under nine minutes to play before Navy used a 10-2 run to go ahead for good...The Bison cut it to 76-74 with 50 seconds left on a three by Bryson Johnson, but never had possession with the chance to tie or take the lead down the stretch...Five players scored in double figures for the Bison, with G.W. Boon and Johnson sharing team honors with 16 points...Mike Muscala scored 15 points, while Joe Willman had 12 and Darryl Shazier tallied 10 while also dishing out six assists... After making 5-of-39 three-pointers in the past two games, the Bison hit 11-of-25 from beyond the arc on Friday...Bucknell held a 41-32 advantage on the boards, and had 18 assists with 13 turnovers...The Bison start a three-game homestand against Holy Cross on Sunday on the CBS College Sports Network.

American The Eagles had their 20-game Patriot League home-winning streak snapped when Lehigh came to Bender Arena and emerged with a 77-65 victory on Saturday...American fell to 7-16 overall and 4-4 in the Patriot League, and into a fourth-place tie with Bucknell...The Eagles had their three-game winning streak snapped...American had a lead for most of the first half, but gave up the final nine points to trail by three at the break...The Eagles were within five with 3:20 left before Lehigh scored eight straight points to seal the win...Vlad Moldoveanu led all scorers with 24 points, and also shared the team lead with six rebounds...Joe Hill totaled a career-high 12 points, while Matthew Wilson had a career-high eight...American's second-leading scorer, Stephen Lumpkins, was held to four points and its third-leading scorer, Nick Hendra, did not play...The Eagles suffered their first home loss to a Patriot League team since Jan. 30, 2008 against Navy...American goes on the road to face Colgate on Saturday.