Feb. 26, 2010

Center Valley, Pa. - It's the final Saturday of the regular season, yet there's still plenty to be decided before the 2010 Patriot League Men's Basketball Tournament begins with the quarterfinal round on Wednesday.

Patriot League Men's Basketball Weekend Preview - 2.26.10

All four of Saturday's games carry implications for the top seeds in the Patriot League Tournament, with no team locked into its seed at this point. Three of the games will be played simultaneously at 4 p.m., with Lafayette at American on the CBS College Sports Network while Navy visits Colgate and Bucknell goes to Army. The schedule wraps up in the evening in Bethlehem, where Lehigh may need a victory over Holy Cross to clinch its first No. 1 seed in the League Tournament since 2004.

Going into the weekend, Lehigh leads the Patriot League at 9-4 and has already clinched at least a share of the regular-season title. Lafayette and Bucknell are tied for second place at 8-5, followed by Navy at 7-6. American comes in at 6-7, with Colgate and Holy Cross at 5-8 and Army holding a 4-9 record.

The biggest prizes at stake Saturday are the top seed in the League Tournament and final hosting spot in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. Lehigh, Lafayette and Bucknell have all locked up home dates for the quarterfinals. The Mountain Hawks will claim the No. 1 seed in the field with a win over Holy Cross, which would also give them the outright regular-season crown for the first time. Lehigh can also clinch the spot with losses by Lafayette and Bucknell, and most likely just needs a loss by the Leopards. Lafayette claims the No. 1 seed with a win and a Lehigh loss, and takes the No. 2 just by winning. Bucknell is unlikely to get the No. 1 spot but can still get a share of the regular-season title with a win and a Lehigh loss. The No. 1 seed in the Patriot League Tournament is guaranteed of a postseason berth, going to the NIT if they do not win the League title.

Navy and American will each play for the fourth and final hosting spot in the League quarterfinals. The Mids are in the position now, and need a win at Colgate or an American loss to Lafayette to seal at least the No. 4 position. American needs a victory and a Navy loss to take the No. 4 spot. Colgate, Holy Cross and Army have been eliminated from a chance to reach the top four, but can all improve their spot with a win and some help.

The Patriot League Tournament begins on Wednesday with the quarterfinal round. The entire Tournament is played on campus sites at the higher seed, and will continue with the semifinals on March 7 and Championship on March 12 at 4:45 p.m. on ESPN2.

Patriot League Notebook

Quarterfinal Tickets Now Available
Lehigh, Lafayette and Bucknell have all clinched home dates in the Patriot League quarterfinals on Wednesday, and each school has put tickets on sale for their contests. Ticket prices for the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds of the League Tournament are set at $12 for adults and $6 for senior citizens and students. Each school will tip off its contest at 7 p.m., with the fourth and final quarterfinal host determined on Saturday with Navy and American still in the mix for the position. Visit www.patriotleague.org for more information on purchasing quarterfinal tickets, or go to each school's website.

Television, All-Access Coverage for Patriot League Tournament
Every round of the 2010 Patriot League Tournament will feature at least one televised game, with quarterfinal and semifinal games on the CBS College Sports Network and the League Championship on ESPN2 on March 12 at 4:45 p.m. CBS College Sports Network will show a quarterfinal game at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, and a semifinal at 8 p.m. on March 7. CBS College Sports Network is available through cable operators as well as on DIRECTV Channel 613 and Dish Network Channel 152. Games that are not on CBS College Sports Network or ESPN2 will be available through the Patriot League All-Access package.

Lehigh Wins First-Place Showdown Over Bucknell
Lehigh got the inside track to the top seed in the Patriot League Tournament with a convincing 81-59 win at home against Bucknell in a matchup of first-place teams. Lafayette sealed its quarterfinal home contest with an 80-54 win at Army, while American and Navy come down to the last day for the No. 4 seed after the Eagles won in double overtime in Annapolis, 80-77. Colgate won at Holy Cross, 79-74 in overtime to wrap up Wednesday's slate.

McCollum Sets Patriot League Freshman Scoring Mark
Lehigh's C.J. McCollum has made quite a name for himself in his first campaign in Bethlehem, and on Wednesday he eclipsed a record set by the most recognizable name to play Patriot League basketball. McCollum scored 29 points in the win over Bucknell, giving him 516 for the season and breaking the Patriot League freshman scoring record of 509 held by Colgate's Adonal Foyle (1994-95). McCollum is now within 31 points of breaking the Lehigh freshman mark of 546 set by Darren Queenan in 1984-85. McCollum could be zeroing in on an All-Patriot League selection, which would make him just the third freshman to receive that honor. His eight Rookie of the Week awards are one shy of the League record.

Home Court Even More Important for Top Teams
Home teams are 35-17 in League action, and the Patriot League is the only conference in the country where each squad is at .500 or better at home in League action. If Colgate and Army win on Saturday, each team will finish with a winning home mark in League games. But the home court has been especially important for the teams that will be hosting in the Patriot League Tournament. The top five teams in the standings are a combined 25-8 at home in Patriot League games. Bucknell finished its home slate with a 6-1 mark, while Lehigh is 5-1 entering Saturday's finale against Holy Cross. Navy and Lafayette each finished at 5-2 at home, while American is 4-2 going into Saturday's game.

Which Team Will Keep Hosting Streak Alive?
Lehigh, Lafayette and Bucknell have all clinched home games in the Patriot League quarterfinals on Wednesday after starting on the road last year. The last quarterfinal host will be more familiar with starting the League Tournament at home. Navy hosted quarterfinal games in 2008 and 2009, while American has hosted in the round each of the last three seasons. The results have been mixed, with Navy losing in the past two seasons and American winning in all three of their years. Lehigh and Bucknell are each pretty familiar with hosting in the League Tournament, and also have mixed results. The Mountain Hawks lost their quarterfinal home games in 2007 and 2008, while the Bison went 7-0 in home Tournament games from 2005-2007 and won the 2006 League Championship at home against Holy Cross. Bucknell has not dropped a League Tournament game at home since falling to Holy Cross in the 1993 title contest. Lafayette is not as familiar with hosting in the Patriot League Tournament; the Leopards are going to be playing a Tournament home game for the first time since beating Navy for the League Championship in 2000.

Best Seasons in a While in the Lehigh Valley
At 18-10 and 9-4 in the Patriot League, Lehigh has already won its most overall and League games since going 19-12 and 11-3 in the League in 2006. The Mountain Hawks can match their 2006 total on Saturday, which would be their highest win total since going 20-11 in their League Championship season in 2004. Lafayette already has its most overall and Patriot League wins since 2004, and can match the win totals fromthat 18-10 overall and 9-5 Patriot League season by beating American on Sunday.

Turning their Season Around
After losing a tough game at Lafayette on Jan. 20, Bucknell fell to 1-3 in the Patriot League and just 6-14 for the season. As grim as the outlook may have looked at the time, the Bison have quickly recovered with four wins in their lastfive games and seven in their last nine overall. Bucknell had at least a 19-point lead in each of its last four straight wins before losing at Lehigh on Wednesday. The Bison have clinched their first above .500 season in the League since going 13-1 in 2007.

Continued Patriot League Success for Mids, Eagles
After finishing with a losing Patriot League mark for six straight seasons from 2002 through 2007, Navy has already clinched at least a .500 record in League play at 7-6, and can record its third straight winning League campaign by beating Colgate on Saturday. American has never suffered a losing record in its first eight years in the Patriot League, and would like to make that nine in a row by beating Lafayette on Saturday to finish 7-7 in League play.

Marquis Player.....and Student
Lehigh senior guard Marquis Hall is the only Patriot Leaguer to ever record 1,400 points and 500 assists in his career, and is up to second in League annals with 532 assists. But Hall's accolades extend beyond the court, too. He is one of 10 finalists for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award in men's basketball, which honors notable achievements in four areas of excellence - classroom, character, community and competition. Fans can vote for Hall once per day at http://www.seniorclassaward.com/athletes/marquis_hall. Hall won the Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year award last season.

O'Hanlon Goes for 100th Patriot League Win
Lafayette Head Coach Fran O'Hanlon has already notched some nice accolades this year. He won his 200th game overall, and became the all-time Patriot League leader in overall and League games coached. On Saturday, O'Hanlon can become only the second coach in League annals to record 100 wins in Patriot League games. Former Bucknell Head Coach Pat Flannery won 126 League games, the only person to top O'Hanlon's total.

High-Scoring Action in League Play
Patriot League action has already included one 100-point outing, seven 90+ point games and 21 80+ point games this season. 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 15 times in League action after nobody did it last year, and there have been 11 30-point efforts in League games and now even a 40-point performance by Navy's Chris Harris. There have been 15 30-point efforts for the season, including five by Harris, after a total of four last year.

Patriot League Games

Holy Cross (8-20, 5-8) at Lehigh (18-10, 9-4)
Stabler Arena; Bethlehem, Pa. - Saturday, 7:30 p.m.

Series Holy Cross, 33-12 TV Service Electric 2 Sports
Streak Lehigh, One Win Last Meeting Lehigh, 78-60 (1.31.2010)
Last Holy Cross Win 64-49 (2.28.2009) Last Five Games Holy Cross, 3-2

Lehigh tries to lock up the No. 1 seed in the Patriot League Tournament and claim sole possession of the regular season title for the first time when it hosts Holy Cross in the season finale on Saturday evening...The Mountain Hawks have already clinched a share of the regular-season title for just the second time, and first since 2004...They are attempting to earn the No. 1 seed for the second time overall and first since that season...Lehigh tries to sweep the Crusaders for the first time since 1998, which had been the last season they won at Holy Cross until a 78-60 triumph in Worcester on Jan. 31...Lehigh is trying to match its highest overall win total since going 20-11 in the Patriot League Championship season of 2004...The Mountain Hawks also won 19 games in 2006, when they finished 11-3 in the Patriot League...Holy Cross will be on the road for the Patriot League Tournament quarterfinals on Wednesday, but can claim as high as the No. 5 seed with a victory and help from other matchups.

Holy Cross The Crusaders lost their home finale in heartbreaking fashion, as Colgate pulled out a 79-74 overtime win in Worcester on Wednesday...Holy Cross fell to 8-20 overall and 5-8 in the Patriot League, and was swept in the season series by Colgate...The teams are tied for sixth place...Holy Cross took a 50-42 lead with 12:06 to play, but saw Colgate rally to eventually force overtime...Holy Cross went up 64-63 with 17 seconds left on an Andrew Keister free throw before the Raiders tied it at the line...Holy Cross never led in overtime, falling behind for good with 1:40 to play...Keister posted his third-straight double-double, and 12th on the season, with 17 points and 10 rebounds...Andrew Beinert also had a double-double with 15 points and 10 of the team's 20 assists...Mike Cavataio scored a team-high 19 points on 9-of-11 shooting as Holy Cross played without top scorer R.J. Evans...The Crusaders made nearly 60 percent of their shots at 30-of-51, but were just 6-of-16 from three-point range and 8-of-16 at the line....Holy Cross will be on the road to start the Patriot League Tournament in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.

Lehigh The Mountain Hawks are guaranteed at least a share of the Patriot League regular-season title for the first time since 2004 and have the inside track to the No. 1 seed in the League Tournament after beating Bucknell, 81-59, in a first-place showdown on Wednesday at Stabler Arena...Lehigh improved to 18-10 overall and 9-4 in the Patriot League, one game ahead of second-place Lafayette and Bucknell...C.J. McCollum led Lehigh with 29 points, breaking the Patriot League freshman scoring record in the process...McCollum now has 516 points for the season, surpassing the Patriot League freshman record of 509 set by the most recognized player in League annals, Colgate's Adonal Foyle, in the 1994-95 season...McCollum made 8-of-16 shots, including 4-of-7 from three-point range, and 9-of-10 free throws while also leading the team with six rebounds and four assists...McCollum only scored two points in the first 18 minutes of the game, but Lehigh still built a 33-26 lead with the first half winding down....When McCollum heated up late in the first half and into the second, the Mountain Hawks began to pull away....He scored Lehigh's final nine points of the first half, leading the Mountain Hawks on a 9-1 run for a 42-27 lead at the break...He started the second half with a four-point play, and Lehigh held the lead at 15 points or more the rest of the way....Lehigh went up by as many as 27 before taking the 81-59 win....Lehigh's bench played a big role as well, with Prentice Small scoring 11 and John Adams totaling eight for a 29-17 advantage in bench scoring...The Mountain Hawks hit 60 percent of their first-half shots to build the lead, and made 52 percent for the game (27-of-52)...Lehigh had 15 assists and just 11 turnovers....The teams split the season series, with the home squad winning for the fifth straight meeting...Lehigh will host a Patriot League quarterfinal game at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at Stabler Arena.

Lafayette (17-11, 8-5) at American (9-19, 6-7)
Bender Arena; Washington, D.C. - Saturday, 4 p.m.

Series American, 25-16 TV CBS College Sports Network
Streak American, 11 Wins Last Meeting American, 76-66 (1.30.2010)
Last Lafayette Win 93-89 (OT) (2.19.2005) Last Five Games American, 5-0

Lafayette visits American on Saturday at 4 p.m. on the CBS College Sports Network in a contest that has important Patriot League Tournament seeding implications for both teams...The Leopards can guarantee the No. 2 seed in the field with a win, and would be No. 1 with a victory and a Lehigh loss...With a win and a Navy loss, two-time defending champion American would extend its League-leading streak of hosting a Patriot League quarterfinal game to four straight seasons...The Eagles have never finished below the top four seeds in the League Tournament...Lafayette is already guaranteed to host a League Tournament game for the first time since the 2000 Championship against Navy...American's 11-game winning streak over Lafayette is the longest in any Patriot League series...The mark was extended with the Eagles' 76-66 win at Lafayette on Jan. 30...The Ealges have scored at least 70 points in each of the 11 straight wins...Lafayette already has its most overall and League wins since 2004, and is trying to match the totals from that season of 18-10 overall and 9-5 in the Patriot League...It would also be Head Coach Fran O'Hanlon's 100th Patriot League win...American needs a win to avoid its first-ever below .500 Patriot League record.

Lafayette The Leopards earned their first Patriot League Tournament home game since 2000, and will be at least the No. 3 seed in the field, after beating Army, 80-54, on Wednesday at West Point...Lafayette won its second straight game and third in the past four outings to improve to 17-11 overall and 8-5 in the Patriot League...They locked up their first winning League mark since going 9-5 in 2004, a record they will try to match on Saturday...Lafayette won at Army and swept the Black Knights for the first time since 2006...Lights-out three-point shooting was again the difference for Lafayette, which made 14-of-27 from downtown after hitting 16-of-29 in a win over Lehigh on Sunday...Jim Mower did most of the damage by making 8-of-13 three-pointers for a 26-point night...Lafayette took the game over midway through the first half with a 20-3 run to open up a 39-23 edge...It was a 14-point game at the break, and Lafayette opened the second half on an 11-4 run to push the lead to 21...It never got closer than 15 points the rest of the way, with Lafayette leading by as many as 27 in the blowout win...Ryan Willen joined Mower in double figures with 15 points, while five other players scored five points or more...Jared Mintz had eight rebounds to lead a 32-27 advantage on the glass, and the Leopards dished out 17 assists in the game led by Michael Gruner with six...Lafayette will host their quarterfinal game on Wednesday at 7 p.m., hoping to hold the No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the field.

American The Eagles are still in the hunt to host a Patriot League Tournament quarterfinal game after coming back multiple times to defeat Navy, 80-77, in double overtime in Annapolis on Wednesday...American improves to 9-19 overall and 6-7 in the Patriot League, one game behind the Mids with a key sweep of the season series...It was their fourth straight win over Navy...American went up by 12 early in the second half, but was outscored 28-8 as Navy took a 58-50 lead with 5:25 to play...The Eagles responded with 12 straight points to take a 62-58 edge with 1:39 left, but Navy battled back to force the extra session...In the first overtime, Navy scored with 1.5 seconds left for a 72-70 lead, but American improbably responded with a full-court inbounds pass that Joe Hill caught on a deflection and scored at the buzzer to send the game to a second overtime...Navy scored the first five points of the second OT, but American tallied the last eight to notch the victory...Vlad Moldoveanu hit the game-winning layup with just 15 seconds left, and Navy missed a tying three at the buzzer...Stephen Lumpkins led the Eagles with a double-double of 21 points and 11 rebounds, while Moldoveanu scored 19 and Simon McCormack tallied 16...American made 29-of-37 free throws and held a 45-40 rebounding edge to help overcome a 1-for-16 night from beyond the arc...American made 11-of-16 free throws in the overtime sessions, including six in the second OT...The Eagles overcame 20 turnovers in the game...American hopes to host when the Patriot League quarterfinals begin Wednesday.

Navy (13-15, 7-6) at Colgate (9-18, 5-8)
Cotterell Court; Hamilton, N.Y. - Saturday, 4 p.m.

Series Colgate, 24-22
Streak Navy, One Win Last Meeting Navy, 100-91 (1.30.2010)
Last Colgate Win 64-59 (OT) (3.4.2009) Last Five Games Navy, 3-2

Navy tries to earn a home game in the Patriot League quarterfinals for the third straight year by recording a win at Colgate on Saturday...The Mids would also take the fourth seed and quarterfinal home game with an American loss...A victory would also give Navy an above .500 mark in the Patriot League for the third year in a row...The Mids are also trying to sweep the season series over the Raiders for the second straight year after knocking off Colgate, 100-91, in Annapolis on Jan. 30...Colgate's last win over Navy was a 64-59 overtime triumph in the Patriot League Tournament quarterfinals last year...Before last year's home loss, Colgate had won six straight meetings against the Mids at Cotterell Court...The Raiders can get as high as the No. 5 seed in the League Tournament with a win and some help.

Navy The Mids had multiple opportunities to clinch their third straight home game in the Patriot League quarterfinals on Wednesday against American, but could not put the Eagles away and fell, 80-77, in double overtime on Senior Day...Navy dropped to 13-15 overall and 7-6 in the Patriot League, one game ahead of the Eagles for fourth place and one behind Lafayette and Bucknell from second...Navy was swept in the season series by American for the second year in a row...The Mids rallied from a 12-point deficit with a 28-8 surge over 13 minutes to pull ahead, 58-50, with 5:25 to play...American answered with 12 straight points to claim a four-point lead, but O.J. Avworo tied the score at 63 on a three-point play with 20 seconds left to send it to overtime...Jordan Sugars hit what would appear to be a game-winning shot with 1.5 seconds left, but American executed a full-court inbounds play to force a second OT...Navy scored the first five points in the second overtime, but American notched the last eight to record the win...Chris Harris and Sugars combined for 55 of Navy's 75 points...Harris scored 30 while making 11-of-22 shots and 3-of-6 three-pointers...Sugars had a double-double of 25 points and 12 rebounds, making 8-of-16 shots and 6-of-10 three-pointers...Navy shot only 40 percent for the game and made 11-of-29 three-pointers...The Mids were hurt by 12-of-21 free-throw shooting...Navy can be between the No. 3 and No. 5 seed in the Patriot League Tournament beginning on Wednesday.

Colgate The Raiders earned yet another close victory, tying the score with less than one second to play and then defeating Holy Cross, 79-74, in overtime in Worcester on Wednesday...Colgate improved to 9-18 overall and 5-8 in the Patriot League, sweeping the Crusaders and tying them for sixth place in the standings...All five of Colgate's Patriot League victories have come by one point or in overtime...Colgate swept Holy Cross for the second time in the past three years...After leading for most of the first half, Colgate fell behind by eight midway through the second...They came back for a 61-60 lead with 2:07 left, then sent the game to overtime tied at 64 when Yaw Gyawu hit the second of two free throws with 0.7 seconds to play...Colgate never trailed in the extra session, taking the lead for good on a three-pointer by Kyle Roemer that made it 73-70 with 1:40 to play...The Raiders made all six free throws in the final 25 seconds to seal the win...Roemer paced Colgate with a double-double of 23 points and 12 rebounds, while Mitch Rolls scored 14 and Ben Jonson totaled 12....Colgate hit 4-of-6 shots and all six free throw attempts in overtime, and held a 37-25 rebounding edge against a Holy Cross team that leads the League in rebound margin...Colgate will be on the road for the quarterfinals of the Patriot League Tournament on Wednesday.

Bucknell (13-16, 8-5) at Army (14-13, 4-9)
Christl Arena; West Point, N.Y. - Saturday, 4 p.m.

Series Bucknell, 38-18
Streak Bucknell, One Win Last Meeting Bucknell, 55-48 (1.30.2010)
Last Army Win 70-53 (2.28.2009) Last Five Games Army, 4-1

Bucknell has already guaranteed a top four seed in the Patriot League Tournament, but can make sure of at least the No. 3 position by winning at Army on Saturday afternoon...The Bison will take the No. 2 seed with a win and a Lafayette loss...Bucknell ended Army's four-game series win streak with a 55-48 victory in Lewisburg on Jan. 30...Before that stretch, the Bison had won all 15 regular-season and Tournament meetings from 2002-2007...Bucknell has a 37-8 edge over Army in games played as Patriot League members...The Black Knights are trying to complete their home schedule with an 11-3 record, and guarantee a winning record overall for the first time as a Patriot League member...Army's last winning season came in a 16-13 finish in 1984-85.

Bucknell The Bison fell out of a first-place tie with Lehigh afer losing to the Mountain Hawks, 81-59, in Bethlehem on Wednesday...Though they can still tie for the regular-season title, the Bison do not have a realistic shot at the No. 1 overall seed in the League Tournament...The Bison fell to 13-16 overall and 8-5 in the Patriot League, and their four-game winning streak came to an end...Bucknell led in the early minutes, but fell behind four minutes into the game and never led again...Lehigh went up by 15 points at halftime and as many as 27 in the second half to cruise to the win in the first-place showdown...The teams split the season series for the second straight year, with the home team winning for the fifth straight time...A pair of freshmen led the Bison, as Mike Muscala scored 14 points and Bryson Johnson added 10...Muscala also pulled down a team-high nine rebounds...Bucknell made 50 percent of its shots in the first half, but hit just 32 percent after the break and finished under 40 percent overall...The Bison were 5-of-21 from beyond the arc, missing 16 of their last 19 attempts...The Bison had won four straight and seven of eight contests coming in....Bucknell will host a Patriot League quarterfinal game on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Army The Black Knights fell behind midway through the first half and could not recover in a 80-54 loss at home against Lafayette on Wednesday...Army fell to 14-13 overall and 4-9 in the Patriot League, and will be either the No. 7 or No. 8 seed in the League Tournament...Army lost for the seventh time in the past nine games, and was swept in the season series by Lafayette for the first time since 2006...Lafayette made 14-of-27 three-pointers in the game and built a 14-point lead at halftime before stretching the advantage as high as 27 in the second half...Tyrell Thompson led Army with 18 points, while Cleveland Richard scored 10...Army shot under 40 percent and made just 5-of-18 three-pointers...The Black Knights also had 18 turnovers but with just eight assists...Army will be on the road to start the Patriot League Tournament in the quarterfinal round on Wednesday.