Nov. 18, 2008
Center Valley, Pa. - Patriot League men's basketball teams combined for a record 62 non-League wins last season, and they may be ready to challenge that mark again if the first four days of the season are any indication. Patriot League teams have a 9-4 record in their first 13 non-League games, with every squad except Bucknell already getting in the win column. Holy Cross and Lehigh are both off to 2-0 starts, while Colgate and Lafayette have won their only game to date.
Patriot League Men's Basketball Release - 11.18.08 
Patriot League/Anaconda Player of the Week (Nov. 10-16)
Zahir Carrington, Lehigh Jr., F, 6'7, 225, Philadelphia, Pa./ Masterman
Carrington had a big effort to lead Lehigh to a 79-62 victory in its season opener at St. Peter's on Saturday. The junior forward from Philadelphia finished with a team-high 21 points on 8-for-14 shooting from the field and 5-for-6 from the foul line. It was Carrington's third career game with 20 points or more. He also pulled in five rebounds and tallied a career-high four steals and a block to lead Lehigh to its first win in a road opener since the 1998-99 campaign. Carrington earns his first career Player of the Week award, and the first for a Lehigh student-athlete since the 2006-07 season.
Patriot League/Anaconda Rookie of the Week (Nov. 10-16)
R.J. Evans, Holy Cross Fr., G, 6'3, 200, Salem, Conn./Norwich Free Academy
Evans began his career in style to earn the first Rookie of the Week award of the season. He led the Crusaders with 15 points on 7-for-12 shooting in a 67-58 season-opening victory over Sacred Heart on Friday. Evans had the most points by a Holy Cross player in his collegiate debut since Torey Thomas scored 18 against Boston University on Nov. 22, 2003, and was also the first Crusader to lead the team in scoring in his first collegiate game since Thomas did it five years ago. Evans helped Holy Cross begin its season with a 2-0 mark by scoring 12 points in a 73-69 overtime victory against St. Joseph's on Sunday. Evans averaged 13.5 points and 2.5 rebounds in the two games.
Patriot League Notebook
Home Cooking
Home-court advantage has been a key reason for the early success for Patriot League schools. Patriot League teams are a perfect 6-0 at home thus far, a mark that includes a pair of wins for Holy Cross as well as triumphs for Lehigh, Army, Navy and American. Bucknell and Lafayette open their home schedule on Tuesday, while Colgate plays its home opener on Nov. 26. Home success could also lead to a good record this week, as six of the eight games from Tuesday-Friday will be played on the home court of the Patriot League team.
Kings of the East
Patriot League teams are off to the good start by beating up on teams from around the region. The Patriot League has a combined record of 9-1 against teams from the Ivy League, Atlantic 10, Northeast, Mid-Eastern Athletic and Metro Atlantic Athletic Conferences. That mark includes four wins against the Northeast Conference and two against the MEAC.
First in the Nation?
If Bucknell can beat Boston University on Tuesday, the Patriot League will become the first conference in the nation to have every one of its teams post a victory against a Division I opponent. Every team in the ACC, Big 12 and Western Athletic Conference already has a win, but none of those conferences can boast every team beating a Division I foe. Last year, the Patriot League was the first of 31 conferences to have every team record a road victory, and the second to have every squad record a win over a Division I opponent.
Holy Cross Off to Familiar Start....
Holy Cross may be the most impressive Patriot League squad through the first few days, as the Crusaders opened their season with two victories at home, including a 73-69 triumph in overtime over 2008 NCAA Tournament participant St. Joseph's. The Crusaders also knocked off Sacred Heart. The 2-0 record is nothing new for Holy Cross, which has won its first two contests for the sixth consecutive season. Holy Cross tries to move to 3-0 when it hosts Brown on Wednesday. The Crusaders have started 5-0 and 6-0 in the last two seasons.
But It's New Ground For Lehigh
While Holy Cross is in common territory, Lehigh's 2-0 start is the best for the program since 1997. And the Mountain Hawks have done it in dominating fashion. Lehigh recorded its first win in a road opener since the 1998-99 season with a 79-62 triumph at St. Peter's on Saturday, then opened the home schedule by taking down Delaware State, 76-58. The Mountain Hawks' final point totals were both higher than any other Patriot League team has reached this season. The Mountain Hawks go for a 3-0 start when they host Rider on Thursday.
Kina Reaches 1,000
It only took two games for another Patriot Leaguer to reach the 1,000-point mark in his career. Navy senior guard Kaleo Kina became the League's 65th 1,000-point scorer during the Mids' win over Howard on Sunday. He now has 1,008 points in his career. Kina became the 18th player in Navy history to reach the 1,000-point mark.
Patriot League Rated No. 15 by Rivals.com
Rivals.com believes the Patriot League has a chance to continue to stay strong in the conference ratings, as the organization ranked the League No. 15 in its listing of the 32 conferences coming into the 2008-09 season.
American at No. 23 in CollegeINsider.COm Mid-Major Top 25
American maintained the No. 23 ranking in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major top 25 released on Monday. The Eagles lost their season opener at No. 12/14 Oklahoma, but did bounce back to defeat St. Francis (Pa.) on Monday. Holy Cross moved into the receiving votes category of the poll after its wins against Sacred Heart and St. Joseph's.
46 Patriot League Games Already Set for Broadcast TV
The eight Patriot League men's basketball teams already have a combined 46 games set to appear on broadcast television. The television schedule is highlighted by the Patriot League's contract with the ESPN Networks. Six Patriot League men's basketball regular season games will be shown on ESPNU via the League's package. The Patriot League Men's Basketball Championship will be shown on ESPN2 at 4:45 p.m. on March 13. The men's television slate features 17 non-League games and 29 League contests, with games on ESPNU, Comcast Sports Net and the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN) among others in non-League action. The non-League television schedule opens up on Tuesday when Lafayette hosts Stony Brook in a game broadcast by the Lafayette Sports Network. In addition, American's contest at No. 12 Oklahoma on Friday will be streamed on the Internet on ESPN360.
Preseason Recognition For Eagles
American will try to defend its title in 2008-09, and a couple of major outlets already like what they see for the Eagles coming back. The Eagles are ranked No. 23 in the preseason College Insider.com Mid-Major top 25, where they were the only Patriot League team to earn a ranking. Senior guard Derrick Mercer was also honored by the organization, as he was named to the 2008-09 College Insider.com Mid-Major All-America team. Mercer was one of 25 selections to the squad. American has also been recognized as one of the top shooting teams in the country. After leading the Patriot League and ranking sixth nationally in three-point field-goal percentage last season, both The Sporting News and ESPN.com have high expectations for the Eagles' long-range ability in 2008-09. Mike DeCourcy of The Sporting News ranked the Eagles as the No. 2 shooting team in the country, behind only Notre Dame. And ESPN.com picked American senior guard Garrison Carr as the eighth-best three-point marksman in the nation. American was at No. 65 in the preseason rankings
Division I Games to Help RPI Rise Again?
In 2008-09, Patriot League teams will take on an all Division I slate for the second year in a row, and games against the likes of Oklahoma, Maryland, Syracuse, Georgetown, Wake Forest, Villanova and Washington will provide a chance for a marquee upset win. The Patriot League finished in 16th-place among 32 conferences (including Independents) in the final Collegiate Basketball News RPI Report last season, and was just .0004 out of the 15th position. That was a one-spot jump from the previous year, and the fourth consecutive year that the Patriot League improved its position. The jump was aided by an all Division I schedule and a League-record 62 non-League wins.
Patriot League All-Access
Watch the majority of Patriot League Men's and Women's Basketball regular-season League and tournament games on high-speed Broadband. For $9.95 a month, this cutting-edge technology takes your from your seat to the sideline with multi-camera coverage. Visit your school's website or www.PatriotLeague.com for more information.
2009 Patriot League Tournament
The Patriot League Tournament will once again be played on campus sites. The quarterfinal rounds are set for March 4, the semifinals will take place on March 8 and the Patriot League Championship will be decided on Friday, March 13.
Team Notebooks
American The Eagles are off to a 1-1 start on the season, falling, 83-54, at No. 12/14 Oklahoma on Friday before earning a 67-46 victory at home against St. Francis (Pa.) on Monday...Brian Gilmore led the Eagles with 16 points in the loss against the Sooners...Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year Garrison Carr lived up to the billing in the win against St. Francis (Pa.), scoring 28 points, including 19 in the second half, in the win...The 28 points are the most for a Patriot League player thus far this season...Gilmore had 13 in the game, while Derrick Mercer scored 11...The Eagles shot 24-for-44 (54.5 percent) from the field in the game...The Eagles forced 15 turnovers, including 11 steals, and limited St. Francis (Pa.) to 34.7 percent shooting...The Eagles start a four-game road trip by visiting Howard on Wednesday...American defeated the Bison, 66-54, last season...The Eagles are the second Patriot League team to face Howard, with Navy notching a victory over the Bison on Sunday...The road trip continues with games against Jacksonville, Stony Brook and Fairfield, all teams the Eagles faced at home last season...They beat Jacksonville and Stony Brook but lost to Fairfield last year.
Army The Black Knights opened the season in impressive fashion, recording a 63-48 victory at home against Dartmouth on Saturday...They fell to 1-1 with a 66-64, overtime loss at Quinnipiac on Monday...Army did not trail in the game against the Big Green, marking only the third time in the last 32 outings the Black Knights were never playing from behind...The Black Knights had 12 players score in the win against Dartmouth, led by a career-high 15 from Nathan Hedgecock...It was Hedgecock's first career game in double figures...The Black Knights won their season opener for just the second time in five years, and have now won two straight versus the Big Green after claiming a 59-56 win at home last season...The two squads will face each other again at Dartmouth on Jan. 3...Army fought back from a 14-point halftime deficit before falling in overtime at Quinnipiac...The Black Knights go on the road to face Long Island on Thursday...Army lost the matchup at home, 64-54, last season.
Bucknell The Bison fell to Maryland, 81-52, in the first game for Head Coach Dave Paulsen at Bucknell...Freshman Bryan Cohen had nine points, three rebounds, two steals, a block and an assist in his collegiate debut...Another freshman, Enoch Andoh, had eight points and seven rebounds in his first collegiate outing...Patrick Behan led the Bison with 12 points and nine rebounds...Paulsen makes his home debut when the Bison take on Boston University on Tuesday...The schools are meeting for only the second time in the series, with Bucknell claiming a 63-57 victory on Dec. 28, 2005...Bucknell is trying to win its home opener for the fourth time in the last five years...Last season, the Bison defeated Albany in the home opener...Boston University is the preseason favorite in the America East.
Colgate The Raiders won their season opener in dramatic fashion, as Mike Venezia's buzzer-beater lifted Colgate to a 58-57 victory at Central Connecticut State on Monday...The Raiders trailed, 57-53, with 1:02 left, but came back on a basket by Venezia and free throw by Ben Jonson to set up the game-winning shot...Willie Morse led the Raiders with 12 points, while Venezia had 10 and Alex Woodhouse notched eight points and 10 rebounds...The Raiders are back in action when they travel to Dartmouth on Saturday...The Big Green won at Colgate, 81-76, last season...Colgate opens its home schedule on Nov. 26 against Kennesaw State.
Holy Cross The Crusaders got their season off to a fast start at home, knocking off Sacred Heart, 67-58, on Friday and taking down St. Joseph's, 73-69, in overtime on Sunday...They are 2-0 for the sixth year in a row...The Crusaders won their second all-time game against St. Joseph's, and their second in as many seasons after winning in Philadelphia last year...Holy Cross rallied from 12 points down in the second half to force overtime...The Crusaders then scored the first seven points of overtime to take command...Adam May had 15 points, seven rebounds and four assists against the Hawks...It was the first time in his career that May led the Crusaders in scoring...Alex Vander Baan had his third career double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds...Eric Meister had a double-double against Sacred Heart with 11 points and 11 rebounds...Freshman R.J. Evans led the way with 15 points against Sacred Heart...It was the most points by a Holy Cross player in his collegiate debut since Torey Thomas scored 18 against Boston University on Nov. 22, 2003...The total also made Evans the first Crusader to lead the team in scoring in his first collegiate game since Thomas...Holy Cross plays the final contest of a season-opening three-game homestand on Wednesday against Brown...Holy Cross is 42-16 all-time against Brown, and has won the last six meetings...The teams last played in the 2005-06 season, a 64-41 Holy Cross win in Worcester...A four-game road trip follows the home matchup with the Bears, beginning on Saturday at Northeastern.
Lafayette The Leopards earned a victory in their season opener with a 73-67 triumph at Wagner on Friday...· Lafayette won its first season opener since the 2004-05 season, after losing at home to Wagner to open the 2007-08 campaign...Andrew Brown led the way with 22 points, the first time he topped the 20-point mark since Feb. 2, 2008 against American...The Leopards play the first of three straight home games against Stony Brook on Tuesday...Lafayette defeated Stony Brook, 76-68, in overtime last season...It was one of the Leopards' NCAA record five overtime road victories...The homestand continues as Lafayette faces Temple on Friday and Rider on Sunday.
Lehigh Lehigh is off to a 2-0 start for the first time since 1997, after winning at St. Peter's, 79-62, to open the season on Saturday and knocking off Delaware State, 76-58, in the home opener on Monday...The victory over St. Peter's was the first in a road opener for the Mountain Hawks since 1998-99...Zahir Carrington led Lehigh with 21 points against the Peacocks while pulling down five rebounds with a career-high four assists...It was his third career game with 20 points or more...Lehigh placed four players in double figures against the Peacocks for the first time since February 10, 2008 at American...The Mountain Hawks then accomplished the same feat in the win over Delaware State, with Marquis Hall scoring a team-high 16 points to pace four players in double digits...Phil Anderson scored 13 points, while Carrington and Rob Keefer added 10...The Mountain Hawks shot 51.8 percent in the game, and hit 10-of-20 three-pointers...Lehigh's point totals are higher than any other Patriot League team has scored this season....Lehigh is back home to face Rider on Thursday...It is the first meeting between the schools since 1989.
Navy The Mids split their first two games, losing the opener at Towson, 86-68, on Friday before taking the home opener against Howard, 66-55, on Sunday...The Mids had the opposite result against the two schools last season...They are 1-1 for the third straight year...Navy ended the victory against Howard on a 20-4 run to overcome a five-point deficit...Chris Harris scored 22 points to lead the Mids past Howard...He has hit three-pointers in each of the games this season, pushing his school-record streak to 23 consecutive games with at least one trey...Freshman Jordan Sugars got off to a good start with 17 points, eight rebounds, one block and one steal in just 29 mintues of action over the first two games...He had 12 points and six rebounds in the win over Howard...He gave Navy the lead for good against the Bison with his third three-pointer of the game with 6:34 left to make it 57-54...Kaleo Kina became the 18th player in Navy history and 65th Patriot Leaguer with 1,000 career points, and now has 1,008 in his time in Annapolis...Navy is at home against St. Francis (N.Y.) on Tuesday..The Mids won the matchup on the road, 85-83, last season.
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