Feb. 10, 2003

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GAME INFORMATION
Match Up:Lafayette (10-11, 4-4) vs. Army (5-15, 0-8)
Tip: 7:00 p.m. E.S.T.
Site: Easton, Pa.
Arena: Kirby Sports Center (3,500)
Series: Lafayette leads, 25-18
Radio: WEST-AM 1400, www.lafayette.edu
Commentators: Dick Hammer, Carl Schumacher
TV: Lafayette Sports Network (RCN-4, WBPH-60)
Commentators: Gary Laubach (Play By Play),
John Feinstein (Color), Dan Mowdy (Sideline)

THE STORY LINE: Lafayette is on a three-game win streak, as it welcomes Army to Kirby Sports Center on Wednesday night. Lafayette is currently in a three-way tie with Bucknell and Colgate for fourth place in the Patriot League standings. Army comes in at 5-15 overall and is still searching for its first conference win of the season while currently holding an 0-8 in record Patriot League play. The Black Knights have lost their last five, three of which came at home. The five-game skid follows a quality win over Yale on Jan. 20.

THE STARTING FIVE: The Lafayette starting five has been on the floor significantly more than in recent seasons, playing an average of 31.3 minutes per game and 32.7 mpg in league play. Justin DeBerry, Winston Davis, Andrew Pleick, and Mike Farrell have started all 21 games. Center Rob Dill has started all but two games. Against Colgate, all five starters played over 30 minutes with Davis playing 39 and Pleick and DeBerry each logging 38.

UP AND DOWN: For Lafayette, 2002-03 has been a good example of the cliched "roller coaster" season. Lafayette opened the season with an 0-5 stint. The Leopards then rebounded to even their record with a five-game win streak that included a two-point win at Massachusetts. Lafayette is currently on a three-game win streak that began Jan. 31. That streak followed a four-game slide that included losses to the Patriot League frontrunner Holy Cross, conference surprise Lehigh and Ivy League-leading Penn.

LEADING THE LEAGUE: Junior Justin DeBerry is busy making his case for an All-Patriot League First Team selection. DeBerry is leading the conference in scoring with 16.5 ppg. The last Lafayette player to lead the league in scoring at the conclusion of the season was Brian Ehlers '00 who did so in 1998-99 (18.1 ppg) and 1990-2000 (17.3 ppg).

COMING UP: Lafayette makes its longest Patriot League trip of the season to Worcester, Mass. where the forecast calls for snow and a high of 30 degrees for a Saturday matchup with Patriot League frontrunner Holy Cross. The Leopards lost a six-point decision to the Crusaders on Jan. 18 at Kirby Sports Center.

ON THE SIDELINE: Head coach Fran O'Hanlon (Villanova, 1970) is in his eighth season as the Leopards' mentor. He has twice been named Patriot League Coach of the Year of Lafayette's non-scholarship program and lists two NCAA Tournament appearances and three Patriot League regular-season titles among his credentials. O'Hanlon's career record stands at 120-102, a mark that includes two 20-win seasons.

ABOUT ARMY: Army enters tonight's contest with a 5-15 overall record and 0-8 mark in Patriot League play. The Black Knights are the only winless team in the league and are looking to snap a five-game losing skid that includes an-eight point home loss to Holy Cross on Saturday.

Army is second in the conference in three-point field goal percentage (37%) but is last defending against the trifecta (37%).

Junior guard Andy Smith sparks the Black Knight offense with 11.2 points and and 2.7 rebounds per game. He also leads the team in three-point shooting at 47 percent. Classmate Sean O'Keefe joins Smith in the backcourt and scores 10.3 ppg while doling out 2.9 apg. His 23 steals lead the team.

In the frontcourt, Army has featured a trio of junior fowards in Josh Wilson (6.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg), Bill Mohr (5.7 ppg, 2.3 rpg) and Mike Dames (4.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg). Senior center Matt Collins (3.9, 2.1 rpg) is coming off a start vs. Holy Cross when he scored 15 points. He is one of 14 Army players that have played in 13 or more games. Army is coached by former Indiana assistant coach Jim Crews (Indiana '76). Prior to joining the Black Knights, Crews spent the previous 17 years as the head coach at Evansville, where he compiled a 294-209 record.

THE ALL-TIME SERIES: This is Lafayette's 44th series meeting with Army in the Leopards' 93 seasons of basketball. The Leopards hold a 25-18 advantage in the series. Lafayette won the first meeting between the two teams this season (see recap to left) and has been victorious in 12 out of the last 15 meetings... The first series meeting came on Feb. 3, 1926, in West Point, N.Y. (See complete series breakdown above)

IRON MIKE HITS 75: Despite having to deal with the daily physical challenges posed by diabetes, junior forward Mike Farrell has never missed a game in his three seasons on College Hill. Farrell played in 28 games and started four as a freshman, played in 29 games and started 28 as a sophomore and has started all 21 games in this, his junior season. His game against American was his 75th straight. Tonight's game will mark his 78th in a row.

THE HALF OF IT: Getting a strong start from the opening tap has been a key in Lafayette wins in 2002-03. Lafayette is 7-1 when leading at halftime, the lone loss coming against Holy Cross on Jan. 18 after holding a five-point lead at the intermission.

BOMBING AWAY UNDER O'HANLON: Perimeter shooting, specifically from three-point land, has been a hallmark of Fran O'Hanlon's offenses. O'Hanlon squads have hit at least one three-pointer in every one of O'Hanlon's 222 games. In O'Hanlon's first season, Lafayette connected for 201 three-pointers, surpassing the previous team record by 54 three's. Lafayette has since eclipsed the 200-three-pointer plateau in all but one of his eight seasons. The Leopards have set three new season marks, with the top one coming in 1999-00 when Lafayette dialed up long distance 249 times. Lafayette has 153 three-pointers this season and is averaging 7.3 three-pointers per game.

MOVIN' ON UP: Justin DeBerry continues his ascent up the career three-point charts at Lafayette. He has 136 career three's and recently passed Brian Burke '02 (127) and Andy Wescoe '90 (128) to move into fifth place all-time at Lafayette and 18th all-time in the Patriot League. Next on the college list is Craig Kowadla '96 with 147 career three's. Entering the season, DeBerry ranked sixth in career three-point percentage (.398). If he keeps on pace, DeBerry could move as high as second all-time, and would trail only Tyson Whitfield '01 who had 271 career three-pointers.

ACCURATE THREATS: Lafayette's post players have been deadly accurate this season. Starting center Rob Dill leads the team and the Patriot League in field goal percentage at 59 percent (90-153). Power forward Mike Farrell ranks fifth in conference and second on the team at 54 percent (69-129).

BENCH SCORING?...Not So Much: In 2002-03, head coach Fran O'Hanlon hasn't had the luxury of a deep bench that he has had in past seasons. The Lafayette bench is averaging 9.8 points per game of the Leopards' 68 points per game. Lafayette did not get any points off the bench in wins over Massachusetts and Albany or in its loss to Holy Cross.

DILL"Y" FROM THE BLOCK: Rob Dill swatted away a career-best five shots against Holy Cross on Jan. 18. More impressive than the total was the competition he was facing, the biggest front line in the conference, featuring a 6-10 center and 6-8 power forward in the starting lineup and 6-11 and 7-6 centers off the bench. He is currently averaging 1.6 blocks per game, second best in the conference.

ALL-TIME VS. THE PATRIOT LEAGUE: Lafayette has played 539 games against the seven members of the Patriot League, and has a 310-229 record in all games against them. In Patriot League play, Lafayette is 71-91 in the regular season and 9-10 in the Patriot League Tournament. Under Fran O'Hanlon, the Leopards are 56-38 in Patriot League regular-season play. Lafayette was 10-2 in 1997-98 and 1998-99, 11-1 in 1999-00, 4-8 in 2000-01, 8-6 in 2001-02 and is 4-4 this season.

American 14-10; Colgate 31-37; Lehigh 130-67; Army 25-18; Holy Cross 11-19; Navy 18-32; Bucknell 81-48

PLAYING UP: Lafayette has faced some formidable competition on its non-conference slate this season. The Leopards have played teams from the Pac-10 (Arizona St.), Atlantic 10 (La Salle and Massachusetts), CAA (Drexel) and the Ivy League (Penn and Princeton).

PLEICK'S PASSING: Senior point guard Andrew Pleick leads the team and is third in the Patriot League in assists per game. Pleick is averaging 4.5 assists per game and has established new career highs three times this season. His best efforts were nine-assist performances vs. Cornell and Centenary.

FARRELL POUNDING THE BOARDS: Mike Farrell has been doing the bulk of the work on the boards for Lafayette. He has managed to collect seven or more rebounds on 12 different occasions this season. The junior set a new career mark versus Drexel (12/3) when he ripped down 14 rebounds, nine defensive and five of the offensive variety. Farrell is currently averaging 6.7 rebounds per game.

DAVIS A SCORING THREAT IN HIS JUNIOR SEASON: Winston Davis has emerged as one of the Leopards' top scorers. After averaging just 4.2 ppg in 2001-02, Davis is now contributing 13.7 ppg and he has led the Leopards in scoring in seven games this season.

IN THE HOUSE THAT THE KIRBYS BUILT: Lafayette has enjoyed plenty of success in Kirby Sports Center. Since the building's inaugural season in 1973-74, the Leopards have posted a 261-112 record in 30 seasons. Twenty-three of those seasons have been winning campaigns. In 2001-02, Lafayette went 9-4 at Kirby. This season, Lafayette is 7-4, having beaten Albany, Ursinus, Columbia and Centenary, American, Navy and Colgate while losing to Drexel, Princeton, Holy Cross and Penn. The Leopards have three home games remaining on the 2002-03 ledger.

REBOUNDING BY COMMITTEE: Seven different players have led the team in rebounding over 20 games. Mike Farrell (6.7 rpg) has been the team's top rebounder nine times while Rob Dill (5.9 rpg) has led the way seven times, Jamie Hughes (2.6 rpg) twice and Andrei Capusan (2.5 rpg) once. In the backcourt, Andrew Pleick (4.2 rpg) has led the team in rebounding twice, while Winston Davis (4.7 rpg) and Justin DeBerry (3.0 rpg) have each led the team once.

INJURY REPORT (presented by Athletic Trainer Stephanie Conley): Freshman forward Miran Omanovic injured his ankle in practice on Dec. 1 in Arizona. X-rays revealed no fractures, but he was diagnosed with a severe sprain and had also suffered bone bruises. Omanovic has not practiced since and will likely miss the rest of the season. Sophomore guard Eric Mugavero, who was expected to see increased playing time this season, has been hobbled by severe lower back pain. He has been unable to practice since the season began and is out indefinitely.

ALL-TIME AT LAFAYETTE: In the 92 seasons of men's basketball at Lafayette College, the Leopards hold an overall record of 1130-977 (.536). Lafayette's first season of basketball was in 1900-01.

CO-CAPTAINS: Senior Andrew Pleick and junior Mike Farrell are serving as team captains for the 2002-03 season. Farrell is the first non-senior to serve as a captain since the 1997-98 season.

PROBABLE STARTERS: Fran O'Hanlon used nine different starting lineups in 2001-02 and 10 different players spent time in the opening five. By contrast, O'Hanlon has used just two starting lineups with only six different players occupying starting positions. He has not made a starting lineup change in 17 games. (see chart to right)

PRESEASON POLL: Lafayette has been picked to finish seventh in the Patriot League Preseason Poll. The poll, which is voted on by the conference coaches and men's basketball sports information directors, picked the Leopards to finish seventh in 2001-02 when Lafayette ended in a tie for third.

INTERNATIONAL FEEL: Lafayette has three players from foreign countries on the roster. Junior Rob Dill hails from Isernhagen, Germany. Freshman Andrei Capusan comes from Bucharest, Romania, home country of 2000 graduate Stefan Ciosici who was from Timisoara. Freshman Miran Omanovic is originally from Mostar, Bosnia. Both he and Capusan spent the 2001-02 academic year attending schools in the United States.

MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENDANCE PLEASE?: The Lafayette men's basketball program has led the Patriot League in home attendance the past five seasons. In 2001-02, Lafayette averaged 2,563 fans per home contest, welcoming nearly 300 more fans than any other school in the Patriot League.

LAFAYETTE ATHLETICS ON THE WEB: The quickest and most comprehensive source for information on Lafayette athletics is the world wide web. Go to www.lafayette.edu and click on "Sports." The athletics site is continuously updated with gameday press releases, schedules and results, rosters, statistics, player features, photos and more. On gameday, you can listen to the radio broadcast of all of Lafayette's men's basketball games and watch a live stats feed of home games.

POWER FORWARD TRANSFERS TO LAFAYETTE: Sean Knitter, who played two seasons at the University of Delaware, will join the Lafayette men's basketball program for the 2003-04 season. NCAA rules require that he sit out one season after transferring. The 6-8, 260-pound forward played in 23 games in 2001-02 and averaged 5.0 points and 3.0 rebounds per game on a 14-16 squad. As a freshman, Knitter played in 27 games (3.3 pts., 1.6 reb.) on a 20-10 squad. He will have two seasons of eligibility remaining when he joins the team. FARRELL ON TARGET: Mike Farrell was the Leopards' most solid inside player in 2001-02 and his shooting was evidence of that. The 6-8 power forward finished second in the Patriot League in field goal percentage in 2001-02, shooting at a 57 percent clip. This season, Farrell is shooting 54 percent from the floor.

FARRELL ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB: Mike Farrell is chronicling the 2002-03 season in his weekly journal on www.GoLeopards.com. Farrell runs down the season and gives insight into the life of a student-athlete. His latest journal entry runs down his top five most embarassing moments in basketball.

LAFAYETTE ON TELEVISION: For the fifth-straight season, Lafayette features the most expansive television package in the Patriot League. The Leopards have 13 games televised with the possible addition of three more television contests in the Patriot League Tournament. The Lafayette Sports Network will air 10 games to more than 9.1 million viewers in the Lehigh Valley, Pocono region and Philadelphia, central New Jersey, New York City and Boston. Locally the telecasts can be seen on RCN Cable channels 4 and 60, Service Electric Cable channel 51, Blue Ridge Cable channel 5 and broadcast channel 60. Lafayette appears on the Patriot League Television Network on Jan. 24 at Lehigh and on Feb. 7 vs. Colgate. Locally, those games will be broadcasted on WFMZ-TV 69. They will also be carried on DirecTV.

ON THE RADIO: Today's game can be heard live on WEST-AM 1400, the 66th year of broadcasting Lafayette Athletics. Dick Hammer is in his 35th year of calling the play-by-play for Lafayette men's basketball. Hammer is joined by Carl Schumacher at home games and select road contests by Phil LaBella (Lafayette Sports Information Coordinator) on the road.