March 5, 2003
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QUARTERFINAL GAME INFO.
Match Up: Lafayette (12-15, 6-8) vs. Colgate (14-14, 9-5)
Tip: 7:30 p.m. E.S.T.
Site: Upper Marlboro, Md.
Arena: Show Place Arena (5,800)
Series: Colgate leads, 37-31
Radio: WEST-AM 1400, www.lafayette.edu
Announcers: Dick Hammer, Carl Schumacher
SEMIFINAL GAME INFORMATION
Match Up: Lafayette/Colgate vs. Navy/American
Tip: 7:30 p.m. E.S.T.
Site: Upper Marlboro, Md.
Arena: Show Place Arena (5,800)
Radio: WEST-AM 1400, www.lafayette.edu
Announcers: Dick Hammer, Carl Schumacher
TV: Patriot League TV (DirecTV Channel 611)
Announcers: Bob Socci, John Feinstein
THE STORY LINE: The "fourth season" begins for Lafayette after finishing off non-conference play and two rounds of conference action. No. 6 seed Lafayette takes on No. 3 seed Colgate in the quarterfinal round of the Patriot League Tournament on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. The two teams split the season series with both games being decided by a total of six points. The quarterfinal and semifinal rounds are being held at a "neutral" site, the Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, Md, for the second year in a row.
IN THE TOURNAMENT: Lafayette is 9-10 in its 11 appearances in the Patriot League Tournament. The Leopards knocked Colgate out of the tournament in 2002 with a 74-71 decision, despite losing the two regular-season meetings. Lafayette then lost to American, 66-58, in the semifinals, when AU's Patrick Doctor scored 33 points.
BOMBING AWAY UNDER O'HANLON: Perimeter shooting has been a hallmark of Fran O'Hanlon's offenses. His squads have hit at least one three-pointer in every one of O'Hanlon's 228 games. In his 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. This season Lafayette needs just two three-pointers to hit 200. The Leopards are second in the conference in three-pointers per game (7.3).
DeBerry Named All-Patriot League Second Team Junior guard and team's leading scorer earns second team bid.
Lafayette junior guard Justin DeBerry (Tucson, Ariz./New Hampton) has been named to All-Patriot League Men's Basketball Second Team, it was announced on Wednesday.
The Leopard shooting guard has been the team's go-to player all season. DeBerry leads the team in scoring and was the Patriot League's leading scorer for the majority of the season before being overtaken on the last day of the regular season. He is averaging 16.3 points per game and has started all 27 contests for the Leopards.
DeBerry has twice been named Patriot League Player of the Week, scoring the honors on Dec. 23 after a 20-point performance in a win at Massachusetts and on Feb. 3 following a 29-point effort in a one-point win over American. He has led the team in scoring in 15 games this season and has reached double figures in scoring 23 times.
Only a junior, DeBerry has already had a significant impact on the Lafayette record books. DeBerry has 930 points and will have an entire season as a senior to become the 33rd player in Lafayette history to surpass the 1000-point plateau. He recently moved into fourth place in career three-point field goals at Lafayette with 149 and 16th place all-time in the Patriot League. DeBerry also ranks ninth in career three-point percentage. His 65 three-point field goals in 2002-03 are the fourth most in a single-season at Lafayette.
Lafayette finished the regular season 12-15 overall and 6-8 in Patriot League play. The Leopards travel to Upper Marlboro, Md. on Saturday where they will hold the No. 6 seed and will face Colgate. Lafayette split the regular-season series with the Raiders in a pair of a games that were decided by a total of six points. Tip is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at the Show Place Arena.
VERIZON HONORS FARRELL: Junior Mike Farrell has been named to the Verizon Academic All-District II Men's Basketball Team. One of just five student-athletes selected, Farrell leads the team and ranks third in the Patriot League in rebounding with 7.0 rpg. Farrell maintains a 3.29 GPA while majoring in American Studies. Nominees for the award must have a minimum GPA of 3.20 and be a starter or key reserve. The All-District II team is selected by a vote of CoSIDA membership in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Washington D.C. Each of the five selections has been placed on the national ballot from which the Verizon Academic All-America team will be selected on March 6.
COMING UP: If the Leopards are able to beat Colgate and advance to the semifinals, they will face either No. 2 seed American or No. 7 seed Navy. That semifinal round game will be played on Sunday at 7:30 p.m.
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 122-106, a mark that includes two 20-win seasons.
ABOUT COLGATE: Colgate enters today's contest riding a five-game winning streak in Patriot League action. The Raiders are 14-13 overall and 9-5 in the league, which left them in a second-place tie with American. Lafayette and Colgate split the two meetings this season, with each team winning on its home court.
Junior guard Mark Linebaugh leads the Colgate offense, averaging 12.8 ppg aand 3.9 rpg. His 79 percent free throw shooting also ranks first on the team. Joining Linebaugh in the backcourt are senior point guard Dave Hardy and fellow senior Tim Sullivan. Hardy contributes 9.8 ppg and doles out 4.3 apg, while Sullivan averages 6.8 ppg and 2.3 rpg.
In the frontcourt, junior forward Howard Blue is the Raiders' leading rebounder at 6.6 per game to go along with his 12.6 ppg. Linebaugh and Blue are tied for the team lead in steals with 33 apiece.
Sophomore forward Andrew Zidar rounds out the starting five and averages 7.9 ppg and 4.9 rpg.
Colgate is coached by Emmett Davis (St. Lawrence '81) who is in his fifth season with the Raiders. He has compiled a 71-69 career mark at Colgate.
UP THE CHARTS: Junior Justin DeBerry's third three-pointer at Navy on Feb. 27 moved him into sole possession of fourth place in career three-point field goals at Lafayette (149) and 16th place all-time in the Patriot League. He went ahead of Craig Kowadla '96 who had 147 career trifectas. 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. DeBerry ranks ninth in Lafayette career three-point percentage (.385).
PLEICK'S PASSING: Point guard Andrew Pleick has dished off 126 assists this season, a mark that ranks him 14th in single-season assists. If he reaches his average of 4.7 assists per game in the Patriot League Tournament, he will move into 11th place. Pleick has established new career highs three times this season with his best efforts coming against Cornell and Centenary when he had nine assists.
SENIOR STEPS UP: With the Lafayette offense sputtering at American, senior co-captain Andrew Pleick stepped to the forefront. He scored 20 points, grabbed seven rebounds and passed for four assists. He is the first player since Frank Barr to lead the team in points, rebounds and assists in a single-game. Barr did so on Dec. 6, 2000 when he had 15 points, 15 rebounds and four assists.
UPS AND DOWNS: 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's latest winning streak featured victories over American, Navy, Colgate and Army before Holy Cross snapped the four-game roll. That streak followed a four-game slide that included losses to Holy Cross, Lehigh and Ivy League-leading Penn.
THE STARTING FIVE: The Lafayette starting five has been on the floor significantly more than in recent seasons, playing an average of 31.6 minutes per game and 32.7 mpg in league play. Justin DeBerry, Winston Davis and Andrew Pleick have started all 27 games. Mike Farrell has started all but one game and center Rob Dill has started all but two games.
LEADING THE LEAGUE?: Junior Justin DeBerry has led the Patriot League in scoring for much of the season. He currently ranks second behind American's Steven Miles who has scored just three more points this season than DeBerry's 441. The last Lafayette player to lead the league in scoring at the conclusion of the season was Brian Ehlers '00 in 1998-99 (18.1 ppg) and 1999-00 (17.3 ppg).
IRON MIKE HITS 80: 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 26 of 27 games in this, his junior season. He has played in 83 straight games. THE HALF OF IT: Getting a strong start from the opening tap has been a key in Lafayette wins in 2002-03. Lafayette is 9-2 when leading at halftime, the losses coming against Holy Cross (1/18) after holding a five-point lead at intermission and at Navy (2/27) after leading 41-31.
DILL"Y" FROM THE BLOCK: Center Rob Dill is leading the Patriot League in blocks this season, averaging 1.8 blocks per game for 49 in 2002-03. He has knocked away a career-best six shots on two occasions this season, the most recent against Lehigh on Feb. 23.
INJURY REPORT: Sophomore Jamie Hughes joined classmate Eric Mugavero and freshman Miran Omanovic on the list of Lafayette players with season-ending injuries. Hughes suffered a navicular stress fracture in his left foot and is currently on crutches while also wearing a walking boot. Omanovic injured his ankle on Dec. 1 and will miss the rest of the season. Mugavero has been forced to miss the season due to a back injury. . 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 57 percent (107-187). Power forward Mike Farrell ranks fourth in the conference and second on the team at 55 percent (92-167).
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 9.7 points per game of the Leopards' 67.6 points per game. The Leopards did not get any points off the bench in wins over Massachusetts and Albany or in its first loss to Holy Cross.
PLAYING UP: Lafayette faced some formidable competition on its non-conference slate in 2002-03. The Leopards played teams from the Pac-10 (Arizona St.), Atlantic 10 (La Salle and UMass), CAA (Drexel) and the Ivy League (Penn and Princeton).
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 16 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 NOW A POTENT SCORING THREAT: Junior Winston Davis has emerged as one of the Leopards' top scorers. After averaging just 4.2 ppg in 2001-02, Davis is now contributing 13.5 ppg and he has led the Leopards in scoring in eight 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 263-113 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 went 9-5, having beaten Albany, Ursinus, Columbia, Centenary, American, Navy, Colgate, Army, Bucknell and Lehigh while losing to Drexel, Princeton, Holy Cross and Penn.
REBOUNDING BY COMMITTEE: Seven different players have led the team in rebounding over 27 games. Mike Farrell (6.7 rpg) has been the team's top rebounder 12 times while Rob Dill (5.4 rpg) has led the way six times, Jamie Hughes (2.6 rpg) twice and Andrei Capusan (2.7 rpg) once. In the backcourt, Andrew Pleick (4.4 rpg) has led the team three times while Justin DeBerry (3.5 rpg) and Winston Davis (4.6 rpg) have each led the team in rebounding twice.
ALL-TIME AT LAFAYETTE: In the 93 seasons of men's basketball at Lafayette College, the Leopards hold an overall record of 1132-981 (.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 in 2002-03, O'Hanlon has used just three starting lineups with only seven different players occupying starting positions. He had not made a starting lineup change in 20 games before Mike Farrell gave way to Drew Dawson on Senior Day against Lehigh (2/23).
PRESEASON POLL: Lafayette was picked to finish sixth in the Patriot League Preseason Poll which is where it did finish. The poll was voted on by the conference coaches and men's basketball sports information directors.
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.
FARRELL ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB: Junior 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 discusses the two senior members of the team and their individual contributions.
MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENDANCE PLEASE?: The Lafayette men's basketball program 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.
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 appeared on the Patriot League Television Network on Jan. 24 at Lehigh and Feb. 7 vs. Colgate. Those games were broadcasted on DirecTV, but just the Lehigh game was carried locally by WFMZ-TV 69.
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).
