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Quarterfinal Game Info.
Match Up: Lafayette (18-9, 9-5) vs. Colgate (14-13, 6-8)
Date: Saturday, March 6, 2004 Tip: 7:30 p.m. E.S.T.
Site: Upper Marlboro, Md.
Arena: Show Place Arena (5,800)
Series: Colgate leads, 38-33
Radio: WEST-AM 1400, www.lafayette.edu
Announcers: Dick Hammer, Phil LaBella
Semifinal Game Info.
Match Up: Lafayette/Colgate vs. American/Army
Date: Sunday, March 7 2004 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, Phil LaBella
TV: Patriot League TV (DirecTV Channel 615)
Announcers: Bob Socci, John Feinstein
THE STORY LINE: For the third and final season, the Patriot League Tournament will be held at the Show Place Arena, and for the third straight season, Lafayette will play Colgate in the opening round of the event. No. 3 seed Lafayette and No. 6 seed Colgate split the two regular-season meetings, with each team winning on its home floor. The Leopards have advanced to the semifinal round in each of the last two tournaments and six out of the eight tournaments during Fran O'Hanlon's tenure.
IN THE TOURNAMENT: Lafayette is 10-11 in its 12 appearances in the Patriot League Tournament. The Leopards have knocked Colgate out of the last two conference tourneys, registering an 89-76 win in 2003 and a 74-71 victory in 2002. The Leopards' tournament run came to an end in each of those seasons with losses to American in the semifinals.
FARRELL HONORED BY CoSIDA: For the second straight season, senior Mike Farrell has been named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District II Men's Basketball Team. In his second season as the team's captain, Farrell is one of just five student-athletes selected in District II. The All-Patriot League Second Team honoree leads the team and ranks third in the Patriot League in rebounding (5.7 rpg). He also is averaging 8.1 points and 2.2 assists per game. Farrell has amassed 557 career rebounds to rank 16th all-time at Lafayette. In the classroom, he holds a 3.33 GPA with an American Studies major. CoSIDA honorees must have a cumulative GPA of 3.20 or above and be a starter or key reserve. The All-District II team was selected by a vote of CoSIDA membership in five states.
NATIONAL NUMBERS: In the latest NCAA stats (3/1), Lafayette is ranked 14th in the nation in field goal percentage (48.7%), seventh in three-point shooting (40.4%), 25th in three's per game (8.0) and 23rd in blocks (5.1). Rob Dill stands 15th in blocked shots per game (2.8), while Justin DeBerry is 32nd nationally in free throw percentage (85.6%).
ON THE SIDELINE: Fran O'Hanlon (Villanova, 1970) is in his ninth season as Lafayette's head coach. He has twice been named Patriot League Coach of the Year as the mentor 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 141-116, a mark that includes two 20-win seasons.
COMING UP: If the Leopards are able to beat Colgate and advance to the semifinal round, they will face either No. 2 seed American or No. 7 seed Army. That semifinal round game will be played on Sunday at 7:30 p.m.
SCOUTING COLGATE: Colgate (14-13 overall, 6-8 Patriot League) won three of its final four games, including upset wins over Lehigh, 54-48, and Bucknell, 60-57, at home on the final weekend of the regular season.
The Raiders, who allowed 68.7 points per game during the regular season (sixth in the Patriot League), allowed 59 points or less in each of their three wins over the final two weeks of the season.
Despite missing six games due to injury during the season, senior forward Howard Blue enters the tournament leading the Raiders, and ranking fifth in the Patriot League, in scoring at 13.6 points per game. Also averaging in double figures are senior guard Mark Linebaugh (12.9 ppg) and sophomore guard Alvin Reed (11.2 ppg). Linebaugh, Reed and junior forward Andrew Zidar (9.4 ppg, 6.6 rpg) have started all 27 games for Colgate.
The Raiders have out-rebounded six of their past seven opponents, while Lafayette has been beaten on the boards by each of its past four opponents. Colgate and Lafayette rank just sixth and seventh, respectively, in the Patriot League in rebounding margin.
Emmett Davis (St. Lawrence '81) is 85-83 in six seasons at Colgate. He guided Colgate to the Patriot League Tournament semifinals in both of his first two seasons, but the Raiders have been eliminated by Lafayette in the quarterfinal round each of the past two years.
THE LAFAYETTE EXPERIENCE: Lafayette features three players who have seen action in 100 or more career games. Mike Farrell has played in 113 games, starting 86, while Justin DeBerry has seen time in 112 contests with 90 starts and Rob Dill in 108 games with 54 starts.
SIXTH MAN: If ever there were a Sixth Man of the Year award given out by the Patriot League (and there used to be), Sean Knitter would be a leading contender. Knitter, who has played in all 27 games, is third on the team in scoring with 9.6 ppg and has provided instant offense all season for the Leopards. The Philadelphia native, who is also fourth on the squad in rebounding (4.0 rpg), has averaged 15.6 minutes per outing off the bench.
O'HANLON MOVES UP TO NO. 2: Lafayette's win at Army (2/11) was Fran O'Hanlon's 140th win of his career. It propelled O'Hanlon past Bill Anderson who won 139 games in three different stints at Lafayette. O'Hanlon is currently 29 wins away from catching Lafayette's all-time leader, George Davidson, who recorded 170 wins from 1955-67.
STATISTICAL TRENDS: Some Lafayette statistical trends to live by have emerged in the Leopards' 27 games. Lafayette has shown the ability to hold a lead, as the Leopards are 9-0 when leading at halftime. When the offense gets going (four or more players score in double figures or Lafayette scores 80 or more points), the Leopards are 8-2.
MOVIN' ON UP ON A GRAND SCALE: With his first basket against La Salle on Nov. 29, senior Justin DeBerry became the 33rd player in Lafayette history to eclipse the 1,000 point plateau. DeBerry currently has 1,361 career points and is averaging 14.7 ppg this season.
DILL ON THE BLOCK: Senior forward Rob Dill is Lafayette's all-time leader in blocks. He now has 187 career blocks, passing Frank Barr '01 who ended his career with 160. Dill ranks fourth all-time in the Patriot League and is just three blocks short of third place. Dill has blocked 75 shots this season to establish a new Lafayette single-season record. He currently leads the Patriot League and ranks 15th in the nation in blocks per game (2.8 bpg). He blocked six shots vs. Holy Cross on Feb. 14.
NOT AFRAID TO PASS, EITHER: Senior guard Justin DeBerry's ability to score has never really been in question, but as his career has progressed he has drawn increasing defensive attention. This season, frequent double teams have allowed him to dish off and create easy baskets for his teammates. DeBerry has handed out at least six assists 10 times this season, including four straight games between Dec. 30 and Jan. 10. DeBerry dished off a career-high 10 assists at American on Jan. 30. He leads the Leopards in both scoring (14.7 ppg) and assists (5.1 apg) and is third in the Patriot League in both categories.
CLOSING OUT THE CLOSE CALLS: Lafayette has won five games by three points or less. The Leopards notched a three-point victory over St. Peter's (74-71), a one-point win at Drexel (69-68) and a three-point win at Princeton (47-44). Lafayette is also 3-0 in overtime, claiming a 60-58 victory at Holy Cross, a 111-104 win over Lehigh and an 86-83 decision at American.
ALL-TIME VS. THE PATRIOT LEAGUE: Lafayette has played 561 games against the seven members of the Patriot League, and has a 322-239 record in all games against them. In Patriot League play, Lafayette is 82-100 in the regular season and 10-11 in the Patriot League Tournament. Under Fran O'Hanlon, the Leopards are 67-45 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 6-8 in 2002-03. This season the Leopards finished 9-5 in league contests.
American 15-13; Colgate 33-38; Lehigh 132-68; Army 28-18; Holy Cross 13-20; Navy 19-34; Bucknell 82-50
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 274-115 record (.704) in 30 seasons. Twenty-three of those seasons have been winning campaigns. In 2003-04, Lafayette began its home campaign at 11-0, but finished 11-2.
OUT OF THE GATE: Lafayette opened league play with a 7-0 record for the first time in Lafayette history. Lafayette finished 9-5 in conference action.
KNOCKING IT DOWN: Lafayette has shot the ball extremely well from the floor this season, hitting 48.7 percent for the year, a mark that ranks them 13th in the nation. The Leopards have shot a better percentage than their opponents in 21 of 27 games. Lafayette's best effort came at Cal State Northridge when it shot 63 percent (29-46). The Leopards' worst performance occurred at USC when they shot 33 percent (22-66) and missed their first 12 shots. Lafayette has shot over 50 percent in 10 games this season and has twice shot over 60 percent.
THE STARTING FIVE: Four senior players installed themselves into the starting lineup following the 2002-03 season. Justin DeBerry and Winston Davis fill two of the starting spots in a three-guard offense. Mike Farrell and Rob Dill re-take the floor at the forwards. A sophomore, Pat Betley, has started all but two games at point guard.
UNDER THE BOARDS: With his fifth rebound against Bucknell (1/25), senior forward Mike Farrell reached the 500-career rebound plateau. He is the 20th player in Lafayette history to collect 500 boards. Farrell enters this weekend's action with 557 rebounds, 16th all-time at Lafayette.
THEY'RE GONNA SCORE: Lafayette has had nine or more players score at least one point in 17 games this season, while seven other games have seen eight players check into the scoring column. A season-high six players reached double figures in the win over Colgate on Jan. 10.
A HELPING HAND: Lafayette leads the Patriot League in both field goals made (707) and assists (421). The Leopards have assisted on 60 percent of their field goals this season. Senior guard Justin DeBerry's 139 assists rank him third in the league.
TURNOVER TRENDS: Taking a look at the Leopards' nine losses this season, one statistical category stands out -- turnovers. In those losses, they have turned it over an average of 17.4 times. On the other side of things, Lafayette has averaged 14.3 turnovers per game in its 18 wins. The Leopards' season low of six turnovers came at Navy on Feb.1 and the season high of 29 occurred at Cal State Northridge on Dec. 30.
ACCURATE POST THREATS: Lafayette's post players were extremely accurate last season and that has continued on in 2003-04. Rob Dill, who led the team and finished second in the league in field goal percentage last season, is shooting 60.1 percent and currently ranks second in the league. Mike Farrell, who ended fourth in the Patriot League last season, is currently shooting 60.3 percent from the floor.
RECEIVING VOTES: Lafayette has received votes in two of the Associated Press Top 25 polls (Dec. 15, 22). The last time Lafayette received a vote prior to that was Nov. 6, 2000 in the AP Preseason Poll. Prior to that in the 1999-2000, Lafayette received multiple votes in several of the final weeks of the season, last earning votes March 13, 2000.
IS THE GLASS HALF EMPTY OR HALF FULL?: Rebounding was not a strength of Lafayette's squad last season, and has been a mixed bag thus far in 2003-04. The Leopards have equalled or surpassed the rebounding output of their opponents in 13 of their 27 contests. The rebounding duties have been spread around, as four different players are averaging 4.0 or more rebounds per game. Mike Farrell leads the way at 5.7 rebounds per game, followed by Rob Dill (4.5 rpg), Winston Davis (4.4 rpg) and Sean Knitter (4.0 rpg).
FROM WAY DOWNTOWN: Senior Justin DeBerry ranks second on the career three-point field goals list at Lafayette, with 200. This season he passed Tim Bieg '01 for sole possession of second place. Tyson Whitfield '01, who had 271 career three-pointers, holds the all-time record. DeBerry ranks ninth all-time in the Patriot League, needing one triple to move into eighth place ahead of Navy's Michael Heary '98...DeBerry's 69 three-pointers in the 2002-03 season ranked him fourth all-time at Lafayette for single-season performances. He has 47 three's this season.
ALL-TIME AT LAFAYETTE: In the 94 seasons of men's basketball at Lafayette College, the Leopards hold an overall record of 1150-991 (.538). Lafayette's first season of basketball was in 1900-01.
THE REAL "IRON MIKE": Despite having to deal with the daily physical challenges posed by diabetes, senior forward Mike Farrell has never missed a game in three-plus 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 started 28 of 29 games as a junior. Saturday's quarterfinal vs. Colgate marks his 114th straight game.
THE LONE CAPTAIN: Senior Mike Farrell is in his second season as team captain. The DeLand, Fla. native has played in 113 straight games since beginning his career at Lafayette. He has missed only three starts in his last three seasons, two of which were to give way to senior on Senior Day.
THE HALF OF IT: Getting a strong start from the opening tap was a key in Lafayette wins in 2002-03. Lafayette was 9-2 when leading at halftime, the only losses coming against Holy Cross (1/18/03) after holding a five-point lead at intermission and at Navy (2/27/03) after leading 41-31. This season, Lafayette has only led at halftime in nine of its games, but is 9-0 in those contests.
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 257 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 nine 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. In 2002-03, Lafayette hit 209 three-pointers and averaged 7.2 three-pointers per game. This season the Leopards have averaged 8.0 three-pointers per game for 216 this season.
FARRELL ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB: For the second straight season, Mike Farrell is writing a weekly journal for Lafayette's official athletics website www.GoLeopards.com. Farrell runs down the season and gives insight into the life of a student-athlete. In his fifth journal entry, Farrell hands out some thank-yous and looks ahead to the final weekend of the regular season.
INTERNATIONAL FEEL: Lafayette has three players who hail from foreign countries on the roster. Senior Rob Dill is a native of Isernhagen, Germany. Sophomore Andrei Capusan comes from Bucharest, Romania, home country of former Patriot League Player of the Year Stefan Ciosici '00 who was from Timisoara, Romania. Capusan spent the 2001-02 academic year attending a school in the United States as Dill had two years prior. Jamaal Douglas, who currently lives in Miami, Fla., originally hails from Nassau, Bahamas.
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 36th year of calling the play-by-play for Lafayette men's basketball. Hammer is joined by Carl Schumacher at home games and most road contests by Phil LaBella (Lafayette SID).
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.
LAFAYETTE ON TELEVISION: For the seventh-straight season, Lafayette features the most expansive television package in the Patriot League. The Leopards had 16 games televised and have the possibility of adding two more televised contests in the Patriot League Tournament. The Lafayette Sports Network aired 15 games to more than 9.1 million viewers in the Lehigh Valley, Pocono region, 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. Several of Lafayette's games that appear on the Lafayette Sports Network will also be picked up by Empire Sports Network which reaches more than 17.5 million viewers in Upstate and Western New York as well as more than 59.5 million potential viewers on DIRECTV (626) and Dish Network (432). Lafayette had two games televised on the Patriot League Television Network on Jan. 23 vs. Lehigh and Feb. 6 at Colgate which were both available on DIRECTV (615) and locally on WFMZ 69.
