Dec. 27, 2007
EASTON, Pa. - Junior guard Andrew Brown (Littleton, Colo./Heritage) and freshman guard Deirunas Visockas (Los Angeles, Calif./University) have been named Patriot League Men's Basketball Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week, respectively.
Brown sat out the Dec. 19 game at Towson with a nagging heel injury, but his return to the lineup at Mount St. Mary's on Dec. 21 saw him drop in a career-high 32 points and a school-record nine three-pointers in a 76-72 win. Brown hit six three-pointers in the first half as Lafayette built a 20-point halftime lead, and nailed three in the second half. His final three-pointer came with 27 seconds left and provided the final margin. The nine three-pointers topped the previous school record of eight held by three players (Larry Spigner, Tyson Whitfield and Brown who hit eight against Holy Cross last season).
He made 11-of-16 shots overall, and 9-of-14 from three-point range. Brown leads Lafayette and is second in the Patriot League with 18.0 points per game. He has made 40 three-pointers and is shooting 50 percent from beyond the arc. Brown earns his first-ever Anaconda Player of the Week nod.
Brown's backcourt teammate, Visockas, poured in 14 points, including four three-pointers, in Lafayette's 79-69 overtime victory over Towson on Dec. 19. He connected on a three-pointer and a layup as Lafayette outscored Towson, 17-7, in the extra session. He made 5-of-9 shots and 4-of-8 three-pointers in the game. Visockas also chipped in by making his only shot of the game, a three-point field goal, in Lafayette's 76-72 win over Mount St. Mary's. He leads the Patriot League in three-point shooting at 55 percent for the season (11-of-20). Visockas earns his first Anaconda Rookie of the Week honor.
At 8-3, the Leopards are off to their best start since the 1998-99 season. Lafayette continues its eight-game road swing on Sunday at Robert Morris at 7 p.m. The Leopards will remain in the Pittsburgh area and will face the No. 6 ranked Pittsburgh Panthers on Jan. 2 at 7 p.m. A trip to Mississippi State (1/5) and Princeton (1/9) follow before Lafayette opens Patriot League play at home on Jan. 12 vs. Holy Cross.
