January 2, 2015
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LAST TIME OUT
Senior Joey Ptasinski went 4-of-6 from three to lead a high-powered Lafayette team past Army in the Patriot League opener at Christl Arena, 92-78.
Ptasinski was one of four Leopards in double-figures led by classmate Seth Hinrichs with a game-high 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting. Senior Dan Trist notched his second double-double of the season with 17 points and 11 rebounds, and junior Bryce Scott chipped in with 10 points offensively.
The win marks Lafayette’s first victory over Army since Feb. 8, 2012, breaking a four-game losing streak to the Knights, and leaves the Leopards at 1-0 in the league standings and 9-3 overall.
As a team, the Maroon and White went 33-of-61 from the floor (54.1%) and 10-for-17 from three-point range (58.8%). Additionally, the Leopards won the rebounding battle for just the fourth time this season, 36-34.
SCOUTING THE MIDS
Navy, looking to improve upon a 9-21 record a season ago when it went 4-14 in league play, is the second conference opponent the Leopards will face in the opening week of Patriot League action. The Mids have opened the season with a 5-8 record, but took care of Loyola easily in their league opener by a 70-47 final. Predicted to finish 10th in the league standings this season, Navy is led by a pair of double-figure scorers in Worth Smith (16.0 ppg) and Brandon Venturini (11.5 ppg). Smith paces the Mids on the glass with 7.0 boards per game. Navy, currently sitting in fourth in the standings, has struggled offensively this season, averaging just 59.9 points per game.
THE FRIENDLY CONFINES
Kirby Sports Center has been a difficult place to play for opponents this season as the men and women are 5-0 on their home court in the 2014-15 campaign. The Leopard men have taken care of Princeton (83-66), Wagner (97-84), Sacred Heart (82-81), Susquehanna (91-66) and NJIT (76-71), and coupled with the women, are one of just 27 Division I programs remaining that have both sides undefeated at home. Lafayette’s last non-conference loss at home came on Nov. 26, 2013, a 79-76 defeat at the hands of Yale.
RAIN IS A GOOD THING
Having connected on 101-of-234 three-point attempts this season, a 43.2 percent clip, the Maroon and White are the top three-point shooting team in the nation. Senior Joey Ptasinski leads the distance arsenal, hitting on 55.7 percent of his shots from outside (39-of-70), while three other Leopards who have made more than five beyond-the-arc shots are shooting above 40 percent from distance. Junior Zach Rufer is 9-of-17 (52.9%), sophomore Monty Boykins is 9-of-20 (45.0%) and senior Seth Hinrichs is 21-of-52 (40.4%). Three-point shooting is a major reason why the Leopards are second in the league in scoring offense, dropping in 79.0 points per game as a unit.
FAMILIAR FOES
Lafayette has played 722 games against current Patriot League members, holding a 389-333 overall record. In Patriot League play, Lafayette is 142-188 in the regular season and 18-22 in the Patriot League Tournament. Under Fran O’Hanlon, the Leopards are 129-131 in conference regular-season play. Below are Lafayette’s all-time records against current Patriot League schools.
American, 19-32 Army, 41-26 Boston U., 4-5 Bucknell, 87-69
Colgate, 46-48 HC, 24-34 Lehigh, 140-79 Loyola, 3-2
Navy, 31-42
LAST MEETING
A devastating 25-2 second half run sparked by four of Joey Ptasinski’s six threes propelled Lafayette to a 72-54 victory over Navy at Kirby Sports Center on Feb. 1, 2014. Ptasinski scored 22 points in the victory.
The Leopards limited Navy to 20 points after halftime and 10 points over the final 14:32 of the game. Joining Ptasinski in double digits were Dan Trist (17 points) and Nick Lindner (13). As a team, Lafayette was 23-of-40 from the field (57.5 percent), including an 8-for-15 effort from beyond the arc. Ptasinski knocked down all six of his three-point attempts. The Leopards also held a 32-23 edge on the glass and snapped an 11-game losing streak.
Worth Smith scored 15 points to pace Navy, which shot 34 percent (18-of-53), while Brandon Venturini chipped in 13 points and Zach Fong added 12. Navy’s 54 points was a season-low for a Lafayette opponent along with its 34 percent shooting.
ALL-TIME SERIES
The Mids hold a 42-31 lead in the all-time series with the Leopards that dates back to 1920. The two teams split their pair of games last season, with each team winning on their home floor.
TAMING THE ARMY
Lafayette’s 92-78 win over Army in the league opener on Wednesday evening was its first over the Black Knights since Feb. 8, 2012 and broke a four-game losing streak to the West Point natives. Entering the game 1-2 in the Patriot League standings, the Maroon and White used 10-of-17 shooting from beyond the arc to silence the Christl Arena crowd and walk away with a win to propel the Leopards to the top of the Patriot League table.
STARTING STRONG
With the league-opening win over Army on Wednesday, Lafayette has now won four of its last five Patriot League openers. A win on Saturday in the PL home opener would mean the clean sweep of openers for the Leopards in their 2014-15 season, winning the season and road opener at Robert Morris on Nov. 14, 77-50, and taking care of Princeton in the home opener on Nov. 16, 83-66.
