2/12/2002 - Men's Basketball
Mids Look To Extend Winning Streak
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With a brand new starting lineup, the Navy men's basketball team (10-15, 5-5 Patriot League) will look to extend its winning streak Wednesday when it plays host to Colgate (14-9, 5-5 Patriot League). Action is slated for 7:30 p.m. or 30 minutes after the completion of the women's game (5:30 p.m. tip) at Alumni Hall. The game can be heard on 1430 WNAV with Bob Socci calling the action.
Navy has had the luxury of playing nine of its last 15 games in the comforts of its home arena. The Mids, though, have played their last two contests on the road and two of their remaining four outings are away from Annapolis. The Mids own an 8-4 record at home, including a 3-2 mark in Patriot League contests.
Colgate enters Wednesday night's game as one of the hottest teams in the league. The Raiders have won five of their last six contests, including a 58-55 triumph over Holy Cross Saturday afternoon. The Raiders are 2-2 in Patriot League contests played on the road. They lost their last conference road game - a 72-58 decision at American (F2).
DeVoe One Away From 500
Navy head coach Don DeVoe is just one win shy of his 500th-career victory. With a 66-61 victory at Lehigh Wednesday, he claimed his 499th-career win. DeVoe is 57th on the NCAA's all-time win list and a game ahead of Valparaiso's Homer Drew.
Should he reach his 500th victory Wednesday, he would be the 22nd active coach to achieve 500 wins and the 57th of all-time.
Dave Bliss (Baylor), Nolan Richardson (Arkansas) and Rollie Massimino (Cleveland State) reached their 500th wins earlier this season.
Tough At Home
The Mids have traditionally been known as a strong home court team. Navy was 15-2 at Alumni Hall during the 1999-2000 season, winning 15 in a row while boasting a 6-0 league mark at home.
The Mids are 56-14 (.800) against conference opponents and 52-21 (.712) against nonleague foes at home under DeVoe (107-35, .754). In DeVoe's first-two seasons in Annapolis, the Mids were a combined 10-7 (.588) against league opponents at home. Since then, the Mids have posted a 46-7 (.868) record against league foes at home.
Navy is 8-4 at Alumni Hall this season. Four losses in a season at Alumni Hall are the most since the 1995-96 season in which the Mids dropped four home contests - Towson, Stanford, St. Bonaventure, Colgate.
Navy's Home Losses Since 1997-98 Season
N30, 97 Air Force 64-63
F11, 98 Lafayette 66-65
D19, 98 Auburn 88-70
J9, 99 Lafayette 72-66
N22, 99 Wake Forest 90-55
N24, 99 Richmond 58-52
N18, 00 Rice 69-51
D9, 00 SMU 66-64
F14, 01 Holy Cross 77-67
N26, 01 Ohio 80-74
J7, 02 Wake Forest 87-65
J23, 02 Lafayette 92-79
F2, 02 Holy Cross 62-54
Lewis Update
Senior Jehiel Lewis is not expected to dress for Wednesday's contest against Colgate. Lewis sustained a concussion (believed to be his fourth in his career) at the 17:22 mark in the second half of Wednesday's game at Lehigh. Lehigh's Matt Logie inadvertently caught Lewis just above the eye with his elbow and laid Lewis out.
Fresh Faces
Navy has gotten a boost in its last few games thanks to rookies Marcell Cummings and Paul Bania, along with sophomore Kwame Ofori. Cummings has dressed for nearly every game, but injuries have sideline him since Navy's trip to Hawai'i. He has been a key defensive player for the Mids in the last two outings. Bania has dressed for three games to date - at Holy Cross (J9) and the last two games. He dropped in a career-high five points at Bucknell, including a triple. Like Bania, Ofori was called up from the JV ranks. He made his debut at Bucknell last Wednesday and started Saturday's game at Lehigh. He was responsible for a key three-point play to seal Navy's road win.
Another new name and face will be on the roster Wednesday. Freshman Shawn Ikpa, a freshman forward out of Atlanta, Ga., will dress in place of Jehiel Lewis. Wearing jersey No. 5, it will be the first time he has dressed for a varsity contest.
Tie Breakers
For the fourth time this season, Navy will battle an opponent it is in a dead heat with in the Patriot League standings. Navy battled American for first place two weeks ago, but the Eagles out-lasted the Mids, 67-66, in overtime. The Mids were knotted up with Holy Cross for second F2, but once again were knocked down in the rankings, as the Crusaders picked up the 62-54 win at Alumni Hall. Meanwhile, Bucknell and Navy were tied for fourth last Wednesday when the Bison blew out the Mids by 20.
The Mids are currently tied with Colgate for fifth.
Struggling
Navy's 15 losses this winter are the most by the Mids since Don DeVoe's first year at Navy. The 1992-93 squad managed just an 8-19 record and a 5-9 Patriot League mark. Navy's 10 wins are also the fewest since the '92-93 season.
Patriot League Losses
Navy dropped its fifth Patriot League decision of the season last Wednesday, falling to Bucknell, 76-56, at Davis Gym. The five league losses are the most by the Mids since the 1993-94 season when they posted a 9-5 record, yet tied for first in the league. Meanwhile the 1992-93 squad produced a 5-9 record - the most league losses the Mids have suffered.
Finding The Right Fit
With the loss of arguably all five of its starters from a year ago, Don DeVoe has been searching for the right starting lineup. He has used nine different lineups in 25 games. Navy played Francis Ebong at forward and Mitch Moore at center for eight-consecutive games before replacing Ebong with junior Scott Long against Holy Cross (F2).
Still searching, he has used two different lineups in the last two games and with Jehiel Lewis sidelined Wednesday, he will use the third different lineup.
Junior Jason Jeanpierre had been the last remaining player to start every game, but did not start Saturday's game at Lehigh. That leaves no player on the Midshipmen lineup to earn a start in every game. Below are the lineups Navy has used to date.
Gm. 1,7-8 Charles, Barker, Ebong, Jeanpierre, Shepard
Gm. 2 J. Lewis, Moore, Ebong, Jeanpierre, Shepard
Gm. 3-5 McCreary, Moore, Ebong, Jeanpierre, Charles
Gm. 6 J. Lewis, Barker, Ebong, Jeanpierre, Charles
Gm. 9-10 J. Lewis, Barker, Ebong, Jeanpierre, Shepard
Gm. 11-14 J. Lewis, Nero, Ebong, Jeanpierre, Shepard
Gm. 15-22, 24 J. Lewis, Ebong, Moore, Jeanpierre, Shepard
Gm. 23 J. Lewis, Long, Moore, Jeanpierre, Shepard
Gm. 25 J. Lewis, Ebong, Moore, Cummings, Ofori
Experience Yes, Starting Experience No
Coming into the season, five players had earned at least one starting nod in their careers. Four of those five players had started six or fewer games, while Demond Shepard owned the most starts with all 18 coming last season. Others with past starting experience include Scott Long (6 gm), Francis Ebong (4 gm), Jason Jeanpierre (2 gm) and Jehiel Lewis (2 gm).
Upcoming Milestones
Several Mids are on the verge of hitting milestone scoring marks or have recently achieved plateau points. Quintrell McCreary knocked down a bucket to score his 100th-career point at Bucknell (J6).
Below is a list of current career point totals and the number of points needed to hit their respective milestone mark.
Player Point Total Points Needed for
Jehiel Lewis 692 8 700
Jason Jeanpierre 568 32 600
Kyle Barker 461 39 500
Francis Ebong 450 50 500
Demond Shepard 374 26 400
Jamie Nero 82 18 100
Jeff Charles 77 23 100
Colgate Records
Navy's earlier meeting with Colgate produced a few records within the series history. They are as follows:
Most Points Scored By Navy
In Hamilton 95, 1/19/02 (W, 95-93 OT)
-previous high - 84, 2/4/98 (W, 84-70)
Most Points Scored By Colgate
In Hamilton 93, 1/19/02 (L, 95-93 OT)
-previous high - 84, 3/3/93 (W, 84-80)
Most Points Scored Combined
188 - Navy 95, Colgate 93 (1/19/02)
-previous high - 174 - Navy 113, Colgate 48 (1/31/62)
Where's The Defense?
Navy's last nine opponents have shot a combined 52.6 percent (154-for-293) in the second half. Brown (J5) had the best performance, missing just four shots (19-for-23) in the second half, while Lafayette (J23) shot 78.3 percent (18-for-23) en route to its win over the Mids.
What Happened To The Offense?
Since the 1994-95 season, Navy is 91-17 (.843) when it scores at least 70 points in a game and 31-54 (.365) when it doesn't. Last season, it was 18-3 when it eclipsed the 70-point barrier. Navy is 8-6 this season when hitting that marker, and has lost three more games this year than last when hitting 70 points.
Scoring Plunge
While Navy has been successful when scoring 70-plus points, it has had a difficult time hitting that plateau. The Mids have been held under 70 points in 11 of their 25 games and unable to hit the 60-point mark five times, including 54- and 57-point performances in the two games against Holy Cross.
The Mids have averaged just 59.3 points in their last four games. That's clearly under their season average of 71.6 points overall and 70.8 points in league action. Navy has gone the last four games without scoring 70 points, as the last time it achieved the 70-point barrier was in its 79-61 victory over Army.
League Average Below 70 Points
Of the eight Patriot League teams, just three are averaging 70-plus points a game - Colgate 72.9, Lafayette 71.9 and Navy 71.6. The lowest-scoring team is Bucknell at 60.4 points a game. Also of note, just two teams - Colgate and American - are averaging more points this season that last.
Team 01-02 Avg. 00-01 Avg. Diff.
1. Colgate 72.9 70.7 +2.2
2. Lafayette 71.9 75.3 -3.4
3. Navy 71.6 75.4 -3.8
4. Army 66.9 72.0 -5.1
5. American 66.1 58.5 +7.6
6. Lehigh 65.6 70.2 -4.6
7. Holy Cross 61.8 67.8 -6.0
8. Bucknell 60.4 65.8 -5.4
Mids Among The Most Improved
According to a list put out by STATS, Inc., Monday, Navy is among 20 teams to have improved their free throw shooting from last season. The Mids were a 64.9 percent free throw shooting team a year ago, but are knocking down 72.5 percent this year - an improvement of .076. While Navy ranks tied for 17th with Northern Iowa, Patriot League foe American is the team with the best free throw shooting improvement - .572 in '00-01 to .722 in '01-02 (.150).
Keep An Eye On The Free Throw Record
Navy is currently shooting 72.5 percent (457-for-630) from the charity stripe and is close to breaking the school record for best free throw percentage. The record is 72.8 percent (429-for-590) by the 1958-59 team. The last time the Mids shot 70 percent from the free throw line was the 1990-91 squad that hit 70.4 percent (517-for-734) from the line.
Automatic
Junior forward Kyle Barker owns a team-best 93.3 free throw percentage. He is 42-for-45 this season (missed at The Citadel, N29, vs. Lafayette, J23, and at American, J30) and 90-for-99 for his career. Not to get too far ahead, but his 90.9 career percentage is on track to top the current record of 85.6 percent held by John Tolmie - a 33-year-old record.
Roommate Threat
Kyle Barker's roommate at the Academy, junior forward Scott Long, is also one of the best free throw shooters on the team. Shooting 89.8 percent (44-for-49) this year, he owned a consecutive free throw streak of 24 in a row before snapping it in the first go-around with Bucknell (J12). He missed on his seventh try of the game. Barker and Long are a combined 86-for-94 (.915) from the charity stripe this winter.
Individual Improvement At The Line
Jason Jeanpierre has never shot better than 63.6 percent from the free throw line in a season, but is hitting 80.5 percent (62-for-77) this year. Jehiel Lewis was a 67.1 percent career free throw shooter entering his senior campaign, but this season has hit 74.4 percent (93-for-125) of his free throws.
Tossing In The Threes
With its six three-pointers at American (J30), Navy surpassed last year's three-point total of 137. The Mids' 152 triples are the most by a Navy team since the 1994-95 team drained 169. With a trio of triples at Lehigh Saturday, this team became just the fifth in Navy history to produce 150-plus treys in a season.
Navy's Single-Season Three-Point FG Made List
1. 225 1990-91 -73
2. 188 1991-92 -36
3. 181 1993-94 -29
4. 169 1994-95 -17
5. 152 2001-02
6. 149 1996-97
7. 139 1989-90
8. 138 1988-89
9. 137 2000-01
10. 125 1992-93
Trying For Three
While Navy has made the fifth-most three-pointers in school history this winter with 152, it has attempted the seventh-most three-pointers with 424.
Navy's Single-Season Three-Point FG Att. List
1. 641 1990-91 -217
2. 522 1991-92 -98
3. 487 1994-95 -63
4. 467 1993-94 -43
5. 462 2000-01 -38
6. 442 1996-97 -18
7. 424 2001-02
8. 371 1988-89
9. 363 1992-93
363 1989-90
Triple Threat
Juniors Kyle Barker and Jason Jeanpierre both rank among Navy's all-time top three-point shooters. Both pushed their way into the top 10 this season, as both have topped 25 triples in 2001-02. Barker's seven three-pointers against Lafayette (J23) increased his career total to 75 and into a seventh-place tie with Jeanpierre. However, Jeanpierre knocked down a trio of trifectas against Army (J26) to take sole possession of seventh place. Thanks to three treys at Lehigh Saturday, he has now topped 80 triples in his career.
While Jeanpierre needs just two more three-pointers to tie John Haase (1990-93) for sixth and Barker needs nine, Navy's top three-point shooter of all-time is Michael Heary (1994-98) who made 201 triples.
Navy's Career Three-Point FG Made List
1. 201 Michael Heary, 1994-98
2. 138 Jim Hamilton, 1992-96
3. 136 Joe Gottschalk, 1987-90
4. 123 Erik Harris, 1987-91
5. 121 Michael Burd, 1989-93
6. 84 John Haase, 1990-93
7. 82 Jason Jeanpierre, 2000-present
8. 75 Kyle Barker, 2000-present
9. 68 T.J. Hall, 1993-95
10. 65 Cliff Rees, 1985-88
Triple Threat - Part Two
Junior Jason Jeanpierre needs just four three-pointers to tie Michael Burd (45) for 10th place on Navy's all-time single-season three-point field goals made list. Burd connected on 45 in 1990-91, while the record is held by Jimmy Hamilton, who scored 76 in 1993-94. Navy has four regular-season games remaining and will play at least one game in the Patriot League Tournament. Last season, junior Kyle Barker missed the top 10 by just one triple.
Thievery
While Navy's defense this year hasn't been up to par, the Mids have broken into the school's all-time steals list with 227. Navy's seven steals at Lehigh Saturday helped it enter the top 10 list, knocking out the 1994-95 team's 213 steals.
Navy's Single-Season Steals List
1. 352 1999-2000 -125
2. 299 2000-01 -72
3. 298 1998-99 -71
4. 282 1997-98 -55
5. 264 1990-91 -37
6. 243 1996-97 -16
243 1985-86 -16
8. 235 1993-94 -8
9. 228 1986-87 -1
10. 227 2001-02
Dishing Out The Rock
With his occasional use as a point guard this season, Jason Jeanpierre's assist numbers have improved. He has dished out a team-high 90 assists, averaging 3.6 per game. Over the last 14 contests, he has averaged 4.3 assists (60), including a career-high eight against Holy Cross just over a week ago. His 90 assists are nearly three times the number he dealt out last year (30). It's the most assists by a Navy player since Michael Heary dished out 91 during the 1997-98 season. The last Navy player to top the 100-assist mark in a single season was Brian Walker. Walker dished out 147 assists during the 1996-97 season.
The Nation's Best
Two Navy players have set or tied the nation's best statistical marks this season. Senior swing man Jehiel Lewis collected 12 steals at home against Bucknell (J12) - the best single-game mark in the country and tied for the third best in NCAA history.
Meanwhile, junior Kyle Barker's 13-for-13 free throw effort at Davidson (D1) is one of 56 perfect free throw shooting efforts in the country this season making 10 or more in a single game. Just four players have made more than 13 in a game this season -
Henry Domercant Eastern Ill. 17-for-17
Troy Bell Boston College 17-for-17
Marcus Moore Washington. St. 16-for-16
Frederick Jones Oregon 14-for-14
- three more have matched Barker's mark of 13.
Kyle Barker Navy 13-for-13
Willie Taylor VCU 13-for-13
Darius Songaila Wake Forest 13-for-13
Jake Sullivan Iowa State 13-for-13
Long-Awaited Return
After sitting out the first-11 games of the year with a back injury, junior forward Scott Long returned D30 against Mount St. Mary's. His minutes and point production have increased over the last 14 contests. Navy's third-leading scorer in Patriot League play (8.8 ppg), he was rewarded with is first start in two years against Holy Cross (F2). He is the Mids' sixth-leading scorer in overall contests, averaging 7.5 points, while grabbing 4.1 boards. Long is also one of the Mids' top free throw shooters, missing just five free throws in 49 attempts (.898). He is coming off a career-high 11-rebound night at Lehigh Saturday.
More Of Mitch
In two games starting center Francis Ebong found himself in early foul trouble, junior reserve Mitch Moore has stepped in and filled the role. In the Mids' season opener at Rice (N16), Moore scored a then career-high 13 points in what was just his fourth varsity contest. He did it again against Coastal Carolina (J2), scoring a career and team-high 22 points. He was 8-for-11 (.727) from the field and 6-for-8 (.750) from the charity stripe.
Moore is coming off one of the best performances of his young career, scoring 20 points and pulling down six boards at Lehigh Saturday. Moore was 7-for-9 from the field and 6-for-8 from the charity stripe.
On the year, he is averaging 6.0 points and boosted his rebounding average to 2.7 with a career-high eight- board effort against Wake Forest (J7).
Shepard Shines
Captain Demond Shepard has had a particularly strong senior campaign. Specifically, he's been impressive in the 10 Patriot League contests. He owns a team-best 53.3 three-point field goal percentage, connecting on 8 of his 15 shots. Meanwhile, he is shooting 54.2 percent from the field and 87.5 percent from the charity stripe.
For the season, he has produced double-digit scoring marks in seven of the last 16 games, including a career-high 18-point performance against Coastal Carolina (J2). He has scored 10-plus points in four of the last seven contests, including a 12-point effort against Holy Cross (F2). In four of the nine games in which he did not put up double figures, he tossed in nine points.
Playing Past The Pain
His teammates call him a fighter, and he agrees. Senior swing man Jehiel Lewis has endured an injury every year during his career at the Academy, including a sprained sternal clavicular joint his plebe year, a neck injury and a series of concussions which resulted in a variation of postconcussion disorder his sophomore season, a bruised lower back his junior campaign and underwent shoulder surgery prior to the start of this season. Lewis has also been battling sharp pains and numbness in his both hands since the Gettysburg game (D17), yet he has put up double-figure scoring marks in 12 of the 17 games since that contest.
In Navy's game against Lehigh (J16), he added six stitches in his chin to the list of bumps and bruises. The Mountain Hawks clipped him the second time around, as well, as Matt Logie's elbow connected with Lewis' head. Lewis suffered what is believed to be his fourth concussion of his four-year career.
Beast On The Boards
Senior Jehiel Lewis pulled down a career-high 16 rebounds against Army (J26). It marked the most caroms by a Navy player since Sitapha Savane snatched 16 at Lehigh, J23, 1999. Meanwhile, the 16 boards by Lewis were just one off of the Army-Navy game record. Navy's Vernon Butler corralled 17 in 1985 to set the record, while Alex Kohnen matched it in 1994.
Lewis leads the Patriot League with 7.4 rebounds a game in conference action.
McCreary Provides A Lift
Junior forward Quintrell McCreary has given the Mids a much-needed lift this season. Against Lehigh (J16), he posted career highs in scoring (8), rebounds (12) and blocks (3) in 32 minutes of action. Meanwhile, he topped his scoring mark with nine points against Lafayette a week later.
Double Duty For Ebong
Starting center Francis Ebong produced his fourth double-double of the season and his career with 12 points and 10 rebounds against Army (J26). While he made just three of his 11 field goal attempts, he was 6-for-10 from the free throw line. Meanwhile, he dished out three assists, swatted two Army shots and grabbed two steals.
Ebong's Double-Doubles
1. Davidson (D1) 13 Pts. 11 Reb.
2. Gettysburg (D17) 20 Pts. 12 Reb.
3. Brown (J5) 17 Pts. 12 Reb.
4. Army (J26) 12 Pts. 10 Reb.
Charles Takes Charge
Sophomore forward/guard Jeff Charles produced a pair of strong shooting performances against Army (J26) and American (J30). Charles averaged 7.0 points in 26.0 minutes of action in those two games and shot 55.6 percent (5-for-9) from the field and 60 percent (3-for-5) from long range. Charles' eight points against the Eagles were the most points he has produced since he scored eight against Mount St. Mary's on a perfect shooting display (4-for-4). Meanwhile, his career high stands at nine against Rice in Navy's season opener.
Nero Shows His Range, Plays His Role
Navy senior forward Jamie Nero has been hot from three-point land, hitting 15 triples and is shooting 48.4 percent (15-for-31) from behind the arc.
He came off the bench at SMU (N18) to give the Mids a much-needed scoring boost. Nero nailed five three-pointers, 4-for-4 in the first half, in a career-high 17-point effort Nero's previous career high was five points against Holy Cross in 2000.
Road Woes
Over the last four years, the Mids have posted a 32-25 (.479) record on the road versus a 46-11 (.807) mark at home. Last season, Navy recorded an 8-9 record in games played away from Alumni Hall. The Mids are 2-8 on the road and 0-3 at neutral sites.
Year Home Road Neutral
1998-99 12-2 6-4 1-1
1999-00 15-2 7-4 1-0
2000-01 11-3 8-9 0-0
2001-02 8-4 2-8 0-3
Total 46-11 23-25 2-4
Frequent Flyers
Navy will log more than 16,000 miles of travel this year, including a coast-to-coast trip to Hawai'i. Among those miles, the Mids will visit seven different states to play 13 road games.
Of the 16,556 miles to be traveled this season, Navy has already knocked off 15,869.12 miles with long trips to Texas (Rice and SMU), the Carolinas (The Citadel and Davidson) and Hawai'i (Yahoo! Sports Invitational).
Miles Traveled To Date 15,619.64
Rice and SMU 2,690.11
The Citadel and Davidson 1,005.75
Hawai'i 9,709.44
Brown 661.70
Holy Cross 664.52
Colgate 538.46
American 67.84
Bucknell 281.82
Lehigh 249.48
Miles Remaining 686.90
Double Your Success
Junior Jason Jeanpierre's career-high tying 24 points led Navy to an overtime win at Colgate (J19), as four Mids scored in double digits for the sixth time this season.
Air Force Ebong, Barker, Jeanpierre, J. Lewis
Gettysburg Ebong, Barker, Jeanpierre, Shepard
Columbia Ebong, Shepard, Jeanpierre, J. Lewis
Coastal Car. Moore, Shepard, Barker, J. Lewis
Brown Ebong, Shepard, Jeanpierre, J. Lewis
Colgate Ebong, Shepard, Jeanpierre, J. Lewis,
Long
Last year, at least four Navy players scored in double figures in a single game 12 times. The Mids posted an 11-1 record in those contests with their lone loss a 77-67 setback to Holy Cross at home. Navy is 4-2 this season when four players score in double figures.
We're Going Into OT, Baby...
Navy played its record-setting fourth overtime game of the season at American (L, 67-66 OT) J30 in a battle for first place in the Patriot League. The Mids are 2-2 in OT contests this year, losing their first D22 against Columbia (74-72) in Hawai'i. Meanwhile, Navy played consecutive overtime games the week of J14-J20 - a 92-85 double-OT win against Lehigh (J16) and a 95-93 OT victory at Colgate (J19).
The previous record of three overtime games in a season was set in 1988-89 (2-1) and matched during the 1992-93 (1-2) season.
Overtime
The Lehigh game (J16) marked the first time Navy has played a double-overtime contest since J11, 93, when Navy defeated Loyola, 65-62, in one of the last games played at Halsey Fieldhouse. It was just the fifth double-OT game in the history of Navy basketball, with the Mids boasting a 5-0 record in those contests. Navy has played a triple-overtime game - J8, 77, Navy lost to Air Force, 81-79.
Navy's Double-Overtime Games
F14, 76 Penn State W, 83-81
J21, 84 William & Mary W, 60-55
J16, 85 at Lafayette W, 74-71
J11, 93 Loyola W, 65-62
J16, 02 Lehigh W, 92-85
Navy's Triple-Overtime Games
J8, 77 at Air Force L, 81-79
Two In A Row
Navy's successive overtime contests the week of J14-J20 - (W) 92-85 vs. Lehigh (2OT) and (W) 95-93 at Colgate - marked just the second time in the 96-year history of Navy basketball the Mids have played back-to-back OT contests The Mids defeated James Madison, 85-82, in the first round of the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament during the 1990-91 season, but fell in the next outing to George Mason, 93-86, in extra minutes.
Doubling Up On The Boards
For the first time in nearly three years, two Navy players posted double-figure rebounds in one game. Jehiel Lewis collected 16 boards and Francis Ebong grabbed 10 lagainst Army (J26). The last time two Mids grabbed double-digit boards in a contest was the all too memorable Patriot League Tournament game against Lehigh in West Point, F27, 1999. Robert Reeder and Sitapha Savane produced 12 and 11 rebounds, respectively.
Bench Mark
Scoring 44 of its 79 points, Navy's bench out-scored its starters for the first time all year in its contest against Lafayette (J23). Junior Kyle Barker came off the bench to lead the Mids with 23 points which included a career-high seven three-pointers. Meanwhile, Scott Long tossed in 10 points, Quintrell McCreary added nine and Jeff Charles made a pair of free throws.
Barker's Seven Triples Written Into The Record Books
After experiencing a shooting slump and seeing minimal action over the last few weeks, junior forward Kyle Barker came off the bench to connect on seven of 12 three-pointers against Lafayette (J23). His seven triples were a career high, bettering a previous career evening at Denver a year ago when he drained six three-pointers. Seven three-pointers ties for the second-most trifectas in a game by a Navy player and are the most since Michael Heary targeted seven against Holy Cross in 1997.
All Good Streaks Come To An End
Kyle Barker made 33-consecutive free throws dating back to the Davidson game (D1) before missing on his second attempt of a three-shot trip to the free throw line against Lafayette (J23). Barker was nearing the Patriot League record for consecutive made free throws held by Lafayette's Brian Burke (49).
Near Mirror Images
Navy's game at Colgate (J19, W, 95-93 OT) was all too reminiscent of last year's contest at Colgate. A year ago, it came down to overtime, with the Mids pulling out the 83-80 triumph in Hamilton. Remarkably, the last time Navy had five players score double digits was last year's game at Colgate. The Mids did it again against the Raiders. Led by Jason Jeanpierre's career-high tying 24 points, four other players - Jehiel Lewis (23), Scott Long (12), Francis Ebong (10) and Demond Shepard (10) - tossed in double-figure scoring marks to help the Mids to their first road win of the season.
95 Points Ties The Season High
Navy's 95 points at Colgate (J19) tied for the most points scored by the Mids this season. Navy scored 95 in its 41-point victory (95-54) over Mount St. Mary's (D30) - its biggest triumph since handing Colgate a 42-point loss (93-51) Feb. 8, 1995.
The Last Time...
Junior Jason Jeanpierre scored a career-high tying 24 points, while senior Jehiel Lewis added a career-high tying 23 points in Navy's 95-93 overtime win at Colgate (J19). It marked the first time a pair of Navy players have scored 20-plus points in a single game since Chris Williams and Kyle Barker each scored 23 in last year's Patriot League Tournament Semifinal contest against Bucknell.
Lewis Just Shy Of Triple-Double
Jehiel Lewis was just one rebound shy of a triple-double against Bucknell (J12). He not only dazzled the crowd with his record-breaking 12 steals, but he also produced a career-high nine rebounds and a season-high 21 points. The last Navy player to post a triple-double was Brian Walker who tallied 11 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists against none other than ... Bucknell (F16, 94).
Lewis Prides Himself On Tough "D"
Senior Jehiel Lewis has answered Don DeVoe's repeated requests for disciplined defense. Lewis and his teammates produced a school and Patriot League-record 23 steals in their rout over Bucknell (J12).
Lewis was the talk of the game, tallying a Navy and Patriot League record 12 steals - the most by a player in Division I basketball this season. The previous high was 11 by Chris Thomas of Notre Dame and West Virginia's Drew Schifino.
More impressive, however, is the fact that 12 steals is just one off the all-time NCAA record of 13 accomplished twice by Oklahoma's Mookie Blaylock in 1987 and again in '88. Four other players have notched 12 in a game, the most recent by TCU's Greedy Daniels against Arkansas-Pine Bluff in 2000.
Giving It Up
Navy has given up its share of points this winter. Brown's (J5) 95 points marked the most points Navy has surrendered since its N28, 1998, loss at Air Force in which the Falcons put up 97 on the Mids (97-88). The 95 points also ties for the second-most points Navy has given up under DeVoe. In DeVoe's first year at the Academy (1992-93), the Mids were defeated at Holy Cross, 95-69.
30-Point Club
With a career-high 31-point effort at Davidson (D1), Kyle Barker became the newest member of Navy's 30-point club. He is the 18th player in school history to score 30-plus points and is among a group of 11 to accomplish the feat only once in their career. He is the third player to score 30 points under Don DeVoe, joining Josh Williams (32 vs. Lehigh, J14, 1998) and Chris Williams (31 vs. Northeastern, N20, 2000).
Simply Perfect
Junior forward Kyle Barker's 13-for-13 free throw shooting display against Davidson (D1) was one of the best in school history. There have been only 17 perfect free throw shooting games (min. of 10 made) in school history and Barker's 13 ties with Michael Heary for the most made/attempted.
Spanning The Country
Navy's recruiting efforts over the last few years have taken the Mids' coaches from coast to coast. Of the 18 players listed on the current varsity roster, 11 different states are represented - California (2), Georgia (2), Illinois (1), Louisiana (1), Michigan (1), Nebraska (1), New York (3), Ohio (1), Texas (3), Virginia (2), Washington (1).
Alumni Hall Faithful
The 4,340 fans that witnessed Navy defeat Army (J26) marked the eighth-largest crowd to see a Navy basketball game at Alumni Hall. It was the largest crowd since last year's Star Game (F17) against the Black Knights, drawing 5,621 fans. To no one's surprise, the top-six largest crowds all witnessed Army-Navy games, while seven of the top 10 saw the Mids battle the Black Knights.
Largest Alumni Hall Crowds
1. 6,370 vs. Army (J21, 95)
2. 5,710 vs. Army (F1, 97)
5,710 vs. Army (J24, 96)
4. 5,621 vs. Army (F17, 01)
5. 5,363 vs. Army (J7, 98)
6. 5,293 vs. Army (F7, 99)
7. 4,360 vs. Colgate (M11, 94)
8. 4,340 vs. Army (J26, 02)
9. 4,218 vs. Wake Forest (N22, 99)
10. 4,153 vs. Lafayette (M5, 98)
