2/15/2002 - Men's Basketball
Mids Seek First Win In Easton Since 1998
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After dropping a 92-79 decision to Lafayette (12-12, 6-5 Patriot League) nearly three weeks ago, the Navy men's basketball team (10-16, 5-6 Patriot League) not only looks to avenge its loss to the Leopards, but also seeks its first victory against the Leopards in Easton since 1998. Not only have the Mids lost six of the last eight games in the series, they've lost three-consecutive games at the Allan P. Kirby Sports Center. Saturday's game is slated for 3:15 p.m. or 30 minutes after the completion of the women's game (1 p.m. tip). The game can be heard on 1430 WNAV with Bob Socci calling the action.
Lewis Update
Senior Jehiel Lewis is questionable for Saturday's contest at Lafayette. Lewis sustained a concussion (believed to be his fourth in his career) at the 17:22 mark in the second half of last Saturday's game at Lehigh. Lehigh's Matt Logie inadvertently caught Lewis just above the eye with his elbow and laid Lewis out.
Lewis participated in non-contact drills Thursday and practiced with the team Friday. Likely a game time decision, the Navy coaching staff and athletic trainer Loren Shipley will assess his progress Saturday prior to the game.
Freshman forward Shawn Ikpa was brought up from the JV squad to dress in place of Lewis last Wednesday against Colgate. Ikpa will travel to Lafayette and will dress if needed.
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 last Wednesday, he claimed his 499th-career win. DeVoe is 57th on the NCAA's all-time win list, tied with Valparaiso's Homer Drew.
Should he reach his 500th victory Saturday, 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.
Winningest All-Time Coaches
- By Victories
1. Dean Smith (Ret.) 879
54. Nolan Richardson, Arkansas 507
55. Rollie Massimino, Cleveland State 506
56. Harold Anderson 504
57. Don DeVoe, Navy 499
Homer Drew, Valparaiso 499
59. Cliff Ellis, Auburn 497
Winningest Active Coaches
- By Victories
1. Jim Phelan, Mount St. Mary's 819
18. Dave Bliss, Baylor 512
19. Ben Jobe, Southern 511
20. Nolan Richardson, Arkansas 507
21. Rollie Massimino, Cleveland State 506
22. Don DeVoe, Navy 499
Homer Drew, Valparaiso 499
24. Cliff Ellis, Auburn 497
Road Woes
Over the last four years, the Mids have posted a 32-25 (.479) record on the road versus a 46-12 (.793) 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 8-5 2-8 0-3
Total 46-12 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). This Mids will put on 263 miles to Easton, Pa., and back for Saturday's contest against the Leopards.
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
Miles This Trip 263.02
New Faces On The Roster
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 three outings. Bania has dressed for three games to date - at Holy Cross (J9) and the last three 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 (F6) and started the last two games against Lehigh and Colgate. He was responsible for a key three-point play to seal Navy's road win at Stabler Arena a week ago.
Another new name and face to appear on the roster is that of freshman Shawn Ikpa. The rookie forward out of Atlanta, Ga., dressed in place of Jehiel Lewis last Wednesday because of Lewis' concussion. Should he dress Saturday, he will dress (No. 5) for just his second varsity contest.
Unlucky Tie Breakers
Navy has been in a dead heat in the Patriot League standings with four of its last five opponents. All four times, the Mids have taken it on the chin.
Date Opponent Score PL Rank
J30 American 67-66 OT T1st
F2 Holy Cross 62-54 T2nd
F6 Bucknell 76-56 T4th
F13 Colgate 66-65 T5th
10 Or Less
While Navy has lost four of its last five contests, three of the four losses have been by eight or fewer points and two of the four losses have been by ONE (American and Colgate) point. Its lone "big" loss was a 20-point schooling at Bucknell F6.
Struggling
Navy's 16 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 sixth Patriot League decision of the season Wednesday, falling to by a 66-65 count at Alumni Hall. The six league losses are the most by the Mids since Don DeVoe's first year (1992-93) at the Academy. That squad produced a 5-9 record - the most losses the Mids have suffered in Patriot League play.
Back Court Steps Up
Navy's guards scored 47 of its 65 points Wednesday against Colgate. Starting three guards in the contest, Kwame Ofori, Jason Jeanpierre and Marcell Cummings accounted for 30 points alone, while Demond Shepard added 14 and Paul Bania tossed in a triple.
Where's The Defense?
Navy's last 10 opponents have shot a combined 51.9 percent (165-for-318) 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 31-55 (.360) 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 12 of their 26 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 61.4 points (307) in their last five games. That's clearly under their season average of 71.4 points overall and 70.3 points in league action. Navy has gone the last five games without scoring 70 points, as the last time it achieved the 70-point barrier was in its 79-61 victory over Army (J26).
League Average Below 70 Points
Of the eight Patriot League teams, just three are averaging 70-plus points a game - Colgate 72.6, Lafayette 71.8 and Navy 71.4. The lowest-scoring team is Bucknell at 60.7 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 72.6 70.7 +1.9
2. Lafayette 71.8 75.3 -3.5
3. Navy 71.4 75.4 -4.0
4. Army 67.4 72.0 -4.6
5. American 66.6 58.5 +8.1
6. Lehigh 64.5 70.2 -5.7
7. Holy Cross 62.5 67.8 -5.3
8. Bucknell 60.7 65.8 -5.1
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 10 different lineups in 26 games. With the most used lineup being Jehiel Lewis and Francis Ebong at forward, Mitch Moore at center and Jason Jeanpierre and Demond Shepard at the guard positions.
Navy has used three different lineups in the last three games, thanks in part to concussion suffered by Lewis.
No player on the Midshipmen roster has started every game. This is the first time since the 1993-94 season in which Navy has NOT had at least one player start 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
Gm. 26 Cummings, Ebong, Moore, Jeanpierre, 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 582 18 600
Kyle Barker 469 31 500
Francis Ebong 455 45 500
Demond Shepard 388 12 400
Jamie Nero 82 18 100
Jeff Charles 77 23 100
Mids Among The Most Improved
According to a list put out by STATS, Inc., last 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 72.4 percent this year - an improvement of .075. 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 72.4 percent (475-for-656) 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 81.0 percent (64-for-79) 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.
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 235. Navy's seven steals at Lehigh last Saturday helped it enter the top 10 list, while eight steals against Colgate Wednesday pushed the Mids' total to 235 and into a tie with the 1993-94 team's mark eighth on the list.
Navy's Single-Season Steals List
1. 352 1999-2000 -117
2. 299 2000-01 -64
3. 298 1998-99 -63
4. 282 1997-98 -47
5. 264 1990-91 -29
6. 243 1996-97 -8
243 1985-86 -8
8. 235 1993-94
235 2001-02
10. 228 1986-87
Tossing In The Threes
With its six three-pointers at American (J30), Navy surpassed last year's three-point total of 137. The Mids' 157 triples are the most by a Navy team since the 1994-95 team drained 169. With a trio of triples at Lehigh last Saturday, this year's 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 -68
2. 188 1991-92 -31
3. 181 1993-94 -24
4. 169 1994-95 -12
5. 157 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 157, it has attempted the seventh-most three-pointers with 436. Last year's team put up 462 attempts.
Navy's Single-Season Three-Point FG Att. List
1. 641 1990-91 -205
2. 522 1991-92 -86
3. 487 1994-95 -51
4. 467 1993-94 -31
5. 462 2000-01 -26
6. 442 1996-97 -6
7. 436 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 last 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 three 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.
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 93 assists, averaging 3.6 per game. Over the last 15 contests, he has averaged 4.2 assists (63), including a career-high eight against Holy Cross (F2). His 93 assists are more than three times the number he dealt out last year (30). It's the most assists by a Navy player since Brian Walker dished out 147 during the 1996-97 season. Walker is also the last Midshipman to record a 100-plus assist 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-77 perfect free throw shooting efforts in the country this season making 10 or more in a single game. Just eight players have made more than 13 in a game this season -
Lynn Greer Temple 18-for-18
Henry Domercant Eastern Ill. 17-for-17
Troy Bell Boston College 17-for-17
Marcus Moore Washington. St. 16-for-16
Douglas Ruben New Mexico 15-for-15
Frederick Jones Oregon 14-for-14
Dimeco Childress E. Tennessee St. 14-for-14
Luis Flores Manhattan 14-for-14
- five 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
Chris Williams Ball State 13-for-13
Guilherme Da Luz Furman 13-for-13
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.
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.
Ofori Shines
Sophomore guard Kwame Ofori was called up from the JV squad just over a week ago. Since that time, he has made quite an impact. In his initial game against Bucknell (F6), he scored three points. A game later, he earned his first-career start, scoring six points and producing a three-point play which sealed the Mids' win over Lehigh. Wednesday, he scored a career-high 10 points against Colgate, hitting his first-collegiate three-pointer. He is averaging 6.3 points over the three games and 1.3 assists per contest.
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 home 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 in his four-year career. He missed the Colgate contest Wednesday and is questionable for Saturday's game at Lafayette.
Shepard Steps It Up
Captain Demond Shepard has had a particularly strong senior campaign. Specifically, he's been impressive in the 11 Patriot League contests. He owns a team-best 56.3 three-point field goal percentage, connecting on 9 of his 16 shots. Meanwhile, he is shooting 54.5 percent from the field and 89.2 percent from the charity stripe.
For the season, he has produced double-digit scoring marks in eight of the last 17 games, including a career-high 18-point performance against Coastal Carolina (J2). He has scored 10-plus points in five of the last eight contests, including a 14-point effort Wednesday against Colgate. In four of the nine games in which he did not put up double figures, he tossed in nine points.
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 15 contests. Navy's fifth-leading scorer in Patriot League play (8.2 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 7.1 points, while grabbing 3.9 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 last 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 last Saturday. Moore was 7-for-9 from the field and 6-for-8 from the charity stripe.
On the year, he is averaging 5.8 points and 2.3 rebounds. He produced a career-high eight boards against Wake Forest (J7).
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.
Double Your Success
Junior Jason Jeanpierre's career-high tying 24 points led Navy to an OT 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.
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 56-15 (.789) against conference opponents and 52-21 (.712) against nonleague foes at home under DeVoe (107-36, .748). 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 46-8 (.852) record against league foes at home.
Navy is 8-5 at Alumni Hall this season. Its five losses at Alumni Hall are the most since the 1993-94 season in which the Mids dropped five home contests - Maryland-Eastern Shore, Lehigh, Colgate, Brown, Lafayette.
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
F13, 02 Colgate 66-65
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).
Jeanpierre Earns Patriot League Player-Of-The Week Honor
Averaging 21.5 points, 6.0 assists and a 2.0 steals, Navy junior guard Jason Jeanpierre was named the Patriot League Player of the Week Monday, J21. Jeanpierre shot 45.2 percent (14-for-31) in overtime wins over Lehigh and Colgate, while hitting 47.1 percent (8-for-17) of his three-point shots.
Jeanpierre tied his career high with a 24-point effort in the Mids' OT win at Colgate, leading Navy to its first road victory of the season. He scored seven of Navy's last 12 points in regulation, including back-to-back three-pointers. In the process, Jeanpierre hit two milestones against the Raiders - he topped the 500-career point marker (510), as well as the 200-career point Patriot League scoring plateau (208).
Jeanpierre is the second-consecutive Navy player to garner Patriot League Player-of-the-Week recognition. Last week, teammate Jehiel Lewis earned the honor after averaging 15.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and a spellbinding 6.0 steals.
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 a
