2/19/2002 - Men's Basketball
Navy Looks To Topple First-Place American
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After dropping consecutive games to Colgate and Lafayette last week, the Navy men's basketball team (10-17, 5-7 Patriot League) will look to upset the Patriot League's top-ranked team, American (15-10, 9-3 Patriot League), Wednesday evening. It is the Mids' final regular-season home game of the 2001-02 season and the final home contest of three Navy seniors' careers.
The Midshipmen have lost five of their last six, while American has triumphed in five of its last six outings.
Wednesday's game is slated for 7:30 p.m. or 30 minutes after the completion of the women's game (5:15 p.m. tip). The game can be heard on 1430 WNAV with Bob Socci calling the action.
Honoring The Seniors
Three Navy seniors will play their last game on their home court Wednesday evening against American. Team captain Demond Shepard, along with Jehiel Lewis and Jamie Nero will say good-bye to their home court, Alumni Hall, and all the fans which have supported the trio over the last four years. All three have played a pivotal role in Navy's success over the past four years.
During their four-year stay at the Academy, Navy has produced a 71-46 (.632) overall record and a 35-13 (.708) Patriot League mark. Meanwhile, the Mids have earned a spot in the Patriot League Championship Game in two of the last three years, but were ousted on both title games.
Shepard, Lewis and Nero have put together an 8-0 record against Army over the last four years. Over the last four seasons, Navy has defeated Army by an average of 18.6 points a game.
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 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.
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
Ben Jobe, Southern 512
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
Defending Their Home Court
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
Struggling
Navy's 17 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.
10 Or Less
While Navy has lost five of its last six contests, four of the five losses have been by eight or fewer points and two of the five losses (American and Colgate) have been by ONE point. Its lone "big" loss was a 20-point schooling at Bucknell F6.
Lewis Returns
Senior swing man Jehiel Lewis returned to the Navy lineup Saturday after being sidelined a week ago against Colgate because of a concussion suffered against Lehigh (F9). Lewis was 3-for-6 from the field, scoring eight points and grabbing a pair of rebounds against the Leopards.
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 last Wednesday, but returned to the lineup Saturday at Lafayette.
Patriot League Losses
Navy dropped its seventh Patriot League decision of the season Saturday, falling to Lafayette by an 80-72 count in Easton, Pa. The seven 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.
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
Upcoming Milestones
Several Mids are on the verge of hitting milestone scoring marks or have recently achieved plateau points. Jehiel Lewis' eight points at Lafayette Saturday gave him his 700th point.
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
Jason Jeanpierre 585 15 600
Kyle Barker 481 19 500
Francis Ebong 473 27 500
Demond Shepard 396 4 400
Jamie Nero 82 18 100
Jeff Charles 77 23 100
Where's The Defense?
Navy's last 11 opponents have shot a combined 50.6 percent (173-for-342) 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 in the first meeting between the two teams.
What Happened To The Offense?
Since the 1994-95 season, Navy is 91-18 (.835) 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 8-7 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 27 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 63.2 points (379) in their last six games. That's clearly under their season average of 71.4 points overall and 70.4 points in league action. Saturday, Navy scored 72 points against Lafayette - the first time in the last six games Navy has posted 70 points. Prior to Saturday's offensive output, the last time the Mids had 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 72.1, Lafayette 72.0 and Navy 71.4. The lowest-scoring team is Bucknell at 61.0 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 72.1 70.7 +1.4
2. Lafayette 72.0 75.3 -3.3
3. Navy 71.4 75.4 -4.0
4. Army 67.0 72.0 -5.0
5. American 66.8 58.5 +8.3
6. Lehigh 64.6 70.2 -5.6
7. Holy Cross 63.0 67.8 -4.8
8. Bucknell 61.0 65.8 -4.8
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 27 games, including three different lineups in the last three 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.
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, 27 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).
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 72.3 percent this year - an improvement of .074. While Navy ranks 18th, 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 72.3 percent (489-for-676) 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 93.6 free throw percentage. He is 44-for-47 this season (missed at The Citadel, N29, vs. Lafayette, J23, and at American, J30) and 92-for-101 for his career. Not to get too far ahead, but his 91.1 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 90.2 percent (46-for-51) 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 90-for-98 (.918) 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 243. Navy's seven steals at Lehigh (F9) helped it enter the top 10 list, while eight steals in each of their last two games pushed the Mids' total to 243 and into a tie with the 1985-86 and 1996-97 teams' mark sixth on the list.
Navy's Single-Season Steals List
1. 352 1999-2000 -109
2. 299 2000-01 -66
3. 298 1998-99 -55
4. 282 1997-98 -39
5. 264 1990-91 -21
6. 243 1996-97
243 1985-86
243 2001-02
9. 235 1993-94
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' 165 triples are the most by a Navy team since the 1994-95 team drained 169. With a trio of triples at Lehigh (F9), 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 -60
2. 188 1991-92 -23
3. 181 1993-94 -16
4. 169 1994-95 -4
5. 165 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 165, it has attempted the sixth-most three-pointers with 461. Last year's team put up 462 attempts.
Navy's Single-Season Three-Point FG Att. List
1. 641 1990-91 -180
2. 522 1991-92 -61
3. 487 1994-95 -26
4. 467 1993-94 -6
5. 462 2000-01 -1
6. 461 2001-02
7. 442 1996-97
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 two three-pointers at Lafayette Saturday increased his career total to 77 and into a seventh-place. Meanwhile, Jeanpierre knocked down a trifecta against the Leopards and has tipped the scale to 83 triples for his career.
While Jeanpierre needs just one more three-pointer to tie John Haase (1990-93) for sixth and Barker needs seven, 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. 83 Jason Jeanpierre, 2000-present
8. 77 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 three 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 two regular-season games remaining, including Wednesday's game against American, 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 94 assists, averaging 3.5 per game. Over the last 16 contests, he has averaged 4.0 assists (64), including a career-high eight against Holy Cross (F2). His 94 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.
Double Your Success
Junior Francis Ebong scored 18 points at Lafayette Saturday, as four Mids scored in double digits for the seventh 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
Lafayette Ebong, Barker, Ofori, Long
*games won in bold
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 4-3 this season when four players score in double figures.
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.
Double Duty For Ebong
Starting center Francis Ebong produced his fifth double-double of the season and his career with 18 points and 17 rebounds at Lafayette Saturday afternoon. Ebong was a beast in the paint, hitting six of the seven shots he took and grabbing eight of his career-high 17 boards off the offensive glass. The Omaha, Neb., native was 6-for-10 from the charity stripe.
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.
5. Lafayette (F16) 18 Pts. 17 Reb.
Ofori Shines
Sophomore guard Kwame Ofori was called up from the JV squad just two weeks 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 (F9). Last Wednesday, he scored a career-high 10 points against Colgate, hitting his first-collegiate three-pointer. He followed up with a 10-point effort at Lafayette Saturday and dished out a team-high four assists. He is averaging 7.3 points over the three games and 2.0 assists per contest.
Back Court Steps Up
Navy's guards scored 47 of its 65 points last 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.
Shepard Steps It Up
Captain Demond Shepard has had a strong senior campaign. Specifically, he's been impressive in the 12 Patriot League contests. He owns a team-best 57.9 three-point field goal percentage, connecting on 11 of his 19 shots. Meanwhile, he is shooting 53.3 percent from the field and 89.7 percent from the charity stripe.
For the season, he has produced double-digit scoring marks in eight of the last 18 games, including a career-high 18-point performance against Coastal Carolina (J2). He has scored 10-plus points in five of the last nine contests, including a 14-point effort last Wednesday against Colgate. In four of the 10 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 16 contests. Navy's fifth-leading scorer in Patriot League play (8.3 ppg), he was rewarded with his first start in two years against Holy Cross (F2) and again last Saturday at Lafayette. He is the Mids' sixth-leading scorer in overall contests, averaging 7.3 points, while grabbing 4.2 boards. Long is also one of the Mids' top free throw shooters, missing just five free throws in 51 attempts (.902). He is coming off a career-high 11-rebound night at Lehigh (F9), while producing eight at Lafayette 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 just over a week ago. Moore was 7-for-9 from the field and 6-for-8 from the charity stripe.
On the year, he is averaging 5.6 points and 2.6 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 slipped to fourth in the Patriot League with 6.9 boards a game in conference action after a two-rebound effort at Lafayette Saturday.
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 46.9 percent (15-for-32) 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 23-26 (.469) 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 2-9 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 2-9 0-3
Total 46-12 23-26 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 knocked off all but 423.88 miles which it will use for the Mids' round trip to Army Saturday. Navy has covered a good deal of its mileage with long trips to Texas (Rice and SMU), the Carolinas (The Citadel and Davidson) and Hawai'i (Yahoo! Sports Invitational).
Miles Traveled To Date 15,882.66
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 423.88
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 against 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 against none other than ... Bucknell (F16, 94).
Lewis Named Player Of The Week
Averaging 15.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and a spellbinding 6.0 steals last week, Navy senior swing man Jehiel Lewis was named the Patriot League Player of the Week J14. Lewis shot 53.6 percent (15-for-28) in games against Wake Forest, Holy Cross and Bucknell, while hitting 45.5 percent (5-for-11) of his three-point shots. Meanwhile, he was flawless from the charity stripe, connecting on all 12.
Lewis set a Navy and Patriot League record with 12 steals against Bucknell Saturday. He was jus
