Nov. 21, 2008

• Navy Game Notes (11-21-08)

NAVY (2-1) at WILLIAM & MARY (1-2)
Saturday, Nov. 22, 2008 • 7:00 pm (ET)
Kaplan Arena (8,600) • Williamsburg, Va.
Radio: WNAV (1430 AM; www.wnav.com)
Tickets: 757-221-3340 or available at game.
Streaming Video: None
Live Stats: www.TribeAthletics.com

Game Preview
• Looking for its third straight win after losing its season opener, the Navy men's basketball team hits the road for the second time this season when it travels down I-95 to Williamsburg, Va., for a tilt against William & Mary, beginning at 7:00 pm (ET) on Saturday night. The Midshipmen are one of five Patriot League teams (through Thursday's game) to have two wins under their belts and are 2-1 after Tuesday night's 75-63 win over St. Francis (N.Y.). William & Mary earned its first win of the young season with a 74-58 win over Norfolk State on Wednesday night, in what was its first home game of the season.
• Saturday's game will air on WNAV (1430 AM in Annapolis) and online at www.WNAV.com. Pete Medhurst will handle the call, beginning with the Navy basketball pregame show at 6:45 pm (ET). Live stats will also be available at William & Mary's athletics website, www.TribeAthletics.com.

The Book on Navy
• Navy appears to have righted the ship after a lackluster effort in the season-opening loss to Towson. Navy has won two straight games, thanks to strong defensive efforts in both games against Howard and St. Francis (N.Y.). Over the last two games, Navy has held its foes to 42-of-116 (.362) from the field and just 118 points (59.0 per game). In the season opener against Towson, the Tigers shot 46.0 percent from the field and scored 49 second-half points (86 overall). In the second half of the last two games, Navy has allowed just 60 combined points and foes are 21-of-60 (.350) from the field.
• Navy has gotten off to fast starts the last two games. The Mids jumped out to a 9-2 lead three minutes into the contest against Howard and led 14-2 six minutes into the game against St. Francis.
• The Mids' 55 points allowed against Howard equaled the fewest since a Jan. 21, 2007, contest against Army (Army win, 53-50). The 118 points allowed in the last two games is the fewest combined points in a two-game span since Jan. 21-24, 2007, vs. Army (53) and American (55).
• In the win over St. Francis (N.Y.), Navy shot over 40.0 percent for the first time since Feb. 16, 2008, vs. Lafayette, a span of eight games. Amazingly, Navy went 5-3 during that stretch.
• A lot of talk has been made about Navy's three-point shooting, but it is the inside play that is carrying Navy this year. The Mids have outscored their opponents, 96-74, in the paint this year, for an average of 32.0 to 24.7.
• Meanwhile, Navy has scored just 60 points from behind the three-point line.
• Navy won its fourth straight non-conference home game with the win over St. Francis (N.Y.). The average margin of victory during the four wins (vs. NJIT, Longwood, Howard, St. Francis) has been 17.5 ppg.
• Navy has been held to 69 or fewer points twice this year already, after being held to 69 or fewer points just five times all of last year.
• Navy has had three different players (Clif Colbert vs. Towson; Chris Harris vs. Howard; Kaleo Kina vs. St. Francis (N.Y.)) lead the team in scoring this year. Just five players led the team in scoring a year ago.
• Despite posting a 2-1 record, Navy's offense still hasn't fired on all cylinders. Navy is shooting just 20-of-66 (.303) from three-point range. Navy's three primary three-point shooters (Chris Harris, Adam Teague and Kaleo Kina) are just a combined 13-of-48 (.271) from long distance. For their careers, they are a combined 355-of-970 (.366). Each member of the trio has made at least 117 three-pointers and attempted at least 316. For comparison purposes, the other 11 members of the team are 51-of-172 (.297) from three-point range in their careers.

The Book on William & Mary
• William & Mary enters Saturday night's contest with a 1-2 overall mark. The Tribe lost their first two games to Penn State (65-51) and Ohio (74-55), but cruised past Norfolk State on Wednesday night, 74-58. William & Mary led Norfolk State, which placed second in the MEAC last year and was picked fourth in the preseason, 30-21 at halftime, then opened the second half on a 19-2 run to blow the game open. Danny Sumner and David Schneider combined for 44 points and seven assists in Wednesday's win, and the Tribe shot 53.2 percent from the field, including 62.3 percent in the second half. The Tribe had 18 turnovers, but won the battle of the boards, 36-30. William & Mary also made 10-of-23 three-point tries.
• Sumner, who has led the Tribe in scoring all three games, is averaging 17.0 ppg and 5.0 rpg to lead William & Mary in both categories. He has connected on 51.3 percent of all field goal attempts, including 7-of-16 three-pointers. Schneider follows at 11.3 ppg, but is shooting just 32.1 percent from the field. Sean McCurdy, a transfer from Arkansas, averages 6.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg and 4.0 apg, but will likely miss the game after suffering a severely sprained ankle in practice on Tuesday night.
• As a team, the Tribe is shooting 44.6 percent from the field and 32.8 percent from three-point range, while averaging 60.0 ppg. William & Mary has been hampered by turnovers, committing 52 (17.3) in the three games so far.
• Defensively, foes are averaging 65.7 points per contest and are shooting 44.2 percent from the field, including 41.7 percent from three-point range.
• Head coach Tony Shaver owns a 414-216 overall record in his 23rd year and is 56-95 in his sixth year at William & Mary. He was last year's CAA Coach of the Year after leading the Tribe to a fifth-place finish and an appearance in the 2008 CAA Championship game. Last year's squad finished with a 17-16 record.

William & Mary Projected Starters (2008-09 Stats) Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Year Stats / Notes F 3 Chris Darnell 6-9 230 Sr. 4.0 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.0 apg F 15 Peter Stein 6-9 235 Sr. 6.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg F 22 Danny Sumner 6-7 215 Jr. 17.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg G 1 Kendrix Brown 6-3 205 Fr. 3.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.7 apg G 2 David Schneider 6-3 187 Jr. 11.3 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 2.3 apg

Navy's Projected Starters (2008-09 Stats) Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Year Stats / Notes F 33 Adam Teague 6-8 225 Sr. 7.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg C 44 Mark Veazey 6-11 230 So. 8.0 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 1.5 bpg G 5 Chris Harris 6-2 185 Jr. 16.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 2.0 apg G 23 O.J. Avworo 6-0 195 So. 5.0 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 4.3 apg G 24 Kaleo Kina 6-4 200 Sr. 13.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.0 apg

Series With the Tribe
• Navy leads the all-time series with William & Mary, 39-19 and has won three games in a row between the two teams. The 58 meetings is the fifth most against any one opponent (tied with Maryland) and the three-game winning streak in the series is the fourth-longest current winning streak against an opponent (tied with five other teams). Since the 1994 season, Navy has won six of the eight contests.
• Navy is 11-10 all-time against the Tribe in Williamsburg, Va., including 2-3 since Navy joined the Patriot League in 1991.
• In the last three games (Jan. 31, 2000; Dec. 22, 2000; Nov. 28, 2006), all Navy wins, the Mids have outscored the Tribe by an average of 13.3 ppg.

Last Meeting With the Tribe
• Navy defeated William & Mary, 79-63, on Nov. 28, 2006, in Annapolis. Navy led 38-28 at halftime, before outscoring the Trible, 41-35, in the second half for the victory. Navy shot 61.4 percent in the contest, including 64.3 percent from the three-point line, Navy's highest percentage in the Billy Lange era.
• After William & Mary crawled to within 49-40 with 12:49 to play, the Mids went on a 25-9 to take a 74-49 lead, the largest of the game with 3:43 to play.
• One game after leaving the Villanova contest with an apparent concussion, Kaleo Kina scored 18 points with seven rebounds, six assists and five steals in just 29 minutes of action. Greg Sprink totaled 15 points and Corey Johnson, now Navy's starting outside linebacker on the bowl-bound football team, added 10 points.
• William & Mary, which entered the game following close losses to Kansas State and Holy Cross, shot 40.0 percent from the field, but went just 4-of-21 (.190) from three-point range, and turned the ball over 18 times.
• The Tribe was led by Adam Payton and Adam Trumbower, each with 12 points. Danny Sumner scored four points on 2-of-8 shooting in 19 minutes for the Tribe.

# GO NAVY #