Dec. 29, 2011
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GAMEDAY INFO
Navy (3-9) vs. Mercer (8-6)
Friday, December 30, 2011 • 7:00 pm (ET)
Annapolis, Md. • Alumni Hall (5,710)
Radio: WNAV (1430 AM, 99.9 FM, wnav.com)
Announcers: Pete Medhurst (play-by-play), Michael Heary (analyst)
Video Streaming: NavySports.com (Navy All-Access)
Gametracker: NavySports.com
Tickets: Available at Alumni Hall box office one hour prior to game.
Series: Mercer leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: December 10, 2010 (Mercer, 73-68)
PROMOTIONS
Meet the Mids Night - All fans are invited to "Meet the Mids" during an autograph session following the game. The first 100 kids in attendance will receive a FREE "Meet the Mids" T-shirt courtesy of Annapolis Area Chick-fil-A and Naval Bagels.
Billy the Kids Club Night - All Billy the Kid Club members receive FREE admission to the game by showing their Kids Club ID card at the Alumni Hall Box Office.
State Employee Appreciation Night - Maryland State Employees and their friends and families can get into the game for only $3 a person by showing their State ID Badge at the Alumni Hall Box Office on game night.
City Employee Appreciation Night - All City of Annapolis Employees and their guests are invited to attend the game for only $3 a person by showing their ID at the Alumni Hall Box Office.
Navy Basketball Camper Reunion Night - All Navy Basketball Campers are invited to the game. For details, contact Chris Grosse at grosse@usna.edu or call 410-293-8785.
SECURITY REGULATIONS
Fans are reminded that only those vehicles with a Department of Defense sticker affixed to it will be allowed to drive onto the grounds of the USNA. All other visitors to The Yard have the option of either finding parking in downtown Annapolis and walking through the Academy's gates, or else parking at nearby Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium's blue side ($5 per vehicle) and riding the free shuttle bus to and from Alumni Hall.
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Navy begins its non-conference stretch run as well as a three-game homestand on Friday night as a strong Mercer squad comes to Alumni Hall for a 7:00 pm tipoff. The Midshipmen are playing at home for just the fifth time in the 2011-12 season, owning a 2-2 record on their home court this year. The contest will be broadcast by WNAV (1430 AM, 99.9 FM, wnav.com) with Pete Medhurst and Michael Heary calling the action courtside, beginning with the Navy Basketball pregame show at 6:45 pm. Live stats and video (Navy All-Access) will be provided on NavySports.com and as always, fans can receive text message updates via Navy's official Twitter page (@NavyAthletics).
MIDSHIPMEN UPDATE
• Navy enters Friday's game with Mercer on a five-game losing streak, having lost the five contests by an average of 11.8 points per game. During the current five-game skid, Navy is averaging just 52.4 points per game while shooting 36.9 percent from the field and 24.5 percent from three-point range.
• Most of Navy's 3-9 start can be attributed to a tough schedule. Navy has played just four home games for the entire season and just one during the last month. Through Wednesday's games, the combined record of the 13 Division I non-conference teams on Navy's slate is 83-79 (.512). The last four non-conference foes (Missouri, Presbyterian, Mercer and Norfolk State) are a combined 36-16 (.692) through Wednesday's games. Navy has lost seven straight road games and is 1-9 in its last 10 games overall. The lone road win on the season came in the season opener, a 78-70 decision over Longwood.
• Over the last three games, opponents have shot 79-of-150 (.527) from the field and 17-of-48 (.354) from three-point range while averaging 70.3 points per game. All three opponents (Monmouth, Missouri and Presbyterian) each shot at least 49.0 percent from the field with Monmouth (.580) and Presbyterian (.511) being over 50.0 percent.
• Despite the tough numbers, Navy has shown improvement in several statistical categories from last year. The biggest area of improvement is on the glass. Navy is even on the glass through 12 games, one year after recording the lowest rebounding margin in school history at minus-9.4. Through 12 games a year ago, Navy was minus-12.7 in rebounding margin.
• Sophomore forward J.J. Avila has been a consistent offensive performer for head coach Ed DeChellis. Over the last five games, Avila is averaging 17.8 points per game and 7.4 rebounds per game while shooting 31-of-60 (.517) from the field. He and freshman Worth Smith have combined for 126 points (25.2 ppg) and 62 rebounds (12.4 rpg) while shooting a combined 47-of-92 (.511) from the field to pose a formidable frontline attack for the Midshipmen.
• However, if you take Avila and Smith out of Navy's offensive attack, the remainder of the team is shooting just 46-of-160 (.288) from the field and 18-of-74 (.243) from three-point range during the five-game stretch. Avila is 22-of-25 (.880) from the free throw line, while the remainder of the squad is 28-of-47 (.596). Over the last three games, Avila and Smith are a combined 33-of-57 (.579) from the field, averaging 28.0 points per game in 57.7 minutes per game. The rest of the team is 30-of-95 (.316) from the field, averaging 28.0 points per game in 142.3 minutes per game.
• Navy has held six of its 12 opponents to 59 or fewer points, but the Mids are just 2-4 in those games. Navy ranks second in the Patriot League and 118th nationally in scoring defense (64.0 ppg), an 8.7-point improvement from a season ago.
• According to BBState.com, Navy ranks 299th nationally in possessions / game, which takes into account the pace of play that a team plays. It is a stark contrast to what Navy played under previous head coach Billy Lange. Under Lange, Navy ranked 13th (2011), 21st (2010), 55th (2009),ninth (2008), 270th (2007), 37th (2006) and fifth (2005) in possessions / game, averaging well over 70.0 possessions per game in those years. This year's team is averaging 64.7 possessions per game, compared to 74.2 possessions per game a year ago.
• Over the last three games, opponents are averaging a whopping 1.20 points per possession (Monmouth - 1.22; Missouri - 1.25; Presbyterian - 1.10), scoring 211 points in 176.4 possessions during that span. For the season, opponents are scoring 1.01 point per possession.
DEC. 22 PRESBYTERIAN RECAP 
• Navy struggled in all aspects of the game, falling to a strong Presbyterian squad, 58-42, on December 22.
• The Mids trailed just 24-20 late in the first half, but then went 11 minutes without a field goal spanning both halves as Presbyterian used a 15-1 run to take its largest lead of the game at 39-21 with 14:30 to play. Navy would twice cut the lead to nine points, the last time coming at 45-36 with 5:42 left to play, but the Blue Hose ended the game on a 13-6 spurt for the final margin.
• Navy's 42 points were the fewest since scoring 40 against Holy Cross on Feb. 15, 2007.
• Navy made just one three-pointer, snapping a 22-game streak of making at least three three-pointers in every game.
• Of Navy's 42 points scored against Presbyterian, 41 of them were by freshmen or sophomores. Eighteen of the 42 points came from the bench.
• J.J. Avila went 8-of-18 from the field, scoring 21 points with eight rebounds, his second straight game of at least 20 points and eight rebounds. The remaining four starters went 1-of-8 from the field and the remainder of the team was just 8-of-28 (.286) from the field, scoring 21 points.
PREVIEWING MERCER 
• Mercer enters the game with an 8-6 record and is coming off a 68-62 loss at Tulsa on Wednesday night. The Bears have played a challenging schedule that has featured Missouri, Seton Hall, Georgia, Georgia Tech and Tulsa.
• Mercer gave Missouri one of its toughest games of the season (81-63 loss on Nov. 14) and is 1-1 in the Atlantic Sun Conference after dropping an 82-78 decision at borderline-Top 25 program and preseason favorite Belmont. The Bears lost to 11-2 Seton Hall by three in overtime (80-77), defeated Georgia Tech (65-59) and routed Furman (66-46), Sam Houston State (60-38) and Niagara (74-55) already this year.
• Head coach Bob Hoffman relies on a young lineup that features four sophomores and a senior with an average height of 6-6 (Navy's projected starting lineup is 6-3; a full 15 inches shorter than Mercer's). Mercer's smallest starter is 6-4, while Navy has just two players starting that are taller.
• Sophomore Langston Hall averages 12.6 points per game with a team-best 3.8 assists per game as a 6-4 point guard. Jakob Gollon and Justin Cecil each average 10.5 points per game, while Gollon pulls down a team-high 5.8 rebounds per game. For good measure, sophomore center Daniel Coursey blocks 2.5 shots per game in the post and is shooting 63.8 percent from the field while averaging 8.4 points per game.
• As a team, Mercer averages 68.5 points per game while allowing 65.6 points per game. The Bears are shooting 44.2 percent from the field and 34.6 percent from three-point range and are outrebounding their opponents by 1.0 rebounds per game. Opponents are shooting just 38.7 percent from the field against Mercer.
NAVY-MERCER SERIES HISTORY
This will be second meeting between the two teams as part of a home-and-home agreement started last year. The Bears won last year's meeting, 73-68, after Navy led by five with five minutes to play (66-61). The Bears went on a 12-2 spurt over the last five minutes to rally for the victory. The Mids still led 68-66 with 1:26 to play, but the Bears scored the last seven points of the game for the win. Jordan Sugars led Navy with 23 points and seven rebounds, while Jeff Smith had 22 points and five rebounds for the Bears. Mercer shot 26-of-48 (.542) from the field, including 21-of-31 (.677) from inside the three-point line. Mercer was also plus-11 (35-24) on the glass.
MORE SERIES NOTES
• Navy is 5-7 (.417) all-time against Atlantic Sun schools (5-3 vs. Belmont; 0-2 vs. Jacksonville, 0-1 vs. Mercer; 0-1 vs. Stetson).
• Head coach Ed DeChellis is 0-0 against Mercer and 3-0 against the Atlantic Sun schools (3-0 vs. Belmont). His former team, East Tennessee State (1997-03), is now a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference.
• Navy is 3-3 (.500) all-time against the State of Georgia (1-0 vs. Georgia, 2-2 vs. Georgia Tech, 0-1 vs. Mercer).
• Navy is 22-14 (.611) all-time on the date, having played on December 30 in three straight years (2-1). Navy lost last year on the date to NCAA Tournament-bound Long Island, 96-86, at home.
• Ironically, this will be the third game against a team from the state of Georgia (vs. Georgia Tech on Dec. 30, 1960; vs. Georgia on Dec. 30, 1963; vs. Mercer on Dec. 30, 2011) on this date. Three of Navy's seven games against the State of Georgia will have been played on Dec. 30.
MIDSHIPMEN TIP-INS
• When opponents shoot better than Navy, the Mids are just 1-8 with the lone win coming against Mount St. Mary's.
• In the previous seven seasons (2005-11), Navy was 56-18 (.757) when attempting more free throws than its opponent. This year so far, Navy is just 3-5 (.375).
• Navy has not had a double-digit lead since owning a 14-point lead against Mount St. Mary's on Nov. 30, a span of five games. If you throw out the Mount St. Mary's game, Navy has not had a lead greater than five points since leading Siena, 17-11, on Nov. 16, a span of 10 games.
• Navy is shooting 51.1 percent (193-of-378) from inside the three-point line this year.
• Navy has been held to 49 or fewer points in four of the last six games.
• Navy hasn't scored over 65 points on the road since the season opener against Longwood.
• Navy remains stuck on win No. 1,298 in program history, still needing two wins for 1,300. The Mids own a 1,298-924 record (.584).
• Since the start of last year, Navy is 7-19 (.269) during November and December. Navy has lost eight straight games in the month of December.
• Over the last two games, Navy's freshmen and sophomores have scored 92 of Navy's 101 points (.911).
• Navy has had 11 players already score in double figures in just 12 games this year.
• In games that Navy has at least four players in double figures, the Midshipmen are 3-1, falling to Monmouth on Tuesday, Dec. 6. When Navy has three or fewer players score in double figures, the Midshipmen are 0-8.
AVILA HAVING SENSATIONAL SOPHOMORE SEASON
• After having one of the top freshmen seasons in school history, J.J. Avila is off to another strong start as a sophomore. He leads the team in scoring (15.1 ppg), rebounding (6.5 rpg), assists (34), steals (17) and blocks (6), joining Iowa State's Royce White as the only players nationally to lead their teams in all five categories. He is the only player in the Patriot League to rank in the top 10 of points (5th), rebounds (3rd), field goal percentage (2nd), assists (8th) and steals (3rd).
• Avila is one of eight players nationally to average 15.0 points per game, 6.0 rebounds per game and 2.5 assists per game (through Wednesday's games), joining UC Santa Barbara's Orlando Johnson (21.0, 7.1, 2.8), Memphis' Will Barton (19.9, 8.8, 2.5), Lehigh's C.J. McCollum (19.0, 6.1, 3.5), Princeton's Ian Hummer (17.8, 7.8, 3.4), Maine's Justin Edwards (17.3, 6.5, 2.8), Central Michigan's Trey Zeigler (16.5, 6.6, 2.7) and Michigan State's Draymond Green (15.1, 9.6, 3.6).
• Avila posted a 26-point (10-of-13 FGs), eight-rebound, five-assist effort against 10th-ranked Missouri on December 10. The 26 points were the eighth most for a Navy player against a ranked opponent and the most for a Navy sophomore.
• Avila has eight career games (in 43 contests) where he has "stuffed the statsheet", instances in which he had at least five in three of the following categories (points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks). The rest of the team has one such game in 413 career outings (Sugars vs. Bucknell as a sophomore).
• Avila surpassed 500 career points against Missouri, coming in just his 42nd career game. Since freshmen became eligible in 1972-73, the 42 games made him the fifth-fastest Navy player to 500 career points in school history, behind Kevin Sinnett (33), Michael Heary (37), Vernon Butler (39) and David Robinson (41).
• Avila became the 15th player in school history to score 500 points by the end of his sophomore season. His current scoring average of 15.1 points per game this season would give him 795 points by the end of the year to rank third all-time among sophomore scorers.
• Avila needs just eight rebounds during the remainder of the season to join Vernon Butler (1983-86) as the only players in school history to have 500 points, 250 rebounds and 100 assists by the end of his sophomore season.
• Sophomore J.J. Avila has led the team in scoring in each of the last six contests, averaging 18.0 points per game and shooting 52.1 percent (38-of-73) from the field and 26-of-29 (.897) from the free throw line during that span. Avila's six straight games as the "outright" leading scorer is tied for the second-longest streak for a Navy player since the 1987-88 season, just behind Chris Williams (seven in 2000-01 season).
# GO NAVY #
