<p>Game Specifics
Date and Tip Time: Feb. 9, 2008 at 7:00 pm EST
Location: Annapolis, Md. | Alumni Hall (5,710)
Tickets: 1-800-US4-NAVY
Promotions: High School Night
Promotions: Navy Ceremonial Guard Drill Team Performance
Promotions: Military Appreciation Night
Television: None
Video Streaming: Navy All-Access / <a href=“http://www.NavySports.com%5B/url%5D”>www.NavySports.com</a>
Radio: WNAV (Annapolis; 1430 AM)
Radio: WFED (Washington; 1050 AM)
Radio: SIRIUS (Channel 117)
Radio talent: Bob Socci
Webcast: <a href=“http://www.wnav.com%5B/url%5D”>www.wnav.com</a>
Webcast: <a href=“http://www.federalnewsradio.com%5B/url%5D”>www.federalnewsradio.com</a>
Gametracker: <a href=“http://www.NavySports.com%5B/url%5D”>www.NavySports.com</a></p>
<p>ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Navy (10-12, 3-4 PL) looks to start the second half of Patriot League play on a high note on Saturday as two-time Patriot League regular-season defending champ Bucknell (10-12, 5-3 PL) comes calling to Alumni Hall. Tip-off is slated for 7:00 pm (ET) in Annapolis and tickets can be purchased at the door or by calling 1-800-US4-NAVY.</p>
<p>Saturday’s game will be broadcast on the airwaves on WNAV (1430 AM) and WFED (1050 AM), as well as on SIRIUS Channel 117. Bob Socci will call all the action, beginning with the Navy basketball pregame show at 6:45 pm. The game will also be streamed online as part of the CSTV All-Access packages at <a href=“http://www.navysports.com%5B/url%5D”>www.navysports.com</a>.</p>
<p>The Mids are looking for more consistent play as the Patriot League campaign enters the home stretch. All eight teams are within three games of each other, and Navy, despite its 3-4 record, is just two games back of front-runner Lafayette (5-2). Navy has alternated wins in its first seven league games after falling to Colgate, 84-77, last Saturday night. The loss prevented Navy from moving into a second-place tie in the league at the halfway point and was the Mids’ third straight defeat at Alumni Hall, all the while dropping Navy into a tie for fifth place. Navy ended the first half of the conference schedule with just a 1-3 home record, but went 2-1 on the road. All four of Navy’s Patriot League losses have come with the Mids leading at halftime.</p>
<p>Despite the home struggles, Navy has recorded double-digit wins for the fourth straight year (all four years under Billy Lange). The Mids went 14-16 last year and were 11-11 after 22 games, compared to this year’s 10-12. However, last year’s team was just 1-6 through the first half of Patriot League play. This year’s team is 3-4 so far.</p>
<p>The Book on Navy
In alternating wins and losses in their first seven league games, the Mids find themselves in a fifth-place tie just two games back of league-leading Lafayette. Navy has not had much success in league play at Alumni Hall, losing three of its four games in the facility this year. With just three regular-season home games left, the Mids must reverse their fortunes if they are to make a push for a top-four seed at the season-ending Patriot League Tournament.</p>
<p>In last Saturday’s 84-77 loss to Colgate, the Navy defense struggled to get key stops in the second half. The Raiders shot 58.0 percent (a season-high against Navy this year) from the field, including 61.5 percent in the second half. The Mids couldn’t overcome their own shooting woes (34.6 percent) and lost despite grabbing 22 offensive rebounds, recording 27 more shots from the field and forcing the Raiders into eight more turnovers.</p>
<p>Colgate won the game with a balanced effort as freshman Mike Venezia scored 18 points to lead five players in double figures. Kendall Chones added 17 points and nine rebounds for the Raiders. Navy, meanwhile, was led by its sensational trio of Greg Sprink, Kaleo Kina and Chris Harris. Each of the three scored in double figures, as Kina led the way with 21 points, Harris added 15 and Sprink scored 10. Freshman Mark Veazey had one of the best games of his career with nine points, eight rebounds and two blocked shots.</p>
<p>The team is averaging 76.1 points on 41.3 percent shooting with 36.2 rebounds, 14.2 assists, 9.1 steals and 2.6 blocks, while holding foes to 73.6 points per game on 43.0 percent shooting. However, in league games, Navy’s average has bumped to 80.1 points per game, despite shooting just 39.2 percent. Foes are averaging 78.6 ppg while shooting 47.4 percent from the field in the seven league games.</p>
<p>Three Midshipmen are averaging double-figures for head coach Billy Lange, led by senior guard Greg Sprink’s 21.2 ppg and 6.2 rpg average. Sprink ranks 17th in the country in scoring while leading the league. In league games only, he is averaging 25.6 points per outing and has two 30-point performances in the seven league games this year. However, for the season, Sprink is shooting just 36.3 percent from the field, including 29.3 percent from three-point range.</p>
<p>Chris Harris follows with a 13.8 ppg average, while shooting a red-hot 44.0 percent from three-point range. He is also tied for the team lead in steals with 41 and his 62 three-pointers already rank tied for third on the Navy single-season list.</p>
<p>Lastly, Kaleo Kina averages 13.5 ppg and leads the team in assists (80) and is tied for the team lead in steals (41), while ranking third with 96 rebounds (4.4 rpg).</p>
<p>Turning Up The Offense
Since posting a season-low 58 points against Mount St. Mary’s on Dec. 3, the Navy offensive attack has been on a mission. In the 12 games since that game, the Mids are averaging 80.3 points per game, while shooting 42.8 percent from the field, including 38.9 from three-point range.</p>
<p>During the last 12 games, Navy is averaging 15.3 assists per game, 11.0 three-pointers per game and boast an assist-to-turnover ratio of 0.97. In addition, the Mids are shooting a white-hot 77.5 percent during that span from the free throw line.</p>
<p>Turning Up The Offense, Part II
Navy has been held under 70 points just once (67 vs. Army on Jan. 27) during the last 12 games, scoring at least 73 points in nine straight games from Dec. 17, 2007, to Jan. 23, 2008. It was the longest-such streak since the 1990-91 team rattled off 14 straight games of 73 or more points from Dec. 9, 1990, to Feb. 2, 1991.</p>
<p>The Midshipmen have already topped the 80-point plateau six times this year, which equals the most times cracking 80 points under Billy Lange (also six in 2004-05 and 2005-06).</p>
<p>Lastly, Navy is on pace for (30 games) 2,283 points, a total that would rank as the seventh-most points in school history. The 76.1 ppg average would also rank seventh all time and be the most since the 1990-91 team set the school record of 84.1 points per game. In addition, Navy is averaging 62.0 field goal attempts per game, an average that would give the Mids 1,860 attempts this year, a total that would rank third all-time.</p>
<p>Defensive Woes In Conference Play
Earlier in the year, Navy stayed competitive in games mostly because of its defense. However, now that the offense has come around, the Mids’ defense has taken a turn for the worse. The Mids have allowed three of their seven conference foes to score over 80 points this year, and are allowing 78.6 ppg in league games this year, the highest total in the league by over eight points per game. So far, the seven league opponents have shot 47.4 percent from the field and 38.1 percent from three-point range. Compare that to Navy’s non-conference defensive totals of 71.6 ppg and 41.0 percent shooting (28.8 percent from three-point range), and the difference is remarkable.</p>
<p>The Book on Bucknell
Bucknell (10-12, 5-3 PL) snapped a two-game losing streak on Wednesday night with a 91-85 overtime win over Colgate in Hamilton, N.Y. The Bison trailed by nine with 3:43 to play, but John Griffin scored 10 points down the stretch and eight more in overtime to lead Bucknell to the victory. Griffin scored 31 points for the Bison and the team shot 52.6 percent for the contest, including 85.7 percent in overtime. Bucknell also outrebounded the Raiders, 39-29.</p>
<p>Bucknell is averaging 63.0 ppg, 32.2 rpg, 12.6 apg and 6.0 spg while shooting 42.4 percent from the field, 34.5 percent from three-point range and 69.3 percent from the free throw line. Opponents are averaging 65.0 ppg, while shooting 41.9 percent from the field. Bucknell is getting outrebounded 34.5 to 32.2 per game.</p>
<p>Leading Bucknell’s charge is Griffin, a 6-1 senior guard, at 13.1 ppg. He is shooting 35.6 percent from three-point range and leads the team with 66 assists and 32 steals. Junior guard Justin Castleberry is second on the team at 12.3 ppg, while connecting on 42-of-111 three-pointers (.378). Stephen Tyree is the team’s leading rebounder at 5.0 rpg.</p>
<p>Head coach Pat Flannery, who is questionable for Saturday’s game, is 327-214 overall and 232-171 at Bucknell. He guided the Bison to the NCAA Tournament second round in 2005 and 2006, and is one of the league’s all-time winningest coaches. Flannery won a Division III National Championship at Lebanon Valley in 1994. Flannery has missed the last three games with an undisclosed illness. Flannery left the bench in the second half of the Jan. 30 game against Lehigh after feeling under the weather.</p>
<p>Series History
This will be the 54th all-time meeting between Navy and Bucknell in a series that dates back to 1920. Navy leads the series, 29-24, but Bucknell has had the upper hand as of late, winning seven in a row and 10 of the last 11 contests between the two teams. Prior to Bucknell’s current run, the Mids had won 12 of the previous 15 contests from 1997 to 2003. Since Navy joined the Patriot League in 1991-92, the Bison own a 19-17 advantage. The series is the most-frequently played contest for a Navy team without one of the games going to overtime. Virginia is next at 44 games without an overtime contest.</p>
<p>Earlier This Year
Bucknell won the Patriot League opener for both teams, 85-77, back on Jan. 11, at Sojka Pavilion in front of a national-television audience. The Mids set an Sojka Pavilion opponent record for scoring in the first half, as they raced out to a 46-39 advantage. However, with Navy stars Greg Sprink and Chris Harris picking up their fourth fouls in the first seven minutes of the second half, the Bison outscored the Mids, 46-31, in the second half for the victory. Justin Castleberry led four Bison in double figures with 19 points, while Sprink scored 26 and Kaleo Kina added a career-high 24 for the Midshipmen. Bucknell shot 50.9 percent from the field, including 45.8 percent (11-of-24) from three-point range to aid in the Bison victory.</p>
<p>Navy Trio on Record Pace
The Navy trio of Greg Sprink, Chris Harris and Kaleo Kina have carried the Navy offensive attack all season long and if it is to make a push late in the year, the trio must continue their spectacular play. The three have scored a combined 1,067 points (48.5 ppg), needing just 43 points to tie for 10th place with Kevin Sinnett, Chuck Greene and Jack Stumborg (1979) on the Navy “trio” scoring list. The current scoring pace of the 2008 trio would give them 1,455 points, a total that would rank as the fourth-highest scoring trio in school history, behind David Robinson’s final three years. The 48.5 points per game average would rank as the fifth-highest scoring average by a Navy trio in school history.</p>
<p>In addition, the trio has 216 of Navy’s 312 assists (69.2 percent), 228 of Navy’s 375 turnovers (60.8 percent), 147 of Navy’s 208 three-pointers made (70.7 percent), 876 of Navy’s 1,364 field goal attempts (64.2 percent) and 280 of Navy’s 453 free throw attempts (61.8 percent).</p>
<p>Sprink Setting All Kinds of Marks
Senior Greg Sprink is winding down his Navy career, and will without a doubt, end up in the record books as one of the most-accomplished players in school history. He already ranks fourth on the school’s career scoring chart and will likely end in third place, needing 89 points to catch Kevin Sinnett (1976-79). At his current pace of 21.2 points per game (with at least eight games to play), he will end his career with 1,768 points, a total that would rank as the sixth most all-time in the Patriot League.</p>
<p>In addition to his scoring, Sprink is one of only three Patriot Leaguers to score 1,500 points, grab 500 rebounds and dish out 200 assists. Sprink currently has 1,598 points, 538 rebounds and 228 assists. He joins Lafayette’s Brian Ehlers (1,836 points, 572 rebounds, 307 assists) and Colgate’s Pat Campolieta (1,616 points, 698 rebounds, 250 assists) as the only players in league history to reach those milestones. Sprink currently ranks 11th on the Patriot League career scoring list (1,598) and is 35th on the Patriot League career rebounding chart (538). He also ranks third on the Patriot League career free throw percentage chart (.845).</p>
<p>Sprink is one of four Patriot League players (Holy Cross’ Tim Clifford, Lafayette’s Bilal Abdullah and Colgate’s Kyle Roemer) to rank in the top 10 of scoring and rebounding, and is the only one of the four to rank in the top 15 in assists.</p>
<p>He is on a pace for 636 points this year, which would rank as the fourth most in school history, behind David Robinson’s final three years at Navy. He is already the school’s all-time career leading scorer in Patriot League play.</p>
<p>Sprink became the first Navy player since the great David Robinson to score 20 or more points in a game in seven straight contests, when he tallied 36 against American on Jan. 30. Robinson accomplished the feat in 13 straight games from Jan. 10 to Feb. 9, 1987. Sprink has scored in double figures in 21-of-22 games this year, including in 13 straight contests.</p>
<p>Lastly, his 17 made free throws against American tied the Patriot League record for free throws made in a game (set most recently in 2000) and were the third most in school history. He is on a pace for 186 made free throws this year, a total that would rank third behind just David Robinson’s final two years at Navy.</p>
<p>Harris Giving Mids Another Option
As strong of a season that Greg Sprink is having for the Mids, one could argue that sophomore guard Chris Harris is having a better year. Harris, who averaged just 3.5 ppg and 1.2 apg last year, is second on the team in scoring (13.8 ppg) and assists (3.5 apg) while sharing the team lead with 41 steals. Last season, Harris shot just 32.0 percent (24-of-75) from three-point range, but is shooting a red-hot 44.0 percent (62-of-141) from long distance this season.</p>
<p>He has teamed with Sprink to score 769 points (35.0 ppg) between the two of them. Its a pace that would make the duo the fifth-highest scoring tandem in school history with 1,050 points.</p>
<p>Harris has scored in double figures in nine straight games and has 16 double-digit efforts this year, including four efforts of 20 or more points.</p>
<p>Harris ranks in the top 10 in eight-of-12 different Patriot League categories, the only player in the league to rank in the top 10 of that many categories. In fact, just four other players (Army’s Jarell Brown, Lafayette’s Bilal Abdullah and Andrew Brown and Navy’s Kaleo Kina) rank in the top 10 in as many as six categories. As Navy’s point guard, the only statistics he does not rank in the top 10 of are rebounding, blocked shots, offensive rebounds per game and defensive rebounds per game.</p>
<p>In Patriot League games only, Harris is fourth in the league in scoring, first in assists and secon in assist-to-turnover ratio. After struggling in the first 12 games with turnovers (33 assists against 43 turnovers; 0.77 ratio), he has had 43 assists against just 24 turnovers (1.79 ratio) in the last 10 games, while averaging 17.6 ppg and 4.3 apg in that span.</p>
<p>Lastly, Harris is averaging 10.3 more points per game this year than last, an average that is second in the Patriot League behind American’s Garrison Carr, who averages 14.9 ppg more this year than last.</p>
<p>Kina Moving Up the Charts
Kaleo Kina appears to be the next in line to reach the 1,000-point club, as he currently has 865 points, needing 135 points for 1,000 in his career. He currently ranks 24th on the Navy career scoring list, and with at least eight games left to play, would need to average 16.9 ppg over that stretch to become the 18th Navy player in school history to score 1,000 points.</p>
<p>In addition to his scoring, Kina ranks ninth on both the career assists list and steals list and is 10th on the career three-pointers made list. He made his 100th career three-pointer in the loss to Colgate last Saturday night.</p>
<p>Veazey Showing His Improvement
Freshman center Mark Veazey has shown a great deal of improvement since the start of the season, and may be playing his best basketball of the year in Patriot League play. Veazey is averaging 5.1 ppg, 4.4 rpg and 1.6 bpg in seven Patriot League games so far. However, what has been most impressive is his elimination of turnovers. He has just two turnovers in 128 minutes of conference play after having 21 in 264 minutes during non-conference action.</p>
<p>Additionally, Veazey has 29 blocked shots on the season, already the second most in school history by a freshman and tied for the 16th most in a season in school history. Over the last three games, Veazey is averaging 7.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg and 2.3 bpg while shooting 9-of-18 from the field in just 22.0 minutes per game.</p>
<p>Garcia Does It All
Freshman guard Romeo Garcia has had a strong year, even though sometimes his statistics don’t back it up. The 6-4 Cypress, Texas, native is averaging 3.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.2 apg, 1.0 spg and 0.7 bpg in 20.5 minutes per outing. It may not sound like much, but Garcia’s worth goes far beyond the numbers. He currently owns a team-high 2.00 assist-to-turnover ratio (24:12), and has just four turnovers in 147 minutes of Patriot League action. In league play, he is averaging 4.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.0 spg, 1.3 apg and 0.7 bpg, ranking third in league games only in steals and ninth in blocked shots.</p>
<p>Over the last six games, Garcia is averaging 5.3 ppg and 4.3 rpg, while shooting 8-of-19 from the field, including 3-of-6 from three-point range. He has grabbed at least five rebounds four times this year, including 10 against Longwood on Jan. 5. “Romeo (Garcia) understands basketball and has a great feel for the game. He makes winning plays for 40 minutes,” said head coach Billy Lange in an interview with the Annapolis Capital.</p>
<h1>GO NAVY</h1>