LEADING OFF...The Mount staged a furious second-half rally, but came up short in a 76-72 loss to Lafayette last Friday.  Trailing by 20 points with 10:05 remaining in the game, the Mount cut the deficit to 73-72 with 40 seconds left.  The Leopards, however, drained a three-pointer on the next possession to secure the victory.  Chris Vann poured in 27 points and Jeremy Goode chipped in 17 points and seven assists in the loss.

 

MEDIA INFORMATION...The Mount Radio Network will broadcast the game on WTHU-AM (1450) and over the internet at www.mountathletics.com.  Steve Stofberg and Roy Sigler will provide the commentary.

 

THE ALL-TIME SERIES...This will be the first-ever meeting between Oregon and the Mount.

 

QUICK HITS...

      •     The loss to Lafayette snapped a six-game win streak for the Mount, the second-longest win streak since the Mount moved to NCAA Division I in 1988-89.

      •     Senior Chris Vann is averaging 24.0 points over the past two games.  The 6-0 guard has hit 12-of-18 (.667) from three-point range and 14-of-23 (.609) from the field over that stretch.

      •     The Mount is holding the opposition to 65.3 points per game this season.  It is the lowest scoring defense by a Mount team since the move to Division I.

      •     Sophomore point guard Jeremy Goode has been a key to the Mount’s resurgence in December.  Goode is averaging 16.1 points, 5.6 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 3.7 steals in the Mount’s seven December games.

      •     The Mount is 0-9 on Friday’s under head coach Milan Brown after last Friday’s 76-72 loss to Lafayette.

      •     The Mount is 6-0 this season when leading at the half, but is 0-5 when trailing at the break.

 

About the Ducks...Oregon is 8-3 on the season after a 68-62 loss against Oakland on Saturday.  The Ducks have lost two straight after opening the season 8-1.

       Malik Hairston leads Oregon in scoring at 17.0 ppg.  He is one of five Ducks averaging in double figures.  The others are Tajuan Porter (15.9), Bryce Taylor (14.8), Maarty Leunen (14.5) and Joevan Catron (11.5).

       Leunen is averaging a double-double with 14.5 points and 10.4 rebounds per game.  He is shooting 54.2 percent from the field.

       Oregon is 5-0 at home this season, averaging 96.0 points in those games. 

       The Ducks are shooting 49.4 percent from the floor and 40.8 percent from three-point range on the season.

 

The Vann is Warming Up...Senior guard Chris Vann has been heating up of late for the Mount.  Vann leads the Mount in scoring at 16.5 points per game.

       Vann is averaging 24.0 points while hitting 12-of-18 (.667) from three-point range over the past two games.

       After making 2-of-8 (.250) at the foul line to start the year, Vann is 19-for-22 (.864) at the charity stripe since, including his past 14 in a row.

       Vann leads the Mount with 36 three-point field goals and is shooting 48.6 percent from beyond the arc this season.  He is second in the Northeast Conference in three-point field goal percentage and three-point field goals made per game (3.27).  Dating back to last season, Vann is 100-for-251 (.398) from beyond the arc over his past 42 games.

       Vann now has 11 career 20+ point efforts, tied for the seventh-most by a Mount player in the Division I era (1988-present).

 

Streaking...The Mount saw its six-game win streak snapped by Lafayette last Friday.  It was the second-longest win streak by a Mount team since the school moved to NCAA Division I in 1988-89.

 

Top Mount Win Streaks in DI Era  (since 1988-89)

Season                           Streak

1995-96                            15

2007-08                            6

2005-06                            5

1998-99                            5

1993-94                            5

1989-90                            5

 

Under 60...The Mount saw its string of six-straight games holding the opponent under 60 points snapped by Lafayette on Dec. 21.  It was the first time since January 2006 and just the fourth time since 1947 that the Mount has had such a streak in the same season.

       The last time the Mount has had a longer streak of holding the opponent under 60 points was 1946-47, when the Mountaineers had an 11-game streak.

       For the season, the Mount is second in  the conference in scoring defense (65.3) and field goal percentage defense (.423). 

 

Oh, What a Month...After posting an 0-4 mark in November, the Mount has roared to a 6-1 record in December. 

       The Mount has clinched a winning record in December, just the sixth time (out of 26 chances) the Mount has recorded a winning record in a month dating back to 2002-03.

       The six wins in December match the most by a Mount team in a month during head coach Milan Brown’s tenure.

       The Mount is 49-78 in December in the Division I era, including 29-25 at home.

 

Four Straight Non-Conference Wins...The Mount won four straight non-conference games (Loyola, Navy, Maine and Winthrop) for the first time since moving to NCAA Division I in 1988-89.

       The previous record for consecutive non-conference wins was three in 2002-03 when the Mount downed Duquesne, Loyola and Navy. 

       The Mount has also won back-to-back road non-conference games (Navy and Maine), the first time that has happened since December of 2002.

 

More Non-Conference Numbers...The non-conference portion of the schedule has been a challenge for the Mount since moving to Division I. 

    The Mount is 51-125 (.290) in non-conference games since joining NCAA Division I in 1988-89.

    In those 176 non-conference games, 100 have been on the road, 58 at home and 18 at a neutral site.

    The Mount is15-85 on the road, 30-28 at home and 6-12 at neutral sites in non-conference games since joining Division I.

    The Mount is 11-39 in non-conference games under head coach Milan Brown.  The breakdown is 4-24 on the road, 5-11 at home and 2-4 at neutral sites.

    The Mount has had just one winning season in non-conference play at the Division I level.  The team went 5-4 in 2002-03.

 

Establishing an Identity...Defense has been an integral part of the Mount’s success the past few seasons.  In fact, the Mount’s scoring defense so far this season is the best by a Mount team in 56 years.

       The Mount is allowing just 65.3 points per game this season.  The last season the Mount allowed less points per game was 1961-62, when the Mountaineers allowed 64.9 ppg en route to the NCAA College Division National Championship that season.

       The Mount allowed 67.8 points per game in NEC play last season, finishing second in the conference in scoring defense in NEC games only for the second straight year.

       The Mount has recorded the top two team marks in scoring defense since moving to NCAA Division I in 1988-89 over the past two years.

 

Charity Work...The Mount has picked it up at the foul line, hitting 51-of-61 (.836) at the charity stripe over the past three games.  The surge has helped the Mount improve its team free throw percentage to 69.2 percent this year.

 

Block Party...Junior forward Sam Atupem has picked it up on the defense end.  Atupem leads the Mount and is second in the Northeast Conference with 1.45 blocks per game.  He has 16 blocks this season after recording 17 in each of his first two seasons at the Mount.

 

Sam I Am...Junior Sam Atupem solid for the Mount in recent weeks.  The 6-7 forward is averaging 10.6 points and 6.0 rebounds while shooting 53.5 percent from the field over the past five games.

 

At the Point...Sophomore point guard Jeremy Goode has been a key to the Mount’s improved play.

       Goode is averaging 16.0 points, 5.6 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 3.7 steals over the past seven games.

       Goode averaged 15.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 3.0 steals in leading the Mount to a 3-0 week to earn Northeast Conference Player of the Week honors on Dec. 10.

       For the season, Goode is averaging 15.6 ppg while leading the team in assists (5.7) and steals (2.9).

       Goode has dished out five or more assists in eight games this season.  For his career, he has recorded five or more assists in 26 of 41 games.

 

Check the Halftime Score...The score at halftime has been a good indicator of which team will come out on top under head coach Milan Brown.  The Mount is 7-58 when trailing at the half and 40-23 when going to the locker room tied or with the lead under Brown.

 

70 is the Magic Number...The Mount is 27-15 all-time under head coach Milan Brown when the team scores 70 or more points.  However, the Mount is just 20-66 under Brown when the team fails to reach the 70-point plateau.

 

From the Field...During head coach Milan Brown’s tenure, field goal percentage has been a key component in wins vs. losses.  When the Mount shoots a higher percentage than the opponent, the Mount is 38-12 under Brown.  However, when the opponent has a higher field goal percentage, the Mount is 9-69.

 

The Mount and the Northeast Conference...The Mount is 151-174 all-time in NEC regular season games.

    The Mount is 90-72 at home and 61-102 on the road during the NEC regular season.

    Mount St. Mary’s has posted a winning record in six of the 17 seasons the team has been in the league.

    Head coach Milan Brown is 35-39 all-time in NEC regular season games, including 14-23 on the road and 21-16 at home.

    Since joining the league in 1989-90, the Mount has had 16 All-NEC selections, including four first-team honorees.

    The Mount won NEC Tournament titles in 1995 and 1999 and won the NEC regular season crown in 1995-96.

 

Winning the Hard Way...The Mount’s 62-58 win at Navy went against several statistical trends for the Mount.

       Mount St. Mary’s shot 27.9 percent (17-of-61) from the field in the win over Navy.  It is the first time since moving to NCAA Division I in 1988-89 that the Mount has won a game when shooting under 30 percent from the floor.

       Prior to Monday, the lowest field goal percentage for the Mount in a win was 30.4 percent (17-of-56) in a 53-49 victory over UMBC on 2-15-00.

       The Mount is now 7-46 over its past 52 games when shooting less than 40 percent.

       The Mount is now 9-68 over its past 77 games when the opponent records a higher field goal percentage in the game.

 

Home Cooking...The Mount has 14 home games this season, the most since the 1989-90 squad also had 14.

       The Mount had six home games before Christmas. It is the first time the Mount has had that many home games prior to Christmas since joining NCAA Division I in 1988-89.

       The Mount hosted five non-conference home games this year, the  most since six home games during the 1989-90 season.

       The Mount is 142-108 (.568) all-time in games played at Knott Arena.  The Mount has posted a .500 or better record at home in 15 of the 20 seasons that Knott Arena has been open.

 

From Way Downtown...Senior Chris Vann’s 5-for-5 performance from three-point range in the team’s loss at James Madison was the second-best shooting night ever by a Mount player from three-point range.  Kevin Booth holds the school record with a 7-for-7 effort from beyond the arc in the Mount’s 80-33 rout of Widener on Jan. 21, 1989.

 

Three Hit 20-Point Mark This Season...Jeremy Goode’s 27-point effort at James Madison gives the Mount three different players who have scored 20 or more in a game this season.  Will Holland scored 25 points in the season opener at George Washington while Chris Vann scored 20 or more points on four occasions this season.

 

More About 20-Point Games...Sophomore Will Holland (25 pts.) and senior Chris Vann (21 pts.) became the first Mount duo to score 20 points in the same game in six years.

       The last pair to score 20 or more in the same game was Pat Atangana (21 pts.) and Angel Rivera (20 pts.) in an 80-69 loss to Central Connecticut State on Dec. 6, 2001.

       The 46 combined points scored by Holland and Vann were more than the Mount scored as a team in the 2006-07 season opener at West Virginia, a 50-42 loss.

 

Aye, Aye, Captain...Head coach Milan Brown has named senior Chris Vann, juniors Sam Atupem and Markus Mitchell, and sophomore Jeremy Goode as team captains.

 

Oh, Brother!...Junior Sam Atupem and freshman Shawn Atupem are the Mount’s first brother tandem since Darryle (81-85) and Paul Edwards (82-87) played together in the mid-1980’s.

 

Mount Basketball in 99th Season...Mount St. Mary’s is playing its 99th season of basketball.  The squad has posted a 1355-924 record since the inaugural campaign in 1909-10.

 

Mount in 20th Season of Division I Basketball...This is the Mount’s 20th season of NCAA Division I basketball.

       The Mount moved to NCAA Division I in 1988-89 and posted a 12-15 record in that first season.

       The Mount has been to two NCAA Tournaments since moving to Division I, in 1995 and 1999.  The Mount lost to Kentucky in the 1995 Tournament and to Michigan State in the 1999 Tournament.

       The Mount’s first season in the Northeast Conference was 1989-90.  The team’s record was 16-12 overall and 10-6 in the league that year.

       Legendary coach Jim Phelan was also the Director of Athletics when the Mount moved to Division I.  He and current head coach Milan Brown are the only two to coach the Mount at the Division I level.

 

Mount Retires Fred Carter’s Number...Set to Retire Jack Sullvan’s...Former Mount great Fred Carter had his #33 retired at halftime of the Mount's game against Loyola on Dec. 1.  All-time leading scorer Jack Sullivan will have his #32 retired at halftime of the Mount's game vs. Saint Francis (Pa.) on Jan. 16.

       Carter averaged a double-double with 21.9 points and 10.8 rebounds per game for his 84-game career at the Mount.

       Carter was the first African-American resident student at Mount St. Mary’s.

       A 6-4 forward, Sullivan currently holds 11 career and single season records at the Mount.  For his career, Sullivan averaged 25.4 points and 11.6 rebounds from 1953-57.

       As a senior, Sullivan scored a school-record 1,070 points, averaging 33.4 points and 10.9 rebounds while leading the Mount to a 27-5 record and a spot in the NCAA College Division Final Four.  The Mount won 20 or more games in each of his final three seasons at the Mount.

       Carter’s and Sullivan’s numbers join Jim Phelan’s #830 in the rafters at Knott Arena.  Phelan’s #830  has retired last season in honor of his 830 career wins at the Mount from 1954-2003.

 

Good Things Come in Small Packages...With a full-time enrollment of 1,526, Mount St. Mary’s is the fifth-smallest NCAA Division I school.  Only Centenary (866), Wofford (1,176), Saint Francis (Pa.) (1,249) and Virginia Military Institute (1,369) are smaller.  The institute opened its doors to students in 1808 when it welcomed its first male students.  The college first admitted women in 1972.   It is the second oldest Catholic college in the nation.

 

Virginia Connection...Seven of the Mount’s 13 scholarship players hail from the state of Virginia.  Senior Chris Vann, juniors Sam Atupem and Markus Mitchell, sophomore Kelly Beider and freshmen Shawn Atupem, Pierre Brown and Jean Cajou all call Virginia home.