December 3, 2008

Mount Update...Jeremy Goode scored 22 of his career high 29 points to rally the Mount past American, 57-52, on Monday night. The Mount went on a 30-to-11 run after trailing by nine points early in the second half to earn the victory. Kelly Beidler added nine rebounds in the win while Shawn Atupem chipped in eight points off the bench.

Catching Up With the Pioneers...Sacred Heart enters the game 1-3 on the season after a 63-57 win over Yale on Sunday. Ryan Howard led four players in double figures with 15 points while Joey Henley added 11 points and 12 rebounds in the victory. Henley leads the the team in scoring (16.3) and rebounding (8.0) on the year. Chauncey Hardy is averaging 11.3 points per game while Howard chips in 10.8 points and 6.0 rebounds.

Quick Hits...

c The game is a rematch of last year's Northeast Conference title game, won by the Mount, 68-55.

c Jeremy Goode has scored 20 or more points in each of the past three games. He is the first Mountaineer to have three-straight 20-point games since Gregory Harris in January of 2000.

c The Mount downed American 57-52 on Monday night to improve to 5-34 (.125) under head coach Milan Brown when scoring 60 points or less in a game.

c After shooting 6-of-17 (.353) at the foul line in a loss to George Mason, the Mount is 36-of-45 (.800) at the charity stripe over the past two contests.

c Up next, the Mount heads to Central Connecticut State for a 2:00 p.m. game on Saturday in New Britain, Conn.

The All-Time Series with the Pioneers...

c Tonight's game is the 18th meeting all-time between the Mount and Sacred Heart with the Mountaineers holding an 11-6 advantage.

c This will be the first meeting between the school's since they met in last year NEC title game at the Pitt Center. The Mount earned a 68-55 victory in that contest to earn the school's third NEC championship and third NCAA Division I tournament bid.

c The Mount is 4-4 all-time against Sacred Heart in Fairfield, Conn.

c Head coach Milan Brown has a 7-3 all-time record against Sacred Heart. It matches his 7-3 record against Saint Francis (Pa.) for the most wins against an opponent during his career.

c The Mount holds a 9-6 record vs. the Pioneers in NEC regular season meetings.

c Point guard Jeremy Goode is averaging 14.3 points per game in four meetings with Sacred Heart.

Mount Off to Best Start Since 1996-97..The Mount's 3-2 record after five games is the best start to a season since the 1996-97 squad also started 3-2. The last time the Mount opened a season 4-2 was 1995-96.

Mount Opens NEC Play...Tonight's game with Sacred Heart marks the beginning of the Mount's 20th season in the Northeast Conference.

c The Mount has won two straight NEC openers to improve to 9-10 all-time.

c This is the first time the Mount has opened NEC play on the road in five years. The last time the Mount opened conference play away from home was a 75-66 loss at St. Francis (N.Y.) on Dec. 23, 2003.

c The Mount is 1-0 all-time against Sacred Heart in NEC openers. MSM defeated Sacred Heart, 70-58, at home on Dec. 4, 2004.

c The Mount is 7-1 at home and 2-9 on the road all-time in NEC openers. The Mount has dropped three straight NEC openers on the road dating back to a 63-58 victory at Monmouth on Jan. 8, 2000.

The Mount and the Northeast Conference...The Mount is 160-181 all-time in NEC regular season games.

c The Mount is 94-76 at home and 66-105 on the road during the NEC regular season.

c Mount St. Mary's has posted a winning record in seven of the 19 seasons the team has been in the league.

c Head coach Milan Brown is 44-46 all-time in NEC regular season games, including 19-26 on the road and 25-20 at home.

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

c The Mount won NEC Tournament titles in 1995, 1999 and 2008 and won the NEC regular season crown in 1995-96.

Goode and Plenty...Junior point guard Jeremy Goode has had a sensational start to the 2008-09 season. He leads the Mount in scoring (22.0), assists (3.6) and steals (1.6) while he is shooting 47.8 percent from the field and 59.1 percent from three-point range.

c Goode scored a career-high 29 points at American on Monday night. In that game, he scored 50.9 percent of the Mount's total points. It is the first time a Mount player has scored 50 percent or more of the team's points since Chris McGuthrie scored 41 in an 80-69 win over Robert Morris on Feb. 17, 1996.

c He has scored 20 or more points in three straight games and in four of five games this season. He is the first player to record three-straight 20-point games since Gregory Harris in January of 2000.

c Goode now has 11 career 20-points games at the Mount, the eighth-most by a Mount player since moving to NCAA Division I in 1988-89. The list includes Chris McGuthrie (50), Kevin Booth (33), Gregory Harris (28), Landy Thompson (28), Riley Inge (18), John Miller (16), Chris Vann (15) and Michael Watson (10).

c Goode has moved into 47th place on the Mount's all-time scoring list with 901 career points. He needs 99 points to become the 40th player in school history to reach the 1,000-point plateau.

c Goode now has 355 career assists, moving him into 10th place in the school's record books.

Taking Care of the Rock...The Mount has recorded nine turnovers in each of the past two games.

c It is the first time since February of 2005 the Mount has had back-to-back games in single digits in turnovers.

c That season, the Mount had six turnovers in a 71-51 loss to Saint Francis (Pa.) on Feb. 7, 2005 and eight miscues in a 61-42 loss to Wagner on Feb. 10, 2005.

c The Mount leads the league in turnovers with just 11.8 per game. The next best NEC school is Quinnipiac at 15.0 per contest.

c The Mount also leads the NEC in turnover margin (+2.2). The Mount is the only team in the NEC with a positive turnover margin this year.

Charity Work...The Mount has made 36-of-45 (.800) at the foul line over the past two games. This comes after the Mount hit just 6-of-17 (.353) at the line in a 72-60 loss to George Mason.

c Jeremy Goode is 15-for-16 (.938) at the line over the past two games.

c Sophomore Jean Cajou is 17-for-18 (.944) at the foul line this season. For his career, Cajou is 90-for-108 (.833) at the charity stripe.

Getting to the Line...Junior point guard Jeremy Goode is averaging 9.0 free throw attempts per game.

c Goode has attempted 428 free throws in 69 career games at the Mount. He is currently 15th all-time in free throw attempts.

c Last season, Goode attempted 256 free throws, setting a record by a Mount player since the school moved to NCAA Division I in 1988-89. The 256 FTA's were the most by a Mount player in 47 years and were the fifth-most in a single season in school history.

December Musings...The Mount has eight games in December this season. The Mount is 1-0 in the final month of the year after a 57-52 win at American on Monday.

c Last year, the Mount went 6-2 in the month of December, winning its first six games of the month.

c Since moving to NCAA Division I in 1988-89, the Mount is 50-79 in the month of December. Head coach Milan Brown is 13-20 in December, including 6-12 on the road.

Mount Still Shining on Defensive End...The Mount continues to be one of the top defensive teams in the Northeast Conference.

c Mount St. Mary's is allowing 66.2 points per game this season, second in the league so far this year.

c Over the past three years, the Mount has recorded the top three scoring defense marks since the team moved to NCAA Division I in 1988-89.

Mitchell Joins Elite Fraternity...Senior Markus Mitchell recorded his 100th career steal in the Mount's win over American. With the steal, he becomes one of just four players in school history to record 400 points, 400 rebounds, 100 assists, 100 steals and 50 blocks.

Halftime Leads...The Mount trailed at the half (24-17) for the first time this season at American.

c Under head coach Milan Brown, the Mount is 52-22 when leading at the half and 11-71 when trailing or tied at the break.

c Last season, the Mount went 18-1 when leading at the half, and was 1-14 when trailing or tied at the first-half intermission.

Not So Trendy...The Mount went against the trends in the win over American on Monday. In the 57-52 victory, the Mount shot 38.3 percent from the field compared to American's 42.0 percent.

c The Mount is now 5-34 (.129) under head coach Milan Brown when scoring under 60 points.

c The win improved the Mount to 11-78 (.124) in games where the opponent shoots a better percentage under Brown.

c Mount St. Mary's is now 9-51 (.150) when shooting under 40 percent from the field under Brown.

Mitchell Posts Double-Double...Senior forward Markus Mitchell recorded his second career double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds against Boston University.

c Mitchell leads the Mount in rebounding at 7.6 per contest.

c His career-best game came at Wagner on Jan. 24, 2008, when he posted 16 points and 16 rebounds.

Road Warriors...The Mount opened the 2008-09 season with three straight road games. In all, the Mount has six of its first seven and nine of its first 11 games on the road.

c Last season, the Mount went 10-7 on the road, the most road wins by a Mount team since moving to NCAA Division I in 1988-89.

c Dating back to last season, the Mount has won eight of its past 11 road games.

c The Mount won a pair of road games in the NEC Tournament to capture the title last season. In the semifinals, Mount St. Mary's earned an 18-point win at Robert Morris before taking a 13-point win at Sacred Heart in the NEC Championship game.

Non-Conference Numbers...The Mount again has a tough schedule in non-conference games this season.

c The Mount has struggled since joining NCAA Division I in non-conference play. The Mountaineers are 55-130 (.297) in non-conference games since the move to Division I in 1988-89.

c Of those 185 non-conference games, 106 have been on the road, 59 at home and 20 at a neutral site.

c The Mount is 17-89 on the road, 31-28 at home and 7-13 at a neutral site in non-conference action since 1988-89.

c Under head coach Milan Brown, the Mount is 15-44 in non-conference games. Breaking the numbers down further, the Mount is 5-28 on the road, 6-11 at home and 3-5 at neutral sites under Brown in non-conference games.

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

c Last year, the Mount went 5-8 in non-conference games.

All-Century Team...Fans can vote for the Mount's All-Century team at www.mountathletics. com.

c In conjunction with the celebration of 100 Years of Mount basketball, the school will be selecting an All-Century team.

c The ballot consists of every 1,000-point scorer and every basketball player in the Mount's Athletic Hall of Fame. Write-in candidates are welcome as well.

c The team will be revealed in the final home game of the season against Saint Francis (Pa.) on Feb. 21.

80 is the Magic Number....With the 84-76 win over Loyola on on Nov. 14, the Mount is now 17-2 under head coach Milan Brown when scoring 80 points or more in a game.

Goode a Bob Cousy Award Nominee...Junior point guard Jeremy Goode is a nominee for the Bob Cousy Award, given to the top point guard in college basketball. Goode is one of 35 student-athletes nominated for the award.

Preseason Prognostications...The Mount has received many preseason honors in the preseason publications. The Mount has been picked to finish first by Athlon, Lindy's, CollegeBasketballHoops.net, the Sporting News and Blue Ribbon.

Beidler Doubles Up...Junior Kelly Beidler tallied 17 points and 12 rebounds for his first career double-double at Loyola on Nov. 14. The 17 points were a career high for the 6-5 forward while it was the fourth time in his career he has reached double figures in rebounds. His career high in rebounds is 15 set in the Mount's 69-60 win over Coppin State in the NCAA Opening Round on March 18.

The Mount Celebrates 100 Years of Basketball...This is the 100th season of Mount basketball.

c In conjunction with the 100 Years of Mount basketball, the school will be selecting an all-time team. Fan voting will be available on the Mount website, www.mountathletics.com, starting with the Mount's home opener on November 29 against Boston University.

c The Mount's first-ever season was 1908-09. That year, the Mount defeated the St. Patrick's Athletic Association, 27-18, in the only game of the season.

c The Mount has advanced to 17 NCAA Tournaments in the school's history. 14 of those appearances came in Division II while the Mount has made the Division I Tournament three times.

c The 1962 team won the NCAA College Division National title. The Mount defeated Sacramento State, 58-57, in overtime, to win the championship.

c The Mount appeared in the Final Four on five occasions at the Division II level (1957, 1961, 1962, 1981 and 1985). The 1981 team lost to Florida Southern, 73-68, in the Division II National Championship game.

Helping Hand...Point guard Jeremy Goode has been consistent in his first two-plus years as the Mount's point guard.

c Goode has dished out five or more assists in 43 of his 69 career games, just 10 shy of breaking Riley Inge's school mark of 53 five-assist games in the DI era at the Mount.

Phelan Inducted in National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame...Legendary Mount St. Mary's head coach Jim Phelan was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame on Nov. 23.

c Players Charles Barkley, Danny Manning and Arnie Ferrin, contributors Dick Vitale and Billy Packer, and coach Nolan Richardson were also in this year's induction class.

c Phelan coached an NCAA record 49 seasons at the Mount, posting 830 wins, fourth all-time in NCAA Division I. His 1,354 career games coached are also an NCAA record.

c Phelan guided the Mount to the 1962 NCAA College Division National Championship and five NCAA Division II Final Fours.

Mount Earns NCAA Bid in 2008...The Mount earned the school's third NCAA Tournament bid last season after winning the Northeast Conference Tournament.

c The Mount defeated Quinnipiac at home and Robert Morris and Sacred Heart on the road to earn the school's first NEC title since 1999.

c Mount St. Mary's defeated Coppin State, 69-60, in the NCAA's Opening Round game to earn the Mount's first-ever NCAA Division I Tournament victory.

c In the NCAA First Round, the Mount lost to top-seeded North Carolina, 113-74, in Raleigh, N.C.

c The Mount went 19-15 overall last season and 11-7 in the NEC. The 19 wins were the second-most since joining Division I in 1988-89. The Mount finished in fourth place in the NEC regular season standings for the third-straight season.

Historical Night...The Mount's 84-76 win at Loyola broke a few historical and statistical trends for the Mount.

c The win was the first win on a Friday night in head coach Milan Brown's tenure. The Mount is now 1-11 all-time on Fridays under Brown.

c The win was the Mount's first season-opening win in 10 years.

c It was the Mount's first November road victory in 20 years, snapping a 38-game November road losing streak.

Goode Earns Preseason Mid-Major All-America Honors...Junior point guard Jeremy Goode has been named Preseason Mid-Major All-America by www.collegeinsider.com. In addition, Goode was an honorable mention Mid-Major All-America selection by www.CollegeHoops.net. Goode led the Mount in scoring (14.4), assists (5.5) and steals (2.0). Goode has scored 791 career points at the Mount in 64 games,

Oh, Brother!...Senior Sam Atupem and sophomore 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.

c The duo each scored in double figures in the Mount's 84-76 win at Loyola on Nov. 14. Shawn chipped in 13 points off the bench while Sam added 10 points, including a key basket late in the contest. It is the second time in their careers that the pair has scored in double figures in the same game.

c Last year, they became the first brothers to score in double figures in the same game since Darryle Edwards tallied 16 points and Paul Edwards 14 in the Mount's 78-71 loss to South Dakota State in the NCAA Division II Semifinals on March 22, 1985.

Making History...The Mount went 19-15 last season, the first winning season at the school since the 1996-97 team finished 14-13.

c The 19 wins were the most by a Mount team since the 1995-96 squad went 21-8. It is also the second-best win total for the Mount since the school moved to NCAA Division I in 1988-89.

c It was the third straight year the Mount finished fourth in the NEC standings. The Mount earned the No. 4 seed two times and the No. 5 seed once in that stretch.

c The Mount finished 11-7 in NEC play this season, the third-straight season the Mount posted a .500 or better mark in the NEC.

c The last time the Mount posted three straight .500 or better marks in league play was a seven year stretch from 1992-1999.

Aye, Aye, Captain...Head coach Milan Brown has named seniors Sam Atupem and Markus Mitchell, and junior Jeremy Goode as team captains.

Good Things Come in Small Packages...With a full-time enrollment of 1,526, Mount St. Mary's is the sixth-smallest NCAA Division I school. Only Centenary (866), Presbyterian (1,164), 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 behind Georgetown.

Virginia Connection...Seven of the Mount's 13 scholarship players hail from the state of Virginia. seniors Sam Atupem and Markus Mitchell, junior Kelly Beidler, sophomores Shawn Atupem, Pierre Brown and Jean Cajou and freshman Jacolby Wells all call Virginia home.