Dec 21, 2008

AU Men's Basketball and Maryland Square Off Monday Live on Comcast SportsNet


Dec. 21, 2008

Media Information
Teams: American (5-5) at Maryland (7-2)
Date & Location: Monday, Dec. 22, 2008 - 7:45 p.m. - Comcast Center, College Park, Md.
TV: Comcast SportsNet - Chick Hernandez (Play-By-Play), Ron Thompson (Analyst)
Radio: Federal News Radio 1500/820AM - Dan Laing (Play-By-Play), Jeremy Huber (Analyst) Listen Live!
Game Notes

WASHINGTON - The American University men's basketball team will take on local rival Maryland Monday night live on Comcast SportsNet. Tipoff from the Comcast Center in College Park, Md, is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. Last season, AU upset the favored Terps on their home floor, 67-59. The win was only the Eagles second all-time against Maryland and their first since taking a 21-16 victory during the 1926-27 season in the two teams first-ever meeting. Maryland holds a 14-2 advantage in the all-time series.

News and Notes

  • Senior Garrison Carr became the 27th player in AU history to score 1,000 points on Saturday at UMBC (W 74-61, 12/20/08). Carr entered the game needing 15 points to reach 1,000 and did so in the game's first 10 minutes, hitting 5-of-6 shots from the floor including 3-of-4 makes from three and a pair of free-throws. He finished the night with a career and game-high 34 points, including a career-high eight three-pointers, to move his career total to 1,019, good for 26th place all-time at AU.

     

  • Senior Derrick Mercer made his 100th career start at UMBC (W 74-61, 12/20/08) on Saturday and scored 13 points to move his career points total to 999. With one point at Maryland on Monday, Mercer will join Carr as the 28th member of AU's 1,000 point club. Tim Fudd (1,303 pts., 1991-96) and Darryl Franklin (1,347 pts., 1992-1996) were the last pair of AU teammates to take the floor together as 1,000 point scorers.

     

  • Since Head Coach Jeff Jones took over AU's program prior to the 2000-01 season, three Eagles have reached 1,000 points including Patrick Doctor (1,461 pts., 1998-2002), Andre Ingram (1,655 pts., 2003-06) and Garrison Carr (1,019 pts., 2005-present).

     

  • American is led on the offensive end of the court by a duo of double-digit scorers in Garrison Carr and Brian Gilmore. Carr currently ranks second in the conference in scoring at 18.0 ppg and is shooting 87.1 percent from the free throw line, good for third in the Patriot League. Gilmore enters Monday's game averaging 12.5 ppg and is the team's leading rebounder at 6.3 rpg. Derrick Mercer is AU's third-leading scorer at 8.9 ppg and is averaging 2.7 apg.

     

  • Senior Bryce Simon made his first appearance of the season on Saturday at UMBC (W 74-61, 12/20/08), returning from a knee injury suffered during last season's Patriot League Semifinals. Simon hit a three from the right wing the first time he touched the ball and later added an assist to Jordan Nichols on a back-door cut. Last season, Simon averaged 7.0 ppg and was tied for the team lead in rebounding at 4.0 rpg. Simon also ranked second on the team in assists (2.1 apg) and three-point field goals (43).

     

  • Entering Monday's Game, AU is the only team in Patriot League history to have beaten an ACC school and has done so twice, both times on Dec. 22. The Eagles first defeated Florida State on Dec. 22, 2001, 77-72, at Florida State before defeated Maryland on Dec. 22, 2007, 67-59, at College Park.

     

  • Two former AU head coaches will be taking part in Monday's game at Maryland. Current Terps Head Coach Gary Williams spent four seasons at the helm of the Eagles from 1978-82 and notched an overall record of 72-42 (63.2 win-percentage). Williams guided the Eagles to two 20-plus win seasons and during the 1980-81 season the Williams led Eagles won 24 games, the most in program history.

    Chris Knoche, who is also a former AU letterwinner and graduated in 1980, coached at AU from 1990-97. Knoche is currently a member of the Terrapin Sports Radio Network and will be providing color commentary for Monday's game. Knoche went 77-118 in seven seasons as American's head coach.

     

  • American opened the year with a 4-1 record, matching the team's best start to a season since 1999-2000 and marking the program's best start to a season under Head Coach Jeff Jones. The Eagles had previously began the year with a 3-2 record three times (2000-01, 2004-05, 2006-07) under Coach Jones. In the program's 83 year history, AU has started 4-1 or better only 21 times.

     

  • Monday's contest at Maryland will be the fourth in a five game road trip for the Eagles and will continue a string in which AU plays 10 of its first 12 contests on the road. American is one of only eight teams in the nation which will play at least 10 of its first 12 games away from home this season (Arkansas Pine-Bluff, Mississippi Valley State, Texas Southern, Bethune-Cookman, Jackson State, Oral Roberts, Coppin State).

Milestone Watch

  • Garrison Carr became the 27th player in AU history to score 1,000 points on Saturday at UMBC (W 74-61, 12/20/08). Carr entered the game needing 15 points to reach 1,000 and did so in the game's first 10 minutes, hitting 5-of-6 shots from the floor including 3-of-4 makes from three and a pair of free-throws. He finished the night with a career and game-high 34 points, including a career-high eight three-pointers, to move his career total to 1,019, good for 26th place all-time at AU.

    Last season, Carr set new AU and PL records last season with 135 made three-point baskets and scored 606 total points, the seventh highest total in school history. Carr is currently ranked fourth in the PL for career three-point percentage (40.9, 221-540), third at AU in career three-pointers (221), and is tied for first at AU in career free-throw percentage (87.3, 144-165).

     

  • Derrick Mercer scored 13 points at UMBC (W 74-61, 12/20/08) to move his career points total to 999. With one point on Monday at Maryland, Mercer will join Carr as the 28th member of AU's 1,000 point club. The last pair of AU teammates to take the floor together as 1,000 point scorers were Tim Fudd (1,303 pts., 1991-96) and Darryl Franklin (1,347 pts., 1992-1996) during the 1996 season.

    With 411 career assists, Mercer ranks fifth all-time at AU and ninth all-time in the PL. Mercer made his 100th career start on Saturday at UMBC (W 74-61, 12/20/08), joining Andre Ingram (117 starts, 2003-07), Darryl Franklin (110 stats, 1992-96) and Brian Gilgeous (105 starts, 1989-93) as one of only four Eagles to ever start 100 games. If Mercer continues to start every game for AU this season, he will finish his career with 118 starts and break the AU record of 117 held by Ingram. If Mercer appears in every remaining game, he will have played in 120 career games, surpassing the AU record of 118 also held by Ingram.

     

  • Jordan Nichols has recorded 77 career blocks and ranks sixth all-time at AU.

Inside the Series - Maryland

All-Time Record: Maryland Leads, 14-2
Last Meeting:W 67-59, 12/22/07

  • Maryland owns a 14-2 advantage in the all-time series with American and enjoyed a 14 game winning streak from 1977-2006. Last season however, the Eagles ended Maryland's streak and upset the favored Terps on their home floor, 67-59. Maryland jumped out to an early 8-2 lead but AU answered back and took their first lead of the game, 12-11, with 6:06 remaining in the half on a Brian Gilmore lay-in. The Eagles pushed their advantage to four on their next trip down the court on a Garrison Carr three before taking a five point lead, 25-20, into the half.

    American increased its lead to as many as 12 in the second half on a Bryce Simon jumper, 43-31, with 11:33 remaining. Maryland would score the next six points to bring the score to within six with 10:46 to play but AU would bounce back and regain a double-digit lead, 56-46, on a Derrick Mercer three. Greivis Vasquez hit a three for the Terps with 1:44 left to bring Maryland back to within six, 58-52, but AU iced the game at the free-throw line, hitting 6-of-7 from the charity strip in the game's final minute to preserve the 67-59 win.

     

  • American won its first-ever meeting with Maryland, 21-16, during the 1926-27 season. The teams did not meet again until Nov. 27, 1977 when the Terps defeated AU, 78-65, at the D.C. Tipoff Tournament. That win began a streak of 14-consecutive wins for Maryland over the Eagles which ended last season with American's 67-59 win at College Park.

     

  • Maryland enters Monday's game with a 7-2 overall record, including a 5-0 mark at home, riding a three-game winning streak. The Terps most recently defeated Delaware State at the Comcast Center, 86-58, on Dec. 12. As a team, Maryland is averaging 74.1 ppg and is shooting at a 42.4 percent (236-557) clip. Defensively, the Terps are holding their opponents to 63.8 ppg and a 40.1 shooting percentage (211-526).

     

  • Greivis Vasquez leads the Terrapins in scoring, rebounding and assists. The junior is currently averaging 17.6 ppg, 6.9 rpg and 5.1 apg. Landon Milbourne is Maryland's second leading scorer at 11.9 ppg, ranks second in rebounding at 4.8 rpg and holds a team-best 50.6 shooting percentage (40-79). Eric Hayes and Adrian Bowie also average in double-digits for the Terps at 10.8 ppg and 10.6 ppg, respectively.