Dec 28, 2008

AU Men's Basketball Concludes Five-Game Road Trip Monday at Manhattan


Dec. 21, 2008

Media Information
Teams: American (5-6) at Manhattan (7-3)
Date & Location: Monday, Dec. 29, 2008 - 7 p.m. - Draddy Gymnasium, Riverdale, N.Y.
Game Notes

WASHINGTON - The American University men's basketball team will finish off a five-game road trip at Manhattan on Monday, bringing an end to a stretch which saw the Eagles play 10 of their first 12 games of the season on the road. Manhattan will be hosting Iraq War Veterans Appreciation Day against American, an event inspired by Head Coach Jeff Jones and Manhattan Head Coach Barry Rohrssen's participation in Operation Hardwood this past summer. Both head coaches will dawn camouflage jackets on the sidelines in conjunction with the event. Tipoff from Draddy Gymnasium in Riverdale, N.Y., is scheduled for 7 p.m. This will be the first meeting between American and Manhattan since Dec. 30, 1997, a game which the Jaspers won 63-59. Manhattan leads the all-time series between the two teams, 4-1.

News and Notes

  • Senior Garrison Carr became the 27th player in AU history to score 1,000 points at UMBC (W 74-61, 12/20/08) and was joined in the 1,000 point club by classmate Derrick Mercer just two days later at Maryland (L 67-51, 12/22/08). Carr entered the game against the Retrievers 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. Carr currently sits in 25th place all-time at American with 1,030 career points.

    Mercer entered the game at Maryland with 999 career points and surpassed the 1,000 point plateau on a layup with 13:04 to play in the first half. Mercer finished the game with a team-high 12 points on 6-of-12 shooting and dished out a game-high six assists while playing all 40 minutes. Mercer has scored 1,011 career points, good for 28th all-time at American. Carr and Mercer are the first pair of AU teammates to take the floor together as 1,000 point scorers since Tim Fudd (1,303 pts., 1991-96) and Darryl Franklin (1,347 pts., 1992-1996) did so during the 1996 season.

     

  • Since Head Coach Jeff Jones took over AU's program prior to the 2000-01 season, four Eagles have reached 1,000 points including Patrick Doctor (1,461 pts., 1998-2002), Andre Ingram (1,655 pts., 2003-06), Garrison Carr (1,030 pts., 2005-present) and Derrick Mercer (1,011 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 17.4 ppg and is shooting 87.1 percent from the free throw line, good for second in the Patriot League. Gilmore enters Monday's game averaging 11.9 ppg and is the team's leading rebounder at 6.2 rpg. Derrick Mercer is AU's third-leading scorer at 9.2 ppg and is averaging 3.0 apg.

     

  • Senior Bryce Simon made his first appearance of the season 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. Simon has now appeared in two games and is averaging 3.0 ppg. 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).

     

  • 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 Manhattan will be the final contest in a five-game road trip for the Eagles and will mark the end of a stretch 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 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. Carr currently sits in 25th place all-time at American with 1,030 career points.

    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 fifth in the PL for career three-point percentage (40.7, 222-546), third at AU in career three-pointers (222), and is tied for first at AU in career free-throw percentage (87.3, 144-165).

     

  • Senior Derrick Mercer joined classmate Garrison Carr in AU's 1,000 point club at Maryland (L 67-51, 12/22/08). Mercer entered the game at Maryland with 999 career points and surpassed the 1,000 point plateau on a layup with 13:04 to play in the first half. Mercer finished the game with a team-high 12 points on 6-of-12 shooting and dished out a game-high six assists while playing all 40 minutes. Mercer has scored 1,011 career points, good for 28th all-time at American. Carr and Mercer are the first pair of AU teammates to take the floor together as 1,000 point scorers since Tim Fudd (1,303 pts., 1991-96) and Darryl Franklin (1,347 pts., 1992-1996) did so during the 1996 season.

    With 417 career assists, Mercer ranks fifth all-time at AU and ninth all-time in the PL. Mercer made his 101st career start at Maryland (L 67-51, 12/22/08), and has joined 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 - Manhattan

All-Time Record: Manhattan Leads, 4-1
Last Meeting:L 63-59, 12/30/97

  • Manhattan owns a 4-1 advantage in the all-time series with American. The team's have not met since Dec. 30, 1997, a game which the Jaspers won, 63-59.

     

  • American's lone win in the all-time series with Manhattan came at Bender Arena, 70-58, on Feb. 17, 1997.

     

  • The first meeting between the teams took place during the 1938-39 season at an unknown location. Manhattan won the game, 43-23.

     

  • Manhattan enters Monday's game riding a three-game winning streak. The Jaspers are averaging 70.2 ppg while limiting opponents to 63.4 ppg. Manhattan is shooting 41.9 percent (228-544) from the floor and 37.9 percent (66-174) from three.

     

  • Chris Smith leads Manhattan in scoring at 16.2 ppg and also averages 3.9 rpg. Darryl Crawford adds 12.9 ppg and 4.3 rpg while Devon Austin is scoring at a 12.5 ppg clip and is second on the team with 5.1 rpg