Wins this week can put Midshipmen in first place
In a one-bid conference like the Patriot League, where everything is decided in the postseason tournament, how much does the regular season count?
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Navy coach Billy Lange tries not to get too wrapped up in wins and losses. In his view, a season is a constant work in progress.
“As a leader, as a coach, you want the focus of the team to be to continuously improve,” said Lange. “When it’s all said and done, when the regular season wraps up at the end of February — and maybe you’ve won or lost a few games by one or two points — what you really want to make sure is that you’re playing your best basketball.”
So it is with a bit of perspective that the Midshipmen travel to Pennsylvania this week with the conference lead at stake. Tonight Navy (11-12, 5-3) faces first-place Lehigh (15-8, 6-2). On Saturday, the Mids play at Lafayette (14-9, 5-3).
With two wins, Navy would be in position to grab the top seed and ensure it would not have to leave Annapolis for the Patriot League Tournament.
The conference tournament is a sore subject for the Mids, who have lost eight straight times in the opening round, including the last two years at home by a combined six points. In 2008, Navy lost to Bucknell when John Griffin hit a 40-footer at the buzzer of the third overtime.
“We don’t like talking about that game,” said Navy senior Chris Harris.
Harris, the conference scoring leader at 20.6 points per game, is the man Lehigh will try to stop tonight. The 6-foot-2 guard from Mechanicsville, Va. scored 29 points in a 94-83 victory when the teams met four weeks ago in Annapolis.
Since that game, Lehigh has won five of six behind seniors Zahir Carrington (10.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg) and Marquis Hall (10.7 ppg, 5.7 apg) and freshmen C.J. McCollum (16.4 ppg) and Gabe Knutson (10.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg).
Lehigh will have to deal with a more balanced Navy squad this time around. In an 81-79 victory over Bucknell on Friday, junior guards Romeo Garcia (20 points, five 3-pointers) and A.J. Avworo (17 points, 10 assists) had their best offensive games of the season. Avworo won Patriot League player of the week honors.
The newfound balance is part of Lange’s master plan.
“The coaching mentors I’ve had, from my grade-school coach, to my father, to my college coach, to the guys I’ve coached with and under in college, they’ve all had one thing in common,” said Lange. “It’s been about preparing yourself to improve every day and not getting that caught up in the opponent.”
