Streaking Tribe Hosts Rival Old Dominion

The Tribe and Monarchs will meet for the second time on Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. with the game to be televised on WSKY TV.

01/25/08 3:30PM

Williamsburg - On the strength of its six-game CAA winning streak, the William and Mary men’s basketball team will host Hampton Roads rival Old Dominion in the teams’ second meeting this season on Saturday, Jan. 26. Tip-off is slated for a 7 p.m. tip-off in a contest that can be seen on WSKY TV in the Hampton Roads area. Rick Kiefner and Cal Bowdler will have the call.

W&M claimed an overtime victory at Drexel, 73-72, on Jan. 23. The Tribe shot 52.9 percent from the floor and connected on 14-of-26 from 3-point range to outlast the Dragons and notch its first win in Philadelphia. Seniors Laimis Kisielius and Nathan Mann led the W&M charge with 20 and 18 points, respectively. Old Dominion dropped its third contest over its last four games with an 86-53 setback at George Mason on Jan. 23. Gerald Lee led the Monarchs with 11 points, while Ben Finney had 10.

The Tribe-Monarch affair can be heard over the Tribe Radio Network with Jay Colley and Bill McDonald on the call. Fans can catch the action over the Web at TribeAthletics.com. Live stats for the contest will also be available at the home of W&M Athletics.com.

For complete W&M men's basketball notes, click HERE.

Story lines
- W&M will look for only its third regular season sweep of Old Dominion since the two teams began playing two games in 1976. It would also be the first since the 1998 campaign.

- The Tribe will look for its best start to a conference season since going a perfect 9-0 as a member of the ECAC South in 1982-83.

- The College is shooting 40.3 percent from 3-point range over its current six-game winning streak.

Scouting Old Dominion
Old Dominion is 9-11 overall and 4-4 in the CAA following an 86-53 defeat at George Mason on Jan. 23. The Monarchs have struggled a bit recently dropping three of its last four games, and over its last nine games are only 3-6. In the first meeting of the year between the two Hampton Roads rivals, the Tribe downed ODU, 70-61, in Norfolk.

Against George Mason, the Monarchs got off to a slow start, shooting only 26.7 percent from the floor in the opening half as the Patriots raced out to a 46-23 halftime lead in cruising to victory. Mason shot 50.8 percent from the floor in the win. Sophomore Gerald Lee led ODU with 11 points against the Patriots, while freshman Ben Finney added 10 points and five rebounds.

During its recently stretch, the Monarchs have fallen to the three of the top four teams in the league, dropping a double-overtime affair at Delaware, 81-74, before falling to VCU, 78-68, and Mason. The lone Old Dominion victory over the last four games was a 79-52 domination of James Madison.

Lee is the only Monarch player scoring in double figures at 13.2 points per game, which is 17th in the CAA. He also ranks ninth in the league in rebounds at 6.2 per contest and eighth in field goal shooting at 50 percent. Seniors Brian Henderson and Brandon Johnson are second and third on the squad in scoring at 8.7 and 8.5 points per game. Johnson ranks third in the CAA in assists at 4.4 per game, while topping the league at 2.8 per contest. His steals average ranks sixth nationally.

In the early meeting this season with W&M, Finney led four Monarchs in double figures with 17 points and eight rebounds. Freshman Darius James had 12 points, while Lee and senior Jonathan Adams each tallied 11 points.

Old Dominion Series History
Old Dominion leads the all-time series with W&M at 57-14, but the Tribe snapped an eight-game losing streak against the Monarchs winning the first meeting this season. The College led the entire way topping the Monarchs, 70-61, in Norfolk. Sophomore David Schneider topped the Tribe, scoring 22 of his game and career-high 24 points in the second half. Senior Laimis Kisielius and sophomore Danny Sumner added 14 and 11 points in the victory. ODU leads the all-time series in Williamsburg at 24-10. In the most recent meeting in Williamsburg, the Tribe led for most of the game in the 2007 regular season finale, before the Monarchs rallied to claim a 62-57.

Another Season of Firsts
Last season, the Tribe enjoyed a historic and memorable season achieving numerous milestones that had not been seen in Williamsburg in some time. While the 2007-08 version of W&M hoops got off to a slow start, it has not derailed the number of benchmarks from coming to fruition as the Green and Gold have caught fire recently. Here is a look at some of the first in recent Tribe history:

- The Tribe won its first-ever game in the Ted Constant Center against Old Dominion on Jan. 5. The 70-61 triumph was the first for W&M in Norfolk since the 1997-98 season.

- With its overtime victory over Drexel, the Tribe not only picked up its first win over the Dragons in Philadelphia, but the program’s first-ever win as a whole in the City of Brotherly Love. It was also the first W&M win in the state of Pennsylvania since the 1985-86 season.

- W&M is currently riding a six-game CAA winning streak. It is only the third such winning streak in Tribe history and the first since the 1997-98 campaign.

- The Tribe’s victory at Drexel in overtime was the first W&M victory on the road in overtime since downing George Mason in Fairfax, Va., on Feb. 16, 1998.

By the Narrowest of Margins
The sign of a good team is finding a way to pull out a victory no matter the cost. The Tribe has displayed the ability to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in 2008. The Green and Gold is starting to show its mantra as a team with a great will to win. W&M has won four of its last five games by three points of fewer. In three of those contests, the Tribe overcame double-digit second-half deficits to tally victories.

W&M defeated James Madison by three on Jan. 9 after trailing by 11 points with 8:55 remaining. The College knocked off Georgia State by two points on Jan. 12, overcoming a 16-point deficit with 15:14 left. W&M downed Northeastern, 55-53, on Jan. 16 rallying from a 12-point halftime deficit. Most recently, the College pulled out a one-point overtime win at Drexel on Jan. 23.

The fours victories by three or fewer points equal the Tribe’s total from the previous four seasons under head coach Tony Shaver. W&M’s ability to win close games in 2008 is just another in the long list of valuable steps the programs has taken under Shaver.

Winning Streaks
For the second straight season, the Tribe has had an extended winning streak. In 2006-07, W&M won seven straight contests from Dec. 8 through Jan. 8. This season, the Green and Gold is currently riding a six-game winning streak.

It marks the eighth time in W&M history that the College has had winning streaks of six or more games in back-to-back seasons. It marks the first time the Tribe has achieved the milestone in nearly 25 years. The College also accomplished the feature during the following two-year stretches: 1920-21 and 1921-22; 1929-30 and 1930-31; 1930-31 and 1931-32; 1931-32 and 1932-33; 1941-42 and 1942-43; 1948-49 and 1949-50; 1982-83 and 1983-84.

The Tribe’s current six-game winning streak is the 23rd such winning streak in the 102-year history of W&M basketball. It is only the 10th streak of six or more games since 1950.

Seniors Stepping Up
The Tribe’s senior class has been an integral part of turning around the W&M program. The group of Laimis Kisielius, Nathan Mann, Chris Stratton, Kyle Carrabine and Marcus Barnett was the first recruiting class under head coach Tony Shaver and have been the cornerstone of the recent Tribe resurgence. As juniors in 2007, the group helped W&M to its first 15-win season in a decade. So far in their senior campaigns, the quintet appears to have the Green and Gold on track for another memorable season. The Tribe’s transformation this season can be attributed to both the senior class’s basketball skills as well as its development as vocal and positive leaders.

In the College’s most recent win at Drexel, the tandem of Kisielius and Mann put the Tribe on its back in leading them to an overtime victory. The pair combined for 38 points and a remarkable 10-of-15 from 3-point range. Both players tallied season-highs in points and career-highs in 3-pointers made. Kisielius finished with 20 points and four 3-point field goals, including a pair in the decisive overtime period. Mann hit for 18 points on six triples.

The senior class has stepped up on numerous occasions this season. Here some more examples of the group’s leadership over the Tribe’s current six-game winning streak:

- Against Towson, Kisielius led W&M in scoring and rebounding with 17 points and a career-high tying nine rebounds. Stratton hit a clutch 3-pointer from the top of the key to extend the W&M lead back to five, 41-36, after Towson had closed to its closest gap of the game at two points. Mann did his part as well, drilling a critical jumper with the shot clock running down under a minute to play, pushing the W&M lead out to six points at 57-51.

- The seniors spearheaded the Tribe’s 16-point second-half comeback at Georgia State. Over the final 15:14 of the game against the Panthers, Kisielius, Mann and Stratton scored 20 of the Tribe’s final 28 points in rallying from a 16-point deficit.

Increased 3-point Shooting
The Tribe has seen an increase of its shooting percent from 3-point range over its current six-game winning streak. The College is shooting an impressive 40.3 percent from long range over the six-game stretch, including a pair of 50-plus percent efforts. W&M started the winning streak with a 53.3 percent (8-of-15) effort from deep at Old Dominion, and in its most recent victory at Drexel, the Tribe was just as deadly, knocking down 53.8 percent (14-of-26) from long range.

Mann Stroking it from Deep
Senior guard Nathan Mann has put his mark on the W&M 3-point record book during his four-year career in the Green and Gold. His final campaign for the Tribe has been no difference. In the Tribe’s overtime victory at Drexel, Mann became just the sixth player in W&M history to hit at least six 3-pointers in a game. It marked the 15th such occasion in school history and was also a career-high for the Overland Park, Kan., native. The last time a Tribe player connected on six triples was Nick D’Antoni at James Madison in 2004.

Over the last six games, Mann is shooting 50 percent (18-of-36) from 3-point range, lifting his season average to 41.2 percent, which ranks fifth in the CAA. It also currently ranks as the sixth best 3-point percentage in school history and the highest for a Tribe senior. The best 3-point percent for a W&M senior in school history is the 39.6 percent from Thomas Roberts in 1992-93. Mann is also averaging 2.33 3-pointers per game, which also ranks fifth in the CAA. The per game clip is currently the fourth best single-season total in W&M history.

Starting lineups
While the Tribe’s lineup has change a little bit during the season, it appears head coach Tony Shaver has finally found the right combination. The starting rotation of seniors Nathan Mann and Laimis Kisielius paired with sophomores David Schneider and Danny Sumner along with junior Peter Stein has been a key component to the Tribe’s current winning streak. The Green and Gold is a perfect 4-0 with group in the starting lineup, including each of the last three games.

After starting the season coming off the bench, Sumner has worked his way into the starting lineup. The Fairfax, Va., native has started eight games this season for the Green and Gold, including every game of the Tribe’s current six-game winning streak. In fact, W&M is 7-1 when Sumner is in the starting five.

Tribe Streaking in League Play
The Tribe’s victory at Drexel was the College’s sixth straight Colonial Athletic Association win. Over the stretch, W&M has claimed a trio of victories at home and three more on the road. The streak began with a road win at Old Dominion, before returning home to defeat James Madison. W&M downed Georgia State on the road and then, disposed of Northeastern and Towson at home. Most recently, the College tallied an overtime win at Drexel on Jan. 23.

The six-game CAA winning streak is the Tribe’s first since the 1997-98 season, and in fact, it is only the third time since joining the CAA that W&M has won six or more league games straight. The1997-98 squad was the last time to do it, winning seven straight league games during the month of February. The 1982-83 squad, which played the ECAC South as the CAA was known before the 1985-86 season, won 10 straight league games. The team completed the nine-game conference season unbeaten and won its opening ECAC South Tournament game.

It is the seventh time overall in the 102-year history of Tribe basketball that it has had a league winning streak of six or more games. W&M had four other winning streaks of six or more games when it was a part of the Southern Conference from 1936-77. The Tribe had six straight conference wins in 1949-50, 1957-58 and 1965-66. The 1962-63 won nine straight contests as a member of the Southern conference.