Men’s Basketball Aims for Second Straight Win at Colgate (Dec. 13; Noon)

Sunday, December 13

Hamilton, N.Y.

12 PM

University of New Hampshire

Colgate University

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Photo by: Paige O'Donnell

Men’s Basketball Aims for Second Straight Win at Colgate (Dec. 13; Noon)

12/12/2015 11:47:00 AM | Men's Basketball

DURHAM, N.H. – The University of New Hampshire men's basketball team hits the road to tackle Colgate University on Sunday, Dec. 13 (Noon) at Cotterell Court in Hamilton, N.Y.

Cat Facts

New Hampshire scored 100 points against Worcester St., the second scoring output of that magnitude in program history since Jan. 10, 1967 in a 100-73 victory over the University of Vermont.
UNH matched last year's nine-game start with a 6-3 record. The last time the Wildcats started a season 7-3 was in 1994-95.
The Wildcats have used five different starting lineups this season through nine games.
New Hampshire has yet to compete on a Sunday this season.

The State of New Hampshire
The Wildcats eclipsed the century mark against division III Worcester State University (Dec. 8) to stand 6-3 overall this season. Sophomore Iba Camara (Dakar, Senegal) recorded a career-high of 18 points on 9 of 14 shooting and grabbed 15 rebounds. Classmate Tanner Leissner (Converse, Texas) led all scorers with 20 points on a career-high nine buckets Five other athletes recorded double-digit scoring outputs with senior Ronnel Jordan (San Antonio, Texas), juniors Joe Bramanti (Andover, Mass.) and Jacoby Armstrong (Sachse, Texas) and freshman Pat McNamara (Arlington Heights, Ill.) all scoring 11 points apiece.

UNH controlled the rebounding effort with a 52-34 advantage in 40 minutes. The Wildcats also led in the paint-scoring effort (60-28) as well as second-change points (21-7).

Leissner returned to his scoring ways, improving his per-game average to 15.8 points while reeling in 6.8 rebounds per contest. Junior Jaleen Smith (Freeport, Texas) ranks second with 13.1 points followed by Armstrong with 12.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. Junior Daniel Dion (Cedar Park, Texas) totals 10.0 points and 3.5 boards a game.

Scouting the Raiders
The Raiders will be happy to be home, as they have played only two of nine games at Cotterell Court this season. Colgate takes on the Wildcats after a dominating 90-68 win over Utica College at home on Dec. 10. Colgate raced out to a 51-23 halftime lead that proved to be far too much for Utica to overcome even despite outscoring the Raiders 45-39 in the second half.

Colgate shot 41.0 percent (16 of 39) from beyond the arc in one of its best shooting performances of the year. Jordan Robertson led the way for the Raiders with 21 points while sinking 4 of 7 shots from 3-point range and 8-for-16 overall from the field.

Jordan Swopshire added 14 points (6-9 shooting) as he drained two of his three attempts from deep. Teammate Austin Tillotson also turned in a solid effort with 12 points. Sean O'Brien showed off his scoring and passing skills, finishing with 10 points and eight assists.

The Wildcats look to contain Tillotson, who has been a jack-of-all-trades for Colgate this season. Tillotson leads the team in points (11.9) and assists per game (4.9) while steering the Raiders' offense.

While Tillotson has been effective in distributing the ball, Swopshire has been the team's most prolific shooter. The sophomore averages 9.7 points per game and is on a roll shooting the ball from distance with a 40 percent clip from 3-point range.

UNH will also have its hands full down on the block with Colgate's Malcolm Regisford, who leads the Raiders in rebounding with 6.7 per game. The freshman has scored 5.2 ppg so far this season.

All-Time Series
UNH controls the all-time series with a 21-13 record. The Wildcats defeated the Raiders a season ago in a 63-57 win at home. Leissner recorded 21 points in the win, shooting 6-for-8 from the field. New Hampshire last won at Colgate on Dec. 4, 2010 on a score of 65-60.

Locked In Leissner
Forward Leissner totaled his sixth-career double-double, third of the season, in the 100-66 win against division III Worcester St. Leissner leads the team with three 20+-point performances this season after recording just one last year against Colgate (Dec. 14). The 2015 America East Rookie of the Year averages 15.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and shoots 46.8 percent from the field per game. He sat out because of injury against Brown, American and Bryant and scored 14 points in his return at Abilene Christian.

Casual Camara
Forward Camara tallied his fourth double-double this season in the win against Worcester St. to rank 23rd in the nation in double-double performances. The sophomore averaged just 3.1 points and 4.0 rebounds per game last year and has increased the total to 9.6 points and 10.2 rebounds this season. Camara leads the team with five 10+ rebound games through nine contests and ranks 20^th in the country in rebounds per game (10.2).

Score, Score Score
UNH is 5-0 when 4+ scorers finish with 10+ points in a game. In the season opener, Leissner, Camara, Smith and McNamara eclipsed the 10-point threshold. In the 100-point outburst against Worcester St., Leissner, Camara, Dion, Jordan, Bramanti, Armstrong and McNamara scored 10+ points. At Holy Cross, the first foursome completed the feat again followed by five 10+ scorers at Brown. In the Wildcats third 80+-point scoring game against Abilene Christian, Leissner, Smith, Dion and Jordan all pitched in double-figures.

Fives Alive
Dion has a knack for scoring (10.0 per game), something he's had since arriving at UNH. He scored a season-high 16 points at Abilene Christian in his first start this season. The 6-foot scorer uses his quickness and creative offense to open space for his quick release (38.9 percent) this year. During his sophomore season, the Texas native tallied 9.2 points per game after a freshman season where he scored 8.2 per contest.

Let's Go Home
The men's basketball team scheduled a trip to Texas this season to tackle Abilene Christian (Dec. 3; 8 p.m.) and Southern Methodist University (Dec. 5; 1:30 p.m.) to give the six Texas natives on the team a chance to play in front of family and friends. The five-day trip consisted of an 86-75 win over Abilene Christian, the first win in the state of Texas, and a 98-44 loss to No. 22 Southern Methodist.

Strong Play
Armstrong poured in a personal-best 26 points in an 88-77 win at Brown followed by a 22-point outburst against American to lead all scorers. He made his season debut at UConn where he totaled seven points, five rebounds, a steal and an assist off the bench. At Holy Cross, he notched seven points, and four rebounds on 3 of 5 shooting from the field. This season, the 2015 All-Conference Third Team member is scoring 12.4 points and corralling 4.3 rebounds per game.

Flu Game
While battling the flu, Armstrong tallied 14 points and collected four rebounds to defeat the Bryant Bulldogs (Nov. 30), 75-67. He shot 6 of 10 from the floor and nailed his single 3-pointer attempt. The tri-captain also played 35 minutes in a starting role, the largest workload for the forward this season.

Let's Hit The Road
UNH won three straight road games for the first time since the 2005-06 season with wins over the College of the Holy Cross (Nov. 19; 73-69), Brown University (Nov. 24; 88-77) and Abilene Christian (Dec. 3; 86-75). The Wildcats never scored more than 75 points during the 2005-06 streak as they totaled two in the three-game stretch this season.

The Lone Star State
UNH has seven individuals from the state of Texas. Armstrong, freshman Andrew Dotson (Arlington, Texas), Dion, Jordan, Leissner, transfer Jordan Reed (Lucas, Texas) and Smith all chose the chilly New England weather over the hot lone star state.

Old Man On The Mountain
As the lone senior this season, Jordan leads by example on the court. At Abilene Christian, the guard scored a career-high 16 points on 7 of 10 shooting in his sixth start this season. Jordan averages 8.1 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.

Double-Double Dose
UNH student-athletes have tallied seven double-doubles through nine games, led by Camara who has four. Leissner has two double-doubles followed by Smith with one. Just a year ago, the Wildcats had five double-double stat lines in 32 games played. Leissner led UNH with four during 2014-15.

3-Point D
Against Bryant, UNH held the Bulldogs to 17.6 percent shooting from beyond the arc, tying the season low set in the home opener against Division III Lyndon St. (Nov. 13). This was the lowest percentage an opponent was held to since Jan. 22, 2015 when the University of Vermont was held to 16.7 percent (3 of 18) from beyond the arc. Bryant shot 2 of 11 in the first half and 1 of 6 in the final frame.

Mac Truck
McNamara is shooting 47.2 percent from beyond the arc this season, and went a season-high 6-for-9 on 3-pointers at Holy Cross with five in the second half. The Illinois native scored 11 points on 4 of 10 shooting, including three treys, in the season opener against Lyndon State College. Last season, the Wildcats topped the league in 3-point field-goal percentage with a 37.4 percent mark. UNH looks to continue that trend, shooting 33.5 percent so far through nine games.

Zeroed In
Smith totals 13.1 points, 6.0 rebounds and leads the 'Cats with 4.6 assists per contest. The junior ranks second in the nation in free-throw percentage, shooting 96.9 percent from the line (31 of 32). The floor general paces the squad in minutes with 36 per game. Smith recorded his first double-double of the season, second of his career, in the 82-45 season-opening win against Lyndon State University. In the program's first victory over Bryant University, Smith scored a career-high 23 points (7 of 13) in 40 minutes of action.

Wildcat Captains
Smith, Armstrong and Bramanti bring leadership to the Wildcats this season. Bramanti returns to captaincy after last year's role produced a balanced team. Smith and Armstrong join Bramanti in their junior seasons, all with UNH, with a combined 3,000+ minutes of game time.

Scoring Jump
Leissner and Smith averaged 10 + points a game a year ago, improving the Wildcat offense from last place in the conference in 2013-14 (57.8 ppg) to first in the conference in 2014-15 (67.1 ppg). The +9.3 scoring increase is first among the most improved division I teams from a season ago, where the 'Cats finished tied for sixth for most improved team with +13 wins.

Herrion Wins Again
Head coach Bill Herrion has won 123 games while a head coach at UNH and now ranks second all-time on the coaching wins' list. He overtook William Cowell (1916-28), who won 119 games throughout his 12-year coaching career, in a 73-69 win over Holy Cross (Nov. 19). Next on the list is Gerry Friel (1969-89), who tallied 185 wins in 20 years of leadership.

Look Ma, I'm On TV
The Wildcats are set to play five ESPN3 games, two at home, and three television games in 2015-16. Additionally, New Hampshire played on SportsNet New York (SNY) when they took on the University of Connecticut (Nov. 17; 7 p.m.), will be broadcasted on WBIN Classics and Fox College Sports on Dec. 19 (1 p.m.) against Dartmouth College in Lundholm and lastly Fox College Sports on Jan. 16 (1 p.m.) against Stony Brook University in Durham. The ESPN3 contests will be at Southern Methodist University (Dec. 5; 1:30 p.m.), at Boston College (Dec. 30; 2 p.m.), at UMass Lowell (Jan. 21; 7 p.m.), against the University of Vermont (Jan. 27; 7 p.m.) and against the University of Albany (Feb. 11; 7 p.m.).

New 'Cats in Town
New Hampshire welcomes four newcomers to the roster this season. Dotson was the 2014-15 District Offensive MVP in his area during his senior year, averaging 20.3 points per game. McNamara averaged 18 points per game in his senior season and was a regional champion, and All-Conference and All-Area selection. Forward David Watkins (Dorchester, Mass.) who was a top-30 player in New England last year. He received the most valuable player award in both junior and senior season at Brimmer and May School. Reed is a transfer from Rice University and played in 12 games but will have to sit out this season.

Graduation Success Rate
The Wildcats received a perfect GSR of 100 percent in the NCAA report released on Nov. 4. Men's basketball was one of four New Hampshire programs that had the unblemished rating. The team was tied for first in the America East conference against other basketball squads in the conference. All 20 athletic programs as a whole recorded a GSR of 90 percent.

2014-15 America East Award Winners
Joining Leissner, Armstrong was an America East All-Conference Third Team member with Matt Miller who joined the coaching staff after graduation. Bramanti was an All-Defensive Team selection and Smith was named to the All-Championship Team for his play during the tournament.

2015-16 America East Weekly Award Winners
Iba Camara – Player of the Week (Nov. 16)

Miller Moves On
After Miller was denied a sixth season as a Wildcat, the team decided to add him to the coaching staff to help build the team for a title run. Miller was a key cog to the success last season, leading the America East in 3-point field goal percentage (48.1 percent) and ranking second in threes made (63). He finished his UNH career ranked 10th in threes made in a season and fifth in 3-point field goal percentage in a season. Additionally, Miller's shooting finishes second in the UNH record books for career 3-point field goal percentage.

Wildcats on the Air
The Wildcat Sports Radio Network will broadcast a total of 15 UNH men's basketball regular-season games during the 2015-16 season and will air the games for the America East Championships. Jim Jeannotte, 23-time New Hampshire Sportscaster of the Year handles the play-by-play. Mike Murphy, a five-time winner of the New Hampshire Sportscaster of the Year award, does the color commentating.

The Wildcat Sports Radio Network affiliates include (times/dates subject to change):

WPKX-AM - 930 - Rochester

WGIR-AM - 610 - Manchester

Live Stream - Stretch Internet - UNHWildcats.com

Here is the complete radio schedule:
Nov. 13 vs. Lyndon St. (7:30 p.m.)
Nov. 19 at Holy Cross (7 p.m.)
Nov. 28 vs. American (12 p.m.)
Nov. 30 vs. Bryant (7 p.m.)
Dec. 19 vs. Dartmouth (1 p.m.)
Dec. 21 at Boston U. (7 p.m.)
Dec. 30 at Boston College (2 p.m.)
Jan. 9 vs. Binghamton (1 p.m.)
Jan. 16 vs. Stony Brook (1 p.m.)
Jan. 24 vs. Hartford (1 p.m.)
Jan. 27 vs. Vermont (7 p.m.)
Feb. 8 vs. Maine (7 p.m.)
Feb. vs. 11 UAlbany (7 p.m.)
Feb. 17 vs. UMass Lowell (7 p.m.)
Feb. 27 vs. UMBC (12 p.m.)

Preseason Predictions
New Hampshire was selected to finish fourth in the conference this season with 47 points. Leissner was named to the Preseason All-Conference Team as well, the only non-senior selected to the team.

Men's Hoops Media Center
To check out career numbers, year-by-year results, alumni roster and much more, head over to the men's basketball page at UNHWildcats.com and look under the additional links tab to find the media center link.

Looking Ahead
New Hampshire returns home Saturday, Dec. 19 (1 p.m.) to take on intrastate rival Dartmouth College at Lundholm Gymnasium. Limited tickets are available so be sure to call the box office at 603-862-4000 ext. 5.

For the most up-to-date information on the men's basketball program, visit the new UNHWildcats.com. Text UNH to 90561 to sign up for Sports alerts. Message & Data Rates May Apply. 1 message/text. Consent to receive a text message is not a condition of purchasing goods or services. Text HELP to 90561 for info. STOP to cancel. T&Cs & Privacy Policy is available HERE.