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American Tops Lafayette; Advances to Patriot League Championship Game
Patrick Doctor records second consecutive double-double to lead Eagles

March 3, 2002 | Game Photos (1) (2)

Patriot League Player of the Year Patrick Doctor recorded his second consecutive double-double against Lafayette. He established a new career high with 33 points and tied his career high with14 rebounds.

Gameday Central
Lafayette	58
American	66
Box Score | Final
Points: Doctor (AU) 33 Rebounds: Doctor (AU) 14 Assists: Pleick (LC) 5

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. -- The American University men's basketball team will play its most important game ever in Bender Arena on Friday, March 8 thanks to a Patriot League semifinal victory over Lafayette, 66-58. The Eagles were led by Patriot League Player of the Year Patrick Doctor who established a new career high with 33 points and tied his career high with 14 rebounds. Doctor was a remarkable 15-for-17 from the free throw line in the game. Glenn Stokes grabbed a career high nine rebounds and Steven Miles snagged nine as well as American outrebounded the Leopards 45 to 28.

Both American and Lafayette came out tight to start the game, and it was extremely evident on the offensive end. At the first media timeout, the Eagles lead 4-0 behind four Doctor foul shots. Doctor was called "Rocky" by his teammates because of a corneal abrasion as well as a laceration on his eyelid that forced him to wear eye protection throughout the game.. The Leopards started zero-for-eight from the field, getting their first points on two Reggie Guy free throws.

"I'd like to think that the poor shooting by both teams had to do with defense," American Head Coach Jeff Jones said after the game. "We had two teams giving it everything they had, but neither team shot particularly well."

Lafayette grabbed its first lead of the game with 9:11 to play in the first half with a Rob Dill lay-up. Vladimir Buscaglia continued his hot shooting from three-point land to give American the lead at 15-14. Doctor made his sixth free throw of the first half to knot the game at 16. Doctor scored seven straight Eagle points as American and Lafayette continued to play an extremely close game heading towards halftime. Brian Williams converted two alley-oops sandwiched around a pair of Glenn Stokes free throws as the Eagles took a four point lead into halftime.

After American stretched the lead to five, Lafayette went on an 8-0 run behind three-pointers by Justin DeBerry and Mick Kuberka to grab a three point lead. Two Doctor free throws ended the run and then he converted an old fashioned three-point play to allow the Eagles to retake the lead at 37-35. An Andres Rodriguez three-pointer and a Doctor lay-up helped to extend the American lead to seven as part of a 12-2 run.

After a Steven Miles jumper gave the Eagles an eight point lead, Lafayette scored four straight to cut the lead in half. Doctor scored four straight for American to bring the margin back to eight with under seven minutes to play. However, the Leopards came right back with a bucket by Mike Farrell and two free throws by Andrew Pleick. Two Brian Burke free throws continued a 6-0 Lafayette run and brought them within two points with under four minutes to play.

A Kuberka lay-up knotted the game at 53-53 with just over three minutes to play. Stokes answered with a three-pointer from the wing with 2:47 remaining in the game. After a Lafayette miss, Stokes drained a three-pointer from the other side of the court to give the Eagles a six point lead.

"I was struggling a little tonight, but I kept my head up as well as my confidence," Stokes said after the game. "I worked hard to do everything else well other than shoot throughout the game and then the shots fell at the end."

After a Farrell lay-up, Doctor answered with two more free throws. Pleick got an easy shot to slice the lead to four, but Miles responded by hitting both free throws of a one-and-one. Doctor was able to ice the game with two foul shots with under 30 seconds to play, giving the Eagles an eight point lead.

Doctor, one of only two players on the team who have been at American for four years, felt a sense of satisfaction after the game. "It feels really good," Doctor said. "I'm so happy to be in the position we're in right now."

"This is a terrific feeling right now," Coach Jones said. "Our kids really battled tonight and the best place to see that is by our edge in the rebounding column."

American will take on Holy Cross on Friday in the Patriot League Championship Game on Friday, March 8 at 4:30 p.m. in Bender Arena. The game will be televised live by ESPN.