Ewing, NJ … Kelly Williams remembers the feeling walking off the court at Alumni Gym in Lawrenceville, NJ. As a freshman guard for then-Trenton State College in 1990, the Lions visited Rider College and defeated the Division I Broncs 75-69.

“I remember it like it was yesterday, and it's a game I'll never forget,” said Williams, who is in his second season as the head coach of The College of New Jersey men's basketball team. “So many people attended that game and there was a lot of intensity. We felt a tremendous sense of pride walking off that court a winner.” 

For the first time since 1998, TCNJ men's basketball will square off against a Division I opponent as they take on Davidson College in Davidson, NC on Thursday, December 17 at 7 p.m. The Wildcats will present a tremendous challenge for the Lions squad, but Williams is hopeful that the contest will serve not only as a memorable experience, but a springboard to heightened performance in the 2009-10 season. 

“I want our players to learn that they can compete and play with passion with anyone for 40 minutes no matter how difficult the challenge,” said Williams. “I'm hoping they return from this trip with a renewed confidence and really start to believe in themselves. This game can help to solidify in their minds that they can play with any team in our (New Jersey Athletic Conference) conference.” 

Playing with Davidson for 40 minutes will be nothing short of a challenge. Last season, the Wildcats were ranked 23th in the country by the Associated Press. They boasted a record of 27-8 and were led by All-American guard Stephen Curry, who was the seventh pick overall in the NBA draft by the Golden State Warriors. Davidson (2-7, 1-1 SoCon) has struggled this season and has lost two straight. Their most recent loss was a 103-91 setback at #21 Gonzaga. 

TCNJ (4-4, 0-2 NJAC) jumped out to a hot start in 2009, but has since cooled off dropping their last three contests. The Lions will need to approach this match-up with the mindset that they will play their best basketball in every facet of the game. Focusing on the finer points of handling the basketball, positioning, anticipation, and poise must take precedent over concern of the end result. 

“I've been preaching that we must make sure we take care of the ball and rebound,” noted Williams. “The game within the game will be minimizing our turnovers and battling under the boards. If we do that and play with passion, it's an experience they'll remember for a lifetime.” 

NOTES

TCNJ
• Senior Jay Frank leads TCNJ in scoring with 17.4 points per game. He also leads the team with 19 steals.
• Junior Steven Siracusa tops the Lions in rebounds with 8.1 per game.
• The Lions are shooting .407 from the floor, .314 from 3-point range, and .713 from the free-throw line.
• TCNJ is averaging 17 turnovers per game.
• The Lions lost at Princeton University 59-50 on 1/26/98 in their last game against a Division I opponent. 

Davidson
• Freshman Jake Cohen, a 6' 10” forward from Berwyn, PA, leads the Wildcats in scoring per game (13.3) and rebounds per game (5.1).
• Senior guard/forward Will Archambault averages 12.3 points per game and four rebounds.
• Davidson lists their entire roster as being 6' 1” or taller and includes three 6' 10” players in Cohen, sophomore Frank Ben-Eze, and sophomore Dan Nelms.
• The Wildcats have three players from outside the United States: Archambault is from Montreal, Quebec, freshman guard Nic Cochran hails from Vancouver, B.C., and sophomore Ben Allison is from West Sussex, England.
• Davidson played a Division III opponent earlier this season defeating Fredonia State 78-37.