Saint Leo sheds snakebit skid with win over Moccasins

The streak came to a grinding halt at 44 games, though, when the Lions downed the Moccasins, 70-65, January 26, exactly 20 years to the day of Saint Leo's last victory over Florida Southern.

Florida Southern's 44-game domination had been the longest in NCAA Division II history by one team over another. It also stood as the third-longest streak across all NCAA divisions and was the lengthiest run in current history.

Besides the 19 points from conference scoring leader Marquis McCullough and the 13 points from Richard Blue, who came off the bench, the Lions' other secret weapon was head coach Mike Madagan, who just happened to be a former assistant coach for the Moccasins from 1992 to 1995.

The new owner of the longest win streak by one team over another is Richard Stockton College of New Jersey over Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Camden. The Ospreys have netted 40 straight victories over the Scarlet Raptors. The all-time record is 52 wins in a row by the University of California, Los Angeles, over the University of California, Berkeley, between 1961 and 1985.

Father-daughter tandems square off in swimming

When the Hiram College swimming and diving team hosted Washington and Jefferson College late last month, there was an extra buzz in the air. Rightfully so, given that the meet would feature Hiram's Beth Groselle and Washington and Jefferson's Kaitlyn Orstein, both of whom swim for their respective fathers who coach their respective teams.

Both also compete in the same events -- the 100-yard breaststroke and the 200-yard individual medley. Groselle, a junior, was the 2004 NCAA Division III national champion in the 100-yard breaststroke. The six-time all-American also is a four-time North Coast Athletic Conference champion and the 2004 conference swimmer of the year. Orstein, a freshman transfer from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is highly touted. Both hold school records in the two events.

Just two weeks before the highly anticipated January 29 match-up, both Groselle and Orstein broke their personal records in the breaststroke in different meets on the same day.

Groselle swims for her father, Hiram head coach Jack Groselle, and Orstein does the same for her father, Mike Orstein, at Washington and Jefferson. The two dads have been good friends for more than 10 years.

In the pool it was Orstein who edged Groselle in both events. Orstein turned in a first-place time of 2:20.31 to Groselle's second-place 2:24.94 in the 200-yard individual medley. Orstein took first with a time of 1:12.20 in the 100-yard breaststroke. Groselle came in second with a time of 1:14.14, which was a season best for her in the event.

'Survivor' hopefuls have college sports credentials

When the new season of "Survivor" premieres on CBS February 17, three former NCAA student-athletes will be among the 20 Americans braving the wilds of the South Pacific island of Palau for the chance to become the reality show's next million-dollar winner.

Gregg Carey was a football student-athlete at the University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated with a bachelor of science in engineering. Stephenie LaGrossa competed on the lacrosse squad at Temple University before transferring to Monmouth University, where she served as captain of the lacrosse team during her senior season. A three-time all-Northeast Conference selection, she was the recipient of a conference scholar-athlete award and was nominated for female athlete of the year.

The most decorated of the trio of former student-athletes and "Survivor" hopefuls is Jolanda Jones, a three-time NCAA heptathlon champion from the University of Houston. The two-time academic all-American was a 1989 NCAA Today's Top VI selection and an NCAA postgraduate scholarship recipient. She also was the 1989 U.S. Track and Field heptathlon champion and went on to qualify for the 1996 U.S. Olympic Trials.

-- Compiled by Leilana McKindra

Number crunching

Looking back

30 years ago

Here's what was making NCAA news in February 1975:

• The NCAA Executive Committee approves a restructuring plan for the Division I Baseball Championship that is similar to the 32-team format used for the Division I Basketball Championship. The new plan, which eliminates the current district format, brackets at least 14 automatic qualifiers, with the remaining teams selected at large.

• The NCAA Football Rules Committee approves a rule that charges a team with a timeout if a player is caught not wearing a mouthpiece. The committee also strengthens rules restricting "tear-away" jerseys.

• In a move unique to the current national trend in women's athletics, the University of Kansas appoints men's track coach Bob Timmons to also oversee the school's women's program.

• Michigan State University announces a two-day conference called "Counseling the Student-Athlete," a first-of-its-kind seminar that will increase concern for the academic and personal well-being of student-athletes.

Quotables

• "Our players move on defense like they're running through an earthquake."

Northern Kentucky University basketball coach Mote Hils, whose team is allowing an average of 89.2 points per game.

• "Looks like these guys need a little practice."

Randolph-Macon College basketball coach Bill Clark after his players tossed him into the showers following an upset win over Wittenberg College. Only the hot water was turned on, however.

• "You guys have more excuses than Heinz has pickles."

Fairleigh Dickinson University basketball coach Al Lobalbo to his players during halftime of a game against Northeastern University.