The box score will show that Navy sophomore guard Michael Green scored eight points on 3-for-10 shooting against Air Force yesterday. But that hardly tells the story of Green's contribution to the Midshipmen's front-running 60-50 victory before 2,431 at Alumni Hall.
"If we had a game ball to give away, Green would certainly be the recipient," said Navy coach Don DeVoe.
Two weeks ago at the Air Force Academy, Otis Jones, the nation's leading scorer, scorched the Mids for 37 points in sparking the Falcons to a 77-63 victory in the season opener for both service teams.
But yesterday, with the rangy 6-foot-4 Green dogging him from ** end line to end line, Jones, averaging 36.8 points, had his most frustrating game of the season.
The speedy 5-foot-11 senior made six of 17 shots to finish with a team-high 16 points. But two of his field goals came in the final 30 seconds after Navy (3-2) had built a 58-44 lead.
"I don't know when I've ever seen a better defensive job than what Green did against Jones today," said senior Navy center Wes Cooper, another major contributor with 12 points and 13 rebounds.
DeVoe echoed those words.
"I always feel you need a defensive stopper on your team," he said. "Last year, we had Victor Mickel, until we lost him just before the Patriot League tournament. That's when we turned to Mike Green."
Green, a Los Angeles native, had played only 35 minutes in the regular season when Mickel became a casualty in the electrical engineering exam scandal. Green would start all the conference tournament games and the NCAA loss to Missouri.
He did not start yesterday, as DeVoe sat him down along with senior guard T. J. Hall and junior center Alex Kohnen for missing a morning shoot-around.
DeVoe started freshman Michael Heary, junior James Norris and sophomore Randy Torgrimson. This new combination used a swarming defense to build a 10-0 lead from which Air Force never recovered.
The main reason was Green's smothering defense against Jones.
"I was just playing good, fundamental defense, denying him the ball as much as possible and forcing him baseline," said Green. "But if he got by me, there was always someone there to pick him up."
Navy's defensive intensity made up for its erratic, 34 percent shooting and 20 turnovers.
"I don't think we caught one pass that was thrown inside," said DeVoe. Kohnen, in particular, had difficulty completing a play, managing only a free throw in 14 minutes.
But the Mids got an offensive lift from Hall, the leading scorer last season who had made only four of 24 shots in his first four games.
With 7:34 remaining and Navy leading 45-34, Hall converted a steal into a layup. After another wild scramble on the floor, he was fouled and made a pair of free throws.
The Falcons (4-2) answered with jump shots by Chris Loll and Maurice Anderson, but Hall then made a three-pointer for a 52-38 cushion.