Season’s best DIRTcar Racing Northeast drivers honored at “Night of Champions” banquet

Hearn, Rudolph, Rouse, Bernier, Bissonnette and Yetman take home championship trophies

 

LIVERPOOL, N.Y. - November 28, 2013 - Again this year, DIRTcar Racing Northeast drivers, teams, car owners and partners have set the bar higher, and their accomplishments were recognized Saturday, Nov. 23, during the DIRTcar "Night of Champions" at the Holiday Inn Syracuse-Liverpool.
Among the night's honorees was now eight-time Super DIRTcar Big-Block Modified Champion Brett "the Jet" Hearn, claiming both the series champion and the Mr. DIRTcar Big-Block Modified Championship for his top-16 finishes all season.

"We don't really get to enjoy the races that we win because we're always thinking about the next race. This is the only time, the banquet, that we get to celebrate it," Hearn said. "This time in a week, we're going to be sitting around and talking about Volusia."

Hearn hasn't just been breaking records, he's been shattering them since his powerful comeback last year. He is the only driver to have claimed eight Super DIRTcar Series Championship titles; the only driver coming close is Jack Johnson with six series championships. With his win in last year's series finale during the World of Outlaws World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte, Brett Hearn tied Alan Johnson in all time DIRTcar race wins. This year, he's claimed an additional nine victories to keep him at the top of the list.

At the same time, Hearn proved his ability to rise to new challenges. He took victory August in his first-ever race at I-96 Speedway in Lake Odessa, Mich., adding Michigan to list of states where he has claimed wins. After his 2014 season, Hearn has won races in a total of nine states and two Canadian provinces.

The legendary driver has also been dabbling in event promotion the past few years, and Brett Hearn's "The Big Show" continues to grow. Hearn partnered with Albany-Saratoga Speedway in Malta, N. Y., to host the season's big race night, which featured full shows for the Super DIRTcar Big-Block Modified Series and the DIRTcar Pro Stock Series. This year Hearn accomplished something at his race he hasn't been able to do in the past - he picked up the win in the Big-Block Modified 100-lapper.

Hearn and his car owner, Brian Madsen of Madsen Motorsports, thanked their entire team, both sponsors and crew members.

"A lot comes with a good crew, a good team," Madsen said. "The guys that come up at night to the shop, a couple of them, and the ones on the road, it's really about them."
Hearn wasn't the only driver to carry out two trophies from the "Night of Champions" banquet. Erick Rudolph also won the series champion and Mr. DIRTcar championship in his division, the 358-Modifieds.

"This has been a good year for us," Rudolph said. "This is definitely a career highlight."
Years of hard work have paid off for other drivers who claimed their first Hoosier Tire-VP Racing Fuels DIRTcar Series Championships. Brad Rouse, of St. Catharines, Ontario, claimed two victories in the DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Series to make his way to the championship title. Perhaps the highlight of his season was a win at the Syracuse "Moody Mile" in the NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week XLII Sportsman Modified Championship.

"Ee just went in there to get in the show and take as many points as we could, but you pick up the win that's really something," Rouse reflected on Syracuse after pickup up his series championship trophy. "It's a great honor being there with a lot of the great runners there."
In the DIRTcar Pro Stock division, Dave Bissonnette, of Cornwall, Ontario, also celebrated his first series championship.

"It feels great," Bissonnette said, thanking crew members, sponsors and drivers like Joey Ladouceur and Rob Yetman who have given him advice throughout the years. "I've been trying to do this for several years now."

Yetman took the trophy for Mr. DIRTcar Pro Stock points with ten wins throughout the season, one of those wins being during NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week XLII.

"That win at Syracuse really capped it off," Yetman said. "We've been waiting to win that one for ten, fifteen years."

Steve Bernier was crowned the MR. DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Champion with 12 DIRTcar wins throughout the season.

"I'm really glad to be here with this level of drivers," Bernier said.

Motorsports Safety Systems rookies of the year were recognized in all four divisions. Byron Westcott claimed the prize in the Pro Stock division, Joey Ladouceur in Sportsman Modifieds, Ryan Arbuthnot in 358-Modifieds, and the Motorsports Safety Systems-Butlerbuilt Big-Block Modified co-rookies of the year were Mat Williamson and Matt Billings.

This year's Gater Racing News Super DIRTcar Big-Block Modified Series special recognition award went not to a driver, but Brockville Ontario Speedway's operators Paul and Cheryl Kirkland for their contribution to the sport. Billy Dunn was awarded the Xtreme Slick Move of the Season Award and the KSE Hard Charger Award. Coming up second in Super DIRTcar Series points, Matt Sheppard claimed the Area Auto Racing News Hard Luck Award.

In addition to celebrating a great 2013, DIRTcar drivers, officials and partners looked forward to an even better year of racing in 2014.

"All through the year we're growing again. We had an incredible Syracuse, an incredible World Finals," said World Racing Group chairman and CEO Brian Carter. "It only means it's going to be bigger and better for 2014."

With Big Diamond Speedway, Brewerton Speedway, Fulton Speedway, Fonda Speedway and Glen Ridge Motorsports Park joining the already-strong DIRTcar Racing Northeast and premier racing facilities across the Northeast Region hosting series events, 2014 is set to be bigger and better than before.

"This series and this sanctioning body is what we need in racing to keep it all together," Hearn reflected when he received his series championship award.

Strong Post Play Leads UAlbany to 70-60 Road Win Over Providence

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The UAlbany women’s basketball team dominated the paint on Wednesday to earn a 70-60 road victory over Big East opponent Providence, pushing the team to 6-0, the best start in the program’s D-I history.

“We played hard in a very physical game, and we handled it well,” says coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson. “Sarah [Royals] was a huge spark for us, and we handled their go-to players well.”
The Great Danes dominated down low, outrebounding Providence 47-33, led by Tammy Phillip grabbing 13 boards with seven points.

“The key was boxing out, communicating and hard work,” says Phillip. “We earned a hard win on the road, and it is awesome being 6-0.”

Shereesha Richards led UAlbany in scoring for the fifth-consecutive game, earning 19 points on 9-14 shooting with nine rebounds and five steals.  Megan Craig earned her first-career double double with 15 points and 10 boards, blocking three shots.

The game started on a furious pace, with both sides trying to run.  UAlbany hit its layups, with four different players scoring on the first five shots on an early 10-3 lead.

Megan Craig added a pair of layups on the run as the UAlbany zone defense held Providence without points for a span of over seven-and-a-half minutes, building a 14-3 advantage, later going up 18-7 after a pair of Richards layups.

Providence, led by a couple of Karin Robinson layups, started hitting shots near the basket and slowly crept closer, getting to within three 21-18 at the three-minute mark in the first, scoring 10 points off turnovers.
UAlbany held Providence off the scoreboard in the final three minutes, with Craig hitting a jumper near the charity stripe and Sarah Royals adding a pair of free throws to give the Great Danes a 25-18 lead at the break.

Out of the locker room, the Great Danes attacked the paint, sparking an 8-0 run, including a Richards hook shot make and a Royals fastbreak layup to complete the surge, putting UAlbany up 33-18 in the half’s first 3:15.

UAlbany had to hold against a strong Providence full-court press, leading to each side exchanging runs.  Richards kept hitting layups, with an under-the-basket layup and one by Royals giving UAlbany a 46-28 lead with 11:27 left.

The press started to take its toll as Providence started to come back, getting within seven 49-42 after a layup by Robinson.

The Purple and Gold kept to its bread and butter with attacking in the paint.  With that strategy, UAlbany went on a 10-0 run in the next three-and-a-half minutes, building the advantage to 59-42.

From there, UAlbany did not lead by less than double digits.  Margarita Rosario hit key free throws in the final minutes to keep the Purple and Gold ahead.  A pair of threes in the final 10 seconds by Danielle Pearson gave a late scare, but UAlbany took the win 70-60 over Providence.

Royals concluding with 17 points, going 7-9 from the free throw line.  Rosario concluded with 11 points, six rebounds and three assists.

For the Friars, Robinson led the team with 16 points off 7-16 shooting and three steals.  Pearson finished with 10 points.  UAlbany held Tori Rule, a player averaging over 20 points a contest into Wednesday, to just five points.

The Great Danes will break for the Thanksgiving holiday, taking on Dartmouth next Wednesday, December 4^th at

Career Highs from Hooley and Wiegmann Lead Men’s Basketball Past Rider 70-59

LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J.- Senior David Wiegmann dominated the boards, finishing with 14, and sophomore guard Peter Hooley notched a new career-high 24 points to lead University at Albany men’s basketball (3-3) over Rider (1-3) 70-59 on Tuesday night. “We finally played the first half of basketball,” said head coach Will Brown. “It was a good team effort. Peter got us going early and David was outstanding on the glass. Everyone that played contributed, so it’s a good win.” Hooley got off to a hot start, hitting two of his career-high five three-pointers before the first media timeout. The Great Danes got out to a 10-2 lead in the opening minutes behind Hooley’s eight points and four rebounds from Wiegmann. The Broncs opened the game 1-for-7 from the field. Despite shooting no free throws in the first half, UAlbany got several key players for the Broncs in foul trouble. Khalil Alford picked up his second personal foul with eight minutes left in the first half, and Rider’s early scoring leader Junior Fortunat picked up two fouls in less than two minutes. At the 6:10 mark in the first half, UAlbany had only committed one turnover, and was shooting 13-for-21 from the field and 6-for-11 from three-point range. Anders Haas also heated up in the first half, going 2-for-3 from three and 3-for-4 from the field. Haas and Hooley combined to hit six three-pointers in a 10-minute span in the opening half. Rider responded by putting on a full-court press late in the second half, forcing four UAlbany turnovers in three minutes. The Great Danes also did not register a field goal for the final 6:33 of the first half. Both teams went scoreless for the last three minutes. The Purple & Gold entered the locker room at halftime with a lead for the first time all season, 32-16. With Fortunat starting the second half, Sam Rowley forced him to pick up his third foul less than four minutes in. Hooley continued to light it up from the field, taking advantage of an and-one at the 13:46 mark to register a new career high and give UAlbany its largest lead, 45-22. The sophomore finished with 24 points on 7-for-10 shooting, 5-for-7 from three and a perfect 5-for-5 from the line. He also had four rebounds and two assists. “We knew coming in here that we had to get off to a good start,” said Hooley. “When we play 40 minutes of basketball we get a good result. UAlbany began to struggle with the Rider full-court press, allowing an 11-0 run by the Broncs to put them within eight with seven minutes remaining. The Great Danes responded by getting to the line, and locking into the bonus with nine minutes and 44 seconds left. DJ Evans halted the Rider run by knocking down two jumpers to end a nearly six-minute field goal drought with six minutes left, and giving the Great Danes a 53-43 lead. John Puk put the game out of reach on an and-one with four minutes left to put UAlbany up 15. After Puk’s three-point play, Evans, Hooley and Wiegmann combined to go 10-for-10 from the line to put the game away. Wiegmann finished with eight points as well as a career high and a UAlbany individual season-high 14 rebounds. The entire Rider team totaled 19 rebounds. “It’s great to get a win before we have a bit of a break,” said Wiegmann. “We’re capable of winning and winning after we’ve lost three in a row, so it’s a good feeling.” The Great Danes made 21 free throws (21-22, .955), the most for the squad since the season-opening win over Siena on Nov. 8. The single-game free throw percentage puts the Purple & Gold in the NCAA top-20 in field goal percentage for the season (.782, 104-133). It also ranks them among the nation’s single-game free throw percentage leaders. UAlbany continues its road stint at NJIT on Sunday at 7 p.m.

UAlbany Surges into Top-10 in Mid-Major Poll, Standing #9

ALBANY, N.Y. – With a 5-0 start to the season, the UAlbany women’s basketball team has risen to number nine in the College Insider Mid-Major Poll, joining the top-10 for the first time during the regular season.

This is the first time that the Great Danes are in the top-10 while the season is going on.  After last year’s run to the NCAA Tournament, UAlbany finished in the top-10 at the conclusion of the season.  The Great Danes also retain a first-place vote.

At the start of the year, UAlbany started at #22 in the mid-major poll.  Since then, UAlbany has made jumps to #17, #15 and now #9.

The team is coming off victories over Cal State Fullerton and Delaware State at home this week.  So far this season, the Great Danes have defeated all opponents by double digits, standing 36^th in D-I in scoring margin at +18.2.

UAlbany received 503 points in the poll to earn a ninth-place ranking, once again being the lone America East team in the top-25.  Maine got 15 points, while Stony Brook and Hartford got two and one respectively.

Gonzaga remains at #1 in the poll, getting 27 first-place votes and 748 points.  Chattanooga is now #2 with 685 points.  Defeated foe Marist stands at #19, while future opponent Quinnipiac is at #24.

UAlbany will next face Providence in Rhode Island on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

CBS Sports Network Broadcasts World of Outlaws STP Sprint Cars at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, Dec. 1, from Rolling Wheels Raceway Park

Don’t miss the intensity of a championship battle surrounded by the race to win at one of the biggest, fastest tracks on the Outlaws tour

CONCORD, N.C. - Nov. 26, 2013 - CBS Sports Network has garnered rave reviews for its coverage of the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series this season. The sights, sounds, colors, pageantry and downright high-speed thrills return at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday night, Dec. 1, from one of the Outlaws' biggest, fastest tracks - Rolling Wheels Raceway Park.
Watch as the CBS Sports Network cameras capture the intensity of a championship battle between Daryn Pittman and Donny Schatz, see how local and regional racers rise up when the lights shine brightest, and feel for the teams trying to conquer adversity all in a two-hour broadcast on Sunday night.

The show is the latest in a special series airing on CBS Sports Network at 9 p.m. on Sundays showcasing the excitement of dirt track racing. Following Rolling Wheels, the cameras stay in New York for the Dec. 8 broadcast of the Syracuse 200 during NAPA Super DIRT Week before heading to Charlotte for two three-hour special events on Dec. 15 and Dec. 22 covering the World Finals.
CBS Sports Network is available across the United States through local cable, video and telco providers and via satellite on DirecTV Channel 221 and Dish Network Channel 158. In Canada, CBS Sports Network is available on Cogeco (744), Bell Express Vue (HD 1432, SD 413), Rogers (416), BellAliant (479), Sasktel (425) and Eastlink (134). For more information, including a full programming schedule and how to get CBS Sports Network, go to www.cbssportsnetwork.com .
If you don't have CBS Sports Network, make sure to reach out to your local cable/satellite provider to find out how you can add the channel to your system.
Follow CBS Sports Network on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CBSSportsNet (@CBSSportsNet) or like it on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cbssportsnetwork. For more on the World of Outlaws, click www.WorldofOutlaws.com.

Osbourne, Dorsey, And Smith Earn All-CAA Honors

RICHMOND, Va. – In the program’s inaugural season competing in the Colonial Athletic Association, junior running back Omar Osbourne headlined the University at Albany football team’s postseason accolades, earning first team All-CAA honors.

 In addition, junior linebacker Christian Dorsey and senior defensive lineman Andrew Smith were named to the CAA’s third team. Osbourne, a native of Syracuse, N.Y., ranked third in the CAA, as he totaled 1,206 rushing yards this fall, averaging 100.5 yards per game. The mark also placed him fifth in UAlbany’s all-time single-season record book. Osbourne ranked fourth in the conference with 12 rushing touchdowns, including a three-touchdown performance against Delaware on Oct. 12th. Osbourne’s 256 yards on the ground against Colgate on Sept. 7th garnered the redshirt junior the Offensive Player of the Week award and also represented the second-highest single-game rushing mark in the CAA this season. Osbourne also totaled 1,369 all-purpose yards (114.1/game), which ranked seventh in the league. Dorsey, a native of Montclair, N.J., finished eighth in the CAA with 85 total tackles, including 46 solo this season.

Averaging 8.5 per game, Dorsey recorded double figure tackles five times, and also forced a team-best two fumbles. In conference games, the redshirt junior ranked fifth among linebackers with 64 tackles, averaging 9.1 per game. A native of Wading River, N.Y., Smith ranked third among CAA defensive linesmen with 61 tackles in his senior season, including 33 solo. With 15.0 tackles for a loss, Smith set opponents back 75 yards, including 11.0 tackles for a loss in conference games, good for second in the CAA. The 6’2” defensive tackle also led the team with 5.5 sacks for a loss of 41 yards this fall. UAlbany finished the 2013 season with a 1-11 overall mark and 0-8 record in the CAA.

2013 All-CAA Football First Team (as voted on by the head coaches) OFFENSE Position Player School Class QB Marcus Wasilewski Maine Senior RB Omar Osbourne UAlbany Junior RB Dae'Quan Scott James Madison Senior RB Terrance West Towson Junior FB/HB Emmanuel Holder Towson Sophomore WR Ben Edwards Richmond Senior WR R.J. Harris New Hampshire Junior WR Tre McBride William & Mary Junior TE Justin Perillo Maine Senior OL Matt Crisafi William & Mary Senior OL Jeff Gakos Maine Senior OL Austin Gund Richmond Junior OL Randall Harris Towson Senior OL Eric Pike Towson Senior PK Sean Decloux Maine Sophomore KR Mackenzie Elliott Rhode Island Senior PR Rob Jones Delaware Senior

DEFENSE Position Player School Class DL Rakim Cox Villanova Senior DL Ryan Delaire Towson Junior DL Zach Kerr Delaware Senior DL Mike Reilly William & Mary Junior DL Jordan Stanton James Madison Senior LB Telvion Clark Towson Senior LB Airek Green William & Mary Junior LB Christophe Mulumba Maine Freshman LB Luke Rhodes William & Mary Sophomore LB Stephon Robertson James Madison Senior CB Kendall James Maine Senior CB Jordan Love Towson Senior S Christian Carpenter Towson Sophomore S Jerome Couplin III William & Mary Senior P
 Nick Ferrara Stony Brook Senior
 
2013 All-CAA Football Second Team (as voted on by the head coaches)

 
OFFENSE Position Player School Class QB John Robertson Villanova Sophomore RB Andrew Pierce Delaware Senior RB Nico Steriti New Hampshire Junior FB/HB Seth Fisher Richmond Sophomore WR Stephen Barnette Richmond Junior WR Malcolm Eugene Stony Brook Senior WR Michael Johnson Delaware Junior TE Nick Boyle Delaware Junior OL Ricky Archer New Hampshire Senior OL Josh Bucci Villanova Senior OL Joe Hook Maine Senior OL Bobby Kennedy Delaware Senior OL Josh Wells James Madison Senior PK Brandon Jordi Richmond Sophomore KR Tre McBride William & Mary Junior PR Robbie Jackson Rhode Island Junior
 
DEFENSE Position Player School Class DL Michael Cole Maine Senior DL Evan Kelly Richmond Sophomore DL Antoine Lewis Villanova Senior DL Josh Moody Rhode Island Senior DL Tyler Snow James Madison Senior LB Andrew Bose Rhode Island Junior LB Pat Callaway Delaware Junior LB Don Cherry Villanova Sophomore LB Jawara Dudley Stony Brook Senior LB Monte Gaddis Towson Senior CB Craig James Villanova Senior CB Tye Smith Towson Junior S Dean Marlowe James Madison Junior S Christian Ricard Stony Brook Junior P Eric Enderson Delaware Freshman 2013 All-CAA Football Third Team (as voted on by the head coaches)

OFFENSE Position Player School Class QB Michael Strauss Richmond Junior RB Mikal Abdul-Saboor William & Mary Sophomore RB Kevin Monangai Villanova Junior FB/HB Darnell Laws William & Mary Junior WR John Ebeling Maine Senior WR Leon Kinnard Towson Senior WR Justin Mello New Hampshire Senior WR Spencer Wilkins Towson Junior TE Harold Spears New Hampshire Junior OL Andrew Belizaire Rhode Island Senior OL Ross Hall Villanova Junior OL Brandon Heath Delaware Senior OL Seamus O'Neill New Hampshire Senior OL Doug Shaw Towson Senior PK John Carpenter William & Mary Junior KR Derrick Joseph Towson Junior PR Dean Marlowe James Madison Junior DEFENSE Position Player School Class DL Trevor Bates Maine Sophomore DL Andrew Smith UAlbany Senior DL James Timmins Rhode Island Senior DL Kerry Wynn Richmond Senior LB Akil Anderson New Hampshire Sophomore LB Christian Dorsey UAlbany Junior LB Aaron Roane Richmond Junior LB Gage Steele James Madison Freshman LB Eric Wright Richmond Junior CB DeAndre Houston-Carson William & Mary Sophomore CB Wayne Pettus Richmond Senior S Manny Asam New Hampshire Senior S Cameron McCurry Villanova Sophomore P Mark Hamilton Villanova Senior 2013 Players/Coach of the Year Offensive Terrance West Towson Junior Defensive Stephon Robertson James Madison Senior Special Teams Tre McBride William & Mary Junior Off. Rookie Darius Victor Towson Freshman Def. Rookie Christophe Mulumba Maine Freshman Coach Jack Cosgrove Maine

UAlbany Women’s Hoops Seeks Sixth-Straight Win, Begins Three Game Road Trip at Providence

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – After sweeping its homestand, UAlbany will begin a three-game road trip on Wednesday, taking on Providence at Alumni Hall on November 27th at 7 p.m. just before the Thanksgiving holiday.

With a victory, Albany looks to start the season with six straight wins for the first time in the  school’s DI history.
Tickets for the game are eight dollars and are available for purchase on Providence’s athletic web site.
UAlbany is off to its best start since the 2010-11 season and is looking to better it, standing at 5-0 with an 87-71 victory over Delaware State on Sunday.  Currently the Great Danes are #15 in the mid-major poll and will await on Tuesday if that ranking improves.

Providence returns home on Wednesday at 4-2 after falling to Arizona State 86-65 on Saturday night.  This is the first-ever meeting between these two programs.  UAlbany will play a Big East team for the first time since a 69-38 defeat to Syracuse in 2010, while Providence is 2-0 against the America East this year, defeating UMass Lowell and Hartford.

After another pair of 22+ point performances this past week, Shereesha Richards has been selected as the America East Player of the Week for the third consecutive time.  Never before has a UAlbany WBB player won this awards three straight times.  Sarah Royals leads the conference with 6.5 assists a game, adding 14.5 points a contest.

Providence, under second year head coach Susan Robinson Fruchtl, is undefeated at home with wins over Bryant and Hartford.  This is the first year for the new Big East, but the Friars have been affiliated with the conference since its founding in 1979.   A Preseason All-Big East member, junior guard Tori Rule stands second in the conference with 21.5 points a game, shooting 34.2% from three.  Fellow junior Alexis Harris, a forward from Detroit, nearly averages a double double a contest with 14.8 points and 9.7 boards a contest.  Running the floor is freshman Sarah Beal, who leads the team with 13 steals and 25 assists, averaging 12.2 points a game, including 17 in the last game against Arizona State.

Men’s Basketball Opens Four-Game Road Trip at Rider on Tuesday

ALBANY, N.Y. – UAlbany men’s basketball (2-3) hits the road for Rider (1-2) this Tuesday at 7 p.m., to begin a four-game stint on the road.

UAlbany lost its third straight game at the hands of Bucknell, 77-64 on Saturday night at SEFCU Arena. The Bison shot the lights out, going 14-for-21 from three for the game and 10-for-14 at the half.

Peter Hooley matched his career high with 21 points, while Sam Rowley recorded his fifth career double-double with 15 points and 10 boards. It was the second straight game the junior forward brought down 10 rebounds.
DJ Evans tallied 13 points in the loss, while David Wiegmann had eight points and six rebounds in his first career start.
UAlbany committed a season-low 12 fouls, and shot three times as many free throws (24) as the Bison (8).

LAST WE MET...
In their nonconference meeting in February of 2012, only seven UAlbany players saw time, and Jacob Iati and Mike Black ran away from the Broncs with 20 and 23 points, respectively. The only two 2013-14 returners that saw time in that contest were John Puk and Sam Rowley. The Great Danes only committed seven turnovers in that game, which remains one of the lowest single-game turnover totals in the Division I ranks for UAlbany.

FOUR THROUGH FIVE
For the first time since the 2004-05 season, four UAlbany players are averaging double-digits in scoring through five games. Peter Hooley leads the Great Danes with 16 points per game, while Sam Rowley is averaging 13.6 ppg and DJ Evans and Gary Johnson are notching 11.0 ppg and 10.0 ppg, respectively. In 2004-05, Lucious Jordan led UAlbany with 20.0 ppg, with Jon Iati (13.2 ppg), Jamar Wilson (14.0 ppg) and Levi Levine (11.0 ppg) also averaging double figures through the first four games.

ROWLEY ROLLING
Through five games and with 40+ field goal attempts, Sam Rowley has the top field goal percentage in the Will Brown era at 61.2% (30-49). The junior forward is averaging 13.6 ppg and 7.8 rpg, nearly doubling his average output from this time last season, when he was averaging 7.4 ppg and 4.6 rpg.

CAREER HIGH FOR HOOLEY
Sophomore shooting guard Peter Hooley matched his career high in points in a 77-64 loss to Bucknell on Saturday night with 21. Hooley became UAlbany’s leading scorer this season after a 21-point effort at Duquesne on Wednesday night. With the new career high, Hooley is now averaging 16.0 points per game behind four double-digit showings this season. Hooley also recorded consecutive games of 20 or more for the first time in his career. The last time a sophomore led the team in scoring overall was during the 2004-05 season when Jamar Wilson led the squad with 16.9 points per game.

After going 11-for-11 from the charity stripe against Bucknell, Hooley also posts the top free throw percentage (min. 30 attempts) in the Will Brown era through five games at 90.6 percent on 29-of-32 from the line. The sophomore is averaging 5.8 made free throws per game, to account for nearly 1/3 of his scoring average.

BE-FOUR YOU WORRY
UAlbany is trying to avoid a four-game losing streak at Rider on Tuesday. The Great Danes haven’t lost four in a row in nonconference play since 2006-07, when they lost to Sacred Heart, UConn, Siena and VCU to start 2-4 to open the season. The 2006-07 squad ended up winning the America East tournament and made its second straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament against Virginia.

GIVING IT UP WITHOUT COUGHING IT UP
DJ Evans has the top assist-turnover ratio in the America East at 7.5. The senior point guard has 15 assists for an average of 3.0 per game, and just two turnovers through five games.

SCOUTING RIDER
Rider is the first team UAlbany has faced this season that is shooting better from the free throw line. The Broncs are 79.2% (76-96) on the year.
Starting sophomore guard Zedric Sadlet scored a career-high 21 points and notched a career-high five assists in an 89-73 win at Central Connecticut State on Saturday.
The game against UAlbany is Rider’s first at home this season. The Broncs advanced to the CIT Second Round last season before falling to East Carolina.
Daniel Stewart and Anthony Myles were selected to the All-MAAC Preseason squad, and the Broncs were picked to finish fourth in the league.
UAlbany and Rider have only faced each other twice, with a very wide gap between meetings. The Great Danes won the most recent meeting in 2012 70-61, while Rider won the first meeting in 1958 in the NAIA District 31 Regional 52-42. UAlbany went Division I in 1999, while the Broncs joined the MAAC in 1997.

Shereesha Richards Honored as America East Player of the Week Third Time in a Row

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – For the third time in as many chances, Shereesha Richards has been selected as the America East Women’s Basketball Player of the Week.

This is the first time in UAlbany’s D-I history that a women’s basketball player has been honored as America East Player of the Week three weeks running. Last year, Richards won America East Rookie of the Week three weeks in a row from December 10^th-24^th and five times in six weeks. This is her tenth weekly award, adding to seven rookie of the week awards last season.

In addition, only one other player in UAlbany’s D-I history has won three conference Player of the Week awards in a single season, with Ebone Henry getting a trio of weekly honors last season.
This week, Richards continued her strong shooting, helping UAlbany finish out a four-game homestand with a pair of wins over Cal State Fullerton and Delaware State.

On the week, the sophomore forward shot 66.7% from the field and 90.9% from the free throw line. She averaged 25 points and six rebounds a game, including matching a career-high 28 points against Delaware State off 11-14 shooting.

She has scored at least 22 points in a her last four games and continues to lead all conference players in scoring with 23.2 points a game and rebounding with 9.6 boards a contest.
Richards and the Great Danes will leave the comforts of home and take on Providence on Wednesday, November 27^th at 7 p.m.

Three Danes Earn Career-High Points as UAlbany Holds Off Delaware State to Win 87-71

ALBANY, N.Y. – Matching its best start since the 2010-11 season, UAlbany had three players earn career-highs in scoring as the Great Danes prevailed against a scrappy Delaware State team to win 87-71 on Sunday at home.

With the win, UAlbany, which shot a season-best 63% in the game, improves to 5-0, marking just the second time in the school’s D-I history that the team has won its first five games.
“We knew they were going to put up a lot of points,” says UAlbany head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson. “We have had a different X-factor every game, and today Margarita [Rosario] and Erin [Coughlin] provided that, and it is neat to see more people step up.”

Rosario earned a career-high 21 points, going a perfect 10-10 from the free throw line and 3-3 for three, adding a team-best seven assists.

“We are progressing every game,” says Rosario. “But we cannot settle, we have to keep getting better.”
Shereesha Richards led UAlbany in scoring, matching a career-high 28 points off 11-14 shooting, adding a team-high six boards and three steals. Coughlin also had a career-high in scoring, netting 10 points, all in the first half, adding five assists.

In the early going, each offense had trouble getting set. UAlbany made its first two shots, but a 5-0 personal run by Raven Bankston, adding a Tierra Hawkins jumper and another Bankston basket, pushed DSU up 11-4 in the first five minutes.

UAlbany’s defense started to hold as DSU was held without points for almost five minutes. Richards hit a trio of shots in a 9-0 run to give the Great Danes a 13-11 advantage. DSU countered quickly with Bankston and Hawkins hitting two shots each, combining for nine points as the Hornets led 20-13.
The Great Danes kept attacking the basket, drawing fouls and getting to the free throw line. A 12-2 run, capped by a Coughlin layup, put UAlbany back in front 25-23.

Again DSU countered, with Hawkins adding a layup to help DSU go ahead 27-25 with 3:48 remaining in the half.

UAlbany saw Coughlin and Rosario combine for a couple of threes to put the home team back in front, adding a trio of Richards free throws. DSU added four before the break, but UAlbany held the lead at halftime 37-33.

Sarah Royals went to the paint in the start of the second half, scoring the first four points of the period as the Great Danes did not allow a basket in the first four minutes of the half. Rosario added a pair of threes as UAlbany built a 13-point lead to go up 57-44 with 13:44 left.

The two teams kept exchanging points, as Bankston and Hawkins kept scoring for DSU and UAlbany kept making layups. At 69-61 with six minutes remaining, a 6-0 run on Rosario free throws, a Megan Craig layup and Royals free throws put UAlbany up 75-62 with 4:38 remaining.

The sides continued to go back and forth, but UAlbany never surrendered the lead, scoring the final six points of free throws, four by Rosario, to win 87-71.

In addition to 63% shooting, the team shot 76.2% in the second half and 92.3% from the free throw line in the contest (24-26). Each game-mark is the best team performance in the America East this season.
Royals finished with 14 points, including 12 in the second half, and four assists. Craig blocked a career-high five shots, scoring eight points, while Tammy Phillip earned six points, six boards and three assists.
For DSU, Hawkins and Bankston scored 29 and 28 points respectively, combining to shoot 22-39 (56.4%) from the field. Jade Washington had four steals, six assists and two points.

UAlbany hits the road before Thanksgiving, taking on Providence at Alumni Hall on Wednesday, November 27^th.

Sam Rowley’s Double-Double Not Enough for Men’s Basketball in 77-64 Loss to Bucknell

ALBANY, N.Y. – Junior forward Sam Rowley notched his fifth career double-double, but it fell short against the hot shooting of Bucknell at SEFCU Arena on Saturday night by the score of 77-64. Sophomore guard Peter Hooley matched his career high in points with 21, including an 11-for-11 clip at the charity stripe in the loss.

“They didn’t give us a break,” said head coach Will Brown. “When we broke down, we over-helped. They’re really good, and they’re well coached. It would’ve been better if when we broke down we gave up twos, but that’s what they do. They spread you out, that’s the strength of their team.”

Bucknell drained two three-pointers to take an early 6-0 lead against the Great Danes. At the first media timeout, the Bison were 3-for-4 from behind the arch and 6-for-8 from the field. Bucknell hit 10 threes in the first half, going 10-for-14 (.714) overall. UAlbany entered the locker room at halftime down 51-38.

“It’s unfortunate that it’s become a pattern of us getting down at the half,” said Rowley. “I think we’re being forced to adapt to the way the other team plays, and we need to make the opponent adapt to how we play.”

The Great Danes came out in the second half showing zone, and despite two early threes from Bucknell, began to chip away at the deficit. DJ Evans and Hooley hit one three apiece to cut the lead to 11 for Bucknell.

The Purple & Gold looked poised to swing the momentum in their favor after David Wiegmann blocked a Bucknell lay-up attempt with UAlbany down 10, but the Bison came back down the floor and hit their 13th three-pointer of the game.

UAlbany responded by forcing three Bucknell fouls in less than thirty seconds with 12 minutes to go. The Great Danes were in the bonus with 9:35 left in the second half.

Rowley picked up one of three steals with UAlbany down 12 at the 10:19 mark. The forward ripped away a lay-up attempt from Steven Kaspar and headed down the floor. After Michael Rowley missed an initial elbow jumper, UAlbany kept the possession alive with three offensive rebounds. Hooley eventually headed to the line and made two free throws to bring the deficit back down to 10.

Two Bucknell turnovers and a technical foul on Cameron Ayers in the closing minutes gave UAlbany several attempts to cut the lead, but the Bison made their free throws down the stretch.

Bucknell concluded the contest with a 14-for-21 (.667) shooting clip from three and 29-for-53 (.547) from the field.
The Great Danes committed a season-low 12 fouls against the Bison, and took three times as many free throws as Bucknell. UAlbany shot 75 percent (18-of-24) from the charity stripe.

Will Brown’s will look to snap its three-game losing streak on Tuesday at Rider at 7 p.m. The Great Danes play their next four games on the road, at Rider (Nov. 26), NJIT (Dec. 1), Holy Cross (Dec. 4) and Brown (Dec. 10).

Hunter 16 Kills Not Enough as UAlbany Falls to UMBC 3-0 to Finish 2013

DURHAM, N.H. – Amy Hunter’s 16 kills were not enough as 3-seed UAlbany was defeated by 2-seed UMBC in three sets (19-25, 16-25, 16-25) in the America East semifinals on Friday.

The loss finishes UAlbany’s 2013 season with a 9-19 record after going 9-5 in America East play. UMBC improves to 19-11 and advances to the America East title match tomorrow.

“Our youth caught up to us today against an experienced UMBC team,” says coach MJ Engstrom. “We had some good showings this year, and this group will continue to learn and get better.”

Hunter led UAlbany with 16 kills, hitting .263, and was named to the America East All-Tournament Team.
After UMBC got the opening point, earned seven of the next 10 points, capped by a Mikala McCauley dump kill, to lead 7-4. Emily Witsaman responded a couple of kills with a 4-0 run to put UMBC up 8-7. The teams went back and forth until at 12-12, five in a row for UMBC, capped by two Ali Goc kills, put the designated home team ahead 17-12, later leading 19-13. UAlbany tried to get back in the set, winning four of five, finished by a kill and solo block from Hunter, to pull within three at 20-17. But a trio of Hannah Schmidt kills towards the end of the set led UMBC to get set one 25-19.

UMBC got a fast start with a 4-1 lead in the second set. A couple of Hunter kills pulled UAlbany within one at 5-4. After UMBC went up 8-5, a Sofia Furlong kill and Tatum Jungsten solo block put UAlbany back within one. UMBC slowly built the lead to 14-9, as another Hunter kill and UMBC attack error made it 14-11. Five-in-a-row for the Retrievers put the score at 19-11 UMBC. UAlbany looked to counter, earning four of the next five points, finished by a Furlong kill, to make it 20-15. After an exchange of points, UMBC got the final four to win the game 25-16 and go up 2-0 in the match.

A couple of Mallory McIntyre aces helped UMBC start 4-1 in the third game. Hunter got a couple of kills, but UMBC kept the lead at 8-4. UAlbany got a couple of points back on a UMBC servicer error and Laini Leindecker kill made it 8-6. Seven of the next nine went to UMBC, capped by another pair of McIntyre aces. A Hunter kill and UMBC attack error got two points back as the two sides exchanged again, when at 18-13, three points straight for UMBC made it 21-13. UAlbany could not come back and dropped the set 25-16 to fall in three.

McCauley earned her 11^th double double of the year with 24 assists and 16 digs, adding a pair of kills. Viktoriia Stroilo had 23 digs at libero, while Jungsten finished with four kills and three blocks.
Schmidt led UMBC, hitting .389 with 16 kills and 11 digs. McIntyre had a double double as well with 33 assists, 12 digs, five aces and three kills.

Stroilo Defensive Specialist of the Year, Dolan Rookie of the Year as UAlbany Represented Well in Conference Yearly Awards

DURHAM, N.H. – As UAlbany prepares for the conference tournament, the America East released its yearly awards at the league banquet on Thursday.

Viktoriia Stroilo was selected as the America East Defensive Specialist of the Year for the second season in a row, while middle blocker Amanda Dolan earned the league’s Rookie of the Year honor.

In addition to the major award honors, Stroilo was named to the America East All-Conference Second Team and the conference All-Academic Team. Dolan also was placed on the All-Conference Second Team, the only freshman in the league to earn all-conference honors, plus was named to the All-Rookie Team.
Samantha Brostrom was the lone UAlbany representative on the America East First Team. Also, Mikala McCauley earned a placement on the All-Rookie Team.

Stroilo being named Defensive Specialist of the Year is the sixth season in a row that a Great Dane has earned the honor. This season, the junior libero led the conference in digs per set with 4.85 per game to stand in the top-50 in all of Division I. In conference play, she leads all players with 5.41 digs per set and 276 digs. In all matches this year she has totaled 344 digs and 20 service aces. She also earned a spot on the All-Academic Team, holding a 3.77 GPA as a biology major.

Engstrom on Stroilo: “She bettered her digs per set this year in conference play despite coming off a severe injury that kept her sidelined and out of practice for most of pre-conference play. She's our best passer and the anchor of our defense. Replacing our four time DS of the Year, Laurie Gonzalez, was a tough task. Vik comes into practice ready to work hard every - she's a perfectionist. And that shows in her academic work as well. She's already begun work on her Masters and will graduate next year with both a BS and MS in Biology.”
Dolan is the first UAlbany player to be named America East Rookie of the Year since Amanda Cowdrey in 2007. The middle blocker is hitting .271, the only freshman in the top-20 in the America East in that category and the best on UAlbany, sporting a team-best 186 kills and 89 blocks. She stands in the top-three in hitting percentage (.317) and blocks (56) in conference-only matches.

Engstrom on Dolan: “Amanda has been our most consistent player the whole season. She's not spectacular, but just quietly goes about doing her job blocking and hitting. Nothing seems to phase Amanda. She's mature for her age (she's still 17) and has a calm and confident demeanor that helps her teammates on the court.”
After recovering from offseason surgery, Brostrom earned her first-ever all-conference team selection after earning 3.16 kills per set in conference play. She stands with 183 kills, 217 digs and 14 service aces. In America East competition, the junior outside hitter has seven double doubles and is in the top-11 in kills and digs per set.

Engstrom on Brostrom: “Despite having to sit out almost all of our pre-conference play due to ankle surgery, Sam Brostrom has had her best year as a Great Dane. She's a six rotation player that has been effective in both the front and back court and has help lead this young team by her dedication.”
McCauley is the first UAlbany freshman setter named to the All-Rookie Team since current assistant coach Brooke Stanley was All-Rookie in 2007. She stands in the top-16 in the conference in three categories with 612 assists, 231 digs and 20 service aces. She earned 10 double doubles, including nine in conference play, and was third in America matches with 10.35 assists per set.
Engstrom on McCauley: “Mikala took over the setting role just before we began conference play. Despite our tough opponents, Mikala did a good job while playing out of position. Since taking over the reins of the offense she ranks third in conference in assists - a feat few freshmen have been able to accomplish in the past. She's also one of the best defensive setters I've coached.”

New Hampshire won a pair of major awards. Senior right side hitter Morgan Thatcher was named the America East Player of the Year, while the Wildcats coaches were named the coaching staff of the year. UMBC’s Mallory McIntyre was chosen as the league’s setter of the year.

UAlbany will get ready for its semifinal match against UMBC on Friday at 4 p.m. at the Lundholm Gymnasium in Durham, New Hampshire.

Hooley’s Career Night Comes Up Short for Men’s Basketball at Duquesne

PITTSBURGH, PA.- University at Albany men’s basketball (2-2) dropped its second straight game on the road on Wednesday night, falling 70-59 at Duquesne. Sophomore shooting guard Peter Hooley scored a career-high 21 points in the loss.

UAlbany got off to a rough start in the first half, with starting forward and leading scorer Sam Rowley picking up his second foul on a moving screen at the 16:44 mark in the first half. The Great Danes continued to be plagued by turnovers early on, tallying 13 in the first half, more than their total turnovers in two of their first three games.

The Purple & Gold went 5-of-20 (.250) from the field in the first half and just 5-of-9 (.556) from the free throw line. UAlbany couldn’t find the handle from the field late in the first half, going on a seven-minute field goal drought. Peter Hooley snapped the scoring skid with thirty seconds left. The basket gave him 10 points to close the half.

UAlbany’s first half point total of 16 was the team’s lowest scoring effort in the first half since Jan. 26 at home against Vermont last season. In that game, Will Brown’s squad had scored 15 going into the locker room at the break.

The Great Danes came out of the locker room on a tear, making a 14-3 run in the opening minutes of the second half. UAlbany had doubled up its first half score at the 15:25 mark of the second half, and went 8-for-8 from the field prior to the first media timeout at 15:11.

A lay-in and five straight points from Luke Devlin at the 12:28 mark gave UAlbany its first lead since a 3-2 advantage in the opening moments of the game. Devlin finished with eight points and five rebounds.
Hooley continued to pace UAlbany through the second half, scoring 11 points in addition to three assists. The sophomore’s career high of 21 points is the highest individual single-game scoring effort for the Great Danes through four games. Hooley went 8-for-16 from the field and 3-for-6 from three-point range.

The Purple & Gold extended the lead to as many as two points, thanks to a lay-up from Gary Johnson with eight minutes left, and a three-pointer from Hooley with 6:28 remaining. The Great Danes couldn’t quite pull away from the Dukes late in the second half. Duquesne took advantage of an and-one opportunity with 2:35 left to extend its margin to eight points.

UAlbany managed to limit the turnovers in the second half, committing just four in addition to shooting 54.8 percent from the field. The Great Danes uncharacteristically struggled from the charity stripe, going 11-for-19 (.579). It was the team’s lowest single-game free throw percentage since a 6-for-11 (.545) clip at South Carolina State on the same day last season.

Gary Johnson matched his career high with 12 points against the Dukes on 5-of-6 shooting. Sam Rowley notched his first double-digit rebounding effort of the season with 10. The junior has recorded six 10+ rebounding games in his career.

The Great Danes return home on Saturday night to face Bucknell (2-2) at 7 p.m., at SEFCU Arena.