Yacob named America East Rookie of Week

VESTAL, N.Y. - Binghamton men’s basketball freshman guard Yosef Yacob has earned America East Rookie of the Week honors, the conference announced on Monday.

Yacob becomes the fourth BU rookie to claim the weekly honor, making Binghamton the first team in the league’s 35-year history to produce four different Rookies of the Week.

During a 1-1 week for the Bearcats, Yacob averaged 15 points and 6.5 assists. He handed out a season-high 12 assists in Binghamton’s 67-38 home win over New Hampshire on Thursday, coming up just one bucket shy of a double-double. Yacob had eight points, four rebounds and two steals and his 12-assist total was the highest of any America East player this season.  Two days later, Yacob went from distributor to scorer when he pumped in a team-high 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting against UMass Lowell.

In the process, Yacob raised his season averages to 10.4 points and 2.8 assists. 
Yacob joins Marlon Beck (Dec. 9, Dec. 30), Nick Madray (Nov. 11) and Magnus Richards (Nov. 25) as weekly rookie award winners. Additionally, sophomore guard Jordan Reed earned Player of the Week honors on Nov. 18 and Dec. 9.

Binghamton heads to Long Island to face Stony Brook on Wednesday.

Jennie Finch to be featured speaker at CWA Luncheon on Feb. 3

VESTAL, N.Y.—The Binghamton Bearcats Athletic Association (BBAA) will host the ninth annual Celebrating Women’s Athletics Luncheon presented by M&T Bank at noon on Monday, Feb. 3, at the Events Center. Held each year to recognize the achievements of Binghamton University’s female student-athletes, the luncheon also raises scholarships awarded to female student-athletes at BU.

This year, World Champion Softball Pitcher Jennie Finch will be the featured speaker. At the 2004 Olympics in Athens, she was a starting pitcher on the United States squad that captured the gold medal. Four years later in Beijing, she was a member of the American team that earned the silver medal. Since 2011, she has worked as a color analyst on ESPN.

During her undergraduate career at Arizona, Finch was a three-time, first-team NFCA All-American (2000-02) and was named the Honda Sports Award Winner twice (2001 and 2002). On the mound, Finch shattered the NCAA record with 60 consecutive wins and led the Wildcats to the 2001 College World Series title.

Finch is the latest of an impressive group of guest speakers who have come to Binghamton for the Celebrating Women’s Athletics Luncheon. She is preceded by Shannon Miller (2013), Amanda Beard (2012), Julie Foudy (2011), Kara Lawson (2010) and Jessica Mendoza (2009).

Since 2006, the Celebrating Women’s Athletics Luncheon has raised almost $150,000 to support the BBAA Women’s Scholarship Fund.  The scholarship was established in 2007, and is awarded annually to two deserving female student-athletes. The luncheon began in 2006, with just 75 attendees, and is today one of the Athletics Department’s primary fund-raisers. In 2013, over 500 guests attended the event.

Luncheon attendees will have the opportunity to meet current Bearcat student-athletes and coaches from the women’s teams and to hear them speak about the role athletics has played in their development, careers and life. In addition, guests will have the chance to bid on several auction items with all proceeds going towards the BBAA Women’s Scholarship.

The luncheon, which is open to the public, is held each February as part of a series of national celebratory events surrounding National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD), which began in 1986. The purpose of NGWSD is to honor the achievements of all female athletes and recognize the positive influence of sports participation. Tickets for the event are $50 and table sponsorships are $600.

To request a Table Sponsorship or purchase tickets, please call 607-777-BTIX (2849) or go to bubearcats.com. To support this event, contact Bette Anne Gaube at 607-777-2093 or bgaube@binghamton.edu.

Miles and Ty Thompson Selected by Rochester Rattlers in 2014 MLL Draft

PHILADELPHIA – Miles and Ty Thompson will stay local this summer, being picked by the Rochester Rattlers in the 2014 Major League Lacrosse Entry Draft on Friday.

Miles Thompson was selected in the third round and 20^th overall by Rochester, then Ty Thompson was drafted in the fourth round and 28^th overall by the Rattlers.

The Major League Lacrosse (MLL) Draft sees current collegiate seniors get drafted by teams.  Once the players conclude their senior season, they may join the team that drafted them for the 2014 season.

The two are the first Great Danes drafted into the MLL since Joe Resetarits, who was a 5^th round selection by the Hamilton Nationals in 2012.  They are the ninth and tenth Great Danes to be drafted into the MLL, joining Joe Resetarits, Frank Resetarits (2007), Jordan Levine (2008), Brett Queener (2008), Chris Schongar (2009), Corey Small (2009), Dave Brock (2010) and Brian Caufield (2011).

Miles Thompson earned Honorable Mention All-America honors last season and is a two-time All-America East player.  Last season at attack, he scored 43 goals and 30 assists in just 12 games played, earning a place on the Tewaaraton Trophy Watch List.  He has scored a point in each of his last 36 games played, including a 14-point performance with five goals and nine assists in a victory over Stony Brook.  In his career, he currently stands with 108 goals, 68 assists and 76 ground balls.

Ty Thompson, also at attack, was the top goal-scorer in the America East last season, earning Honorable Mention All-America, Second Team all-conference honors and a place on the Tewaaraton Trophy Watch List.  He was fourth in DI with three goals per game and 23^rd in points per game with 3.78, including eight goals in a victory over UMBC, earning 54 goals last season to tally 112 goals in his UAlbany career, adding 29 assists and 51 ground balls.

Rochester begins its season on April 27^th against the Long Island Lizards.  Miles and Ty Thompson will be eligible to compete with the Rattlers when UAlbany’s 2014 season is finished.

THREE SYRACUSE MEN'S LACROSSE PLAYERS SELECTED IN 2014 MAJOR LEAGUE LACROSSE DRAFT

PHILADELPHIA – A trio of Syracuse University seniors were selected in the 2014 Major League Lacrosse (MLL) Collegiate Draft on Friday, Jan. 10.

 

Defender Matt Harris (Buffalo Grove, Ill.) was taken in the third round (No. 21 overall) by the defending MLL champion Chesapeake Bayhawks, while the Ohio Machine used consecutive picks to select midfielder Scott Loy (Toledo, Ohio) in the fourth round (No. 27 overall) and attackman Derek Maltz (Ashburn, Va.) in the fifth round (No. 39 overall).

 

The selections of Harris, Loy and Maltz raised Syracuse’s number of all-time MLL Draft picks to 48, the most of any school.

Harris is one of the Orange’s four 2014 team co-captains. An All-BIG EAST Second Team performer in 2013, he led SU in caused turnovers (29) as the squad's top long-stick midfielder last season. Harris ranked second on the Orange in ground balls (52) and contributed three points, including two goals, on offense. Harris has played in 53 games over his first three seasons. He has 109 career ground balls and 47 caused turnovers.

 

Loy started 18 games a season ago and tallied 20 goals. In 48 career games for the Orange, Loy has 29 goals and six assists.

 

Like Harris, Maltz is a team co-captain and earned All-BIG EAST Second Team honors in 2013. Maltz was second on the Orange with 32 goals last season, including netting the game-winner off a rebound with 19.2 seconds left in the NCAA semifinals versus Denver to propel SU to the national championship game. Maltz has 79 points, including 63 goals, in his Orange career.

Friday night's draft was held in the Liberty Ballroom at the Philadelphia Marriott hotel. It featured eight rounds and 64 total selections by the league's eight teams.

Princeton midfielder Tom Schreiber was the top pick, going No. 1 overall to the Machine.

$10 off orders of $70 or more with code WWESAVE10 at WWEShop.com until 1/31!

Reigning America East Champion UAlbany Men’s Lacrosse Releases 2014 Schedule

ALBANY, N.Y. – Looking to defend its America East title, the University at Albany men’s lacrosse team has released its schedule for the 2014 season. 14th-year UAlbany head coach Scott Marr has released the 2014 schedule, including eight home games.  The 14-game schedule includes a full-conference slate, three ranked opponents and three that went to the NCAA Tournament in 2013.  Lacrosse Magazine ranked UAlbany #10 in its preseason rankings, while Inside Lacrosse had the Great Danes at #12 in the Face-Off preseason rankings. “We have a tremendous opportunity to compete for the league title, taking on quality opponents in the America East,” said Marr. “With Syracuse, Johns Hopkins and Penn State headlining a tough non-conference schedule, we also have a chance to secure an at large bid to the NCAA Tournament.” (Rankings are Lacrosse Magazine Preseason/Inside Lacrosse Face-Off) The team will play a few scrimmages before the season starts, going to Colgate on February 1st at 1 p.m. and hosting Princeton and Penn on February 8th at noon. The Great Danes begin the season with a top-10 showdown in the Carrier Dome.  The two top ranked teams in the state of New York, #10/12 UAlbany and #2/2 Syracuse, will face off on Sunday, February 16th at 4 p.m. UAlbany opens at home on Saturday, February 22nd against CAA runner-up Drexel at 1 p.m., following up against Harvard on March 1st at noon. The team heads east to play UMass on March 8th for a 1 p.m. contest, then returns home the next weekend to take on reigning Northeast Conference champion Bryant at 1 p.m. on March 15th. On March 22nd, UAlbany travels to University Park for another top-10 matchup, taking on reigning Colonial Athletic Association champion #8/8 Penn State at 1 p.m. After a home game against in-state foe Canisius on March 25th at 3 p.m., America East play begins on March 29th at 7 p.m. when the Great Danes host Vermont. On Friday night, April 4th at 7 p.m., UAlbany heads to Baltimore to take on Marr’s alma mater, #13/14 Johns Hopkins, for a top-15 matchup under the lights at Homewood Field for the final time, ending the series after this season. The squad returns to America East play for three-straight contests, going to Hartford for a 1 p.m. game on April 6th, returning home to take on in-state rival Stony Brook on April 12th at 7 p.m. and finishing the stretch in Baltimore against last year’s conference runner-up UMBC at 3:30 p.m. on April 19th. UAlbany finishes out the regular season with a pair of home games.  The Purple and Gold host cross-town rival Siena at 7 p.m. on April 22nd, following with Senior Day and the conclusion of America East regular season play on April 26th at 7 p.m. against Binghamton. The America East Tournament will be played at Stony Brook this season, with the semifinals being played on May 1st and the finals on May 3rd. 2014 UAlbany Men’s Lacrosse Schedule February     1 (Sat) @ Colgate (scrimmage) 1 p.m. 8 (Sat) Princeton/Penn (scrimmage) 12 p.m. 16 (Sun) @ Syracuse 4 p.m. 22 (Sat) Drexel 1 p.m. March     1 (Sat) Harvard 12 p.m. 8 (Sat) @ UMass 1 p.m. 15 (Sat) Bryant 1 p.m. 22 (Sat) @ Penn State 1 p.m. 25 (Tue) Canisius 3 p.m. 29 (Sat) Vermont* 7 p.m. April     4 (Fri) @ Johns Hopkins 7 p.m. 6 (Sun) @ Hartford* 1 p.m. 12 (Sat) Stony Brook* 7 p.m. 19 (Sat) @ UMBC* 3:30 p.m. 22 (Tue) Siena 7 p.m. 26 (Sat) Binghamton* 7 p.m. May     1 (Thu) AE Semifinals (@ Stony Brook) TBA 3 (Sat) AE Finals (@ Stony Brook) TBA

Albany Great Danes

Danes WBB Falls in Close Battle at Hofstra 60-56

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – Going down to the wire, UAlbany fell to Hofstra 60-56 after a late charge by the Pride in Long Island on Wednesday afternoon.

 

“Hofstra really played great today, and we lost a tough game,” says UAlbany head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson.

 

Shereesha Richards earned her seventh double-double of the season with a career-high 16 rebounds and 23 points, adding three steals.  Erin Coughlin matched a career-high with four three-pointers, finishing with 12 points and four assists.

 

For Hofstra, Anma Onyeuku had 15 points and eight rebounds, while Kelly Loftus had 14 points.

 

The loss for UAlbany snaps an 11-game winning streak against New York-based opponents, dating back to last season.

 

Each side played a zone defense early.  UAlbany (9-3) tried to break the zone with looks in the paint, while Hofstra (5-6) fired a lot of three-pointers.  After Hofstra  started up 5-2, Richards hit a jumper and one, followed by Megan Craig hitting a jumper to push UAlbany ahead.  After a Krystal Luciano three, a Margarita Rosario three sparked a 12-3 UAlbany run, helped by another jumper-and-one by Richards, to push the Great Danes ahead 19-11 with 13:20 in the 1^st.

 

UAlbany stayed ahead despite some early foul trouble as Hofstra looked to chip away at its deficit.  Onyeuku led a late Hofstra run as down 27-18, the Pride went on a 10-1 run to finish the half, making the score 28-28 at the break.

 

A field goal drought of over 10 minutes from the first half for UAlbany helped Hofstra take the lead on a Loftus three.  Richards ended the streak with a couple of layups the other way to put UAlbany back in front.  Sarah Royals added a pair of free throws to make it 34-31 UAlbany at the second half’s first media.

 

Hofstra countered again, with a couple of Elo Edeferioka baskets and two more threes on a 10-1 run, forcing UAlbany to call timeout down 41-35 with 12:29 left.

 

Coughlin hit a three out of the timeout, with shots by Richards and Craig helping bridge the gap.  At 46-43, another Coughlin three followed by a Richards free throw and two baskets pushed UAlbany back ahead 51-46.

 

The two teams make stops back-and-forth as they tried to break the respective zone defense.  Tied with 1:27 left, Loftus hit a baseline jumper to give Hofstra a 55-53 lead. 

 

Craig got fouled with 22 seconds left and hit the front end, but Loftus hit a pair the other way to push Hofstra up 57-54.

 

Rosario tried for a quick layup, but was called for a charge in the paint.  Luciano added a free throw for a two-possession game.  A couple of late Royals free throws got UAlbany within one possession 58-56 with three seconds left.  The press defense forced Hofstra final timeout, but Loftus got the inbounds and was fouled, hitting both free throws to put the game away for Hofstra 60-56.

 

The Great Danes finish non-conference play on Saturday, January 4^th, taking on Northeastern in Boston at 2 p.m.
 

Carolina Panthers 2013 NFC South Champions Gear

DJ Evans Scores Game-High 18 Points in 58-46 Loss at RV/RV Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH, PA.- DJ Evans scored 15 in the second half and 18 total to lead UAlbany (6-7) in scoring in a 58-46 loss at Pittsburgh (12-1). The senior point guard went 4-for-6 from the three-point line and 4-for-4 from the free throw line.

 

The Great Danes came out shooting well against the Panthers. Junior forward Sam Rowley had four early points, and Evans hit his first three just before the first media timeout with the shot clock winding down. UAlbany was 4-for-5 from the field to open the game.

 

UAlbany went 2-for-9 following the first media timeout and committed three turnovers, but poor three-point and free throw shooting by Pitt kept the Purple & Gold in the game. The Panthers were 0-for-7 from 3-point land and 0-for-6 from the charity stripe in the first half.

 

Will Brown’s squad closed the first half on an eight-minute scoring drought as Pittsburgh’s Cam Wright scored eight straight points. The Panthers had a 28-18 lead at the half.

 

UAlbany faced its largest scoring drought of the season against the Panthers. Evans ended a 13-minute field goal skid with a jumper at the 14:56 mark of the second half to make the score 36-22. Peter Hooley made two free throws with just over a minute gone in the half to end the scoring skid. The last time the Great Danes went so long without scoring was against Brown on Dec. 10, when they didn’t score for the final 10:28 of the contest.

 

In addition to scoring struggles, UAlbany opened the second half with four turnovers against Pitt’s 2-3 zone. But the Panthers continued to have trouble at the free throw line. Despite shooting 16 free throws, Talib Zanna was the first Panther to for 2-for-2 from the line with 10:47 left in the game. Pitt took its largest lead of the game shortly thereafter, 46-30.

 

“I thought our guys played extremely hard,” said Brown. I thought the zone was the difference. They’ve got good length and they were active. In the second half after we got down we settled down, and we were more efficient. We gave a great effort today.”

 

Evans closed the gap by making four consecutive free throws. The Great Danes narrowed Pitt’s margin to as many as seven points with three minutes left on a made free throw by Hooley and a lay-up from John Puk. The Purple & Gold committed one turnover in the final 12:07; but Pitt made six free throws in the final 1:33 of the game, despite only going 3-for-10 to that point.

 

The Panthers had 14 fast break points and 10 second chance points off of 11 offensive rebounds.

 

Evans made four 3-pointers, the most for UAlbany since Hooley made five at Rider on Nov. 26. The Great Danes totaled their highest number of three-point field goals as a team (five) since making seven against the Broncs.

 

Sam Rowley nearly recorded a double-double with 10 points and eight rebounds. The junior also tallied a career-high five assists.

 

Peter Hooley had 10 points to go with three rebounds and three assists.

 

UAlbany (6-7) begins conference play at home on Jan. 4 against Hartford (5-9). Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m., at SEFCU Arena.

$15 off orders of $100 or more with code WWEAFF15 at WWEShop.com until 1/31!