CONTACT: Jeff Foley (518) 629-8085 or (518) 373-1262
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Saturday, November 11, 2000
http://www.hvcc.edu
Johnson Scores 20 To Help Hudson Valley Coach Secure 100th Victory
Saranac Lake, November 11 - Men's head basketball coach Vince Medici notched his 100th career win this afternoon, leading Hudson Valley Community College to a 70-56 non-conference win against North Country Community College. The win is Hudson Valley's third without a loss this season.
"The best part of this is that the kids who have gotten the 100 wins have all graduated," Medici said. "We've gotten kids here who have had goals in life. They come to Hudson Valley, want to play basketball for two years and graduate. These are the kind of kids that are getting the wins for us."
Medici has captured 100 victories in just five years and three games. During the last two seasons he won a total of 48 games. Now in his sixth season, Medici has compiled a lifetime .667 winning percentage.
"Coaching is a year-round thing," Medici said. "Basketball is not just from October to March. And I've been very fortunate to have two great assistants - Rich Gilooly and Don Juron - who contribute a ton. They've been with me for 51 of those wins, putting in some long, hard hours."
Medici, a Malta resident who also teaches physical education at Greenwich Elementary School, has twice been named Mountain Valley Conference Coach of the Year. He led Hudson Valley to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division III championship tournament in 1998-99, placing the Vikings among the top eight teams in the nation. In 1999-00, Hudson Valley earned a top-10 ranking, won the Mountain Valley Conference and advanced to the NJCAA Division III Region III title game.
"I've heard people question the talent we have in the Capital Region," Medici said. "A majority of our players come from Section II schools. I think Hudson Valley has proven that local kids can win championships."
Second-year guard Kerey Johnson (Schenectady) secured today's victory for Medici, scoring a game-high 20 points against North Country. Kurt Bush (Newcomb-Minerva) contributed 14 points and Kyle Miller (Columbia) had 10 points.
Hudson Valley is now 3-0. The loss dropped North Country to 2-4.
"Naturally, I'd love to get another 100 wins," said Medici with a smile. "But I'd be happy to get just one with a national championship attached to it."
Hudson Valley Community College 70
North Country Community College 56
Hudson Valley (70): Bowe 1-0-2, Kurt Bush 6-0-14, Etue 1-0-2, Gaudio 1-0-3, Kerey Johnson 8-3-20, Manny 2-0-4, McKinney 2-2-6, Kyle Miller 5-0-10, Perren 1-1-3, Schneible 1-0-3, Vooris 1-02. Totals: 29-6-70.
North Country: Jackson 1-0-2, Kane 1-0-2, Hill 6-5-17, Mukabi 3-2-8, Jubert 2-1-5, Trudsoe 6-4-16, Lewis 0-6-6. Totals: 19-18-56.
Halftime: Hudson Valley, 39-27. 3-points goals: Hudson Valley 6 (Bush 2, Bowe 1, Johnson 1, Gaudio 1, Schneible 1).
Hudson Valley Community College, located in Troy, offers more than 50 degree and certificate programs in four academic divisions; Business; Engineering and Industrial Technologies; Health Sciences; and Liberal Arts and Sciences. One of 30 community colleges in the State University of New York system, Hudson Valley has an enrollment of more than 9,000 students each year, and is known as a leader in distance learning initiatives and worker retraining.