CONTACT: Steve Mullen (518) 629-8063
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Freshman forward Khylan Hunt (Saratoga Springs/Saratoga Springs High School) hit a layup with four seconds remaining to lift 10th-seeded Hudson Valley Community College (16-13) to a 73-71 win over No. 7 Jefferson Community College (16-13) in the opening round of the Region III Tournament in Watertown.
Hudson Valley will meet No. 2 SUNY Cobleskill at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 4 in the quarterfinals in Utica. The teams split the regular season series. Cobleskill won, 83-60, on Dec. 2 in Troy, and the Vikings took a 72-63 decision at Cobleskill on Jan. 25.
Hudson Valley trailed, 67-60, with four minutes remaining in the game, but a three-point basket by sophomore guard Aric Kucel (Gloversville/Gloversville High School) and a put-back by freshman forward Ryan Livingston (Bethlehem/LaSalle Institute) brought the Vikings back to within striking distance.
Kucel tied the game at 71-71 on the first of two free throw attempts with 14 seconds remaining. His second attempt rattled in and out but Livingston was there to collect the offensive rebound, which eventually set up Hunt's final shot.
Kucel hit four-three-point buckets en route to 19 points for the Vikings. Livingston finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Hunt added 13 points.
Keyon Johnson (Baltimore, MD/Southern high School), Matt Vincent (Sackets Harbor/Sackets Harbor High School) and Jajuan Williams (Jacksonville, NC/Jacksonville High School) had 14 points apiece to pace Jefferson.
Hudson Valley (73): Marlon Sousis 1-0-2, Aric Kucel 7-1-19, Mike Collopy 2-1-5, Maurice Frye 2-0-4, J.R. Battle 4-0-9, Khylan Hunt 6-0-13, Ryan Livingston 9-1-19, Jonathan Steinbiss 1-0-2, Totals: 32-3-73.
Jefferson (71): Lamar Valentina 2-0-4, Keyon Johnson 5-4-14, Irving Cutler 4-1-9, Matt Vincent 6-0-14, Myles Jett 2-0-4, Corey Fox 6-0-12, Jajuan Williams 6-0-14, Totals: 31-5-71.
Halftime: Jefferson, 38-37.
3-point goals: Hudson Valley 6 (Kucel 4, Battle, Hunt), Jefferson 4 (Vincent 2, Williams 2).