CONTACT: Adam Sopris, a.sopris@hvcc.edu, 518-629-7898 or 518-416-2137
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Tuesday, February 25, 2020 

The Hudson Valley men's basketball team advanced to their first NJCAA Region 3 Final Four since the 2009-10 season after defeating No. 5 Corning 91-66 on Tuesday evening in the McDonough Sports Complex on the campus of Hudson Valley Community College. 

Both teams got off to a slow start, but the Vikings finally figured out the holes in the Red Barons defense and jumped out to a 20-point lead heading into the halftime break. Freshman point guard, Iziah Pigott had a career night for the Vikings as he was instrumental in guiding the Vikings with 19 first half points. Pigott finished with a game-high and team-best 30 points. 

The win gives Hudson Valley their first trip to the NJCAA Region 3 Final Four under seven-year head coach Mike Longand their first trip in a decade. It has been 11 years since the Vikings claimed the NJCAA Region 3 championship to earn a berth in the NJCAA National Tournament. 

Sophomore Ryan Long had played with a tremendous amount of confidence in his long-range shot and hit a game-high six, three-point field goals as he finished with 25 points. Long scored 15 of his 25 points in the second half. 

Mountain Valley Conference First Team honoree, Brandon McKenly hit seven field goals and finished with 17 points, which included 10 points in the opening half of the game. 

Hudson Valley will now travel on Saturday, Feb. 29 to face the region's top-seed in Mohawk Valley as the Hawks host the Region 3 Final Four. The semifinal round will be played on Saturday, Feb. 29 and the championship game will be on Sunday, March 1 on the campus of Mohawk Valley Community College.