CONTACT: Jeff Foley (518) 629-8085 or (518) 373-1262
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Friday, March 2, 2001
Kurt Bush Scores Seven Points In Extra Session To Lead Hudson Valley
SUNY Cobleskill, March 2 - Tonight, Hudson Valley Community College's men's basketball team used overtime to beat Cayuga Community College for the second time this season. The first overtime game, way back in November, simply represented a win for the Vikings. This victory, however, marked the end of the road for Cayuga and extended Hudson Valley's 2000-01 campaign by at least one more day.
In an NJCAA Division III Region III quarterfinal matchup, number-two seed Hudson Valley (21-6) triumphed to advance to a semifinal contest against sixth-seeded Jefferson Community College (20-11). That game will be played at 3 p.m. on March 3, with the winner advancing to the tournament title contest. Number-seven seed Cayuga (18-12) is now finished for the season.
"The one thing about tournaments is, you've got to be ready to play all 40 minutes," said Vince Medici, Hudson Valley's head coach. "Or, in our case, 45 minutes."
In a game that featured 25 lead changes during regulation, Cayuga rallied from a nine-point halftime deficit to take a 79-77 lead with just 46.8 seconds remaining. With 30 seconds left and Cayuga still ahead though, freshman guard Paul Bowe (Hudson Falls) hit Thomas Perren (Brotmanville, NJ) with a pass in the paint. The second-year center, who earlier in the day was named a Region III First Team All-Star, spun and laid the ball in the basket, tying the game at 79 apiece.
"It just goes to show you that the game's never over," Medici said.
After Cayuga ran down the clock and lost the ball on a traveling violation with just four seconds left, Hudson Valley's Jason McKinney (South Glens Falls) got a good look at a long 3-pointer. McKinney, who wound up with 15 points and five rebounds, just missed winning the game in regulation. His shot hit the backboard and the ball rattled out.
Kurt Bush (Newcomb-Minerva), a Third Team All-Star, came out red-hot for Hudson Valley in the overtime session though. The second-year guard/forward scored the session's first five points (on a 3-pointer and a layup) and contributed seven points in the extra five minutes.
"I just didn't want to go home," said Bush, who had 16 points and five rebounds on the game. "I wasn't ready to leave. I looked at Tommy (Perren) and said, "Let's do this.'"
The Vikings did just that. Cayuga trailed 90-87 with 19.2 seconds left in overtime and had no choice but to foul Bowe, who hit three free throws down the stretch to seal the victory for Hudson Valley.
"Our freshmen came up real big today," Bush said. "They all stepped up when me and Kyle (Miller) got early fouls."
Kyle Miller (Columbia), Hudson Valley's second-year point guard, finished with 13 points, five rebounds and four assists. Freshman guard Jeremy Schneible (Greenwich) scored a team-high 17 points. R.J. Mann (Canajoharie), who earned Region III Third Team All-Star status, finished with five points and four rebounds.
"Our kids executed inside in overtime," Medici said. "That was the difference."
HUDSON VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE 93
CAYUGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE 90
HUDSON VALLEY
Bowe 0-3-3, Kurt Bush 5-4-16, Mann 2-1-5, Jason McKinney 6-2-15, Kyle Miller 4-3-13, Tom Perrem 5-6-16, Jeremy Schneible 7-2-17, Vooris 4-0-8. Totals 33-21-93.
CAYUGA
Jan Zalud 9-8-32, Obieke 2-4-9, Mike Heckstall 8-1-17, Ade Lee 6-3-16, Clyborn 2-2-8 Tanner 2-0-5, Florczykowski 1-0-3. Totals 30-18-90.
Halftime: Hudson Valley, 37-28.
Regulation: 79-79
Three-point field goals: Hudson Valley 6 - Bush 2, Miller 2, McKinney 1, Schneible 1. Cayuga 12 - Zalud 6, Clyborn 2, Obieke 1, Lee 1, Tanner 1, Florczykowski 1.
