CONTACT: Jeff Foley (518) 629-8085 or (518) 210-4161
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Friday, March 1, 2002
http://www.hvcc.edu
Cobleskill, N.Y., March 1 - The 2001-02 campaign came to a close for Hudson Valley Community College's men's basketball team this evening. Playing in an NCJAA Division III Region III quarterfinal playoff game, the No. 4 seeded Vikings lost to No. 5 seed and host school SUNY Cobleskill, 78-68.
Hudson Valley, which trailed Cobleskill by just four points with a minute remaining in the game, finishes the season with an 18-11 record. Cobleskill advances to 21-8 and a semifinal matchup with No. 1 seed SUNY Delhi (26-1).
The first half was a seesaw affair - there were 10 lead changes in the first 20 minutes - and, after trailing by as many as 10 points, Hudson Valley used a late 7-0 run to pull within three points with less than two minutes remaining in the half. Hudson Valley's Markael Brace (Albany H.S.), who had five of his team's seven points, keyed the run, and the first half ended with Cobleskill holding a 36-30 advantage.
The Vikings continued to chip away at the Cobleskill lead in the second half, even tying the game at 58-58 on a Paolo Walker (Columbia H.S.) layup with 7:30 remaining. Hudson Valley could not seize the lead, however, and the Vikings trailed by seven points with 1:45 left in the contest.
That's when forward Jason McKinney (South Glens Falls H.S.) went to work for Hudson Valley. First he grabbed an offensive rebound and laid the ball in. Then, after a Cobleskill field goal, with 1:02 left, he drilled a 3- pointer, cutting Cobleskill's lead to four points, 72-68. Unfortunately for the Vikings, Cobleskill controlled the rest of the game from the free throw line.
Brace topped Hudson Valley with 17 points. He also had four rebounds. McKinney tallied 16 points, six rebounds and a pair of assists. Steve Valente (La Salle Institute) contributed 11 points, and Walker had 10 points and eight rebounds.
Prior to the contest, the 2001-02 Region III All-Star teams were announced. Hudson Valley guard Jeremy Schneible (Greenwich H.S.) was a First Team selection; Walker, a first-year forward, was a Second Team selection; and Brace, a first-year forward/guard, was named to the Third Team.
Vince Medici now has led Hudson Valley to the Region III tournament in each of his seven season as head coach of the Vikings. Hudson Valley's all-time winningest men's basketball coach, he has a career record of 137-68.
