CONTACT: Steve Mullen (518) 629-8063
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Saturday, January 24, 2004
The Hudson Valley Community College (9-8/9-7 Region III) men's basketball team won its third consecutive game with a 71-63 victory over Mohawk Valley Community College (13-6/12-3 Region III) in Troy.
Freshman guard Aric Kucel (Gloversville/Gloversville High School) hit 12 of 14 shots from the free throw line and finished with a game-high 20 points and four steals for the Vikings. He also had five rebounds.
Trailing 23-16 with 4:53 remaining in the first half, Hudson Valley closed out the half with a 14-2 run to take a 30-25 lead into the break. Both teams hit only nine of 28 shots from the floor in the opening half.
Mohawk Valley closed its deficit three points, 60-57, with 1:34 remaining in the game, but four free throws by Kucel and two thunderous slam dunks by freshman center Larry Tape (Cicero/Cicero-North Syracuse High School) sealed the win for the Vikings.
Tape finished the contest with 17 points and six rebounds. Sophomore guard Tim Kindlon (Delmar/Bethlehem High School) and freshman guard Brendon Bradt (Cohoes/Cohoes High School) chipped in 12 points apiece for the Vikings. Bradt also had nine boards.
Mohawk Valley, which entered the game riding a 10-game win streak, was led by freshman guard Chris Laboard's (Bronx/Redemption Christian Academy) 19 points.
Hudson Valley will return to action at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, January 27 against SUNY Cobleskill. Cobleskill is ranked sixth in the latest NJCAA Division III poll.
HUDSON VALLEY 71, MOHAWK VALLEY 63
Mohawk Valley (63): Mike Brockington 2-0-4, Elvis Balone 1-0-3, Will Edwards 4-0-11, Antoine Gilkes 7-0-15, Dan Gooley 1-0-2, Chris Laboard 5-8-19, Taj Moore 0-1-1, Herman Perez 3-2-8, Totals: 23-11-63.
Hudson Valley (71): Bob Boughton 2-0-4, Brendon Bradt 4-3-12, Bill Heslin 2-2-6, Tim Kindlon 3-3-12, Aric Kucel 3-12-20, Larry Tape 6-5-17, Totals: 20-25-71.
Halftime: Hudson Valley, 30-25.
3-point goals: Mohawk Valley 6 (Edwards 3, Balone, Gilkes, Laboard), Hudson Valley 6 (Kindlon 3, Kucel 2, Bradt).
