CONTACT: Steve Mullen (518) 629-8063
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Monday, October 31, 2005
The Hudson Valley Community College men's and women's basketball teams will tip-off the 2005-06 season when they host Cayuga Community College on Tuesday, November 1. The women's game begins at 5 p.m. with the men to follow at 7 p.m.
Hudson Valley's men's team is looking to improve on last year's 16-14 season - its 15th consecutive winning season.
With four forwards returning that averaged more than 11 points and five rebounds per game in their freshman year, Hudson Valley is primed to have one of the top frontcourts in Region III. Khylan Hunt (Saratoga Springs/Saratoga Springs High School) and Ryan Livingston (Bethlehem/LaSalle Institute) were the top two scorers for the Vikings a year ago. Hunt averaged 15.4 point and 9.7 rebounds per game. Livingston put up 14.5 points and seven rebounds per contest.
Also returning in the frontcourt are Allan Dickson (Troy/Troy High School) and Larry Tape (Syracuse/Cicero-North Syracuse High School). Dickson was an All-Region performer in 2002-03 after averaging 12.9 points and 7.5 rebounds per game and Tape finished with 11 points and 5.7 rebounds per game in 2003-04.
Sophomores Marlon Sousis (Rensselaer/Rensselaer High School) and J.R. Battle (Binghamton/Binghamton High School) each saw several minutes in the backcourt a year ago. Sousis and Battle averaged 4.4 points and 4.6 points per game, respectively.
The top newcomers for the men include Lee McCarthy (Green Island/Heatly High School), Kevin Goutos (Altamont/Guilderland High School) and Michael Canape (Queensbury/Queensbury High School).
Entering her seventh season, head coach Colleen Ferris hopes to have the Lady Vikings back to their winning ways after suffering through a 10-18 campaign in 2004-05.
Stacey Swan (Clifton Park/Shenendehowa High School) is the top returning scorer after averaging 6.1 points per game. Paige Chadwick (Hartford/Hartford High School) and Amanda Carroll (Cohoes/Tamarac High School) also return.
The top newcomers include Felicia Melilli (Poughkeepsie/Poughkeepsie High School) and Naiyma Reid (Far Rockaway/Far Rockaway High School).
