UAlbany Basketball Programs Start 2010-11 Season with Home Doubleheader at SEFCU Arena

Albany, N.Y. - UAlbany's men's and women's basketball teams begin the 2010-11 schedule with a home doubleheader at SEFCU Arena on Friday, Nov. 12. The women tangle with Brown in the first game at 5:00 p.m. (WCDB-90.9 FM). The men face defending Ivy League champion Cornell in the second contest at 7:30 p.m. Fans can listen to the game on Fox Sports 980, WOFX-AM, with Rodger Wyland and Erik Elken handling play-by-play.

UAlbany ushers in a new era as Katie Abrahamson-Henderson takes over as the women's head coach. She comes to the program from Indiana University, where she was the associate head coach for two seasons. Abrahamson-Henderson guided Missouri State from 2002-07 as head coach and led the Bears to three NCAA Tournaments and a WNIT championship. The Great Danes return America East Conference all-rookie members Ebone Henry (11.4 ppg) and Julie Forster, who led the league in rebounding at 8.6 per game. Felicia Johnson (9.4 ppg) and Tabitha Makopondo serve as team captains.

Hannah Passafuime and Aileen Daniels are two of Brown's nine returning letterwinners. Passafuime earned honorable mention All-Ivy League honors and scored at a 9.3 clip. Daniels was a consistent performer off the bench and third on the team in scoring (7.0 ppg). Head coach Jean Marie Burr has added seven rookies to the roster.

UAlbany's men's team has a youthful look with a combined 12 years of Division I experience on the roster. Mike Black (7.2 ppg) is coming off an impressive freshman campaign when he was named to the America East all-rookie squad. Tim Ambrose, a member of the 1,000-point club, was among the conference leaders in scoring (12.4 ppg), rebounding (5.3 pg) and assists (2.8 pg). Logan Aronhalt (6.7 ppg) and Blake Metcalf, at 6-foot-9 and 240 pounds, are the third and fourth sophomores to be elected as captains in the program's Division I history.

The Big Red posted a 29-5 record, won a third consecutive Ivy League championship, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament's regional semifinals last year. Bill Courtney, a former assistant at Virginia Tech, Virginia and George Mason, is now the Cornell head coach. Chris Wroblewski, an honorable mention all-league guard, averaged 8.9 points and 3.1 assists, plus made 54-of-119 from three-point range one year ago.

Paw Prints: All U.S. Armed Forces personnel will admitted to all November basketball games with a military identification ... UAlbany's men's program will participate in this month's Legends Classic ... the Great Danes will salute one of their all-time legends during the first half of the Cornell game ... Gary Holway (1955-59) piled up 1,851 points and 1,225 rebounds during his college basketball career ... Holway, who is a retired college biology professor, spent four years in the U.S. Navy and spent most of his service on the USS Midway in the Mediterranean.


Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information