University of Albany Edges Mount St. Mary's, 65-64; Suero Records 1st Career Double-Double - UAlbany Sports 2011

Emmitsburg, Md.- Gerardo Suero's first career double-double of 28 points and 10 rebounds led the University at Albany (8-6) over Mount St. Mary's (2-11), 65-64, on Saturday, Dec. 31 at Knott Arena. This win gave the Great Danes eight non-conference wins this season which ties for the most non-conference wins under head coach Will Brown. UAlbany begins its conference play on Monday, Jan. 2 against Hartford at SEFCU Arena at 7 pm.

UAlbany would have three players in double-digits that included Suero's 28, Logan Aronhalt's 15 and Luke Devlin's 11. The team would hit 20-plus free throws for the second game in a row (21-23 FT). The Great Danes would edge the Mountaineers in rebounds, 35-33. Suero has recorded a 20-plus point game for the sixth consecutive time and 10 total on the season.

Mount St. Mary's were led by Julian Norfleet's 15 points and six rebounds. Two other Mountaineers hit double-digits, Danny Thompson had 14 points and Raven Barber hit 11 points while grabbing seven boards. The Mountaineers lead in shooting percentage, 45.3-36.8 percent, and in blocks, 8-1.

With the score at 51-51 at 9:51 in the second half, neither team would be able to build a lead more than four points (Mount St. Mary's 53-49 with 8:26 to play).

The Great Danes would build their biggest lead of the game of three points, which was created by Suero's layup and and-one, 61-58, with 3:54 left to play.

The Mountaineer's Norfleet would hit the game-tying three, 61-61, with 2:35 left in the game. Then Thompson would hit 3-of-4 from the free throw line in the next 45 seconds to put Mount St. Mary's up by two, 64-62, with 49 seconds to play.

Then UAlbany went to its go-to-guy Suero to not only drive and hit the game-tying layup but was fouled and would hit the eventual game-winning free throw with 38 seconds left.

UAlbany was led by Suero in the second half is he scored the Great Danes first seven of 12 points to cut the deficit to three, 44-41, with 14:21 left to play. After Mount St. Mary's Kelvin Parker hit at three to put the game to six points, 47-41, UAlbany would go on a 8-2 run which was capped by a layup from Devlin that was assisted by John Puk to tie the game at 51-51 with 9:51 left to play.

Both teams would swap baskets with Aronhalt hitting a 15-footer to tie the game, 10-10, with 14:00 left to play in the first half. Then Mount St. Mary's would go on a 14-5 run to give the Mountaineers its largest lead of the half of nine, 24-15, with 9:51 left to play in the first half. The run was capped off by Kristijan Krajina, the 6-foot-9 center, drilling a three-pointer from the right corner.

UAlbany's Aronhalt would then cut the deficit to three, 24-21, with six consecutive points by hitting a three pointer then making three consecutive free throws after being fouled behind the arc.

Mount St. Mary's would make another run of 12-6 to bring the lead back up nine, 36-27, having six

Mike Black and Gerardo Suero Lead University of Albany M Basketball Win vs. Dartmouth, 82-74 - UAlbany Sports 2011

Albany, N.Y. - Mike Black and Gerardo Suero, each with 20-point games, led the University at Albany to victory over Dartmouth, 82-74, on Friday afternoon at the SEFCU Arena. Suero has now scored 20 or more points in eight of the teams first 12 games and has hit double-digits in all 12 games.

Both teams shot better from beyond the arc than from the field as Dartmouth lead in three-point shooting percentage with 60.0 percent (49.1 FG%), while UAlbany shot 55.6 percent (48.1 FG%). UAlbany shot 95.2 percent (20-21) from the free-throw line while Dartmouth shot 72.7 percent (8-11)

Four UAlbany players finished in double-digits, while Suero and Mike Black netted 23 and 20 points, respectively. There were eight different Great Danes that recorded three rebounds or more in the game.

Dartmouth had three players in double-figures with Jabari Trotter leading the charge scoring 22 points and 5-of-6 from beyond the arc. Gabas Maldunas was three points away from a double-double tallying seven points and 13 rebounds.

To the start of the game, both UAlbany and Dartmouth traded three-pointers early and often. Through the first eight minutes of the game the teams hit a combined eight three-pointers.

UAlbany grabbed the early lead, 21-13, with 12:10 remaining in the first half. Four different Great Danes hit from beyond the arc with Jayson Guerrier coming off the bench and hitting a perfect 2-of-2 from three-point land.

Suero would find teammate Luke Devlin for the layup and the and-one to put the Great Danes up with their largest lead of the half at 17 points, 35-18, with 6:13 left in the half.

Mike Black would end the half with two free throws to give UAlbany a commanding lead, 46-31.

UAlbany (7-5) would keep its foot on the gas in the second half and let Dartmouth back into the game. The Great Danes were able to maintain a double-digit lead throughout the second half until the 3:30 mark when the Big Green's Jabari Trotter hit his fifth three-pointer of the game to cut the deficit to nine, 78-69.

The Great Danes defense shut down the Big Green's offense for the next two minutes not allowing a field goal and eventually preserving the lead to win the game by a score of 82-74.

UAlbany will finish out its non-conference schedule in the state of Maryland with the University of Maryland on Wednesday, Dec. 28 at 8 pm then to Mount St. Mary's on Saturday, Dec. 31 at 3:30.

University of Albany Grabs First Road Win Against St. Francis, 76-64; Suero Goes Over 20 for the Seventh Time - UAlbany Sports 2011

Brooklyn Heights, N.Y.- Gerardo Suero's seventh 20-plus point game (25) helped lift UAlbany to its first victory on the road over St. Francis, 76-64, on Monday, Dec. 19 at Pope PE Center. Four Great Danes hit double-figures on the game. Travis Nichols of St. Francis did his best to keep the game close scoring 25 points and shot 7-of-11 from behind the arc.

The Great Danes had eight different players score and four of them in double-figures. Suero with 25, Logan Aronhalt (14), Mike Black (11), and Ralph Watts (10). As a team, UAlbany shot 48.1 percent (25-52) from the floor, 78.6 percent (22-28) from the free throw line, and 30.8 percent (4-13) from behind the arc.

St. Francis's Travis Nichols tried to carry his team with 25 points , 7-of-11 from three-point range, grabbing seven rebounds and two steals. Ben Mockford (13) and Stefan Perunicic (11) both were in double-figures for the Terriers.

UAlbany began the half with a 10-point lead, 28-18, with 7:30 left to play. Six Great Danes figured in scoring along with forcing six turnovers. Suero lead all scorers with 10 points and grabbed two boards

The Great Danes would extend the lead to 16, 41-25, with a Ralph Watts three-pointer with :09 seconds left in the first half.

At the half, UAlbany led in shooting percentage 50 to St. Francis' 38.5. The Great Danes shot 11-of 15 free throws to the Terriers' 0-of-4.

St. Francis would not go away in the beginning of the second by forcing turnovers and going on a 20-1 run to grab the lead, 45-42, with 11:01 left to play in the second half. The Terriers, during the run, would hit five three-pointers by three different players. The Terriers were led by Travis Nichols hitting seven three-pointers in the second half.

UAlbany would climb back with five points from Logan Aronhalt to tie the game, 53-53, with 8:21 left to play in the game. Then after a Luke Devlin 12-footer to give the Great Danes the lead, 64-62, with 3:32 left in the game, UAlbany would not take its foot off the gas the rest of the game.

The Great Danes would finish the game on a 12-2 run and during the run they would go 7-of-8 from the free line to seal it. On the game, UAlbany shot 22-of-28 from the free throw line while St. Francis would go 0-of-7 .

Lowrie Leads University of Albany W Basketball to a 64-54 Win Over Sacred Heart in Non-Conference Action - UAlbany Sports 2011

Albany, N.Y. - Lindsey Lowrie recorded a career-high 26 points on 11-of-14 shooting to lead UAlbany to a 64-54 win over Sacred Heart in non-conference women's basketball on Sunday afternoon at SEFCU Arena. Lowrie, who recorded four of the Great Danes' five 3-pointers in the game, helped UAlbany improve to 6-4 overall, while Sacred Heart dropped to 9-3.

After Callan Taylor scored the game's first points for Sacred Heart, UAlbany went on an 8-0 run, getting six of those from Lowrie. The Pioneers ended the Great Dane run with a 3-pointer by Blair Koniszewski, and continued to cut into the lead, pulling to within two, 19-17, with 8:42 left to play on a jumper by Morgan Merriman. A second jumper by Merriman tied the game for the third time at 21-21, and the teams battled for the rest of the half.

Lowrie drained a jumper at 4:28 to give UAlbany a 27-23 advantage, but a free throw shot by Ericka Norman followed by a trey by Katie Shepard knotted the score back up at 27-27 with just under two minutes to play. Taylor nailed a shot from downtown to give Sacred Heart a late lead, but Ebone Henry converted a layup with just 37 ticks on the clock to pull within one, 30-29, before the teams headed to the locker rooms.

After exchanging points for two more ties early in the second half, UAlbany took a 39-36 lead on a long-range basket by Lowrie to take the lead for the final time. The Great Danes used a hot offense and a relentless defense to build up an 11-point advantage, 51-40, with 8:32 left to play. UAlbany took its largest lead of the game, 58-43, on a free throw by Tabitha Makopondo with just under five minutes to go. Sacred Heart would attempt a late rally, getting one-of-two from the charity stripe from Taylor to pull within 10, but it was too late. Strong free throw shooting by the Great Danes down the stretch sealed the victory, as Cassandra Callaway and Megan Craig went 4-for-4 from the line, while Makopondo added a point with 15 seconds to go.

Taylor, who leads active NCAA Division I players in career double-doubles, recorded her 44th, scoring 13 points and grabbing a game-high 12 rebounds. Gabrielle Washington also scored 13 points, while Merriman netted 10. Sacred Heart (9-3) shot 33.3 percent (22-66) from the floor, and was held to 25.0 percent (7-28) from behind the 3-point arc.

Lowrie's hot hand helped UAlbany shoot 37.3 (22-59) from the floor, while the defense recorded 10 steals against the Pioneers. Kate Cronin pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds, while Henry added eight points, nine rebounds and six assists. Makopondo also filled the boxscore with six points, five boards, three assists, three steals and a block.

UAlbany (6-4) will visit Canisius on Thursday for the final game before Winter Break, taking on the Griffins at 5:15 p.m.

University of Albany Volletall's Laurie Gonzalez Named AVCA Division I Honorable Mention All-American - UAlbany Sports 2011

Albany, N.Y. - University at Albany's Laurie Gonzalez was named an American Volleyball Coaches' Association Division I Honorable Mention All-American, as announced by the organization on Wednesday afternoon. Gonzalez, who was also an All-Northeast Region Honorable Mention selection, becomes the program's second Division I All-American picked by the AVCA.

Gonzalez was named the America East's top defensive specialist for the fourth consecutive season this year after leading the Great Danes to a 21-9 overall record, going 10-1 in league play. Gonzalez averaged a conference-high 5.33 digs per set and also finished with 23 service aces on the season. A native of Carolina, Puerto Rico, Gonzalez was also named to the COBRA Magazine All-Northeast Region Team.

Gonzalez joins Blair Buchanan '07 as UAlbany Division I All-Americans. Buchanan, who was the first setter in NCAA Division I history to earn her conference's player and setter of the year honors in three straight seasons, was an Honorable Mention All-American in 2004 and 2005.

University of Albany Men's Basketball Gets Back on Winning Track in 87-63 Triumph Over Colgate; Suero Has 29 Points - UAlbany Sports 2011

Albany, N.Y. - Gerardo Suero had 29 points and his team shot better than 65 percent from field en route to an 87-63 non-conference win over Colgate on Wednesday, Dec. 7 at SEFCU Arena.

UAlbany (5-4) led by 13 at halftime and extended to a 22-point margin early in the second half behind Mike Black and Suero. Black, a junior guard who 16 points and five assists, made a three-point field goal and converted a drive for a 58-37 lead. Suero, who made 11 of 14 from the floor and 7 of 9 from the line, later hit two free throws for a 64-42 advantage.

Colgate (3-5) rallied over the next six minutes. Pat Moore, who had 18 points, made two long-range jumpers in that outburst. Mitch Rolls added a three-pointer from left of the key and a 14-footer the sliced the deficit to 69-59 with 8:24 remaining.

The Great Danes, who made 36-of-55 from the floor after coming off a road loss to their crosstown rival 48 hours earlier, ended the comeback bid with six straight points. Logan Aronhalt, who netted 16 points, made a jumper and two free throws sandwiched around Black's basket in transition following Luke Devlin's steal.

"The win against Colgate will make us feel better about going into final exams," UAlbany coach Will Brown said. "I was not surprised that (Gerardo) Suero shot better than he did against Siena. He played with more confidence. We attacked the basket and he was part of that."

UAlbany scored the opening 11 points of the contest, as Suero connected on three consecutive baskets. Colgate used the three-point arc to close the gap. Rolls drilled three 3-point shots, including a 23-footer that got his club within 18-15.

The Great Danes regrouped by exploding for 14 the game's next 16 points. Aronhalt sank a baseline jumper off an inbounds pass and canned a three-pointer in transition to ignite the run. John Puk, a 6-foot-10 sophomore, added back-to-back baskets, including a jump hook in the lane. Suero helped complete the outburst with a drive and a conventional three-point play when he was fouled on a fastbreak conversion.

"We didn't want to have a bad hangover (from the other night)," offered Black, who made 7 of 12 field goals. "We wanted to make a statement tonight. The extra day of preparation helped us execute our game plan better."

Yaw Gyawu, a 6-foot-5 senior, added 14 points off the bench for the Raiders, who dropped a 63-61 decision in last year's meeting between these teams.

Paw Prints: The Great Danes posted their best field goal percentage since moving to Division I in the 1999-2000 season ... UAlbany shot 61.8% in a 108-84 victory over Southern Vermont on Jan. 25, 2000 ... UAlbany and Colgate were meeting for the 17th time ... the Raiders have won on 13 occasions in a series that began on Feb. 26, 1916 ...

UAlbany is off for fall semester exams until Dec. 17, when the Great Danes travel to Cornell ... Gerardo Suero has scored in double figures in all nine games this season ... Suero's 29 points were two off his career-high set against Syracuse on Nov. 15 ... UAlbany is one of nine programs at the Division I level without a senior on the roster ... John Puk had a season-high seven points off the bench ... Colgate coach Matt Langel is in his first season after spending the last five years as a Temple University assistant.

University of Albany's Gonzalez and Wright Named to AVCA Division I All-Northeast Region Honorable Mentions - UAlbany Sports 2011

Albany, N.Y. - Four-time America East Conference Defensive Specialist of the Year Laurie Gonzalez and all-conference first-team member Casey Wright were both named American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division I All-Northeast Region Honorable Mentions, as announced by the organization on Tuesday.

Gonzalez was named the America East's top defensive specialist for the fourth consecutive season this year after leading the Great Danes to a 21-9 overall record, going 10-1 in league play. Gonzalez averaged a conference-high 5.33 digs per set and also finished with 23 service aces on the season. A native of Carolina, Puerto Rico, Gonzalez was also named to the COBRA Magazine All-Northeast Region Team, along with teammate Traci Vandegrift. COBRA Magazine's purpose is to celebrate the success of volleyball players of African as well as Samoan and Tongan descent in hopes of encouraging young girls of those ethnic groups across the country to pursue the sport.

Wright, a native of Ballston Spa, N.Y., earned her first AVCA All-Region award as well, after leading the Great Danes and finishing fourth in the conference with 3.37 kills per set. She also led the America East in hitting percentage for the third straight season, hitting at a .393 clip, and was ranked eighth in blocks (0.81 per set). Wright, who helped lead UAlbany to their sixth conference title in the last eight years, was ranked fourth in points, averaging 3.95 per set.

-agate-

AVCA Division I All-Northeast Region Honorable Mentions


Laurie Gonzalez, Sr., L

Casey Wright, Sr., MB

COBRA Magazine All-Northeast Region Team

Laurie Gonzalez, Sr., L

Traci Vandegrift, Jr., OH

UAlbany Announces 2012 Lacrosse Schedule; Joe Resetarits Named Preseason All-American

Albany, N.Y. -- University at Albany Vice President and Director of Athletics Lee McElroy announced on Wednesday, Dec. 7 the school's men's lacrosse schedule for the 2012 season. The Great Danes will play five games against America East Conference opponents. Five programs that advanced to last year's NCAA Tournament and five consensus preseason national top-20 teams are on the non-league portion of the schedule.

UAlbany begins its 13th season as a NCAA Division I program on Sunday, Feb. 19. The Great Danes make their annual visit to the Carrier Dome to take on Syracuse. The Orange, who are ranked No. 4 in the Inside Lacrosse preseason poll, made their 31st NCAA appearance last year.

The Great Danes play their home opener on Saturday, Feb. 25 against Drexel at John Fallon Field. The Dragons, who are the 17th-ranked team in the Face-Off Yearbook preseason poll, are led by honorable mention All-America goalkeeper Mark Manos.

The home slate also features games with non-conference opponents Bryant, Canisius and Siena. America East-rivals Binghamton (March 31), Vermont (April 14) and Stony Brook (April 28) will also invade the Capital Region. The crosstown rivalry with Siena will be played for the 34th time, including tenth meeting at the Division I level, on Tuesday, April 24 at 7:00 p.m.

Along with Syracuse, UAlbany once again battles one of the most storied college lacrosse programs. The Great Danes and Johns Hopkins will tangle on Thursday, April 5 at 7:00 p.m. ESPNU will televise the contest on a tape-delay basis. The Blue Jays, who are No. 3 in the Inside Lacrosse rankings, have reached the NCAA Tournament a record-setting 40 consecutive times and have captured nine national championships.

The Great Danes have non-conference road dates against a pair of programs ranked among the nation's top-15 squads. Massachusetts finished 10-5 overall and reached last year's Colonial Athletic Association championship, while Bucknell earned a berth in the 2011 NCAA field. UAlbany also travels to Yale on March 3, as the programs meet for the first time since 2008.

Scott Marr is in his 12th season as head coach. Marr, who has a 90-79 career record, has led the program to four NCAA Tournament appearances. The Great Danes return first team all-conference midfielder Joe Resetarits, who was fourth among the America East scoring leaders. Miles Thompson became the third UAlbany player to be voted the conference's rookie of the year. He was sixth in the league in points per game.

2012 University at Albany Men's Lacrosse Schedule

February - 19 (Sun.) at Syracuse, 1:00; 25 (Sat.), Drexel, 1:00.

March - 3 (Sat.), at Yale, 1:00; 6 (Tues.), at Massachusetts, 3:00; 10 (Sat.), Canisius, 1:00; 17 (Sat.), Bryant, 1:00; 24 (Sat.), at Bucknell, 1:00; 31 (Sat.), Binghamton*, 1:00.

April - 5 (Thurs.), at Johns Hopkins, 7:00; 8 (Sun.), at Hartford*, 2:00; 14 (Sat.), Vermont*, 7:00; 21 (Sat.), at UMBC*, 1:00; 24 (Tues.), Siena, 7:00; Apr. 28 (Sat.), Stony Brook*, 7:00.

May - 2 (Wed.), at America East Conference Tournament+; 5 (Sat.), at America East Conference Tournament+.

*America East Conference Opponent
+Played at Highest Seed's Home Facility
All Times Eastern

Paw Prints: UAlbany's Joe Resetarits has been chosen to the Face-Off Yearbook Preseason All-America squad as an honorable mention selection ... Resetarits, a two-time first-team All-America East Conference standout, totaled 31 goals and 13 assists last year and was fourth in the league in both goals and scoring ... Resetarits has 103 career points (78 goals, 25 assists) and owns the nation's longest active goal-scoring streak at 33 consecutive games.

University of Albany Women's Basketball Wins Second Straight, Defeating Niagara, 55-42, at SEFCU Arena - UAlbany Sports 2011

Albany, N.Y. - Ebone Henry recorded a game-high 22 points and added eight rebounds to lead UAlbany to a 55-42 win over Niagara in non-conference women's basketball action on Tuesday, Dec. 6 at SEFCU Arena. The Great Danes, who have now won two in a row, improve to 5-4 on the season, while the Purple Eagles drop to 2-6 overall.

UAlbany outscored Niagara, 18-2, to start the game. The Great Danes took the 16-point lead at 8:20 of the first half as Cassandra Callaway nailed one of her three 3-pointers. Shy Britton ended the run, hitting a jumper in the paint for Niagara at 7:56. The basket and subsequent free throw sent the Purple Eagles on an 8-0 run, cutting the UAlbany lead to 18-10 with a jumper by Meghan McGuinness with 6:49 left to play. After a layup by Julie Forster ended the Great Dane scoring drought, but McGuinness followed with a 3-pointer to cut the Niagara deficit to seven with just over five minutes left to play in the first half.

Callaway, who scored 14 points for the Great Danes, added her second trey of the game at 4:05 to put UAlbany back ahead by double digits, 25-13. However, Britton connected on two free throws, and Kayla Stroman hit a long-range shot at 2:48 to pull Niagara back within seven, 25-18. The teams battled defensively for the rest of the period, and hit the locker room with UAlbany on top.

The Great Danes came out firing in the second half, and a trey by Henry, followed by two made free throws gave UAlbany its largest lead since the first half, 39-22. Niagara continued to battle, cutting the advantage back to ten, 41-31, on a jumper by Lauren Gatto in the lane, and reached single digits on a 3-pointer by Val McQuade at 9:42, pulling the Purple Eagles to within 41-34.

UAlbany would not fold, however, getting strong free throw shooting from Sarah Royals, who nailed two shots at 6:42, along with Henry and Tabitha Makopondo, who each went 1-for-2 in the closing minutes. Adrienne Jones, who filled the box score with five steals, four assists and four rebounds, did not score her first points until just under two minutes remaining, hitting both of her shots from the charity stripe. Callaway finished up her scoring in the final seconds, ending up with a 3-of-4 performance from the free throw line in the game, setting the final score with two made shots with 23 seconds left.

Forster dominated the boards in the game, grabbing a game-high 15 rebounds to lead UAlbany to a 44-36 advantage. Niagara committed 25 turnovers in the game, including 14 forced by UAlbany, led by Jones' five steals and three each by Callaway and Makopondo.

Britton and Gatto bith finished with 10 points for Niagara (2-6), while Gatto grabbed a team-high eight rebounds. The Purple Eagles outshot the Great Danes, managing 34.8-percent (16-46) from the floor.

UAlbany (5-4) will be out of action until Dec. 18 when the Great Danes host Sacred Heart in non-conference action at 2 p.m.

Cassandra Callaway Named America East Women's Basketball Player of the Week

Cambridge, Mass. - Senior guard Cassandra Callaway was named the America East Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week, as announced by the league office on Monday afternoon. Callaway led the Great Danes to a 1-1 week, including a dominant 72-48 win over cross-town rival Siena on Saturday.

Against the Saints, Callaway scored a career-high 24 points, all in the second half. She finished the game going 7-for-7 from the foul line and 3-for-5 from long range, and also compiled three assists, two steals and two rebounds. Earlier in the week at Long Island, the Bayonne, N.J. native netted 12 points, hitting four shots from beyond the three-point arc, and recorded three rebounds, three steals and two assists.

For the week, Callaway averaged 18 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game while hitting 7-of-14 three-point attempts. She shot 40.7 percent (11-for-27) from the floor overall in the two games. This season, she is averaging a career-best 12.4 points per game and ranks 10th in the conference. She also ranks fourth in America East with 90.5 percent free-throw shooting and eighth with 2.6 assists per game.

University of Albany Women's Basketball Defeats Cross-Town Rival Siena, 72-48 - UAlbany Sports 2011

Albany, N.Y. - Cassandra Callaway totaled a game-high 24points, all in the second half while Ebone Henry and Julie Forster both recorded double-doubles to lead UAlbany to a 72-48 win over cross-town rival Siena on Saturday afternoon at the Times Union Center. It is the second straight Albany Cup victory for the Great Danes and the first time UAlbany has won consecutive games since renewing the annual rivalry.

The teams exchanged points to start the first half before UAlbany took a 10-6 lead on three straight baskets by the Great Danes, capped off by a layup by freshman guard Sarah Royals. UAlbany continued to build its lead, scoring six of the next eight points. Forward Julie Forster topped the run with a steal, intercepting a Siena cross-court pass, and carrying the ball to the other end of the floor for a fast-break layup, putting the Great Danes on top, 16-8. The Saints ended the UAlbany run at 8:52, as Ciara Stewart hit a jumper in the lane.

Siena's Cristina Centeno nailed a 3-pointer from the top of the arc to cut the UAlbany lead to 18-13 with just over seven minutes left in the half, but Forster dropped in two of her 12 first-half points to keep the Great Danes on top, 20-13. Centeno hit her second trey of the game with 3:22 left to play, and was then successful on one-of-two free throws, keeping Siena within reach, 22-17. As the half wound down, Ebone Henry drained two shots from the charity stripe with 1:34 on the clock, while Megan Craig took an assist from Lindsey Lowrie with under a minute to go to set the halftime score at 28-20.

The Great Danes took their first double-digit lead of the game just 30 seconds into the second half, as Adrienne Jones passed the ball to Forster on the right block for a jump shot. However, Siena battled back to pull within five, 32-27, on a layup by Lily Grenci, with 15:13 on the clock. The Great Danes then sunk 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions and pushed the lead back to ten, 39-29, with 13:55 left to play.

With 10:48 on the clock, Callaway gave UAlbany its biggest lead of the game, converting a conventional three-point play to put the Great Danes on top, 46-33. UAlbany continued to build the lead 40 seconds later as Henry sunk her second 3-pointer of the game, pushing the advantage to 16. Callaway added three more of her game-high points on a long-range shot and a jumper in the paint to give the Great Danes 22-point advantage with 8:32 left to play.

UAlbany continued to roll as the clock rolled down, as Callaway nailed two free throws with 2:25 left to play to extent the lead to 71-43. Siena managed strong free throw shooting down the stretch, but the Saints were unable to overcome the deficit and one-of-two from the charity stripe from Royals set the final score.f

"We had a lot of fight, determination, toughness and focus for 40 minutes," said UAlbany head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson, who is 2-0 against Siena since taking over the helm. "We really put in 40 minutes of hard work. It was a great win for us, especially coming off three losses."

Forster finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Henry filled the boxscore with 12 points, 12 boards, seven assists, three steals and a block. The Great Danes shot 41.7-percent from the field, including 46.2-percent from three-point range. UAlbany also out-rebounded the Saints, 43-37.

Grenci scored a team-high 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead Siena (1-4). Centeno also finished in double figures with 16 points, hitting all three of the Saints' 3-pointers in the game.

UAlbany (4-4) will return to action on Tuesday, hosting Niagara in non-conference action.

College Sports Madness Names University of Albany Quarterback Dan Di Lella NEC Offensive Player of the Year - UAlbany Sports 2011

Albany, N.Y. - University at Albany's Dan Di Lella has been selected as the College Sports Madness Northeast Conference Offensive Player of the Year in football. Di Lella, a senior quarterback, was among five UAlbany players on the all-conference squad. Bob Ford was recognized by the website as the NEC Coach of the Year.

Di Lella established school single-season records in passing yards (2,548), touchdowns passes (25) and total offense with 2,859 yards. He completed 59.9 percent of his attempts and had a 144.51 efficiency rating. Di Lella also set a program record with seven games of 200 or more passing yards.

Kadeem Williams, a 6-foot-7, 300-pound sophomore, started all 12 games at offensive tackle. UAlbany's offense is 19th in scoring (33.7 ppg), 23rd in total offense (415.3 ypg) and 32nd in rushing (181.7 ypg) among the Division I FCS leaders. He blocked for tailback Andrew Smith, who rushed for 1,092 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Eddie Delaney, a senior defensive end, established the program's FCS record with 9.0 sacks for minus-56 yards. He was sixth on the team in tackles (58) and first in hits for a loss (13.0). Delaney finished his career with 169 tackles and 11.5 sacks.

Paul Layton is ninth among the NCAA leaders with a 42.6 punting average. He broke Chris Lynch's 2008 school record of 40.9 yards per punt. Layton, a sophomore, had 17 punts of 50 or more yards and placed 21 kicks inside the 20-yard line. Ryan Kirchner, a junior wide receiver, made the All-NEC squad as a return specialist. He caught 56 passes for 615 yards and tied the school's single-season record with 10 touchdown receptions. He accounted for 787 all-purpose yards.

Ford received College Sports Madness' top coach award after leading UAlbany (8-4, NEC 7-1) to a share of the conference championship and the program's first NCAA playoff appearance since 1977. Ford, who started the program at the club level in 1970, is the Division I FCS active leader with 255 career victories.

Paw Prints: UAlbany's Ryan Kirchner was chosen Beyond College Sports (BSN) Division I FCS Receiver of the Week for his performance in the NCAA's first round against Stony Brook on Nov. 26 ... Kirchner caught 12 passes for 143 yards and one touchdown ... Kirchner was one off Andy Shein's 1994 single-game record when he hauled in 13 passes against Brockport.