University of Albany Women's Basketball Drops a Heartbreaker to North Carolina, 59-54, in the NCAA Tournament - UAlbany Sports 2013

NEWARK, DEL. – Behind 30 points from Tierra Ruffin-Pratt, third-seeded North Carolina posted a 59-54 win over 14th-seeded UAlbany in the first round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball tournament on Sunday afternoon at the Bob Carpenter Center on the campus of the University of Delaware. After a valiant effort by the America East Champion Great Danes against the Tarheels of the Atlantic Coast Conference, the team ends its season with a 27-4 record. UNC advances to the second round to face the host Blue Hens on Tuesday.

North Carolina got on the board first with two free throws and a bucket from Ruffin-Pratt. The Tarheels extended their run to 6-0 before UAlbany got on the board with a 3-pointer from Lindsey Lowrie at 16:37. However, UNC responded with a triple of its own by Brittany Rountree, to give the Tarheels a 9-3 advantage at the first media timeout of the half. A second trey by Lowrie and a defensive stop by the Great Danes cut the UNC lead to 11-8 with 11:51 to play in the first half.

Ebone Henry tied the game at 13-13 with a 3-pointer at 8:34, and followed that up with a steal on the defensive end. Megan Craig gave UAlbany its first lead of the game with a bucket at 7:45, but the Tarheels responded with an and-one at the other end by Xylina McDaniel to regain a one-point advantage. Shereesha Richards made one-of-two free throws, but Julie Forster came down with the offensive rebound and Richards hit a layup to put UAlbany on top by two, 18-16, with 6:18 to play in the first half. Forster then sank both halves of a 1-and-1 to push the Great Dane lead to four, and UAlbany forced UNC into back-to-back turnovers. Sarah Royals took to the charity stripe at 4:34, draining both, putting the Great Danes up, 22-16, on the Tarheels. After another made free throw by Royals, Ruffin-Pratt ended the UAlbany run with a 3-pointer at the top of the arc, cutting the UAlbany lead to 23-19 by the last media timeout of the first half at 3:16.

Ruffin-Pratt cut the game to one, 23-22, but missed the additional free throw, and a foul on the Tarheels put Richards on the line with 1:54 to play. Richards nailed both shots to push the UAlbany lead to 25-22, but UNC’s Megan Buckland hit one from the charity stripe to pull back within two. A technical foul on the Tarheels sent Lowrie to the line, where she drained two. With 18.5 seconds to go, Richards converted 1-of-2 from the line, and the Great Dane defense forced another UNC turnover, setting the halftime score at 28-23 in UAlbany’s favor.

Henry started the second half off with a bang, draining a 3-pointer from the far side. However, the Great Dane defense started having a hard time controlling UNC’s Waltiea Rolle under the basket, as the 6-foot-6 center scored six of the Tarheels’ first 11 points of the second half. UNC cut the UAlbany lead to 39-36 at the first media timeout at 14:17. A trey from Lowrie pushed the Great Dane lead to 42-36, but the Tarheels responded immediately, gunning to the opposite end of the court for a layup by Rountree. UNC tied the game at 42-42 with a 3-pointer by Ruffin-Pratt with 11:12 to go, but Craig responded with a bucket to put UAlbany back on top. After another tying basket by UNC, Richards hit 1-of-2 from the free throw line to give the Great Danes a one-point, 45-44, advantage. UAlbany forced UNC into a shot-clock violation and Royals dished the ball to Henry under the basket, where she was fouled on a made layup and hit the free throw to put the Great Danes back on top, 48-44, with 9:40 to play.

Ruffin-Pratt gave UNC its first lead since the first half with a 3-pointer at 6:35, putting the Tarheels ahead, 49-48. She then hit two free throws to push the lead to 51-48, but two free throws by Henry cut the lead back to one with just over five minutes to play. As the time ticked down to the under-four minute media timeout, UNC held a one-point, 53-52, lead, and had possession coming out of the TO. The Tarheels extended their lead to four, 56-52, but an offensive rebound and put-back by Craig kept it a two-point game with just over a minute to play. Ruffin-Pratt iced the game for the Tarheels at the line, hitting two from the charity stripe with 11 seconds to go to set the final score.

“That was pretty amazing, huh?” said UAlbany head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson, who guided her team to 19 straight wins, including just the seventh undefeated league slate in conference history. “We came. There is no way I would let these women be scared of anything. I am proud of them.”

UAlbany shot 27.9-percent (17-61) from the field – their second-lowest shooting percentage of the season – while still holding UNC to 34.5-percent (19-55) shooting. However, the Great Danes held a slight, 44-43, rebounding advantage, and assisted 14-of-17 baskets, while the Tarheels managed just eight assists on 19 made shots.

The loss marks the end of an era for UAlbany women’s basketball, as the team will graduate seniors Ebone Henry, Julie Forster, Lindsey Lowrie, and Keyana Williams, all of whom have left indelible marks on the Great Dane program. Henry wraps up her career as the program’s all-time leading scorer with 1,635 points, while also being ranked fourth in career rebounds with 759. Forster became the first women’s player to ever record 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds, and ends her tenure with a program-leading 1,149 boards.

“When we look back on this, we will not look back on this loss,” stated Abrahamson-Henderson. “They [the seniors] are the ones that changed this program. These young women made the difference.”

University of Albany Scrap In NCAAs With Duke, But Fall, 73-61 - UAlbany Sports 2013

PHILADELPHIA – In Friday’s Second Round NCAA Tournament clash, the No. 15 seeded University at Albany men’s basketball team gave the No. 2 Duke Blue Devils a valiant run. The Great Danes battled back from a 16-point deficit to make it an eight-point game with 4:40 seconds remaining. However, in the end, Duke came out the victor, winning 73-61, advancing to play the winner of the Creighton-Cincinnati game. UAlbany’s season ends with a 24-11 record.

“We challenged them. We made Duke work. We made Duke beat us,” said head coach Will Brown.

“They're physically, athletically bigger than us at every single position,” he added. “Our motto really has been to fight, scrape and claw. The problem is if you're playing another low major or mid major Division I program, you can probably get away with getting behind and coming back, getting behind and coming back. When you play an elite program, a team that's going to compete for a national title this year, you can't afford to get behind by 12, 13, 14 points.”

Four UAlbany players reached double figures, led by Jacob Iati’s 15 points. Playing in his final career game, Iati went 3-for-4 from behind the arc, 4-4 from the free throw line, pulled down six boards, dished out six assists, and recorded three steals.

Redshirt freshman Peter Hooley played like a veteran, tallying 13 points, eight rebounds, and five helpers. Sam Rowley and Mike Black both contributed offensively with 10 points apiece, while Luke Devlin scored nine points in just 15 minutes on the court.

It was a tight first half battle between the Great Danes and Blue Devils, as Duke went into the locker room with a nine-point lead, 35-26.

The Blue Devils started off with an 8-2 run, as Seth Curry knocked down a three-pointer and Mason Plumlee finished with a free throw.

With 13:33 left in the half, UAlbany came within four, 13-9, as Hooley hit his trademark three from in front of the Duke bench, and Devlin tapped in a missed layup.

Duke followed with a 7-0 run, extending the lead to 11, 20-9, with 11:59 left in the half. Curry capped the spurt with a jumper inside the paint. The Blue Devils held strong for the next eight minutes and expanded its lead to as much as 13, 31-18, with 3:59 left.

UAlbany responded with an 8-0 run and cut the deficit to five, 31-26, with 1:56 in the half after Iati sparked the run with two free throws. The Great Danes then knocked down back-to-back three-pointers, by Iati and Black.

The Blue Devils’ Rasheed Sulaimon closed the stanza with four made free-throws, giving Duke a nine-point lead going into the second half.

Out of the break, Hooley nailed a three, cutting the margin to eight, 39-31, with 18:21 remaining. However, the Blue Devils responded with an 8-2 run, expanding the lead to 14, forcing Coach Brown to call a timeout.

The next play, Iati knocked down a three, but Curry answered with one of his own. From there, the Blue Devils held their lead in the double-digits, leading by as much as 16, 54-38, with 12:17 remaining.

Holding strong, the Great Danes continued to scrap. With 6:11 remaining Hooley hit a clutch three, making it a 10-point game. John Puk followed with a momentum-shifting block and Iati drew a foul on the play. At the line, Iati made both, cutting the margin to eight, 64-56, with 4:40 to go.

However, that was as close as the Great Danes would get. Curry took control for Duke, with back-to-back baskets after a loose ball scramble.

“The loose ball was probably the biggest play of the game,” said Iati. “I though I was going to get it, and right before I did, Plumlee tipped it a little bit and then it ricocheted off me right to Curry.”

Mike Black knocked down a three with 2:40 remaining, making the score 68-59, but that would be Duke’s final single-digit lead.

Forced to foul, the Blue Devils made 3-of-5 free throws, securing the win.

Curry led all scorers with 26 points, followed closely by Plumlee’s 23 and team-high eight rebounds.

The Great Danes shot 60 percent from three-point range (27-46), 36.5 percent from the field (9-15), and 87.5 percent (14-16) from the line, while Duke shot 36.4 percent (4-11) from behind the arc, 58.7 percent (27-46) from the floor, and 71.4 percent (15-21) from the charity stripe.

UAlbany’s 2012-13 campaign was one for the books. UAlbany recorded 24 wins -- the program’s Division I record -- captured the America East Conference Tournament title as the lowest seed (4) in conference history, and made its third NCAA Tournament appearance.

University of Albany Women's Lacrosse Routs Fresno State 21-3 - UAlbany Sports 2013

ALBANY, N.Y. – The University at Albany women’s lacrosse team scored a season-high 21 goals on their way to a 21-3 rout over Fresno State on Thursday, March 21 at John Fallon Field. Sophomore Nichole Eamer scored a career-best five goals and six points to lead the Great Danes. Senior Rachel Burek chipped in a career-high six assists.

Six UAlbany players scored two goals or more. Behind Eamer, Burek highlighted the game with eight points. Senior Jess Antelmi added four goals (five points), with freshman Maureen Keggins and junior Ariana Parker each scoring three goals. Freshman Andrea Flood also scored two goals.

The contest began with Eamer scoring the first two goals within five minutes. Both were free position shots. From there, Burek assisted the next four of five goals. Starting at attack, Burek found Eamer to put the score at 7-0.

The Great Danes continued to put the foot on the gas as Parker added her tenth goal of the season to put the score at 9-0. Fresno State (1-5) looked to make a run with sophomore Marcy Levatino scoring the Bulldogs first goal. However, UAlbany finished the half with four more. Eamer put the halftime margin at 13, 15-2, as she scored her fourth goal of the half.

The second half opened up right where the first left off. The Great Danes scored two goals before the 20 minute mark, putting the lead to 17-2. During the span, freshman Katherine Sweeney found the back of the net for the first time in her career.

UAlbany held Fresno State scoreless in the second half until the 3:57 mark. They scored only one goal in the last 30 minutes. The Great Danes added seven more goals after the half. Freshman Christine Johnson put the exclamation point on the day, scoring the final goal with 18 seconds remaining.

The Great Danes dominated nearly every statistical aspect, including shots (45-7), draw controls (17-9), ground balls (23-13) and turnovers (23-9). Junior Anna Berman (5-3) recorded the win between the pipes. She had two saves and two goals allowed. Senior Katie Wilbur (1-3) took the loss for the Bulldogs.

UAlbany opens up conference play against New Hampshire on Sunday, March 24. First draw control is slated for noon.

University of Albany Women's Basketball Defeat Hartford, Wins Second Straight America East Championship Title - UAlbany Sports 2013

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Megan Craig scored a team-high 16 points en route to being named the America East Tournament's Most Outstanding Player to lead UAlbany to a 61-52 win over Hartford in the America East Championship on Saturday evening at SEFCU Arena. The Great Danes became the eighth team in league history to win back-to-back titles, and is just the fourth team to win both the regular season and tournament titles in the same season since 2001-02.

Lindsey Lowrie scored the first five points for the Great Danes on a game-opening 3-pointer and a layup at 17:15 to give UAlbany a 5-2 advantage. After a 4-point play by Amber Bepko that put Hartford on top, 8-5, UAlbany went on a 10-0 run that spanned the next 2:30. Hartford's Ruthanne Doherty ended the Great Dane rally with a basket at 13:40, but Lowrie answered at the other end with a 3-pointer from the top of the arc, keeping UAlbany on top, 18-10, with just over 13 minutes to play. Hartford scored back-to-back baskets to pull back within four, but a jumper by Forster kept the Great Danes on top.

UAlbany extended its advantage to eight on a layup by Shereesha Richards, but Hartford's Daphne Elliott nailed a 3-pointer to cut the Hawks deficit to 24-19 with 6:22 to play in the first. Hartford then went on a 7-2 run to take a 26-25 advantage with under a minute to go, prompting UAlbany to take a timeout. The Great Danes couldn't capitalize before the end of the half, however, which sent the Hawks to the locker room with the one-point lead.

The teams exchanged a pair of free throws to start the half to keep the two-point differential, before Keyana Williams sank one-of-two from the charity stripe to tie the game at 28-28 with 18:17 to play. UAlbany regained the lead, 32-31, on back-to-back baskets by Richards and Megan Craig at 14:38. However, a 3-pointer by Elliott at 14:11 put the Hawks back on top. The teams exchanged baskets before Ebone Henry finally got her first points of the day at the 9:24 mark, and a layup by Richards tied the game at 40-40. The Great Danes took their first lead since the first half on a runner by Henry before the under-eight minute media timeout at 7:48.

After a double-foul call - which was a flagrant on Hartford's Amber Bepko - UAlbany extended its lead to 46-40 on two made free throws by Lowrie and a basket by Craig with 7:25 to play. Hartford wouldn't go away quietly, cutting the score back to two, 50-48, on two free throws by Nikkia Smith with 3:32 to play. The teams exchanged baskets, before a layup by Smith tied the game at 52-all at 1:39. Royals put a layup in with just over a minute to go to put the Great Danes back on top, and UAlbany scored the final five points of the game from the free throw line to seal up the win.

UAlbany finished the game shooting 44.2 percent (23-52) from the floor, and out-rebounded Hartford, 38-31. The Great Danes are just the fourth team in America East history, and the first since Maine in 1996 to go undefeated in the America East regular season and win the tournament title.

With the UAlbany men's team winning the league title earlier on Saturday at Vermont, this marks the sixth time in league history that both the men's and women's programs from the same institution have won the basketball titles in the same season.

University of Albany Heads To NCAA's With Defeat Over Vermont - UAlbany Sports 2013

BURLINGTON, Vt. - A full team-effort that was led by Mike Black's 14-point performance pushed the University at Albany past Vermont, 53-49, in the America East Conference Finals on Saturday, March 16 at Patrick Gymnasium. This is the first time in conference tournament history that a number 4 seed took home the conference tournament championship.


Behind Black's 14 points, the Great Dane bench came up huge, scoring 27 of the team's 53 points. Junior forward Luke Devlin led the charge off the bench, scoring 12 points and shot a perfect 6-of-6 from the field and grabbed five rebounds. Redshirt-freshman guard Peter Hooley filled the stat sheet off the bench with eight points, four assists, four steals, and two rebounds.

Vermont began the contest with a big 10-0 run to start with 17:18 left in the half. Trey Blue led the charge with five points, one three-pointer off a missed free-throw to begin the run.

Black stopped the momentum with the Great Danes first basket to cut the deficit to eight, 10-2, with 16:57 remaining. The basket led to a 11-0 run and the Great Danes first lead of 11-10, with 11:19 left in the half.

UAlbany's defense forced five consecutive turnovers during a seven-minute stretch to obtain the early lead.

Vermont took the lead back at 14-11, with 9:09 remaining, and UAlbany responded with a 17-6 run to finish the half. The Catamounts turnovers were key for the Great Danes during the run, as Peter Hooley recorded three steals and converted all three with layups.

The Great Danes led by eight, 28-20, at the end of the first half. Black led all scorers at the half, with 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the floor.

The Catamounts started the second half, like the first half, on a 6-0 run to cut the lead to two, 28-26, with 15:49 remaining. Two big three-point plays by Ethan O'Day and Luke Apfeld were the sparked the charge.

UAlbany responded with a 10-5 run to extend its lead to five, 38-33, with 9:28 left in the contest. Jacob Iati found teammate Blake Metcalf wide open for the slam to cap the run.

With Vermont looking to gain momentum from an out-of-bounds play for O'Day to nailed a dunk, UAlbany's Black came right back down the floor and hit a big three to keep the Great Danes up six, 41-35, with 7:35 left.

The Catamonts came back with an 8-2 run to grab their first lead, 45-43, since the 11:20 mark of the first half. Sandro Carissimo hit back-to-back buckets capping the run to give Vermont the two-point lead with 2:50 remaining.

UAlbany's Iati responded with back-to-back three pointers, his first points of the game, to reclaim the lead, 49-45, with 1:10 remaining.

After Vermont's Trey Blue hit a layup to cut the deficit to two, 51-49, Great Dane junior center John Puk shut the door with the final two free throws to send his team dancing.

UAlbany's 24 wins are the most single season wins in program history. The Great Danes will wait to hear who and where they play on ESPN's Selection Show on Sunday, March 17.

University of Alban's Johnson Belts First Collegiate Homer as Softball Defeats Butler, 4-0 - UAlbany Sports 2013

KISSIMMEE, FLA –The University at Albany softball team triumphed over Butler University in a 4-0 win at the Rebel Games on Friday, March 15. Freshman Annie Johnson slugged her first collegiate homer in a three-hit performance to lead the Great Danes. Junior Brittany MacFawn also pitched a complete game one-hitter in the outing. This followed junior Emily Ostrom's one-hit performance yesterday.

Johnson opened up the scoring for UAlbany in the second inning. SophomoreAlexa Toole led off with a line drive single to center field. From there, Johnson stepped into a one strike pitch and launched it over the left field wall. It was her first collegiate homer.

MacFawn would need no more run support as the right-handed hurler did not allow a runner to safely touch first base after the third inning. The only exception was a single throwing error. MacFawn (3-5) pitched her eighth complete game of the season, striking out seven and walking zero over six innings. She is currently seventh in Great Dane program history with 43 complete games.

Reigning America East Rookie of the Year, Vicky McFarland, added two runs to put the game away in the sixth inning. She singled, scoring sophomore Bri Chevalier and Toole.

Johnson set a career-high in hits and RBIs. She went 3-for-4, driving in two and stealing a base. Toole also recorded a three-hit performance, driving in two. Taylor Lockwood was charged with the loss for Butler (8-12). She went 2.1 innings, allowing three hits off two earned runs.

UAlbany will play six more at the Rebel Games. They have tomorrow off before playing two on Sunday. The Great Danes will match up against UW- Green Bay at 11:00 a.m. followed by Rider University at 1:00 p.m.

University of Albany CAA Football Announces Complete 2013 Schedule - UAlbany Sports 2013

ALBANY, N.Y. – Entering an exciting new chapter of Great Dane football, the University at Albany has announced the 2013 schedule in its entirety. The slate will feature five home contests at Bob Ford Field – a brand new 8,500 seat stadium -- eight games against Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) opponents, and a meeting with a pending Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) adversary.

While the finishing touches are put on UAlbany’s new gridiron, the Great Danes will play the first two weeks of the season on the road, taking on a pair of familiar non-conference opponents in Duquesne and Colgate. UAlbany will play the Dukes of the Northeast Conference (NEC) in Pittsburgh Aug. 31st. The Danes own a 5-1 lead in the all-time series, including a 38-31 road win at Duquesne in 2012.

The following Saturday, the Great Danes have just a short bus trip to Hamilton, N.Y., facing NCAA Playoff participant and reigning Patriot League champion Colgate. UAlbany overcame the Raiders, 40-23, in 2012’s season-opener.

Perhaps the most anticipated game of the season takes place on Sept. 14th, as a brand new era of UAlbany football will officially begin on that day. The Great Danes will play their inaugural game at Bob Ford Field, kickoff their first CAA contest as a member of the league, and face Rhode Island for the first time in program history.

Back home again on Sept. 21st, UAlbany hosts another former conference colleague, the NEC’s Central Connecticut State. The meeting will mark the 18th between the two schools with the Great Danes leading the all-time series, 12-5.

For UAlbany’s final non-conference contest of the season, the Danes travel to Norfolk, Va. to battle Old Dominion Sept. 28th. Last season, the Monarchs closed its tenure with the CAA, while reaching the quarterfinals of the FCS Championship. Transitioning to Conference USA for 2015, ODU will compete as an independent for two seasons, as they elevate to the FBS level.

Back to battling CAA foes for the remainder of the slate, the Great Danes travel to James Madison on Oct. 5th and Delaware on Oct. 12th, before returning home Oct. 19th to host Towson. UAlbany will then hit the road to battle Richmond, a 2012 CAA co-champion, on Nov. 2nd.

The following two weekends, the Great Danes have the home field advantage, welcoming Maine Nov. 9th and 2012 NCAA Tournament participant New Hampshire Nov. 16th to the Capital Region.

UAlbany closes the 2013 regular season on Nov. 23rd at rival Stony Brook, who has made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the last two seasons. Like the Great Danes, Stony Brook will also be playing its inaugural CAA Football schedule next fall.

The CAA has proven to be one of the strongest and well respected conferences at the FCS level, as nine of the 11 teams competing in 2013 were ranked in the nation's top-25 last season. In addition, CAA Football has produced two national championship teams, four national championship game appearances, eight semifinal appearances and more than 30 postseason wins since 2007.

In the past, UAlbany has had success over CAA members, having tallied a 7-5 all-time record. The Great Danes have previously faced Delaware (1-1), Maine (4-2), Towson (2-1) and New Hampshire (0-1), and will also have an opportunity to expand on its rivalry with Stony Brook, having played the Seawolves 15 times in the past (10-5).

Wrapping up a 14-year tenure in the Northeast Conference with six championships, including a share of the title in 2012, the Great Danes are just months away from the new CAA era.

Football season tickets for 2013 are on sale now! Season tickets are available in three price options, beginning with the premium Gold Club seating. Gold Club is offered to UAlbany Athletic Department donors of $1,000 or more. Those seats are located on the lower level of the stadium between the 30-yard lines and can be purchased for $140 per season ticket plus a deposit on the donation.

The second option is the lower level reserved seating, located from the 10- to the 30-yard lines and can be purchased for $100 per season ticket. Lastly, upper level reserved seats are available for $75 per season ticket.

Individual game tickets will go on sale Aug. 1, 2013. Ticket prices for individual games will start at $15. Student tickets will remain free to all enrolled UAlbany students, with seating in both the lower and upper levels. Student tickets will be available at the start of the Fall 2013 semester.

For more information or to order season tickets, call the UAlbany Athletics Box Office at (518) 442-DANE.


2013 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Aug. 31 @ Duquesne

Sept. 7 @ Colgate

Sept. 14 vs. Rhode Island* (Fireworks by SEFCU)

Sept. 21 vs. CCSU (Hall of Fame Game)

Sept. 28 @ Old Dominion

Oct. 5 @ James Madison*

Oct. 12 @ Delaware*

Oct. 19 vs. Towson* (Homecoming)

Oct. 26 BYE

Nov. 2 @ Richmond*

Nov. 9 vs. Maine*

Nov. 16 vs. UNH*

Nov. 23 @ Stony Brook*

University of Albany Women's Lacrosse Routs George Mason, 17-5 - UAlbany Sports 2013

ALBANY, N.Y. - Senior attack Rachael Burek recorded another stellar outing, with eight points en route to an University at Albany win over George Mason, 17-5, on Wednesday, March 13 at John Fallon Field. Burek, following her previous high of four assists against Manhattan earlier this season, recorded a career-best five assists today against the Patriots.

Three Great Danes tallied at least three goals and five recorded at least three points in the rout over the Patriots. Burek headlined with eight points, three goals and five assists, then was followed by Rachel Bowles' five goal game and Jess Antelmi's four-goal performance. Amanda Obenshain (3 assists) and Maureen Keggins (2 goals, 1 assists) each had three point games. Kathleen Lennon dominated the draw control circle again with a game-best and a career-best 12 draw controls.

Recently named America East Rookie of the Week Rachel Bowles began the contest off with two quick unassisted goals to give the Great Danes a 2-0 lead with 26:54 left in the first half. Then senior attack Jess Antelmi rattled off two quick goals, both assisted by Rachael Burek to extend the lead to 4-0, with 23:18 left.

Following two goals, one by Keggins and Allie Phelan, Burek offensive stick got hot with three straight goals in a matter of two minutes to bring the lead up to nine, 9-0, with 19:07 remaining in the contest.

George Mason (2-4) got on the board from Allie Hilderbrandt's stick to cut the deficit to eight, 9-1, with 15:26 left.

UAlbany (4-2) scored the next three of the four remaining goals in the half to extend the lead to 11, 13-2. Bowles tallied two of three team goals during the stretch.

The Great Danes did not take their foot off the gas, scoring the next four goals in the first five minutes of the second half to bring the lead to 14, 16-2, with 25:04. Bowles, the Cicero, N.Y. native, tallied her fifth goal of the contest during the run, which broke her previous career-best of four against Florida on Feb. 24, 2013.

The Patriots looked to make a run, scoring three of the next four goals, but that was not enough to cut into the deficit and fall by a final score of 17-5.

UAlbany junior goalkeeper Anna Berman recorded seven saves on 11 chances for her fourth win of the season. George Mason goalkeeper Brittany Pastrana was dealt the loss, having recorded one save on ten chances.

The Great Danes head south to Baltimore, Md. To face No. 14 Cornell, on a neutral site, on Sunday, March 17 at St. Paul's School for Girls. Game is set for 1 p.m.

University of Albany Tennis Defeats Both Siena & Hartford In Weekend Sweep - UAlbany Sports 2013

ALBANY, N.Y. – The University at women’s tennis team won two matches in 14 hours to raise their record to 5-5 on Saturday, March 9. First they defeated crosstown rival Siena, 4-3, before winning their first America East Conference dual match against Hartford, 6-1. Junior Rocio Lopez and sophomore team co-captain Kirsten Scott went undefeated on the day, teaming up for two doubles victories and winning both of their singles matches. The No. 1 doubles duo has now won three straight.

Siena: The Great Danes quickly dealt fatal blows to the Saints (2-3) No. 1 and No. 2 doubles teams to take the doubles point. Three of the singles matches were tough battles. Graduate student Irene Santos fought off multiple set points and came back to win the first set. The Spaniard, Santos, led 2-1, in the second when Lopez clinched the match and Santos was pulled off for health reasons.

Co-captain and sophomore Fran White nearly got her first win of the spring as she turned in a stellar performance at No. 6. White played a solid first set, narrowly losing.

The Great Danes proceeded to romp Siena in the three singles matches needed to clinch the win. Scott got the win first, followed by freshman standout Cat Crummey and lastly was Lopez winning easily.

Hartford: UAlbany (5-5, 1-0 AE) turned around after match one to battle Hartford (0-5) at Tri-City Fitness. In their first America East dual match of 2013, the Great Danes were victorious. Their only losses were No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles due to default.

UAlbany went into doubles play with a default loss, therefore needing to win both matches to take the first point of the night. UAlbany took care of business as Lopez and Scott showed veteran leadership at the top spot. They shutout their opponent, 8-0. Crummey returned to the court from injury with freshman teammate Mireille Hermans defeated Jessica Galik and Hannah Goldman, 8-3, to clinch the first point.

In singles play, the Great Danes won their matches in order to cruise to victory. Lopez advanced to 9-1 in singles play on the season with a 6-2,6-2 win over Katina Zampas. Scott and Crummey, both recently off injury, also had strong performances. They won 6-1, 6-0 and 6-0, 6-1 respectively. Crummey clinched the match with the win.

"It was a long day, starting at 7:30 a.m. and ending at 10:30 p.m. It was a bit of a mental gut-check for everyone.” said coach Gordon Graham. “The team responded well with lots of positive energy. We will be fighting hard to keep that rolling.”

The next match for the Great Danes is Wednesday, March 13 as they host the Sacred Heart Pioneers at Tri-City Fitness in Latham. Match time is set for 2 p.m.

University of Albany Women' Lacrosse Uses Team Effort To Dominate Manhattan, 19-1 - UAlbany Sports 2013

ALBANY, N.Y. - A full team effort that had 10 different scorers by the University at Albany was the factor in the win over Mahattan, 19-1, on Monday, March 11 at John Fallon Field. Senior attack Rachael Burek led the offensive charge, facilitating four different goals and adding one goal for a game-best five points in the Great Dane victory.

UAlbany (3-2) opened up the contest firing with four straight goals just under seven minutes for a 4-0 lead with 23:44 left to play in the first half. Redshirt-freshman midfielder Rachel Bowles began the offensive strike with two of the first four goals, one from teammate Burek and the other off a free-position attempt.

Manhattan (1-5) scored its first goal of the day to cut the deficit within four, 5-1, with 9:25. The Jaspers' Stefanie Ranagan cut through the middle of the defense and score her lone goal of the contest.

The Great Danes responded with another four-goal run to end the half with an eight-goal lead, 9-1. Four different offensive players got into the scoring mix, as Jess Antelmi, Ariana Parker, Nichole Eamer, and Rachael Burek all found the back of the net during the run.

More offensive explosion continued in the second half for UAlbany with Parker and Eamer tallying goals in the first two minutes, both of which were assisted by Burek to extend the lead to 10, 11-1, with 28:03 left.

With the lead as high as 12, the Great Danes used their bench to get into the offensive mix. Freshmen Christine Johnson and Julie Cryderman each tallied their first career goals. Freshman Taylor Giglio recorded her first career point, assisting Cryderman. Earlier on in the contest, freshman Amanda Obenshain recorded her first career point with an assist to teammate Antelmi.

The Great Danes' sophomore midfielder Cassie Bouton finished the contest with her first a career goal to wrap-up the third win of the season.

UAlbany junior goalkeeper Anna Berman recorded two saves for her third victory of the season. Manhattan goalkeeper Christin Fiorinelli tallied nine saves on 28 chances in the loss. The Great Danes held advantages in every offensive and defensive category, except in saves.

The Great Danes continue their homestand on Wednesday, March 13 to face George Mason at John Fallon Field. Game is slated for noon.

University of Albany Men's Basketball Beats Stony Brook In America East Conference Semi Final - UAlbany Sports 2013

ALBANY, N.Y. - The University at Albany senior guard Mike Black did what he does best, hitting a last-second shot to push the Great Danes past Stony Brook, 61-59, in the America East Semifinals on Sunday, March 10 at SEFCU Arena. The 23 wins this season ties a Division I program record for most wins in a season.


This is the first time in four years that UAlbany was able to defeat Stony Brook in the conference tournament, as the Seawolves bounced the Great Danes in the previous three meetings, including last season's last-second tip-in.

The superhero tandem of Mike Black (16 points) and Jacob Iati (14 points) paced their squad, scoring a combined 30 of the team's 61 points. Before fouling out, sophomore forward Sam Rowley recorded five points, 11 rebounds, and two blocks on the night.

Stony Brook (24-7) looked to own the first 20 minutes of the contest, going on a 7-0 run and grab the early 7-0 lead with 16:44 left in the half. The early Warney layup sparked the Seawolf run.

UAlbany (23-10) responded back with 23-7 run that spanned over the next 12:21 to hold a 23-14 lead, with 4:23 remaining. The Great Danes held the Seawolf offense in check by not allowing a single point from the 10:55 mark to the 3:28 mark, which was a span of seven minutes.

Back-to-back threes by Black and Iati, then a highlight dunk from Johnson to go on a 10-3 run tied the contest at 10, with 13:50 left to begin the run.

Following an offensive miss, John Puk came down the middle of the paint and delivered a put back slam gave the Great Danes a 11-0 run to extend the lead to seven, 21-14, with 5:20 left.

Each team traded baskets for the final four minutes, as UAlbany held a five-point lead, 28-23, going into the second half. Following a 0-for-6 start shooting from the field, the Great Danes finished the half, shooting 10-for-19 and were led by Iati's seven first-half points.

Stony Brook came back in the second half, cutting the deficit to two, 35-33, with 11:41 remaining in the game. Seawolves' Dave Coley began the comeback with two quick baskets.

UAlbany retaliated with a 14-6 run to extend its lead to 10, 49-39, with 5:46 left. Iati sparked the Great Dane offense with a runner in the lane and a three-pointer from the right elbow.

Seawolves' Coley hit the next 3-of-4 free-throws to bring the game within seven, 49-42, with 4:27 left.

Great Danes' Peter Hooley came back with his trademark three from right corner to keep the lead to 10, 52-42, with 3:58 remaining.

With a UAlbany six-point lead, 58-52, at the 1:11 mark, Stony Brook rattled off five quick points to cut the deficit to one, 58-57, with 33 seconds left. The Seawolves' Carson Puriefoy hit a big three and America East Player of the Year, having not scored a single point to this mark, hit two free-throws to bring his team within a point.

Following a Luke Devlin made free-throw to put the game up two, 59-57, Stony Brook's Davy Coley hit the lane, was fouled and hit both free throws to tie the game at 59 with 12 seconds left.

As the inbounds was passed in, Coach Brown signaled Mike Black to do what he does best, win games, and he did so with the same exact drive down the lane as he did in Seattle, Washington to defeat the University of Washington to push the Great Danes to the America East Finals.

The Great Danes will play the University of Vermont on Saturday, March 16 in Patrick Gym for the America East Conference Tournament Championship.

University of Albany Women's Basketball Advances to Second Straight America East Championship Game

ALBANY, N.Y. – Lindsey Lowrie scored a game-high 18 points, while Julie Forster recorded her 30th career double-double of 11 points and 12 rebounds, leading top-seeded UAlbany to a 71-57 win over New Hampshire in the second America East Conference Women’s Basketball Semifinal on Sunday afternoon at SEFCU Arena. The Great Danes, who improve to 26-3 on the season, advance to their second straight league championship game, and will face second-seeded Hartford on Saturday, March 16, at 7 p.m. at SEFCU Arena.

New Hampshire scored first to start the game, getting a bucket from Cari Reed, but the Great Danes scored seven straight points, including four from Lowrie, giving the Great Danes a 7-4 advantage at the first media timeout of the half, with 15:19 to play. UAlbany got a steal from Ebone Henry, which turned into two more points from Lowrie with just over 12 minutes to play in the first half, pushing the Great Dane advantage to 11-6.

New Hampshire got a 3-pointer from Reed and a bucket in the paint from Morgan Frame to pull within 14-13 with 9:45 to play in the first, prompting UAlbany to take a timeout. Forster responded with a jumper, but New Hampshire got back-to-back buckets to take a 17-16 lead with 8:30 to play. The Great Danes regained a one-point advantage with two free throws by Sarah Royals, but Kaylee Fitzpatrick responded with a basket to give the Wildcats back the lead, 19-18, just before the under-eight minute media timeout at 7:41.

Fitzpatrick’s bucket kicked off a 5-2 run for the Wildcats, who held a 24-20 lead over the top-ranked Great Danes with 3:51 to play in the first half. Lowrie nailed a long three from the left side of the arc after the media timeout to pull UAlbany back to within one. Forster then recorded a steal and drew a hard foul under the basket, hitting one-of-two free throws to tie the game at 24-24 with 2:40 to play. Another defensive stop and basket by Megan Craig gave the Great Danes their first lead since the 8:15 mark. Reed ended the 10-0 UAlbany run with 35 seconds to play, but the Great Danes came up with another defensive stop to hold a 32-26 lead at the halftime break.

New Hampshire scored the first points of the second half, but Henry sank two free throws to maintain UAlbany’s six-point lead. The Great Danes used strong shooting from the charity stripe to continue to hold onto their lead, and led the Wildcats, 38-31 at the first media timeout of the half at 15:12. With a long 3-pointer from Lowrie at 14:25, UAlbany opened up its largest lead of the game, 41-31, and extended that by two after a turnover on the defensive end and a basket by Shereesha Richards on the ensuing possession.

The teams exchanged points over the next four minutes, with UAlbany maintaining its 12-point lead, 51-39, on two free throws by Henry at 9:34. However, some miscues by the Great Danes allowed New Hampshire to cut into the deficit, pulling back to within eight, 52-44, with 6:30 to play. A layup by Kaylee Kilpatrick and a 3-pointer from Kelsey Hogan extended the Wildcat run to 10-0, and pulled New Hampshire to within 52-49 with 5:35 to play, prompting a timeout from the Great Danes. Henry, who had all of her points from the free throw line in the game, finally connected on a layup at 5:02 to get the Great Danes back into the scoring column.

The Great Danes extended their lead back to ten, 65-55, with under a minute to go, as Henry lobbed an outlet pass to Richards, who was fouled by Frame on the made basket. The foul was ruled flagrant, and Richards made one-of-two from the line. Lowrie then hit four free throws to close out the scoring and set the final score.

"We held in the first half, and we stayed focused," said UAlbany head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson, who has now guided the Great Danes to their second straight America East Championship appearance. "We just wanted to stick together. It's about sticking together, and that's what we did today."

UAlbany also got double-figure scoring totals from Henry with 13, and Richards with 11. New Hampshire outshot the Great Danes, connecting on 44.0 percent (22-50) of their shots. However, UAlbany scored 20 points off turnovers, as the Wildcats gave up the ball 20 times.

"I just wanted to win, really bad," said Lowrie, who earned her first all-conference recognition this season as a third team selection. "I didn't want this to be my last game. And that's what went through my head the entire game."

University of Albany Men's Basketball Defeats Maine America East Quarterfinals - UAlbany Sports 2013

ALBANY, N.Y. – A hard-nose effort by sophomore forward Sam Rowley, having tallied 19 points, eight coming in the last 2 and half minutes pushed the University at Albany past Maine, 50-49, on Saturday, March 9 at SEFCU Arena. The Great Danes prepare for the No. 1 seed Stony Brook on Sunday, March 10 at 7 p.m.

Rowley paced all players with his 19 points and eight rebounds, on 7-of-14 shooting from the field. Senior guard Mike Black tallied nine points, shooting a perfect 4-of-4 from the free-throw line. Black's nine points pushed him over the 1,500-point barrier to become the 44th America East Conference player to accomplish the feat.

At the 7:40 mark in the second half, UAlbany (22-10) head coach Will Brown received a technical foul from the ref. Following a made free-throw from Maine's Zarko Valjarevic, Maine held an eight-point lead, 44-36.

The Great Dane technical foul sparked a 12-0 run, in a span of five minutes, and give them their first lead of the contest, 46-44, with 2:20 remaining on the clock. Rowley recorded six of the teams 12 points during the run and the team hit a perfect 6-of-6 during the stretch.

Following UAlbany's first lead, Maine responded back with two free-throws by Xavier Pollard and layup by Justin Edwards to regain the lead, 48-46, with 1:23 left in regulation.

Rowley responded with a solid post move down low to tie the contest at 48 with 70 seconds left.

On the Black Bears next posession, Mike Allison was put on the line and shot 1-of-2 to grab a one-point lead, 49-48, with 40 seconds left.

After a timeout with 32 second remaining, UAlbany went to Rowley one last time and he proved to be clutch, hitting the 5-foot bunny to give the Great Danes a one-point lead, 50-49, with just under 15 seconds.

Maine had one final shot from Justin Edwards, who was covered by three people, but it did not fall and allow UAlbany to move on to the America East Conference Semifinals.

University of Albany's Lyle Thompson Leads the Way as Men's Lacrosse Defeats #9/13 UMass, 15-9 - UAlbany Sports 2013

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Lyle Thompson scored five goals and handed out three assists to lead UAlbany to a 15-9 victory over #9/13 UMass on Tuesday afternoon in non-conference men's lacrosse action at John Fallon Field. The Great Danes improve to 2-2 on the season, while the Minutemen fall to 3-2 with their second straight loss.

The two teams played a mostly scoreless first quarter, with neither team scoring until just under the four-minute mark, when UAlbany freshman John Maloney scored his first collegiate goal off an assist from Ty Thompson. UMass tied the game less than a minute later after winning the ensuing faceoff, getting an unassisted shot from Kyle Smith. Lyle Thompson gave UAlbany the quarter-ending lead, scoring an unassisted goal with just five seconds to play.

The Minutemen scored first to start the second to tie the game for the second time on a goal from Dan Muller, but UAlbany responded with three straight goals. A pair of scores from Lyle Thompson sandwiched another goal from Maloney to put the Great Danes up, 5-2, with eight minutes to play in the first half. However, UMass scored the next three goals - two to end the second quarter, and one to start the third, to tie the game for the third time.

After Grant Whiteway's goal to start the third period, UAlbany got back-to-back goals from Maloney and Lyle Thompson to regain the advantage. The Minutement got a goal from Matt Whippen at 9:39 to pull back within one, 7-6, but three straight goals by the Great Danes would seal the game up. Derrick Eccles netted his second goal of the season at 6:53, before Ty Thompson assisted Will Fuller on a man-up opportunity at 5:35. Freshman Kevin McNally ended the streak with a goal at 3:24, getting an assist from Matt Garziano. UMass once again ended the quarter with a score, taking advantage of their only extra-man opportunity of the game with a score from Whiteway at 1:25.

The Minutemen scored first to start the final period, but the two Thompson's on the field connected for a goal at 8:40, with Lyle passing off to Ty. UMass would attempt to stage a late comeback, pulling within two goals, 11-9, on a score from Kyle Smith, but Lyle assisted Jimmy Haugen's first collegiate goal at 2:56 to start a four-goal streak for the Great Danes. The Minutemen pulled goalkeeper Zachary Oliveri for 45 seconds, and UAlbany scored two open-net goals with scores from Lyle Thompson and Ryan Feuerstein. Backup netminder Reed Goodhue came into the game for the final 1:17 for UMass, but long pole defender Anthony Ostrander rocketed a shot past him with just 1:09 to play to set the final score.

"We needed to have a good game to get back on track," said UAlbany head coach Scott Marr, whose team is receiving votes in both national polls this week. "We needed to regain our mental focus. Everyone was paying attention to the small details, and we stepped up. We had different guys put the ball in the goal and Blaze [Riorden] and the defense played awesome."

UAlbany outshot UMass, 39-35, and held a 38-29 advantage in ground balls. Kevin Glueckert took all 28 faceoffs for the Great Danes, winning 15. UAlbany goalkeeper Blaze Riorden stopped 12 shots for the Great Danes, while Oliveri made 10 stops for UMass.