University of Albany: Singletary’s Three Silences Patrick Gym in 47-44 Victory at Vermont - UAlbany Sports 2015

BURLINGTON, VT.- Junior guard Evan Singletary hit a three with two seconds left and the game tied to send University at Albany men’s basketball (13-7, 8-0 AE) past Vermont (11-10, 6-2 AE) 47-44. Senior Sam Rowley also tallied his 1,000th career point in the win. “To be honest, I got the ball and I saw the time but I was looking for Sam [Rowley],” said Singletary. “Once I saw the clock running down, I knew I had to get the ball up. I struggled the whole game, but it’s not always about scoring. It’s the shot you dream of, and when it went in I couldn’t believe it.” Neither side looked poised to make the contest high-scoring early, as the teams combined to go 1-for-11 from the field in the first four minutes. The Great Danes got out to an early 3-0 lead as the Catamounts went scoreless for the first five minutes. But the Purple & Gold experience a scoring drought of its own, going without a field goal for eight minutes and committing five turnovers in the process. By the 9:09 mark in the first half, Sam Rowley was the only Dane with a field goal to his credit. The senior had six of UAlbany’s seven early points. Despite the scoring troubles, the Purple & Gold was only down 11-7, as Vermont also struggled shooting and failed to get to the charity stripe. Both teams were under 30% from the field at the under-eight media timeout. Will Brown’s squad had fouls working in its favor mid-way through the first half, a 6-1 advantage. Sam Rowley went to the line with the Purple & Gold in the bonus to make both shots of a one-and-one, eclipsing the 1,000-point mark. The senior also gave UAlbany the lead back for the first time in 10 minutes, 13-11. The teams went back-and-forth, but five-straight points from Ray Sanders put the Great Danes up 20-15 with five minutes to play in the first. Singletary hit from three-point range with two minutes on the clock to ensure a halftime lead, 25-17. With fouls stacking up against the Catamounts, John Becker’s squad continued to struggle to score. Vermont was without a field goal for 10 minutes after making two shots to open the half. UAlbany extended its lead to as many as seven points four times entering the last three minutes of the game. A 6-2 Catamount run saw that edge disappear with 42 seconds on the clock. The Purple & Gold led 44-42 thanks to one free throw from Singletary, but Vermont’s Dre Wills came down for a clear-out dunk on the next possession. Without a timeout, John Becker did not have an opportunity to set his defense. Sixteen seconds proved enough time for Singletary to get down the floor and drain the three to seal a 47-44 victory. “I’m proud of my group,” said head coach Will Brown. “I knew it was going to take a big effort to come up here and beat a very good and well-coached Vermont team. We wanted to make this as ugly of a game as possible. We’ve struggled up here in the regular season, so I’m just proud that we beat such a good team in a tough environment.” UAlbany only had four scorers, including Sam Rowley (18) Singletary (13), Sanders (10) and Mike Rowley (6). The Purple & Gold notched a 43-28 rebounding advantage for the game and 12-3 on the offensive glass. Despite a rough first half, Singletary finished with 13 points and eight rebounds. Fellow junior Ray Sanders recorded his first double-double as a Great Dane with 10 points and 13 rebounds. Sam Rowley became the ninth Great Dane to tally 1,000 points or more in the Division I era. His game-high 18 against the Catamounts gave him 1,008. “We’re happy with where we are,” said Rowley. “We know what it’s like to lose, and it’s good to see that’s turned into a winning mentality. In spite of the circumstances, we’re more motivated. Every game someone has stepped up. It’s good for a program when a player reaches 1,000 points, and I’m honored to be in that company; but I’m just looking forward to getting more wins.” UAlbany men’s basketball continues its all-time best America East start at 8-0. The Danes now have a two-game separation for first place in the league standings and head-to-head advantage over Vermont and Stony Brook. Wednesday’s win marks the first time the Purple & Gold has emerged victorious from Patrick Gym in the regular season since 2009. Brown’s Danes are also on an eight-game winning streak, matching their longest Division I winning streak. The Great Danes look to keep the streak alive at Maine (2-19, 1-7 AE) on Saturday. Tip is set for 2:00 p.m., at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor.

University of Albany Football's Gattuso Announces Coaching Staff Additions And Adjustments - UAlbany Sports 2015

ALBANY, N.Y. -- University at Albany Head Football Coach Greg Gattuso has announced a number of adjustments to the UAlbany coaching staff for the 2015 season, including the addition of Jay Foster, Nate Byham, and Dave Plungas. Foster will serve as the team’s defensive backs coach, Byham will lead the tight ends, and Plungas will assist the defensive assistant coaches. In addition, Gabe Luvara has moved from tight ends coach to assistant offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, while offensive coordinator Joe Bernard has added assistant head coach to his title. “Gabe was instrumental in the development of our passing game last year and he’s going to step up in his role,” said Gattuso. “He’s just done a great job for us and we have a lot of faith in him.” Bernard Clark also received a promotion, now serving as associate head coach, defensive coordinator, and linebackers coach. "One of his greatest assets is getting kids to play for him hard," said Gattuso of Clark. "They respond to him and rally to him. I just love his energy on the field and he’s going to do a great job running our defense this year." Former director of operations, Jeff Dittman, has been promoted to the role of special teams coordinator and defensive assistant. "Jeff’s work ethic and loyalty this past year was phenomenal in the director role," said Gattuso. "Special teams needs a guy that works like that and Jeff is a great fit. He’s a young enthusiastic coach and he’s very dedicated." Consequently, Harry Traylor fills Dittman’s void in operations after spending last season assisting the defense. "Harry was my intern at Maryland a few years ago," added Gattuso. "I think he’s an extremely intelligent person. He’s young but I think he has the skills to balance what we need in that role. Our director of football is a guy who really helps me run the program. He has big shoes to fill but I think he’s going to do a great job." Lastly, Aaron Smith has added pass game coordinator to his responsibilities, in addition to his former roles of recruiting coordinator and wide receivers coach. 2015 UAlbany Football Coaching Staff Greg Gattuso Head Coach Bernard Clark Associate Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Joe Bernard Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Gabe Luvara Assistant Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Aaron Smith Pass Game Coordinator/Recruiting Coordinator/Wide Receivers Jim Sweeney Offensive Line Nate Byham Tight Ends Delbert Cowsette Defensive Line Jay Foster Defensive Backs Jeff Dittman Special Teams Coordinator/Defensive Assistant Harry Traylor Director of Operations Kellen ONeill Offensive Assistant Dave Plungas Defensive Assistant

University of Albany Men's Lacrosse: Lyle Thompson Selected First Overall in 2015 MLL Collegiate Draft by Florida Launch - UAlbany Sports 2015

BALTIMORE – UAlbany senior attack Lyle Thompson has been picked first overall by the Florida Launch in the 2015 Major League Lacrosse (MLL) Collegiate Draft. The pick was announced at the 2015 US National Lacrosse Convention at the Hilton Baltimore in Maryland. Thompson is the highest-selected player from UAlbany in MLL Collegiate Draft history. Previously, UAlbany alum Jordan Levine was the lone Great Dane selected in the first round, taken 10th overall in 2008 by the New Jersey Pride. "I can't say enough about what Lyle has done for our program and the game of lacrosse," said UAlbany coach Scott Marr. "He truly exemplifies all the qualities you would want in a person." Lyle Thompson becomes the 11th Great Dane selected in the MLL Collegiate Draft. So far, 14 Great Danes have played in the MLL, with Lyle potentially being the 15th. As a program, at least one Great Dane has been selected in eight of the past nine drafts dating back to 2007. The Co-Tewaaraton Trophy winner set an NCAA single season record with 128 points in 2014. He tied the NCAA record with 77 assists, adding 51 goals, 48 ground balls and 15 caused turnovers. He earned numerous yearly awards in 2014, including the USILA Lt. Raymond J. Enners Award for DI Outstanding Player of the Year, the Lt. Col. J.L. (Jack) Turnbull Award for DI Most Outstanding Attackman, USILA First Team All-American, America East Player of the Year and Lacrosse Magazine Person of the Year. Lyle Thompson joins the league along with the rest of the Thompson Trio. Brother Miles Thompson, drafted 20th overall in 2013, and cousin Ty Thompson, drafted 28th overall last year, each are on the Rochester Rattlers roster. The Launch started as an expansion team in 2014. Leading the team is MLL All-Star and UAlbany alum Brett Queener in goal.

University of Albany Men’s Basketball Out to All-Time Best America East Start at 6-0 With 62-53 Victory at Hartford - UAlbany Sports 2015

WEST HARTFORD, Conn.- University at Albany men’s basketball (11-7, 6-0 AE) claimed the top spot in the America East on Thursday night, downing Hartford (11-8, 4-2 AE) 62-53. The Great Danes are out to their best America East start ever at 6-0. Sam Rowley scored a career-high 22 points in the victory. “I thought this was another good effort by our guys,” said head coach Will Brown. “We’ve been focusing on getting better defensively and getting more aggressive attacking the paint on offense. We’re making progress on both ends of the ball.” Both teams began the game stone cold from the field, a combined 2-for-11 in the opening minutes. Sam Rowley provided the early spark, scoring six of UAlbany’s eight points for an 8-5 lead at the under-12 media timeout. The senior forward found gaps in Hartford’s 1-3-1 zone to keep the Great Danes ahead. With the Purple & Gold looking to push the pace, the Hawks crept into early foul trouble, as three-point shooting specialist Taylor Dyson picked up his second personal just eight minutes into the game. Hartford’s leading scorer Mark Nwakamma committed his second foul at the 6:50 mark. After a slow start for both teams, UAlbany began to pull away thanks to a balanced scoring attack. Sam Rowley and Ray Sanders were the only Danes on the board in the early-going, but by the four-minute mark in the first half six players had at least two points. Despite a 3-for-9 start from the field in the first half, the Great Danes went 6-for-12 over the next 10 minutes and 3-for-3 entering the under-four media timeout. Will Brown’s squad only committed one turnover in 12 minutes entering the break. On the other hand, Hartford failed to score for the final 3:13 of the half, after Wheeler Baker took a charge and the Hawks threw the ball away on consecutive possessions. Dyson also picked up his third foul. At the half, UAlbany held a 27-20 advantage behind 10 points from Sam Rowley. The foul trouble continued for Hartford in the second half. Three starters in Corban Wroe, Dyson and Nwakamma had three fouls. Despite the setbacks the Hawks went on a 5-0 run to narrow the lead to just two points, 27-25. Dallas Ennema brought the lead back to double-digits, 41-31 with a baseline jumper at the 11:17 mark. Nwakamma committed his fourth foul shortly after. The Purple & Gold extended its lead to as many as 16 points with nine minutes to play. UAlbany remained perfect from the free throw line to maintain its double-digit lead with six minutes left. With Hartford picking up a full-court press, the Hawks still went scoreless for a three-minute period late in the game. Four-straight points from Evan Singletary set up a 14-point lead, 57-43 with four minutes to go. Two threes down the stretch weren’t enough for Hartford, and the Great Danes emerged with a 62-53 victory. Sam Rowley scored a career-high 22 points on 9-for-13 from the field in the victory. The senior forward is 22 points shy of 1,000 for his career. Singletary brought down a career-best seven boards, and the Great Danes went 19-for-21 (.905) from the charity stripe. Thursday’s win marks the fifth straight game UAlbany has gone better than 80% from the free throw line with 20 or more attempts. UAlbany held Hartford’s leading scorer Mark Nwakamma to single-digits in scoring (seven points) for the first time in 12 games. Will Brown has his best America East start all-time at 6-0, including a 4-0 clip on the road. With a Vermont loss at UNH on Thursday night, UAlbany takes sole possession of first place in the league. The Danes have won six straight and nine of their last 10. This is UAlbany’s longest winning streak since the 2006-07 season, when the Purple & Gold strung together eight consecutive victories. UAlbany men’s basketball returns to SEFCU Arena on Sunday to face UMBC (3-16, 1-5 AE). Tip is slated for 4:37 p.m., on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel as part of a UAlbany basketball doubleheader.

University of Albany Men's Lacrosse Ranked #12 in Preseason USILA DI Coaches Poll - UAlbany Sports 2015

PERRY, N.Y. – The UAlbany Men’s Lacrosse Team is ranked #12 is the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) Preseason Coaches Poll, announced on Monday.


It is the second year in a row that UAlbany has started the year in the top-12, earning a preseason #10 ranking last year.  UAlbany received 112 points in the poll.


Currently, UAlbany is the only America East team to receive any points in the poll.  The team is the third-highest among New York-based squads, only behind #4 Syracuse and #10 Cornell.


Including Syracuse and Cornell, UAlbany’s regular season opponents include six ranked squads: #11 Harvard, #15 Yale, #16 Drexel and #19 Bryant.  UMass, UAlbany’s home opener opponent, received points in the poll.  In addition, UAlbany will scrimmage against #13 Penn and Princeton, which received points in the poll.


The Great Danes are coming off an NCAA Quarterfinal appearance last year, going 12-6 with a second-consecutive America East title.  UAlbany was ranked #15 in the final USILA poll of the 2014 season, taken before the NCAA Tournament.


NCAA Semifinalist Denver is the preseason #1 with 274 points.  Notre Dame is #2 with 271 points while reigning NCAA champion Duke is at #3 with 268 points.


The Great Danes will begin the season against ranked Drexel on Saturday, February 21^st in Philadelphia at 2:30 p.m

University of Albany Basketball Weekly Featuring Will Brown Set to Begin Rotation This Saturday - UAlbany Sports 2015

Courtesy: UA Sports

ALBANY, N.Y. – University at Albany men’s basketball head coach Will Brown will headline UAlbany Basketball Weekly Presented by Mohawk Honda on Saturdays at 11:30 a.m., with Rodger Wyland, Chris Onorato and Ashley Miller on NewsChannel 13 WNYT, MY4.

Wyland & co. will recap all the news and highlights of UAlbany’s most recent games with Coach Brown from Mohawk Honda’s show room in Glenville. The show will also spotlight player guests, beginning with leading scorer Peter Hooley this Saturday, Jan. 10. WNYT’s production will run weekly through the America East postseason.

Sarah Royals Ties University of Albany WBB All-Time Assists Record, Scores 17 in 76-65 Win vs. UNH - UAlbany Sports 2015

Courtesy: UA Sports

ALBANY, N.Y. – With six assists, the final one with 2:15 left in the game, Sarah Royals tied the program’s all-time assists record with 375, adding 17 points to lead the UAlbany women’s basketball team past New Hampshire 76-65 on Wednesday night at the SEFCU Arena.

“Everyone stepped up, our press was great and everyone gave their best effort,” said Royals, who is currently tied with Samantha Ginsberg in assists all-time at UAlbany. “My teammates knocking down shots made that [record happen].”

With the game tied 47-47 and 10:58 remaining, UAlbany (9-6, 2-0 AE) used a 13-2 spurt in the following four-and-a-half minutes to hold the lead for good against New Hampshire (9-5, 1-1 AE).  This was UAlbany’s second home game in its last nine contests.

“We came out and played really hard, every school in the country needs to protect their home, and they were fresh and excited to play,” said UAlbany coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson. “[Sarah] was my first recruit, and when I came to see her play, I saw grit and toughness. She has had some great post players, and she is going to break that record and hopefully hold it for a long time.”

Shereesha Richards earned her sixth double-double of the year, scoring 15 points and 11 rebounds.  Tonight, she scored in her 75^th-consecutive game.

“We came out poised tonight, we did a great job sharing the ball and doing the little things right,” said Richards. “It was definitely great to be back home and get a home win.”

Two other Great Danes scored in double figures.  Zakiya Saunders scored 12 off the bench with three assists, while Imani Tate tallied 11 points, five boards four assists, and three steals.  As a team, UAlbany outrebounded UNH 38-24.

For UNH, Elizabeth Belanger led all players with 22 points, adding five boards and three assists.  Ariel Gaston scored 13 points with five assists while Carlie Pogue scored 11 off the bench.

Both offenses found success early, with a couple of UAlbany layups being countered by Kaylee Kilpatrick transition layups. Royals led the charge for UAlbany in response with a layup and wing three as UAlbany led 9-6 in the opening minutes.

Belanger keep getting open looks against UAlbany’s zone, netting 10 early points as UNH took the lead at 14-13. Tate hit a jumper to put UAlbany back ahead, then Erin Coughlin hit two long shots from the right wing, one inside the arc and the other outside, for a 7-0 run to put the Great Danes ahead 20-14 with 8:20 elapsed.

After a lull in scoring by both sides, UAlbany stood with a 24-19 lead.  In a span of a minute, Tate hit a long one-hand floater from the baseline.  The next possession, Royals set up Coughlin for a wing three, then the following possession, Tate forced a turnover, passed to Royals, who passed to a running Richards for the layup to push UAlbany up 31-19.  The Great Danes held UNH without a field goal for over seven minutes.

With three minutes left in the half, Gaston banked a three before the shot clock buzzer.  Richards responded with a layup to make it 35-24.  The final 2:02, Belanger scored UNH’s next seven points, with Saunders for UAlbany and Sarah-Marie Frankenberger for UNH each adding baskets as UNH ended the half with a 9-2 streak.  UAlbany went into halftime up 37-33.

The teams exchanged baskets in the opening minutes, when at 39-37, Tiana-Jo Carter hit both free throws after getting fouled on a layup attempt, then rebounded a UNH miss and helped start a transition play leading to a Richards layup to push UAlbany’s lead to 43-37 in the half’s first four minutes.

Both sides committed turnovers, with each finding baskets in transition.  UNH tied the game following a couple of Pogue layups to make it 47-47 with 10:58 left.

UAlbany called a timeout to regroup.  Richards hit a layup out of the break, followed by Carter hitting one, to rebuilding UAlbany’s lead to four.  Following an exchange, UAlbany led 53-52 with 8:21 remaining.

A Tate jumper sparked a UAlbany run as the Great Danes went to the paint.  A minute later, Tate went into the paint, no looked a pass to Richards under the basket for a layup, then after a missed Pogue layup, Royals hit a layup and one to cap a 7-0 run and make the score 60-52 UAlbany with 6:32 left.

The teams traded points, with UAlbany making shots in the paint and UNH netting free throws.  With under three minutes left, Royals hit a pair of free throws.  After Richards rebounded a missed Belanger three, UAlbany called timeout.  Off the inbounds, Royals heaved a pass to a running Richards, who scored the uncontested transition layup.  That score gave Royals her 375^th assist of her career and UAlbany a 68-57 lead with 2:18 remaining, the team’s largest lead in the second half.

Late free throws brought UNH within six with 41 seconds left.  Saunders and Tate hit free throws towards the end as UAlbany held the lead.  A Richards layup in the final seconds set the 76-65 final score in favor of UAlbany.

UAlbany will hit the road again in its next game, taking on UMass Lowell on Sunday, January 11^th at 2 p.m.