12/14/10

KNIGHTS RUN OUT OF GAS AGAINST GULLS

The Berkeley College New York men's basketball team, reeling from a tough overtime loss the night before against Gordon College, lost to Endicott College by a score of 94-80.

The Knights fall to 5-6 on the season with the loss.

Early in the first half, Berkeley jumped out to a 12-6 advantage behind six points from Knights leading scorer Jose Stable (Brooklyn, N.Y.). Berkeley continued to control the pace of the game, stretching their first half lead to as large as 14 points at 31-17 with 8:36 remaining until halftime. Stable netted 12 of his game-high 24 points in the opening stanza while teammates Jovan Bovell (Jamaica, N.Y.) and Damir Redzepagic (Bronx, N.Y.) each scored six points to lead the offense.

Down 14 in the first half, Endicott got their offense back on track and outscored Berkeley 36-10 to hold a 45-41 halftime advantage.

In the second half, Endicott's bench came alive and the Blue and Green held a lead as large as 12 points midway through the second half before eventually stretching it to 14 in the final moments of the game.

Berkeley's Bovell came off the bench to score 15 points on 5-of-8 from beyond the arc and sophomore guard Kaseem Williams (Brooklyn, N.Y.) added 10 points, five rebounds and four assists in the losing effort. Stable's 10 rebounds were also a game-high to help the freshman reach a double-double.

Berkeley outrebounded Endicott 45-35, including 16 offensive boards leading to 10 second chance points. The Knights play at home this Sunday against Culinary Institute of America to begin Conference play.

NEW YORK LOSES HEARTBREAKER

The Berkeley College New York men's basketball team failed to hold a double-digit second half lead and eventually lost in overtime to Gordon College 87-81. The loss dropped the Knights to 5-5 on the season.

Down 52-40 with 12:40 to play, Gordon rallied to send the game into overtime. Gordon took the lead in regulation at 71-69 with 30 seconds left before Kaseem Williams (22 points) sank a layup to even the score and send the game into overtime.

The Knights then went up 74-71 to start the extra frame when Damir Redzepagic sank a free throw and made a layup, but Gordon fought back with a decisive 9-2 run putting Gordon up 80-76 with 1:50 to go.

The Knights were led by Redzepagic with 23 points and Jose Stable with 13 rebounds.

NEW JERSEY POSTS SECOND WIN OF SEASON

Berkeley College's New Jersey men's basketball team posted their second win of the season to improve their record to 2-6 behind sophomore power forward Justin Savage's (so. Newark, NJ/Kearny Christian Academy) first double-double of the season. Savage totaled 11 points and a game-high 13 rebounds and was named to the All-Tournament team.

The team defeated Penn State Brandywine 64-62 in the consolation game of the Heritage’s Dairy Stores Classic at Rowan University. In the first round on Friday, Berkeley lost to Gwynedd-Mercy by a score of 86-57.

Berkeley was led by forward Andrew Webber (fr. Columbus, OH/Thomas Worthington) with 16 points and nine rebounds. Guards Gary Williams (so. Jersey City, NJ/Marist) and Brandon Stewart (fr. Somerville, NJ/Somerville) contributed with 12 points apiece. Williams also registered six boards, three assists and three steals. Guard Justin Lewandowski (sr. Bordentown, NJ/Bordentown Reg.) chipped in with nine points while forward Ramante Mosley (fr. Bridgeton, NJ/Bridgeton) grabbed nine rebounds.

The Knights next play at Rutgers-Camden on Wednesday.

11/21/10

WOMEN WIN FIRST GAME

The New York women's basketball team made history Saturday night when they defeated Nashua Community College by a score of 48 to 44 for the first win in the program's history in their first intercollegiate season at the New Hampshire Technical Institute Tip-Off Tournament. The Knights face host NHTI Lynx in the championship game on Sunday.

The win improved the team's record to 1-3 after losses to perennial powerhouses Briarcliffe College, Sullivan County Community College, and Sussex County College.

NEW YORK LOSES BACK-TO-BACK HEARTBREAKERS

The New York men's basketball team lost back-to-back down-to-the-wire games at the 2010 Eastern Connecticut Tip-Off Tournament.

Eastern Connecticut led by as many as 18 late in the first half Friday and by 14 with eight minutes left in the game before the Berkeley Knights closed the gap to five with just over a minute left. Eastern missed ten of 29 free throws in the game but were 9-for-10 from the stripe inside the final minute to hold off the surging Knights.

Berkeley got a game-high 18 points from freshman Jose Stable and a game-high 14 rebounds from sophomore Damir Redzepagic.

In the consolation game, Berkeley lost to Emerson College by a score of 68 to 63 despite outrebounding Emerson 45-17. The Lions forced 28 turnovers, however and connected on 54.2 percent of their second-half shots. Jose Stable dominated play in the tournament for Berkeley with 17 points and 13 rebounds. Freshman center Elijah Craig had a game-high 20 points and 11 rebounds against Emerson, sinking nine of 11 field goals. The losses drop Berkeley to 3-3 on the season.

11/15/10

NY BASKETBALL SPLITS AT BMCC TOURNAMENT

The Berkeley College New York men's basketball team lost the first game of the Borough of Manhattan Community College tournament to Bergen Community College by a score of 86 to 81 before rebounding to defeat the host by a score of 81 to 62 to improve to 3-1 on the season.

Sophomore Damir Redzepagic (Cardinal Spellman/Bronx, NY) led all scorers with 20 points in the opening round loss to Bergen while also grabbing 11 rebounds.

Freshman Jose Stable (EBC HS for Public Service/Brooklyn, NY) dominated the action in the game against Borough of Manhattan by leading all scorers with 32 points.

The Knights next compete at the Eastern Connecticut Tournament with Emerson College and SUNY Purchase.

11/11/10

BERKELEY WINS CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP

The Berkeley College New York men's soccer team capped off their most successful season to date with a 3-0 victory over Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in the Hudson Valley Men's Athletic Conference Championship game.

In only their third season of intercollegiate play, the team compiled a 12-6 record with historic wins over Brooklyn College, College of Staten Island, and City College of New York to name a few. The team finished the regular season with a 5-1 conference record, their only loss coming to Albany earlier in the year.

Christ Assou, Dela Wornawovor, and Philip Kim scored the goals while goalkeeper Lauga Oskarsdottir not only picked up another shutout on the season, but secured the Tournament Most Valuable Player award.
The team still has one game left on the schedule, a match against Yeshiva University on Sunday, November 14 at 8 P.M. at Tibbetts Brook Park.


11/8/10

STABLE NAMED MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER

Freshmen forward Jose Stable (EBC High School for Public Service/Brooklyn, NY) was named Most Outstanding Player for the Berkeley College Invitational leading Berkeley to wins over Pratt Institute and Vaughn College with 16 points and 20 points, respectively, in the two games.

DIDIER NAMED TO ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

Junior guard Isaiah Didier (Sheepshead Bay/Brooklyn, NY) was named to the Berkeley College Invitational All-Tournament Team. Isaiah helped lead the Knights to the championship with wins over Pratt Institute and Vaughn College.

BERKELEY WINS INVITATIONAL

The Berkeley Knights began their 2010-2011 season on a positive note with two strong victories in winning the inaugural Berkeley College Invitational men's basketball tournament.

In the opening game the Knights overpowered Pratt Institute 100-31 with five players finishing in double figures. Freshmen forward Jose Stable (EBC High School for Public Service/Brooklyn, NY) led all scorers with 16 points with freshmen center Elijah Craig (Seward Park/Brooklyn, NY) posting a double-double with 14 points, a team-high 13 rebounds, and three blocked shots.

In the championship game against Vaughn College (1-1), Berkeley (2-0) broke open a close game by going on a 17-5 run to close out the first half and led 49-31 at halftime. Freshman guard Jovan Bovell (Jamaica/Jamaica, NY) provided the spark off the bench with eight points and two steals. Bovell and Stable finished with 20 points each while sophomore guard Kaseem Williams (Boys & Girls/Brooklyn, NY) added 16 points. The final score for the game was Berkeley 93 and Vaughn College 72.

Two Knights earned all-tournament honors: Stable was named Most Outstanding Player and junior guard Isaiah Didier (Sheepshead Bay/Brooklyn, NY) was named to the All-Tournament Team.

Berkeley's next games will be this upcoming weekend at the Borough of Manhattan Community College Tournament. Saturday, November 13, the Knights will face junior college powerhouse Bergen Community College at 12:30PM and on Sunday, November 14, will face host BMCC at 2:30PM. All games will be played at Borough of Manhattan Community College.

10/30/10

BERKELEY EARNS CHAMPIONSHIP BERTH

Berkeley College's New York men's soccer team defeated Cooper Union 2-0 today to earn their second consecutive Hudson Valley Men's Athletic Conference (HVMAC) championship berth.

Junior forward Alexis Monceaux, fresh off of being named the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) Player of the Week, gave Berkeley the lead off of an assist from sophomore defender Jabneel Springer.

Freshman forward Lucas Pucheta added to the lead off of a pass from sophomore forward Guillermo Moscoso.

Sophomore goalkeeper Lauga Oskarsdottir earned her fifth shutout of the season with three saves.

BERKELEY DEFEATS MOUNT ALOYSIUS

Berkeley College's New Jersey men's soccer team defeated Mount Aloysius today 3-0 to improve their record to 6-7 on the season.

The team was led by star freshman Ramon Arce who assisted on the first two goals and netted the third on a free kick. Senior Rakon Falah started the scoring by heading in a corner kick by Arce. Sophomore forward John Machado followed it up off a nice pass from Arce.

Senior goalkeeper Oscar Ortega earned his second consecutive win of the season.

The team has an opportunity to even their record when they play Rutgers-Newark on Wednesday, November 3.

10/26/10

MONCEAUX NAMED PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Junior forward Alexis Monceaux has been named the USCAA Men's Soccer Player of the Week for his outstanding performances against City College of New York and New Hampshire Technical Institute.

Alexis scored and assisted on a goal against City College of New York and scored the winning goal against New Hampshire Technical Institute in overtime to improve Berkeley College's record to 10-5 on the season. Alexis has 5 goals on the season, second on the team.

10/24/10

BERKELEY CROSS COUNTRY COMPETES


Something wonderful happened on Sunday, October 30, 2010. Berkeley College fielded its first men's and women's cross country team ever.

Seven women and five men represented Berkeley College in the Hudson Valley Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships. Both teams did exceptionally well, though as a club team they were unable to place. Congratulations Knights!


BERKELEY SWEEPS CCNY AND NHTI

Berkeley College's New York men's soccer team continues to make history by winning their ninth and tenth games of the season!

The Knights first defeated City College of New York on Saturday behind a six goal explosion in the second half. The Knights trailed 1-0 at halftime when Alexis Monceaux tied the game at the 58:10 mark as he received a pass from Claes Magnusson and put the ball home to knot the game at a goal apiece. Magnusson would then put Berkeley ahead for good 2:05 later to give his team a 2-1 lead.

Berkeley College would then go on to add four more goals over the final 30 minutes of action to account for the 6-1 final score. Yhonnier Montoya scored two goals in just under three minutes to up the Knights lead to 4-1, and then Lucas Pucheta and Monceaux tallied the final two goals of the afternoon. Berkeley out-shot CCNY by a total count of 26-4 for the afternoon.

The Knights then travelled to New Hampshire where they took on the 11th seeded team in the nation (USCAA) and defeated the Lynx 2-1 in overtime on goals by Dela Wornawovor and Alexis Monceaux.

The wins improve the team's record to 10-5 on the season. They are currently ranked 7th in the USCAA.

BERKELEY DEFEATS JOHN JAY

Berkeley College's New Jersey men's soccer team continued their strong finish to their season with a convincing 3-1 win over John Jay College on Saturday.

The Knights took the lead at the 12:45 mark of the contest when Johnny Campos scored his first of two goals on the afternoon when he knocked in a rebounding shot by teammate Ramon Arce.

After going into halftime leading 1-0, Berkeley scored again early in the second half as Campos connected on a pass from Arce and scored from point blank range to put the Knights up by a pair. John Jay cut the deficit in half on a direct kick at 54:28. But the Knights scored one more time to cushion the lead when Arce scored on a free kick just two minutes after the Bloodhounds had cut the lead to one.

With the win the Knights improve to 5-7 on the season having won two of their last three. New Jersey next plays at Mount Aloysius on Saturday, October 30 at 1 P.M.

10/20/10

MEN'S SOCCER TEAM NATIONALLY RANKED

The most recent United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) Coaches Poll has Berkeley College's New York men's soccer team at the 7th ranked team in the nation!

The top 8 teams in the nation compete in the USCAA National Championships in Vermont in November. Final bids are announced on Monday, October 25.

The team is currently 8-5 on the season and 5-1 in the Hudson Valley Men's Athletic Conference. The team has marquee victories over the College of Staten Island, Brooklyn College, and Lehman College.

The team next competes against City College of New York on Saturday, October 23, and New Hampshire Technical Institute on Sunday, October 24.

7/25/10

TOMLINSON LEADS TEAM TO GOLD MEDAL

Berkeley College women's basketball head coach Sharod Tomlinson led the New York City women's open squad to their first gold medal ever at the Empire State Games on Sunday with a 79 to 69 win in the final.

New York City hadn't even won a game for the last three years before Tomlinson led them to gold this year.

"He's done such a wonderful job so far at Berkeley that this is something we have come to expect, so I wasn't surprised when he sent me a picture of himself with a gold medal around his neck," said Brian Maher, athletic director of Berkeley College. "No one I know is more deserving."

7/23/10

DANIEL WANLESS TO LEAD CROSS COUNTRY

Daniel Wanless has been hired to lead Berkeley College's first New York cross country squad.

Coach Wanless joins Berkeley College after a successful high school and collegiate career. As a cross country runner, coach Wanless earned All-Conference honors and most valuable runner honors in his senior season, and won first place in the Como Park Invitational while in high school
where he excelled as a three-sport varsity athlete.

Following his high school career, coach Wanless accepted a cross country scholarship to Nyack
College where he participated as both an athlete and a team assistant before graduating in 2003 with a B.A. in Philosophy.

Since college, coach Wanless has gone on to earn his M.A. from Alliance Theological Seminary and has completed all of the course work for his Ph.D. in Philosophy, Values, and Society from the University of Albany.

"Coach Wanless fits right in with our philosophy of the student-athlete," said Brian Maher, athletic director of Berkeley College, on the hiring of Wanless. "His devotion to education when combined with his athletic accomplishments made him the ideal candidate to establish this program. Mr. Wanless has a passion both for running and for our students."

Professionaly, coach Wanless was a New York City Teaching Fellow and has more recently taught as an adjunct professor at multiple institutions, including Berkeley College.

MANUEL D'ALMEIDA HIRED AS WOMEN'S SOCCER COACH

Manuel d'Almeida has been hired as the first New York women's soccer coach in Berkeley College history.

Coach d'Almeida brings to Berkeley College more than 25 years of experience as a player-coach-referee specializing in women's soccer. He has previously coached at The Borough of Manhattan Community College, Marymount High School, and with several international clubs. He has also conducted numerous clinics for a variety of organizations and is a certified youth coach.

"We are delighted to add someone with coach d'Almeida's extensive experience, emphasis on teaching, and incredible passion for the game to our staff. I am confident that he will not only field a good team, but establish a program that will last for many years to come," said Brian Maher, athletic director at Berkeley College.

In addition to his extensive playing and coaching experience, Mr. d'Almeida was an IBM mainframe computer programmer with Citibank for 37 years.

COACH TOMLINSON LEADS NEW YORK CITY

Berkeley College women's head basketball coach, Sharod Tomlinson, has accomplished something no one else has in the last three years at the Empire States Games, led the New York City women's open squad to victory.

Held winless in the last three years, the women's team won their opening game against Central in dominating fashion by a score of 80-62.

To read more about it, check out the article in the New York Post.

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/high_school/basketball/new_look_open_women_carrying_nyc_MaVSOgONvtI0kZwOZ0iPJL

5/26/10

BERKELEY ACCEPTED INTO USCAA

Berkeley College was approved for membership in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) today by the USCAA Board of Directors.

"This is yet another important step in the evolution of our athletic programs at Berkeley College," said Brian Maher, Athletic Director of Berkeley College. "As a member of the USCAA, our athletic programs will now compete at both the regional and national level and will have the opportunity to participate in national championships while also recognizing our student-athletes for both their athletic and their academic achievement."

The USCAA is a national organization that exists to provide quality athletic competition on a regional and national level while promoting integrity, leadership, scholarship, and values of life. The association conducts national championships, recognizes All-Americans and scholar athletes, and promotes USCAA member schools.

"Membership in the USCAA offers our New Jersey programs the potential for postseason competition, something that up until now only our New York programs enjoyed as members of the Hudson Valley Conference," said Maher. "In addition, membership in the USCAA continues to validate the credibility of our competitive programs and serves as an additional recruiting tool for our coaching staff when speaking with prospective student-athletes."

Berkeley College will compete as a USCAA institution immediately.

"In preparation for this, we had already started scheduling USCAA member institutions for the last two seasons and this season a good portion of our programs schedules will feature USCAA member institutions," noted Maher.

5/19/10

DR. STARK TO SERVE AS NEW YORK TEAM PHYSICIAN

Berkeley College is pleased to announce that Dr. Clifford Stark has agreed to serve as team physician for Berkeley's New York athletic programs.

Dr. Stark is the Medical Director of Sports Medicine at Chelsea in Manhattan and is a board certified physician with dual certification in both sports medicine and primary care. He is currently a member of the teaching faculty at NYU Langone Medical Center, having been on faculty at Columbia University/New York Presbyterian Hospital as the Director of Sports Medicine and Orthopedics for the family medicine residency for 6 years.

Dr. Stark currently serves as a team physician for various national organizations including USA Gymnastics, and has treated many world-class athletes at facilities across the nation, including the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Dr. Stark himself was a competitive tennis player and teaching professional around the nation for more than 10 years, so he also has first-hand experience of athletic participation at all levels.

Dr. Stark is one of only a select few physicians in the nation (and merely a handful in NY) specifically trained in primary care sports medicine, along with further specialization in state-of-the-art diagnosis and nonsurgical treatments for musculoskeletal injuries, such as diagnostic ultrasound, ultrasound-guided injections, prolotherapy, PRP (platelet rich plasma) injections, and osteopathic manipulation.

Dr. Stark recently authored the book, Living With Sports Injuries, published in 2010.

4/5/10

2010 MEN'S SOCCER SEASON LOOKS PROMISING

After competing in the Hudson Valley Men’s Athletic Conference (HVMAC) Championship game in only their second season of existence, the Berkeley College New York men’s soccer team is looking forward to an exciting 2010 season. In addition to their success in the HVMAC, the team will compete this season as a member of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA).

“As a new member of the USCAA this season, our team will be further motivated by the possibility for selection to a national championship tournament,” says Stavros Zomopoulos, who enters his second season as the men’s head coach. “The program has a very talented group of returning players, having only graduated three seniors, starting with our two co-captains, Claes Magnusson and Christ Assou. We also expect back nine starters and our 2010 recruiting class was very strong, with at least five new players that will compete for a position in the starting lineup.”

Not only is the team expected to be competitive, but the schedule promises to be so as well.
“Our 2010 schedule is an extremely challenging and fun one. Excluding our conference opponents, we are playing both the number one and number two nationally ranked teams in the USCAA, and another nine contests versus NCAA Division III programs representing all of the major conferences in the tri-state area,” says Zomopoulos.

In just two years Zomopoulos has not only orchestrated the development of a competitive squad, but has also advanced the program’s schedule from a six-game schedule in 2008 to a fourteen-game schedule in 2009 and now an eighteen game schedule in 2010.

“Words cannot express the impact coach Zomopoulos has had on our young men’s soccer program,” says Brian Maher, athletic director for Berkeley College. “He has a vision for the program and with it extremely high expectations of himself, his athletes, and the institution. It’s a perfect marriage.”

3/29/10

ATHLETES HONORED FOR ACADEMICS

The Berkeley College Athletics department is pleased to announce that five student-athletes were recently inducted into national academic honor societies.

Maria Blemur and Jessica Schreuder of the New Jersey women's soccer team and Andres Guarin of the New York men's soccer team were inducted into the Alpha Sigma Lambda National Honor Society. Christ Assou and Claes Magnusson of the New York men's soccer team were inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa National Honor Society.

2/18/10

WOMEN WIN EIGHTH STRAIGHT GAME

The Berkeley College New York women's basketball club won their eighth consecutive game to finish their regular season at Chelsea Piers with an 8-3 record and the number one seed heading into the playoffs.

The team has won all eight games by double digits and is heading into their first playoffs with a great deal of confidence.

"The more aggressive we got, the more confident we got," said head coach Sharod Tomlinson in explaining the team's surge after an 0-3 start on the season. "Team chemistry has been getting better with every game. This is a great time during the season to be playing your best basketball."

The Knights will play in the semi-finals on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 at 8:30 P.M.

KNIGHTS END SEASON ON FOUR GAME WINNING STREAK

The Berkeley College New York men’s basketball team ended the 2009-2010 season on a positive note with a convincing 88-55 victory over Pratt Institute, finishing the regular season on a four-game winning streak and an overall record of 8-9 and 3-3 in the Hudson Valley Men's Conference.

Forward Robert Hemmings (Urban Assembly HS/Bronx, NY) led with 22 points while teammate Francis Edouard ( Nazareth HS/Brooklyn, NY) pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds.

Berkeley, while narrowly missing qualifying for the HVMAC championship tournament for the fifth consecutive season, will have an opportunity to finish the season at .500 when they take on their rivals from New Jersey, the Berkeley Bulldogs, in the annual Berkeley Cup on Saturday, February 27, at Borough of Manhattan Community College at 2 P.M.

2/15/10

BULLDOGS LOSE TO PACERS

Despite their best three-point shooting performance of the year, the Berkeley College Bulldogs lost to the Marywood University Pacers on Sunday by a final score of 79 to 61.

Marywood University placed five players in double-figures and connected on nearly 53% of their shots from the floor. The win improved Marywood to 9-13 on the year while the Bulldogs fell to 3-19. Marywood built a solid ten-point lead by halftime and carried that double-digit lead for much of the second half until Justin Lewandowski nailed a three for the Bulldogs to pull Berkeley back to within seven with just under ten remaining. Lewandowski would finish the night with a game-high 20 points and connected on 6 of 12 attempts from behind the arc.

Three other Bulldogs joined Lewandowski in double-figures as Donovan Black had 16 and Jamal Salaam had 11. Andrew Jarvis added 10 for Berkeley.

Berkeley's final game of the season will be at The Berkeley Cup on February 27 at 2 P.M. at The Borough of Manhattan Community College.

2/8/10

KNIGHTS EXTEND WIN STREAK TO THREE GAMES

The Berkeley College New York men's basketball team swept Sarah Lawrence College and Bronx Community College this weekend to improve their overall record to 7-9 and extend their winning streak to three games heading into the final weekend of the regular season.

On Saturday, February 6th at the Campbell Sports Center, Berkeley overwhelmed Sarah Lawrence 87-41 in a team effort that included twenty one assists and 14 steals. Robert Hemmings (Urban Assembly HS/ Bronx NY) led all scorers with 23 points and seven steals while Kaseem Williams (Boys & Girls HS/Brooklyn, NY) added 13 points and Jon Dorismond (Bread & Roses HS/New York, NY) chipped in with 11.

On Sunday, February 7th, the Knights used a late game defensive surge coupled with hot shooting from center Joshua Witsell (Jericho HS/Jericho NY) to shock Bronx Community College for a stunning 79-77 victory. Witsell led with 19 points with Williams adding 16 and Damir Redzepagic (Cardinal Spellman HS/Bronx, NY) adding 14 points.

The Knights close out the regular season against the Pratt Cannoneers in a Hudson Valley conference contest next Saturday, February 13th, at 7:30PM.

1/23/10

BERKELEY LOSES HEARTBREAKER TO ARCHRIVAL

The Berkeley College New York men's basketball team lost a crucial Hudson Valley Men's Athletic Conference game this evening to archrival St. Joseph's College of Brooklyn 70-69.

Tied at 13 with just under 10 minutes left to play in the first half, the Knights went on a 13-0 run over the next five minutes to take what appeared to be a commanding 26-13 lead. The Bears, however, would respond with an 11-0 run of their own to close within two with just over a minute remaining in the first half. The half would end tied at 28.

In the second half the Knights and Bears would trade baskets back and forth until the Knights would once again take a double digit lead at 56-46 with 10 minutes remaining in the game before the Bears would again respond with a 5-0 run to cut the lead in half. The Knights, however, seemed in control with an eight point lead with just over two and a half minutes left in the game, but the Bears would finish the game with a 13-4 run to squeeze out the one point victory.

The Knights were led by freshman center Joshua Witsell (Jericho/Jericho, NY) who led the team in scoring with 17 points and nine rebounds. Sophomore Jonathan Dorismond (Bread & Roses/New York, NY) and freshman Kaseem Williams (Boys & Girls/Brooklyn, NY) would add 15 points and 14 points, respectively.

The Bears were led by senior guard Justin Gist (Newsome/Newsome, FL) who would lead all scorers with 25 points.

The loss drops the Knights to 4-8 on the season and 1-3 in the conference.

BERKELEY NJ FALLS TO YORK COLLEGE

The Berkeley College New Jersey men's basketball team lost its sixth consecutive game Friday evening to York College by a score of 90-58. York is currently undefeated in conference play and is 14-5 overall on the season. The loss drops the Bulldogs to 3-13 on the season.

Four players reached double-figures in points for York, led by junior Marcel Esonwune who finished with 26 points, 12 rebounds and five blocked shots.

The Bulldogs were led by Andre Jarvis who had 12 points and eight boards. Donovan Black added 10 points and seven rebounds.

The Bulldogs play The Fashion Institute of Technology at 1 P.M. on Saturday.

1/19/10

BERKELEY FALLS TO RUTGERS

The Berkeley College men’s basketball team kept the game close until the last few minutes before falling to Rutgers-Camden 76-52.

Rutgers-Camden improves to 5-9 with its first victory since a 96-72 home win over St. Joseph’s College-Brooklyn on Dec. 7 while Berkeley falls to 3-12 on the season. The Bulldogs are now 0-5 against teams from the New Jersey Athletic Conference, having lost to The College of New Jersey, Montclair State University, Rowan University and Rutgers-Newark prior to their loss to Rutgers-Camden.

The teams traded leads three times in the early going until the Raptors took the lead for good, 16-15, on a three-pointer by junior guard Shawn Greene (Mt. Laurel, NJ/Lenape) with 9:54 remaining in the half. That field goal helped the Raptors to a 27-12 run to close out the half and head into the break with a 40-27 lead. Berkeley College forward Donovan Black (Morristown, NJ/Morristown) had 12 first-half points. Guard Justin Lewandowski (Bordentown, NJ/Bordentown Regional) added eight.

The Raptors held a 49-32 advantage off the boards. Rutgers-Camden shot 27-for-64 (42.2 percent) from the floor, while Berkeley shot 18-for-53 (34.0). Black led Berkeley with 22 points and forward Andre Javis (Hillside, NJ/Union) added a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds. Teammate Justin Lewandowski (Bordentown, NJ/Bordentown Regional) added 16 points.

Berkeley returns to action Friday with a 6 p.m. game at York (NY) College.

1/18/10

KNIGHTS WIN SECOND STRAIGHT

The Berkeley College men's basketball team won its second game in a row by defeating Albany College of Pharmacy 95-80 in an offensively-driven matchup at the Albert White Gym in Albany.

Five Knights finished in double-digit scoring with guard Kaseem Williams (Boys & Girls HS/Brooklyn, NY) leading all scorers with 21 points and center Joshua Witsell (Jericho HS/Jericho, NY) following with 20 points.

Albany jumped out to an early 10-3 lead with 16:33 to play before Berkeley quickly got back into the game. A layup by Witsell gave the Knights their first lead at 15-14 with 11:35 to go in the first half. A layup by Williams and two field goals by guard Stanley Hamp (Nazareth HS/Brooklyn, NY) expanded the lead to seven at 21-14 and closed out a 8-0 run. Albany closed the lead to four at 36-32 with 3:55 remaining when Berkeley went on another 14-2 run to close out the first half.

Guard Jonathan Dorismond (Bread & Roses HS/New York, NY) hit two 3-point jumpers to lead the charge and stake Berkeley to a 50-34 lead at halftime. The Knights shot 53% from the field in the first half, their best shooting percentage of the season.

Berkeley's hot shooting and relentless defense continued into the second half. Berkeley upped its lead to 22 points at 72-50 with 10:52 to play on a layup by guard Isaiah Didier (Sheepshead Bay HS/Brooklyn, NY) and Albany would get no closer than 11 points the rest of the way. Berkeley shot 54% from the field overall while the defense generated 15 steals and forced 18 Albany turnovers.

Dorismond and Hamp each added 13 points while guard Damir Redzapagic (Cardinal Spellman HS/Bronx, NY) added 10 points and pulled down a team-high 12 rebounds in registering his third double-double of the season. Guard Ben Sheppard led Albany with 24 points. With the win, Berkeley improved to 4-7 overall and 1-2 in the Hudson Valley Men's Athletic Conference. The Panthers fell to 3-7 overall and 1-1 in the conference.

Berkeley's next game will be on Saturday, January 23rd at 4:00PM against conference archrival St. Joseph's College at Borough of Manhattan Community College.

1/13/10

BERKELEY FALLS TO UNION

Despite an inspiring first half of basketball, Berkeley College failed to maintain the intensity necessary to pull out a victory against Union County College last night.

Tied at 41 at halftime, the Bulldogs shot a blistering 56.3% in the half led by sophomore forward Savereo Jackson and junior forward Donovan Black. The second half, however, would see the Bulldogs shoot only 26.5% going 0 for 9 from three-point range allowing the Owls to pull ahead for the 86 to 63 win.

The Bulldogs were led by Black with 17 points and Jackson with 13. Andre Javis led the team in rebounding with 7 boards and Justin Lewandowski had 4 assists. The loss drops the Bulldogs' record to 3-10 on the season.

The Bulldogs next take on the number one ranked Bergen Community College Bulldogs on Saturday, January 16 at 3 P.M.

1/12/10

KNIGHTS PLACE 3RD IN NEW HAMPSHIRE TOURNAMENT

The Berkeley College New York men's basketball team regained their winning ways at the New Hampshire Technical Institute's New Year’s Tournament in Concord, NH, with a 69-66 non-conference victory over the University of Maine at Augusta for a third place finish while snapping their seven game losing streak.

In their opening game against host NHTI, Berkeley jumped out to an early 8-4 lead on the home team. Freshmen Damir Redzepagic (Cardinal Spellman HS/Bronx, NY) and Kaseem Williams (Boys & Girls HS/Brooklyn, NY) scored 12 points and 11 points, respectively, to keep Berkeley within a single point at 26-25 with three minutes to play in the first half before the home team would go on a 14-4 run to end the half up by eleven points at 40-29.

Berkeley would get no closer the rest of the way as NHTI built upon their halftime advantage for an eventual 85-61 win. Williams led Berkeley with 22 points while Redzepagic registered his second double-double of the season with 15 points and a team-leading 12 rebounds and sophomore Stanley Hamp (Nazareth HS/Bronx, NY) contributed ten points.

In the consolation game against UMA, Berkeley once again jumped out to the early lead. Freshman Joshua Witsell’s (Jericho HS/Jericho, NY) layup put the Knights in front 12-4 with 16 minutes to play in the half. But UMA would fight back and took their first lead of the contest at 24-23 on a layup by their 6-5 power forward Moses Braithwaite with seven minutes remaining. But Berkeley quickly regained its composure and closed out the half with an 11-6 run with Isaiah Didier (Sheepshead Bay HS/Brooklyn, NY) hitting a 3-point jumper to put the Knights ahead 34-29 at halftime.

Berkeley started out the second half on a 16-9 run for its biggest lead of the game, 50-38, with 14 minutes to play before UMA would go on a 23-8 run of its own to lead 61-58 with seven minutes to play. From there on out the game turned into a back and forth match with both teams trading leads to the finish. Two free throws by Williams and a layup by Witsell off a steal from Hamp put Berkeley ahead for good at 66-63 for the eventual victory.

Witsell led the Knights with his second double-double of the season with 25 points and 10 rebounds. Williams added 14 points and was selected as Berkeley ’s representative to the All-Tournament Team. Honorable mention goes to UMA’s Braithwaite as the power forward was a one-man wrecking crew by scoring 37 of UMA’s 66 points and pulling down 30 rebounds in a losing effort.

Berkeley (3-7) looks to gain its first victory in the Hudson Valley Men's Athletic Conference as they travel to Albany Pharmacy next Sunday to play the Panthers at 1:00 P.M.

1/4/10

KNIGHTS FALL TO GULLS

The Berkeley College Knights came out the gate for the new year playing inspiring basketball against a bigger and taller Division III Endicott College squad, but ultimately they were unable to translate their efforts into victory in a hard-fought 72-64 non-conference loss in their first home game of the season played at Borough of Manhattan Community College.

Trailing throughout the game, Berkeley managed to scratch and claw its way back and pulled within a single point 42-41 on a three-point play by Damir Redzepagic (Cardinal Spellman HS/Bronx, NY) with twelve minutes to play. But the Knights were unable to gain the lead as poor free throw shooting (15 of 26, 58%) and clutch baskets by the visiting Gulls near the end thwarted another Berkeley comeback.

Redzepagic led all scorers with 25 points and nine rebounds while Kaseem Williams (Boys & Girls HS/Brooklyn, NY) added 17 points and eights boards. The loss drops the Knights to 2-6 on the season. With the win the Gulls improve to 4-6.

Berkeley’s next action will be this weekend in Concord , NH on January 9-10, 2010 at 2:00PM as they make their second appearance in the New Hampshire Technical Institute New Year’s Tournament against the host Lynx. Quinsigumund Community College and the University of Maine-Augusta are the other participating teams in the tournament.