2/29/12

BASKETBALL TEAMS RANKED AMONG TOP 20

The United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) released its final rankings for the 2011-2012 season and the New York men's team finished the season as the 7th ranked team in the nation.

The New York women, in only their second season of existence, finished ranked 13th in the nation.

Both of these programs received at-large bids to the USCAA National Championship Tournament starting March 7.

The New Jersey men's basketball team finished the highest it ever has in the rankings finishing the season as the 21st ranked team in the nation.

2/27/12

ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS ANNOUNCED

The Hudson Valley Men's and Women's Athletic Conferences have announced their All-Conference Team's for men's and women's basketball for the 2011-2012 season and Berkeley College is well represented.

Sophomore center Elijah Craig (Seward Park/Brooklyn, NY), junior forward Jose Stable (EBC for Public Service/Brooklyn, NY), and junior guard Kaseem Williams (Boys and Girls/Brooklyn, NY) were named to the HVMAC All-Conference Team.

Freshman guard Janay Thomas (Longwood/Queens, NY) and junior guard Rachel Thomas (Murry Bergtraum/Brooklyn, NY) were named to the HVWAC All-Conference Team.

2/25/12

MEN AND WOMEN EARN BIDS TO NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

The New York men's and women's basketball teams both earned at-large bids to the USCAA National Championships to be held in Uniontown, PA from March 6-10 at the Penn State Fayette Eberly campus.

This will be the second consecutive year the men participate in only their second year as a member of the USCAA and the first year for the women, who are in their second year as a varsity program.

The men finished their regular season earlier today with an upset win over defending USCAA Division I national champion Southern Virginia University to improve to 17-8 on the season.

The women finished their regular season at 14-11.

BERKELEY DEFEATS SOUTHERN VIRGINIA

In a major upset, the New York men's basketball team defeated Southern Virginia University earlier today 97-88. Southern Virginia is the defending USCAA Division I national champions and came into the game having won six straight games.

The game was close before a late 21-8 run to end the half gave Berkeley a 45-40 lead. Berkeley wouldn't give back the lead for the remainder of the game closing it out at the free throw line by shooting 72% from the line for the game.

The Berkeley Knights were led by All-American Jose Stable who led all scorers with 25 points and 15 rebounds. He was joined in double figures by Kaseem Williams who would drop 21 points. They were joined in double figures by Stanley Hamp and Mario Guzman with 12 points each and Jovan Bovell with 10.

As a team Berkeley would shoot 54.4% for the game and 55.6% from the three point line and would out rebound SVU 42 to 32.

The win improves Berkeley's record to 17-8 while Southern Virginia falls to 15-10 on the season. Both teams will be competing in the USCAA National Championships.

2/21/12

MEN WIN 2ND CONSECUTIVE CHAMPIONSHIP

The New York men's basketball team secured their second consecutive Hudson Valley Conference championship by defeating archrival St. Joseph's College of Brooklyn 91-84 in the championship game.



The Knights pulled out to an early and commanding lead before St. Joseph's staged a late rally in the 2012 Hudson Valley Men's Athletic Conference championship game, cutting a 20 point deficit against Berkeley to four, but their comeback upset bid against the top-seeded Knights fell short, dropping a 91-84 decision on Sunday afternoon at the Albert M. White Gymnasium in Albany.


It marks the fifth time that Berkeley has defeated St. Joseph's in the HVMAC title game. The Bears have advanced to seven straight championship games and were victorious in 2008 over Berkeley and 2010 over Vaughn.


Berkeley (16-8) had all five starters finish in double figures led by Mario Guzman and Jose Stable who had 21 points each. Elijah Craig recorded a double-double with 16 points and 16 rebounds and was named Tournament Most Valuable Player.


Berkeley broke open a 6-6 tie with a 13-3 run over five minutes, building a double-digit advantage. The Knights led by as many as 13 in the first half on three separate instances, before the Bears gained some momentum before the break, trimming the advantage to seven before heading into the intermission down 40-31.


Berkeley would maintain their nine point halftime edge and then go on an 11-0 run to balloon the lead to 20, 59-39. Berkeley still led by 20 as late as the 13:29 mark, before the Bears began to chip away at the deficit. St. Joe's would cut the deficit to four, 79-75, with two minutes left, but the Knights would hold off the Bears from the free throw line, going 9-for-11 in the final minute to clinch their fifth title.


Berkeley would finish the game shooting 51 percent (30-of-59) from the field. The Knights finish the season with a home game against Southern Virginia University on Saturday at 2 P.M. at the Borough of Manhattan CC before waiting to learn if they will receive a bid to the USCAA National Championship Tournament for the second straight year.

WOMEN LOSE TO ALBANY IN SEMIS

The New York women's basketball team lost in the Hudson Valley Conference semifinals to eventual champs Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, 77-63. Albany has now won two consecutive Conference championships.

The women ended their regular season and conference postseason with a record of 14-11 after an inaugural 2-18 season last year and are still in position to possibly receive an at-large bid for the USCAA National Championship tournament.

The game between Berkeley and Albany was close throughout, with the Knights tying the game at 51-51 with just a few minutes remaining, but the Panthers would pull away over the final few minutes to secure the win.

The Knights were led by three returning players from that inaugural season with sophomore center Rahinet Koti and guard Aiyesha Brown each scoring 14 points with Koti adding 10 rebounds for a double-double. They were joined in double figures by sophomore forward Janay Collins, who added 12 points and eight boards.

2/17/12

MEN AND WOMEN LOOK TO SECURE CHAMPIONSHIPS

The second season officially begins now.

Both the New York men’s and women’s basketball teams begin their quest to win their respective Hudson Valley Athletic Conference championships at the Albert M. White Gymnasium on the campus of Albany College of Pharmacy this weekend.

The men’s team went undefeated in conference play (6-0) for the second consecutive year and earned the number one seed. The men are looking to win their second straight title and fifth HVMAC title in seven years.

The women finished 3-2 in conference play, earning the number three seed and are seeking their first HVWAC title in team history.

On the men's side, the top-seeded Knights (14-8 overall) will face fourth-seeded Albany College of Pharmacy on Saturday at 1:00 P.M. The winner will await the winner of the other semifinal between third-seeded St. Joseph’s College and second-seeded Vaughn College for the right to play in the championship game on Sunday at 2:00 P.M.

On the women’s side, the Knights (13-10 overall) will face second-seeded Albany College of Pharmacy on Saturday at 8 P.M. The other semifinal bracket will have fourth-seeded College of New Rochelle facing top-seeded St. Joseph’s College. The two semifinal winners will then play for the championship on Sunday at 4:00 P.M.

All semifinal and final games can be followed on the internet through coverage at Live stats and Audio with live score updates posted on Twitter (@HVMACSports). Final scores will be posted to the HVMAC Facebook page.

Support your Berkeley Knights as they march towards another championship season!

WOMEN MOVE ON TO SEMIFINALS

The Berkeley College New York women's basketball team defeated Vaughn College 72-13 to move on to the Hudson Valley Conference semifinals at Albany this Saturday.

The Knights were led by junior forward Taisha Sherman (Vanguard HS/New York, NY) who led all scorers with 18 points while adding six assists. She was joined by junior guard Aiyesha Brown who pulled down 11 rebounds.

The win improves the Knights record to 13-10 on the season and sets them up for a matchup against Albany College of Pharmacy this Saturday at 8 P.M.

2/14/12

NEW JERSEY LOSES IN OT TO LEHMAN

The New Jersey men's basketball team had their heart broken on Valentine's Day as they lose to Lehman College 86-84 in overtime.

Despite late game heroics from freshman guard Dakwan Simmons (University/Newark, NJ) who hit the three pointer with 12 seconds remaining in regulation to tie the game and send it into overtime, and a monstrous game from freshman forward Daniel Waynick (Hightstown/East Windsor, NJ) who led all scorers with 29 points while grabbing 10 rebounds, the Knights lose their fourteenth game of the season, many of which have been decided in the final minute of regulation.

The Knights dominated the boards, with a 42 to 32 advantage, and shot 51% from the field to Lehman's 47%, but the Lightning enjoyed a sizable discrepancy at the free throw line, going 21 for 33 versus the Knights 10 for 13.

The Knights head to Valley Forge Christian College on Friday before returning home versus The King's College on Sunday as they look to improve on their 5-14 record.

2/12/12

WOMEN LOSE BY ONE POINT TO APPRENTICE

The Berkeley College women's basketball team lost by one point to #2 ranked Apprentice School tonight by a score of 59-58 at Baruch College.

The Knights had the ball with just less than 30 seconds remaining in the game with an opportunity to make the final bucket for the upset, but failed on multiple chances to secure the win in the closing seconds.

The game was close throughout, with eight ties and eight lead changes. Apprentice would finish the first half up four, 31-27. The game would remain close for most of the second half until the Knights would go on a 12-2 run to take a 49 to 43 lead with nine minutes remaining in the game. The Builders, however, would answer right back and neither team would have more than a three point lead for the rest of the game.

The Knights were led by junior guard Rachel Thomas (Murry Bergtraum/Brooklyn, NY) with 17 points in 25 minutes of play. Junior forward Janay Collins (The Bronx Guild/Bronx, NY) would join her in double figures with 12 points in only 19 minutes of play.

The Knights would outrebound the Builders 47 to 29 and would outshoot them 42.6% to 34.4%, but the Builders would go 6 for 16 from three point range to the Knights 2 for 7.

The loss drops the Knights to 12-10 on the season while the Builders improve to 21-2. The Knights face Yeshiva University on Tuesday at Hostos Community College at 8 P.M. to finish off their regular season and their final conference game.

2/11/12

WOMEN END SKID

The New York women's basketball team defeated Vaughn College 96-22 to improve to 12-9 on the season and 3-3 in conference play.

With the win, the Knights secured the #3 seed for the upcoming Hudson Valley Women's Athletic Conference postseason in Albany where they will square off against the #1 seeded St. Joseph's College.

The Knights were led by junior guard Rachel Thomas (Murry Bergtraum HS/Brooklyn, NY) who led all scorers with 24 points while adding seven rebounds. Junior forward Taisha Sherman (Vanguard HS/New York, NY) added 20 points. Overall the team shot 55.6% for the game versus 20.5% for the Warriors who dropped to 0-11 on the season.

The Knights compete on Sunday versus the #2 ranked Apprentice School at 3 P.M. at Baruch College in a pivotal USCAA matchup.

MEN SECURE #1 SEED

The New York men's basketball team secured the #1 seed for the upcoming Hudson Valley Men's Athletic Conference postseason with a win over Vaughn College to post their second straight undefeated conference regular season, going 6-0 in conference play.

The Knights defeated the Warriors 89-60 to improve to 14-8 on the season.

The Knights were led by junior guard Kaseem Williams (Boys & Girls HS/Brooklyn, NY) who led all scorers with 26 points while pulling down 10 rebounds for a double-double. Fellow guard Jovan Bovell (Jamaica HS/Jamaica, NY) chipped in 16 points while shooting 6 for 7 from the field.

Overall the Knights would shoot 55% for the game versus the Warriors 29.7% and would outrebound the Warriors 49 to 36.

The Knights now head to Albany for the first round of the Hudson Valley Men's Conference postseason on Saturday, February 18.

2/6/12

MEN REMAIN UNDEFEATED IN CONFERENCE

The New York men's basketball team won in dominating fashion over Sarah Lawrence College on Saturday, 96-26, to improve to 5-0 in Conference play and 13-7 overall. The Knights have now won 13 consecutive regular season Conference contests, not including the two Conference wins in last season's championship.

The Knights jumped out early on the Gryphons going into halftime with a 53-13 lead. The Knights were led by senior forward Stanley Hamp (Nazareth/Brooklyn, NY), who led all scorers with 29 points and 18 rebounds. He was joined in double figures by four other Knights, Yang Zhang (13 points), Mario Guzman (16 points), Jovan Bovell (20 points), and Hector Navarro (12 points). The Knights dominated the boards with a 61 to 24 edge.

The Knights now face Brooklyn College on Monday night at 7 P.M.

WOMEN FALL TO NJCU

The Berkeley College New York women's basketball team suffered a tough loss to New Jersey City University, 58-53, to fall to 11-9 on the season. The loss was the fourth in a row for the Knights who had won nine of their previous ten before the skid. The win broke a 13-game losing streak by the Gothic Knights.

The game was won on the strength of the rebounding, with NJCU enjoying a 22-13 differential on the offensive glass as the Gothic Knights posted a commanding 23-9 advantage in second chance scoring. NJCU now leads the all-timeseries, 2-0. Berkeley junior guard Rachel Thomas (Brooklyn, NY/Murry Bergtraum) finished with a game-high 15 points (6-12 FG) and six rebounds while junior guard Aiyesha Brown (Jamaica, NY/John Adams) added 11 points (5-11 FG) and seven rebounds (six defensive).

Sophomore center Rahinet Koti (Bronx, NY/Walton) was a force on the boards at 6-foot-2, grabbing 10 rebounds while adding nine points and three blocks in 19 minutes before fouling out. In a game with 14 ties and seven lead changes, including 10 ties and three lead swaps in the first half, the game came down to the final three minutes when a jumper by NCJU tied the game at 51-51 for the 14th tie. Berkeley was held without a field goal for the final 5:16 of the game, and NJCU was able to ice the game from the line.

Berkeley will host Vaughn College on February 11.

2/3/12

DOLPHINS CRUSH KNIGHTS

It was Senior Day for College of Staten Island and the Knights paid the price, the Dolphins using a late first-half surge to defeat the visiting Berkeley College (NJ), 104-65, in the Dolphins regular season home finale. The Dolphins, winners of 10 straight for the sixth time in program history, improved to 17-4 overall, while the Knights fell to 5-13.

Despite the final score, the game was up-for-grabs in what was a see-saw first half. The teams exchanged nine first half leads and tied the score eight times before CSI used a late first half run to balloon a 51-38 halftime edge. The Knights nursed a one-point lead, 31-30, at 5:49, before CSI started to catch fire.

The forward momentum would lead right into the second frame, as CSI voided out a Davonn Boyd lay-up by going on a 13-0 run spanning just over two minutes to take a commanding 63-40 edge with 17:08 to go. From there the Dolphins were in cruise mode, substituting freely to stay fresh, enjoying what would be a 68-30 edge in points inside the paint. Daniel Infante came off of the bench to score 18 for the Knights in the loss.

The Knights return to action on the 14th against Lehman College.