Sports Talk
By Brian DePasquale
Men's Basketball
Antione Johnson equaled a season-high with 23 points in leading Albany to a 61-45 America East Conference victory over Vermont on February 10 at the Recreation and Convocation Center on Big Purple Growl Weekend.

The Great Danes, who knocked off the conference’s first-place team, avenged a 28-point loss in the first meeting this season December 31. Vermont (17-6, AE 10-2) had won 15 of its last 17 games entering the contest.

UAlbany (7-16, AE 4-8) led 39-34 in the second half, but then ran off 16 of the game’s next 20 points to pull away. Johnson, who scored 17 of his total in the final period, ignited that decisive run with a three-point field goal and an 18-foot jumper from the top of the key.

Karim Ouattara, who did not start due to a sore back, added all six of his points in that stretch, including two baskets in the lane off drives from point guard Earv Opong. Johnson, a junior, canned a 14-foot jumper for a 55-38 advantage with 5:38 remaining.

The Catamounts, who were held to their lowest point total of the season, struggled from the field throughout the afternoon. Vermont shot 30.5 percent from the field, including 4-of-28 from the three-point arc.

“They have three great players and we wanted the other people to beat us,” said UAlbany coach Will Brown, whose team won for the fourth time in its last six starts before a regional television audience. “We needed to make them stand on the perimeter and limit (T.J.) Sorrentine’s touches.”

In the first half, Albany’s Will Brand scored in the lane to give his team the lead for good at 17-15. The Great Danes, who led by as much as six points in the stanza, settled for a 29-24 halftime lead as Opong buried a baseline jumper with three seconds left. Opong, a junior, finished with 11 points, and posted career-highs with seven rebounds and seven assists.

“They are a good team that can go to both the NCAA or NIT tournaments,” said Johnson, who scored 20-plus for the seventh time in his career in front of 2,712 fans, the largest home crowd of the season. “That’s the best win we’ve had here, but we have some big games coming up and the America East tournament.”

Vermont’s Trevor Gaines led his club with 18 points and 13 rebounds, his tenth double-double in conference play this season. Sorrentine, the conference’s leading-scorer at 19.4 points per game, was held to nine points. Albany turned in its best shooting performance in more than two years at 57.4 percent, and made 27 of 47 from the floor.

Women’s Basketball
Libby Smith had 16 points and scored the go-ahead basket with 3:45 remaining, as Vermont rallied for a 69-65 America East Conference victory over Albany on February 9 at the Recreation and Convocation Center.

Smith, a senior guard who had 12 second-half points, buried a 19-foot jumper to break a 59-59 tie, before Morgan Hall canned a three-point field goal from the left corner. Vermont (14-7, AE 8-2) increased its margin to 68-61 when Hall made two free throws with 1:29 to play.

UAlbany (4-16, AE 0-9) closed within 68-65 when Danielle Hutcheson hit a follow shot and Kathryn Hemlock canned a jumper. Following a steal, the Great Danes were unable to convert on the offensive end, and UVM’s Dawn Cressman split a pair of foul shots with five seconds left to seal the outcome.

The Catamounts shot 71.4 percent from the field in the second half on 15-of-21 attempts to reverse a 36-26 halftime deficit. Smith gave her team its first lead in the period, at 45-44, when she made a reverse layup.

Vermont, which holds down second place in the America East standings, built its advantage to 53-47, as Katie McNamara converted a three-point play when she was fouled while scoring on the right baseline. However, the Great Danes regrouped with six straight points. Hutcheson, who had 16 points and 12 rebounds, drew her team even with a put-back basket in the lane.

“I thought we played a complete game,” said Albany coach Mari Warner, whose team played before a crowd of 1,143 on Big Purple Growl Weekend, the largest this season. “They attacked us right from the start in the second half, but we fought back and made it a great finish. I thought we had a couple of good looks on that last possession.”

Aaron Yantzi scored 14, while Hall and McNamara added 11 points apiece for the Catamounts, who posted their sixth straight victory. Albany’s Becky Ayers and Hemlock had 14 and 10 points, respectively.

Academic Honor Roll
America East Conference Commissioner Chris Monasch an-nounced on January 31 that 46 student-athletes from UAlbany have been named to the 2001 America East Fall Academic Honor Roll for earning grade-point-averages of 3.0 or higher. UAlbany also had 24 student-athletes selected to the Commissioner’s Honor Roll for attaining a 3.5 GPA or better during the fall semester.

“We are pleased that our student-athletes are excelling in the classroom,” UAlbany Director of Athletics Lee McElroy said. “It is important that we acknowledge academic success as well as accomplishments achieved on the playing field. These individuals have made our University very proud.”

Amy DiMicco, one of the school’s all-time scorers in field hockey, leads a group of 14 players recognized by America East. Women’s cross country had 12 players named, including Saratoga Springs native Laura Kearns, who had a perfect 4.0 GPA. Jessica Walton, who placed tenth at the ECAC Division I cross country championships, was also chosen.

Men’s soccer and men’s cross country each placed eight athletes on the honor roll. Soccer’s Nick Southworth is a two-year starter at midfielder, while Jamie Rodriguez led the cross country team to a ninth-place finish at the NCAA Northeast Regional. First-team all-conference selection Alissa Gibbs, a junior outside hitter, is among four volleyball players honored.

In all, 622 student-athletes from men’s cross country, women’s cross country, field hockey, men’s soccer, women’s soccer and volleyball were honored by the conference. Member institutions for the 2001 fall season included UAlbany, Binghamton University, Boston University, University of Delaware, Drexel University, University of Hartford, Hofstra University, University of Maine, Northeastern University, Stony Brook University, Towson University and University of Vermont.

2001 America East Fall Academic Honor Roll
Men’s Cross Country
Andy Allstadt (Fr., 3.54), Manny DeLos Santos (Jr., 3.14), Sam Gonzalez (Fr., 3.52), Josh Merlis (Jr., 3.96), Scott Mitchell (Fr., 3.74), Joe Pienta (So., 3.80), Adam Rice (Sr., 3.70), Jamie Rodriguez (Jr., 3.00).

Women’s Cross Country
Sarah Best (Jr., 3.75), Maureen Brown (Fr., 3.25), Crystal Cooper (Fr., 3.00), Erin Goddard (Jr., 3.50), Meghan Howell (Jr., 3.33), Theresa Juva (Fr., 3.64), Laura Kearns (Sr., 4.00), Erin Michno (Fr., 4.00), Trista Neinast (So., 3.38), Megan Roeder (Sr., 3.33), Nicole Susser (Fr., 3.00), Jessica Walton (So., 3.84).

Field Hockey
Megan Akstin (Fr., 3.43), Heidi Bowen (Jr., 3.06), Lisa Burline (So., 3.14), Kristi Clausi (Fr., 3.51), Rhonda Corcoran (So., 3.93), Amy DiMicco (Sr., 3.88), Jen Gonzalez (Jr., 3.10), Sara Gonzalez (Fr., 3.12), Amber Greiner (Fr., 3.35), Amy Hammer (So., 3.50), Cheryl Varga (Fr., 4.00), Amber Wade (Fr., 3.51), Jessica Whitcomb (Fr., 3.08), Sarah Zaborowski (Sr., 3.20).

Men’s Soccer
Shawn Baron (Fr., 3.35), Anthony Matrone (Fr., 3.50), Brandon McLaren (Sr., 3.62), Anthony Micali (Fr., 3.00), Jason Myers (So., 3.18), Valter Pinto (Fr., 3.20), Tim Roty (Jr., 3.15), Nick Southworth (Jr., 3.67).

Women’s Volleyball
Jill Dombrowski (Fr., 3.18), Alissa Gibbs (Jr., 3.68), Kathryn Neel (So., 3.83), Susan Spierre (Fr., 3.93).

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