Sports Talk
By Brian DePasquale
Big Purple Growl
The University at Albany will present the fourth annual Big Purple Growl and Ferocious Feast on Saturday, Feb. 3. The men’s and women’s basketball teams will play a double-header against Army, as part of the school’s winter homecoming.

The Ferocious Feast begins at 4 p.m. in University Gym, and features a hearty buffet served in a Renaissance setting. The Great Danes take the floor against the Army women at 5:30 p.m. The Albany men also meet Army in the second contest. Call Alumni House at 518-442-3080 for more information. To purchase game tickets only, contact the Athletic Ticket Office, at 518-442-4683.

Football Gazette Honors Albany Players
UAlbany’s J.T. Herfurth has been named the 2000 Football Gazette Division I-AA Mid-Major Offensive Lineman of the Year. Herfurth, a senior, was selected to the publication’s Mid-Major I-AA All-America first team.

Herfurth, an offensive tackle, earned Associated Press and AFCA first-team recognition in December, and was a member of the winning North squad in last Saturday’s 54th annual Hula Bowl All-Star Classic in Maui, Hawaii.

Sophomore Josh Bazan was voted Football Gazette’s Mid-Major Linebacker of the Year. Bazan, who also received first-team All-America honors, led the Great Danes in tackles (109), hits for a loss (18), sacks (6.0), fumbles forced (4) and fumbles recovered (4).

Split end Chris Phillis and offensive guard Rafael Cruz were chosen for the second team. Phillis hauled in 49 passes for 856 yards and eight touchdowns, and led the team in all-purpose yardage at 103.9 per game.

Junior tailback Brian Manigault, who rushed for a school-record 1,041 yards and 15 touchdowns, offensive guard Alex Argulewicz, defensive tackle Jason Martin and free safety Samson Brown received an honorable mention.

Indoor Track & Field
Tammy Freeman was a double winner in the 55- and 200-meter dashes, as Albany won the USMA Invitational at Army’s Gillis Field House on Saturday, Jan. 20. The Great Danes edged Lafayette, 119-117, for the women’s title. The UAlbany men were second behind the host school.

Freeman, one of four UA women to win an individual event, sprinted 55 meters in 7.34 seconds, and went 26.44 in the 200. Onieka Randall (400), Jessica Burger (500) and Nierra Jones (triple jump) also posted first-place finishes. The Great Danes were also first in the 4x400 relay.

In the men’s competition, Jamie Rodriguez won the mile run by nearly four seconds with a time of 4:17.29. Alix Rodriques was first across the tape in the 200-meter dash (22.70), and took second at 55 meters. Ronald Edmundson, the school’s record-holder in the triple jump, posted a winning mark of 46-feet, 11-inches. John Morris (high jump) and Aggrey Morris (400) also claimed individual events.

Army totaled 209 points to lead the men’s standings. The Great Danes, who scored 153, are at Boston University’s Terrier Classic Jan. 26-27.

Women’s Basketball
Freshman guard Kathryn Hemlock scored a career-high 21 points and Jess McGinlay added 21 off the bench, as Albany ended an eight-game road losing streak with an 83-70 victory over Colgate on Thursday, Jan. 18 at Cotterell Court.

Albany (5-14) led 67-58 with 6:36 remaining, but Colgate (3-12) tallied seven unanswered points to close within one basket on a jumper by Colleen McCaffrey, who had 18 points and 11 rebounds.

The Great Danes responded with an 11-0 run to erase the threat, and took a 78-65 advantage with 2:32 left. In the opening stanza, Albany pushed out to a 31-14 lead on the strength of 54-percent shooting. Hemlock, who made 9-of-15 from the floor and added five assists, totaled 11 first-half points.

“Several people contributed and we got into a rhythm early in the game,” said McGinlay, who scored 20-plus points for the third straight contest, and grabbed 10 rebounds. When Colgate cut the score to two points, we told ourselves to pick up the defense. This was the first time this season we had to protect a big lead on the road.”

The Great Danes, who shot 51.6 percent from the field on the night, led 45-30 at halftime. However, Colgate would slice the deficit to two points on three occasions in the final period. Laura Rohrbacher’s layup got the Red Raiders within 52-50 with 12:21 to play.

Albany’s Liz Tucker and Dawn DiMicco each scored in double figures with 10 points. Colgate’s Sarah Parks had 15 points, while Melissa Burke added 12.

Men’s Basketball
Greg Buth scored a season-high 33 points and Dartmouth set a school record with 18 three-point field goals en route to an 88-76 non-conference victory over Albany on Saturday, Jan. 20 at Leede Arena.

Dartmouth (4-11) snapped a 25-25 tie late in the first half with eight of the game’s next 10 points. Buth, who canned 9-of-13 three-point attempts, hit a long-range jumper to put his team on top for good. The Big Green, who made 50 percent of their field goal attempts, led 37-31 at halftime.

In the second half, Buth hit a three-pointer and Ian McGinnis sank two foul shots to extend Dartmouth’s lead to double figures. Albany (4-14) closed within 59-52 on a three-point basket by Antione Johnson, who netted 21 of his career-high 27 points in the final period. However, the Big Green wiped out the threat when Buth buried three consecutive 3-point shots for a 71-54 advantage with 8:30 remaining.

Vedad Osmanovic had 12 points to pace four other Dartmouth players in double figures. Albany’s Will Brand had 21 points and 13 rebounds, while Sam Hopes scored 15.

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