HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (December 21, 2009) – The Centenary men’s basketball team is among the leaders in Division III and the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) in the latest statistical rankings.

Centenary is ranked sixth in the country in scoring, averaging 89.4 points per game. The Cyclones are also 20th in the nation in three point field goals per game, making an average of 8.8 from downtown per contest. In the CSAC rankings, Centenary is first in scoring, first in rebounding offense, first in offensive rebounds, first in defensive rebounds, second in three point field goal percentage, second in three pointers made, third in three point field goal percentage defense, third in blocked shots, fourth in assists and fourth in offensive rebound percentage.

Individually, senior Ryan Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) is 61st in the nation in free throw percentage (87.9) and 98th in scoring (18.8). In CSAC statistical rankings, five Cyclones are among the top five in eight categories. Kearney is second in scoring, third in rebounding, second in free throw percentage, tied for fifth in three pointers made, fourth in blocked shots and third in defensive rebounds. Junior Rob Urie (Ortley Beach, N.J./Toms River East) is third in scoring and third in three pointers made, fellow classmate Corey Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) is fourth in rebounding and third in offensive rebounds, sophomore Ludner Innocent (Asbury Park, N.J./Academy Charter) is fifth in assists and freshman Max Hughes (Nazareth, Pa./Notre Dame Green Pond) is fourth in free throw percentage.

The Cyclones return to action on Dec. 30 with a road contest at preseason No. 9 DeSales at 7:00 p.m. 

ROSEMONT, Pa. (December 7, 2009) – The Centenary men's basketball team was defeated 90-76 by Rosemont College in Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) action tonight. The loss drops the Cyclones to 4-4 overall and 2-2 in the CSAC while the win gives the Ravens a 3-3 record and was their first in the CSAC to make them 1-3.

Playing well on their home floor, the Ravens took a lead of 14 with three minutes left in the first half and were able to maintain that lead for most of the game. Centenary was never able to get the game any closer than 12 for the rest of the game. Rosemont as a team shot 48% from the field and its 90 points was its high so far this season.

Leading the way for Centenary was Rob Urie (Ortley Beach/Toms River East) who scored 23 points and grabbed three rebounds as well as hitting three from beyond the arc. Jakub Halicki (Pocono Summit, Pa./Pocono Mountain East) scored 15 points and pulled in eight rebounds.  Corey and Ryan Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) rounded out the double digit scoring efforts with Corey scoring 13 to go with Ryan’s 10. The Ravens were led by Harrison Carsillo who scored 23 points, had eight rebounds and dished out five assists.

The Cyclones are taking a break from action for a few weeks and will be back in play again on December 30 when they travel to Center Valley, Pa. to play non conference foe DeSales University. DeSales is currently ranked No. 24 in the d3hoops.com Top 25 poll. The game is scheduled to tip at 7:00pm.


Boxscore

ASTON, Pa. (December 5, 2009) – The Centenary men's basketball team was downed on the road by the Neumann University Knights. Neumann was able to take a double digit lead in the first half, a lead the Cyclones could ultimately not recover from. The loss drops Centenary to 4-3 and 2-1 in the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) while Neumann improves to 3-2 and  2-0 in the CSAC with the win.

Powered behind the playmaking of Na’Sheed Linton and outside shooting of Mike Walukiewicz, Neumann was able to extend a lead of 16 in the first half. At about the three minute mark Centenary was able to cut into that lead and eventually brought it down to seven before going in for halftime with the score 46-39.

In the second half, the Cyclones were able to take their first lead of the game when Rob Urie (Ortley Beach, N.J./Toms River East) made a lay-up and brought the score to 49-48 Cyclones. That was short lived; however, as the Knights were able to push the score back to eight in their favor just a few short moments later. With Centenary forced to foul, Neumann was able to convert enough on the line to keep the Cyclones at bay. The game ended with the final score 91-83 and a Knights victory.

The Cyclones were led by Ryan Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) who recorded a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds also getting four steals. Corey Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) scored 14 points, grabbed nine rebounds, handed out three assists and also had three steals. Jakub Halicki (Pocono Summit, Pa./Pocono Mountain East) recorded his first double-double of his career with an even 10 points and 10 rebounds. Neumann was led by Na’Sheed Linton who scored 24 points and Ty Robinson who finished with 20 points 16 of those coming in the second half.

Next up for the Cyclones will be their final contest before a long break as they take on the Rosemont College Ramblers on December 7.  The game will be played at Rosemont and is the second game of a men and women doubleheader.


Boxscore

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (December 3, 2009) – The Centenary men's basketball team picked up an exciting win over Immaculata University, winning in the final seconds on a lay-up by Rob Urie (Ortley Beach, N.J./Toms Rivers East)  to get the 76-75 victory over the Mighty Macs. The win for Centenary is its fourth in a row and now puts them at 2-0 in the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) and 4-2 overall. The loss for Immaculata gives them a 2-4 record while falling to 1-1 in the CSAC.

In the first half it was the Cyclones who seemed to be in control taking a commanding 10 point lead at 31-21 on a free throw from Mike Lovett (Bayonne, N.J./St. Anthony’s) with 7:16  left. From there the Mighty Macs were able to claw back into the game and go on an 11-0 run to ultimately take a lead of their own at 32-31. The rest of the half went back and forth but a running lay-up from Immaculata’s Todd Stokley at the buzzer gave his team a 40-39 lead to take into halftime.

During the second half, Centenary was again able to flex its muscle, wiping away a six point deficit and opening up a nine point lead with four minutes to go on a steal and lay-up from sophomore Ryan Donovan (King of Prussia, Pa./Upper Merion). The Cyclones were ready to put the game out of reach, however, Immaculata had other plans again and cut the lead to one at 74-73 on a huge three-pointer from Todd Stokley. On the ensuing inbounds, the Mighty Macs were able to force a steal and convert a lay-up to take 75-74 lead with 38 seconds left. As Centenary was rushing to get the ball up court it was knocked loose near midcourt and Urie was able to pick up the loose ball and a score a left-handed lay-up in traffic to put his team back on top by a point and give one last possession to Immaculata. On that possession, in a broken play, freshman Jakub Halicki (Pocono Summit, Pa./Pocono Mountain East) blocked a lay-up attempt from Todd Stokley to give Centenary the thrilling 76-75 win.

For Centenary, Urie finished with 16 points while also recording four assists and four rebounds. Halicki came off the bench for the Cyclones to score 14 points and eight rebounds. Junior Corey Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) had a strong shooting night going six-of-ten from the field to score 16 points and also grabbed four rebounds. For the Macs, they were led by Eric Barefield who scored 14 points.

After a gut wrenching win, head coach Enrico Mastroianni had this to say, “We were fortunate on a night when we didn’t shoot very well to still grind out a tough win against a very good conference opponent. It’s especially important that we had so many guys step up and make plays to carry us in a game when that our best players struggled to score. We’ve got to regroup and get ready for a tough road test against a Neumann team that has a lot going for them right now.”

The Neumann game is this Saturday, December 5 at 2:00 pm.


Boxscore

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (December 2, 2009) – The Centenary men’s and women’s basketball teams will each host Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) foe Immaculata on Thursday, Dec. 3, in Hackettstown, N.J. The women’s game will start at 6:00 p.m., followed by the men at 8:00 p.m. The double-header is part of ‘Pack the House,’ as the school hopes to set a record for attendance. Fans are encouraged to wear white to the game.

The first 500 fans will receive a Centenary rally towel and at halftime of each game there will be a chance for a lucky fan to win 100 dollars by making a half court shot. Fans can also get their picture taken with Centenary’s mascot, Cyclone. Admission is three dollars for adults, one dollar for children and free to those with valid Centenary ID.

The Centenary men’s team (3-2, 1-0 CSAC) last played on Saturday, defeating in-state rival TCNJ, 97-88. Six players scored in double-digits for the Cyclones, including all five starters. Junior Rob Urie (Ortley Beach, N.J./Toms River East) led the way with 18 points, seven rebounds, four steals and two assists. Senior Ryan Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) was named CSAC Player of the Week after averaging 23.5 points, five rebounds and one block per contest in a 2-0 week for Centenary. On the season, Kearney leads the team in scoring (23.4) and rebounding (8.0).

Immaculata men’s basketball (2-3, 1-0 CSAC) last played on Monday, defeating Marywood 72-58 in its conference opener. Nelson Torres is averaging 12.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per contest while Robert Siter is scoring 12.0 points and grabbing 5.0 rebounds per game. The two teams split the season series last year, with both teams winning at home. Immaculata came away with an 81-71 victory on Jan. 15, 2009, while Centenary won, 80-72, on Feb. 5, 2009. Kearney averaged 19.0 points and 9.5 rebounds while Urie scored 15.0 points and grabbed 4.0 rebounds in the two games against the Mighty Macs.

After Thursday’s contest, the men’s team returns to action at 2:00 p.m., on Saturday, Dec. 5, against Neumann in Aston, Pa.

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (November 30, 2009) – Centenary senior Ryan Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) was named Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) Player of the Week after leading the men’s basketball team to a 2-0 week, recording wins over Baptist Bible College and The College of New Jersey. For his efforts this week, Ryan was also named the Centenary College Cyclone of the Week.

Kearney scored 30 points and had five rebounds in the conference win over Baptist Bible and followed that up with 17 points and five rebounds in the victory over The College of New Jersey. In the two games, the senior shot 60 percent or better from the field and three-point range and was a perfect nine-of-nine from the foul line. Kearney ended the week with an average of 23.5 points, five rebounds and one block per game.

Kearney is now leading both his team and the CSAC conference in scoring at 23.4ppg and is fifth in the conference in rebounding at eight per game. The Cyclones are 3-2 on the season and will next play on December 3 against conference foe Immaculata University, a game which is part of the “Pack the House” challenge in which the men’s and women’s basketball teams are trying to set a Folkner Family Gymnasium attendance record.

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (November 28, 2009) – The Centenary men's basketball team won their third straight game tonight, taking a 97-88 win over The College of New Jersey. Centenary now improves to 3-2 with the win while the Lions fall to 4-2 on the loss.

The Cyclones got out to an eight point lead in the first half leading 51-43. The visiting Lions got ahead by nine points early on, leading 13-4 at the 14 minute mark of the first half before Centenary began fighting back and tying the game four minutes later. Centenary opened up a lead of as big as 10 points in the first half before TCNJ was able to cut the deficit to eight before halftime.

In the second half, Centenary opened up leads of 14, 12 and 10 points but could not keep the Lions down. TCNJ was able to come within two points of Centenary with 1:22 left in the game, however clutch foul shooting from Rob Urie (Ortley Beach, N.J./Toms River East) and Ryan Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) was able to clinch the game for Centenary. In the end, the Cyclones’ 97 points is the fourth straight game reaching 90 plus points.

For the game, Urie was the high man for Centenary, scoring 18 points going eight-of-ten from the line. Ludner Innocent (Asbury Park, N.J./Academy Charter) scored 14 points, handed out seven assists and grabbed five rebounds. Corey Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) finished the day with 17 points, seven rebounds and one steal while Ryan Kearney finished with 17 points and five rebounds. A pair of freshmen each had solid days as Max Hughes (Nazareth, Pa./Notre Dame Green Pond) scored 16 points making three, three-pointers and Jakub Halicki (Pocono Summit, Pa./Pocono Mountain East) came off the bench to score 10 points and grab nine rebounds. The Lions were led by Jay Frank scored 28 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and Al Matlock scored 16 points for TCNJ.

The Cyclones' balanced scoring was a key area for head coach, Enrico Mastroianni, “I’m very pleased with our performance today. We beat a really good team that’s been playing very well and we did it with a full team effort.  We’re going to be very tough to beat if we keep getting the kind of production we did today with six guys in double figures.”

Next up for Centenary will be Colonial States Athletic Conference foe Immaculata University. The game is part of Centenary’s ‘Pack the House’ night and will be the second game of a men’s, women’s double-header. “We know how important Thursday night’s game is as we return to conference play.  I hope our fans respond and come out to help us pack the house!" said Coach Mastroianni.


Boxscore

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (November 24, 2009) – The Centenary men's basketball team recorded their first conference win of the season, defeating Baptist Bible College by a score of 94-79. The game had nine lead changes but Centenary was ultimately able to take control late into the second half to get the 15 point win. The Cyclones are now 2-2 and 1-0 in the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) while the Defenders fall to 1-3 and 0-1 in the CSAC.

The first half was mostly even in the first half, but Centenary took an eight point lead on a layup by Ludner Innocent (Asbury Park, N.J./Academy Charter) with 1:43 left in the half. Neither team was able to score again as the Cyclones took a 44-36 lead into the locker room.

To begin the second half, Centenary knew they needed to remain on the attack because Baptist Bible wouldn’t go down easy. Coach Mastroianni echoed this sentiment, “It’s important to continue to keep pressure on the Defenders because they never stop playing hard, no matter the score,” he said. The Cyclones did just that, taking a double digit lead of 16 with just over 14 minutes left to play in the game. True to form though, six minutes later, the Defenders brought that deficit all the way back and tied the game at 67 on a layup from Stephen Howard. A brand new game and with eight minutes still to play Centenary used another run, capped off by a Ryan Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) three-pointer to go back ahead by 14 points and finish off Baptist Bible. The final score of 94-79 marked the third straight game the Cyclones scored 90 plus points.

Coach Mastroianni went on to talk about the importance of winning your conference games, “It’s great to win our first conference game, especially against a tough team like Baptist Bible College. Our guys played hard from start to finish and that’s what you have to do against good teams.”

For the game, Ryan Kearney continued his excellent play, this time going for 30 points, five rebounds and three steals. Junior guard Rob Urie (Ortley Beach, N.J./Toms River East) knocked in four three-pointers on the way to 20 points to go along with four assists and three rebounds. Ludner Innocent had a nice all around game, scoring 10 points, grabbing nine rebounds, dishing out seven assists and swiping three steals. Baptist Bible was led by Ryan Sullivan and Nathan Greve who each scored 17 points on the night.

Next up for the Cyclones is The College of New Jersey on Saturday, November 28. TCNJ has been playing extremely well, having just beaten No. 7 DeSales College this past weekend. “We need to come ready to play on Saturday. “We need to bring high intensity and capitalize on the opportunity to play at home,” said Coach Mastroianni.  The game is set to tip at 2:00pm. 


Boxscore

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (November 18, 2009) – The Centenary men’s and women’s basketball teams are working together with the ‘Pack the House Challenge,’ Thursday, Dec. 3, starting at 6:00 p.m. Fans are encouraged to come to the Cyclones’ double-header against Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) foe Immaculata as the teams want to set an all-time attendance record for a home basketball game. The women’s game begins at 6:00 p.m., followed by the men at 8:00 p.m.

Fans are asked to wear white to the games to make the Folkner Family Gym a tough place to play for Immaculata. The first 500 to arrive will receive a Centenary basketball Rally Towel. Two lucky fans will get a chance to win 100 dollars with a half-court shot, one at each game’s halftime. The Centenary dance team will perform at each halftime and fans will have an opportunity to have their photo taken with the Cyclone mascot.

Admission is three dollars for adults, one dollar for children and free for anyone with valid Centenary ID.

'Pack The House' Flyer

SCRANTON, Pa. (November 22, 2009) – The Centenary men's basketball team had their second straight game scoring in the 100’s to pick up its first win of the season, a 105-75 win over Bard College. The win for the Cyclones puts them at 1-2 on the season, while Bard falls to 0-2 overall.

The first half began with both teams staying close but at the midway point Centenary began to pull away. Rob Urie (Ortley Beach, N.J./Toms River East) and Corey Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) combined for 33 points and five three-pointers to give the Cyclones a 51-39 lead at half.

In the second half, Centenary kept the heat on and were able to push their lead to 30, its largest of the game, with four minutes to go on a lay-up by Kearney. Despite a strong effort from Bard’s Justin White, they just did not have enough to keep pace with Cyclones as Centenary won in an impressive fashion, 105-75.

For the game, Urie finished with 29 points on 10-of-15 shooting, as well as seven rebounds, four assists and two steals. Ryan Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) scored 20 points, pulled in six rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks. Corey Kearney finished the day with 14 points, connecting on two triples and grabbing nine rebounds. Sophomore Ludner Innocent (Asbury Park, N.J./Academy Charter) played a good all around game recording a double-double scoring 12 points, grabbing 10 rebounds to go along with five assists. For Bard, Justin White finished with 29 points.

Ryan Kearney was named to the Radisson Inn Invitational All-Tournament team after posting two day averages of 27.5 points per game and 11 rebounds per game. Centenary is back in action on Tuesday in their Colonial States Athletic Conference opener as they try to offend the Defenders of Baptist Bible College. The game is set to tip at 6:00pm.

Boxscore

SCRANTON, Pa. (November 21, 2009) The Centenary men's basketball team fell to No. 2 John Carroll University 120-106 in the opening game of the Radisson Invitational. The loss for Centenary now makes them 0-2, as the win for John Carroll improves their record to 2-0.

In a game that set the Long Center record for combined points at 226, the Blue Streaks were able to hold off several Cyclones' runs to capture the win and move on to the Radisson Invitational championship and face Scranton University in the final.

In the second half, John Carroll jumped out to a 20 point lead on a free throw from Matt Crozier to make the score 84-64 with 12:47 left in the game. From there Centenary was able to roll of a 16-0 run over the next two minutes to cut the deficit to four points at 84-80. Ryan Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) hit two three-pointers and Max Hughes (Nazareth, Pa./Notre Dame Green Pond) scored five points over that stretch for the Cyclones.

John Carroll, however, was able to answer all of the Cyclones' runs and did so again to put the game away. The 106 point total for Centenary was the highest total in over six years.

For the game, Ryan Kearney gave a warrior type effort with 35 points and 16 rebounds to go along with five steals. Off the bench, Mike Lovett (Bayonne, N.J./St. Anthony's) was good for 18 points on six three pointers. Rob Urie (Ortley Beach, Toms River East), Hughes, and Ludner Innocent (Asbury Park, N.J./Academy Charter) all finished in double figures for Centenary.

For John Carroll, Matt Crozier scored 22 points and grabbed 15 rebounds while Chris Zajac made five three-pointers to score 19 points.

The Cyclones will be back in action tomorrow, to take on the Bard College Raptors.


Boxscore

SCRANTON, Pa. (November 20, 2009) – The Centenary men's basketball is getting set to take part in the Radisson Invitational tournament hosted by Scranton University on November 21 and 22. The four team tournament consists of Centenary, Scranton, No. 2 John Carroll University and Bard College.

The Cyclones open up play on Saturday, November 21 against John Carroll at 5:30pm. John Carroll University, which is currently ranked second in the nation by D3hoops.com, opened its 2009-2010 season with a 90-83 victory over Olivet College in Olivet, Mich., on Monday, November 15. Sophomore guard Corey Shontz connected on nine-of 13 field goal attempts, including six-of-seven from beyond the three-point arc, to finish with a game-high 28 points.

Centenary College opened its 2009-2010 season with a 99-78 loss to Misericordia University on Monday, November 15, at the Anderson Center in Dallas, Pa. In his first game in a Cyclone uniform, freshman guard Max Hughes (Nazareth, Pa./Notre Dame Green Pond) came off the bench and poured in a game-high 25 points on nine-of 15 shooting from the field and Ryan Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) and Rob Urie (Ortley Beach, N.J./Toms River East) added 15 and 13 points, respectively.

The second day of the tournament is on Sunday, November 22 with the consolation game being played at 2:00pm and the championship game tipping off at 4:00 pm.

For more Radisson Invitational News and Notes Click Here

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (November 17, 2009) – The Centenary men's basketball team was picked to finish fifth in the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) standings, the league announced Monday. The Cyclones received 58 points after a vote done by the conference coaches.

Gwynedd-Mercy was selected to win the conference and finished with 99 points. Cabrini College was second with 86 points and picked to finish third was Keystone College with 84 points. Marywood University finished in fourth position slightly above Centenary.

Centenary finished 8-8 in the conference last season which was good for sixth place. The Cyclones qualified for the CSAC playoffs, but fell in the first round to Keystone College by a score of 69-56. Centenary returns CSAC Honorable Mention selection Ryan Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) to the team this year as well as the team’s third leading scorer, Rob Urie (Ortley Beach, N.J./Toms River East).

The Cyclones started the season 0-1 as they suffered a 99-78 loss to Misericordia University. Centenary returns to action on Saturday, November 21 as part of the Radisson Invitational Tournament hosted by Scranton University. The Cyclones are playing No. 2 John Carroll University on Saturday at 5:30pm.


CSAC Men's Basketball Pre-Season Poll

DALLAS, Pa. (November 16, 2009) – The Centenary men’s basketball team began their season earlier tonight at Misericordia but was issued a 99-78 loss to the Cougars. Centenary fell behind early in this one and could not mount much of a comeback. The loss drops the Cyclones to 0-1 on the season while Misericordia starts out with a 1-0 record after the win.

Misericordia jumped out to an early lead in the first half going ahead 16-6 forcing Centenary to call timeout. After falling behind by as many as 17 points, Centenary was provided a lift when Larry Lenahan (South Amboy, N.J./South Amboy) entered the game. Lenahan’s rebounding provided Centenary with extra opportunities and CC was able to capitalize. Max Hughes’ (Nazareth, Pa./Notre Dame Green Pond) lay-up cut the Cougar lead down to 10 with five minutes to play in the half.  Misericordia was able to answer the run though, and took a halftime lead of 51-38 into the locker room.

The second half brought more of the same for Misericordia as its early offense and timely three-point shooting was just enough to never really allow Centenary back into the game. The last Cyclone run came with just about four minutes to play as they dug into the lead and brought it to within 14. Ultimately it was not Centenary’s day and Misericordia opened its lead up to 22 just a few moments later. The final score was 99-78 in favor of the Cougars.

The Cyclones put four players into double figures and leading the way was freshman guard Max Hughes. Hughes was outstanding in his first career collegiate game, netting 25 points, grabbing three rebounds and knocking in two three’s. Following behind him was Ryan Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) who finished with 15 points, eight rebounds and two blocks. Rob Urie (Ortley Beach, N.J./Toms River East) scored 13 points and Lenahan added 10 points to go along with 13 rebounds for his first career double-double.

The Cougars were led by Dom Del Prete and Ethan Eichhorst who each finished with 20 points and Robbie Johnson scored 18 points, dished out 10 assists and grabbed seven rebounds.

Centenary returns to action on Saturday, November 21 to take on the No. 2 ranked John Carroll University in the opening game of the Radisson Invitational hosted by the University of Scranton. The four team tournament consists of Centenary, John Carroll, Scranton and Bard University. The Cyclones tip off at 5:30pm.


Boxscore

LIVE STATS AVAILABLE FOR TONIGHT'S GAME, CLICK HERE.  

DALLAS, Pa. (November 16, 2009) – The Centenary men’s basketball team begin their season tonight on the road as they will travel to Misericordia University to face the Cougars. Misericordia is 4-0 all time against the Cyclones, but Centenary is looking to avenge those losses tonight.

Centenary finished last season 13-13 and is returning two of its top scorers from last season, Ryan Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) and Rob Urie (Ortley Beach, N.J./Toms River East). Kearney, a senior forward, averaged 16.6 points per game and 6.3 rebounds per game. Urie, a junior guard, scored 13.8 points per game and dished out 81 assists.

The Cougars had an overall record of 11-14 last season. They will be led this year by a pair of seniors, guard Marcus Little and forward Dom Del Prete. The game is scheduled to tip-off at 7:00pm.

In his first year as the head coach of the Centenary men’s basketball team, Enrico Mastroianni brought the team to a level it had not reached in many years. With a 13-13 record, including a mark of 8-8 in the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC), the Cyclones won more regular-season and conference games last season than they had the previous four seasons combined. They reached the postseason for the first time in five seasons, and returned all but one key player. The future is bright for Centenary men’s basketball, and Mastroianni believes the future is now.

The Cyclones’ 13 victories was a nine-game swing from the 2007-08 campaign that saw the team win only four contests. Centenary fell in the first round of the CSAC Tournament at Keystone College, put two players on the CSAC All-Conference Teams (senior Ryan Kearney and the graduated Andrew Baker) and Mastroianni was recognized as the Centenary College Coach of the Year for his efforts. 

“We are certainly pleased with our season’s outcome a year ago, but in no way are we satisfied,” he said. “This team expects to win and compete for a CSAC championship year after year. The 2009-10 season will be very challenging, but I know the guys are prepared to meet it head on.”

Centenary comes back in 2009-10 with a lot of depth at the guard position. Juniors Rob Urie and Will Atkinson are going to be leaned on heavily this season, on and off the court.

“We are very fortunate to have so much experience at the guard position near the top of our depth chart,” said Mastroianni.

Urie is looking to follow a strong sophomore campaign in which he averaged 13.8 points per game and led the team in assists with 3.1 per contest. Atkinson sank 75 three pointers and recorded a three-point shooting percentage of .421 (75-of-178), on the way to scoring 12.9 points per contest. 

“We expect great things from Rob and Will this season,” said Mastroianni. “They will be counted on much more offensively than they were a year ago and I know they are both ready for the challenge.”

The coaching staff expects junior Andrew Cobian and sophomore Ludner Innocent to set the tempo and be ball distributors as the team’s primary point guards. Providing most of the depth at that position will be sophomore Ryan Donovan, junior transfer Danny Stein and senior Marquis Chandler.

“Danny comes to us from a strong basketball background,” said Mastroianni. “As a pure shooter, he fits in nicely with the way we play; I expect him to contribute right away.”

Innocent’s style of attacking the rim and Cobian’s experience will mesh nicely with the outside shooting of Donovan and Stein. As a senior leader, Chandler will provide direction and wisdom to an otherwise youthful backcourt.

At the forward position, Kearney is looking to improve upon his stand-out junior season when he was an Honorable Mention All-CSAC performer and put up averages of 16.6 points per game and 6.3 rebounds per game.

“Ryan is an extremely talented player and a pivotal leader on our team,” said his head coach. “He will be relied on to provide direction for our season.”

Kearney will be looked to for scoring, rebounding and a defensive presence this season. Aiding him in these areas will be his brother, junior Corey Kearney, who averaged 5.8 points per game and 3.0 rebounds per game last season. His inside/outside abilities set fits in nicely with the Cyclones’ offense.

“We will be asking Corey to fulfill several roles this season,” said Mastroianni “With his skill set and height he can be a force on both ends, and we expect him to contribute more offensively than he did last year.” 

Sophomores Larry Lenahan, Chris Gennello and Steve Babatunde, as well as freshman Mike Lovett, will be key reserves for the Cyclones at the forward position. All of these players will be called upon to bring rebounding, shooting and toughness off the bench.

Centenary not only has a nice group of veterans but also three freshmen, all of whom are expected to see significant minutes this season. Among them is Jakub Halicki, a 6-5 forward from Pocono Mountain East High School in Pocono Summit, Pa. Halicki’s versatile game is going to be vital to Centenary’s game plan, both offensively and defensively.

“We are really excited to have Jakub here at Centenary,” said Mastroianni. “He is a very versatile player who will cause matchup problems at both ends of the floor. He adds to our athleticism and we expect him to contribute right away.” 

Along with Halicki is a pair of guards, Max Hughes and Chris Johnson, who are expected to see time in the backcourt. Hughes is a combo player who can provide relief at both guard positions while Johnson is a quick point guard who will be called upon for ball handling and penetrating. 

“Max and CJ provide immediate depth at the guard position for us,” said Mastroianni. “They are both extremely quick, talented and tough players, and we expect them to play valuable minutes for us this season.”

Mastroianni named four captains for the 2009-10 season, Ryan Kearney, Rob Urie, Will Atkinson and Corey Kearney. The coaching staff expects them to serve as an example to the younger players of how to perform, on and off the court.

The Cyclones will face a daunting non-conference schedule before beginning their CSAC slate. Not only will the team again face DeSales University (the No. 7 team in Division III), King’s (Pa.) College and former conference foe Misericordia, Mastroianni also added the No. 2 ranked team in the country, John Carroll, as well as NJAC schools Montclair State and The College of New Jersey.

“This season’s schedule will be significantly harder than last season’s,” said Mastroianni. “We will face the No. 2 and No. 7 teams in the country in John Carroll and DeSales, and when you add them to the traditional CSAC rivals, you have a complete schedule. These matchups will show us where we are as a team and as a program.”

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (July 23, 2009) – The Centenary men’s basketball team hosted the second of two summer Cyclones Boys Basketball Camps, July 20-23, in the Folkner Family Gymnasium at the John M. Reeves Athletic Center in Hackettstown, N.J. More than 20 boys, ages seven-15, took part in various drills and exercises designed to teach the fundamentals of the game of basketball. Counselors included Centenary men’s basketball coach Enrico Mastroianni, assistant coach Ed Ryan and members of the team.

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (July 1, 2009) – The Centenary men’s basketball team hosted the first of two summer Cyclones Boys Basketball Camps, June 29 – July 2, in the Folkner Family Gymnasium at the John M. Reeves Athletic Center in Hackettstown, N.J. Boys ages seven-15 took part in various drills and exercises designed to teach the fundamentals of the game of basketball. Counselors included Centenary coaches and student-athletes.

The second boy’s basketball camp will take place from July 20-23. For more information click here.