(02/15/06) Hackettstown, NJ --- Earlier this evening the Centenary Men's basketball team fell to Stevens by the final of 96-75 in their final home game of the season.

On a night when both senior Cyclone players were honored prior to the start of the game for playing in their final home game, Centenary's senior Andre Harris (Morristown / Morristown) made sure it was a memorable one.  Harris came into the game needing a season-high 27 points in the season finale to reach the 1,000 point milestone.

Through the first half he was only able to muster 10 points on seven shots, as the Cyclones fell behind 46-36 at the intermission.  Despite the deficit at the half, Centenary started the game with a great deal of patience and led by as many as seven with just over 14 minutes remaining in the half.  The Ducks did not gain their first advantage until the 4:00 mark of the half, when two free-throws by Stephen Peters (Cornwall-on-Hudson, NY/Storm King) gave them a 28-27 lead.  Stevens then proceeded to close the half on a 18-9 run for the ten-point halftime cushion.

The second half opened with back-to-back lay ups by Stevens' Tim Williams (Selden, NY/Newfield) which gave the visitors their largest lead to that point, 50-36.  The host Cyclones were able to pull within seven (63-56) with just under 12 minutes left, but the Ducks seem to have an answer each time Centenary made an attempt at a run.  By the 5:00 mark the Stevens lead had grown to 85-64, and the Cyclone fans now turned their attention to Harris and his quest for the century mark.

Over the course of the next three-plus minutes Andre Harris went 7-for-9 from the free throw line, to pull his game total to 23 and 996 for his career.  He then connected on a driving lay-up down the lane with 1:06 showing on the game clock, to get within a basket.  On nearly the final possession of the game Harris drove hard to the basket and made a lay-up giving himself exactly 1,000 career points.  Both teams allowed the final seconds to tick off the clock and the visiting Ducks notched their 13th win of the season despite the late heroics of Harris earning his 27 points.

Stevens' Tim Williams led the scoring for the victors, totaling 21 points.  Peters notched 17, while Waleed Farid (Woodside, NY/Stuvesant) added 16.  Isaac Moore (Phoenix, AZ/Moon Valley) and Virgil Gray (Elmwood Park, Bergen Catholic) joined the double figure scorers netting 13 and 10 respectively.

As for Centenary, Andre Harris paced the Cyclones with a game-high 27 points and Kobei Cummings (Queens, NY/Franklin Lane) came off the bench to chip in with 10.

= = = = = = = = = =

(02/11/06) Hackettstown, NJ --- In today's second half of the doubleheader, the Centenary men lost 92-79. In the first half, both teams were even in just about every category. Both teams shot over 40% from the field and over 70% from the free-throw line. Throughout the first half, there would be 10 lead changes and six ties.

In a point guard match-up, Andre Harris (Morristown, NJ / Morristown) and SJP's David Acree (Wheatley Heights/Brentwood) kept each other on their toes as Harris netted 11 first half points on 3-for-6 shooting and Acree 10 points going 4-of-9. Both teams headed to the locker room at the half with a score of 44-43 (Patchogue).

In the second half, the Golden Eagles would pick up right where they off as they increased their shooting percentage to 67.7% on 21-for-31 shooting from the field. This offensive threat helped Patchogue increase and maintain a double-digit lead. Patchogue's Chris Niblock (Bayport/Bayport-Blue Point) ended the day with 17 points on 7-for-10 shooting as Jorge Martinez (Brentwood/Brentwood) chipped in scoring 17 points as well.

Phil Lipari (Massapequa/Massapequa) netted 20 points with three tri-fectas and Acree finishing the day with 20 points. For Centenary, Harris would leave the court scoring 23 points on 7-for-11 shooting and nine rebounds, while Alex Kuchar (Rutherford, NJ/Rutherford) dropped 20 points as 12 came from beyond the arc.

St. Joseph's - Patchogue improves to an overall record of 13-9 as Centenary drops to 2-21 overall. The Centenary men will return to action Wednesday, February 15, 2006 @ 7pm as the seniors will be playing their last home game.

(02/06/06) Hackettstown, NJ --- In the nightcap the visiting Beavers of CCNY opened the game on 22-6 run to take the early advantage.  They then extended that advantage to as many as 19 points with over 7:30 remaining in the half.

CCNY held their largest lead of the half at 46-23, following a steal by Steve Souma and a lay-in by Andre Womack - Clarke.  The Cyclones trailed 48-30 at the intermission after the Beavers scorched the nets for 61% shooting (20-for-33) in the period.

Centenary's defense pressure turned up the heat to start the second half, as the hosts cut the deficit to 55-46 with just over 14:30 to go.  The closest the Cyclones were able to get was 59-51 after a jumper by Josh Davidson, with 13 minutes remaining. Over the final ten-plus minutes the Beavers explosive open court play was too much for the Centenary press and the visitors came away with the 92-79 victory.

CCNY improves to 12-11 overall on the year, as Centenary falls to 2-19.  CCNY's James Boddie (Bronx, NY/ETI-St.) led all scorers with 31 points, including four three-pointers .  Kevin Lowe (Brooklyn, NY/Kingsborough CC) added 24 points and nine rebounds, as Steven Souma (Bronx, NY/FIT) chipped in with 19.

As for Centenary, senior Andre Harris (Morristown/Morristown) totaled 24 points and seven rebounds, as Alex Kuchar(Rutherford/Rutherford) netted 19.  Josh Davidson (Beasley's Point/Ocean City) scored 10 points, while Kobei Cummings (Queens, NY/Franklin Lane) added 14 including three tri-fectas off the bench.

(02/04/06) Hackettstown, NJ --- Hackettstown, NJ --- The visiting Panthers of Old Westbury took both the women's and men's games this afternoon over Centenary College. On the men's side, Old Westbury led nearly throughout the entire game, rolling to a 102-75 decision.

The Panthers of Old Westbury trailed 2-0 after the opening basket and then proceeded to open the game up with a 25-4 run over the next eight minutes.  With just over three minutes to go until half, the Cyclones drew within nine on a lay-up by Alex Kuchar, but could only knock two more off the deficit by halftime as they trailed 43-36 at the intermission.

Following the break, Old Westbury shot a staggering 62% from the field, going 23-for-37 from the field, including 3-for-8 behind the arc. The Panthers' Michael Garrett (Brooklyn, NY/William E. Grady) scored 18 of his game high 22 points in the second half, including a pair of three-pointers.  With their advantage holding steady at double figures most of the half, Old Westbury did stretch it to as many as 22 (91-69) with just under three minutes remaining, before finishing off the decision by a final of 102-75.

Four other Panthers joined Garrett in double-figure scoring.  Divine Jackson (Hempstead, NY/Hempstead) scored 16 points, Derek DeLoney (Amityville, NY/Amityville Memorial) added 15, while Russell Brereton (Amityville, NY/Copiague) and Darnell Mayers (Rockville Centre, NY/South Side) each chipped in with 10 a piece.

For Centenary, who falls to 2-18 overall, Andre Harris (Morristown / Morristown) led the way with 18 points, while Alex Kuchar (Rutherford /Rutherford) finished with 13.  Fellow Cyclones Kyle Warner (Severn, MD/Annapolis) and Josh Davidson (Beasley's Point / Ocean City) netted 12 and 11 respectively.

(02/01/06) Hackettstown, NJ --- In tonight's Skyline Conference doubleheader, Centenary and Manhattanville split victories with the Lady Cyclones defeating Manhattanville 80-70 and the Valiant Men downing Centenary 118-98. On the Men's side of things it was anything but defensive, as the two teams combined for 216 points the most in any Skyline Conference game this season.  Both teams began the night on a blistering pace shooting the basketball as the Valiants shot and even 50% in the first half, to Centenary's 42%.

Following an opening seven minutes of play where the lead changed four times, Manhattanville was finally able to take control at 26-16 halfway through the period.  The host Cyclones then went on a 12-3 run to their deficit to 1-point with 7:30 to go.  Over the next four minutes, M'ville took the game back outscoring the Cyclones 20-4 to take their largest lead of the half at 49-32.  They took a 51-40 cushion with them into the locker room at halftime.

Following the intermission Centenary was never able to contain the outside shooting of the Valiants, who totaled 13 three-pointers on the night.  The visitors extended the margin to as many as 21 with just over eight minutes to play, before cruising to a 118-98 victory on the road.  The Valiants Brian Fink (Queens, NY) led all scorers with 27 points, including five three-pointers.  Mike Benziger (Sonoma, CA) was one shy of Fink, scoring 26 points also with five tri-fectas.  Donte Chisolm (Mt. Vernon, NY)(17 points) and Jerry Fiefie (Stamford, CT)(13 points) rounded the double digit scoring for Manhattanville.

In the loss for Centenary, freshman Alex Kuchar (Rutherford/Rutherford) added to his team leading scoring average totaling 26 points, as senior Andre Harris (Morristown/Morristown) added 25 points and seven rebounds.  Kyle Warner (Severn, MD/Annapolis) added 17, while Kobei Cummings (Queens, NY/Franklin Lane) chipped in 15 off the bench.  Centenary's big man Steve McNamara (Oak Ridge/Jefferson Twp.) hauled in a game-high 12 rebounds in the effort.

01/25/06) Hoboken, NJ --- After falling behind 2-0 early in the game, the Stevens Institute of Technology men’s basketball team rattled off 17 unanswered points and maintained its double-digit advantage throughout the contest as Ducks posted an 85-75 victory over Centenary College on Wednesday evening at Canavan Arena in Hoboken, N.J.  With the win, Stevens improved to 10-7 (5-3 Skyline Conference) on the year.  The Cyclones dropped their 14th straight contest and fell to 2-15 overall (0-9 Skyline).

Following a pair of free throws by freshman guard Alex Kuchar     (Rutherford, NJ), Stevens took control with a 17-0 burst in the span of 6:07.  Junior forward Tim Williams (Selden, NY) scored seven straight points in the middle of the Ducks’ spurt.  Freshman guard Damien Palantino (Philadelphia, PA.) connected on a lay-up and added a long three-pointer for Stevens.

Leading 23-10 midway through the first half, the Ducks went on a quick 8-0 run to open a 21-point cushion with 8:26 remaining in the period.  Freshman guard Virgil Gray II (Elmwood Park, NJ) made two free throws to start things for Stevens.  Sophomore guard Waleed Farid (Woodside, NY) scored on a lay-up and added a pair of free throws.  Junior forward Michael Collins (Bronx, NY) capped the run with a lay-up.

Stevens went into intermission with a 46-25 advantage after shooting 51.7 percent (15-for-29) in the first half.

Centenary stayed close in the early portion of the second period and made things interesting as the Cyclones cut an 18-point deficit down to 12 points following a 9-2 run.  Sophomore forward Tayllor Cooper (Newark, NJ) converted on a lay-up as Centenary closed to within 70-58 with 5:32 to play.

The Cyclones continued their second-half surge and cut the Ducks’ lead to 83-73 with 1:28 remaining as Kuchar drained a jumper from the wing.  That would be the closest that Centenary would come though as Stevens held on for the victory.

Williams scored a team-high 16 points on 6-for-7 shooting as four Ducks scored in double-figures.  Gray finished with 15 points as he made five of nine field-goal attempts before fouling out.  Palantino was five of nine from the field and made three shots from downtown for 14 points.  Farid chipped in with 10 points.

Centenary was led by Kuchar, who scored a game-high 31 points on 9-for-19 shooting from the floor.  Kuchar was a perfect 10-for-10 at the foul line as well.  Senior guard Andre Harris (Morristown, NJ) knocked down 10 of 12 free throws and finished with 20 points.

For the game, the Cyclones made 23 of 26 attempts (88.5 percent) at the line.  Centenary also shot 53.6 percent (15-for-28) from the field in the second half as the Cyclones outscored the Ducks 50-39.

(01/19/06) Hackettstown, NJ --- Earlier tonight the Blue Knights of Mount Saint Mary College downed Centenary by the final of 124-89.

In the highest scoring game of the season for both teams, there was a combined 25 three-pointers made, fifty free throws attempted, and not to be outdone a total score of 213 points.  Unfortunately for the host Cyclones they came out on the short end of the final outcome.  Mount Saint Mary fell behind early in the game as Centenary opened the night with a 17-11 lead.  The Blue Knights were able to cut in to the deficit and tied the game for the first time 18-18 six minutes into the half.

From that point the game would become tied two more times over the next three minutes.  The Blue Knights then took control of the game over the final 11 minutes of the half, outscoring the home team 42-25 to hold a 17 point advantage at the break.  In the second twenty-minutes of play the Cyclones defense was unable to make enough stops at their end to get any closer than 73-57.  By the games end both teams had emptied their benches, and the visitors left with the win.

The victory improves Mount Saint Mary to 14-2 overall, 5-1 in the Skyline Conference.  Junior Mike Hoyt (Florida, NY/S.S. Seward) led all scorers with 34 points, including five three-pointers.  The Blue Knights second leading scorer, Brandon Weldon (Elmsford, NY/Alexander Hamilton) tallied 25 points, to along with 17 from Julio Ramirez (Queens, NY/Hyde Prep School), and 10 each from Matt Cutney (Wallkill, NY/Walkill Senior) and J. D. Fogarty (Newburgh, NY/Newburgh Free Academy).

For the Cyclones in the loss all five starters scored in double figures.  Josh Davidson (Beasley's Point/Ocean City) led with 20; Kyle Warner (Severn, MD/Annapolis) was next with 18, Andre Harris (Morristown/Morristown) added 16. Steve McNamara (Oak Ridge/Jefferson Twp.) scored 11 points and grabbed ten rebounds, Tobias Thomas (Millville/Millville) also scored 11.  The loss drops Centenary to 2-13 on the season, 0-7 in the conference.

(01/17/06) Hackettstown, NJ --- Earlier this evening the Farmingdale State Rams defeated the host Cyclones of Centenary by the final of 103-77, in their Skyline Conference match-up.

In the early going both teams traded baskets with a barrage of three-point attempts, and end to end action.  After the dust settled by the 13 minute mark, the host Cyclones found themselves with an early 20-15 advantage.  Over the next seven minutes, Farmingdale tied the game two separate times before finally taking the lead 27-26 with 5:10 remaining in the half.  From there the Rams went on a 23-6 run including a stretch of 12 straight points, giving them a 50-32 cushion at the halftime break.  In the second stanza, Centenary was never able to cut in to the lead as the closest they got was 14 points (63-49), with over 13 minutes left. The Farmingdale men used their sharp shooting (49% from the field, 40% from the 3-pt line) to put away the Cyclones in the games final ten minutes.

Farmingdale was led by sophomore Peter Lipka (Shelton, CT/Shelton), who scored a game-high 27 points including 7-for-13 from behind the arc. The Rams leading rebounder Kenny McMillan (Bronx, NY/All Hallows) grabbed 13 boards to go along with his 23 points.  Deshawn Warren (Astoria, NY/Astoria) added 14 points, while Sean McCabe (Bellmore, NY/W.C. Mepham) and Daimien Santana (Brooklyn, NY/Grady) each chipped in with 11.

As for the Cyclones, Kyle Warner (Severn, MD/Annapolis) paced their scoring with 21 points, while teammate Steve McNamara (Oak Ridge / Jefferson Twp.) added 16 points and nine rebounds.  Sophomore Josh Davidson (Beasley's Point / Ocean City) and senior Andre Harris (Morristown/Morristown) rounded-out the double digit scorers tallying 15 and 10 respectively.  The Centenary Men will be in action again this Thursday evening as they entertain Mount Saint Mary College at 7:00 pm.

(01/11/06) Frederick, MD --- Junior Santo Provenzano scored a game-high 23 points, grabbed four rebounds and added five assists to lead the Hood College men's basketball team to an 81-61 home-opening win over Centenary (N.J.) College Wednesday night at Gov. Thomas Johnson High School.

The Blazers, which played their first 14 games of the season on the road, improved to 7-8 overall with their season-high third straight win, while the Cyclones fell to 2-10 with their ninth consecutive loss.

Sophomore Jesse Gutekunst scored 15 points, pulled down five rebounds and blocked four shots, while junior Dennis Tressler added 12 points. Junior forward Sean Robine grabbed 10 rebounds for the second straight game. Hood jumped out to an early 10-3 lead and eventually extended its advantage to 21-11 on a 3-pointer by freshman Tim Abercrombie.

Centenary closed to within 27-23 on a 3-pointer from Alex Kuchar with 6:54 left but consecutive layups from Gutekunst, Abercrombie and Provenzano restored Hood's 10-point advantage.

Abercrombie later sank a pair of free throws to give the Blazers a 42-30 cushion with just under two minutes to play in the half and Hood took a 42-35 lead into the break.

The Blazers quickly took a double-digit lead in the second half, and a 3-pointer from Tressler put Hood in front 58-44 with 11:06 left in the game. Centenary made a final push, using a trio of 3-pointers to fuel a 9-2 run which cut its deficit to 60-53 with just under nine minutes remaining. However, Tressler answered for the Blazers with a 3-pointer and a layup to spark an 11-2 run that sealed the victory.

(01/07/06) Hackettstown, NJ -- In a Skyline Conference doubleheader earlier today, the visiting Dolphins took the nightcap against Centenary 93-69.

It was the visiting Dolphins again who came out of the gates hot and never cooled off.  Mount Saint Vincent held a 39-34 lead at the intermission thanks in part to their 42% shooting from the field and their unselfish play (10 assists).  In the second period of play, the Dolphins leading scorer James Mooney got on track connecting on 10-of-13 shots, including five three-pointers for second half total of 26 points, and game-high 37.  Along with his game highlights, Mooney also surpassed the 1,500 point mark of his career on a lay-up in the early going of the period.

MSV was able to take control of the game in the opening eight minutes as they started the half on 26-11 run.  The Cyclones were able to cut it a 16-point deficit with just over six minutes left, but ran out of gas down the stretch.

The victory snaps a seven-game losing streak for the Dolphins, as Centenary falls to 2-9 with the loss.  Two other Dolphins scored double-figures behind Mooney's 37-point effort, Greg Casey (Mt Vernon, NY / Blessed Sacrament) netted 19, and Cory Petrucelli (Stratford, CT / St. Joseph's) totaled 12.  For the Cyclones, Kyle Warner (Severn, MD/Annapolis) scored a team-high 16, as Alex Kuchar (Rutherford/Rutherford) and Tom Van Benschoten (Lagranseville, NY / Millbrook) each notched 12 and Josh Davidson (Beasley's Point / Ocean City) added 10.

(12/14/05) -- Hackettstown, NJ --- Earlier this evening the Centenary Cyclones dropped a 72-66 decision to visiting Briarcliffe College, as the 2005 part of the year came to a close.

The home Cyclones jumped all over the visitors at the start of the game, opening up an early 19-4 advantage through the games first eight-minutes.  Over the ten minutes the visiting Seahawks were able to chip away at the Centenary lead and eventually brought the deficit to five points with just less than three minutes remaining in the half.

The two teams then traded baskets to close out the half, and Centenary took a 28-23 lead in to the break.  The Cyclones again opened a double-digit margin to start the second period, outscoring Briarcliffe 14-9 in the first three-minutes.  However as quickly as they built it, the Seahawks came right back knotting the game at 44-44 with 13:32 left.  Then on lay-up by Stanley Shorter, the visitors took their first lead of the game and never released it.  Centenary was able to tie the game two separate times over the next 13 minutes, but could never regain the advantage.  Briarcliffe was able to knock down 5-of-9 free throws in the closing minutes to ice the game, and take home the 72-66 victory.

For the Seahawks, Michael Manusama (Calhoun HS) led four players in double-figures with 17 points, along with 10 rebounds.  Jonathan Harris (Farmingdale HS) and David Pakney (William E. Grady HS) each netted 15 points, while Stanley Shorter (Freeport HS) added 14.  In the loss for the Cyclones, senior Andre Harris (Morristown / Morristown) led all scorers with 26 points, while garbing nine rebounds.

Teammate Tom Van Benschoten (Langranseville, NY / Millbrook) tallied his first career double-double with 13 points and 17 boards.  The loss drops Centenary to 2-6 overall as they head into the holiday break.  They will open the New Year at home on January 3rd, when they host Skyline Conference opponent Yeshiva University.  Tip-off is  for 8:00 pm.

(12/05/05) -- Centenary Freshman Alex claims Skyline Conference Rookie of the Week honors for the second straight week after averaging 22.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.5 steals while shooting an efficient 60.0 percent from the floor (18-20) in two games for the Cyclones. Kuchar, who has eclipsed the 20-point mark four straight times, scored 20 points against Brooklyn. He had 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting against Mount St. Vincent.

(11/30/05) --- Freshman Guard Alex Kuchar had an impressive start to his collegiate career at Centenary College. Kuchar averaged 20.7 points in 50 percent shooting (22-for-44) from the floor and 91.7 percent (11-for-12) from the free-throw line as the Cyclones won two of their first three games. Kuchar scored 24 points in the team's 80-77 win over Emerson. He followed that performance with 27 points  in an 82-76 win over Medgar Evers.

(11/29/05) Hackettstown, NJ --- Earlier tonight the visiting Bridges of Brooklyn College down host Centenary by the final of 85-73 for their third consecutive victory.

In a very exciting and entertaining first half of play in which both teams were only able to extend leads up to five points each, Brooklyn took the largest of six with them into halftime 42-36.  At both the ends of the floor the hot shooting [53% (Brooklyn) and 46% (Centenary)] kept the pace fast and sometimes bordering on run-and-gun, as both sides combined for eight three-pointers in the opening twenty minutes.

The early going of the second period brought more of the same back and forth action, until Brooklyn took control with an 11-2 run to open a 56-41 advantage with just over 14 minutes remaining.  Following a timeout, Kyle Warner knocked down an open three-pointer cutting the deficit to 56-44.  From there the home Cyclones began to slowly chip away at the Brooklyn lead and then with just four minutes left, Steve Rapp connected on another trey, to give Centenary the 69-68 lead.

With nearly 1:30 remaining and his team holding onto a two point advantage, Brooklyn's Jeffrey Jean-Baptiste drained his fifth three-pointer of the game to push the lead to 75-70. A Centenary turnover and back-to-back lay-ups by the visitors put the game out of reach, and the Bridges came away victorious on the road.

In the loss for Centenary, freshman Alex Kuchar (Rutherford / Rutherford) paced the offense with 20 points, while Andre Harris (Morristown / Morristown) added 16 points and six assists, along Kyle Warner (Severn, MD / Annapolis) chipping in with 12.

As for Brooklyn, their leading scorer Jeffrey Jean-Baptiste (Queens, NY / Holy Cross) scored a game-high 24 points, on 8-of-17 shooting.  Ilya Levin (Brooklyn, NY / James Madison) netted 19 off the bench, Miguel Lopez (New York, NY / Environmental Sciences) notched 12 along with Tes Choudri (Queens, NY / Forest Hills) and Allen Coston (Brooklyn, NY / Boys & Girls) each adding 11 a piece.

The loss drops Centenary back to an even 2-2 on the year.  They will be in action again on Saturday afternoon when they visit Mount Saint Vincent for their first Skyline Conference game of the season.  Tip-off is scheduled for 4:00 pm.

(11/22/05) Hackettstown, NJ --- Earlier this evening the Centenary Men's basketball team defeated Medgar Evers by the final of 82-76, to improve to 2-1 in the early going.

Both teams opened the game with tremendous shooting and exchanged leads back and forth.  Both sides held an advantage four times a piece through the first ten-minutes of play, with the largest being a 20-11 lead for Medgar Evers at the 11:37 mark.  From there Centenary climbed back into it and took their next lead 21-20 with just over ten minutes to go. The visiting Cougars closed at the opening half on a small 7-5 run, and held the 34-31 lead at the intermission.

The second half of play brought more of the same up and down action as neither team led by more than nine points at anytime during the game.  Following the 9th tie of the contests at 59-59, with 6:42 remaining, Centenary went on a 15-6 run to extend their lead to 74-65 with just over three minutes to go.  After numerous fouls at both ends of the floor, including two Cougars and one Cyclone fouling-out,  the hosts were able to finally but away the visitors of MEC by the final of 82-76.

In the victory Centenary's Alex Kuchar (Rutherford / Rutherford) scored a game high 27 points, including four three-pointers.  Sophomore Josh Davidson (Ocean City / Ocean City) added 12 off the bench, knocking in four three's of his own.  Andre Harris (Morristown / Morristown) and Kyle Warner (Severn, MD / Annapolis) each chipped in 11 points, while handing out 10 assists and Tom Van Benschoten (Millbrook, NY / Millbrook) grabbed a team-high 13 rebounds. For Medgar Evers in the loss, Julius Johnson (Brooklyn, NY / Abraham Lincoln) netted 24 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, while Kenneth Griffin (Brooklyn, NY / Transit Tech) tallied 11 points and Clovis Essis (Brooklyn, NY / Boys & Girls) added 10 points, nine rebounds.

(November 18-19, 2005) NEWARK, NJ –-- Junior forward Jermont Horton (Irvington, NJ/Irvington HS) had nine of his 13 points and senior guard Justin Carter (Paterson, NJ/Don Bosco Tech) tallied seven of his 13 as Rutgers-Newark exploded to a 26-2 start on its way to a 97-49 win over Centenary in the opening round of the John K. Adams Tip-Off Classic in The Golden Dome.

Horton had three dunks and a 3-point jumper and Carter added a trey, a layup and a pair of free throws to post the first 16 Raiders points in the opening 4:11, making it 16-2.  Senior center Chinedu Ibeh (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) capped the run with a layup with exactly eight minutes gone in the contest.

Junior reserve guard Phillipe Slater (Newark, NJ/University) led Rutgers-Newark with 14 points while senior forward Stephen Taylor (Ewing, NJ/Ewing) had eight points and nine rebounds.

Senior guard Andre Harris (Morristown, NJ/Morristown) and freshman guard Alex Kuchar (Rutherford, NJ/Rutherford) paced Centenary with 11 points apiece.

In the November 19 consolation game, All-Classic guard Steve Rapp (Greenbelt, NJ/Eleanor Roosevelt) hit a falling jumper from just outside the foul line extended on the right side with 47 seconds left to give Centenary the final lead of the game at 78-77.

Freshman guard Alex Kuchar (Rutherford, NJ/Rutherford), who paced the Cyclones with 24 points, dropped in a pair of free throws with 11 seconds left to give Centenary a little breathing room.

Rapp finished with 10 points and four assists for the Cyclones while senior guard Andre Harris (Morristown, NJ/Morristown) tallied 16 points, nine rebounds and three steals.  Freshman center Tom Van Benschoten (Millbrook, NJ/Millbrook) had a game-high 11 rebounds and eight points.

Senior center Steve Georgoulis (New York, NY/Governor Dummer) muscled inside for 22 points and 10 rebounds for Emerson while All-Classic guard selection Ben Chase (Newburyport, MA/Newburyport) had 17 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals.  Also in double figures were senior guard Will Dawkins (Springfield, MA/Commerce) with 16 and junior guard Alfredo Tovar (Los Angeles, CA/Sylmar) with 10.

The Centenary Men's Basketball program enters the 2005-2006 campaign, anticipating a bounce back year from a season ago.  Head Coach Andy DeStephano enters his second year with the Cyclones and has high expectations of what the program will be able to accomplish this winter.

The program returns several players from last year's roster, including their second and third leading scorers Andre Harris and Stephen McNamara.  Harris, the team's starting point guard, averaged 15.0 points per game, to go along with his 6.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists.  He is one of the team's captains and is the floor general for the Cyclone program, as well as being one of Centenary's top defensive players.  McNamara, who averaged 10.3 points and 7.6 rebounds, will provide a match-up problem for most opponents with his ability to step out and knock down perimeter shots.  He finished last season with 61.8% shooting percentage from behind the arc.  Sophomores George Opoku, Rob Arvidson, Josh Davidson, Justin DeFeo, and Tayllor Cooper round out the list of returnees who will be looked upon  to provide offensive and defensive sparks off the bench this winter.

Adding to the depth of the Centenary program this winter, will be an influx of newcomers from not only high schools but also junior colleges.  Coach DeStephano has added nine new faces to the program that he is anticipating will assist in taking this Centenary program to the next level.  The five transfers who are joining the Cyclones roster are senior Tobias Thomas, juniors Steve Rapp, Kobeia Cummings, Kyle Warner and sophomore Alex Kuchar.  All five players have the capability of making immediate impact on this year's team and will be major contributors in the success that the Cyclones are looking to achieve.  The four incoming freshman, Dajuan Earle, Sean Hampton, Tom Van Benschoten, and Edem Akator are also players that Coach DeStephano can see being used in both starting and reserve roles over the course of the season. Overall the talent level up and down the Centenary roster has everyone involved with the program very enthusiastic about what the 2005-2006 season can bring to the college and future of the program.

This year's schedule will be an early test with seven non-conference games before the holiday break.  Centenary opens at the Rutgers-Newark John K. Adams Tip-off Classic, where they will take on the host Scarlet Raiders.  They will then return home with back-to-back games against CUNYAC opponents.  The Cyclones will get one taste of Skyline Conference action in December when they travel to Mount Saint Vincent, but the conference schedule will not get into full swing until after the New Year.  Farmingdale State, Manhattanville, Stevens and Mount Saint Mary are some of the teams Centenary will be looking forward to as a judge of where the program is come the middle of the season.

DATE	OPPONENT	TIME	RESULT
NOVEMBER
18	Rutgers - Newark @		L, 97-49/0-1
19	Emerson @		W, 80-77/1-1
22	CUNY - Medgar Evers		W, 82-76/2-1
29	CUNY - Brooklyn		L, 85-73/2-2
DECEMBER
3	Mount St. Vincent %		L, 109-75/2-3
10	Newbury College $		L, 78-72/2-4
11	Bard College $		L, 96-79/2-4
14	Briarcliff College		L, 72-66/2-6
JANUARY
3	Yeshiva University %		L, 76-54/2-7
5	Mount St. Mary College %		L, 99-75/2-8
7	Mount St. Vincent %		L, 93-69/2-9
11	Hood College		L, 81-61/2-10
14	Manhattanville College %		L, 93-49/2-11
17	Farmingdale State University %		L, 103-77/2-12
19	Mount St. Mary College %		L, 124-89/2-13
21	USMMA %		L, 80-48/2-14
25	Stevens Institute %		L, 85-75/2-15
28	Yeshiva University		L, 57-50/2-16
FEBRUARY
1	Manhattanville College %		L, 118-98/2-17
4	Old Westbury %		L, 102-75/2-18
6	CUNY - CUNY		L, 92-79/2-19
8	Maritime College %		L, 83-59/2-20
11	St. Joseph's - Patchogue %		L, 92-79/2-21
15	Stevens Institute %		L, 96-75/2-22
23	Skyline Conference Tournament	TBA
25	Skyline Conference Tournament	TBA
Complete Season Stats % Indicates Skyline Athletic Conference Contest @ Rutgers-Newark Tip-Off Tournament $ Bard College Raptors Classic</th><//th>
Head Coach: Andy De Stephano (2nd Season, St. John's University '98) Assistant Coach: Ryan Schneider

NO.	NAME	YR.	POS.	HT.	HOMETOWN/HIGHSCHOOL
3	Andre Harris*	SR	G	5-9	Morristown/Morristown
5	Steve Rapp	JR	G	5-11	Greenbelt, MD/Eleanor Roosevelt
13	Dajuan Earle	FR	G	5-10	Uniondale, NY/Uniondale
14	Tayllor Cooper	SO	F	6-2	Newark/Gill-St. Bernards
15	Justin DeFeo	SO	G	5-8	Hawthrone/Hawthorne
20	Josh Davidson	SO	F	6-1	Beasley's Point/Ocean City
21	George Opoku	SO	F	6-4	North Brunswick/North Brunswick
22	Kobiea Cummings	JR	G	5-11	Queens, N Y/Franklin Lane
23	Robert Arvidson	SO	G	6-0	Monroe Twp./Monroe Twp.
24	Sean Hampton	FR	G	6-0	Kissimmee, FL/Poiniana
32	Alex Kuchar*	SO	G	6-0	Rutherford/Rutherford
33	Tom Van Benschoten	FR	C	6-7	Lagreanseville, NY/Millbrook
34	Kyle Warner	JR	G	6-1	Severn,MD/Annapolis
35	Steve McNamara*	JR	F	6-6	Oak Ridge/Jefferson Twp.
40	Edem Akatore	FR	G	6-0	Newark/St. Anthony's
50	Tobias Thomas	SR	F	6-5	Millville/Millville
* - denotes captains Head Coach: Andy De Stephano (2nd Season, St. John's University '98) Assistant Coach: Ryan Schneider

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