LOS ANGELES, Calif. (August 2, 2010) – Former Centenary star Andrew Baker will compete in Spike TV’s “Pros vs. Joes” on Wednesday, Aug. 4, at 10:00 p.m., on Spike TV.

“Pros vs. Joes” is now in its fifth season. Hosted by former New York Giant Michael Strahan and FOX NFL Broadcaster Jay Glazer, the show pits regular Joes against some of sports’ greatest athletes from past and present. This season features Donovan McNabb, Terrell Owens, Michael Vick, Kenny Smith, Hakeem Olajuwon and many other superstars.

Baker played two seasons at Centenary, averaging 16.1 points, 10.7 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 1.4 assists per game while shooting .558 (287-of-514) from the floor. He finished his career ranked first in program history in free throws (290) and rebounds (700).

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (July 12, 2010) – Centenary men’s basketball rising seniors Andrew Cobian (Hicksville, N.Y./St. Dominic's) and Rob Urie (Ortley Beach, N.J./Toms River East) were each named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Honors Court, the organization announced Monday.

The Honors Court recognizes those collegiate basketball student-athletes who excelled in academics during the 2009-10 season. In order to be named to the Honors Court, an athlete must be a junior or senior and a varsity player with at least one year at their current institution and hold a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher at the conclusion of the 2009-10 academic year.

Cobian and Urie each also received Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) All-Academic Team honors. Cobian played in 23 games, starting three, averaging 7.6 minutes per contest. He recorded 17 points, 19 rebounds, 22 assists and eight steals and shot .600 (three-for-five) from downtown. He is majoring in Sports Management.

Urie played in all 26 games, starting 25 and was second on the team in points per game (15.2) and assists (82). He shot 41.7 from the field (123-of-295) and 37.4 from downtown (49-of-131) and connected on 76.2 percent of his free throws (99-of-130). In the CSAC statistical rankings, he finished the season third in three pointers, fourth in three point percentage, sixth in free throw percentage, eighth in assists, tied for eighth in scoring and seventh in assist/turnover ratio. He scored his 1,000th career point on Feb. 6 against Baptist Bible and currently stands in third-place on Centenary’s all-time scoring list with 1,069 points. He is majoring in Criminal Justice.

Centenary finished the season 11-15, including 9-9 in CSAC action, and reached the conference tournament for the second consecutive season, falling in the opening round at Neumann.

2009-10 NABC Honors Court

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (June 1, 2010) – The Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) named 74 Centenary student-athletes to its Winter/Spring All-Academic Teams, the league announced. All eight Winter and Spring sports received academic awards, as men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s lacrosse, baseball, softball and golf are listed in the CSAC awards and wrestling was named a Scholar-Academic Team after posting the 17th-best GPA in the nation.

“It is my pleasure to announce that 483 Colonial States Athletic Conference student-athletes have achieved the level of academic success necessary to be named to the Spring 2010 CSAC All-Academic Team,” said CSAC Commissioner Amy Friedman. “These student-athletes have assumed leadership roles on their campuses by demonstrating that a complete education includes both academics and athletics.”

The CSAC All Academic Award is earned by each student-athlete that meets the NCAA Division III eligibility requirements, earns varsity status in their respective sport, and earns a minimum semester grade point average (GPA) of 3.2. The team consists of student-athletes from men’s basketball, women’s basketball, men’s golf, men's lacrosse, women’s lacrosse, men's tennis, baseball and softball.

Men's Basketball 2010 Winter/Spring All-Academic Team
Steven Babatunde, Criminal Justice/Minor English, So., Plainfield, N.J.
Andrew Cobian, S, Business Administration, Sports Management, Jr., Hicksville, N.Y.
Ryan Donovan, Business Administration Management, So., King of Prussia, Pa.
Chris Gennello, Business Administration Sports Management, So., Hamilton, N.J.
Jakub Halicki, Business Administration Management, Fr., Pocono Summit, Pa.
Max Hughes, Mathematics/Teacher of Mathematics, Fr., Nazareth, Pa.
Larry Lenahan, Criminal Justice, So., South Amboy, N.J.
Daniel Stein, Business Administration Sports Management, Jr., Holmdel, N.J.
Robert Urie, Criminal Justice, Jr., Ortley Beach, N.J.

2010 CSAC Winter/Spring All-Academic Team

In his second year as head coach of the Centenary men’s basketball team, Enrico Mastroianni was able to do what no other coach has done before. Mastroianni guided the team to its second conference tournament appearance in as many years, thanks to a 9-9 Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) mark. Although the team fell in the opening round, 81-75 at Neumann, the pieces are in place for more success to come.

The Cyclones went 11-15 in 2009-10, giving Mastroianni 24 in his two seasons as the Cyclones’ head coach. The team was led by senior Ryan Kearney, who averaged 18.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. He received multiple postseason accolades, including First Team All-CSAC, All-ECAC South Third Team and All-MET Second Team. Kearney led the team in scoring 14 times and recorded seven double-doubles.

Kearney scored his 1,000th career point in the team’s CSAC Tournament loss to Neumann. He joined Rob Urie on the 1,000-point plateau; Urie passed the mark in the team’s 102-89 win over Baptist Bible on Feb. 6. Urie was second on the team in scoring, averaging 15.2 points per game. Corey Kearney was Centenary’s third player who averaged double-figures, scoring 12.4 points per contest. Point guard Ludner Innocent recorded the second-highest single-season assists total in program history with 102, while averaging 9.0 points and 5.6 rebounds per contest.

Centenary opened its season with consecutive losses, including a tough 120-106 contest to the No. 2 team in the country, John Carroll. The team used the confidence from that game to rattle off four straight wins, averaging 93.0 points in the four games. During that stretch, CC defeated TCNJ 97-88 and opened its CSAC slate with a 76-75 win over Immaculata. After dropping eight of their next nine, the Cyclones won three consecutive games, including an exciting 81-80 win over conference-leading and eventual CSAC champion Cabrini, the Cavaliers only conference loss of the season. Urie hit the gamewinning shot with five seconds remaining to give his team the victory.

Centenary went 3-4 down the stretch, including a hard-fought 79-77 loss at Cabrini in which Ryan Kearney finished with 31 points. The team’s season then came to an end in the CSAC Tournament with the loss at Neumann.

Off the court, the Centenary men’s basketball team received nine CSAC All-Academic Awards and Ryan Kearney earned the FAR-FAB Winter Scholar Athlete Recognition award. Moreover, Urie and Andrew Cobian were named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Honors Court, given to student-athletes with a GPA of 3.2 or higher.

NEW YORK, N.Y. (April 19, 2010) – Centenary men’s basketball senior Ryan Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) was named to the All-Met Division III Second Team, the Met Basketball Writers Association announced. The 2009-10 All-Met Division III men’s college basketball team will be honored at the National Invitation Tournament/Met Basketball Writers All-Met Haggerty Awards dinner on Wednesday, April 21.

Kearney led the Cyclones this year to an 11-15 record and a berth in the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) playoffs. Kearney led the team in both scoring (18.5) and rebounding (7.5) averages and recorded seven double-doubles. In Centenary’s final game of the season, Kearney scored his 1,000th career point. For his efforts, Kearney was also named First Team All-CSAC and to the ECAC South Region Third-Team.


Full Release

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (March 29, 2010) – The Centenary men’s basketball team will be hosting its first annual golf outing on Sunday, April 25, head coach Enrico Mastroianni announced.

The event will be held in an effort to raise money to support the team’s winter break trip to compete in the Grand Canyon Classic tournament held in Phoenix, Ariz. All proceeds for the outing will be going directly toward the growth of the program.

For more information you can contact Coach Mastroianni by phone (908-852-1400 ext. 2199) or email. Also you can click here to view the full brochure about this event.

CAPE COD, Mass. (March 17, 2010) – Senior forward Ryan Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) of the men’s basketball team was recently selected to the ECAC South Region Third Team.

Kearney earns this award after already having been selected as a Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) First Team representative. The senior had a successful final season, ranking second and third in the CSAC in scoring and rebounding at 18.5 and 7.5 respectively. Kearney finished the year with seven double-doubles and was named the CSAC Player of the Week twice as well as the ECAC South Region Player of the Week once.

In the Cyclones’ last game of the season, an 81-75 playoff loss to Neumann University, Kearney scored the 1,000th point of his career. Led by Kearney, Centenary finished with an overall record of 11-15 while going 9-9 in the conference. Centenary qualified for the CSAC playoffs for the second consecutive season.

Click here for the full ECAC South Region All-Stars release. 

Senior Ryan Kearney scored his 1,000th career point in the loss.

ASTON, Pa. (February 22, 2010) The Centenary men’s basketball was eliminated from the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) playoffs earlier tonight, falling at Neumann University 81-75. The Knights now advance to play No. 1 seeded Cabrini College on Wednesday night, while the loss marks the end of the season for the Cyclones. In the loss, senior forward Ryan Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) became the second Cyclone this season to reach the 1,000 point plateau. Entering the game needing 12 points, Kearney accomplished this feat in the first half.

If there was any playoff jitters, neither team showed it as the first half was played at a blistering pace as both teams poured in a combined 90 points. Centenary shot 54% from the field to take a 49-41 lead at halftime. In the second half, the Cyclones continued their hot shooting and extended their lead to 63-50 with 13 minutes left in the game. Neumann turned the game around at this point and ran off a 26-4 run over the next 10 minutes to reclaim the lead and extend it to nine. Centenary could not recover from this and were only able to record three field goals in the game’s final 13 minutes.

Centenary was led by Ludner Innocent (Asbury Park, N.J./Academy Charter) who scored 17 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Senior Ryan Kearney and junior Rob Urie (Ortley Beach, N.J./Toms River East) each combined for 15 points, Kearney also contributed six rebounds while Urie handed out four assists. The Knights were paced by Marquise Boggs who scored a game high 24 points and senior Na’Sheed Linton finished the game with 19.

The Cyclones finish their season with an overall record of 11-15. They graduate two seniors from their team, Kearney and Marquis Chandler (Jersey City, N.J./St. Mary’s).


Boxscore

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (February 21, 2010) The Centenary men’s basketball team have advanced to the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) playoffs for the second straight season as the Cyclones wrapped up their conference schedule with a 9-9 mark and finished in sixth place. Centenary will be playing at Neumann University Knights, who finished in third place with a 12-6 CSAC record.

Centenary and Neumann played twice this season with the Knights coming on top in each contest. On Dec. 5, Neumann beat Centenary by a score of 91-83. Neumann’s Na’Sheed Linton scored 24 points and handed out 11 assists in the win, while Ryan Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) scored 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Cyclones. On January 18, at Centenary, the Knights once again topped Centenary 82-78. Guard Marquise Boggs sank a three-pointer with five seconds left to give his team the victory.

Neumann will be hosting its first playoff game in six years and boasts a home record of 9-4 this season. They are led by Na’Sheed Linton who was recently named Second Team All-Conference and averages 16.6 points and 5.2 assists per game. Centenary is led by Ryan Kearney. Kearney was named First Team All-Conference and is leading the team with 18.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. The game will begin at 7:00pm with the winner advancing to the CSAC semifinals.

RADNOR, Pa. (February 18, 2010) The Centenary men’s basketball team fell victim to a buzzer beating shot by Cabrini guard Cory Lemons giving the Cavaliers the 79-77 victory. Cabrini improved to 22-2 and 16-1 overall in the conference, while the Cyclones closed out their regular season with an 11-14 record and a 9-9 mark in the conference.

Centenary fell behind in the first half by as many as 16 points and trailed at halftime by 12. In the second half the Cyclones were able to cut the deficit down to four points, before giving back a 12-2 Cabrini run to fall back behind by 14. Centenary used one final run behind a string of three-pointers by Will Atkinson (Hazlet, N.J./Raritan) to go back ahead by two in the final minute. Cabrini tied the game on a jump shot from Kevin Misevicious and after a forcing a turnover, wound up with the ball and 25 seconds remaining. Lemons held the ball until the final seconds before releasing his jump shot that beat the buzzer to give his team the two point win.

The Cyclones were led by Ryan Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) who topped the 30 point mark for the third time this season, finishing with 31 points, four rebounds and three blocks. Junior Atkinson sank four three-pointers on the way to a season high 14 points. Junior Rob Urie (Ortley Beach, N.J./Toms River East) played a solid all around game scoring 12 points, dishing out seven assists and pulling in five rebounds. For Cabrini, Lemons scored 18 points, grabbed nine rebounds and gave out five assists while Dom Farrello scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds for the Cavaliers.

The Cyclones now begin post-season play on Monday, February 22. The Cyclones opponent has yet to be determined. With a CSAC record of 9-9 the Cyclones are guaranteed to be the sixth seed in the playoffs and travel to face the third seed.


Boxscore

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (February 16, 2010) The Centenary men’s basketball team was able to send its two seniors, Ryan Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) and Marquis Chandler (Jersey City, N.J./St. Mary’s) out on top as they closed out their home schedule with a 82-66 win over Philadelphia Biblical University. The Cyclones have now improved to 11-13 and 9-8 in the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) with the win while Philadelphia Biblical fell to 6-17, 4-12 with the loss.

Centenary led throughout the entire game and used a balanced scoring attack and crisp ball movement, totaling a season-high 24 assists to hold off the Crimson Eagles. Ryan Kearney, junior Corey Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) and sophomore Larry Lenahan (South Amboy, N.J./South Amboy) all paced the winners, each totaling 17 points. For Lenahan, the 17 points was a career-high and he fell just one rebound short of a double-double with nine. Junior Rob Urie (Ortley Beach, N.J./Toms River East) scored 10 points, while sophomore Ludner Innocent (Asbury Park, N.J./Academy Charter) scored four points, but handed out eight assists.

For Philadelphia Biblical, Willie Miller played a solid all-around game, scoring 17 points, grabbing eight rebounds and getting five assists. Luke Taylor scored 14 points on six-of-seven shooting, while Ben Fuller scored 12 points and hauled in six rebounds.

Centenary will be back in action on Thursday, February 18. This will be its final regular season game as the Cyclones travel to face CSAC leading Cabrini College. The Cyclones have already recorded a victory over the Cavaliers earlier this season, topping them 81-80 in Hackettstown.


Boxscore

IMMACULATA, Pa. (February 13, 2010) The Centenary men’s basketball team picked up a big win on the road, beating the Immaculata Mighty Macs 84-75. Centenary’s record improved to 10-13 overall with the win, while Immaculata fell to 13-10 overall with the loss.

After trailing at halftime by 10 points, the Cyclones were able to start the secondhalf with a 21-10 run, eventually grabbing a lead at the 13:36 minute mark of the second half. The Cyclones used balance scoring, putting five players into double figures. Centenary also put up 18 fast break points and sank seven three pointers.

Centenary was led by junior Corey Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) who scored 20 points and grabbed five rebounds. Fellow classmate Rob Urie (Ortley Beach, N.J./Queen of Peace) scored 16 points, grabbed four rebounds and gave out two assists. Sophomore Larry Lenahan (South Amboy, N.J./South Amboy) finished with a career high 14 points and five rebounds. Ludner Innocent (Asbury Park, N.J./Academy Charter) scored 13 points, grabbed nine rebounds and handed out six assists. Finally freshman Jakub Halicki (Pocono Summit, Pa./Pocono Mt. East) notched his fourth double-double scoring 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Immaculata was paced by Robert Siter who scored a game high 28 points, grabbed eight rebounds and handed out five assists. Junior John Boyd scored 21 points and scored six rebounds.

The Cyclones will be back in action on Monday, February 15 against conference foe Philadelphia Biblical University. Centenary is coming into the game with a 8-8 conference record.

Boxscore

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (February 12, 2010) The Centenary men’s basketball was downed at home, falling to the Keystone Giants 71-65. Keystone improves to 16-6 on the year and 11-4 in Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) play while Centenary’s record is lowered to 9-13, 7-8 CSAC.

After allowing Keystone to open the game with a 9-0 run, Centenary played solid basketball throughout, yet could not string together enough momentum to take a lead. The Giants kept Centenary at bay by sinking 16 second half free throws.

Centenary was lead by senior Ryan Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) who registered another double-double, scoring 25 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. Sophomore point guard Ludner Innocent (Asbury Park, N.J./Academy Charter) played one of his best games of the season, scoring a career-high 18 points, handing out five assists and grabbing three rebounds.

Keystone was paced by Malcolm Boone who scored 21 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and swatted away five shots. Sophomore Kenneth Hardnett also recorded a double-double for the Giants scoring 10 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

The Cyclones will be back in action this weekend, on Saturday February 13 as they take on Immaculata University in more CSAC action.


Boxscore

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (February 10, 2010) – The Centenary men’s and women’s basketball teams will face Keystone, Thursday in Hackettstown, N.J. The women’s game will start at 6:00 p.m., followed by the men at 8:00 p.m.

Both teams are looking to pick up key Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) victories. The Lady Cyclones (12-9, 9-4 CSAC) sit in fifth-place in the conference standings, behind Cabrini, while the men (9-12, 7-7 CSAC) currently hold down the sixth-seed, trailing Gwynedd-Mercy by two games.

Prior to the men’s game, the team will honor junior Rob Urie (Ortley Beach, N.J./Toms River East), who passed 1,000 career points in the Cyclones’ 102-89 win over Baptist Bible on Feb. 6. He becomes the fourth Cyclone to pass the 1,000-point plateau and the first since Kyle Warner in 2007.

After Thursday’s contests, the men return to action with a road game at Immaculata at 2:00 p.m.

CLARKS SUMMIT, Pa. (February 6, 2010) The Centenary men’s basketball team scored its third highest point total of the season in a 102-89 victory over the Baptist Bible College Defenders. The Cyclones put five players in double figures and junior guard Rob Urie (Ortley Beach, N.J./Toms River East) scored his 1,000 career point as they improved to 9-12 and 7-7 in the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC). The Defenders fall to 2-17 and 0-13 in the CSAC with the loss.

After a competitive first half in which the Cyclones held a slim one point margin of 35-34, Centenary exploded to score 67 second half points. Centenary shot a blistering 81% from the field and 75% from downtown in the final twenty minutes.

For Centenary, Urie was the leading scorer with 20 points while also getting three assists, three steals and two rebounds. Senior forward Ryan Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) chipped in 17 points on seven-of-nine shooting, grabbed seven rebounds and two steals. Corey Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) scored 14 points, including two three- pointers. Sophomore Ryan Donovan (King of Prussia, Pa./Upper Merrion) scored a career high 12 points, going a perfect three-of-three from downtown as well as getting one steal and one assist. Finally, sophomore Larry Lenahan (South Amboy, N.J./South Amboy) rounded out the double figure efforts with his 10 point, six rebound performance.

The Defenders were paced by Tommy Waszaj and Nathan Greve. Waszaj hit five three-pointers on the way to a game-high 23 points, while Greve scored 17 points and also provided six boards.

The Cyclones now have a few days off and will not return to action until Thursday, February 11 when they play CSAC foe Keystone College in a home game which will begin at 8:00pm.


Boxscore

SCRANTON, Pa. (February 4, 2010) In what was a cold shooting night, the Centenary men’s basketball team dropped their second straight conference game falling 93-75 to Marywood University. The loss puts the Cyclones back to 8-12, 6-7 in the CSAC while Marywood improves to 7-13, 4-10 CSAC.

After trailing at halftime by only four points, Centenary was outscored 48-34 in the second half. Marywood was powered by Sidney Tharpe who scored a game high 29 points and was a perfect seven-of-seven from the foul line. Lenny Martin of the Pacers finished with six points, 13 rebounds, five assists and three blocks.

For the Cyclones, junior Rob Urie (Ortley Beach, N.J./Toms River East) was the high man with 23 points, grabbing three rebounds and getting two assists. Corey Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) scored 12 points and sophomore Ludner Innocent (Asbury Park, N.J./Academy Charter) also scored 12 points.

The Cyclones are back in play again on Saturday, February 6. They will be facing conference foe Baptist Bible College. The game is scheduled to begin at 3:00 pm.


Boxscore

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (February 2, 2010) – Centenary men’s basketball forward Ryan Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) added ECAC Division III South Player of the Week to his growing list of accolades, the league announced Tuesday. Kearney was also named Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) Player of the Week on Monday. The senior averaged a double-double in a 2-0 week with 25.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, three steals and two blocks per game.

The forward put on a 27 point, 11 rebound and five steal performance in a win against Marywood University and followed that with a 24 point, 10 rebound and three block game as Centenary handed Cabrini its first conference loss and second loss overall. Kearney also provided stellar defense in that contest, holding Kevin Misevicious to just 30 percent shooting.

CC will be back in action on Thursday with a rematch at Marywood at 8:00 p.m.

ECAC Player of the Week

GWYNEDD VALLEY, Pa. (February 1, 2010) Despite holding a halftime lead, the Centenary men’s basketball ultimately fell short against conference foe Gwynedd-Mercy, ending the Cyclones three game winning streak. The Griffins improved to 10-9 overall and 9-3 in CSAC play, while Centenary’s record is lowered to 8-11 and 6-6.

The Cyclones held a three-point halftime advantage after junior Corey Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) rebounded a long three-point attempt and hit a shot to beat the first half buzzer. Gwynedd-Mercy answered back in the second half and went on an 11-2 run late in the half in which the Cyclones could not recover from. The final score of 82-70 is the first time Centenary has failed to reach the 80 point mark in its past four games.

Centenary was led by Corey Kearney who scored 24 points including four-of-six from three and also chipped in five rebounds. Senior Ryan Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) scored 16 points, along with six rebounds, three blocks and one steal. Junior guard Rob Urie (Ortley Beach, N.J./Toms River East) was the only other Cyclone to reach double figures, scoring 11 points, grabbing five rebounds and handing out three assists.

The Griffins were powered by Brandon Sharp, who scored a game high 25 points and also grabbed a game high 11 rebounds. Seniors Matt Johnson and Lemeire Talley scored 15 points each, while junior John Hogga chipped in 11 points.

The Cyclones will be back in action again on Thursday, February 4, as they take on conference foe Marywood University. The game will begin at 8:00 pm.


Boxscore

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (February 1, 2010) Centenary men’s basketball player Ryan Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) was named Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) Player of the Week ending on January 31 the league announced today.

The senior averaged a double-double in a 2-0 week with 25.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, three steals, and two blocks per game for the week. The forward included a 27 point, 11 rebound and five steal performance in a win against Marywood University and a 24 point, 10 rebound and three block performance against previously unbeaten Cabrini College. Kearney also provided stellar defense in that game, holding Kevin Misevicious to just 30 percent shooting. For his efforts, Kearney was also named the Centenary College Cyclone of the Week. This is the second time Kearney has received both honors this season.

Kearney is now leading his team in scoring (19.3ppg), rebounding (7.8rpg), blocks (21) and steals (35) while also ranking second in the CSAC in scoring and third in rebounding. The Cyclones as a team have been playing arguably their best stretch of basketball this season, winning three straight conference games including a win over previously unbeaten CSAC foe Cabrini College. CC will be back in action tonight, Feb. 1, on the road against Gwynedd-Mercy College. These two teams met earlier this season on January 18 in which GMC was the victor, winning 64-63.

CSAC Weekly Awards For Jan. 25-31

Junior Rob Urie's jumper with five seconds left put his team ahead 81-80.

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (January 30, 2010) Playing in front of a home crowd that was hungry for an upset win, the Centenary men’s basketball team was able to do just that, knocking off first place in the conference Cabrini College 81-80 earlier this afternoon in Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) action. With five seconds left, junior guard Rob Urie (Ortley Beach, N.J./Toms River East) hit a 15 foot jump shot to give the Cyclones the go ahead basket. With the win, Centenary improves to 8-10 and 6-5 in the CSAC, while the loss for Cabrini is just their second, to make them 16-2 overall and suffered their first CSAC defeat of the season now falling to 10-1.

In the first half with the score tied at 43, Cory Lemons of Cabrini stole a pass with eight seconds left and hit a fading off balanced three-pointer at the buzzer to put his team ahead 46-43 going into the half. In first four minutes of the second half the Cavaliers extended their lead to nine points on a three-pointer from Kevin Misevicious. Eight minutes later, the lead was just one for Cabrini as freshman Jakub Halicki (Pocono Summit, Pa./Pocono Mountain East) hit a lay-up to make the score 67-66.

Skipping ahead to just 2:30 left in the game, Cabrini was holding a five point lead when Cory Lemons hit a running bank shot and made the score 78-73. On the next possession, Urie hit a long three-pointer bringing his team within one point. In the final minute, with the Cyclones trailing by a point still, senior Ryan Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) found Halicki under the basket for a lay-up to give Centenary a 79-78 lead with 30 seconds left. On Cabrini’s next possession, Brandon Carter hit a hanging jump shot in the middle of the lane to put his team back ahead 80-79 with 18 seconds left. Centenary found itself in a familiar situation, holding the ball on their home court needing a score to either go ahead or force overtime. With the clock winding down, the ball found its way to Urie who drove right and hit a fading jump shot over two Cabrini defenders to put CC back ahead 81-80 with just five seconds left. On Cabrini’s final possession the ball was knocked loose and rolled free as the clock expired giving the Cyclones the thrilling one point win.

On the game senior Ryan Kearney notched his sixth double-double of the season scoring a game high 24 points on nine-of-13 shooting, grabbing 10 rebounds and blocking three shots. Urie’s big shot was just two of his 18 points and the junior also pulled in seven rebounds and dished out five assists. Sophomore Ludner Innocent (Asbury Park, N.J./Academy Charter) scored 13 points on a number of driving lay-ups, grabbed six rebounds and assisted on two other scores, while junior Corey Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) rounded out the scoring with 12 points including a few timely three-pointers.  The Cavaliers were led by Dom Farrello who scored 20 points, while Kevin Misevicious scored 19 points and had eight rebounds. Point guard Cory Lemons scored 17 points and handed out seven assists.

Up next for the Cyclones will be the Gwynedd-Mercy Griffin’s on Monday, February 1. The game is the second part of a men and women’s doubleheader and will tip-off at 8:00pm.


Boxscore

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (January 28, 2010) While Saturday’s men’s basketball game between the Centenary Cyclones and Cabrini Cavaliers will have both teams opposing each other in the fight to climb the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) playoff standings, both teams will be joining forces in the fight against cancer.

The coaching staffs of both squads will be doing their part to raise cancer awareness and will be doing so by wearing suits and sneakers. Centenary and Cabrini are joining basketball coaches nationwide to address the importance of exercising and eating right in the fight against cancer.

By lacing up sneakers with their suits, college and high school basketball coaches nationwide will spotlight the fact that while cancer remains a major health concern, everyone can take daily steps to reduce their risk of the disease. For those who do not smoke, weight control, exercise and a healthy diet are the best ways to improve health and reduce cancer risk. Obesity has been shown to increase the risk for many forms of cancer, including breast, prostate, and colon cancers and may account for 20 percent of cancer deaths in women and 14 percent in men.

However, according to a 2006 survey, only eight percent of people understand that excess weight is so strongly linked to cancer risk, while more than 80 percent know of the link between overweight and heart disease. Overweight and obesity are of particular concern in minority populations, with higher rates of both reported for Hispanic men and women and for African American women, than for non-Hispanic white adults.

“The personal involvement of these coaches in the Coaches vs. Cancer program creates an invaluable opportunity to reach so many people about how to reduce their risk of cancer, and, particularly, about the important roles that regular exercise and a healthy diet play,” said George W.P. Atkins, 2009-10 national volunteer chair, American Cancer Society Board of Directors. “Coaches vs. Cancer continues to be an integral part of the Society’s commitment to save lives by helping people stay well, by helping them get well, by finding cures and by fighting back against the disease."

"I am honored to again serve as chair of the Coaches vs. Cancer Coaches Council and to stand alongside my fellow coaches across the country in doing all we can to help the American Cancer Society fight for every birthday threatened by this disease,” said Gary Williams, University of Maryland head coach. “Suits and Sneakers awareness weekend is a great way to remind basketball coaches and fans alike about taking an active role in reducing our own risk of cancer and in fighting back on behalf of those who face a cancer diagnosis.”

In addition to Williams, other active Coaches vs. Cancer Coaches Council members are: Jim Boeheim (Syracuse); Mike Brey (Notre Dame); Jim Calhoun (Connecticut); Bobby  Cremins (College of Charleston); Ed DeChellis (Penn State); Fran Dunphy (Temple); Mark Few (Gonzaga); Jeff Gamber (York College); Lon Kruger (UNLV); Mike Krzyzewski (Duke); Phil Martelli (Saint Joseph’s); Oliver Purnell (Clemson); Orlando “Tubby” Smith (Minnesota); Bruce Weber (Illinois); and Roy Williams (North Carolina).

Thanks to the dedicated efforts of college and high school coaches and fans across the country, Coaches vs. Cancer participants have raised more than $55 million since 1993 to help the Society fund groundbreaking cancer research, provide up-to-date cancer information and education, advocate for public health policies that benefit communities, and deliver services that improve the quality of life for patients and their families. Additional information is available at coachesvscancer.org.

Several events throughout 2010 will continue to highlight the productive work of Coaches vs. Cancer, including Fight Cancer In Style – an event for coaches’ wives during NCAA Final Four weekend, April 3-5 in Indianapolis; the annual Coaches vs. Cancer Golf Invitational, June 13-14 at the Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y.; and the annual 2K Sports Classic benefitting Coaches vs. Cancer (12-team nationwide basketball tournament) in November.

The American Cancer Society combines an unyielding passion with nearly a century of experience to save lives and end suffering from cancer. As a global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers, we fight for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. We save lives by helping people stay well by preventing cancer or detecting it early; by helping people get well by being there for them during and after a cancer diagnosis; by finding cures through investment in groundbreaking discovery; and by fighting back by rallying lawmakers to pass laws to defeat cancer and by rallying communities worldwide to join the fight. As the nation’s largest non-governmental investor in cancer research, contributing about $3.4 billion, we turn what we know about cancer into what we do. As a result, more than 11 million people in America who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will be celebrating birthdays this year. To learn more about us or to get help, call us anytime, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (January 25, 2010) The Centenary men’s basketball team opened up a lead as large as 20 points in the first half and rolled to an easy 96-81 victory over the Marywood Pacers. The Cyclones have now evened their Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) record to 5-5 and 7-11 overall. With the loss Marywood falls to 5-11 overall and 2-8 in the CSAC.

The Cyclones put four players in double figures and three players scored 20 or more points, led by senior Ryan Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) who recorded his fifth double-double of the season scoring 27 points and 11 rebounds while also getting a career high five steals and two assists. Freshman Jakub Halicki (Pocono Summit, Pa./Pocono Mountain East) notched his third double-double of the season scoring 13 points, getting 10 rebounds, one assist while also getting a career high five steals. A pair of juniors Rob Urie (Ortley Beach, N.J./Toms River East) and Corey Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) each poured in 20 points, while Urie complimented that with four assists and two rebounds while Kearney grabbed five rebounds. Sophomore point guard Ludner Innocent (Asbury Park, N.J./Academy Charter) also had a career day dishing out 10 assists, while scoring six points and grabbing four rebounds.

Marywood was led by Sidney Tharpe who scored a game high 29 points and pulled in 11 rebounds while teammate Matt Lepri scored 13 points and grabbed five rebounds in the defeat.

In the second half, the Pacers were able to cut Centenary’s lead to seven points with 3:48 to go when the score was 79-72, but the Cyclones were able to outscore MU 17-9 in the final three minutes to obtain the 15 point win.

Next up for the Cyclones will be CSAC leading Cabrini College at home on Saturday, January 30. The game will be starting at 3:30 pm. 

LA PLUME, Pa. (January 21, 2010) The Centenary men’s basketball team dropped a Colonial States Athletic Conference game earlier tonight as the Keystone Giants defeated the Cyclones 81-65. The loss lowers Centenary’s record to 5-10 and 3-5 in conference play, while Keystone improves to 9-5 and 5-3 in conference play.

Junior Rob Urie (Ortley Beach, N.J./Toms River East) led three Cyclones to score in double figures with 14 points while also grabbing seven rebounds. Senior Ryan Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) picked up his fourth double-double of the season scoring 12 points and grabbing 11 rebounds to go along with four assists, two steals and a blocked shot. Sophomore Larry Lenahan (South Amboy, N.J./South Amboy) was the last Cyclone to reach double figures, scoring 12 points on six-of-seven shooting.

The Keystone Giants were led by Kenneth Hardnett who scored 16 points, grabbed nine rebounds and had three steals. Ryne Luce connected on four three pointers on the way to 13 points, while Malcolm Boone finished with 14 points, four rebounds, three assists, three blocks and three steals.

After building a halftime lead of 11 points, the Giants had control of the game through much of the second half, never allowing Centenary to get any closer than six points in the game’s final 20 minutes. Keystone held a lead as large as 20 points in the half.

Next up for the Cyclones will be conference foe Philadelphia Biblical on Saturday, January 23. The game will be played at 4:00 pm.


Boxscore

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (January 21, 2010) The Centenary men’s basketball team stands among the nation and conference leaders as in the latest statistical rankings.

As a team, the Cyclones rank 28th (out of 404) in the nation as well as first in the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) in scoring offense at 81 points per game. Contributing to all those points, CC has been scoring three pointers at a high rate, ranking 34th nationally and second in the CSAC in three pointers made per game at 8.1. The Cyclones as a team also rank in the top five in the CSAC in rebounding offense (first with 42.1 per game), free throw percentage (third with .681), three point field goal percentage (fourth with .317), offensive rebounds per game (second with 13.9) and defensive rebounds per game (first with 28.3).

Certain individuals are enjoying successful seasons for the Cyclones as well. Senior Ryan Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) ranks nationally in points per game. His 18.8 average puts him 84th in Division III as well as second in the CSAC. Kearney is also amid the conference leaders in rebounding (third), free throw percentage (third), three point percentage (seventh) and three pointers made per game (third).

Also ranking in the conference leaders is junior Rob Urie (Ortley Beach, N.J./Toms River East). Urie ranks in scoring (ninth), assists (ninth), three point field goals made per game (fifth) and minutes played (eighth).  Junior Corey Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) and sophomore Ludner Innocent (Asbury Park, N.J./Academy Charter) both are tied in rebounding at sixth in the conference while Innocent also ranks fifth in the CSAC in assists per game. Finally, a pair of freshman are making an impact in the conference, as  Max Hughes (Nazareth, Pa./Notre Dame Green Pond) ranks first in the CSAC in free throw percentage shooting 84.6 percent while Jakub Halicki (Pocono Summit, Pa./Pocono Mt. East) is ninth in the conference in rebounding.
The Cyclones look to improve upon these rankings tonight as they are again in conference action, going on the road to face CSAC foe Keystone College. The Cyclones are 3-4 in CSAC play while the Giants of Keystone are 4-3. The game will tip-off at 8:00pm.

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (January 18, 2010) The Centenary men’s basketball team dropped their second consecutive heartbreaking loss, this time falling to Gwynedd-Mercy by a score of 64-63. On the game’s final possession, the Cyclones had two shots at winning the game, yet both attempts did not go down. With the win, Gwynedd-Mercy improved to 6-7 and 5-1 in the CSAC conference while the Cyclones fall to 5-9 and 3-4 in conference play.

Centenary was led by Jakub Halicki (Pocono Summit, Pa./Pocono Mt. East) who scored 15 points and grabbed a career best 14 rebounds for his second double-double. Ryan Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) added 15 points, four rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals, while junior Rob Urie (Ortley Beach, N.J./Toms River East) scored 13 points, grabbed four rebounds and handed out three assists. For the Griffins, senior guard Matt Johnson scored a game high 22 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out five assists while fellow senior John Hogga recorded a double-double scoring 13 points and getting a game high 15 rebounds.

After a missed free throw by GMC’s Matt Johnson, Centenary had the ball under their own basket with five seconds left in the game, trailing by one point, 64-63. After a long inbounds to Ludner Innocent, he found Ryan Kearney alone on the wing. Kearney’s three point attempt rimmed out and the rebound was gathered by Rob Urie. With time expiring Urie was forced to shoot a fading away shot, but his try fell just short and the Griffins were able to hold on to get the one point win.

Next up for the Cyclones will be Keystone College on Thursday, January 21. The game is part of a men’s and women’s double-header and is set to tip off at 8:00pm.


Boxscore

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (January 16, 2010) A three pointer with four seconds left from Neumann’s Marquis Boggs proved to basket that ultimately defeated Centenary, as the Cyclones fell 82-78 to Neumann. Centenary now sits at 5-8, 3-3 in Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) play while Neumann improves to 7-6 and 5-1 in the CSAC.

In the first half both teams were trying to feel each other out and neither team was able to open up a lead of more than four points until the six minute mark of the half when Neumann pulled ahead by six points on a layup from the Knights John Lewis. Centenary fought back and eventually took back the lead, which they held going into the half by two 39-37.

The second half brought more of the same, even play with neither team able to hold a lead larger than six points. With the game tied at 75 and three minutes to play, the Knights got a traditional three point play from leading scorer Na’Sheed Linton to go ahead 78-75. After a few scoreless trips from both teams, Centenary was still trailing by three points and needed an answer. It found one when freshman Max Hughes (Nazareth, Pa./Notre Dame Green Pond) stuck a big three pointer to tie the score with 37 seconds left. Out of a time-out, Centenary played 33 seconds of hard defense forcing Marquis Boggs to pull up from 25 feet, but the senior guard buried the three point attempt to give his team the lead, 81-78 with four seconds remaining. On the ensuing possession, the Cyclones were able to throw a long pass down the court to Ryan Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) but his game tying shot attempt rimmed in and out and Neumann was able to hold off Centenary winning by a final of 82-78.

For the Cyclones, Corey Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) had his best night in a Centenary uniform, making an array of offensive moves on the way to a career high 28 points, six rebounds and one assist. Ryan Kearney finished the game with 17 points and nine rebounds, while sophomore point guard Ludner Innocent (Asbury Park, N.J./Academy Charter) finished with 12 points, four rebounds and four assists. The Knights were led by Boggs who finished scoring 18 points, including four three pointers and Ty Robinson who recorded a double-double of 17 points and 12 rebounds.

Next up for the Cyclones will be Gwynedd-Mercy College on Monday night at 7:00pm. This game will be the final home game in a stretch of four for the Cyclones.


Boxscore

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (January 11, 2010) Senior Ryan Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) and junior Corey Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) combined for 38 points and 10 rebounds as the pair of brothers led Centenary past Rosemont for the 78-76 Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) win. The victory bumps Centenary’s record up to 5-7 and 3-2 in the CSAC while the loss lowers Rosemont to 3-8 and 1-3 in CSAC play.

Midway through the second half Rosemont was enjoying a nine point advantage, leading the Cyclones 62-53 with nine minutes to play. From this point, Centenary was able to turn up their defensive pressure and force turnovers to chip into the lead and get back in the game. A three pointer by Mike Lovett (Bayonne, N.J./St. Anthony’s) brought Centenary back to within two points at 67-65 with 6:38 seconds remaining.

From here, the tide turned and CC was able to build a lead of their own, jumping ahead by seven on a layup from Corey Kearney to make the score 76-69 Cyclones with two and a half minutes to play. Rosemont would not go away, however, and it was able to bring themselves back within two with 15 seconds left and a chance to tie the game. In Rosemont’s final possession, the Cyclones used some stingy to defense to force the Ravens’ Russell Slawter into a fading jump shot that fell short of the rim as time expired giving Centenary the 78-76 win.

In the win, Ryan Kearney was big for Centenary scoring 23 points and grabbing three rebounds. Corey Kearney was equally impressive scoring 15 points, grabbing seven rebounds while also picking up a steal and a block. Sophomore Ludner Innocent (Asbury Park, N.J./Academy Charter) continued his solid all around play with ten points, seven rebounds and five assists. The Ravens were led by Russell Slawter who scored 13 points and also grabbed 13 rebounds to go along with seven assists.


Boxscore

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (January 8, 2010) – Centenary forwards Ryan and Corey Kearney have always played against each other. Growing up in North Arlington, N.J., the two took their competitions very seriously, no matter what the game was. But the one thing they never had a chance to do was to play together. That is, until now. The Kearney brothers are both starting for the Centenary men’s basketball team, and now their competitive fire is leading the Cyclones to success.

Ryan is two years, 10 months and 22 days older than his brother. They both attended Queen of Peace High School in North Arlington, but never played on the same team.

“Our mom always says it was a dream of hers to see us playing together,” said Ryan. “When we were younger sometimes we would play together and he was always Scottie Pippen and I was Michael Jordan. But we did not play together often. Centenary is really the first place we have ever played on the same team together.”

“Because he was older, we never really played on the same team,” added Corey. “I would go to his practices when he was in high school. I would shoot on the side and I could not wait to get on the court myself.”

The fact that they were not on the same team did not stop the two brothers from playing against each other. Whatever the stakes, whatever the game, the Kearney brothers did not want to lose.

“If one of us sees the other one getting better at something, at anything, we have to do something about it,” said Ryan. “Our mom always says it is a competition all the time between us. If one of us is doing well, the other wants to do a lot better. If he says he can count to 100 faster, I will say no I can count to 100 faster, and it has always been that way.”

“We play a lot of video games, and those get pretty intense as well,” said Corey.

The competition between the brothers also spilled outside to the basket their parents set up in the backyard.

“Our games were always evenly matched,” said Ryan. “Even though I was bigger, he put up a good fight. Those games got pretty heated.”

“Our backyard was small, so there was not a lot of room to move,” said Corey. “Basically you would take two dribbles and then shoot, so we always really knew where the other was going to go when they had the ball.”

Although the competition in the backyard was fierce, the two did not start using each other to get better at the game they loved until Ryan graduated from high school.

“I was always the older brother, but when I went to college I went from being a senior in high school to just a freshman, and he was still younger but all of a sudden he got bigger,” said Ryan. “When I came back home, I thought to myself we have to start working out together.”

Both brothers agree that they are better players because of the games in the backyard and the time spent lifting weights and taking shots together. Ryan had to put up with an opponent who would not give up, no matter what.

“When I was in high school, Corey would ask me to play one-on-one,” said Ryan. “I would think that there would not be much competition because I was so much taller, but all of a sudden we get out there and he is playing me tough. He always put up a fight and I really had to play hard to try and get a win.”

Corey, meanwhile, was facing a player taller than he was, but he always played hard and that scrappiness stayed with him as he grew taller and bigger.

“When I was little I always played guard,” he said, “so once I got bigger I was able to play more of a guard’s type game with a forward-type body.”

After Corey grew, their backyard games became even more heated.

“There is a lot of trash talking during our one-on-one games, definitely,” said Corey. “The games get pretty intense.”

Ryan agreed.”The games get really intense. It helps, especially if one of us is struggling, the other will get in his face and that is a good motivator to play better.”

Both players have exceptional one-on-one skills, learned in the backyard at their house. With their height (Ryan is 6-5, Corey is 6-3), and their skill set, they cause matchup problems left and right for opponents.

“They might put a bigger guy on us, but I think we can handle them defensively,” said Corey. “But offensively, they might have more problems with our speed. I think we benefited from playing against each other at home and covering each other in practice.”

“We are lucky to have both brothers on our team,” said second-year head coach Enrico Mastroianni. “Ryan is such a complete player – we always have a chance to win with him on the floor. The best attribute about Ryan is that he is committed to getting better every day – he never takes a day off. Corey is a quiet leader on the floor and he does so many things to help us that statistics do not always measure. Corey seems to always be in the right place at the right time; he has amazing basketball instincts.” 

Ryan’s path to playing with his brother started at Caldwell College. Ryan appeared in 21 games as a freshman, averaging 2.2 points per game, before transferring to Ramapo. In 2005-06, he played in only nine games for the Roadrunners, averaging 3.7 points per game. He decided to step away from basketball for a year, but then he got the itch to play again when he saw his brother being recruited by Centenary.

“After I left Ramapo, I took a year off from school,” he said.

“Meanwhile I was being recruited to Centenary by the previous coach,” said Corey. “Ryan got in touch with him and then he started recruiting Ryan as well.”

“When Corey decided to go to Centenary, I said I wanted to go back to school and join him,” added Ryan. “I missed playing basketball. I went from playing all the time to not playing at all and it was tough. I felt like I needed to get back, and I wanted to go back to school as well, so I figured what better opportunity than the school where my brother was going to play.”

Sitting out one year became two years as Ryan had to complete a year of Academic Residency according to NCAA Division III Student-Athlete Transfer Rules.

“It was pretty frustrating,” said Ryan. “It was my second year away from basketball, so it was definitely tough. I just concentrated on school work so that I could make sure I was eligible to play when my year of residency was up. I went to most of the home games, so if I saw something, I would tell Corey what he did wrong. My mom always says my dad and I are Corey’s toughest critics, so if we see him doing something wrong we will not hesitate to tell him.”

The time away from the court was not only tough on Ryan, but also his brother.

“It was a rough year in general since we only won four games, and I knew Ryan really wanted to be out there with us,” said Corey.

“It was tough to watch, but it was a good experience for them,” said Ryan. “Anytime you put four freshmen starting at the college level, it is throwing them to the wolves. But they got a good experience out of it, they made the best of it, and now we are trying to turn it around. We did a pretty good job last year and we are trying to build on that.”

Finally, last season, the Kearneys were on the court together. They had been brothers all their lives, but this was the first time they were teammates, and it was a little strange for each at first.

“It was kind of weird to be on the same team for the first time,” said Corey. “The competition thing is still there, so if he misses a shot I get really upset, because I feel that I should have shot the ball instead, and it is probably the same for him.”

“It has its ups and downs, but in the end it is great to be on the same team as your brother,” said Ryan. “Even though it does get kind of heated sometimes.”

“But it does not take us much time to get over a fight,” added Corey.

“Half the time I do not even remember what we were arguing about,” said Ryan.

On the court, however, the two always remember where the other is. Although they were never teammates, playing against each other at home gives them a sense of where the other is on the court, which is invaluable during a game.

“If we are on a fast break, I always know where he is and he knows I am going to throw it up to him,” said Corey.

During practices the two brothers always guard each other, which helps during the games. Ryan has two inches on his brother and Corey usually defends against players who are taller than he is. Corey is more solidly built than his brother and Ryan has to guard players who have a little more bulk than he does.

The two brothers led Centenary to its best season in five years in 2008-09, as the Cyclones went 13-13, including 8-8 in the conference, before falling to Keystone in the first round of the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) tournament. The team’s 13 victories was more than the win total from the previous five seasons combined. Ryan averaged 16.6 points and 6.3 rebounds per game while Corey chipped in 5.8 points and 3.0 rebounds per contest. They both worked hard in the offseason to improve their games.

“We both worked on our three point shooting,” said Corey. “With the offense we are running this year, our three pointers should be like layups. I worked hard on my shot and I am feeling good with it right now.”

“We can take the ball to the rim and we can both finish layups, but if we get an open three we have to be able to knock it down consistently,” said Ryan. “Our mom used to work at a gym nearby, and during the summer we would go four days a week to lift and we would close out the session by shooting. We did a drill where we would set up seven spots on the three point line, put four minutes on the clock, and you would not be able to move to the next shooting spot until you made two in a row. You have to go all the way around and back in those four minutes. It was tough and tiring and it worked our endurance, so we put in some good work over the summer.”

The hard work has paid off, as Ryan is leading the team in both points (18.9) and rebounds (8.1), while Corey is scoring 11.0 points and grabbing 6.0 rebounds per contest.

The brothers hope to use their improved play to take Centenary even further in the CSAC Tournament.

“Our goal is to make Centenary a consistently winning program,” said Corey. “Last year we played pretty well but we want to do better. Our goal is to win more games than last year.”

“With the talent we have on this team, I think the sky is the limit for us,” said Ryan. “Coach Mastroianni put together a really tough schedule, we are playing the preseason No. 2 and No. 9 teams in the country, as well as Montclair State who went to the NJAC championship, so our non-conference schedule should get us ready for our CSAC schedule. I do not see why we cannot be competing for the conference championship. We were knocked out of the conference tournament last year by Keystone and we want to do better this season.”

“They should not have beaten us,” said Corey. “We did not play as well as we could have.”

Although they are competitive, they each agree that Corey is the better passer, driver and post up player while Ryan is the better shooter. The two also agree that the goal is to make Centenary a winning program. After winning 13 games last year, they both want to take the Cyclones to new heights.

“If we come and play our game, things are already looking better at this point than last year, so we feel we can win the conference,” asked Ryan. “We are all working hard. I want to help the team however I can and be in the talk for player of the year in the conference. I was honorable mention last year and this is my last go around, so I want to make it count.”

Ryan is motivation enough for Corey.

“The fact that this is his senior year is a motivation for me, to work hard and help make his final season a good one,” he said.

Their head coach, and Centenary basketball in general, are reaping the benefits of the brothers’ hard work and dedication.

“It is great watching them compete against each other every day in practice and then put it together to work as one during games,” said Mastroianni. “With the Kearney brothers on the team, we truly feel that we can compete with anyone.”

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (January 6, 2010) After trailing King’s College for the entire second half, the Centenary men's basketball team fought to tie the game at 66-66 with 4:44 left to play, yet over those final four minutes, the Cyclones were outscored 11-4 and ultimately suffered their first home loss of the season, 77-70. The win improves King’s to 4-8 while it lowers the Cyclones record to 4-7.

In the first half, King’s was able to open up a lead as large as nine points on a three pointer by Matt Fioriono to make the score 19-13 in favor of the Monarchs with 11 minutes left to play in the half. The Cyclones were up to the task, however, and responded eventually bringing themselves to within four points going into halftime, 36-32. Ryan Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) led all scorers in the opening half with 13 points.

In the second half, King’s College was again able to open up a slight lead, holding an 11 point advantage with 8:33 left to play in the game. From this point, Centenary was able to turn up the defensive pressure and create some turnovers which resulted in easy baskets and wiped away all of King’s lead. With the score tied at 66 and four minutes to play, King’s was able to convert their offense and make enough plays in the end to secure the win, 77-70.
Centenary was paced by Kearney who finished the night with 18 points, nine rebounds and two assists. Junior guard Rob Urie (Ortley Beach, N.J./Toms River East) scored 16 points, grabbed four rebounds and one steal. Corey Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) was the other Cyclone in double figures, finishing with 12 points, four rebounds and two steals. The Monarchs were led by Mike Wagner who hit six three pointes on the way to a game high 20 points and Kevin Conroy who scored 19 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.

Now on a five game skid, the Cyclones are looking to get back on the winning side with their next game on Monday, January 11. They will be playing Colonial States Athletic Conference foe Rosemont College.  Centenary has already played Rosemont this season, on December 7, a game in which Rosemont won, 90-76.


Boxscore

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (December 30, 2009) – The Centenary men’s basketball team returned to play with a non conference match  up with DeSales University, but were handled easily on the road 101-64. Centenary trailed by a defecit of only four after the first half, but were outscored 58-25 in the second half to get final score. The loss dips the Cyclones below .500 at 4-5 while DeSales improves to 7-3.

With three minutes to play in the first half, DeSales’ Rob Schubach hit his fourth three of the half to put his team up 15. The Cyclones were able to go on a 14-3 run however over those final three minutes to bring themselves within four to end the half, 43-39. In the second half DeSales quickly extended its lead to eight points on a Darnell Braswell lay-up to make the score 52-44 with 16 minutes to play. Centenary was unable to keep the defecit there, however, as the Bulldogs pushed the lead up to 20 points just six minutes later. DeSales’ defense was able to hold Centenary to just 20% shooting from the field in the second half.

For the game Centenary was led by Ryan Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) who scored 15 points and grabbed four rebounds, hitting three three pointers. Max Hughes (Nazarteh, Pa./Notre Dame Green Pond) scored nine of his points in just 17 points while Mike Lovett (Bayonne, N.J./St. Anthony’s) came off the bench to score eight points. For the Bulldogs, Rob Schubach sank six three pointers on the way to 20 points, while teammate Bob Zanneo topped all scorers with his 21 point mark.

The Cyclones have a short turnaround as they are back in action again on Saturday, January 2 as they will take on non conference Montclair State University. The game is scheduled to tip off at 2:00pm.


Boxscore

MONTCLAIR, N.J. (January 2, 2010) The Centenary men's basketball team began the new year on the road at Montclair State and battled but ultimately fell to the Red Hawks 79-66. The loss drops the Cyclones to 4-6 while the win improves Montclair to 8-3. 

In the first half, Centenary built a five point lead at 20-15 with ten minutes to play in half. After a two three pointers from Montclair's John Byrne and one from Ken Dudley the Red Hawks went back up by six with four minutes to play, a lead they eventually stretched to eight before the half ended, the score being 38-30.

To begin play in the second half, Montclair scored on their first two possessions to open up a 12 point lead on the Cyclones, 42-30. From here, Centenary began the comeback, eventually cutting the deficit to just two points on a three pointer by Corey Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) to make the score 44-42 with 12 minutes to play. Montclair was just as resilient, however, and regained control of the game, going on an 11-0 run to go back ahead by 13 at 55-42. Over the game’s final eight minutes, Centenary was never able to get any closer than seven points on the Red Hawks, eventually falling 79-66.

For the game, Centenary was led by Ryan Kearney (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) who finished with his third double-double of the season notching 25 points and 14 rebounds as well as two blocks and two steals. Junior Rob Urie (Ortley Beach, N.J./Toms River East) finished the game with 12 points, including three three pointers. The Red Hawks were led by John Byrne who scored 14 points and Daniel McRae who scored 11 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.

Centenary will be back in action on Wednesday, January 6 as they are set to take on non conference foe King's College. This will be Centenary's final non conference game of the season and their first of four straight home games.


Boxscore

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.