ALBANY - The University at Albany didn't play its best on Wednesday evening, but they don't ask how, they ask if.

The Great Danes were able to claw and scrape their way to a 73-72 double overtime victory over UMBC, in front of 2,145 fans at SEFCU Arena.

UAlbany (2-0, 8-7) got a career-high 27 points from Peter Hooley and 20 points and 12 rebounds from Sam Rowley, but it was John Puk's single free throw with 0.4 seconds remaining that sealed the victory.

The Retrievers were poised to pull the upset, as freshman Rodney Elliott scored 22 and Devarick Houston added 19. UMBC (0-2, 4-11) is now 0-10 on the road this season, including 0-2 in America East play. 

ALBANY - The University at Albany didn't play its best first half of the seasons.

The Great Danes bounced back from an early deficit and lead UMBC by one, 27-26, at halftime.

Sam Rowley led the way with 12 points for UAlbany.

The Retreievers got eight points from Bryan Harris, off the bench.

Coming off a night where they made a Division I program record 16 3-pointers, UAlbany shot just 1-for-6 from beyond the arc in the first 20 minutes.

Mike McMahon/The Record

University at Albany sophomore guard Peter Hooley has been on quite a scoring binge.

While his streak of 20-point games ended in Sunday's 66-55 victory over New Jersey Institute of Technology, Hooley (left) was named America East Player of the Week, on Monday.

Hooley averaged 17.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists in two Great Danes victories last week.

He scored a career-high 24 points in the victory over Rider last Tuesday and ranks fourth in the conference in scoring (16.3 ppg). 

Hooley was an all-rookie selection last year and has taken his game to the next level, in his second season.

Hooley earned player of the week, while Vermont's Kurt Steidl was named the league's rookie of the week. 

Here is UAlbany's release.

Here is the America East release.

Here are the previous winners of the America East awards. 

Player of the Week
12/1 - Peter Hooley, UAlbany
11/25 - Jameel Warney, Stony Brook
11/18 - Jordan Reed, Binghamton & Chris Pelcher, New Hampshire
11/11 - Anthony Jackson, Stony Brook

Rookie of the Week
12/1 - Kurt Steidl, Vermont
11/25 - Magnus Richards, Binghamton
11/18 - Rodney Elliott, UMBC
11/11 - Nick Madray, Binghamton

UAlbany Athletics

University at Albany forward Shereesha Richards is making the America East Player of the Week award her own.

The sophomore is averaging 23.2 points and 9.6 rebounds per game for the Great Danes, who are undefeated, at 5-0. UAlbany has also won 22 straight regular season games, dating back to a loss to Sam Houston State last year.

On Monday, Richards was named America East Player of the Week for the third consecutive time to start the year.

Last year's rookie of the year in the league seems to be headed for another, even more prestigious award this season, although it's still very early.

Here is the America East release.

Here is the UAlbany release.

University at Albany sophomore Shereesha Richards won her second straight America East Player of
the Week honors on Monday.

Richards had a monster game, with career-highs of 28 points and 15 rebounds in possibly the program's biggest victory ever, against Marist, last Thursday.

Here is the league's release and the school's release.

Also, Albany native and Albany Academy grad Chris Pelcher was honored as the men's co-player of the week.

He averaged 17.0 points, 14.5 rebounds and 3.5 blocks in two games for New Hampshire this past week.

ALBANY - The University at Albany Great Danes improved to 2-0, for the first time since the 2006-07 season, with a 71-65 victory over New Jersey Institute of Technology.

It was the home opener for UAlbany and they revealed their America East championship and NCAA tournament banners before the game.

What it means: The Great Danes had to come from behind again, but the first 2-0 start, for the program in seven years, certainly should have people feeling good.

DJ play that music: Senior guard DJ Evans turned in another career-performance, following up 12 points against Siena, with a 20-point night on Tuesday. He scored 13 points in the first 7:27 and looked confident running the offense. 

Player of the Game: (besides DJ) Sam Rowley scored 10 of his 12 points after halftime, as the junior turned it on. He shot 6-for-8 from the floor and really gave the team a spark in the second half.

Play of the Game: Late in the second half, University at Albany coach Will Brown brought out the full-court pressure defense. That turned things around in a hurry, as NJIT had trouble handling the aggressive defense from the Danes.

“I thought that changed the flow of the game," said NJIT coach Jim Engles. "It was good coaching on his (UAlbany coach Will Brown) part.”

Coming Up: UAlbany travels to Quinnipiac for a game on Saturday afternoon. The Bobcats are 1-1, beating Hartford, but losing at La Salle during the ESPN Tip-off marathon on Tuesday.  

ALBANY - Once again, the University at Albany men's basketball team comes behind.

Down nine points, with nine minutes to play, the Great Danes turned it on and came out with another victory, defeating New Jersey Institute of Technology, 71-65 on Tuesday evening, in front of a crowd of 3,141.

UAlbany was led by D.J. Evans, who scored a career-high 20 points, while Peter Hooley added 13.

The Highlanders were led by Terrence Smith, who scored 19, while Ky Howard added 15.

ALBANY - The University at Albany men's basketball team and D.J. Evans started Tuesday's game about as fast as you can.

Unlike in Friday's season-opener, the Great Danes started fast and fizzled to the halftime buzzer.

UAlbany led by as many as seven points, but trail, 33-29, at intermission.

Evans scored 13 points in the game's first 7:27, as the Great Danes broke out to a 17-0 lead. He leads all scorers.

The Highlanders were led by Terrence Smith, who has 11 points, while Ky Howard added six. 

Before the game, UAlbany lowered its America East championship and NCAA tournament banners from last season.

The University at Albany women's basketball team got off to a great start, winning both Friday and Sunday, to start the season 2-0.

A big reason for that was sophomore Shereesha Richards, who was honored on Monday as the America East Player of the Week.

Richards, who was a preseason all-conference selection, averaged 19.0 points and 10.5 rebounds in the two games.

Like their female counterparts, the University at Albany men's basketball team is receiving votes in the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25.

Both Great Danes' teams are the defending America East champions and both squads open the 2013-14 season against Siena on Friday.

Will Brown's team went 24-11 last season, losing to Duke in the NCAA tournament, round of 64, in Philadelphia.

Two other America East teams are receiving votes, in Stony Brook and Vermont. The Catamounts, who lost to UAlbany in the title game last year, were picked as the No. 1 team in the America East preseason poll. 

The women's team was ranked No. 22 in the opening poll and are two-time defending league champions. 

The University at Albany women's basketball team has been selected to finish first in the America East Conference preseason poll.

The men's team, also defending champions, was selected to finish 3rd in the preseason poll, behind Vermont and Stony Brook.

Here is a link to today's story, which talks about both programs having media day on Tuesday.

Here is the full men's poll, selected by the coaches.

1. Vermont
2. Stony Brook
3. UAlbany
4. Hartford
5. New Hampshire
6. UMBC
7. Binghamton
8. Maine
9. UMass Lowell

The men's preseason America East team consists of Stony Brook's Jameel Warner and Dave Coley, Vermont's Brian Voelkel, Binghamton's Jordan Reed and Mark Nwakamma of Hartford. 

The women's poll is below.

1. UAlbany
2. Hartford
3. Stony Brook
4. New Hampshire
5. Vermont
6. Maine
7. UMBC
8. Binghamton
9. UMass Lowell

The preseason women's team consists of Shereesha Richards and Megan Craig of UAlbany, Hartford's Amber Bepko, Sabre Proctor of Stony Brook and Kelsey Hogan of New Hampshire.

The America East Conference announced on Thursday that it is changing its format for the men's postseason league basketball tournament.

Starting in 2015, the league will play games at on-campus sites, rather than all at one venue and will re-seed after the quarterfinals.

This decision comes just two days after all of the men's and women's coaches were in Albany for a reception to officially kick off the year. The 2014 America East men's and women's tournament will be hosted at SEFCU Arena, on the campus of the University at Albany.

"This is an exciting and positive change for men's basketball in our conference," America East Commissioner Amy Huchthausen said in a statement. 

On one hand, this gives more of an advantage to the better teams, which is who the league wants representing them in the NCAA tournament.

On the other hand, it takes a little excitement of upsets away from a time that's referred to by many as March Madness.

Either way, I'm not huge on having three days between the quarterfinals and semifinals, which I think will take some steam away from the tournament.

I've covered some exciting games in the America East tournament, the two most exciting pitting UAlbany against Vermont. In 2009, the Great Danes became the only No. 7 seed ever to beat a No. 2. Last March, UAlbany defeated Vermont at Patrick Gym to earn the league's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. 

Here is the full release from the league.

BURLINGTON, Vt. - The UAlbany men's basketball team is back in the NCAA tournament.

The Great Danes will make the third NCAA trip in program history (all since 2006), following a 53-49 victory over Vermont on Saturday.

Below, the team celebrates as the buzzer sounds.



Below, coach Will Brown talks about the victory.

BURLINGTON, Vt. - The University at Albany Great Danes are dancing.

For the third time in school history, UAlbany is America East tournament champions and snags the conference's bid to the NCAA tournament. The Great Danes got some big 3-pointers from Jacob Iati and knocked off Vermont, 53-49, at Patrick Gym.

UAlbany will find out its opponent during tomorrow's selection show, which is at 6 p.m.

BURLINGTON, Vt. - The University at Albany couldn't have started the America East championship game any worse.

They also couldn't have responded any better.

After falling behind 10-0 to Vermont, the Great Danes went on an 11-0 run of their own. They added another 10-0 run later in the half and have a 28-20 lead at halftime.

One of these teams is just one half away from an America East tournament title crown and punching a trip to the NCAA tournament.

Mike Black led the way with 11 points and in doing so, moved into fifth on the school's all-time scoring list. UAlbany also got great play from Luke Devlin, who scored six points and grabbed two rebounds.

Clancy Rugg has six points to lead the Catamounts.

ALBANY - From the first day of open gym for the University at Albany men's basketball team, Gary Johnson stood out to his teammates.

A 6-foot-6 junior college transfer, Johnson showed he was athletic and capable of playing big minutes for the Great Danes.

That didn't happen right away, however.

But over the past three weeks, Johnson has become an invaluable piece of the puzzle for UAlbany, which plays at Vermont, in the America East Conference championship game on Saturday, at 11:30 a.m.

“He’s a guy that doesn’t need the ball to be effective," said UAlbany coach Will Brown.

Johnson has started the past five games for the Great Danes, including both games in the America East tournament. In those games, he was matched up against the league's leading scorer, in Maine's Justin Edwards and the conference's MVP, in Stony Brook's Tommy Brenton.

“They gave me an assignment and I took it personal," Johnson said. "I have pride in my defense. It was fun playing against Justin Edwards and Tommy Brenton because they’re both aggressive and good players. I’m just happy we got the ‘W’.”

Over the past 11 games, Johnson is averaging 6.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 0.8 assists per game in 22.5 minutes.

Over the team's first 22 games, Johnson played a total of just 54 minutes and compiled stats of nine points, 10 rebounds, two steals and two assists.

“I think he was trying to pick up on everything that we were doing and adjust to this level of basketball," said guard Jacob Iati.

An injury to all-rookie selection Peter Hooley, allowed Johnson to step into the starting lineup. When Hooley returned, the duo has been used effectively by Coach Brown.

“Having him and Pete Hooley on the wing is an awesome advantage for us," said Iati.

Johnson's athleticism couldn't be questioned, but he was trying to get familiar with this level of basketball.

“At the beginning of the year, it was a big transition from junior college to Division I," he said. "The coaches told me that and at first, I didn’t understand. But now I understand and I’m just happy I can have an impact on the team.”

Johnson just kept working and it all culminated in the big victory over Stony Brook, where he had nine points and four rebounds, in the 61-59 victory, which resulted in the crowd storming the SEFCU Arena court.

“It was the funniest game I’ve ever played in," he said.

Now, the Great Danes are just one win from the NCAA tournament and Johnson is hoping he can do whatever it takes to help his team win the America East title.

"We want to win this game bad," he said. "It's not going to be easy. We know it's going to be a tough game, but we're prepared."

University at Albany senior Ebone Henry talks about the upcoming women's America East championship game, which pits the Great Danes against Hartford.

UAlbany hosts the game at SEFCU Arena, on Saturday, at 7 p.m.

University at Albany guard Jacob Iati talks about the upcoming America East championship game, where the Great Danes meet Vermont, at 11:30 a.m., on Saturday.

The University at Albany is headed to the America East championship game, following a thrilling 61-59 victory over top-seeded Stony Brook.

Below, Mike Black's scored the game-winning basket with 2.4 seconds to play and then the crowd storms the court at SEFCU Arena.  



Here, Black talks about the victory.

ALBANY - The University at Albany started slowly in the first half, but finished the first 20 minutes well.

The Great Danes lead 28-22, and are just 20 minutes from a spot in the championship game.

UAlbany was led by Jacob Iati, who has seven points, while Mike Black added six.

Jameel Warney leads all scorers with eight points for Stony Brook. The half is the second lowest scoring output for the Seawolves, behind scoring 21 in first half against Manhattan, on Jan. 1. Stony Brook shot just 27 percent (8-29) from the floor.