March 3, 2008
Farmingdale, N.Y. - The Farmingdale State men's
basketball team won their second Skyline Championship in three
years under fourth year head coach Erik Smiles (83-30 career
coaching record, 4 years). The Rams were the top seed in the
Skyline Playoffs and defeated Maritime 84-69 in the
Semifinals and then St. Joe's - L.I. in the Finals 91-71 to
receive the automatic bid to the NCAA
Tourney. Farmingdale has drawn Penn State Behrend
(23-4) as their opponent in the first round and will travel to the
host site, University of Rochester in Rochester, N.Y., for the
game on Friday, March 7th at 6:00 p.m. With a win, the men will
face either Rochester (20-5) or Middlebury (19-7) on Saturday,
March 8th at 7:00 p.m.
The Rams, 22-5, are currently ranked 3rd in the Atlantic Region,
4th in the Nation in scoring (89.9) and 2nd in the Nation in
Rebounding Margin (10.3). Farmingdale is led by Skyline Conference
Player of the Year, junior guard Damien Santana. Santana
averages 21.4 points, 6.3 rebounds. Senior guard Peter Lipka, a
Second Team All-Skyline Selection, led the Conference in
three-point field goal percentage (.457) and averaged 11.7 points.
Senior forward Brian Robinson, the Skyline Tournament MVP, shoots
.684 from the floor and pulls down 7 rebounds per game. Junior
forward Erastus Shannon, a First Team
All-Skyline selection, scores 12.1 points per game along
with a team-leading 8.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per
game. This year marks Farmingdale State's
second trip to the NCAA Tournament in men's
basketball, after becoming an NCAA Division III team in 2000
and just 5 years as a Skyline Conference
member.
Rams Draw Penn State Behrend in the First Round of the NCAA's
Rams Draw Penn State Behrend in the First Round of the
NCAA's
Regional Rounds Site - University of Rochester - Rochester,
N.Y.
Friday, March 7th
Rams vs. Penn State Behrend - 6:00 p.m.
Middlebury vs. Rochester - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 8th
Winners play at 7:00 p.m.
Tickets
General Admission $6.00
General Admission $6.00
Students with ID $3.00
Farmingdale, N.Y. - The Farmingdale State men's
basketball team won their second Skyline Championship in three
years under fourth year head coach Erik Smiles (83-30 career
coaching record, 4 years). The Rams were the top seed in the
Skyline Playoffs and defeated Maritime 84-69 in the
Semifinals and then St. Joe's - L.I. in the Finals 91-71 to
receive the automatic bid to the NCAA
Tourney. Farmingdale has drawn Penn State Behrend
(23-4) as their opponent in the first round and will travel to the
host site, University of Rochester in Rochester, N.Y., for the
game on Friday, March 7th at 6:00 p.m. With a win, the men will
face either Rochester (20-5) or Middlebury (19-7) on Saturday,
March 8th at 7:00 p.m.Penn State Behrend, "The Lions", won the AMCC
(Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference) Championship with a
57-54 win over Lake Erie and a 71-66 victory over Medaille in the
Semifinal game. The team is led by senior center Kevin Buczynski
with 15.7 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. As a team, they average
67.0 points per game and shoot .392 from long range. Sophomore
guard Adam Kaiser is their leading three-point shooter with a .457
3-point field goal percentage, while two others also average over
40-percent from three-point territory.
The Rams, 22-5, are currently ranked 3rd in the Atlantic Region,
4th in the Nation in scoring (89.9) and 2nd in the Nation in
Rebounding Margin (10.3). Farmingdale is led by Skyline Conference
Player of the Year, junior guard Damien Santana. Santana
averages 21.4 points, 6.3 rebounds. Senior guard Peter Lipka, a
Second Team All-Skyline Selection, led the Conference in
three-point field goal percentage (.457) and averaged 11.7 points.
Senior forward Brian Robinson, the Skyline Tournament MVP, shoots
.684 from the floor and pulls down 7 rebounds per game. Junior
forward Erastus Shannon, a First Team
All-Skyline selection, scores 12.1 points per game along
with a team-leading 8.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per
game. This year marks Farmingdale State's
second trip to the NCAA Tournament in men's
basketball, after becoming an NCAA Division III team in 2000
and just 5 years as a Skyline Conference
member.*****
