TWO COBLESKILL HOOPSTERS NAMED TO ALL-MOUNTAIN VALLEY CONFERENCE TEAM

SUNY Cobleskill senior forward Daniel Pierre, Brooklyn, NY, High School of Art & Design, and senior guard Jamael Lynch, Brooklyn, NY, Bishop Laughlin High School, have been named to the 2005 Mountain Valley Conference First Team by the league’s coaches. The Fighting Tigers finished the 2004-05 regular season with a 26-4 overall record including a 14-4 mark in conference play and finished the year ranked second in the final NJCAA Division III National Poll.

During the season, Pierre averaged 13.9 points, 13.7 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 0.8 blocked shots per game and posted 20 double/doubles in 30 starts for the Fighting Tigers this season. The 6’7” power forward connected on 153 of 268 attempts from the field for a 57.1% mark on the year.  He closes his career as the program leader in career rebounding with 769 boards to date and has established a new single season record for rebounds with 411 going into the Region III Tournament on Friday. He currently ranks sixteenth in career scoring with 698 points. The Fighting Tiger co-captain was also selected to the Third Team All-Mountain Valley Conference as a freshman.

“What impresses me most about Daniel is the fact that he has never let success go to his head and that he a serious student and a fine gentleman away from the court,” said Fighting Tiger Head Coach Kevin McCarthy. “In my twenty-seven years in this business he is the best rebounder I’ve had the opportunity to work with and one of the best people I’ve ever coached.”

Jamael Lynch made the transition from reserve to starter in style this season bringing a diversified game to the Fighting Tiger line-up. In 30 starts, the Brooklyn native has averaged 12.1 points, 4.0 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals per contest. On the season the 6’1” combination guard has connected on 132 of 285 shots, 46.3%, including 25 of 59 from three-point range, 43.9%. Lynch is also shooting 72.1% from the foul line making 75 of 104 attempts.

“Jamael’s development as a player was one of the main reasons for our success this year. We needed him to become a scorer and leader this season and he has stepped up and filled both of those roles extremely well for us,” said Coach McCarthy. “He is the prototype of the Catholic League player in that he is physically and mentally strong extremely intelligent and very motivated. He is also an outstanding student and I am very proud of what he has accomplished during his time in our program.”

The Fighting Tigers will make their thirteenth consecutive post season appearance this weekend at the 2005 NJCAA Region III Division III Championships. As the number two seed the Fighting Tigers will meet the winner of the Jefferson Community College/ Hudson Valley Community College sub-regional game on Friday March 4th in the quarterfinal round of the tournament hosted by Mohawk Valley Community College in Utica, NY. This season also marked the eleventh consecutive twenty-win season for the Fighting Tigers the longest current streak of twenty-win seasons in the SUNY System. During the tenure of Coach Kevin McCarthy, 32 Fighting Tiger players have now earned All-Mountain Valley Conference honors.