Men's Basketball Looks to Keep Pace

by Mark Ginocchio 

For the past five seasons, the Adelphi University Men's Basketball team has set a standard of excellence.  Five years in a row they have won 20 games or more and for the past five seasons the Panthers have reached the NCAA Division II Northeast Regionals.  They are a prominent and consistent powerhouse in the NYCAC.  Last year, the Panthers won their first NCAA tournament game in the school's history and then defied the odds even more by winning a second game before falling in two overtimes to Saint Rose.  The stakes seem to be even higher this season, as Adelphi University sets its eyes on the Elite Eight and what lies beyond.

The Panthers are primed to win, but they're going to have to do it without Coach Steve Clifford, the man who took the Panthers to four tournaments in a row.  Clifford, who has taken a job at East Carolina University, has been replaced by Jim Ferry who has previous coaching experience at Plymouth state.  Ferry is very familiar with Long Island, growing up in Elmont and going to high school at Valley Stream North.  Athletic director Robert Hartwell is very high on Ferry, commenting, "He's one of the finest young coaches  in the region."

Ferry's pre-season analysis  of the team was that they may be physically smaller than past teams, but will succeed because of their quickness and athletic ability.  The Panthers will need to bring their "A Game" to the court each contest because they will be facing a very difficult schedule.  They are also going to have to deal with the graduation of last year's team leader Chris Bernard, who will however, be serving Adelphi as an assistant coach.

The Panthers started their season on the right foot, as they defeated Merrimack 71-63 in the opening round of the Susse Chalet/Bentley College Tip-Off Classic on Friday evening, November 19.  The Panthers were able to get the jump on Merrimack early, leaping out to a 13-4 lead only five minutes into the showdown.  Sophomore Kendall Craig scored seven straight points and Adelphi kept building on their lead, making the score 24-7 midway through the first half.  Merrimack was still not going to lay down without a fight and cut the lead to four, 32-28, when the first half ended.  Adelphi and Merrimack stayed neck and neck throughout the entire second half but Adelphi was able to widen the gap between the two teams just enough near the end, securing the victory by eight points.  The offense was electric, consisting of four players with double figures in scoring: Yaacov Williams (16 points, 12 rebounds), Ryan McCormack (16 points, 6 assists, 2 steals), Kendall Craig (14 points), and Eddie Williams (10 points, 4 rebounds).  The victory was the first for Coach Ferry.

In the second round of the tournament, Adelphi lost a close game to the Bentley College Falcons, 79-72.  The Panthers held an early advantage,  21-19, but Bentley went on a 18-5 run and then an 11-2 run to take the lead by 14 points with a little less than 14 minutes left in the game.  The Panther clawed their way to within eight, but the Falcons hit eight free throws at the end to ice the game.  Ryan McCormack scored a team high 24 points with four steals and Yaacov Williams added 14.  McCormack was named to the All-Tournament team.

On November 28, Adelphi fully recovered from their loss against Bentley College and upset the 15th ranked St. Anselm Hawks, 73-70.  The Panthers were led by their rebounding, and the excellent performances of Craig (team high 18 points), Williams (13 points, 12 rebounds), and McCormack (14 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists).  The Panthers received a boost from Richie Edwards who had seven points, five blocks, eight rebounds to help lead the Panthers rally from a 13-point deficit.  The Hawks leads was eight with about eight minutes remaining when Adelphi put their game into high gear, hitting clutch jumpers and closing the lead to two with five minutes remaining.  John Parisio hit a three-pointer to put the Panthers up by 1, 62-61.  The Panthers hit their free throws down the stretch and continued to rebound efficiently to seal the win.

These three games put the Panthers on the right track to another incredible season.  The Panthers hope to continue their run as December turns to January.