Purple Knights News

January 23, 2007

Five SMC Basketball Players Among National Statistical Leaders


COLCHESTER, Vt. - Five Saint Michael's College basketball players - including four on the men's squad - appear among the NCAA's Division II national statistical leaders, it was released on Tuesday.

On the men's side, junior Brian Monahan (Kinderhook, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy) leads the way, as he is 10th in the nation in rebounds per game with 10.5 (thru Sunday). Monahan is also 92nd in NCAA Division II in field goal percentage at 53.4 percent (the top-100 are ranked).

Senior Brendan Mullins (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove South) appears in four statistical categories. He is 27th in the country in assists per game with 5.3, and 31st in Division II in points per contest at 20.3. Mullins also is in the top-65 in both 3-pointers per game and 3-point percentage, along with junior James Sorrentine (Pawtucket, R.I./Saint Raphael Academy). Mullins is 49th in 3-point percentage and 64th in 3-pointers per game, while Sorrentine is 65th and 46th, respectively.

Senior Chris Cayole (Burlington, Vt./Rice Memorial) rounds out the men's players that appear on the national rankings, as he is 52nd in blocks per game with 1.7.

On the women's side, junior Amy Pitchers (Oxford Mills, Ontario/North Grenville District) is 95th in blocks per game with 1.1.

Both squads are among the leaders in fewest personal fouls per game. The men's team is 13th among 262 NCAA Division II men's squads with 15.6 fouls per game, while the women's team is 38th among 275 Division II women's teams with 15.9 fouls per contest.

Saint Michael's returns to action on Saturday, as the Purple Knights host Northeast-10 Conference rival American International College at the Ross Sports Center (women at 1:30 p.m., men at 3:30 p.m.). The women's contest could feature a player hitting the 1,000-point plateau, as Purple Knights' senior Dani Rayner (Westminster, Vt./Bellows Falls Union) is nine points shy of becoming the 15th player in program history to reach that milestone. The women's contest also features the return of former University of Vermont standout and current AIC star Alexis Castro (Chula Vista, Calif.).

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