Men's Basketball Highlights
Head Coach: Dr. Joe Ross
Asst. Coach: Jason Hollingsworth
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February 16, 2008
HVMAC Tournament SLC vs. St. Joseph's College
The Sarah Lawrence men's basketball team concluded its inaugural season as a member of the Hudson Valley Men's Athletic Conference (HVMAC) with a loss against top-seeded St. Joseph's in the conference tournament held at Pratt Institute over the weekend. The final score showed the Gryphons on the losing end of a 90-66 decision, yet the wide deficit in the tally belies the extraordinary effort put forth by Sarah Lawrence. And this is no platitude as the Gryphons, down nearly thirty points in the second half, turned a blowout into a tight encounter before eventually yielding to the powerful - and eventual tournament champion - St. Joseph's squad.
The game started out close enough with Sarah Lawrence down by only 7 with five minutes remaining in the first half. But as is so frustratingly common in the streak-prone sport of basketball, St. Joseph's put together several quick 3-point shots and, with the aid of Gryphon turnovers, found themselves fully in command with a 20 point lead at halftime. During the break Coach Joe Ross of Sarah Lawrence exhorted his players. "My challenge to them was to show whether we were a legitimate team, behind by 7 and challenging the top team in the league or just a team down by 20 on its way out of the tournament."
As the second half commenced it appeared that Sarah Lawrence would indeed go gently into that good night. St. Joseph's scored three 3-point baskets in the opening minutes of the second half and their lead ballooned to a seemingly insurmountable 29 points. But as has been the case all season the Gryphons put on a frenetic rally spurred on by the tenacious, stifling defense of seniors Tristan Eastburn and Jonathan Callahan. This effort produced several breakaway and easy jump shots and, despite St. Joseph's calling of two timeouts to halt the Gryphon momentum, Sarah Lawrence pulled to within 11 points. During this stretch St. Joseph's was held to only one shot from the floor. But eventually foul trouble and fatigue took its toll and Sarah Lawrence was unable to sustain their new-found level of play with St. Joseph's dominating the final ten minutes. Tristan Eastburn led the Gryphons in scoring with 21 points. Jonathan Callahan added 14 and Rich Hempel 13.
Overall it was a thrilling season for the Gryphons and being able to compete over the course of two semesters, allowing Sarah Lawrence to be a full fledged member of the HVMAC, portends good things for the near future. Coach Ross stated after the game that, "In just its first year in the league, the men showed that they truly belonged. Despite several games where we were at a disadvantage due to size, numbers, or experience, several coaches and even officials commented on the fact that we always played hard and smart." He then summed up his feelings and passion for his charges most succinctly - "I wouldn't trade these guys for any team in our league."
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February 10, 2008
SLC vs. Culinary Institute of America
Sarah Lawrence faced off against the Culinary Institute of America yesterday in the final game of the regular season, only 24 hours after the Gryphons' emotional victory over Hampshire during Senior Day. Not unusual after an important victory with so little time off, Sarah Lawrence appeared sluggish and inconsistent during the first half, and presented itself with a 25-21 deficit after the opening period. But a rejuvenated Gryphon squad emerged in she second half, employing a truly all-around game, outscoring the future chefs of America by a 41 to 26 margin en route to a 62-51 victory. It was a perfect way to end the season in front of the Campbell faithful and gives Sarah Lawrence a confidence boost –and a modest two game wining streak– heading into the HVMAC tournament this upcoming weekend.
Coach Joe Ross once again used an aggressive, varied defense to jump-start the offense in the second-half. Utilizing several defensive schemes (the diamond and 1 & 1-3-1) to confuse the Culinary offense, Sarah Lawrence was able to force numerous turnovers early on in the second half, conferring the Gryphons numerous scoring opportunities. It was a well balanced offensive attack for Sarah Lawrence with the seniors once again leading the way. Jonathan Callahan topped all scorers with 20 points, Tristan Eastburn added 12 and Aaron Lindenbaum 10. Not to be outdone by his elders, first year Max Mallory also contributed 10 points. And to complement the victory, Sarah Lawrence also had a superb day rebounding with Rich Hempel –no surprise– and Tristan Eastburn each grabbing thirteen boards.
Now it's on to the conference tournament this weekend. If Sarah Lawrence continues to exhibit their all-court game as they have the last two games, then they'll look to make a significant mark against their HVMAC competition. No matter what the outcome, Coach Joe Ross is quite proud of his players and considers the past season to have been a most rewarding one.
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February 9, 2008
SLC vs. Hampshire College
Looking to avenge a close loss to Hampshire College back in November, Sarah Lawrence came out strong at home against the Frogs from Amherst and never glanced back, racing to a 30-19 halftime advantage and a 56-36 triumph. There could not have been a better occasion to showcase a victory—Saturday was Senior Day at the Campbell Sports Center and an enthusiastic crowd cheered on the seniors who will be exiting campus this spring: Rich Hempel, Tristan Eastburn, Aaron Lindenbaum, Jonathan Callahan, Dan Lewis and Mike Telis. Coach Joe Ross stated that these six, "truly epitomize the term 'student athlete' and will be greatly missed."
Coach Ross has emphasized the importance of playing consistent on both ends of the floor all season and key to victory on this afternoon was a stifling team defense that Sarah Lawrence deployed, rendering Hampshire's offensive efforts ineffective throughout the contest, as they failed to reach 20 points in either half. The offensive output was highlighted by the aforementioned seniors. Co-captain Rich Hempel led the balanced attack with 14 points. And co-captain Tristan Eastburn and Aaron Lindenbaum added 12 and 10 respectively.
With little time to savor a most gratifying win, Sarah Lawrence will suit up in less than 24 hours time when they meet the Culinary Institute of America tomorrow afternoon at 1 at the Campbell Sports Center. The Gryphons would love nothing more than to head into the HVMAC tournament on a win streak.
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February 7, 2008
SLC vs. St. Joseph's
Commencing a grueling stretch of three games in four days to end regular season play –with the conference championship tournament looming next weekend– the Sarah Lawrence basketball team traveled to Brooklyn where they took on league power St. Joseph's College. Earlier this season, Sarah Lawrence was overwhelmed by the Bears and unfortunately the result was similar Thursday night with St. Joseph's powering their way to a 86-61 triumph.
However, considering that Sarah Lawrence played the game without the services of senior co-captain Tristan Eastburn and sophomore Pete Hempel who were sidelined with the flu, the Gryphons put up a strong challenge resulting in several stellar performances. Senior co-captain Rich Hempel from New York has been the most consistent player for Sarah Lawrence over the last several years. And after the St. Joseph's game Hempel's name will be permanently etched in the annals of Sarah Lawrence athletics. Rich scored 20 points to secure the title of all-time scoring leader for the Gryphons, surpassing the mark set by Tudor Benga ('04). To top it off, proving that he is not merely an offensive force, Rich already holds the all-time lead in rebounds and added 10 more boards last night to increase his impressive tallies. Jonathan Callahan supplied strong offensive support against the tough Bears from St. Joseph's, pouring in 15 points on a fine shooting night.
Sarah Lawrence will return to action on Saturday afternoon at 1, taking on Hampshire College at the Campbell Sports Center. The Gryphons hope to regain some momentum to head into the conference tournament on a high note.
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February 3, 2008
SLC vs. Pratt
With the overwhelming majority of New York City area residents preparing for the historic Super Bowl which was to be played later on Sunday, little attention was given to any other athletic contests yesterday. However, those Gryphon faithful in attendance at the Campbell Sports Center early Sunday afternoon had a thrilling contest of their own to bear witness to as Pratt's basketball team defeated Sarah Lawrence 50-49, scoring the winning basket in the final seconds in this HVMAC encounter. The lay-up that scored the winning points for Pratt fell through the net as time expired. Before that, with just 7 seconds left, Tristan Eastburn had sunk two clutch free throws to give the Gryphons the lead and seemingly the victory before the reversal of fortune. Though it was a heartbreaking loss for Sarah Lawrence in front of their fans, it was nonetheless one of the finest games yet played in this ongoing rivalry.
Neither team was able to string together extended scoring runs and it was a seesaw affair throughout, with both teams playing strong defense. The Gryphons were bolstered by extraordinary rebounding efforts, especially from senior co-captains Tristan Eastburn and Rich Hempel. The dynamic rebounding duo accounted for an incredible 30 boards. Additionally, Hempel blocked 3 shots and scored 13 points with Eastburn adding 9 and Jonathan Callahan 8 to lead the scoring duties for Sarah Lawrence.
Sarah Lawrence will look to play with similar energy –and hopefully a different result– when they travel to Brooklyn and face off against St. Joseph's College on Thursday night.
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January 29, 2008
SLC vs. Cooper Union
The importance of having a complete and varied basketball roster is most evidenced when offensive skills make up for a bad day defensively and vice-versa. Unfortunately for Sarah Lawrence, nothing seemed to be in sync in the first half on Tuesday night as the Gryphons suffered through their worst offensive game of the season, going down to defeat against their longtime foe from Manhattan, Cooper Union by the score of 44-29.
It was just one of those nights where there was a collective inability to put the ball in the basket and Sarah Lawrence found themselves down by as much as twenty in the opening half. In addition, Sarah Lawrence was without the services of starting point guard Jonathan Callahan. However, the Gryphon defense rose to the occasion in the second half, with intensified defensive pressure limiting Cooper to just fifteen points in the period and cutting the deficit to just nine before eventually falling. Co-captain Rich Hempel scored 9 points and first year Max Mallory made a significant contribution, scoring 8.
On a positive note, Coach Joe Ross is pleased with two additions to the roster — Mike Telis, a returning member from last year's squad as well as a standout tennis player for Sarah Lawrence , and Akash Radia. They'll both look to see action when the Gryphons, seeking to avenge their earlier to the Dolphins, take on Mt. St. Vincent for the second time this season on Thursday night at the Campbell Sports Center.
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January 26, 2008
SLC vs. Berkeley College
Coming off a six week layoff, the Sarah Lawrence men's basketball team once again engaged league powerhouse Berkeley Colege –the same team they faced prior to the holiday break– at the Campbell Sports Center on Saturday afternoon in a HVMAC match-up. Unfortunately for Sarah Lawrence the outcome also remained the same as Berkeley scored a 74-47 victory.
Initially Sarah Lawrence showed few effects from the time off the hardwood and in fact took a 17-14 lead midway through the first half before Berkeley ran off ten consecutive points on route to a 24-17 halftime advantage. And the Gryphons' tenacious defense was able to stem any further offensive spurts by the Knights for the first part of the second half, remaining only seven points down with nine minutes left. But the toll of starting the game with only a seven man roster further complicated by the loss of senior co-captain Tristan Eastburn to foul trouble and the increasingly effective swarming defense employed by their opponent proved too be too much to overcome as Berkeley pulled away late in the game.
Senior co-captain Rich Hempel turned in a massive performance against the defending league champions as he poured in 22 points and more impressively grabbed 21 rebounds—a stunning statistic considering the bigger players he was competing against. Tristan Eastburn added 8 points and 4 assists and fellow senior Dan Lewis had a strong game on the boards as he grabbed 7 rebounds.
The Gryphons will look to return to the win column when they take on Cooper Union at the Campbell Sports Center on Tuesday night at 7:30.
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December 9, 2007
SLC vs. Berkeley College
After being thoroughly outplayed in their road loss at Mt. St. Vincent just four days prior, Sarah Lawrence had the difficult task of trying to regroup for their next opponent—a job made even more arduous considering it was the Knights from Berkeley College, who are also the defending conference champions. To play the two best teams in the HVMAC back-to-back is a tough undertaking but the Gryphons came out strong and displayed great determination, competing closely with Berkeley for three-fourths of the contest before falling by the score of 64-45. Sarah Lawrence's record is now 4-4 (1-3 in HVMAC competition).
The Knights are a deep and talented squad and this depth was showcased frequently throughout the game. It seemed that every time the Gryphons were about to pull even, Berkeley went on a run and left the game just out of reach. But even with the defeat, the tenacious style that Coach Joe Ross has instilled in his players was evident. Jonathan Callahan led the scoring for Sarah Lawrence with 12 points but even more impressive was his dogged play as he was often on the hardwood, scrambling for every loose ball. Co-captain Tristan Eastburn executed another potent effort, putting his all-court game on full display with 11 points, 11 rebounds and 3 steals. And senior Dan Lewis had his finest game of the 2007-2008 campaign, scoring 7 points to go along with 5 rebounds.
Sarah Lawrence will engage Berkeley College once again when they commence the second half of the schedule on Saturday, January 26th. Until then, the Gryphon players will enjoy a much deserved six weeks away from competition.
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December 5, 2007
SLC vs. Mount St. Vincent
Playing their only away game in the midst of a stretch of eight-out-of-nine encounters at home, the Sarah Lawrence men's basketball team traveled to the Bronx to face off against powerful conference foe Mt. St. Vincent on Wednesday night. Unfortunately, the visiting Gryphons were not accorded any hospitality from the Dolphins of Mt. St. Vincent and were summarily overwhelmed, succumbing by the score of 97-53. With the loss, Sarah Lawrence fell to 1-2 in the HVMAC.
With Mt. St. Vincent's prolific offensive scoring machine clicking, Sarah Lawrence could little afford to make any mistakes. But the turnover bug afflicted many of the Gryphons, allowing Mt. St. Vincent to build a huge lead. However, the game wasn't without its highlights for Sarah Lawrence. Senior Rich Hempel delivered a truly massive performance on both ends of the floor, scoring 25 points and grabbing 17 rebounds. Fellow senior and co-captain Tristan Eastburn had 15 rebounds, including an impressive 7 offensive boards—further proof that he is nearly fully recovered from his severe ankle sprain. His continued presence in Sarah Lawrence's lineup will be quite welcome.
The good news for the Gryphons is that they will not have to play on the road until February. They next take on defending conference champion Berkeley College on Sunday afternoon at the Campbell Sports Center. This is the final game before the holiday break.
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December 3, 2007
SLC vs. Webb Institute
The reason why cliches exist is that there is often a degree –be it large or small– of truth in them. When recounting the happenings in a sports contest, it is nearly impossible to avoid utilizing these tried phrases and every so often there is such overwhelming evidence to their validity—and such was the case on Monday evening when Sarah Lawrence received a "full team" effort, with "every player contributing" in their thoroughly dominating victory over Webb Institute, 68-48.
Coming off their loss to St. Joseph's, the Gryphons wanted to re-establish their balanced game and sure enough they achieved that and more. With their now trademark, trapping man-to-man defense producing offensive opportunities, Sarah Lawrence's game plan worked to perfection. Jason Julien led the way in scoring with 21 points with Max Mallory adding 15 and Rich Hempel 13. The offense was aided greatly by the seamless passing skills of Tristan Eastburn, Aaron Lindenbaum and Jonathan Callahan. And for their inside game, the Gryphons relied on Peter Hempel, Rich Hempel, Dan Lewis and first-year Max Teicher to control the boards.
Sarah Lawrence resumes conference play when they travel to the Bronx to take on Mt. St. Vincent on Wednesday evening. This will be the only away game for the Gryphons until February.
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November 30, 2007
SLC vs. St. Joseph's College
Playing just 48 hours after their epic triumph over Pratt, the Sarah Lawrence men's basketball team took on conference powerhouse St. Joseph's College Friday night at the Campbell Sports Center. Playing against such a strong team after competing in an emotionally draining game is a situation fraught with obstacles. And sure enough, the Bears from Brooklyn proved to be too strong offensively as Sarah Lawrence went down to defeat by the score of 74-40 and is now 1-1 in conference competition.
St. Joseph's possesses a lethal mixture—consistent outside shooting combined with a dominating inside game. This, unfortunately for the Gryphons, was on fully display Friday night and Sarah Lawrence was never able to generate any sort of offensive flow or momentum. St. Joseph's took an early lead and never looked back. Senior Tristan Eastburn led the scoring for Sarah Lawrence with 12 points along with six rebounds while Jason Julien added 10 points.
Sarah Lawrence continues their stretch of seven-out-of-eight games at home when they take on Webb Institute in a non-conference tussle on Monday night at the Campbell Sports Center.
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November 28, 2007
SLC vs. Pratt
After starting the 2007 season with three games on the road, the Sarah Lawrence men's basketball team was anxious to get back to Bronxville and play in front of their home crowd at the Campbell Sports Center Wednesday evening. What eventually transpired could not have been scripted any better as the Gryphons thrilled themselves and their fans with an electrifying and unforgettable victory against conference foe Pratt Institute, winning 52-49.
At the beginning of the contest one would never have guessed at the final outcome as the game did not start off auspiciously for the Gryphons. Playing inconsistently, Sarah Lawrence found themselves down 28-8 towards the end of the first half. But with the Sarah Lawrence players heeding the exhortations of Coach Ross to remained focused and tenacious, the Gryphons gradually played their way back into the game.
It all started with a stifling man-to-man defense, creating numerous turnovers and limiting Pratt to only 17 second half points. As is so often the case, the increased defensive pressure re-energized the Sarah Lawrence offense, yielding a balanced scoring attack with Jonathan Callahan leading the way with 14 points and senior Rich Hempel and first-year Max Mallory adding 11 and 10 points, respectively.
An ecstatic Ross said after the game, "All the credit goes to the players on this one. They could have quit but instead committed to a 100% effort for the entire game and it paid off." It was, without question, one of the most exciting and memorable athletic events ever staged at Sarah Lawrence. The Gryphons will engage in their second conference encounter when they take on St. Joseph's College on Friday night at the Campbell Sports Center.
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November 18, 2007
SLC vs. Culinary Institute of America
Competing on the road just 24 hours after their tough loss to Hampshire College, Sarah Lawrence found themselves staring at a ten point deficit at halftime against the Culinary Institute of America on Sunday afternoon. Sarah Lawrence did not want to head into the Thanksgiving break with a losing record and the state of affairs seemed bleak. But what followed was an extraordinary offensive eruption that is unlikely to be duplicated for quite some time as sophomore Jason Julien literally took the game over, scoring 26 of his 29 points in the second half as the Gryphons held on for the 55-53 victory.
The triumph proved to be a nail biter all the way to the end. Jason ended up fouling out with just over a minute left in the game, leaving the Gryphons without their high-scorer to conclude the contest. But in that last minute, Sarah Lawrence provided a microcosm of their short season thus far by playing tight defense and hitting crucial free throws. Co-Captain Tristan Eastburn refused to allow CIA's top scorer to make an impact down the stretch and senior Aaron Lindenbaum made perhaps the play of the game by forcing a turnover with under a minute remaining. Then Jonathan Callahan nailed both his foul shots with just 6 seconds left to secure the victory for Sarah Lawrence.
Coach Joe Ross commented on Jason's offensive heroics stating, "What I liked most about Jason's performance was that his points came within the flow of our offense. He didn't force shots or leave his teammates out of the game."
Even though cliches are rampant in sports parlance, they are nonetheless often accurate. And never more so than today. It was the little things - defensive stops, free throws, etc which proved the difference.
The Gryphons will now take a well deserved break for Thanksgiving. They'll return to action with their first home—and first HVMAC—game on Wednesday, November 28th at 7 p.m. when they take on longtime foe Pratt Institute, at the Campbell Sports Center.
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November 17, 2007
SLC vs. Hampshire College
Traveling in the autumn to Amherst, Massachusetts is usually a pleasure as one can enjoy the stunning colors the foliage delivers annually before the cruel winter sets in. However, for the Sarah Lawrence basketball team, the journey proved to be a frustrating one. Unable to sustain a measure of consistency and committing far too many mistakes, Sarah Lawrence went down to defeat in a very close game against Hampshire College, falling by a score of 64-62.
The fact that the Gryphons almost pulled out a victory is remarkable enough considering they surrendered an astounding 13 3-point field goals and turned the ball over 19 times. One reason Sarah Lawrence was able to keep the contest close was another monster effort by senior Co-Captain Rich Hempel. Rich again secured a double-double, scoring 24 points and pulling down 13 rebounds. The other high scorer for Sarah Lawrence was again Jason Julien. Jason added 18 points.
And though there are no numerical stats to measure the effect of his performance, senior Co-Captain Tristan Eastburn made an inspired return to action following a month long layoff due to a severe ankle sprain. The emotional impact of his entrance into the game was palpable.
The Gryphons should take solace in the fact that they nearly won even while not performing up to their standard. This was possible because the squad is a well rounded one, with an intense, tenacious defense complementing a powerful offensive unit.
Sarah Lawrence will complete this pre-Thanksgiving portion of the schedule with yet another road game tomorrow afternoon at the Culinary Institute of America.
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First Game: November 13, 2007
SLC vs. Webb Institute
Commencing his term at the helm of the Sarah Lawrence men's basketball team, first year coach Joe Ross was faced with the daunting task of quickly assembling a roster and then opening the 2007-2008 campaign with three consecutive road games. Sure enough, Sarah Lawrence was shaky at the start in their first game of the year on the campus of Webb Institute on Long Island. But the nine-man Gryphon squad righted course, thanks to a relentless trapping defense in the second half, and coasted to a 58-37 triumph over the Webbies.
Senior and Co-Captain Rich Hempel, one of five Gryphons hailing from Gotham, had a dominating, all-around performance. Hempel notched a double-double as he scored 20 points while grabbing 11 rebounds. Grad student Jonathan Callahan from Hawaii had a strong offensive game scoring 13 points. And sophomore Jason Julien, another New Yorker, added 11 points.
Another very gratifying aspect to Sarah Lawrence's season-opening victory was the perfect 13-13 stat from the free throw line. This is an obvious indication of a well prepared and disciplined team. If the Gryphons can continue to shoot free throws at such a high percentage, they'll be tough to beat in close games.
Sarah Lawrence has two games this upcoming weekend. On Saturday they'll travel to scenic Amherst, MA to take on Hampshire College. And on Sunday, the Gryphons head up the Hudson as they play at the Culinary Institute of America.