2008-2009 Season In Review

The Elmira College Men’s Basketball team finished its season under first-year Head Coach Randie Torgalski with a 4-19 record The Soaring Eagles gained valuable experience in 2008-09 season as 10 players played over 10 minutes per game, nine of which will return to next year’s squad. 

The Soaring Eagles found success against out-of conference opponents SUNY Cortland 69-63 and Skidmore 86-70 while also winning Empire 8 contests against Harwick College 72-61 and Alfred University 70-64. As a team EC was second in the Empire 8 with a 72.8 free-throw shooting percentage.

The lone fourth-year player this past season was forward, and team co-captain, Chris O’Brien ’09 (Oneonta, NY - Oneonta) who appeared in 24 games while making 13 starts for EC. O’Brien averaged 1.6 points and 1.6 rebounds a game in his last year with the Soaring Eagles.

With just one player from the 2009 class, members from the 2010 class were relied upon to provide not only quality minutes, but leadership as well.

For the second-straight year, forward Jon Adamson ’10 (Little Falls, NY – Herkimer) started 23 games and was a force down low totaling eight double-digit rebounding performances. Adamson used his 6’4” frame to help pull in a team-high 7.5 rebounds a game which was the fifth best average in the Empire 8. Adamson also scored 15 points per game and was fifth in the league with a 53.5 field goal percentage while his 78.6 percent shooting from the foul line was also the Empire 8’s fifth best percentage all leading to an Empire 8 Honorable Mention selection.
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Local product Bryan Mathews ’10 (Horseheads, NY – Horseheads) acted as the main distributor this year for the Soaring Eagles leading the team with 3.36 assists per game in 25 games played while averaging the third most minutes played a game at 27.8. Mathews, whose assist totals were eighth best in the Empire 8, had eight assists in Elmira College’s win over Hartwick on Jan. 23. The 5’10” guard also showed he was not afraid to fight in the paint by pulling in 3.3 rebounds a game, the second best average on the team.

Fellow guard Noah Zazulia ’10 (Palm City, FL -- Jensen Beach) played 22.8 minutes a game in 22 games making 10 starts. Zazulia improved in virtually every category in 2008-09 and finished averaging 6.6 points per game, 3.2 rebounds per game and 1.4 assists a night. The Palm City native also led EC in steals in five games this season including a two-steal night against St. John Fisher on Jan. 11.

Palen Andreozzi ’10 (Albany, NY -- Christian Brothers Academy) appeared in 20 games this past season including nine starts. Andreozzi was fourth on the team in scoring; finishing with an average of 6.3 points a night. Averaging 20.2 minutes, he tied the team lead with 13 blocks. Andreozzi had a career-night against St. John Fisher by scoring 19 points.