Gist, Louison HVMAC All-Conference Selections, Cocozello Coach of the Year

BROOKLYN, NY – After finishing third in the regular season and runners-up in the Hudson Valley Men's Athletic Conference (HVMAC) Tournament, the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) men's basketball team has been honored with two All-Conference Team selections, Justin Gist (Brooklyn, NY/Newsome (Fl.)) and David Louison (Brooklyn, NY/St. Edmund Prep).  The conference also announced that head coach Joseph Cocozello has been awarded the Coach of the Year as voted on by the conference head coaches. 

This is the third time that Gist has been named to the HVMAC All-Conference team.  He also was selected in 2008-2009 and 2009-2010.  He becomes the first player in St. Joseph's history to be named All-Conference for three seasons.

Gist led the team in scoring average for the third time in his career, averaging 13.4 points per game.  On January 4th, the senior guard eclipsed the 1,000 career point plateau, becoming the seventh player under coach Cocozello to accomplish the feat.  Gist was also strong on the glass, grabbing 100 rebounds for the second time in his career, the third most on the team. 

Joining Gist as a HVMAC All-Conference selection is freshman David Louison.  Louison finished his rookie season averaging a double-double with 12.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game.  He has been nationally ranked in Division III and is in the top 25 in rebounds per game and his 10 double-doubles placed him in the top 40.  The forward played a team-best 32 minutes per game and led the team shooting 49 percent (141-of-289) from the floor this season.  Louison was a five-time HVMAC Rookie of the Week and won Player of the Week for the week of January 2nd.  He is the first Bear freshman in the last five years to be named to the HVMAC All-Conference team. 

After leading the team to a 13-14 record, head coach Joseph Cocozello has been named the HVMAC Coach of the Year for the fourth time in his career.  The 13 wins are the most by the Bears since the 2006-2007 season.  Cocozello won the award back-to-back years in 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 and also in 2009-2010.  He has also led the Bears to seven straight HVMAC Championship games.