2012-13 Bears Basketball Schedule Released
BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Trips to the Boston, Mass. and Washington, D.C. areas and 12 home games highlight the 2012-13 St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) men's basketball schedule released today by head coach Joseph Cocozello.
After finishing 2011-12 with a 13-14 record, the most wins in five seasons, the Bears will face a tough schedule, which features two NCAA Tournament qualifiers, two ECAC Metro Tournament qualifiers, and two USCAA National Tournament Participants.
St. Joseph's kicks off their 2012-13 campaign with a busy November, playing eight games in a 15 day span. The Bears open the season in Weston, Massachusetts at the Regis College Tip-Off Tournament, facing the hosts in the opening round on November 16.
Vassar College opens the home slate at Brooklyn Technical High School on Tuesday, November 20th. But the Bears will hit the road again travelling to Washington D.C. to participate in the Gallaudet Thanksgiving Tournament on November 23-24, drawing Valley Forge Christian in the first round.
After returning home from D.C., the Bears have a four-game home stand highlighted by the first-ever meeting against the Apprentice School on Friday, November 30th, who captured fourth place in last year's USCAA National Championships.
The spotlight of the first half of the schedule is the annual "East vs. West" rivalry matchup against St. Joseph's College (Long Island) on Friday, December 7th at the Danzi Center. In last year's meeting against the NCAA Tournament qualifiers, the Bears nearly pulled off the upset of the then-unbeaten Golden Eagles, just missing a last-second shot in regulation for the win, before falling in overtime.
The Bears will have a four-week hiatus before resuming their schedule in the new year and will face an early test against NCAA Tournament sectional qualifiers Staten Island on the road on January 10th. When St. Joseph's last travelled to the CSI Sports and Recreation Center, the Bears buried a school-record 17 three-pointers en route to a 103-102 victory.
The January home slate of six games features ECAC Metro Tournament quarterfinalists Medgar Evers (January 14) and ECAC Metro Tournament runners-up Brooklyn College (January 23).
Another highlight of the home slate are perennial rivals Berkeley College (January 26), USCAA National Championship Division II runners-up, in a rematch of last year's HVMAC title game. The Bears will close out their regular season with five of their final six games as HVMAC contests.
All 12 St. Joseph's College home games will feature live stats and video broadcasted via the athletic department website, www.SJCBears.com.
The College of New Rochelle will play host to the HVMAC Tournament on February 16-17, with St. Joseph's seeking its third championship and first since 2010.
With a stronger schedule, the Bears will also seek to make their fifth appearance in the USCAA National Championships, hosted by Penn State Fayette on February 26-March 2 or earn a berth in their first NCAA Tournament with first round action scheduled for March 2nd.