Press Releases

November 17, 2003

Veteran Colonials Basketball Team Expects to Make Playoff Run
Star Players Jye Watson and Leon Pursoo Return

Contact:
Darren Johnson, Seth Hurley (darren.johnson@liu.edu)
631-287-8360

Southampton, NY – Southampton College men’s basketball is on the rise. There’s a new coach and a new attitude on the Runnin’ Colonials, and despite being picked No. 9 out of the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference’s 13 teams in a pre-season poll, the team is confident they can make it back to the playoffs after a disappointing 10-17 record last year.

The Runnin’ Colonials started play on Saturday in a non-conference matchup against one of the Northeast’s best teams. Bryant College won in a dogged battle, 88-62, with Colonials forward Tafare Berryman contributing career bests 29 points and 16 boards.

Southampton College next faces Mercy at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, November 25, at home in the NYCAC opener. The Runnin’ Colonials won the Eastern College Athletic Conference title in 2001-02. This year, they again hope to make a playoff tournament.

"I think we have everything in place to be one of the top four teams in the NYCAC this year," said first-year coach Pete Quinn. "We are going to be an unselfish team with players that support each other throughout the course of the season.

"Our goal is to be one of the top defensive teams in the Northeast Region. If the players push themselves towards that goal, winning will take care of itself."

Two star returning players for the 2003-04 season include: 6-4 senior guard/forward Jye Watson and 6-2 junior guard Leon Pursoo. Watson, a co-captain, is on pace to graduate as one of the top-10 all-time scorers in Southampton College history. He chalked up point number 1,000 last February and finished the season with 413 points. Watson also averaged 15.3 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. A native of Australia, Watson is being scouted by many of his country’s pro teams and is a strong candidate for National Academic All American.

Pursoo, though only a junior, has made a big name for himself on the court for the Colonials. In two years, he has already totaled 624 points and is expected to break the 1,000-point barrier by the end of this season. He averaged 15.9 points and 4.1 assists per game last year. His 131 assists ranked him second overall in the NYCAC in that category.

Also returning is 6-2 senior forward Billy Mandell, the other co-captain. Known for a gritty style that doesn’t always show up in the box scores, Mandell amassed 118 points last season, averaging 4.5 a game. He also grabbed 27 steals, dished out 26 assists and pulled down 45 rebounds.

Two other returning starters are 6-3 junior guard/forward Wayne Inniss and 6-5 junior forward Joaquin Smits. Innis scored 205 points last year for an average of 7.6 per game. He finished with 89 boards, 37 assists and 28 steals. Smits was named the Colonials 2002-03 Defensive Player of the Year. He is always matched up against the opposing team’s most gifted player, and he makes his presence known. Smits finished the year with 218 points for an average of 8.1 per game and ripped down 112 rebounds. His 41 steals ranked him 11th in the NYCAC.

Quinn joins the sidelines for his sixth season with the team but only his first as head coach. Quinn possesses extensive recruiting and scouting skills and nine of his 16 recruits have been named to the Southampton College Dean’s List, while three were named to the 2002-03 National Association of Basketball Coaches Honor Roll.

Quinn is introducing a swarming "in your face" style of defense, which, along with the team’s close-knit nature, will be the keys to the Colonials success on the court.