RELEASE DATE: 11/10/04

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MANSFIELD MEN RANKED FOURTH AND WOMEN FIFTH IN PSAC EAST PRESEASON COACHES POLL – JASON BENSON AND ALISON TAGLIAFERRI NAMED TO PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS

MANSFIELD – The Mansfield University men’s basketball was ranked fourth while the Mountaineer women were ranked fifth in the 2004-05 PSAC Preseason Coaches Poll released today as part of PSAC Basketball Media Day.

Jason Benson, a senior transfer from Bloomsburg, and junior Alison Tagliaferri were named to the Coaches Preseason All-Conference Team.

It marks a repeat of last season’s poll for both programs. The Mountaineer men went to finish second in the PSAC East after being picked fourth in the Preseason Poll while the women tied for fourth after being picked to finish fifth.

“Considering what we lost from last season, I think fourth is an accurate place for us in the preseason,” said sixth year head coach Vince Alexander. “We have a lot of work ahead of us, but this team is going to get better as the season gets longer and we all know that the playoffs start at the end of the season.”

The Mountaineer men return just one full-time starter (Brian Bryant) and a part-time starter (Brandon DeShields) off last year’s 21-7 team. They lost 72% of their scoring and two members of that team – Omari Pearson and Brett Longpre` -- are currently playing professionally in Argentina and England. Benson is the leading returning scorer in the PSAC this season after averaging 15.9 points per game last year at Bloomsburg.

“Obviously we think we have a great shot to finisher better than fifth in the conference this season,” said sixth year head coach Ruth Hermansen. “We lost some key players from last season, but we return starters Alison Tagliaferri and Steph Rieser along with six players who saw action in 20 or more games and have two people who can play the point.”

Tagliaferri was named to preseason All-PSAC East honors for the third straight time. A first team All-PSAC East selection in each of her first two seasons, Tagliaferri has already scored 929 points and pulled down 433 rebounds in her career. Mansfield also added senior point guard Laura Scordino who transferred from Binghamton University.