RELEASE DATE: 11/05/03

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MOUNTIE MEN AND WOMEN RANKED FOURTH IN PSAC EAST PRESEASON BASKETBALL POLLS – BRETT LONGPRE’ AND ALISON TAGLIAFERRI NAMED PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE

MANSFIELD – For the first time in school history, both the Mansfield University men and women’s basketball are projected to make the PSAC East playoffs with each being ranked fourth in the PSAC East Coaches Preseason Poll.

The poll was released on Wednesday as part of PSAC Media Day.

Senior Brett Longpre’ ( Welland,ONT/Governor Simcoe) and sophomore Alison Tagliaferri (Linden/Jersey Shore) were each named preseason All-Conference selections by the PSAC East head coaches.

The men’s team finished last season with a 18-11 overall record and earned a PSAC playoff berth with fourth place finishes in conference play at 6-6. Mansfield lost to PSAC Champion Millersville in the opening round, but went on to beat New Jersey Institute of Technology in the ECAC Championship game.

The men return 10 players from last season’s team including their top three scorers in senior Brett Longpre’ (18.2 ppg), PSAC East Rookie of the Year Bill McNeil (17.3 ppg) and senior Ian Connor (12.7 ppg). The Mountaineers had a strong recruiting year that including senior Omari Pearson who played in every game over the past two seasons for UNLV.

The women are coming off back-to-back seasons that were the third and second best in school history. Mansfield losses two All-PSAC guards from last season, but return three starters including PSAC East Rookie of the Year Danna Purnell. 2002 PSAC East Rookie of the Year and First Team All-PSAC East selection Alison Tagliaferri returns after sitting out last season with a medical redshirt.

The women open the 2003-04 season this Saturday at the Walt Disney World Division II Tip-Off Classic when they play preseason #1 ranked South Dakota.

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