July 28, 2008

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. - Four Marist basketball players competed for the Hudson Valley's open basketball teams this past weekend at the Empire State Games in Binghamton, N.Y. Julianne Viani (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.), Maria Laterza (Brooklyn, N.Y.), and Emily Stallings (Goshen, N.Y.) helped the open women's team win the bronze on Sunday with a 75-73 win over New York City. Senior Ryan Schneider (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) scored 14 points on Sunday as the open men's team fell 78-76 to Central New York in the men's bronze medal game.

The Hudson Valley open women's team went 2-2 over the weekend. Viani averaged 12.3 points per game and made 10 three-pointers. She scored 20 points on Friday against Adirondack with four threes and had 16 points on Sunday. Laterza scored six points on Sunday and averaged 3.3 points per game during the Empire State Games. Stallings averaged 1.3 points per game, putting in three points on Sunday.

Schneider scored in double-figures in all four games he played this past weekend. He had a weekend-high 15 points on Friday against New York City, and scored 14 points with four three-pointers on Sunday. Schneider averaged 13.3 points per game and hit 10 threes.