Penn College Hoops Teams Coming Off Decade of Greatness
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Over the past decade, Pennsylvania College of Technology men's and women's basketball teams have had some of the most prolific scorers in Wildcats history as its teams soared to new highs.
Women
For the women's squad, the turnaround came during the 2004-05 season with the arrival of Katlyn Stupar, of State College, and Brittany Blessard, of Renovo. That season, Stupar, a 5-foot, 11-inch forward/center, scored a Penn College women's single-season record 526 points. Blessard added 297 points as the Wildcats posted an 18-9 record after going just 2-22 the year before.
The following season, Stupar scored 472 points and Blessard had 367 as Penn College went 19-8 overall and won its first, and to date its only, Penn State University Athletic Conference championship. The 19 wins tied the Wildcats' single-season record set in 1998-99.
Stupar closed out her two-year career with 998 points (still a Penn College women's record). She also holds the college record with four games of scoring 40 or more points, including a single-game record 43 twice, and tallied 30 or more points eight times, also a record. Blessard came back for one more season, scoring 245 points and finishing her career with 909 points.
As the Stupar-Blessard era was closing, Amanda Ault, of Milan, and Erica Logan, of Montoursville, came on the scene, helping the Wildcats reach the PSUAC semifinals the following two seasons. Before their careers were over, Ault poured in 863 points from 2006-09 and Logan scored 814 from 2007-09.
MenPrior to the 2005-06 season, Penn College had just one 1,000-point career scorer Bobby String, with 1,022 points from 1998-2000. Tony Flint, of Port Allegheny, became the second when he ended his career with 1,074 points from 2002-05 and the number grew to six after last season.
Tony Flint was joined by his younger brother, Craig, who played from 2005-09 and finished his career with 1,196 points. Also during that time, Joe Simon, of Renovo; Greg Solyak, of Lititz; and Leroy Joiner, of Williamsport; came on board and made the list. Simon scored 1,425 points from 2006-10, Solyak tallied a record 1,629 from 2007-11 and Joiner poured in 1,620 from 2008 to last season. Joiner set a single-season record with 601 points a year ago and scored 30 or more points four times during his three-year career, including single-game highs of 35 twice.
More important than individual marks, the Wildcats not only saw postseason play four consecutive seasons for the first time in Penn College history, they reached the quarterfinals twice, in 2007-08 and 2008-09, and finished second in the PSUAC each of the past two seasons; losing in overtime in last year's championship. The team's 18 wins during the 2008-09 season set a school single-season record going back to 1966-67, whenthe institutionwas Williamsport Area Community College.
SCHEDULE/RESULTS/RECORDS
Men's Basketball
Overall record: 1-8
PSUAC record: 1-2
Thursday, Jan. 5, host Wilkes University, 7 p.m.
Women's Basketball
Overall record: 1-8
PSUAC record: 1-2
Saturday, Jan. 7, host Penn StateFayette, 1 p.m.
Wrestling
Overall record: 1-2
PSUAC record: 1-1
Saturday, Jan. 7, at Penn State Beaver, 1 p.m.
Women
For the women's squad, the turnaround came during the 2004-05 season with the arrival of Katlyn Stupar, of State College, and Brittany Blessard, of Renovo. That season, Stupar, a 5-foot, 11-inch forward/center, scored a Penn College women's single-season record 526 points. Blessard added 297 points as the Wildcats posted an 18-9 record after going just 2-22 the year before.
The following season, Stupar scored 472 points and Blessard had 367 as Penn College went 19-8 overall and won its first, and to date its only, Penn State University Athletic Conference championship. The 19 wins tied the Wildcats' single-season record set in 1998-99.
Stupar closed out her two-year career with 998 points (still a Penn College women's record). She also holds the college record with four games of scoring 40 or more points, including a single-game record 43 twice, and tallied 30 or more points eight times, also a record. Blessard came back for one more season, scoring 245 points and finishing her career with 909 points.
As the Stupar-Blessard era was closing, Amanda Ault, of Milan, and Erica Logan, of Montoursville, came on the scene, helping the Wildcats reach the PSUAC semifinals the following two seasons. Before their careers were over, Ault poured in 863 points from 2006-09 and Logan scored 814 from 2007-09.
MenPrior to the 2005-06 season, Penn College had just one 1,000-point career scorer Bobby String, with 1,022 points from 1998-2000. Tony Flint, of Port Allegheny, became the second when he ended his career with 1,074 points from 2002-05 and the number grew to six after last season.
Tony Flint was joined by his younger brother, Craig, who played from 2005-09 and finished his career with 1,196 points. Also during that time, Joe Simon, of Renovo; Greg Solyak, of Lititz; and Leroy Joiner, of Williamsport; came on board and made the list. Simon scored 1,425 points from 2006-10, Solyak tallied a record 1,629 from 2007-11 and Joiner poured in 1,620 from 2008 to last season. Joiner set a single-season record with 601 points a year ago and scored 30 or more points four times during his three-year career, including single-game highs of 35 twice.
More important than individual marks, the Wildcats not only saw postseason play four consecutive seasons for the first time in Penn College history, they reached the quarterfinals twice, in 2007-08 and 2008-09, and finished second in the PSUAC each of the past two seasons; losing in overtime in last year's championship. The team's 18 wins during the 2008-09 season set a school single-season record going back to 1966-67, whenthe institutionwas Williamsport Area Community College.
SCHEDULE/RESULTS/RECORDS
Men's Basketball
Overall record: 1-8
PSUAC record: 1-2
Thursday, Jan. 5, host Wilkes University, 7 p.m.
Women's Basketball
Overall record: 1-8
PSUAC record: 1-2
Saturday, Jan. 7, host Penn StateFayette, 1 p.m.
Wrestling
Overall record: 1-2
PSUAC record: 1-1
Saturday, Jan. 7, at Penn State Beaver, 1 p.m.
Vol. 10, No. 19