Wednesday, February 27, 2002

MORAVIAN MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM RANKED FIRST NATIONALLY IN FREE THROW PERCENTAGE & WOMEN 22nd; ZALESKI RANKED IN FIELD GOAL SHOOTING

INDIANAPOLIS, IN --- The Moravian College men's basketball team moved to first in the country in free throw percentage, connecting on 79.5 percent of its attempts, in the ninth release of the NCAA Division III national statistics for the 2001-02 season.  The rankings include games through Monday, February 25th.  Freshman forward Brandon Zaleski (Hackettstown, NJ/Hackettstown HS) is 21st in the nation in field goal percentage, shooting 59.9 percent.

The Moravian women's basketball team moved back into the national statistical rankings at 22nd in free throw percentage, making 72.0 percent of its attempts. 

The men's squad, which finished the season 14-11, made 407 of 512 attempts in the team's 25 games this year and the Greyhounds lead Muskingum (OH) College by one and a half percent.  The Muskies are shooting 78.0 percent (291 of 373).  Moravian shot under 70 percent in just five games this season and the squad hit for over 80 percent in 12 games including a perfect 13 of 13 at Messiah College.  The Greyhounds had trailed Baldwin-Wallace College most of the season but the Yellow Jackets shot under 40 percent in their final game of the season to fall to 77 percent on the year..

Zaleski, who was named the Commonwealth Conference Rookie of the Year on Tuesday, made 191 of 319 field goals in his debut season this winter and his 477 points is the seventh highest single season total in Moravian history.  Senior Jeff Gibbs of Otterbein College leads the nation in field goal percentage at 68.2 percent (202 of 296).

The Moravian women, who finished the 2001-02 campaign with an overall record of 16-10, connected on 479 of 665 free throws this season.  Moravian shot under 70 percent in ten games this season and the squad hit for over 80 percent in eight games.  Kalamazoo College of Michigan leads the nation for the women at 77.0 percent (449 of 583).