SAINTS BASKETBALL

 

The St. Lawrence University men’s basketball team finished the 2003-2004 season as UCAA Co-Champions. In the 2001-2002 season, the Saints were ECAC Upstate Champions, Runners-up in the UCAA Tournament, and Runners-up in the UCAA Regular Season. In 2000-2001, Head Coach Chris Downs led his team to an 18-10 overall record, including an 11-3 mark in conference. They were also UCAA regular season champions and ECAC semifinalists.

 

Coach Downs, who is in his eighth year with the Saints, led his team to the elite eight in the NCAA tournament and a Saint record 24 wins in 1997-98. He saw his 2000-2001 team mature as the season progressed. The Saints were 7-7 overall midway through the regular season, but won nine of their last ten to earn the top seed in the UCAA tournament and home court for the tourney as they finished their season with an 18-10 overall record along with the UCAA title. While the top-seeded Saints were upended by Rensselaer in the UCAA tournament championship game, they were awarded the top seed in the ECAC tournament and earned a spot in the semifinals with a quarterfinal win over Alfred.

 

St. Lawrence was the ECAC Upstate Champions in 2001-2002 and the 2002-2003 team continued that success. They were led by sophomore forward Aaron Marshall, who finished the regular season as the leader nationally in field goal percentage.

 

Marshall led the Saints in the 2002-2003 season, averaging 17.9 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, with a 67.5 field goal percentage. He was named first-team All-UCAA and second-team All-East. Joining him on the all-conference team was senior guard Dave Hannah, who averaged 12 points per game.

 

The St. Lawrence University Men’s Basketball had an impressive 2003-04 season as they battled back from seventh place in the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association to take a four way tie for first place. Heading into the UCAA conference tournament as the third seed, the Saints took on the number two seeded team, the Rensselaer Red Hawks, and fell in a close 77-71 battle.

 

Marshall, along with freshman Matt Blue, led the conference in many categories including field-goal percentage, three-point field-goal percentage and scoring. Marshall and Blue were also consistently ranked in the top fifty in Division III schools for field-goal percentage and three-point field-goal percentage.

Senior guard Ahmad Toussaint was fourth in the conference in field-goal percentage and was named to the UCAA All-Conference Second-Team. St. Lawrence led the conference in four categories including field-goal percentage, defensive rebounding, assists and steals.

 

The Saints, who’s overall record in 2003-2004 was 17-7, lost three seniors to graduation and will be looking to stand atop the first place the Liberty League this season.