FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
S-085-07-08
Thursday, February 28, 2008

Schatzmann, Piersol Earn All-Commonwealth Conference Honors in Men's Basketball

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Two members of the Elizabethtown College men's basketball team have earned All-Commonwealth Conference honors as voted upon by the league's six head coaches and released Thursday.

Senior guard Mike Schatzmann (Paradise, PA/Pequea Valley) was a first-team selection while senior forward Chad Piersol (Elverson, PA/Owen J. Roberts) was a second-team pick after leading the Blue Jays to a 15-9 overall record during the 2007-08 season.

Schatzmann became the first Blue Jay to lead the conference in scoring average since Jim Hepfer in 1989-90 as he averaged 20.2 points per game. He also led the Commonwealth Conference in three-pointers per game at 2.29 (55 in 24 games) and ranked seventh in rebounds at 5.1 per contest.

He also finished in the top 10 in several other statistical categories, including third in steals per game at 2.46 (59 in 24 games), fourth in free-throw percentage at 79.5 percent (124-for-156), fourth in blocked shots per game at 0.88 (21 in 24 games) and ninth in three-point field goal percentage at 36.2 percent (55-for-152).

Schatzmann scored in double figures in all 24 games this season, including 10 games of 20 points or more and three contests with 30 points or more, including a career-high 36 points at Lycoming College on Jan. 22.

In three seasons at Elizabethtown, Schatzmann finished with 941 points (13.8 points per game) and ranks eighth in program history with 113 three-pointers.

Piersol finished second to Schatzmann in scoring in the Commonwealth Conference at 17.3 points per game, while ranking ninth with 5.0 rebounds per contest. He finished fifth in free-throw percentage at 79.1 percent (72-for-91), placed seventh in three-pointers per game at 1.75 (42 in 24 games) and ranked eighth in steals per game at 1.58 (38 in 24 games).

He scored in double figures 21 times in 24 games, including eight games with 20 or more points capped by a career-high 32-point effort in a win at Manhattanville College on Jan. 9.

In four seasons for the Blue Jays, Piersol scored 955 points in 81 games (11.8 per game) and sank 94 three-pointers.

Senior forward Albert Medoro of Albright College was named Player of the Year, and along with Schatzmann was joined on the first team by sophomore guard Eric Anthony of Lycoming, senior guard Darryl Brown of Messiah College and junior guard Charles Jones of Widener University.

Also on the second team with Piersol were junior guard Kyle Enoch of Lebanon Valley College, senior guard Kevin Morris and junior forward Greg Sye of Lycoming, sophomore forward Andy Hawk of Messiah and sophomore guard Bobby Edmunds of Widener.

Widener's Branden Washington took Rookie of the Year honors while the Coach of the Year award went to Don Friday of Lycoming.