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For
Immediate Release: February 23, 2001 UTPA
Men’s Basketball Bids Farewell to Four Seniors Saturday Against
Centenary EDINBURG
– The University of Texas-Pan American wraps up its 2000-01 home
basketball schedule against Centenary on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. in
the UTPA Fieldhouse. The
game will be the final home contest for four Bronc seniors, Brian
Merriweather, John Braxton, Kwasinda Curtis and Reggie Kuzet. Merriweather,
a native of Evansville, Ind., is on track to lead the NCAA in
three-pointers made per game for the third straight season.
He has scored 1,699 points in his career at UTPA, fourth on the
career list. He is the
Broncs all-time leader in three-pointers made (326) and attempted (797)
in a career. He was named
to the All-Independent team last year and is a candidate for that honor
again. Braxton, a
native of Seabrook, Texas, has been one of the best all-around players
for UTPA over the last three years.
He has scored 840 points, 362 rebounds, 180 assists and 128
steals. For his career at
UTPA Braxton averages 10.1 points per game.
His total of 128 steals ranks seventh on UTPA’s career list.
His 133 three-pointers made and 382 three-pointers attempted both
rank fourth in UTPA history. Curtis, a
native of Denver, Colo., has scored 338 points, has pulled down 196
rebounds, dished out 144 assists and has picked up 77 steals.
His 5.1 assists per game this season is the most for any
Independent player. He has
played in all 55 games during his two years at the school. Kuzet, a
native of Zadar, Croatia, has made as many contributions off the court
as on. Kuzet
was a member of the UTPA Athletic Director’s Honor Roll and was also
named to the National Dean’s List, an honor bestowed on just ½ of 1%
of all college students in the United States, athletes and non-athletes
alike. He was also selected
to participate in the fourth annual NCAA Foundation Leadership
Conference, which was held at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in Lake
Buena Vista, Florida, this past summer. The Bronc
seniors have helped the team post an 8-2 record this season at home, the
best mark in the UTPA Fieldhouse since the 1993-94 team went 10-2. The Broncs and Gentlemen met just one week ago in Shreveport, La., with the Broncs pulling out a tough 68-66 decision to hand the Gentlemen just their second home loss of the season. With a win, the Broncs would equal the 12 wins they posted in Head Coach Bob Hoffman’s first season. The 1999-2000 and 2000-01 teams have become the first teams at UTPA to post back-to-back 10-plus win seasons since the 1993-94 and 1994-95 teams accomplished the feat. |