BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- Bridgewater State College head men's basketball coach Joe Farroba received the Schoenfeld Sportsmanship Award at the Collegiate Basketball Officials Association (CBOA) annual banquet held recently at the Hilton in Mystic, Connecticut. Farroba was the Eastern New England region recipient of the award.

The award is named for Sam Schoenfeld, one of the CBOA's founding fathers, and has been presented since the 1956-57 season. Accordingly, the award is presented to the college or university that best exemplifies the highest degree of sportsmanship, character, and ethics among their players, coaches, and spectators.

This marks the second time that head coach Joe Farroba's squad has been tabbed for a sportsmanship distinction from the CBOA. After the 1997-1998 season, the men's basketball team received the regional honor as well.

"I am extremely proud of Coach Farroba, his staff and his players for earning this distinction," said Director of Athletics and Recreation John Harper. "This proves that not only can a team play and compete hard, but they can do so with dignity and sportsmanship. This is truly a winning combination."

BSC was chosen to receive the award over more than 200 Colleges and Universities in the New England region. In addition to the main award that is presented at the banquet, ten regional awards are given out to colleges in the New England, New York, Pennsylvania, and Mid-Atlantic regions. Last year, Rhode Island College received the award for the Eastern New England region.

"It really speaks to the program, the players, coaches and our fans," said Farroba who just completed his 16th season as the Bears' head coach. "When we play at home, we always get great support from our fans. They are always spirited and enthusiastic.

"When you see a lot of the negative (in the news) parts of sportsmanship, it's great to see that some of the good values are being recognized," said Farroba.

The men's basketball team finished this season with an overall record of 13-13 and 6-6 in the MASCAC. Two players were named to the all-conference team which included senior guard Tom Cuddihy (Scituate, MA) and junior forward Roland Millien (Stoughton, MA). Freshman forward Judah Jackson (Everett, MA) was also named the MASCAC Rookie of the Year.