Centenary University’s men’s and women’s basketball teams marked their season openers on Saturday by honoring Veterans, including a Gold Star family whose late son served in the same Infantry Rifle Company with Jason Geleski, the Cyclones’ interim men’s head basketball coach.

A Morris & Sussex County Sheriff with N.J. State Police escort accompanied Gold Star parents Kathy and Ricky Brown from their home in upstate New York to the University’s Hackettstown campus. They are the parents of PFC. Nathan P. Brown, a 21-year-old member of Charlie Company, 2/108^th Infantry (Air Assault), who was Killed in Action on April 11, 2004 when his unit was ambushed in Samarra, Iraq. The Brown family was recognized for their sacrifice during the men’s game.

Veterans and community organizations, as well as Hackettstown police, turned out for both games at Reeves Gymnasium on the University’s Hackettstown campus. Hackettstown American Legion Post 164 presented the colors at the women’s game, while Hackettstown Cub Scout Pack 164 did the same at the men’s game.

Cyclone fans expressed their thanks and support for Veterans by filling out stars on an Honor Tree and donating items to the University’s Veterans Outreach Drive for VA Hospitals in Lyons and East Orange, N.J.

In basketball action, the Centenary men’s team defeated Penn State Lehigh Valley, 102-55, while the women bested Lancaster Bible College, 53-39.