Salem CC wins first game as nation’s No. 1 team, puts up 100 again to give Green his 50th win
By Riverview Sports News
TOMS RIVER – Some teams might have a hard time handling a No. 1 ranking for the first time. Salem CC embraced it.
The Mighty Oaks played their first game as the No. 1 team in JUCO Division III Thursday and never missed a beat, sailing past Ocean CC 100-78 for their 15th straight win.
“The guys did an excellent job against a really good Ocean team,” Salem coach Mike Green said after posting his 50th career coaching victory (50-17).
The Mighty Oaks (15-0), who supplanted season-long No. 1 Mohawk Valley in the top spot earlier this week, built a 47-38 halftime lead, then started the second half with a 16-2 run to take complete control.
The Vikings (8-4) scored the next five points, then Salem scored the next eight points to go up by 26. A few minutes later they went on another 12-4 run to open a 30-point lead.
The Mighty Oaks had three 20-point scorers in the game. Saaid Lee had 25 points, 10 rebounds and came within two assists of a triple-double. Zyaire Gibson hit five 3-pointers on the way to 20 points. Jarrell Little had 24 points and four assists.
Idris Rines came off the bench to give them eight points and eight rebounds, Stefan Phillips had nine points and eight boards, and newly named GSAC Player of the Week Nasseem Wright had six points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.
SALEM CC 100, OCEAN CC 78
SALEM CC (15-0): Saaid Lee 9-13 7-8 25, Jarrell Little 10-14 1-1 24, Zyaire Gibson 6-8 3-7 20, Stefan Phillips 4-7 0-0 9, Idris Rines 4-10 0-0 8, Nasseem Wright 2-9 2-2 6, Jahseir Sayles 1-7 1-2 4, Qua Smith 1-3 2-4 4, Michael Goodwin 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 37-71 16-24 100.
OCEAN CC (8-4): Myles Marabuto 4-6 3-4 14, Jamari Smith 2-10 0-3 4, Kai Barckley 1-4 0-0 2, Aiden Sosinov 9-15 5-5 24, James Gibbons 3-8 0-0 6, AJ Lemons 6-13 1-5 14, Jack Malek 0-2 0-0 0, Omar Hadid 1-3 0-0 3, Aiden Falduto 1-1 0-0 3, Jeremy Grospe 0-0 0-2 0, Matton Watson 0-2 0-0 0, Tristan Ulrich 0-1 0-0 0, Mason Trey 2-10 1-4 6, Liam Yefet 1-1 0-0 2, Joe Witter 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 30-78 16-23 78.
| Salem CC | 47 | 53- | 100 |
| Ocean CC | 38 | 40- | 78 |
3-point goals: Salem CC 10-23 (Lee 0-1, Little 3-5, Gibson 5-6, Phillips 1-2, Rines 0-3 Sayles 1-6); Ocean CC 8-29 (Marabuto 3-5, Backley 0-1, Sosinov 1-3, Gibbons 0-2, Lemons 1-7, Malek 0-1, Hadid 1-1, Falduto 1-1, Watson 0-2 Ulrich 0-1, Krey 1-5). Rebounds: Salem CC 52 (Lee 10, Phillips 7, Rines 8, N. Wright 10, Smith 7); Ocean CC 40 (Smith 10, Susinov 8). Technical fouls: Smith. Total fouls: Ocean CC 13.
Region XIX Standings
| DIVISION III | R19 | ALL | GSAC |
| SALEM CC (1) | 9-0 | 15-0 | 9-0 |
| Northampton (2) | 8-0 | 13-1 | |
| Union (7) | 8-1 | 9-2 | 6-1 |
| Ocean (RV) | 8-2 | 8-4 | 5-3 |
| Montgomery (10) | 4-1 | 7-2 | |
| Brookdale | 11-3 | 11-5 | 7-3 |
| Camden | 6-3 | 9-4 | 6-3 |
| RCSJ-Cumberland | 6-4 | 6-7 | 5-5 |
| Atlantic Cape | 4-5 | 5-6 | 3-6 |
| Bergen | 5-8 | 6-8 | 2-5 |
| Thaddeus Stevens | 2-4 | 5-7 | |
| RCSJ-Gloucester | 4-8 | 5-9 | 1-5 |
| Sussex | 2-8 | 5-10 | 2-7 |
| Delaware County | 2-8 | 3-10 | |
| Passaic | 2-9 | 2-11 | 2-7 |
| Harrisburg Area | 1-5 | 2-10 | |
| Philadelphia | 1-8 | 6-8 | |
| Luzerne | 0-6 | 3-10 |
Number in parenthesis is JUCO Division III national ranking
THURSDAY’S GAMES
Salem CC 100, Ocean 78
Union at Atlantic Cape
Camden 76, RCSJ-Cumberland 55
Northampton 80, Luzerne 70
Morris at Georgian Court JV
Bergen 85, RCSJ-Gloucester 71
Raritan Valley 80, Orange County 79
Sussex 73, Passaic 64
Mercer 101, Essex 97
FRIDAY’S GAMES
Delaware County at CCBC Dundalk
SATURDAY’S GAMES
Salem at Sussex
Passaic at RCSJ-Gloucester
Union at Bergen
Essex at Delaware Tech
Delaware County at Cecil
Middlesex at Howard CC
Middlesex at Montgomery County (Md.)
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