No. 1 Salem CC uses big second half to turn back challenge from No. 5 Northampton, makes it 20-0
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Salem CC freshman Nasseem Wright has a unique way of describing the way the Mighty Oaks have been able to turn it on in the second half to win basketball games and become the No. 1 team in the nation this year.
Leaning against the locker room wall after another second half surge carried them to victory he simply said, “They always say after the rain and thunder, the sun comes out. We weather the storm good. The second half we came out and I feel like the sun was out. We figured those guys out and we ended up getting them.”
The top-ranked Mighty Oaks were locked in an expectedly tight battle in the first half at No. 5 Northampton Thursday night, but the sun shined brightly on them in the second half and propelled them to a 99-84 win over the Spartans to stand alone atop the Region XIX Division III standings.
It was their 20th win of the season and 14th away from the Dupont Fieldhouse. The Mighty Oaks (20-0) are one of only seven undefeated teams in the JUCO basketball world and the only one in the Division III poll.
“These guys answered the bell,” coach Mike Green said. “We’re a tough team, a really good team. We’ve got players who dig in. These guys are answering the bell. Every tough one they’ve answered the call. It’s been a pleasure thus far.”
The Mighty Oaks outscored their hosts 56-45 in the second half. They shot better than or equal to their first half percentages in all three shooting aspects of the game and had more rebounds, assists and steals in the second half. They ended up leading by as many as 17.
They’ve only been down at halftime twice this season — Atlantic Cape in the opener and Union in the first game back from the break — but they outscored both teams in the second half by double digits. They’ve been outscored in the second half only three times (Penn Highlands, Essex and Camden) and never by more than two points.
Since they’ve come back from the holiday break they’ve outscored their four opponents in the second half by an average of 11.25 points after trailing by 4 and leading by 1, 13 and 4.
“The first half, a lot of time, we respect our opponent so much that we give them too much respect sometimes,” Wright said. “The first half we’re trying to see what they want to get to. We scout them before the game, for sure, but it’s kind of different when you get into the game. Once we came out the second half we got them figured out.”
“We carried them with us in the first half; like, we always start off slow in the first half,” Jerrell Little said. “i think once we clean up the first half I don’t think no team in the nation can beat us at all.”
That second-half sun shined brightest on Wright and Jerrell Little. The Mighty Oaks’ two leading scorers had only four points combined in the first half. Wright was 0-for-5 from the floor and had just one point at halftime, but he went 5-for-6 in the second half and poured in 14 points. Little had 11 in the second half to finish with 14.
“I was in my head,” Wright said. “Yesterday was one of my best friend’s death anniversary so I was kind of in my head the first half, like this ain’t my day. Coming into the half I just locked in mentally, going inside-out and just remembering it’s just basketball, so the second half I came out with more energy.”
The difference in Little’s halves, he said, was “Mike Green getting in my head about me not shooting the ball. I didn’t take any bad shots, but I didn’t take no shots at all, that’s what he was saying. So the second half I turned it on, started listening to him and got my shots up.”
In all, seven Salem players scored in double figures, including all five starters. Saaid Lee, who didn’t mind saying the Mighty Oaks could go undefeated this year, led all scorers with 20 points.
It really was anybody’s game at halftime. The game was tied nine times and had 13 lead changes in the first half. The Mighty Oaks broke the final tie (39-39) with four free throws in the final 37 seconds to take a 43-39 lead into the break and never lost the lead.
While they were waiting for their two top scorers to come around, Stefan Phillips, Nayeem Johnson and Idris Rines were keeping them in it in the first half. Phillips and Rines combined for 13 points from basically the same position, while Johnson had eight.
That didn’t surprise Wright.
“We recruit a bunch of guys that can go and can hold that weight,” he said, “so if me and Jarrell are slacking we got guys who can pick it up until our time comes.”
And because of that those guys’ time might increase in the near future.
“I was deciding their minutes among four people, that might have to stop,” Green said. “I might have to let those guys get more rhythm. We’ll figure it out. Everybody deserves a chance, but those guys who gave like this one will play a little longer.”
ACORNS: There were 51 fouls called in the game, including two techs on the Mighty Oaks. That led to 82 free throws. Salem was 27-of-35 from the line, Northampton 30-of-47 … The Mighty Oaks’ success is getting noticed around South Jersey. New Salem CC football coach Jay Accorsi reports coaches he meets on the recruiting visits often remark on how well the Mighty Oaks are playing. He said one, Willingboro’s Kenny Scott, even mentioned remembering Green when they were in school together at Towson … Some of the players might be thinking about an undefeated season, but Green says it’s a little too early to be thinking like that. “Yeah, it’s only January,” he said. “We’ve got to play February yet. There are some good teams coming up. The thing is we’re getting everybody’s best shot. They’re not the normal team, they’re not the 0-7 team, the 4-9 team. Against us they’re good, they come to play.”
SALEM CC 99, NORTHAMPTON 84
SALEM CC (20-0): Jarrell Little 4-14 5-5 14, Saaid Lee 6-12 7-8 20, Zyaire Gibson 3-5 1-4 10, Nasseem Wright 5-11 5-6 15, Stefan Phillips 5-8 1-2 13, Jahseir Sayles 1-5 0-0 3, Qua Smith 1-1 0-2 2, Nayeem Johnson 3-10 5-7 12, Idris Rines 3-6 3-3 10. Totals 31-72 27-35 99.
NORTHAMPTON (15-2): Terrence Cobb 2-13 3-3 7, Kevin Rucker 6-17 5-7 19, Jahad Marable 6-10 5-10 17, Mehki Shillingford 0-7 7-10 7, Aiden Brown 6-12 5-9 17, Sihaaj Johnson 0-1 1-2 1, Sebastian Fermin 2-3 0-0 6, Julian Bair 0-1 0-0 0, Anniel Pichardo 0-0 0-0 0, Ermil Fleurinvil 0-0 1-2 1, Lamaj Mapp 3-5 3-4 9. Totals 25-69 30-47 84.
| Salem CC | 43 | 56- | 99 |
| Northampton | 39 | 45- | 84 |
3-point goals: Salem CC 10-26 (Little 1-3, Lee 1-3, Gibson 3-5, Phillips 2-3, Sayles 1-5, Johnson 1-4, Rines 1-3); Northampton 4-19 (Cobb 0-6, Rucker 2-8, Marable 0-1, Johnson 0-1, Fermin 2-3). Rebounds: Salem CC 53 (Johnson 9, Lee 8, Wright 8); Northampton 46 (Marable 11, Brown 10). Technical fouls: Salem CC team (dunking in warmups), Lee. Fouled out: Phillips, Rines. Total fouls: Salem CC 29, Northampton 22.
Region XIX Standings
| DIVISION III | R19 | ALL | GSAC |
| SALEM CC (1) | 7-0 | 20-0 | 15-0 |
| Union (8) | 12-1 | 15-3 | 11-2 |
| Northampton (5) | 9-1 | 15-2 | |
| Brookdale | 13-2 | 13-5 | 8-3 |
| Camden | 7-2 | 10-6 | 6-5 |
| Ocean | 9-3 | 11-5 | 7-4 |
| Montgomery (9) | 6-2 | 9-3 | |
| Bergen | 10-7 | 10-10 | 3-9 |
| RCSJ-Cumberland | 6-7 | 7-10 | 6-7 |
| Atlantic Cape | 5-6 | 6-9 | 4-7 |
| Thaddeus Stevens | 3-7 | 6-10 | |
| Sussex | 4-10 | 7-13 | 4-9 |
| RCSJ-Gloucester | 4-11 | 6-15 | 1-11 |
| Passaic | 3-13 | 3-15 | 3-10 |
| Delaware County | 2-9 | 3-13 | |
| Luzerne | 1-7 | 4-13 | |
| Harrisburg Area | 1-7 | 2-13 | |
| Philadelphia | 1-8 | 6-8 |
Number in parenthesis is JUCO Division III national ranking
THURSDAY’S GAMES
Salem 99, Northampton 84
Sussex 79, Luzerne 77
Camden at Georgian Court JV
Union 80, Ocean 76
Brookdale 85, RCSJ-Gloucester 78
Thaddeus Stevens at Albright JV
Orange CC 87, Morris 83
Prince George’s at Harcum
Montgomery 98, RCSJ-Cumberland 59
Monroe 94, Raritan Valley 64
Bergen 95, Passaic 74
Rockland CC 101, Essex 73
Mercer 69, Westchester CC 62
Region XIX Women’s Standings
| DIVISION II | R19 | ALL | GSAC |
| Harcum (4) | 7-0 | 15-1 | |
| Union (11) | 8-1 | 16-2 | 6-0 |
| Mercer (17) | 6-2 | 12-3 | 3-1 |
| Essex | 6-3 | 11-4 | 5-2 |
| Delaware Tech | 4-4 | 6-11 | |
| Raritan Valley | 3-5 | 6-9 | 3-3 |
| Lackawanna | 2-6 | 2-10 | |
| SALEM CC | 1-5 | 2-11 | 0-3 |
| Middlesex | 1-6 | 6-13 | 0-4 |
| Morris | 0-6 | 0-6 | 0-3 |
Number in parenthesis is JUCO Division II national ranking
THURSDAY’S GAMES
Harcum at Salem, ppd.
Northampton 58, Camden 43
Passaic 74, Bergen 42
CCBC Essex 92, Raritan Valley 53
RCSJ-Gloucester 82, Brookdale 46
RCSJ-Cumberland at Montgomery
Atlantic Cape 66, Philadelphia 57
Essex at Rockland CC
Middlesex at Morris
Mercer 101, Westchester CC 27
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