Down 2 starters, third-ranked Salem CC weathers storm, beats No. 13 Union, surpasses last year’s win total
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
CARNEYS POINT — All year long Salem CC basketball coach Mike Green has been saying his team has a scorebook full of players who not only could start for every other team in Region 19 but be a big piece in their plans. The Mighty Oaks put that theory to the test Tuesday night and delivered on it in a big way.
Down two starters, including their recognized energy guy, the Mighty Oaks weathered the storm and beat No. 13 Union for the second time this season, 96-75.
It was their 27th win of the season, giving them more wins than they had in last year’s historic national tournament season. At 14-1 in Region 19, they hold a one-game lead in the loss column atop the region’s Division III standings and a two-game lead in the loss column on presumably one of the two No. 1 seeds in the region/district tournament.
The Mighty Oaks (27-1) went into what shaped up as one of their sternest tests of the late season without injured sophomore post Stef Phillips (knee) and freshman vocal leader Nasseem Wright (suspended by region rule for picking up a third technical foul in the last game). But their replacements, Idris Rines and Qua Smith, combined for 25 points, 22 rebounds, six assists and four blocked shots.
Smith, making his first college start, didn’t give the Mighty Oaks the scoring they would have gotten from Wright, but he did all the other things. He grabbed 16 rebounds, dealt four assists, blocked three shots and caught the eye of the NCAA Division II scouts in attendance. Rines, making his second straight start, had 18 points and six rebounds in a team-high 35 minutes.
“We just had to pick the energy up (without Wright) because he’s a real big energy guy, so everybody else just had to give a little more than they usually give,” point guard Saaid Lee said. “I think everybody stepped up. Our team is built for the next man to be up, so I think everybody just did their job and did what we had to do.”
Green had some options for Wright’s spot, but went with Smith because of matchups. Besides, if he started Nayeem Johnson, the presumptive pick for the spot based on what he’s been provided in a sixth- or seventh-man role, the Mighty Oaks would have lost the game-changing firepower the Montco transfer provides off the bench.
The game was tight in the first half until the Mighty Oaks plugged in the full-court press with a very specific lineup. Usually they have Wright at the top of it, but with him not available, Green wanted Jahsier Sayles, Smith and Johnson with any other guard. They went into it with 6:11 left in the half, right after Jarrell Little’s two free throws got them within 23-21 and went on a defense-fueled 14-6 run that gave them the lead.
“It was a great pressure group that we went with,” Green said.
The Owls rallied to tie it at 35 with 1:17 left in the half, but the Mighty Oaks outscored them 7-1 to the horn to take a 43-36 halftime lead. Rines capped it with a 3-pointer with 1.3 seconds left after Lee drained the final 22 seconds off the clock.
The Mighty Oaks came out of the break firing. They opened the half with a 17-3 in the first six minutes to take control. Smith was particularly active in the stretch, scoring four points, grabbing three rebounds, blocking a shot and snagging a steal. The steal led to a 3-pointer by Rines, one of the rebounds set Zyaire Gibson on a runout layup and the blocked shot led to a give-and-go with Lee that he finished off with a layup.
“I was just trying to get as many rebounds as I can for the team; that’s really my role, for real,” Smith said. “I was just trying to play my role basically and step up. Definitely big responsibility because we’re playing the No. 13 team in the nation. You’ve got to step up, you’ve got to be ready, and I was ready today.”
“He’s just got to realize doing what we ask him to do is enough, that’s enough,” Green said. “That’s all we want all these guys to realize. Doing what we ask you to do is enough. You’re playing real basketball. You’re not playing JUCO basketball. You’re playing real basketball.”
Salem had only one scorer in double figures at halftime. Because of the way they picked it up after the break, they wound up with five when it was over.
Lee and Little both scored 10 in the second half and finished with 18 and 19, respectively. Little also had eight rebounds and nine assists. Gibson had 14 points and Sayles a career-tying 12. Union’s Nicolas Acosta led all scorers with 27 points (and 16 rebounds).
Phillips is expected to be out another week. Wright will be back for Thursday’s game with Camden. The reserves are expected to be ready all the time, because you never know when their number will be called.
SALEM CC 96, UNION 75
UNION (19-8): Tareak Williams 2-10 6-7 10, Anthony Hicks 5-11 1-1 11, Nicolas Acosta 6-18 15-18 27, Kanye Brown 0-4 3-4 3, Zahkey Jeter 6-13 0-1 12, Aljanai Best 0-3 0-0 0, Jasir Calloway 1-6 5-6 7, James Downing 2-4 0-0 5, Jake Zawacki 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 22-70 30-37 75.
SALEM CC (27-1): Jarrell Little 4-8 8-10 18, Saaid Lee 4-8 10-14 19, Qua Smith 3-7 1-3 7, Zyaire Gibson 6-12 1-2 14, Idris Rines 6-10 3-5 18, Jahseir Sayles 4-9 2-2 12, Nayeem Johnson 3-7 0-2 6, Mike Goodwin 1-2 0-1 2. Totals 31-63 25-39 96.
| Union | 36 | 39- | 75 |
| Salem CC | 43 | 53- | 96 |
Top photo, Qua Smith (4) and Idris Rines (24) were new starters for Salem CC Tuesday. Rines started last Saturday’s game, but Smith was making his first college start.
Region XIX Standings
| DIVISION III | R19 | ALL | GSAC |
| SALEM CC (3) | 14-1 | 27-1 | 19-1 |
| Northampton (8) | 14-2 | 22-3 | |
| Brookdale (RV) | 14-3 | 18-8 | 12-5 |
| Montgomery (9) | 13-3 | 17-4 | |
| Camden | 12-3 | 17-9 | 12-8 |
| Union (13) | 12-5 | 19-8 | 11-4 |
| Bergen | 10-7 | 14-12 | 14-11 |
| Ocean | 9-7 | 14-11 | 10-9 |
| Atlantic Cape | 8-8 | 12-13 | 9-8 |
| RCSJ-Cumberland | 6-9 | 9-16 | 7-12 |
| RCSJ-Gloucester | 6-9 | 10-18 | 4-15 |
| Thaddeus Stevens | 5-10 | 10-14 | |
| Philadelphia | 5-10 | 12-11 | |
| Harrisburg Area | 5-10 | 6-16 | |
| Delaware County | 3-13 | 5-19 | |
| Sussex | 2-13 | 7-21 | 4-13 |
| Passaic | 2-14 | 4-22 | 3-15 |
| Luzerne | 1-14 | 4-21 |
Number in parenthesis is JUCO Division III national ranking
TUESDAY’S GAMES
Salem CC 96, Union 75
Harrisburg Area 76, Luzerne 60
Montgomery 88, Atlantic Cape 78
Philadelphia 72, Thaddeus Stevens 66
Mercer 89, Lackawanna 82
Camden 80, RCSJ-Cumberland 70
Bergen 76, Brookdale 73
Raritan Valley at Middlesex
Harcum 92, Essex 70
RCSJ-Gloucester70, Sussex 69
Hostos 100, Passaic 75
WEDNESDAY’S GAMES
Ulster at Sussex
Ocean at Northampton
Atlantic Cape at Brookdale
Passaic at Middlesex
THURSDAY’S GAMES
Camden at Salem CC
Misericordia at Harcum
Northampton at Montgomery
Delaware Tech at Frederick
Manhattan CC at Bergen
Ocean at Brookdale
Passaic at Union
Delaware County at Philadelphia
Raritan Valley at Lackawanna
Atlantic Cape at Bergen
Harrisburg Area at Thaddeus Stevens
RCSJ-Gloucester at RCSJ-Cumberland
FRIDAY’S GAME
Delaware County at Luzerne
SATURDAY’S GAMES
Sussex at Salem CC
Passaic vs. Finger Lakes
Union at Brookdale
Atlantic Cape at Harrisburg Area
RCSJ-Cumberland at Thaddeus Stevens
Northampton at Camden
RCSJ-Gloucester at Montgomery
Ocean at Luzerne
Raritan Valley at Morris
Passaic at Roxbury
Lackawanna at Delaware Tech
Ulster at Middlesex
Philadelphia at Passaic
Harcum at Mercer
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