‘Special performances’ by Woolford, Jones spark second-half rally that carries Salem CC to its first ever win in the national tournament, faces second-seeded Mohawk Valley next in Elite 8

JUCO DIVISION III TOURNAMENT
First-round Games
(9) Dallas-Richland 73, (8) Northern Essex 68
(5) Herkimer 81, (12) Dallas-Mountain View 71
(10) Salem CC 72, (7) Riverland 67
(6) Union 76, (11) Genesee 66
Thursday’s Games
Northern Essex vs. Dallas Mountain View, 9 a.m.
Riverland vs. Union, 11 a.m.
Dallas-Richland vs. (1) Dutchess, 1 p.m.
Herkimer vs. (4) Sandhills, 3 p.m.
Salem CC vs. (2) Mohawk Valley, 6 p.m.
Union vs. (3) Minnesota State-Fergus Falls, 8 p.m.

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

HERKIMER, N.Y. — Everybody wanted to be the player to slide Salem CC’s name on the second line of the national championship bracket, but by the time all the players got over to the big board on the other side of the court they realized only one player truly deserved the honor.

Tivon Woolford has quietly been playing his role as a reserve all season for the Mighty Oaks, but he’s also known as the team’s wildcard. And Wednesday afternoon, in the biggest basketball game in school history, the wildcard played as an ace.

Together with A.J. Jones, the two guards provided the second-half spark that carried the Mighty Oaks to an historic 72-67 win over seventh-seeded Riverland (Minn.) CC for the program’s first-ever national tournament win in their first-ever appearance in the JUCO Division III tournament at Herkimer College.

The Mighty Oaks (24-7) now take on second-seeded and third-ranked Mohawk Valley (26-1), the No. 1 defensive team in the country, in the Elite 8 Thursday at 6 p.m.

“That’s a big win,” Mighty Oaks coach Mike Green said. “It takes special performances to win in March and Tivon and A.J. gave us that. They played probably one of their better games of the year and it worked out for us.”

Woolford played 18 minutes off the bench and scored eight points on 3-for-4 shooting from the floor. Jones played 19 minutes, scored seven points, including two game-sealing free throws with seven-tenths of a second to play, and had several deflections that disrupted by Blue Devils’ efficient offense. 

All their points came in the second half. They hit back-to-back 3-pointers with four minutes left to snap a 60-60 tie and give the Mighty Oaks the lead for good.

“I thought I did really good today, that I pulled through for the team,” Woolford said. “The team needed some up energy. We needed some energy, points, defense, everything. I felt like I needed to go out there and improve for the team so we could get the win.”

“The whole season I’ve said he was the wildcard,” freshman guard Xavier Brewington said. “Tivon comes up for us whenever we need him. ““He’s unflappable, unflappable,” Green said. “He has the heart of a lion. He’s so out of it that he plays great in big games. He’s not bothered at all in big games. It’s like another walk in the park for him and he’s shown it time and time again.”

Woolford even saved the day at the big bracket, rushing in from the wings when Josh Ramos got fumbled with the backing on the placard and placed it on the proper line in the second round. The sophomore from Newark, Del., one of the last five remaining players from Green’s first half-season, was the player the team wanted to stick it there all along. 

“We definitely feel like Tivon deserved it in this one because he stepped up,” Akeem Taylor said. “That’s the one thing about our team – any day a different player can step up.”

“I’m happy they let me do it because it shows they’ve got the trust in me and that confidence in me to go do my thing and I want to say thank you,” Woolford said. “It felt real good knowing I went out there and got the opportunity to do my thing and show who I really could be. It felt good putting our name up there and showing what we can be.”

It was another strong second-half that got the Mighty Oaks through. They trailed the former No. 1 ranked team in Division III by 10 at halftime after going nearly seven minutes without a field goal, hitting only 1-for-8 from 3-point range, recording only two assists and often getting caught by the shot clock.

In the second half, though, they were 7-for-11 from behind the arc, got better ball movement and held the Blue Devils (29-4) to 30 points while outscoring them by 15. They’ve outscored their three playoff opponents in the second half 126-106 and during their current six-game winning streak they’ve outscored their opponents by nearly 11 points a game in the second half.

“We’re a second-half team for some reason,” Brewington said. “I said in the locker room at halftime we’ve been here before, we’ve been through worse, we’ve got a lot of game left. We’ve got to play together and that’s what happens when we play together.”

“The second half we knew we had to bring it,” Jones said. “It wasn’t even about what works and what doesn’t work. It was about showing heart and grit. That’s what we brought the second half and we showed we were the better team.”

Taylor and Brewington combined for 21 points in the second half and finished with 18 points apiece to lead Salem’s offense. Brewington hit a pair of 3s at the start of the second half to get the Mighty Oaks back in the game. Jyheim Spencer, the top-ranked rebounder in the tournament, had a double-double with 14 points and 10 boards. 

Spencer’s layup off a crisp entry pass from Jones gave the Mighty Oaks their first lead since 11-9 with 6:42 to play.

“Every game we play is history,” Taylor said. “Every game we win we’re making history.”

They sure don’t want it to end with the first one.

“We’re not done yet,” Green said. “We didn’t come here to win one game. We came here to win the tournament.”

SALEM CC 72, RIVERLAND CC 67
SALEM CC (24-7): Tamir Powell 0-6 2-2 2, Tyrese Fortune 0-5 2-2 2, Xavier Brewington 6-13 3-4 18, Akeem Taylor 8-18 1-3 18, Jyheim Spencer 6-8 2-3 14, Dontarius Jones 0-0 0-0 0, A.J. Jones 1-3 4-4 7, Tivon Woolford 3-4 0-0 8, Joshua Ramos 1-3 0-0 3, Rodney Shelton 0-0 0-0 0, Tajee Jordan 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-60 14-18 72.
RIVERLAND CC (29-4): Christian Campbell 7-15 3-4 19, Damar Jenkins 4-12 1-2 13, Buai Duop 5-9 0-0 12, Joe Poyser 4-7 2-4 10, Nazih Chehade 3-7 1-3 7, Gabe Hein 0-0 0-0 0, Lubab Kambalo 1-3 0-0 3, Rolph Blanc 0-2 0-0 0, Nick Edland 0-0 0-0 0, Jose Yepez 1-2 0-0 3. Totals 25-57 7-13 67.

3-point goals: Salem 8-19 (Powell 0-2, Fortune 0-2, Brewington 3-6, Taylor 1-2, A. Jones 1-2, Woolford 2-2, Ramos 1-3); Riverland 10-25 (Campbell 2-7, Jenkins 4-10, Duop 2-4, Kimball 1-2, Blanc 0-1, Yepez 1-1). Rebounds: Salem 41 (Spencer 10, Taylor 6, Powell 5, Brewington 5); Riverland 31 (Chehade 9). Total fouls: Salem 13, Riverland 13. Officials: Jim Salamone, Keegan Ryan, Danny Greenwald.

Jones, Jordan playing new roles, but still big ones in Salem CC’s run to the national tournament; Mighty Oaks win 72-67 behind an unlikely hero, game story to come, box score below

JUCO DIVISION III TOURNAMENT
First-round Games
(9) Dallas-Richland 73, (8) Northern Essex 68
(5) Herkimer 81, (12) Dallas-Mountain View 71
(10) Salem CC 72, (7) Riverland 67
(6) Union 76, (11) Genesee 66
Thursday’s Games
Northern Essex vs. Dallas Mountain View, 9 a.m.
Riverland vs. Genesee, 11 a.m.
Dallas-Richland vs. (1) Dutchess, 1 p.m.
Herkimer vs. (4) Sandhills, 3 p.m.
Salem CC vs. (2) Mohawk Valley, 6 p.m.
Union vs. (3) Minnesota State-Fergus Falls, 8 p.m.

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

HERKIMER, N.Y. – To say A.J. Jones wasn’t a big fan of the new guy when Salem CC changed basketball coaches during the Christmas break last year wouldn’t be a proper characterization. Uncertain might be more like it.

One coach, the coach who signed him, had just left the team and the guard who was just starting his college playing career was concerned this next one wasn’t going to up and leave after getting the Mighty Oaks through the storm as well.

He wasn’t there to meet Mike Green when the new coach greeted the team for the first time, a faux pas the 6-1 sophomore from Wilmington apologized for the next time they practiced together.

“I kind of perceived it wrong,” he said.

It’s all good now, of course, and even though his role has changed Jones is a key part of the rotation, an instant energy guy off the bench, in the Mighty Oaks’ run to today’s debut in the JUCO Division III national tournament against Riverland (Minn.) CC.

“Under the circumstances it was like the coach left us, so is he going to leave, too,” Jones wondered. “But then I see he stuck it out with us. He actually helped our game get better.

“He was more invested than the last coach, honestly. I warmed up to him. We got used to each other and now he’s like an older brother, a dad. He ended up not quitting on us. I saw he was in for the long run and now we’re here.”

Of course, with all the new players Green brought in to establish his program, roles were going to change.

It impacted Jones and 6-6 center Tajee Jordan the most. Both were starters last season; now, they come off the bench.

Jones made 17 starts last season and averaged 11.9 points with 45 assists and 45 steals. This year he’s gotten fewer minutes, but he still brings the same energy and defense he has always contributed. He’s played in 29 games with only two starts, averaging 6.5 points with 36 steals and 46 assists.

“We want to play more guys, we want to wear other teams down,” Green said. “A.J. comes in and does a great job of that.”

“I’ve been the energy guy,” Jones said. “I had more of a role to score (last year) because we needed that. We didn’t have plenty of guys, but I have other guys to do that now; we can all just play a role to make a team. Last year we had a team but there were plenty of roles we were missing, (that’s) the reason we were where we were at. We were OK, but we weren’t the greatest.

“Every guy on this team can do the same thing I do and I feel like we all feed off each other. We give each other energy. It doesn’t matter who’s in or out of the game we just want to win. It feels good winning.”

Jordan was the Mighty Oaks’ man in the middle, providing scoring, rebounding and general beef. This year he’s been called upon rebound and clog up the middle when he has the physical mismatch.

It took a little getting used to, but, like Jones, he’s enjoying the cumulative result.

SALEM CC 72, RIVERLAND CC 67
SALEM CC (24-7): Tamir Powell 0-6 2-2 2, Tyrese Fortune 0-5 2-2 2, Xavier Brewington 6-13 3-4 18, Akeem Taylor 8-18 1-3 18, Jyheim Spencer 6-8 2-3 14, Dontarius Jones 0-0 0-0 0, A.J. Jones 1-3 4-4 7, Tivon Woolford 3-4 0-0 8, Joshua Ramos 1-3 0-0 3, Rodney Shelton 0-0 0-0 0, Tajt Jordan 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-60 14-18 72.
RIVERLAND CC (29-4): Christian Campbell 7-15 3-4 19, Damar Jenkins 4-12 1-2 13, Buai Drop 5-9 0-0 12, Joe Poyser 4-7 2-4 10, Nazih Chehade 3-7 1-3 7, Gabe Hein 0-0 0-0 0, Lubab Kambalo 1-3 0-0 3, Rolph Blanc 0-2 0-0 0, Nick Edland 0-0 0-0 0, Jose Yepez 1-2 0-0 3. Totals 25-57 7-13 67.

Armed with as much info as possible on their opening-round opponent, Mighty Oaks take on Riverland CC in their first-ever basketball national tournament game 

JUCO DIVISION III TOURNAMENT
Wednesday’s Game
(10) Salem CC vs. (7) Riverland CC, 4 p.m.
Thursday’s Game
Salem-Riverland winner vs. (2) Mohawk Valley, 6 p.m.
Salem-Riverland loser vs. Genesee-Union loser, 11 a.m.

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

HERKIMER, N.Y. – Mike Green posed the question on one of his social media platforms around 7 o’clock Sunday night when he was already four days into his research.

“Is there a such thing as over preparing?” he rhetorically asked to the world.

One of his good coaching buddies told him privately an emphatic no, which Green took to mean he was doing the right thing. At least in the way the second-year Salem CC basketball coach goes about his business preparing the Mighty Oaks for Wednesday’s 4 p.m. NJCAA Division III national tournament debut against Riverland (Minn.) CC here at Herkimer College.

Ever since the matchup went up on the selection show screen last Wednesday afternoon, Green has been burning the midnight oil, pouring over stats and whatever video he could find of the Mighty Oaks’ immediate and potential future opponents.

“I know he be up all night, I do know that,” sophomore guard A.J. Jones said. “He wants it as much as we do, if not more.”

That’s just his way. Once, when he was an assistant at Penn State, in charge of player development, he broke down film on all four of the Nittany Lions’ potential 2023 NCAA Tournament foes. That year, they beat Texas A&M in the first round for the program’s first NCAA Tournament win since 2001 and narrowly lost to second-seeded Texas in the Round of 32.

“I’m used to it,” Green said. “That’s all I’ve been watching, Riverland. I go over it piece by piece. I feel like I know their players as if they were in our league. We’re in the know.

“But I’m not playing, so the key is to get my guys to be so familiar with them as well.”

What the coach’s research has shown is Wednesday’s game will be a clash of styles and whoever imposes their will best will come out on top. The Mighty Oaks (23-7) like to get it and go, go, go, while the Blue Devils (29-3), in the national tournament for the third time in four years, want to slow you down.

The Blue Devils are averaging 86 points a game and rank sixth nationally in offensive efficiency, led by Christian Campbell (15.2 ppg), Nazih Chehade (14.9) and Damar Jenkins (13.2). But it’s the way they can run down the shot clock on defense that gives the appearance of a slower pace. They’re only allowing 67 points a game and give you on average about 60 shots. The Mighty Oaks have put as many as 90 in a game this year.

That approach had them No. 1 in the nation for 12 straight weeks this season before a two-game hiccup in early February dropped them back. Two of their losses have come to Minnesota State Community & Technical College, the No. 3 seed here and a potential semifinal opponent for one of these two teams.

“I wouldn’t say we play slow by any means,” Riverland coach Derrick Hahn said Tuesday night. “I think the good defense is kind of what slows the game down a little bit. But contrasting styles for sure.”

The Mighty Oaks are confident they can adjust. They played a slower, half-court game in their two Region 19/North Atlantic District games last week and beat CC of Philadelphia and Montgomery County CC, two teams that beat them in close games during the regular season. They didn’t press once in the district championship game against Montco.

“I feel like the team we have this year we can make anybody play how we want them to play if we just put our minds to it,” Jones said. “We’ve got dawgs on our team. We’re gonna bark.”

ACORNS: Green was undecided about the Mighty Oaks’ Wednesday pre-game routine as he left Tuesday’s welcoming banquet. It’ll either be a walk-through somewhere in the hotel or a shoot-around at nearby Mohawk Valley CC … The team practiced at the tournament site Tuesday morning. Green liked it. “It’s a shooter’s gym,” he said. “Hopefully our guys can get going” … If the Mighty Oaks lose Wednesday, the consolation game Thursday will be their final game in the tournament win or lose. If they win Wednesday, then lose in Thursday’s quarterfinals, they will continue to play until they lose again … The tournament committee drew random players from each team for a door prize at the welcoming banquet. Xavier Brewington was the lucky Salem player. He chose a canvas carry bag .. There are 431 schools across the NJCAA’s three divisions, 56 are still playing.

Salem CC basketball team leaves out for JUCO Division III national tournament to cowbells, cheers

JUCO DIVISION III TOURNAMENT
Wednesday’s Game
Salem CC vs. Riverland CC, 4 p.m.
Thursday’s Game
Salem-Riverland winner vs. Mohawk Valley, 6 p.m.
Salem-Riverland loser vs. Genesee-Union loser, 11 a.m.

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

CARNEYS POINT –  With the sound of clanging green cowbells and cheers as a backdrop, the Salem CC basketball team received a rousing sendoff for the greatest adventure in the modern era of the school’s athletics program.

The Mighty Oaks pulled out of the parking lot a little after 1 o’clock Monday headed to Utica, N.Y., for their first-ever appearance in the NJCAA Division III national tournament at nearby Herkimer College.

They open their run towards a national championship Wednesday at 4 p.m. against seventh-seeded Riverland (Minn.) CC. The Mighty Oaks (23-7) are one of two unranked teams in the 12-team field and seeded tenth, in itself a source of motivation for the North Atlantic District B champions.

“There are only 12 teams there, we’re the tenth seed; I don’t feel we’re the tenth seed,” sophomore guard A.J. Jones said. “We’ve got dawgs on our team. We’re gonna bark.”

The team practiced in Dupont Fieldhouse before embarking on the trip and will see the tournament site for the first time when they practice Tuesday at 9 a.m. Riverland works out at 11.

The Blue Devils had a similar sendoff when they left Austin, Minn., Saturday and made a pit stop at Youngstown State to practice.

When the Mighty Oaks players wrapped up practice Monday they were welcomed back to the locker room with a spirit line comprised of faculty and friends.

“I think the whole campus community is exceptionally proud of what Coach (Mike) Green and the whole team has been able to accomplish in such a short time period,” athletics director Bob Hughes said. “And we’re standing behind them 100 percent as they hopefully make a run over these next couple days and we look forward to what it means for the future of not just the men’s basketball program but the whole athletic department.”

Hughes knows exactly what the Mighty Oaks are feeling as they embark on the trip. He had the same emotions when he took Rosemont to its first trip to the NCAA Division III national tournament as its head coach in 2019.

“I would say it’s about the same thing,” Hughes said as unwrapped the cowbells from their packaging. “Interesting, too, because Rosemont was historically all women (and then went co-ed and added men’s sports). 

“Similar situation, I guess, you could compare it to the fact they canceled athletics and Bob (Bunnell) brought it back. I really think all of this is a testament to Bob Bunnell and the efforts he put towards raising this department back up. The fact that we’re here is directly related to the efforts he put in over his time here. I’m reaping the benefits.”

GOOD VIBES: Josh Ramos says he’s confident going into the national tournament and that makes the Mighty Oaks feel good all the way down to their roots.

Ramos is Salem’s designated sniper and he’s one of the top 3-point makers in the country. But lately his shot has been a little off.

He has 72 treys this season, ninth-most in JUCO Division III and 12 more than he had last season when he was 27th in 3s made and shooting percentage. He hit six in a late-season win over Luzerne, but has made only 7 of 27 in the six games since.

“I haven’t really been hitting as much as I want to, but I keep getting shots up and I’m still going to have high confidence going to nationals,” the sophomore said. “I feel really confident going into the game. Me not hitting shots is definitely a big thing, but I stay ready. My team is getting it done, I’ve gotta show up.”

Salem coach Mike Green knows how valuable Ramos is to the Mighty Oaks’ success. His skill set will be especially in demand if they win Wednesday’s opener. The winner meets No. 2 seed Mohawk Valley, who’ve build the No. 1 scoring defense in the division by demanding teams shoot over or get inside its zone defense.

“He’s the one,” Green said of Ramos. “He’s going to determine how far we go. His shot-making opens the game up.”

No pressure, right?

Salem CC installed as No. 10 seed in JUCO Division III national tournament, draws No. 7 at-large Riverland (Minn.) CC in opening round

JUCO DIVISION III TOURNAMENT
At Herkimer (N.Y.) College
March 12
No. 8 Northern Essex (28-3) vs. No. 9 Dallas Richland (20-11), noon
No. 5 Herkimer (23-4) vs. No. 12 Dallas-Mountain View (15-18), 2 p.m.
No 7 Riverland (29-3) vs. No. 10 Salem CC (23-7), 4 p.m.
No. 6 Union (23-4) vs. No. 11 Genesee (23-6), 6 p.m.
March 13
Northern Essex/Dallas Richland vs. No. 1 Duchess (26-1), 1 p.m.
Herkimer/DallasMountain View vs. No. 4 Sandhills (27-6), 3 p.m.
Salem-Riverland winner vs. No. 2 Mohawk Valley (26-1), 6 p.m.
Union-Genesee winner vs. No. 3 Minnesota State C&TC (29-2), 8 p.m.
Salem-Riverland loser vs. Union-Genesee loser, 11 a.m.

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

CARNEYS POINT – Mike Green remembers his first Selection Show when he played in college. The excitement and anticipation were real.

It was pretty much a given that year his Butler team was going to get an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. The drama was where it would go, how high it would be seeded and who they were going to play in the first round.

When their name finally went up on the screen the players leapt out of their seats and the room erupted in cheers.

Green wanted that for his Salem CC basketball team Wednesday as they watched the selection show for the NJCAA Division III Tournament together for the first time. The Mighty Oaks knew they had a spot in the field as North Atlantic District B champions. All they were waiting to hear was their seed and road to the championship. 

They didn’t have to wait long. The Mighty Oaks (23-7) were installed as the No. 10 seed and will open the tournament against seventh-seeded 13th-ranked Riverland (Minn.) CC (29-3) at Herikmer College Wednesday at 4 p.m.

When their name finally appeared on the screen, everybody who came to watch the show on three big-screen TVs in the fieldhouse cheered loudly.

“It was a one-in-a-lifetime thing because I’ve never experience this before,” freshman guard Xavier Brewington said. “I feel great for our team. I feel confident in our team. We’re going to try to win it all.”

Teams are guaranteed two games in the tournament. If the Mighty Oaks beat Riverland, they’ll play second-seeded No. 3 Mohawk Valley Thursday at 6. If they lose their opener, they’ll get the loser of Region XIX rival Union and Genesee CC at 11 a.m. They’ll keep playing as long as they keep winning, but they can only win the tournament from the winner’s bracket.

When it revealed the Mighty Oaks could get Mohawk Valley (26-1) in the second round, leading scorer Akeem Taylor didn’t flinch. “We want them,” he said from his seat on the floor. Mohawk Valley leads JUCO D-III in scoring defense.

“We want everybody,” Taylor said. “They’re just ranked so high, why wouldn’t we want to play them? We want to show that we’re the best, so that’s what we’ve got to go through.”

“It seems like he embraces being the underdog,” Green said.

As soon as the show ended, Green headed to his office to do some research on their opening-round opponent.

“I don’t know much about them,” he said. “I just know they’re a higher seed than us.

“We’re not familiar with any of these teams. We don’t watch them all year long; it’s not like the NCAA. You just don’t know. We’ve got to put work in and figure them out. We’ve got seven days to figure them out.”

Riverland was ranked No. 1 for 12 consecutive weeks earlier this season. The Blue Devils are led by Nazih Chehade, a 6-4 sophomore guard from Florida averaging 14.9 ppg, 7.3 rpg, shooting 58 percent from the field and has 127 assists. 

ACORNS: Salem is one of two unranked teams in the 12-team field … The Mighty Oaks will leave for the tournament Monday, but won’t practice at the facility until Tuesday … Riverland has three scorers averaging in double figures.

Here is a thumbnail look at the AQ teams Salem CC could face in the JUCO Division III national tournament, March 12-15, 4 at-large teams will be announced Wednesday with the bracket

JUCO DIVISION III TOURNAMENT
March 21-15, Herkimer (N.Y.) College
(Automatic qualifiers)

SALEM CC MIGHTY OAKS
LOCATION: Carneys Point, N.J. (Region 19)
COACH: Mike Green (2nd season, 32-16)
RECORD: 23-7 (North Atlantic District B)
NATIONAL RANK: Unranked
PROJECTED STARTERS: 6-3 G Tamir Powell (10.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg); 6-6 G Tyrese Fortune (11.3, 6.7); 6-3 G Xavier Brewington (10.7, 4.9); 6-4 G Akeem Taylor (21.2, 5.4); 6-8 F Jyheim Spencer (13.1, 14.1).
NOTES: The Mighty Oaks have won five in a row … Gone 13-3 since Powell, Taylor and Spencer joined the lineup Jan. 7 … Taylor was district tournament MVP … Spencer has 10 double-doubles and would be ranked second nationally (Division III) in rebounding had he played enough games to qualify for the stats … Brewington and Josh Ramos (72 3-pointers) have played in all 30 games

UNION COLLEGE OWLS
LOCATION: Cranford, N.J. (Region 19)
COACH: Devon Stanberry (9th season)
RECORD: 23-4 (North Atlantic A)
NATIONAL RANK: 7
PROJECTED STARTERS: 6-6 G/F David McKnight (9.1, 3.4); 6-8 G/F Nick Acosta (17.9, 12.1); 6-3 G Joey Gargiulo (14.1, 3.9); 6-2 G Kayne Brown (6.9, 2.4); 6-11 C Jeremiah Saint Jean (5.9, 7.9).
NOTES: The Owls have won four in a row and 15 of last 16  … Devin Geiger is averaging 17.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg … Acosta has 59 blocked shots, Saint Jean has 46 … Leads the country in shooting percentage (.641)

NORTHERN ESSEX KNIGHTS
LOCATION: Haverhill, Mass. (Region 21)
COACH: Darren Stratton (22nd season, 350-209)
RECORD: 28-3 (East)
NATIONAL RANK: 8
PROJECTED STARTERS: 6-2 G Ryan Pacy (9.1, 2.9); 5-10 G Javien Kirmil (11.8, 1.8); 6-2 G Yunosuke Matsuda (4.7, 3.5); 6-7 F Christian Sanders (8.5, 6.9); 6-4 F Alejandro Delgado (15.0, 8.6).
NOTES: The Knights have won five in a row … Led their region championship game a total of 36 seconds. Stratton got his 350th career win in that game … Roster has players from four foreign countries (Cameroon, Japan, France, Turkiye) … Matsuda had 118 assists.

SANDHILLS CC FLYERS
LOCATION: Pinehurst, N.C. (Region 10)
COACH: Mike Apple (14th season, 361-97)
RECORD: 27-6 (Mid-Atlantic)
NATIONAL RANK: 5
PROJECTED STARTERS: 6-1 G Kevin Gentry (5.1, 1.5); 6-2 G Mike Fee (5.6, 3.4); 6-5 G Isaiah Upchurch (13.8, 3.7); 6-6 F Damien Robinson (18.5, 12.4); 6-6 F Zack Noel (8.9, 8.2).
NOTES: The Flyers have won 14 in a row, in which they’ve scored 100 points or more seven times … Making seventh straight trip to national tournament … Lead Division III nationally in scoring (96.5).

MOHAWK VALLEY CC HAWKS
LOCATION: Utica, N.Y. (Region 3)
COACH: Harley Fuller (4th season, 106-30)
RECORD: 26-1 (North)
NATIONAL RANK: 3
PROJECTED STARTERS: 6-0 G Jamir Smith (14.6, 3.5); 6-3 G Jalen Bradberry (16.2, 3.2); 6-8 C Andre Pasha (14.3, 11.2); 6-10 F Isaiah Earl (9.8, 7.0); 6-6 G/F Alex Barnhill (14.3, 9.0).
NOTES: The Hawks have won eight in a row … Smith has 141 assists … Bradberry has hit 64 3-pointers and shot 40.5 percent behind the arc … Leads the nation in scoring defense (61.7 ppg) and shooting defense (.365)

DUTCHESS CC FALCONS
LOCATION: Poughkeepsie, N.Y. (Region 15)
COACH: Robert Piano (4th season, 78-32)
RECORD: 26-1 (Northeast)
NATIONAL RANK: 1
PROJECTED STARTERS: 6-2 G Seiray Sinerna (9.1, 4.3); 6-7 F Quincey Platt (8.4, 7.1); 6-3 G Alijah England (16.8, 6.0); 5-9 G Amadou Diallo (11.8, 3.9); 5-10 G Daniel Ogunleye (5.9, 1.1).
NOTES: The Falcons have won three in a row … Ranked second in scoring defense (62.3 ppg),  and shooting defense (.373) and third in turnovers created (18.9). They’re second in the country in steals (15.0) and third in blocks (6.8) … “We had an idea what we had with this roster and, we talked about it in August, that we expect to be great,” Piano told the Poughkeepsie Journal after the region championship game.

MINNESOTA STATE COMMUNITY & TECHNICAL COLLEGE SPARTANS
LOCATION: Fergus Falls, Minn.(Region 13)
COACH: Dave Cresap (2nd season, 43-15)
RECORD: 29-2 (North Plains)
NATIONAL RANK: 4
PROJECTED STARTERS: 6-2 G Mason Muir (16.6, 4.0); 6-4 F Fodar Sheriff (21.8, 10.6); 6-4 G Yonis Mohamud (15.9, 4.1); 5-11 G Braylon Baldwin (4.5, 2.7); 6-5 F Tyson McArthur (9.4, 5.3).
NOTES: M State has won 14 in a row … Making first national tournament appearance since 2003-04 … Made 15-win turnaround over last season … Sheriff, who lists Upper Darby as his hometown though he went to high school is North Dakota, was MVP of the region tournament … Muir has 131 assists, Sheriff 137 … Ranked second nationally in 3s per game (9.5) … Cresap won 666 games in 28 years as a high school coach before making the jump to college.

DALLAS COLLEGE-MOUNTAIN VIEW LIONS
LOCATION: Dallas, Texas (Region 5)
COACH: LeRoi Phillips (19th season, 315-249)
RECORD: 15-18 (South Central)
NATIONAL RANK: Unranked
PROJECTED STARTERS: 6-5 F Augustine Chibuko (14.2, 8.9); 5-9 G Louis Conner (8.5, 5.1); 6-3 G Noel Duplechain (7.8, 2.7); 6-1 G Adrian Banks (6.2, 1.0); 6-4 G Ashton Price (24.8. 5.7)
NOTES: The Lions have won four in a row and have scored 90-plus in each of their last five … They started the season 3-8 and were 5-11 on Dec. 14 … Ranked ninth nationally in scoring (86.2), but 79th in scoring defense (86.3) … Price has averaged 35 points over the last five games, shooting 63-for-123 from the floor … Chibuko has 66 blocked shots, but he’s fouled out of 11 games … Conner is averaging 8.1 assists per game.

Salem CC wins district basketball title, headed to JUCO Division III nationals for first time in school history; Taylor named tournament MVP

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News 

BETHLEHEM, Pa. — The Salem CC basketball team has been a second-half club all season long. So why should things be any different in its biggest game in school history.

The Mighty Oaks already had a six-point lead when they went into halftime Saturday, then they opened the second on a 12-0 run to take complete control of their Region XIX North Atlantic District B championship game on the way to a 74-66 win over second-seeded Montgomery County CC to earn their first ever trip to the JUCO national Tournament.

“It’s a great feeling, a feeling I’ve never felt before,” freshman swingman Tamir Powell said. “I’ve never won anything in high school, ever before. This is my first championship. It feels great.”

Now they’re headed to Herikmer (N.Y.) College to play for the Division III national title March 11-15. EIght district champions and four at-large selections will make up the field. The bracket will be announced at 3 p.m. Wednesday.

Union (Region XIX/North Atlantic A) and Dallas College-Mountain View (South Central) also have locked up tournament bids. The remaining automatic bids should be filled Sunday.

“It feels good just to give these guys another chance to get looked at, to get seen,” Mighty Oaks coach Mike Green said. “I told them all year long the nationals is where you want to be. You’ll have a bunch of coaches there and they only want winners, man, and we’re a winner, so I’m just happy I got a chance to deliver on my promise.

“They (Montco) were the defending champs and we came in and took care of business.” 

And it wasn’t that close.

It’s not so much that the Mighty Oaks (23-7) pulled away in the second half to win their first district title – they only outscored the Mustangs 40-38 – but rather the way they did it and the smoothness with which they maintained the lead.

The run out in the first four minutes of the second half gave them an 18-point lead that never fell back into single digits until the final two minutes.

“It was all motivation,” Powell said. “We took what we had the last game and we brought the energy, we brought the fight and the grit. We knew we were the better team so we went out and played like it.”

Sophomore Akeem Taylor, who wasn’t even considered for the All-Region XIX Team because he joined the team at mid-season, was clearly the difference in the game. He went for 27 points, 13 rebounds and three blocked shots and was named MVP of the District B tournament, basically the Mighty Oaks’ half of the Region XIX bracket.

He had 18 points, four rebounds and six assists in the Might Oaks’ tournament opening win at CC of Philadelphia. Both teams they took down in the tournament beat them in one-possession games during the regular season.

“I feel like the last time they got us because of me,” Taylor said. “I think I went out in the first half with three fouls. I wasn’t playing at 100 percent. It was just all about revenge. That’s what I think motivated me today. There was a lot of extra motivation.”

Green, who orchestrated the best turnaround in the league in his first full season at the helm, was named District Coach of the Year as the coach of Saturday’s winning team.

Powell started the Mighty Oaks’ second-half run with a bucket and 3-pointer. He had 11 points in the half and finished with 19; he’s been averaging 15 over his last five games. Xavier Brewington had 10 points and Jyheim Spencer had another double-double (11/10).

Montco had three scorers in double figures but none of its other four scorers had more than five points.

“Our bench played well; that’s the difference,” Green said. “That’s why everybody says why do you play 12 players – because you can wear teams down.

“They had a short bench. Our bench came and gave us minutes and gave our starters a rest and when they got in they were much stronger. It worked out how we planned it, man.”

And now they’re making plans for an even bigger tournament.

SALEM CC 74, MONTGOMERY COUNTY CC 66
SALEM CC (23-7) – Tamir Powell 7-12 1-1 19, Tyrese Fortune 1-8 1-2 3, Xavier Brewington 2-8 6-11 10, Akeem Taylor 8-18 11-12 27, Jyheim Spencer 5-6 1-2 11, Dontarius Jones 1-2 0-0 2, A.J. Jones 1-1 0-1 2, Tivon Woolford 0-0 0-0 0, Josh Ramos 0-2 0-0 0, Rodney Shelton 0-2 0-0 0, Tajee Jordan 0-1 0-0 0, Stefan Phillips 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-60 20-29 74.
MONTGOMERY CO. (21-6) – Matthew Williams 6-14 6-9 18, Sean Emfinger 9-18 3-4 22, Baasil Sanders 5-14 5-7 16, Jaylon Williams 1-3 2-2 5, John Dinolfi 0-5 2-3 2, Jonathan Brooks 0-0 1-2 1, Steven Hill 0-2 0-0 0, Darrius Gaeta 0-7 0-0 0, Emmanuel Rodriguez 0-2 0-0 0, Isaac Martin 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 22-66 19-27 66.