NECC Knights defeated Roxbury Community College 81 to 54 to win their eight straight game for the first time since 2006-07 season.
NECC Knights faced Roxbury Community College at home on Thursday Feb. 3 it was originally scheduled for a 6 p.m. tip off for a conference division game at the sports and fitness center at the Haverhill campus. Roxbury arrived late they were stuck in traffic om their way to the sports and fitness center it was a 6:27 tipoff instead of 6:00 p.m.
The Knights stunned everyone defeating Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) 71 to 70 on Feb. 1, on the road handing them their first conference division lost of the season.
I asked NECC Basketball head coach Darren Stratton a little bit about the game that they played against CCRI that ranked number six nationally.
The Knights were the underdogs and stunned everyone to win seven in a row, longest winning streak since the 2006-07 season when they won 14 straight and handing CCRI its first conference division lost of the season.
Before the game coach Stratton told me Division 2 and 3 college coaches collegiate spoken to him after the Knights defeated CCRI. Even though it was unexpected but Stratton knows what kind of team this basketball team it’s capable off.
“I thought when CCRI came up here (Dec. 4) we lost that game more than they really beat us. They beat us pretty good they beat us almost close to 50 points and I think it was an embarrassment to the kids because they had kinda a team meeting right after that game and express a lot of their feelings and since that game home against CCRI they kids started to buy in they started to work they understand coming to practice every single day it’s a challenge and you have to work to get better every single day…, Stratton said.
On January fans were not permitted due to the high spike of Covid and concerning of the omicron virus but know the fans are know permitted during home games. 98 people were attended when the saw the Knights take on Roxbury.
How the fans going to react knowing they won seven in a row?
“It’s funny you said that because (Athletic Director) Dan (Blair) mentioned to me the other night and I am going to be honest with you I don’t pay to much attention to the fans but is great for the kids because know we get some of this guys of my back because ‘coach why can’t fans come… ‘finally when I said fans can attend to games the kids went ecstatic … I also understand every precocious taking due to COVID-19, I want to take every precocious possible because I want to continue with the season. So if fans can attend let them attend if they can’t they can’t Dan (Blair) does an excellent job here at the college with social media. All of our games are live streamed, so it’s not the parents or anyone is missing a beat you can watched in YouTube, Facebook live… I think it’s great for the kids because they enjoyed that playing in that kind of atmosphere, Stratton said.
Stratton told me anything that we need to know before Feb.3 game against Roxbury “We’re going to have our time against Kevin Agyemang. he comes from Dracut, I was recruiting him flat out shorter he shooted 45 percent behind three point line, kids quick savvy he is going to be a tough match up for us. Roy Kalu number five he is going to be an extremely tough match up for us number one (Jordon- Philip Long) is going to be really tough they are really god loaded. Our gods need to come and perform tonight if our gods don’t show up we going to walk away losing and Roxbury is coming in our gym and whopped us so our gods have to come ready to play… Stratton said.
Even though Roxbury won the tip off against the Knights. The gods did show up against Roxbury, Cristian Kinsley of Lawrence he was unstoppable in the first half, scoring three three pointers in a span of four minutes and 19 seconds. He finished with four three pointers in the first half and finished the game scoring five three pointer he had 19 points on the game.
Knights were on a 18 to 9 run in the first eight minute of the first period in the game “We been playing really well early on were coming out I just like to see how Cristian (Kinsley) and Daniel (Amarante) have got this guys focused I couldn’t ask for better captains in that aspect I know Cameron (Stratton) and Daniel (Almarante) are more vocal type of captains I can’t tribute they are ready to play,” Stratton said.
The Knights increases their lead with eight minutes left in the first period they were up by 16 having a 32-16 lead.
Daniel Almarante of Lawrence and Mehmet Asik of Ankara, Turkey both recorded 8 points in the first half. Philip Cunningham of Haverhill had a turnover in the first period.
Knights were up 42-24. When they went to the locker room they had a 18 points lead on their way winning eight in a row. The Knights had six fouls while Roxbury had seven.
Knights begin the second period on a 12-2 run Metin Yavuz of Istanbul Turkey was responsible for eight of those points “I thought Metin probably played one of his best game of the season he is coming along. He really control the paint for us and his kinda a throwback as far as the post player goes sordoff like a Kevin McHale (he was a former NBA player and a former coach) back in the day. He was very effective for us we played great team defense,” Stratton said.
Knights had seven fouls during the second period while Roxbury only had four in total during the game Knights had 13 fouls and Roxbury had 10. The Knights hold on to defeat Roxbury 81 to 54 to win eight straight game.
I told Cristian Kinsley about the recent success and the winning streak that they are currently they are in eight game winning streak for the first time since 2006-07 season when they won 14 straight “I mean it’s great to be apart of a eight game winning streak but we wouldn’t been here without coach,” Kinsley said.
Before the season started if he ever invasion winning eight in a row?
“Before the season start I though we had a great team I ain’t going to lie I thought we were a great team we started off slow and know we finally like I said clicked as a unit and we are playing the game of basketball like it supposed to be played,” Kinsley said.
Knights will try to make it nine straight on Sat. Feb 9 when the Knights will hit the road to face Gateway Community College in Connecticut. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
