On championship Sunday, March 6th Men’s basketball defeated Roxbury community college 91-76 to claim their first region 21 East/District championship title. In addition, the nationally ranked Knights extended their winning streak to 27. The win advances The Knights to their first NJCAA championship tournament in program history.
The knights jumped out to a fast lead when Mehmet Asik scored a two-pointer to go up 2-0. The Knights grew their lead to 14. RCC chipped away at their deficit in the first half but couldn’t make up enough ground. The Knights went into the Lockeroom with an eight-point advantage, 41-32.
Offensively, Johnathan Lingisi of Hamilton, ON led the way in scoring with a career high 24 points. Ryan Lacey of Salem, New Hampshire scored 17 points off the bench, the most since early December. Asik added 13 points. A Lawarence duo Jerimiah Melendez and Luis Reynoso each scored 11 points.
On defense Lingisi and Edwin SamMBaka of Paris, France held RCC two top scorers bellow their season averages.
A viewing party to determine the playoff bracket seeding was held Wednesday March 8th at the spurk building in lecture hall A. There It was determined that The Knights entered the tournament as the fourth seed and faced Northampton community college. The NJCAA tournament took place from March 14th– March 18th in Herkimer, NY.
