Connors State College, Warner, Okla., advanced to the NJCAA Men’s Division I Final Four for the second straight season. Connors State will play Trinity Valley (32-3), Athens, Texas, in the 5:30 p.m. semifinal game on Friday. (Photo courtesy of Connors State College Sports Information).
By John Mesh
The “Cardiac Cowboys” from Connors State won another nail-biter and advanced to the Final Four (semifinals) of the 77th NJCAA Men’s Division I Tournament.
No. 17-seeded Connors State advanced to their second straight NJCAA Men’s semifinal game with a 66-65 come-from-behind quarterfinal-round victory over No. 8-seed Daytona State Wednesday on Sam Butterfield Court at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.
Connors State, Warner, Okla., knocked off No. 1-seeded Snow College (Utah) 63-62 in the second round of the 77th NJCAA Tournament Monday afternoon.
There will be one Oklahoma team and three Texas teams playing in Friday’s semifinals.
Connors State (31-3) will play South Plains College, Levelland, Texas (29-6) in the 5:30 p.m. semifinal game on Friday.
The 8 p.m. semifinal game features Trinity Valley Community College, Athens, Texas (32-3) against Panola College, Carthage Texas (29-6).
The championship game will be played at noon Saturday and will be televised on ESPNU.
Daytona State led at halftime 30-25 and led 61-49 with 5:11 left in the game. Connors State went on a 17-4 run in the final five minutes to win the game.
Edwin Daniel, a 6-foot-9 sophomore forward/center from the Bronx, N.Y., who played last season (his freshman year) at Hutchinson Community College, led Connors State with 17 points and 13 rebounds. It was his fourth straight “double-double.”
Daniel made 8-of-14 free throws and even made a 3-pointer. It was his second made 3-pointer of the season. Daniel also blocked five shots for the second straight game.
DJ Dormu scored 15 points. Aric Walls chipped with 13 points.
Four Daytona State players scored in double figures, accounting for 54 of the team’s 65 points.
Dylan Diaz scored 17 points, including five 3-pointers in eight attempts. Tyrese Lacey scored 15 points and had 7 assists. Jaylin Payne had 12 points and 9 rebounds.
Isaiah Dorceus scored 10 points. Lacey and Dorceus each had two 3-pointers.
No. 8-seed Daytona State, Fla., finished the season with a 28-6 record.
Cowley College’s season ends with 61-60 loss to Trinity Valley
Cowley College missed a jump shot with .02 seconds left on the clock and the Tigers from Arkansas City were eliminated from the 77th NJCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament with a 61-60 loss to Trinity Valley Community College.
Cowley also missed the third of three free throw attempts with 10.2 seconds left that would have tied the game at 61-61.
The Tigers made just 11-of-20 free throws in the game and the Cardinals made 12-of-14.
Cowley College led 28-25 at halftime. Trinity Valley outscored the Tigers 36-32 in the second half.
Tyler Smith and Cameron Williams each scored 14 points for the Cardinals and Zati Loubaki scored 12. Garrett Nuckolls chipped in with 9 points.
Marcus Whitlock Jr. led the Cowley College Tigers with 22 points. Marcus Zeigler scored 13 points and Shamarrie Hugie 11.
Cowley’s Dallas Whitney, a sophomore who played at Hutchinson Community College last year as a freshman, scored 2 points, grabbed 2 rebounds, dished off 6 assists, had 2 steals and 1 blocked shot.
Cowley College finished the season with a 30-5 record. The Tigers are the second Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference team to be eliminated from the national tournament.
Barton CC lost 73-70 to Daytona State College, Fla., in the second round on Tuesday.
South Plains College moves into NJCAA men’s tournament semifinals
In battle of Texas teams, South Plains College defeated Angelina College 79-70 Wednesday night in the NJCAA Men’s Division I quarterfinals Wednesday on Sam Butterfield Court at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.
Angelina College led South Plains College 36-33 at halftime. South Plains outscored Angelina College 46-34 in the second half.
Caleb Blackwell led South Plains with 18 points, including 8-of-10 free throws. Isaac Taveras scored and IJ Ezuma each scored 14 points and Arterio Morris added 13 points.
Ezuma grabbed 10 rebounds, Mooris 8, Didier Maleng 8, Jalen Ricks 6 and Taveras 5.
Jordan Mathews led Angelina College with 16 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. Chris Carpenter scored 15 points and Kanaan Holder 14 points. Christian Jones and Kyle Morgan each scored 9 points.
Angelina College finished the season with a 27-7 record.
Panola College punches NJCAA Final Four ticket
The Panola College (Texas) Ponies are headed to the NJCAA Men’s Division I Tournament Final Four semifinals after beating Vincennes (Ind.) 75-67 in the late quarterfinal game Wednesday night on Sam Butterfield Court at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.
The score was tied 40-40 at halftime.
The Vincennes Trailblazers trailed the Panola Ponies 62-59 with 6:56 left the game. Then Panola went on an 13-8 run in the final 2:47.
Waqo Tessema led the Ponies with 24 points, including seven 3-pointers. Travis Toran scored 18 points with four 3-pointers. Khoi Thurman scored13 points, dished off 12 assists and made two 3-pointers. CJ Warsham scored 10 points and grabbed 7 rebounds.
Lebron Thomas led the Trailblazers with 17 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists. He made 7-of-8 free throws. Travelle Bryson also scored 17 points. Bryan Akanmu added 10 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists.
Vincennes University finished the season with a 28-5 record.
Panola defeated Frank Phillips College (Borger, Texas) 60-53 late Tuesday night to advance to the quarterfinals.
CJ Warsham led Panola with 19 points. Jaylen Drane scored 10 points.
LA Hayes led Frank Phillips with 23 points, including 8-of-9 free throws. Sherman Weatherspoon IV scored 12 points. Mady Traore added 9 points and 6 rebounds.
The Frank Phillips College Plainsmen finished the season with a 25-9 record.
Thursday’s NJCAA Tournament schedule
No NJCAA men’s tournament games are scheduled for Thursday.
A press conference featuring all four semifinal teams will begin at 10:30 a.m. Central time on the first floor of The Burt.
The NJCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship Luncheon, presented by Hutchinson Regional Healthcare, is at noon Thursday in the historic Crystal Ballroom at The Burt.
The Burt building is located in the historic antique district on the corner of West Avenue B and South Main Street in downtown Hutchinson.