HERKIMER, N.Y. – With the game tied at 50-50 with 5:09 remaining and the school’s first national championship at stake, the Northern Essex Community College men’s basketball team played its best five minutes of the season.
NECC outscored the Richardland Thunderducks, 18-12, and secured its title, 68-62.
The No. 1 seeded Knights also won its school-record 33rd win in pulling out the win at Herkimer C.C. gymnasium.
NECC got off to a hot start and jumped out to a 17-9 lead in the opening minutes before a brief cold shooting streak allowed Richland to tie the game at 17 and it remained a one possession contest for the remainder of the half with theKnights trailing at halftime 30-28.
Until the final two minutes of the half when the Knights began to extend the advantage, neither team led by more than 5 at the any point in the second half.
It was a Yunosuke Matsuda, of Tokyo, Japan, layup that gave the Knights a 52-50 lead with 4:58 remaining, a lead it never relinquished. In fact, go-ahead layup was set up by a big defensive stop and later followed by Lawrence’s Cristian Moscat three-point basket gave the NECC the lead for good.
Alejandro Delgado, of Haverhill, scored a game high 16 points along with eight rebounds as he was named to the All-Tournament team as he led a trio of scorers in double figures. National Tournament MVP Alex Johnson, of Worcester, followed up his incredible 39-point performance in the semifinal win with 12 points while Jay’von Depina, of Brockton, also chipped in with 12 points off the bench.
Depina received the “Small Man of the Tournament” Award.
Christian Sanders, of Boston, was also named to the All-Tournament and finished the championship game with eight points and eight rebounds.
Long-time head coach Darren Stratton was named “Coach of the Tournament.”