By Jeanne Sager
LOCH SHELDRAKE — January 29, 2002 – The Generals couldn’t be swept away by The Wave.
The Sullivan County Community College men’s basketball team (14-2, 9-1 Region XV) managed to hold off visiting Kingsborough Community College (13-7, 9-5 Region XV), 86-62, in Sunday’s NJCAA Region XV game at the Paul Gerry Fieldhouse in Loch Sheldrake.
The teams paced each other through the beginning of the game, trading baskets for most of the first half.
The Generals were able to outshoot The Wave, however, pulling ahead 37-27 by the end of the half.
Center Tim Butler and guard/forward Davon Wilson kept the Generals going with their shooting while Imbert Prosper posted 14 points for Kingsborough CC and teammate Charles Castron ate up rebounds to keep The Wave in the game.
The Generals opened up their offense in the second half, strengthening their 10-point lead. SCCC outscored Kingsborough CC by a 48-35 margin in the second half.
“It wasn’t pretty, but we won,” said SCCC Coach Chad Beeten, noting his team just didn’t seem up to the game on Sunday.
“John Connor, our point guard, played well,” Beeten said. “He helped us open up at the beginning and helped us stay in the game.”
Butler, who scored 17 points, also helped The Generals to the win, Beeten said.
“He was playing tired and a little bit injured, but he played well,” he explained. “But as a team, we just didn’t play up to par.”
Wilson scored 18 points for the Generals and Shiron Brown had 17. Forward/center Andre Simmons, a Monticello High School graduate, posted 10 points for SCCC.
The game was a disappointment said Kingsborough CC Assistant Coach Hassan Duncombe.
“We played a good team, but we didn’t come prepared to play,” Duncombe said. “You hate to see that, especially in a big game like this, a regional game.”
Castron scored 20 points to lead The Wave. Prosper posted 18 points and Wilbur Thomas had 16.
Notes: SCCC is the second-ranked team in the latest NJCAA Service Bureau Poll, which was released last Tuesday . . . Roxbury CC of Massachusetts holds the top spot in the poll . . . The Generals hit the road for two games later this week, facing Manhattan Community College on Thursday night and Westchester Community College on Saturday afternoon . . . On Sunday, February 3 SCCC returns home to square off against top-ranked Roxbury in what should be a “super” game on Super Bowl Sunday. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. at the Paul Gerry Fieldhouse.