Men's hoops season wrap-up
Amber Zahn
Issue date: 3/9/09 Section: Sports
Ten seconds frozen on the clock. Fans from both sides are in complete silence, as number 22 approaches the line. If he misses, Mercer has a chance to rebound and win the game; if he makes it, the Vikings, trailing by four, won't have an opportunity to comeback. He bends his knees and puts up a shot. All is still as it travels through the air, towards the basket. The crowd is on their feet as it hits the rim, and goes inside. Manor College has sealed the win.
The Mercer men's basketball team finished out their, not so perfect, (13-15) season with five straight losses after they fell one point short at home to Manor College on February 21, in a game that was crucial in determining who would advance to round two of the Men's Basketball National Junior College Athletic Association Region XIX Tournament.
The Blue Jays of Manor College, from Jenkintown Pennsylvania, retrieved the ball at tip off, and scored the first basket leading the start of the game. Mercer quickly recovered with a successful three point shot by forward Antoine Rogers. Four seconds left in the first half, the Vikings, down by 10 points, ended the half with a solid three pointer at the buzzer by guard Stephen Perry bringing the score to 33-26 Blue Jays.
The Vikings led the start of the second half with a two point shot by forward Josh Caver. The Vikings, still down, cut a break two minutes into the second half when a foul on the Blue Jays gained the Vikings an additional two points, tightening the gap 33-30 Blue Jays. A two point shot by Mercer's Stephen Perry tied up the game 35-35, but a lay-up by Manor's forward Jeff Sottnick put Manor back on top.
Mercer's Corye Payton replicated Sottnick's lay-up tying the game back up 37-37. "The boys [Mercer] definitely went out with a fight today," says former Mercer student Rafeeq Brown of Hamilton, "They came back from the first half reenergized and determined to catch up, and when they did they never allowed Manor to have a comfortable lead again."
Although Mercer made a comeback from the 10 points they were down by in the first half, it was Manor's guard Stefan Thompson that dominated the last minutes of the second half, and the game, by gaining two three point shots. Two fouls by Mercer on Thompson helped gain Manor's victory.
Mercer's Perry got in the last shot of the game, a three-pointer from the corner, but ultimately lost 57-58. "It was a close game from beginning to end," said Manor faithful Melanie Haines from Langhorne Pennsylvania, "Both teams deserve to move on to the next round, based on physical performance, but I think that mentally Manor wanted it [to win] more."
Manor advanced to round two of the Men's Basketball NJCAA Region XIX Final Four Tournament, that took place at the County College of Morris on Thursday, February 26, where they were defeated 84-66 by the Falcons of Lackawanna College.
The Mercer men's basketball team finished out their, not so perfect, (13-15) season with five straight losses after they fell one point short at home to Manor College on February 21, in a game that was crucial in determining who would advance to round two of the Men's Basketball National Junior College Athletic Association Region XIX Tournament.
The Blue Jays of Manor College, from Jenkintown Pennsylvania, retrieved the ball at tip off, and scored the first basket leading the start of the game. Mercer quickly recovered with a successful three point shot by forward Antoine Rogers. Four seconds left in the first half, the Vikings, down by 10 points, ended the half with a solid three pointer at the buzzer by guard Stephen Perry bringing the score to 33-26 Blue Jays.
The Vikings led the start of the second half with a two point shot by forward Josh Caver. The Vikings, still down, cut a break two minutes into the second half when a foul on the Blue Jays gained the Vikings an additional two points, tightening the gap 33-30 Blue Jays. A two point shot by Mercer's Stephen Perry tied up the game 35-35, but a lay-up by Manor's forward Jeff Sottnick put Manor back on top.
Mercer's Corye Payton replicated Sottnick's lay-up tying the game back up 37-37. "The boys [Mercer] definitely went out with a fight today," says former Mercer student Rafeeq Brown of Hamilton, "They came back from the first half reenergized and determined to catch up, and when they did they never allowed Manor to have a comfortable lead again."
Although Mercer made a comeback from the 10 points they were down by in the first half, it was Manor's guard Stefan Thompson that dominated the last minutes of the second half, and the game, by gaining two three point shots. Two fouls by Mercer on Thompson helped gain Manor's victory.
Mercer's Perry got in the last shot of the game, a three-pointer from the corner, but ultimately lost 57-58. "It was a close game from beginning to end," said Manor faithful Melanie Haines from Langhorne Pennsylvania, "Both teams deserve to move on to the next round, based on physical performance, but I think that mentally Manor wanted it [to win] more."
Manor advanced to round two of the Men's Basketball NJCAA Region XIX Final Four Tournament, that took place at the County College of Morris on Thursday, February 26, where they were defeated 84-66 by the Falcons of Lackawanna College.
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