By Paul Gotham
ROCHESTER, NY – The goal is simple: win out and host the Regional tournament. Judging by Tuesday’s performance the Monroe Community College men’s basketball team understands the task at hand.
Jonathan Velez-Rivera (Bayamon, PR/Seneca Valley) paced the Tribunes from long-range as MCC pounded the Jamestown Jayhawks, 77-58 in WNYAC action on George Monagan Court Tuesday night.
Velez-Rivera unleashed a near school record knocking down eight three-pointers as Monroe took the lead early and never looked back. The sophomore forward came off the bench and connected on four-of-eight attempts behind the arc before the break.
“If you can get somebody that’s hot like Jon was hot,” explained Monroe head coach Jerry Burns. “You got to be able to get him the basketball to knock it down, and they got him the ball.”
Velez-Rivera and Arnold Fripp, Jr, (Brooklyn, NY/Brooklyn Collegiate) paced Monroe to a 14-3 run to start the game. Fripp, Jr. tapped in a putback to start the scoring. Tashawn Desir (Brooklyn, NY/Nia Prep) used an upfake from outside the arc to get in the lane where he dished to Fripp, Jr. another bucket. On the next possession, Fripp connected on a jump hook outside the lane, and Monroe led 7-6.
Velez-Rivera took over from there scoring the next five.
“I got to be honest I don’t think I have done a good enough job coaching,” Burns continued. “We talked about it as a staff, he should be playing a lot more minutes, especially against teams that zone us.”
Greg Williams (Cincinnati, OH/Princeton) drove from the wing and fed Velez-Rivera for a lay-in. Monroe’s press created a turnover, and Velez-Rivera nailed a trey for 12-6 advantage and a Jamestown timeout at the 13:41 mark.
Velez-Rivera tallied five more as the Black and Gold stretched the lead to double digits. Jahvari Josiah (Brooklyn, NY/Beach Channel) drove baseline and kicked it to Velez-Rivera at the top of the arc for a three over the JCC zone.
“Most people shoot 30 percent from the three,” Burns added. “He is shooting 50 or over 50 percent from the three, and I haven’t been playing him as I would have like to.
Josiah ran the count to 19-8 when he cut across the lane and caught a pass from Williams for a lay in. Monroe doubled up Jamestown at 24-12 when Ta-Quan Zimmerman (Waterbury, CT/Waterbury) cashed a rebound and putback.
For the remainder of the first half, the Jayhawks tried to keep the margin in single digits only to have the Tribunes maintain the advantage.
Omar St. John (New York, NY/Martin Van Buren) cut the lead to eight when he drove from the top and leaned with a layup.
Velez-Rivera responded with a trifecta in transition from Desir.
St. John hit a pair of charity tosses cutting the lead to nine.
McNair nailed a three from the left corner when Zimmerman drove the baseline from the opposite wing and kicked to it for the open look.
Reuben Berry (Bronx, NY/Danbury) closed the stanza with a two-handed slam for the 36-25 count.
The Tribs had 11 assists on 15 field goals in the first 20 and finished with 22 assists on 29 from the perimeter. Desir led the way with five.
“The ball was really moving tonight,” Burns noted. “We had a lot of guys give up average shots to get guys better shots. That was really good to see. They played us zone the whole time. You’re just reversing the basketball. I’ve said this from day one: I never want the guys to be afraid to take a good shot, but I always want them to be afraid to take a bad shot.”
The Tribs showed no signs of letting up.
Monroe outscored Jamestown 25-9 in the first seven and a half minutes of the second half.
Desir started the scoring when he gathered the loose ball after a Berry block on the defensive end, went the length of the floor and scored on a layup.
McNair and Williams hit back-to-back threes stretching the lead to 15 at 47-32.
Velez-Rivera made it 22-point affair when he took a pass from McNair on the break and drained another 3-ball.
Monroe improved to 11-1 in the conference and 24-3. The Tribs have defeated the Jayhawks three times this season. The Tribs finished 12-0 this season at home. Monroe played without Dallas Gary (Buffalo, NY/Buffalo East) and Kenny Johnson (Philadelphia, PA/Abington Friends) who are both out injured.
Velez-Rivera finished with 26. His eight threes finished one short of Monroe’s record set by Donnelle Cummings during the 1991-92 season. He has connected 53 percent (35-of-66) of the time behind the arc this season.
Fripp added 17 points and 10 rebounds.
Monroe outrebounded Jamestown, 49-35.
Tyreek Jewell (Bronx, NY/Leadership and Public Service) led Jamestown with 15. St. John added 12.
Jamestown falls to 13-15 and 4-9.
Monroe has a quick turnaround as they travel to Mercyhurst Wednesday before closing the regular season at Niagara County Community College Saturday night. Wins in both of those games and the Tribs clinch home court for the Regional tournament.
“The road to the national tournament has got to be through your home court,” Burns said. “That’s the key.”
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