By Paul Gotham
HERKIMER, NY – Faced with the possibility of starting their season on a two-game losing streak, the Monroe Community College men’s basketball team stared down a second-half deficit in a hostile road environment.
The Tribunes closed on a 26-10 run to defeat the Herkimer County Community College Generals, 75-63 in NJCAA action, Wednesday night.
Tashawn Desir (Brooklyn, N.Y./Nia) scored five points and handed out two assists during the decisive rally. His catch-and-shoot three gave Monroe a 67-63 advantage with 3:40 remaining. After a timeout, the team’s only returning player used a Davon Jackson (Odenton, MD/Old Mill) ball screen to get in the lane, drew the defense and kicked to Manny Joseph (Brooklyn, N.Y./Midwood) for another trey. Desir sealed the victory with a floater in the lane at the 1:42 mark for a 72-63 lead.
“I was thinking about Friday night,” Desir said. “It almost felt like déjà vu.”
For the second consecutive game Monroe built a double-digit first-half lead only to have that advantage slowly evaporate.
“After the last game, I felt like me being the only returner from last year’s team, I had to take the burden for the loss,” Desir noted. “I learned from that game. I came back and when things got tough, I took my time and made adjustments.”
With the Monroe offense in rhythm, the Tribune defense stymied the Herkimer attack in the game’s closing minutes.
“Our defense was improved,” said head coach Jerry Burns. “That’s the defense we need to play.”
During Friday’s 76-72 loss to Finger Lakes CC, the Tribunes wilted when the Lakers made a run in the second half. Wednesday night, the Black and Gold responded differently.
Wendell Williams (Syracuse, N.Y./Bishop Ludden) brought a near-capacity home crowd to its feet with a thunderous alley oop dunk. After a Monroe timeout, Enson Garcia (Bronx, N.Y./Bronx) nailed a three, and Jerrell Hunter (Utica, N.Y./Notre Dame) knotted the score at 47 when he grabbed a loose ball at the rim and finished.
But Burns noted the difference in his team’s attitude. After Herkimer took its first lead since 2-0 and stretched it to four, the Tribunes responded.
“It was poise,” Burns said. “It wasn’t what we ran, it was the poise. We didn’t get rattled. If that was Friday, that same situation we had shoulder slouching and not knowing who was going to take care of the basketball.”
Artice Jackson (Owings Mills, MD/Milford Mill Academy) made it a one-point game at 53-52 with a trey. One possession later, Davon Jackson gave Monroe the lead for good with an old-fashioned three-point play when Dykweil Bryan (Brooklyn, N.Y./Queens Academy) weaved through the lane and dished to Davon Jackson for the layup.
After a scoreless outing in his first career game with the Tribunes, Davon Jackson was one of four Tribunes in double figures with 10. He closed the night with another three-point play as he slipped a screen to shed a defender and take an inbound pass for the bucket.
“I made it my priority to come out today and try to finish with contact,” Jackson said. “He (Coach Burns) came to me personally. He called me in yesterday and said ‘you need to play a little more physical.’”
Herkimer didn’t go away easily. Julio Galay (Bronx, N.Y./John F. Kennedy) finished a layup in traffic. After a free throw, Herkimer trailed by two at 60-58.
Desir was there as Monroe stretch its advantage. The 5-10 guard drove the baseline, spun to avoid the defense and fed Roger Harris (Haverstraw, N.Y./North Rockland) for a layup.
“That’s a Monroe point guard,” Burns said. “That’s what we expect from him. That’s his forte. He wasn’t out of control. He had a couple of turnovers, but those you can live with those because he played hard and played smart. He didn’t force anything tonight, and he played within himself.”
Monroe’s defense dictated the game early in the first half.
Artice Jackson forced a five-count in the game’s opening moments. On the next possession, his ball pressure caused a back court violation.
Moments later Joseph and Desir converted back-to-back steals into layups for an 18-8 lead.
“No team is going to win a game without defense,” Desir explained. “We made that the emphasis for tonight to play better defense.”
Jonathan Feiler (St. James/Smithtown East) sparked a 9-0 run as Herkimer trimmed the first-half deficit to a bucket. The sophomore forward drilled a three and followed with one of two free throws. Julio Galay (Bronx, NY/John F. Kennedy) hit a pair of free throws, and Herkimer trailed 21-19.
But the Tribunes responded with seven straight. Joseph and Desir combined in transition to start the run. Desir found his teammate with a diagonal pass to free-throw line extended. Joseph used an upfake to get to the rim for a layup. Artice Jackson climbed the ladder for a tap in and Isaiah Davis (Elizabeth, N.Y./Elizabeth) nailed a trey off an inbound pass for a 28-19 Tribune advantage with 4:15 remaining in the first stanza.
Marcus Gooding (Brooklyn, NY/FDR) hit a pair of threes before the break for a 34-28 Monroe edge.
Feiler led all scorers with 19, but he did not score in the game’s final 8:48.
“We ran two or three guys at him,” Burns explained. “He got a lot of minutes. He just got tired.”
Joseph led Monroe with 14 points. Desir and Davis added 13 and 12 respectively, and Davon Jackson accounted for 10.
Elijah Tillman (Garnerville, N.Y./North Rockland) added seven points. The 6-8 forward powered home a pair of buckets using a baseline drop step.
“Elijah made a big difference,” Burns stated. He gave us some scoring inside.”
The Tribunes host the Murph Shapiro Tournament this weekend. The Tribs will open against Hagerstown CC on Saturday night. An 8 p.m. tip-off is scheduled.
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