ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Jason Perry Murray (Harlem, N.Y.) capped a furious comeback as the No. 2- seed Genesee Community College Cougars defeated the No. 1-seed Monroe Community College Tribunes, 75-74 to claim the 2015 Region III Division II men’s basketball championship.
Perry Murray’s tap in with 3.6 seconds remaining on the clock erased a double-digit halftime deficit as the Cougars gained revenge for a loss in the 2014 finals.
“They didn’t quit,” Genesee coach Terry George said. “The kids didn’t quit.”
Genesee ended the game on a 13-0 run to claim their first title since 2003.
“At the end of the game we went with a lot of four out and one in,” George explained. “We told our guards to get to the lane and attack and make plays for your teammates.”
Tournament MVP Naquil Jones (Philadelphia, PA) paced the rally. Trailing by a dozen, the sophomore guard connected from behind the arc. On the next possession, Gabriel Burroughs (New York, N.Y.) hit the front end of a one and one. Jones scored on a layup in the open court, and Joshua Doughty (Mount Vernon, N.Y.) made it a one-possession game with 1:11 remaining when he hit a three-pointer.
“We’re pretty quick,” George noted. “We’re pretty athletic. We have to find a way to use our athleticism and our speed.”
Ervin Mitchell (Brooklyn, N.Y.) got into the lane on the winning play. When his layup kicked off the rim, Perry Murray was there for the tap in with three seconds on the clock.
“I saw him tap it and all I was saying was ‘please go in. Please go in,'” George said when recalling the game-winner.
Genesee came out of the locker room at halftime down 13 and outscored the Tribunes 11-4 in the opening moments.
“It’s a long season, ups and downs,” George commented. “I asked the guys in the locker room ‘how do we want to finish our season? Do we want to lose by 20? Or do we want to come out and compete?”
Perry Murray started the second half with a putback slam. Elijah Tillman (Garnerville, N.Y.) answered for Monroe with a drop step in the lane for a bucket. Mitchell had a tip in. Doughty connected on a pull-up trey. Burroughs went the length of floor for a layup. Doughty converted two of three free throws, and Genesee trailed 47-41 with 16:34 remaining.
‘In the second half, they got to the basket,” Monroe head coach Jerry Burns. “Containing the basketball. We talked about it all year long. To keep the guy in front of you. That’s key. I don’t think we did a good enough job in the second half.”
Monroe responded with a 14-2 run.
Izaha Jackson (Brooklyn, N.Y.) converted three free throws to start the run. Michael Kelly Jr. (Bronx, N.Y.) hit a baseline jump hook. Davon Jackson (Odenton, MD) used a drop step and upfake for two. Kelly finished a layup on the break. Darwin Trotman (Brooklyn, N.Y.) scored along the baseline, and Josh Ashley (Brooklyn, N.Y.) drilled a three for a 67-49 MCC lead with 8:14 to go.
Jones jump started Genesee with a pull-up jumper at the free throw line, one of two free throws and a layup in traffic.
“We let Jones start to get his,” Burns explained. “Once Jones started going, we had to help off a little bit, and they made six threes in the second half. He just got a head of steam and he went right down the middle of the floor. That’s where we had some issues.”
Jones finished with a game-high 27 on 8 of 16 shooting and grabbed a game-high eight rebounds.
Doughty added 13 points, and Burroughs had 11.
Monroe closed the first half on 20-8 run where the Tribunes held Genesee without a field goal for 7:03.
“We were just playing good, solid defense,” Burns said. “That was the key. I don’t think they got the corner on us a whole lot in the first half. The ball was contained.”
Ashley finished with a team-high 15 on 6 of 11 shooting including 3 of 6 behind the arc.
“He played his best basketball in the last game of the season,” Burns said of his sophomore forward.
Izaha Jackson tallied 13 for Tribs while Kelly had 11 and Hemingway, 10.
Genesee held Monroe scoreless for the last 4:05.
“We got stagnant on offense,” Burns said. “We got hesitant for the first time. On a couple of big possessions I thought we were looking more for the foul than we were for the basket. That was uncharacteristic of how we’ve been playing the whole year as attacking the basket and finishing.”
Genesee outscored Monroe on points off turnovers (21-15), second-chance points (12-9) and free throws (17-9).
Monroe had an in the paint (32-30) and in bench points (28-15).
The loss snapped a 14-game MCC winning streak including a perfect 12-0 record in the WNYAC regular season.
Monroe defeated Genesee, 79-74 in the 2014 final.
Genesee’s title was the first under fifth-year coach Terry George.
Genesee has won five straight. The Cougars will host Dean College next Saturday for the District II Championship. Game time is to be announced.
The All Tournament Team included Stefano Osuji (Erie CC), Sheldon Zablotny-Crosby (Niagara County CC), Davon Jackson, Burroughs, Hemingway, and Jones (MVP)
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