Greyhounds Defeat #1-Ranked Team in the Nation
Dee Montgomery scored 19 points and Trevor Banks finished with 18 points and 9 rebounds as the 14th-seeded ASU Mid-South Greyhounds shocked the third-seeded Cuyahoga Community College Challengers who were ranked #1 in the final NJCAA National Poll.
March 20, 2018
2018 NJCAA DII MEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
(3) Cuyahoga Community College CHALLENGERS (Cleveland, OH) – 27-1
VS
(14) Arkansas State University Mid-South GREYHOUNDS (West Memphis, AR) – 26-5
For immediate release: Tuesday, March 20, 2018
Danville, IL – The second game of the 2018 NJCAA Division II Men's Basketball tournament paired 3rd seeded Cuyahoga Community College against No. 14 seed Arkansas State University Mid-South.
Higher seeded Cuyahoga, ranked No. 1 in the NJCAA Division II Men's Basketball poll, took an early lead, 4-0, two minutes into the game. However, with a rambunctious crowd, Arkansas State remained in the game and took a 10-8 lead with 15 minutes left in the half. Three baskets in under a minute from the Challengers put them back in front 15-10 heading into the first media timeout.
Arkansas State responded scoring the next five points and tying the game at 15 a piece. From the 10-minute mark to the two-minutes mark, Cuyahoga would slowly open up a 36-29 lead, as the Challengers were paced by Wade Lowman, Quintin Dove and Larenz Thurman. But in the final two minutes, Arkansas State poured in 10 unanswered points, five each from Dee Montgomery and Montee Randle. The Greyhounds headed into the half leading by three, 39-36.
HALFTIME SCORE:
Cuyahoga - 36
Arkansas State - 39
1st HALF LEADERS:
Cuyahoga:
#22 Quintin Dove, 6'5, So. - 11pts, 5-6 FG
#11 Larenz Thurman, 6'1, So. - 8pts, 5stls
#23 Wade Lowman, 6'6, So. - 6pts
Arkansas State:
#10 Dee Montgomery, 5'11, So. - 12pts, 5-8 FG
#23 Montee Randle, 6'4, So. - 7pts
#12 Terrandus Smith, 6'4, So. - 6pts
Cuyahoga worked their way back to a tie, 44 all, at the 18:22 mark of the second half following a Josawah Bradford three-pointer. Bradford and Arkansas State's Trevor Banks traded baskets for the teams early on in the half, scoring nine and eight points respectively during the stretch. Arkansas State led by five, 57-52.
With 5:42 left, Larenz Thurman would put in two free throws that would give put Cuyahoga within one, 61-60. But that would be as close as they would get. Arkansas State reeled off eight straight points, four from Randle, that would break the game open 69-60 with three minutes to go. Cuyahoga, desperate to score, was unable to get consistent quality looks or stop the Greyhounds.
Arkansas Sate sank their free throws down the stretch, making 20 of 23 for the game, and cruised to a 83-68 win.
FINAL SCORE:
Cuyahoga - 68
Arkansas State - 83
TEAM LEADERS:
Cuyahoga:
#22 Quintin Dove, 6'5, So. - 18pts, 6-8 FG
#2 Josawah Bradford, 6'2, Fr. - 17pts, 6rebs, 3asts, 3stls
#11 Larenz Thurman, 6'1, So. - 14pts, 4rebs, 4asts
#23 Wade Lowman, 6'6, So. - 8pts, 4rebs
Arkansas State:
#10 Dee Montgomery, 5'11, So. - 19pts, 3ast, 3 3PTM
#13 Trevor Banks, 6'7, So. – 18pts, 9rebs, 8-11 FG
#23 Montee Randle, 6'4, So. - 16pts, 2stls, 7-8 FT
#30 K.J. Patrick, 6'6, So. – 11pts