By Steven M. Glassman
Director of Sports Information
March 3, 2017
JENKINTOWN, PA—The 14th-ranked Manor College men's basketball team (20-6 overall, 9-5 Region XIX Division II) are the third seed in the NJCAA Region XIX Division II Playoff Tournament.
Manor will host the sixth-seeded Raritan Valley Community College Lions (17-10, 8-6) 2:00 p.m. Saturday, March 4. This is the third straight season the Blue Jays have qualified for the postseason. They have been in this postseason tournament four times overall since joining the NJCAA for the 2008-2009 season.
The Blue Jays split the regular season with the Lions, 94-76 loss on November 10, 2016 (on the road) and won, 63-61, on February 4, 2017 at home. They are 9-10 overall and 5-4 at home (including four straight) versus the Lions. Manor have won seven of its last eight, and, eight of its previous ten overall matchups versus Raritan Valley. The series record includes a 2-0 mark in the Region XIX Division II postseason versus the Lions. Manor won, 73-64, on February 24, 2015 (First Round at home) and, 87-73, on March 4, 2016 (Semifinals at the County College of Morris).
The winner of this game will advance to the Region's Final Four Saturday, March 11 at the County College of Morris in Randolph, New Jersey. The semifinal winners will play in the Championship Game, Sunday, March 12 at Morris.
The top seed is NJCAA Division II second-ranked Essex County College (27-1, 13-1), who also receives a bye into the Region's Final Four. The Wolverines are the four-time defending Region XIX Division II postseason tournament champions. Essex County have also won five of the previous regular season titles.
The remaining seeds are as follows: Rowan College-Burlington County (second) (14-9, 9-5), Lackawanna College (fourth) (18-11, 8-6), Region XV Orange County (NY) Community College (fifth) (14-14), and Delaware Technical Community College-Stanton (seventh) (16-14, 7-7). Orange County (NY) won the 2017 Region XV Division II Playoff Tournament.
Manor are 3-3 overall (3-0 at home) in the Region XIX Division II Playoff Tournament. They were 2016 Runners-Up and reached the semifinals in 2009 and 2015. The Blue Jays are also 4-16 overall versus possible opponents Essex County (0-2 in the postseason), 7-11 versus Burlington County (0-0), 5-14 versus Lackawanna (0-1), and 5-13 versus Stanton (0-0). Manor have never faced Orange County (NY) in the regular and postseason.