By Steven M. Glassman
Director of Sports Information
January 18, 2018
JENKINTOWN, PA—County College of Morris (9-7 Overall, 5-3 Region XIX Division II) freshman guard D'ondre Dent led both teams with 34 points as the Titans defeated the Manor College Blue Jays (12-4, 7-1), 97-86.
Morris never trailed during the game. Manor tied the game three times in the first half. Freshman Isaiah Wiggins' (Pocono Mountain, PA/Pocono Mountain West) layups with 17:31 and 16:51 remaining tied the scores at six and eight, respectively. Sophomore guard Kobe Ancrum's (Bridgeport, CT/Bassick) free throws with 9:27 left tied the score at 16. Dent's layup with 8:26 remaining in the first gave the Titans the lead for good, 18-16. The closest Manor got for the remainder of the half was 21-19 on freshman forward Jared Benbow's (Philadelphia, PA/Northeast) hook shot off of a missed free throw with under seven minutes left in the first. Morris took its first double-digit lead (32-22) on Dent's three-point basket, with an assist by sophomore forward/center Ishmil Raymond, with 4:01 remaining. The Titans maintained a double-digit lead for the remainder of the half. Dent's layup off of a missed three-point shot with 0:31.1 left gave Morris its largest lead of the first half, 44-27. The Titans led the Blue Jays at halftime, 46-30. Dent led both teams with 20 points.
Morris maintained its double-digit lead into the second half, leading as much as by 21 twice (59-38 and 62-41) on a pair of three-point baskets by sophomores Lamont Williams (guard) and Ranell Bell (guard/forward), respectively, with under seventeen minutes remaining in the second. After Dent's free throws gave the Titans a 72-55 lead with 11:02 left, Manor responded. The Blue Jays scored nine straight points between 10:38 and 9:33 remaining (1:05) and closed the gap to eight points (72-64) on sophomore Keithantonio Davis' (Sicklerville, NJ/Eastern) three-point basket, with an assist by freshman guard/forward Amir Hill (Philadelphia, PA/Parkway). Freshman guard Dana Strothers' (Pittsburgh, PA/Obama Academy) offensive rebound and jump shot off a missed three-point attempt got Manor within seven (73-66) with 9:00 remaining. This was as close as Manor got for the remainder of the game. Altogether, the Blue Jays went on an 11-1 over a 1:38 stretch. Williams answered with a three-point basket (with an assist by freshman guard Anthony Lopez) and put Morris up by 10 (76-66) with 8:27 remaining. Davis' hook shot off of a Morris turnover with 5:45 left got Manor within nine (79-70). Titans' freshman center Ryan Lattimore's offensive rebound and jump shot with 5:26 remaining gave them an 81-70 edge, and, maintained a double-digit lead for the remainder of the game. The Blue Jays outscored Morris in the second half, 56-51. Davis led both teams with 21 points in the second half. Dent paced the Titans with 14 points.
Individual Statistical Leaders: Three Blue Jays registered "double-doubles" in points and rebounds. Davis came off the bench and led Manor with 25 points and 13 rebounds. He also paced both teams with six assists. Strothers also came off the bench and added 16 points and 12 rebounds. Hill contributed 14 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocked shots. Wiggins scored 17 points.
Williams scored 15 and Bell added 12 points, three blocked shots and three steals. Lattimore led both teams with 15 rebounds. Freshman guard Abraham Kromah scored 10 points off the bench.
Series Record: The Blue Jays lead the season series, 11-8. They are 6-4 at home versus the Titans.
Next Game: Manor hosts NCAA Division III Susquehanna University Junior Varsity 7:00 p.m. Thursday, January 25, 2018. The Blue Jays won its inaugural meeting between the two schools on November 30, 2017, 88-79, in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania.