Director of Sports Information
December 10, 2016
JENKINTOWN, PA—Union County College (8-3 Overall, 6-1 NJCAA Region XIX Division II) sophomore guard Acestra Robinson scored a career-high 31 points as they defeated Manor College (5-5, 4-4), 87-65. Freshman guard Kalima Daniels (Queens, NY/Boys & Girls) came off the bench to lead Manor with 19 in the loss.
Down 6-2 with about 7:40 left in the opening quarter, Manor went on a 9-2 run during the next 2:41. It was capped off by freshman guard Jaquay Williams' (Philadelphia, PA/Audenreid) basket and free throw with 4:59 left in the first and the Blue Jays held an 11-8 lead. After freshman forward Kennedy Telfair's (Alexandria, VA/Thomas Edison) layup and free throw tied the game at 14 with 1:21 remaining, Union County took the lead for good on its next possession on Cherasaro's three-point basket with 1:15 left.
Union County opened up the game in the game in the second quarter. Kennedy's jumper with 8:22 left in the quarter closed the deficit to one point (25-24). The Owls responded by scoring 19 straight points over the next 5:14 and opened up a 20-point lead (44-24). Daniels ended the run when she scored a three-point basket with 2:40 left in the half. Altogether, during one six-minute stretch Union County outscored Manor 21-3. The Owls led at halftime, 48-30.
The closest Manor got in the second half was when freshman guard Chyna Steele (York, PA/York) made a layup, with an assist by freshman forward Tiana Garvin (Philadelphia, PA/Bodine), with 5:59 remaining in the third (52-38). Union County responded and maintained a 20-point-plus lead for the last half of the quarter. They went on a 17-4 run over the next 3:40 and opened up its largest lead of the game (69-42) with 1:19 left in the quarter. Sophomore guard Acestra Robinson's three-point basket, with an assist by Cherasaro, capped off the run. Union County outscored Manor in the quarter, 21-18, and led 69-46.
The Blue Jays got within 20-points several times in the fourth quarter. They got within 17 on Daniels' free throws with 4:03 remaining in the game (81-64). Daniels scored 12 of Manor's 19 points in the quarter. Altogether, the Blue Jays outscored the Owls in the fourth quarter, 19-18. Union County outscored Manor in the second half, 39-36. Daniels led the Blue Jays in scoring in the second half.
Daniels' 19 points tied a season high. She also scored 19 at Lackawanna College on November 12, 2016. Sophomore center Etreece Adams (Philadelphia, PA/Imhotep) contributed her third "double-double" this season with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Williams tied a season-high 11 points and led both teams with a personal-best nine assists. She also scored 11 at Rowan County at Burlington College on November 8, 2016. Garvin paced Manor with 13 rebounds. It is the sixth time she has pulled down 10 or more rebounds in a game this season.
In addition to Robinson, sophomores Cherasaro and forward Kiante Johnson scored 18 and Robinson added 16 points for Union County. Johnson also led both teams with 15 rebounds. Johnson and Robinson paced both squads with six steals.
The Blue Jays outrebounded the Owls, 54-43.
Since 2008-2009, the Blue Jays are 5-12 overall and 2-7 at home versus the Owls. Manor has lost six straight games overall versus Union County. They last defeated the Owls on November 16, 2013 (52-44). Manor has also lost six consecutive at home versus Union County. They last won at home versus the Owls on February 9, 2011 (83-60).
Manor's next home game is versus Region XIX Division III Bucks County Community College 5:00 p.m. December 15. This is the first matchup since both schools joined the NJCAA. The Blue Jays are 10-5 versus NCJAA Division III schools since 2008-2009, including seven straight overall and 2-0 at home. Manor last home game against a Division III school was on January 10, 2015 (98-40 versus Montgomery County Community College).