By Steven M. Glassman
Director of Sports Information
February 11, 2017
JENKINTOWN, PA—Sophomore guard Kim Richburg scored 37 points as 19th-ranked Essex County College (22-3 Overall, 13-2 NJCAA Region XIX Division II defeated Manor College (11-10, 6-8), 68-56. Sophomore forward Shawn Dowd (Upper Darby, PA/Upper Darby) led the Blue Jays with 12 points.
Manor took an early 7-2 lead with 5:56 left in the opening quarter after sophomore center Etreece Adams (Philadelphia, PA/Imhotep) made a layup off of a missed shot. Essex County answered with a 10-2 that was finished off by Richburg layup on a sophomore forward Charvelle Cox assist with 2:42 remaining. Sophomore guard Chyna Steele's (York, PA/York) coast-to-coast layup with 0:23 left gave Manor a 13-12 lead after the first quarter.
Following a Wolverine jump shot by freshman guard/forward Shanice Samuels (on a freshman guard Ta'Shay Jackson assist) with 9:37 remaining in the second quarter, the Blue Jays scored 11 straight points. Dowd's coast-to-coast layup with 4:15 left in the first half finished off the run and gave Manor its biggest lead of the game (24-14). However, the Blue Jays were held scoreless for the remainder of the half. Essex County sophomore guard Nijah McQueen scored the final five points of the quarter in 0:43.5 and closed gap in half. Manor outscored Essex County, 11-7, and led at halftime, 24-19.
The Blue Jays expanded its lead to eight (30-22) with 6:10 remaining in the third quarter on Steele's jump shot. Essex County responded with a 13-4 run and took its first lead (37-36) since the first quarter (12-11 with 1:47) on Samuels' three-point basket with 2:34 left. Manor retook the lead on sophomore guard Dayzha Davis' (Philadelphia, PA/Mastery North) jump shot off of a Wolverine turnover with 1:03 remaining. The Wolverines outscored the Blue Jays, 17-13, but, Manor led 37-36 after three quarters. Richburg led both teams 11 points in the quarter and 20 in the game.
Richburg's three-point basket on Essex County's first possession with 9:53 left in the fourth quarter gave them the lead for good, 39-37. After Adams' layup off of a missed shot with 7:59 remaining closed the gap to two points (41-39), the Wolverines went on a 16-2 run over the next 5:17, and opened up 16-point lead (57-41). Richburg's free throw with 2:42 remaining in the game finished off Essex County's run. Altogether, the Wolverines went on a 23-4 run in the first 7:18 to open up the fourth quarter. Samuels' three-point basket on a Richburg assist gave Essex its largest lead of the contest (60-43) with 2:18 left in the game. Essex County outscored Manor in the fourth quarter (32-19) and in the second half (49-32). Richburg paced both teams with 17 points in the quarter.
Dowd has scored in double-figures 11 times this season and 17 in her Blue Jay career.
Richburg shot 12 of 21 overall from the field and 10 of 14 from the free throw line. She scored 30 for the third time this season and this was her second highest game of the season. Freshman forward/center Azeezat Fatunmbi a tied personal season-high with 16 rebounds. Jackson led Essex County with five assists and five steals. Cox blocked three shots.
Manor's home record is 4-4 on the season. They are 2-14 overall (2-11 against NJCAA Division II) versus nationally-ranked teams.
The Blue Jays were swept by the Wolverines in the regular season for the first time since the 2011-2012 season. Manor is 9-8 overall (4-4 at home) versus Essex County. The Blue Jays lost to the Wolverines at home for the first time since January 19, 2013, breaking a two-winning streak.
Manor's next home game is versus Region XIX Division II Rowan College at Burlington County 5:00 p.m. February 16. The Blue Jays are 11-11 overall and 6-4 at home versus the Barons. Manor has won three in a row and four of the previous six in this series. They defeated Burlington County in its previous matchup on the road, 85-30, on November 8, 2016. Manor's 55-point victory was the largest in this season series. The Blue Jays beat the Barons at home, 65-59, on February 23, 2016 in the NJCAA Region XIX Division II Postseason Tournament First Round.