Men's Basketball Advances To Semi-Finals

Article is courtesy of Mike Ready, a journalist for the Jersey Sporting News and Middletown Patch, who covers Brookdale Community College athletics.

Lincroft, NJ – In what amounted to a tune-up game for the semifinals following a ten-day layoff, 14 players scored for top-seeded Brookdale (27-1, 19-1) and every healthy player saw action as head coach Paul Cisek substituted early and often in the Blues 88-66 NJCAA Region XIX quarterfinal win versus ninth seeded Northampton Pa.(14-13, 8-6) Tuesday night at Collins Arena.

Sophomore forward Joe Nickerson (Barringer H.S.) poured in a game-high 29 points, including six of the Blues first eight points and eight in a row early in the second half to put Brookdale up by 34 points, 69-35. Nickerson added four rebounds, two blocks and two steals.

With Nickerson pumping in 15 first-half points, freshman point guard Mason Jones (Manchester H.S.) adding eight and sophomore Cory Soanes (Matawan) six, the Blues streaked to a 47-23 halftime lead.

Soanes was huge under the glass, ripping down seven boards with two steals – both leading to easy layins – in the half.

Six-foot-5 inch Rahsaan Johnson (Passaic H.S.), had a big first half defensively with four rebounds, a block and a steal as the quicker and more athletic Blues asserted themselves inside the paint against the over-matched Spartans.

Brookdale's starters saw very limited action in the second half as Cisek used his bench freely in giving valuable playing time to his second and third team units.

James Jenkins, a 6-foot-3 inch freshman forward from Hillside High School, netted 11 second-half points, second only to Nickerson's 14 points in the half, as Nickerson scored all his second-half points in the first six minutes before being removed from the game for good.   

Sophomore Brian Adams, freshmen Delonte Grant (Perth Amboy H.S.), Jaleel Chain (Union H.S.), Tyrone Curry (Charlotte N.C.), Eric Davis (Asbury Park H.S.), Tyler Kearney (Englewood H.S.) and Aubrey Dozier (Abbeville La.) all saw extensive playing time in the second half.

Johnson added five second-half rebounds to finish with nine rebounds on the night and ended with four points. Soanes added another two points, two rebounds, a block and a steal in early second half action to round out his night.

With the win, Brookdale moves on to face fourth-seeded Union County in a semifinal matchup Thursday 6:00 p.m. at Collins Arena. Union was a 82-67 winner over No.5 seed Middlesex County Tuesday in the quarterfinals.

Brookdale defeated Union (19-8, 16-5) twice this season; two of Brookdale's closes games of the year. In their first meeting early in the season at Union, Brookdale won 64-60 and in their second contest at home in mid-January, the Blues won by seven, 75-68.

By: Mike Ready

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