Late Game Push Propels Brookdale To Region XIX Championship
The Brookdale Jersey Blues defeated the Camden Cougars 72-69 in a thriller to win the Region XIX Men’s DIII Championship. Kerry Kirkwood shined in the win, scoring 14 points while grabbing five rebounds. The sophomore guard also dished out two assists on his way to earning MVP honors for the tournament. Blues Head Coach Paul Cisek was named Region XIX Coach of the Year.
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Camden County College
|
31 | 38 | 69 |
|
Brookdale Community College
|
26 | 46 | 72 |
Team Stats
Camden County College
| Game Statistics | Camden County College | Brookdale Community College |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (25-58) | (20-52) |
| Field Goal % | 43.1% | 38.5% |
| Rebounds | 21 | 41 |
| Assists | 9 | 10 |
| Turnovers | 6 | 15 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 26 | 5 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 5 | 16 |
| Pts in the Paint | 26 | 20 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 4 | 4 |
| Bench Pts | 27 | 36 |
Written by: James King
Lincroft, NJ – The Brookdale Jersey Blues defeated the Camden Cougars 72-69 in a thriller to win the Region XIX Men's DIII Championship. Kerry Kirkwood shined in the win, scoring 14 points while grabbing five rebounds. The sophomore guard also dished out two assists on his way to earning MVP honors for the tournament. Blues Head Coach Paul Cisek was named Region XIX Coach of the Year.
The Cougars lead the Blues 31-26 at halftime, and held on well into the second half. Brookdale found themselves in foul trouble about halfway into the second half. They didn't falter, as they fought back from a 12-point deficit. Sophomore guard James Wright led the second half charge, getting to the line 12 times, converting eight, on his way to a 15-point game. Brookdale took the lead on a Wright tip in with 40 seconds remaining in the contest and didn't look back.
Cougars freshman forward Ja'vier Worthy lead all scorers with 17-points and four rebounds. While freshman guard Rahiem Burnett and sophomore forward Dewey Johnson also eclipsed double figures for the Cougars, scoring 13 and 11 points respectively in the loss.
The Jersey Blues move on to represent Region XIX in the NJCAA Division III Men's National Championship. The tournament will take place on March 16th-18th in Rochester, MN at the UCR Regional Sports Center.