By Rob Potter
LOCH SHELDRAKE — February 18, 2003 – What a difference three months makes.
Back in November at the Monroe of Rochester Tournament, the Sullivan County Community College Generals held a 10-point halftime lead on the host team.
But Monroe rallied in the second 20 minutes of play to defeat the Generals.
On Satuday afternoon at Paul Gerry Fieldhouse, SCCC avenged one of its three losses this season. The Generals took a 33-21 lead at halftime and built onto that advantage in the second half.
At the final buzzer, SCCC had recorded a 76-57 win over Monroe CC, a National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II team.
SCCC, the top-ranked team in NJCAA Division III, improved its record to 22-3. Monroe CC fell to 20-5 on the season.
After the Tribunes grabbed a quick 9-3 lead three-and-a-half minutes into the contest, the Generals rallied to close the gap.
Glenn Davis hit a three-point shot at the 13:24 mark to pull SCCC to within one at 13-12. Then just 26 seconds later, Davis made another shot from beyond the arc to give the Generals a 15-13 lead.
SCCC gradually added to its lead as the first half progressed. With 2:28 remaining until halftime, Darren Sykes made a pair of free throws to push the Generals’ lead into double digits at 28-17.
The Generals took a 33-21 advantage into the locker room and added to the lead in the second half.
When Monroe CC closed the gap to just six points midway through the second half, SCCC responded with a 20-5 run over the next six-plus minutes of action. Haron Hargrave made a pair of free throws with 6:26 remaining to boost the Generals’ lead to 68-47.
“I give the kids a lot of credit,” SCCC Coach Chad Beeten said. “They just went out and made plays. Defensively, I thought we were terrific. I think that’s the best we’ve played defensively all year.”
Leading the Generals’ offense were Sykes, Davis and Darius Waters. Sykes scored a team-high 13 points, while Davis and Waters each netted 10 points.
Joseph McLeod added nine points and Hargrave seven for the Generals.
Monroe’s Lataiva Escho recorded a game-high 20 points. Mindaugas Boruta scored eight for the Tribunes.
“They’ve got a good team,” Monroe Coach Jerry Burns said. “Whatever Chad is doing, he’s doing the right thing. They played hard the entire game. When you get outplayed offensively and defensively like we did, the score usually gets ugly and it did today.”