By Ted Waddell
LOCH SHELDRAKE — November 23, 2007 — The Sullivan County Community College (SCCC) Lady Generals jumped out to a 37-20 lead over the Manhattan Community College Lady Panthers in the first half of Monday night’s National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region XV basketball game at Paul Gerry Fieldhouse on the SCCC campus.
Freshman guard Imanei Cedeno lifted the Lady Generals’ spirits even more when she beat the buzzer with a 3-pointer from more than halfway across the court. The long-distance basket gave SCCC a commanding 20-point lead at halftime.
In the second half, everyone got some floor time as SCCC (2-4, 2-1 Region XV) extended its advantage and posted a 77-43 victory.
Leading the Lady Generals to victory were sophomore guards LaShaun Malcolm and Victoria Carter. Malcolm scored a team-high 24 points, made eight steals and dished out seven assists. Carter netted 18 points, and grabbed six rebounds.
Freshman forward Bionca Colton registered a double-double with 12 points and 15 rebounds. Cedeno finished the evening with 12 points, seven steals and four assists.
Chenelle Stukes scored a game-high 29 points for Manhattan (0-3).
“We’re rebuilding this year, so we have a lot to do,” Manhattan Coach Danielle Madden said.
Last week was a rocky road for the Lady Generals, as they lost to undefeated Broome Community College, which is ranked in the top 10 of the NJCAA national poll, and Bronx Community College, ranked 14th in the country.
“We took our lumps last week, but the good thing is we came back and showed up ready to play,” SCCC Coach Paul Clune said. “Our intensity and overall organization showed tonight… it was a good way to get back some confidence.”