Generals lose to Caimans in opening round of national tournament

LOCH SHELDRAKE, NY – Riding a five-game win streak into Thursday's (3/12) opening round of the NJCAA DIII National Championship Tournament didn't faze the Hostos Caimans, as the Generals were upset 81-65 in regulation at Paul Gerry Fieldhouse.

Herkimer (29-4, 17-1) came in and played like the #3 seed in the game's first five minutes, building an eight point lead (13-5) after Dantre Langhorne (Greenport, NY) and Ken Woodard (Bronx, NY) went back-and-forth, trading buckets for the Generals. Langhorne scored a team-high 17, followed by Woodard's 16.

The lead remained at seven points (17-10) after an emphatic dunk by Woodard with 12:22 left in the half, but a timeout by the Caimans allowed the team to regroup and eventually take a 30-24 lead with 4:29 left on a 8-0 run with both rim protectors Carson Murphy (Mohawk, NY) and Woodard on the bench with foul trouble. The final four minutes belonged to Hostos, turning a one possession game into a two possession game with a three pointer at the buzzer, leading 37-31.

Herkimer quickly tied the game (37-37) in the second half after a runner by Jamell Johnson (Rochester, NY) and consecutive field goals by Langhorne, but the Caimans didn't back down, seeing both teams exchange leads and tie twice in the next nine minutes of play.

The final tie occurred after sophomore Julio Galay (Bronx, NY) hit a jumper from the corner with 6:23 left in regulation, locking it at 59-59, but the final four minutes saw Hostos outscore the Generals 15-3, aided by four consecutive turnovers offensively for Herkimer, giving the Caimans their second upset in as many games, knocking out Borough of Manhattan Community College to get to the national tournament.

The Generals next game is tomorrow Friday, March 13^th. They'll face the Community College of Philadelphia who lost 72-58 to #2 Richland Community College. Tipoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. at Paul Gerry Fieldhouse,  

Score:

Hostos Caimans 81, Herkimer Generals 65

HCC (19-14, 5-5) Estalin Cespedes 18, Jevanne Dawson 16, Vuyisile Beschta 14, Robert Soriano 9, Khalil Jackson 7, Gabriel Agorioge 6, Myron Hickman 4, Dawn Smith 4, Jahnathan Mitchell 2, Matthews Cabrera 1 Totals: 39-10-81

HERK (29-4, 17-1) Dantre Langhorne 17, Ken Woodard 16, Daniel Owens 11, Jamell Johnson 10, Julio Galay 7, Carson Murphy 2, Felix Riascos 2 Totals: 32-6-65

3-point goals: Caimans 7 (Dawson 4, Cespedes 2, Soriano 1) Generals 5 (Owens 3, Johnson 2)

Halftime:

Hostos 37-31

Next Game: 3/13 vs. Community College of Philadelphia at 12 p.m. (National Consolation)

-Giorgio Varlaro