Generals Improve to 8-1 After Two Wins on the Weekend

The Herkimer men's basketball team defeated Jefferson Community College 70-50 on Saturday in the first of a back-to-back slate this weekend. Both teams traded points in a seesaw that saw the Generals lead by seven points at halftime. A second-half surge proved pivotal that saw the Generals lead by as many as 23 points. Dante Griffin led the team in scoring with 21 points and added nine rebounds, eight assists, and six steals. LaMar Matthews scored 12 points off the bench as well, playing a key role in the win. Shaheed Alcide finished the game with his second double-double this season with 12 points and 10 rebounds. 

Herkimer traveled to Onondaga Community College on the following day to take on the Lazers. Coming off of a win the previous day against Jefferson, the Generals were in for a battle. Like the previous day, the first half was back and forth. Neither team led by more than seven points in the half, and the Lazers went into halftime with a 46-45 lead. The Generals came out of the second half sluggish, trailing by as many as 13 points. LaMar Matthews scored eight unanswered points to give Herkimer a much-needed boost. The two teams traded shots before Herkimer pulled away late to secure an 89-83 win. The Generals were led by sophomore guard Dante Griffin who had a 15-point triple-double. 

The No. 3 ranked Generals improved to 8-1 and are back home on Wednesday, facing Columbia-Greene Community College at 5 p.m. This will be the team's last game until January 5.

Generals Notes:

Dante Griffin 21 point performance versus Jefferson CC was the second time in his career scoring 20 or more points in a game.

Dante Griffin triple-double versus Onondaga CC was the fifth triple-double from a Herkimer player since 2010 and the first since Derrick Felder in 2017.

Herkimer Triple Doubles since 2010:

Jan. 19, 2011 vs. Columbia-Greene: Steven Thompson - 12 pts, 23 rebs, 10 blks

Dec. 3, 2016 vs. SUNY Broome: Justin Harley - 22 pts, 19 rebs, 11 blks

Nov. 5, 2017 vs. Clinton CC: Derrick Felder - 10 pts, 10 rebs, 11 asts

Nov. 11, 2017 vs. Hudson Valley CC: Derrick Felder - 11 pts, 11 rebs, 10 asts

Dec. 11, 2022 vs. Onondaga CC: Dante Griffin - 15 pts, 14 rebs, 14 asts

Shaheed Alcide registered his second double-double this season versus Jefferson and surpassed double-digit point totals in the last four games after a strong performance against Onondaga CC.

LaMar Matthews made his season debut against Jefferson CC, scoring 12 points in his first game for Herkimer. He is the first freshman to score double-digits in his first game for the Generals since Shykell Brown and Jaylen Warmack against Mohawk Valley CC in 2019.