SUNY Orange Men Take Home the Title

Loch Sheldrake, NY – Because the SUNY Orange men went to nationals last year, a lot of people seem to remember Orange winning the Region XV Championship. While last year's team did amass many accolades, the region title eluded them. Orange qualified for Districts as the runners-up in Region XV last year and went to nationals based on winning their District Championship. Sullivan won the Region XV title. So, this year's team has given Coach Rickard his very first Region XV Tournament title. While the final scores made it look easy, it has been said that one of the hardest things to do in sports is to beat an opponent three times in a row. Well Orange did just that two days in a row in beating Rockland in the semi-finals and Westchester in the Championship Game. Orange's 87-67 victory qualifies the team for the East B District Championship game. 

Westchester came into the game as the clear underdog, but it was obvious they were coming into the game with a chip on their shoulder. With only seven players on the roster, this Viking team was reminiscent of the Little Engine That Could. The entire first half was a back-and-forth affair with both teams leading at various times. In fact, Orange's Marquis Gill was fouled with .2 seconds left on the clock while shooting a three-point field goal. He made 2 of 3 to give Orange their largest lead of the game at 6. In the second half, it was obvious that Orange had made the right adjustments to deal with Westchester's matchup zone defense. From the start of the second half to the finish, Orange slowly and methodically extended the lead into the 20's. Orange also forced the pace in the second half, and it just became too much for the undermanned Vikings to overcome. 

Orange got double digit scoring from five players. Fr. Mat Shea scored 18 points and had 3 steals for Orange while tournament MVP, So. George Patsalos had yet another double-double with 15 points and 14 rebounds. His 4 blocks in the title game gave him 10 for the tournament. Marquis Gill, a Fr. From Middletown also had 15 points. His two 3-pointers from 10 feet behind the line were the back breakers that left no doubt as to the game's outcome. While it is not clear who Dan Lans should have replaced on the All-Tournament Team, he certainly has a case for being on the team. His 15 points on 7-10 shooting and 4 earned steals. It was a weekend that saw Dan score 33 points on a gaudy 15-20 from the field. He shot 75% for the two games and did not make the All-Tournament Team! Fr. Jaidyn Rutling rounded out the double-digit scorers with 12 points and 4 assists. Other superlative performances came from Tyreke Harewood with 8 points and an ominous defensive presence while So. Jared Smalls had 9 assists and 7 rebounds. 

Win and advance. Orange's title qualified the team to play in the East District B Championship. Orange will face County College of Morris next Saturday at Raritan Valley Community College. The East District A championship will also be held there with Raritan Valley hosting Monroe College from Rochester. The winners of each game will qualify for the NJCAA Division 2 National Tournament in Danville, IL.