Hagerstown, MD – Get out the butter because the Panthers are on a roll again. The hot streak has continued from the MD JUCO Conference Tournament to the Region XX Tournament. The BCCC Panthers (18-11; 7-7 MD JUCO Conference) defeated the Community College of Beaver County (15-5) 85-66 in the semifinal round.
“The summer camps and workouts are finally paying off,” stated by head coach Terry Maczko after the game. “The guys are playing some phenomenal basketball and are peaking at the right time.”
Leading the team in scoring was freshman forward Carlos Smith (Forest Park/Baltimore, MD) finishing the game with a double-double in 17 points, 10 rebounds and six blocked shots. Sophomore guard Calvert Townes (Joppatowne/Joppatowne, MD) recorded a season high five blocks to go along with 10 points and 10 rebounds. This was Townes second double-double of the season.
The Titans of Beaver County controlled the ball in the very beginning of the game; however, BCCC regained their composure and started to play their game with pressure defense and offense. The momentum began to shift towards the Panthers way but the team still could not put the Titans away and found themselves all tied up at halftime 37-37.
Once the second half started the fat lady started to warm up. The Panthers continued with their press defense that forced Beaver County to go inside and clearly eliminated them from shooting from the three point line. The first half alone, freshman guard Jay Fletcher scored 17 points and was 5-for-5 from the three-point line. However BCCC held him to zero points in the second half.
Sophomore forward and NJCAA All-American John Williams (Mervo/Baltimore, MD) had his normal outing with another double-double to his credit finishing with 12 points, 11 rebounds and three assists. While freshman guard Byron Westmoreland (Mervo/Baltimore, MD) ending with 11 points, six rebounds and four assists.
Next game for the Panthers will be Cecil College in the championship game of the tournament at 1 p.m. This will be the third meeting between the two teams. The Panthers lost the regular season matchup 90-72 but followed up with a convincing win in the MD JUCO Conference Tournament quarterfinal round 80-75.
For more information on ticket pricing and the tournament, contact Hagerstown Community College Athletics Office 301-790-2800 or visit the National Junior College Athletic Association website at www.njcaa.org.
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