When Southeast’s defense collapsed on Marty Jackson in the paint, the North Central forward slipped a pass through the fray to his classmate Quinan Rieves. Alone on the baseline, Rieves elevated well above the rim before slamming the ball home with both hands.
On the Pirates’ first offensive possession of the game, the Ketcham Community Center erupted.
North Central kept the foot on the gas from that point, setting the tone for a 110-87 victory over visiting Southeast on Saturday. The win was the fifth in a row for North Central and pushed the Pirates to 9-1 overall on the season. NCMC is still receiving votes in the NJCAA Division II National Poll.
Southeast entered the game as a one-loss team in its own right, but the visitors were ambushed by the Pirates energy and pace – factors the Storm simply couldn’t match.
“I thought our guys came into the game focused and determined to get a win and it showed with their energy in the first 20 minutes,” North Central coach Jeremy Esry said. “We did a great job of playing at a great pace, sharing the ball and being relentless on both sides of the court.”
The Pirates used a relentless pressure defense to open up transition scoring and assists like Jackson’s to Rieves on the first possession were commonplace. North Central finished the game with 20 team assists.
By the time halftime finally arrived, Southeast was done, trailing 66-40. NCMC was able to coast at times in the second frame, taking the contest handily by the 23-point margin.
Jackson and Rieves led their squad, Jackson finishing with 24 points and six rebounds and Rieves going for 20 and 11. Atavian Butler had 19 points and seven rebounds off the bench and the Pirates’ triggerman, Damien Loyd, added 15 points and five assists. Jeramy Shaw had 12 points and five assists and TJ Babikir finished the game with 10 points, six rebounds and three assists.
“It’s really nice to get off to a hot start like 9-1,” Esry said. “I think it’s a testament to our guys’ maturity and the leadership from our sophomores. They have large goals in mind and know that every game counts toward those goals.”
The Pirates are back at home tonight (Tuesday), seeking win number 10 as North Central plays host to John Wood Community College. Men’s basketball action at the Ketcham Community Center tips off following a women’s game between the two schools at 5 p.m.