The Milwaukee Area Technical College Men’s basketball team will face off against Scottsdale Community College this afternoon in round one of the NJCAA Division II Men’s Basketball National Tournament in Danville, Illinois.
Leading up to the tournament the team has had to alter its preparations. According to Stormers’ head coach Randy Casey, the team has had to take things a little more lightly than normal due to some injuries. However, he added that they will be ready to go.
“The guys are ready to get on the floor and play!” said Casey last evening. “Our game is the second to last game of the first round, so they want to get out there.”
The road to the tournament
The Fighting Artichokes of Scottsdale defeated Glendale Community College 90-84 on March 4 to win the Regional I District Championship. They were led by tournament MVP Unisa Turay and guard Carson Kelly.
Win or go home has been the Stormers men’s basketball team’s battle cry for the 2022 tournament season. So, they just kept winning.
The team earned their way into the tournament by beating the Black Hawk College Braves and winning the NJCAA Regional District (Midwest B) Championship on March 5, at Alverno College’s Reiman Gymnasium.
Fast Pace was the ultimate victor as they soundly defeated the Braves 107-86 in a run and gun game that saw plenty of fast breaks and quick possessions. A style that has been the Stormers’ philosophy throughout the year.
“It is so important to start the game off with a statement,” said forward Mason Johnson. “We set the tone early you get teams on their heels that takes all their momentum out of the game,” he added.
The team entered the game as a favorite to win and make it to the national tournament. However, multiple efficient performances led to a victory in which the Stormers led by more than 20 points for most of the game.
The Stormers had five players in double digits. Jaylin Scott led in scoring with 23 points, Karl Blanton Jr. with 20 and Mason Johnson with 18. Both Chima Nwosu and Erik Victorson scored 13 points in the game. Scott, Blanton, and Johnson were all additionally named to the all-tournament team, with Johnson winning Region 4 district b player of the year.
“It means a lot. My teammates have been such a big part of my success” Johnson said.
Along with the players receiving awards, head coach Randy Casey was also named Region 4 district b coach of the year. This is his third coach of the year in the past four years.
“It’s like I’ve always said, the credit goes to the kids. They work hard every day to accomplish our goals as a team and they have been great,” said Casey after the game. “They’ve all bought in and done everything I could ask.”
The team was able to keep a Braves team in line despite the efforts of Keshawn Pegues, who finished with a game-high 34 points and 18 rebounds. The rest of the team was held to 29.8% shooting from the field. Sticking to their game plan was the key to keeping a hot Braves team at bay.
“We just had to play our game and keep having active bodies on defense. Everyone has bought into our scheme and has shown a lot on defense and offense,” said Casey.
The coach added that the regional championship was a step but not what they ultimately want.
“We want the bigger picture,” said Casey.
Tip-off for the first-round game is at 1:00 p.m.
NJCAA Division II Men’s Basketball National Tournament games will be streamed live at:
www.njcaatv.com
Streaming Prices:
$10 – Day Pass
$30 – Tournament Pass
$100 All-Access Pass (all 2021-22 NJCAA Championship events)
More from the Times: Stormers trounce Scots 128 – 83
More from the Times: Men’s basketball team are the 2021-2022 N4C Champions
More from the Times: Stormers in action
