OTTUMWA, IA – Eight seconds separated the Northeast Community College men's basketball from upsetting the number one team in the nation, Indian Hills Community College Wednesday night.
The Hawks led much of the first half in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region XI semi-final game here before going into the break tied at 31. Northeast came out and took an early second-half lead and didn't relinquish it until under ten minutes to play in the game.
With the Hawks down two and with eight seconds to go in the game, Jaquan Sanders pushed the ball the length of the floor and was hit by two Warrior defenders. He managed to get the shot up, only narrowly missing in the lane. The ball bounced around the fingertips of players from both teams before going out of bounds to Indian Hills.
With 0.7 seconds on the clock, the Warriors heaved a long pass that was intercepted by a Hawks player. Jeremiah Codden grabbed the ball and launched it from mid-court, only hitting the backboard, with the Warriors narrowly escaping with an 82-80 victory.
Northeast shot 50-percent from the field and 54-percent from behind the arc for the game. The Hawks were only able to get to the line six times compared to the Warriors' 27 trips.
Northeast had three players finish in double figures. Steve Wooten lead the team with 22 points, four rebounds, and one assist. Allen Anderson chipped in 17 points, seven assists, and two steals. Sanders added 13 points and an assists on the night. Melkisedek Moreaux also added nine points, ten rebounds, and three assists.
The loss ends Northeast’s season with a final record of 15-17.
Dan Anderson, Northeast coach, said, “I want to thank sophomores, Allen Anderson, Melkisedek Moreaux, Brandon Villalpando, Julius Sakinis, and Majok Kur, for all their hard work and endless hours of dedication to the betterment of the Hawks' basketball program.”
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