College Basketball Round Up

Lady Deacons Win Award

Bloomfield College’s women's soccer team has received the National Soccer Coaches Association (NSCAA) Team Academic Award, in results released by the organization.

The Lady Deacons obtained a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0, the primary criteria for receiving the honor.  Sophomore midfielder Mikie Bradley (Jackson, N.J.) was the first Bloomfield player to receive recognition for her standout work in the classroom, earning a second team Capital One Academic All-District selection earlier in the offseason.

"I am extremely proud of our team for receiving this award," Bloomfield head coach Katie Egan said.  "Academics is something we sincerely stress here at Bloomfield, and it is a major point of emphasis in our program.  Hopefully this is will become the standard for how our team works in the classroom as we continue to move forward as a program."

Deacons Prevail Against Dominican

Senior point guard Ahmad Harris (Linden, N.J.) led a quartet of double-figure scorers with 19 points this past Tuesday evening, as Bloomfield's men's basketball team ran their winning streak with nine consecutive games with a 78-71 victory over CACC North Division rival Dominican College.  The win moves the Deacons to 12-5 overall, and 6-1 in conference action on the season.

Dominican was able to set the pace in the early going, jumping out to a 15-10 advantage to start the contest.  The visiting Deacons would remain within striking distance, overtaking the Chargers with an 8-2 run to grab an 18-17 lead with 12:15 remaining in the first half.  Three more lead changes would mark the remainder of the period, with the host Chargers clinging to a slim 32-31 lead heading into the break. 

It would be the closest the home team would come to earning a split of the clubs' season series, however, as Bloomfield opened the final 20 minutes of play with a 12-5 run to take a 43-37 lead with 15:19 remaining.  The Deacons would lead the rest of the way, staving off a late-game Dominican run with a decisive 8-0 spurt to put the game out of reach at 70-60 with three minutes remaining.  

Harris added 12 rebounds and six assists to pick up a double-double and add to his remarkable senior campaign, while senior forward Matt Wafula (Harlem, N.Y.)  netted 16 points on 5-7 shooting from the field and a 6-8 performance from the free-throw line.  Sophomore forward Kevin Udo (West Orange, N.J.) continued his streak of outstanding play with 13 points, seven rebounds and three blocks in the victory, while Terry Hicks (Neptune, N.J.) totaled 11 points and two steals.

Bloomfield returns to action Thursday, January 12 when they host CACC North Division rival Concordia College.  Tip-off for the conference contest is set for 8:00 PM. 

Lady Deacons Lose In Overtime

Bloomfield's women's basketball team fell to 6-8 overall and 4-3 in conference play Tuesday evening, as they dropped a 66-62 overtime road decision to CACC North Division rival Dominican College.  

The evenly-matched affair saw neither team lead by more then five points in the opening half, with the Lady Deacons overtaking Dominican at 21-20 with 2:24 remaining in the period to complete a 6-0 run.  Bloomfield would hold the advantage heading into the intermission, staving off a Dominican spurt to take a slim 25-24 lead into the break. 

The visiting Lady Deacons engineered a second run midway through the second half, scoring seven consecutive points to take a 48-35 lead with 5:25 to play. The visitors would remain ahead 52-46 with just over two minutes to play, but a pair of clutch threes by Dominican guard Shannon Lavelle in the final minutes of regulation erased the cushion and sent the game to overtime tied at 52.  

The Chargers would ride the momentum of the dramatic conclusion into the five minutes of extra time, opening up a six-point lead with 1:20 to play.  Bloomfield could not counter with a late-game flurry of their own, coming up just short of earning a season split with their divisional rivals and falling to a game over .500 in conference action. 

Senior point guard Emily Hall (Montclair, N.J.) continued her streak of brilliant play by leading the Lady Deacons with 20 points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals, while sophomore Ivettlis Castro (Carteret, N.J.) netted 19 points on 5-8 shooting from long-range off the bench.  Vanessa Lamison (Laurel, Md.) totaled 14 points and four rebounds to round out the double-figure scorers, while Lauren Deverin (Sewaren, N.J.) posted a game-high 12 rebounds in the setback. 

Bloomfield returns to action Thursday, December 12 when they host CACC North Division rival Concordia College.  Tip-off for the conference tilt is set for 6:00 PM.