Mercado tallies 7 three pointers in win over ASA
Suffern, N.Y. (1/30/22) The Rockland Community College men's basketball team ended ASA Brooklyn's three-game win streak with a 74-69 victory in a Thursday night non-conference affair hosted at the Eugene Levy Fieldhouse.
Following the tough victory, Rockland improves to 2-15 overall, having won two of their last three contests, while the Avengers dip to 8-5 overall.
The first half forecasted the competitive fight to come as both teams battled for control of the game with gritty defense and clutch shots. For Rockland, Jorge Mercado (Bronx, N.Y.) was on fire from behind the arc, on his way to a game-high 27 points and an efficient 7-of-11 from three. Daniel Jean Baptiste (Spring Valley, N.Y.) and Michael Earlington (Stony Point, N.Y.) played suffocating defense against one of the leading scorers for the Avengers, Akeem Crandon (President's College) who finished with just 3 points on 1-11 shooting. Alex Balbuena (JVL Wildcat Academy) led the way for Brooklyn with stellar shooting from deep and a couple of well-timed steals. As the halftime buzzer sounded, the score stood at 35-34 with Rockland ahead by the slimmest of margins.
When the action resumed, both teams played with all-out effort in their quest for victory, diving on the court for every loose ball, fighting for every rebound, and one player even left some blood on the court (shoutout to the athletic trainer). With time dwindling, the outcome had still not been decided. Israel Yaw (Bladen Hall Multilateral) tried his best to use his 6'9 frame to swing the outcome for the Avengers, as he grabbed 19 rebounds (12 offensive), and scored 17 points. However, Josendy Nova (Bronx, N.Y.) playing in his first game since December 18th was otherworldly as he finished with 23 points, 3 steals, 2 assists, and a plus-minus of +10. The Hawks boosted by Nova and Mercado were able to take control in the final minutes and ultimately see the game out.
A valiant effort by the Avengers, but RCC earns a well-deserved victory
Rockland is scheduled to return to action on Tuesday when they host Westchester Community College at 7 pm.
Article written by Eamon Lee