Trailblazer Men grab fifth seed in MASCAC tourney, head to Worcester Tuesday night
2012 MASCAC Men's Basketball preview
North Adams, MA- The MCLA Men's Basketball team has earned the fifth seed in the upcoming MASCAC Men's basketball championships, and will travel to fourth seeded Worcester State on Tuesday night at 7:00pm in the quarterfinal round. The two teams split the season series as each program held serve on their home courts.
MCLA is under the direction of head coach Jamie Morrison. The Trailblazers wrapped up the regular season with a mark of 7-18, finishing 4-8 in the conference. Worcester State is led by head coach Dave Lindberg. The Lancers finished 8-17 overall and 5-7 in the MASCAC.
The Trailblazers rely on a balanced attack led by senior forward Jamal Brown who leads the team in scoring at just over 12 points per game. Fellow seniors Chris Harris, Michael Young, and Tyrell Mosley can also break down the opposing defense. MCLA is deep as well, featuring potential scoring threats Vernon Cross and Tyriq Rochester off the bench. Both are just under double figures on the season.
Worcester State boasts a strong starting five led by sophomore forward Robert Hunter. Hunter collects just under 15 points per game. Senior guard Frank Stephenson is also dangerous, averages double digits as well. Monte Goodwin, Kyle Ferriera, and Charles Gunter round out the dangerous five.
In the opening meeting back in early January, MCLA got a double double from Brown en route to a 76-65 victory. MCLA pulled away late outscoring the Lancers 16-3 over the final minutes to earn the league victory. The two teams would meet again in Worcester, this time in February. The Lancers held off MCLA for an 81-78 victory.
In that contest, Lancer forward Mike Gittens scored a game high 23 points. Stephenson added 16 in the win. Michael Young led MCLA with 17 points.
The winner of this contest will move on to play top seeded Salem State on Thursday night at 7pm. The finals will be held at the highest remaining seed on Saturday, with the winner receiving the conference's automatic bid into the 2012 NCAA Division III championship tournament.