Sharks Qualify For State Tournament
In a microcosm of the season, the Miami Dade College men’s basketball team qualified for the State Tournament on Feb. 21 when point guard Shane Rector hit a mid-range jumper at the buzzer to give the Sharks a 78-76 road win against Palm Beach State College.
The win, on the last game of the season, gave the Sharks sole possession of second place in the Southern Conference. Only the top two teams in the conference qualified for the State Tournament that will be held in Ocala, Florida March 5-7. Before the game, MDC was seeded third in the Southern Conference below Broward College.
This is the second year in row that the Sharks qualified for the tournament. The Sharks play Daytona State College in the opening round of the tournament on March 5 at 8 p.m.
“We have some momentum going into the State Tournament, which is good,” Rector said. “We feel like we have a chance to make some noise at States.”
The Sharks are led by Rector, who is averaging 16.9 points and 5.5 assists a game, shooting guard Marvin Jean-Pierre who is averaging 13.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.3 steals and forward Joe Mvuezolo, who is scoring 10.4 points per game. At least eight players are averaging more than six points per game.
“We shoot the ball real well,” Rector said. “I’m the leading scorer, but there are two other guys that average double figures, so the scoring is really spread out throughout the team.”
Sophomore guard Jaylin Gilbert adds veteran leadership, as the only returning player from last year’s State qualifying team. Gilbert is averaging eight points a game.
“Jaylin’s got to make some big shots for us,” said Head Men’s Basketball Coach, Stephen Cowherd. “He’s a spark off the bench.”
Cowherd said the Sharks must continue to look for good shots. They have a 41.3 percent shooting percentage this year and must create turnovers on the defensive end.
“When we approach the game the right way, we’re very good,” Cowherd said. “The team that makes the least mistakes will win at States.”
If the Sharks win the State Tournament, they will advance to the National Junior College Athletic Association National Tournament that will be held March 16-21 in Hutchinson, Kansas.
