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Posted: Mar 24, 2022

First NJCAA National Championship for South Suburban concludes record-setting perfect season

(Image courtesy of NJCAA)
(Image courtesy of NJCAA)

DANVILLE, ILL. - The South Suburban College men's basketball team accomplished something no team in school history had ever done, while also doing something not team in NJCAA Division II men's basketball had ever done. The Bulldogs used a 79-63 (Box Score|Recap) win over Davidson-Davie Community College (NC) on Saturday, March 19 to claim the school's first-ever national championship, and became the first team in the history of the NJCAA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament to finish the season undefeated, doing so with a 33-0 record. The championship is the culmination for coach John Pigatti and his program, which was making its 14th appearance and had never finished better than third place.

South Suburban College, ranked #1 in the NJCAA Division II Poll since January 10 (Week 8), was the tournament's top seed, and opened with a resounding 87-52 defeat of #16 Florida Gateway College. The Bulldogs then handled #8 Lakeland Community College (OH) by an 82-63 final in the quarterfinals before taking down #4 and defending champion Des Moines Area Community College (IA) in the semifinals with a 67-59 decision. The title game against the #2 Storm and led for nearly the entirety of the game. South Suburban took an 8-7 advantage and never reliquished the lead, improving it to a 42-32 differential at the break and was up by as much as 18 near the mid-point of the second half.

Freshman forward Damarco Minor, who won every Region 4 award during the regular and post seasons, was named NJCAA Division II Pin Ryan Most Valuable Player after scoring 29 points and grabbing eight rebounds in the championship. He average 20.7 points per game in the tournament. He was joined on the NJCAA Division II All-Tournament Team by teammates Camron Donatlan, Damontae Taylor, and Nmesomachi Nnebedum. Donatlan, a sophomore guard, had 20 points and seven boards, and averaged 22.5 points over four games. Taylor's near double-double of ten points and nine rebounds capped a week in which the first year forward contributed 15.7 points, while Nnebedum, a second year guard, averaged 12.0 points. Pigatti was awarded the NJCAA Division II Coach of the Tournament.

Joining SSC in Danville as the Region 4 Midwest District B Champions was Milwaukee Area Technical College. The Stormers were the #5 seed and defeated #12 Scottsdale Community College (AZ) in the opening round by a 91-84 final, but lost in the quarterfinal round to DMACC by a tally of 85-70. They went on to lose to Lakeland CC 101-80 to earn a top eight finish in the nation. The Stormers and coach Randy Casey finished the year with a 28-6 record.

Three other Region 4 teams also performed very well at the national level. Triton College made its first-ever appearance at The Tournament, and won three games to reach the NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship national semifinals in Hutchinson, Kansas. The Trojans, who won the Division II crown in 2018, were the #11 seed and defeated Caldwell Community College & Technical Insitute (NC) 86-62 to begin tournament play, and followed with a 97-84 upset over #6 Indian River State College (FL) to reach the quarterfinals. There, Triton College took down #3 Kilgore College (TX) 76-65 before ultimately falling in the "final four" to #10-seed and eventual national champion Northwest Florida State College in a 68-64 heartbreaker for coach John Clancy and company. Sophomore guard Cobie Montgomery was named to the NJCAA Division I All-Tournament Team after averaging 13.7 points over four games. Triton College finished the season with a 30-6 record and ranked #10 in the final NJCAA Division II Poll. (*NOTE: Northwest Florida State College was led by Tournament MVP Deshawndre Washington, who was the NJCAA Division II National Player of the Year in 2021 while playing for South Suburban College in Region 4.)

Rock Valley College took advantage of playing on their home floor in Rockford, Illinois, to finish third at the NJCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championships. The Golden Eagles, Region 4 champions and the tournament's #8 seed, got past #9 Herkimer Community College (NY) by a 56-38 final before upsetting top-seeded Riverland Community College (MN) 75-60 to reach the national semifinals. #4 Dallas-North Lake drained a pair of free throws with 30-seconds to play and RVC missed a game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer in a 66-65 setback to the eventual national champions. Rock Valley College did defeat #6 Dallas-Eastfield in the third place game by a final score of 80-66. Second year forward Nick Pierson and freshman guard Malik Marhall were named to the NJCAA Division III All-Tournament Team following tournament averages of 17.2 and 17.7, respectively. Joliet Junior College earned an at-large bid into the field of 12, and the #10 Wolves opened with an impressive 77-49 upset of #7 and defending national champion Sandhills Community College (NC). In the second round, JJC fell 96-78 to #2 Genesee Community College (NY), and then followed with a narrow 83-82 setback against #3 Community College of Rhode Island in the 5th place consolation bracket to earn a top eight finish. Freshman Joel Watts had a team-high 15 points in the win over Sandhills and finished the tournament averaging 12.6 points and 5.6 rebounds to earn the NJCAA Division III Small Man of the Tournament award. Joliet Junior College ended with a 27-6 record and Rock Valley College was 24-10, while the two programs were ranked #7 and #15, respectively, in the final NJCAA Division III Poll.