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JCC Coach Sisson In ‘Seventh Heaven’

Jamestown Community College’s Mike Bush (4) flips a pass as he drives the lane during Sunday’s college basketball game against Villa Maria at the Physical Education Complex. P-J photo by Scott Kindberg

George Sisson has been coaching basketball for a long time, but he had never had a team accomplish what his Jamestown Community College men’s squad did Sunday afternoon.

Playing their second game in less than 24 hours, the Jayhawks had seven players score in double figures to lift them to a 97-91 victory over Villa Maria College at the Physical Education Complex.

Mike Bush and Jean Toussaint scored 16 points each; Brandon Kemp, Derek Ice and Romario Allen all had 15; and Tyler Moffe and Brendan Banna chipped in 10 apiece to help Jamestown CC raise its record to 11-6 with the NJCAA Region 3 schedule beginning this week.

The scoring balance was music to Sisson’s ears.

”In all honesty, that has to be our calling yard,” he said. ”Yes, there are certain things we want to have an identity doing, right? But if you don’t have balance, you don’t have anything.”

Jamestown Community College's Jean Toussaint (34) eyes the basket. P-J photos by Scott Kindberg

Balance was especially evident during a six-minute stretch that spanned the first and second half. During that time the Jayhawks transformed a 41-40 lead into a commanding, 59-44 advantage with 15:19 remaining in the game.

”The thing that got us our lead was our commitment to share the ball in space,” Sisson said.

Highlighting the surge were a 3-pointer by Banna; a pair of free throws, a steal and layup by Ice; and another layup by Kemp to take a 45-40 lead at the break. Jamestown CC picked up where it left off to begin the second half as Moffe drilled a trey on the Jayhawks’ first offensive possession, which spearheaded a 14-4 run that gave the hosts a 59-44 lead with 15:19 remaining.

Villa Maria, a four-year school in the National Small College Enrollment Conference, closed the gap to four points inside the final minute, but Jamestown CC was solid from the charity stripe, connecting on 8 of 10 attempts down the stretch to preserve the win.

Eric Waters poured in a game-high 31 points to lead Villa Maria. Gerald Bibbs added 16 points, DeJuan Owens had 14 and Justin Stokes chipped in 10.

Jamestown Community College’s Tyler Moffe dribbles past Villa Maria’s Damone Brown Jr. during Sunday afternoon’s non-conference college basketball game at the Physical Education Complex. P-J photo by Scott Kindberg

Given the fact the Jayhawks lost to Monroe College of New Rochelle on Saturday evening in Rochester, Sisson was pleased with how his team bounced back from the tough loss.

”I underestimated how much (Saturday’s) game took out of us,” he said. ”We played really hard. … I told them they had to learn to play through some boo-boos.

”We’re going to look back on this the first weekend in March (during the Region 3 Tournament).”

Jamestown CC returns to action Wednesday when it entertains Mercyhurst North East in its Region 3 opener at 7:30 p.m.

NOTES: Toussaint and Kemp each had nine rebounds; Ice had four steals and six boards; and Bush and Toussaint each had four assists. … Jayson Moore had six assists, Stokes had five and Julius Allen added four for Villa Maria.

VILLA MARIA (91)

Stokes 5 0-2 10, Moore 0 0-0 0, Owens 5 0-0 14, Bibbs 8 0-0 16, Douglas 3 0-2 6, Allens 1 0-0 2, Diggs 2 0-0 6, Hendrick 3 0-0 6, Water 10 10-12 31, Brown 0 0-0 0, Johnson 0 0-1 0, Totals 37 10-17 91.

JAMESTOWN (97)

Bush 4 7-9 16, Ice 5 5-8 15, Moffe 4 1-2 10, Kemp 6 3-4 15, Toussaint 6 4-6 16, Dahl 0 0-0 0, Banna 4 1-4 10, Allen 6 2-2 15, Davidson 0 0-0 0, Totals 35 23-35 97.

Halftime–Jamestown CC 45, Villa Maria 40. 3-point goals–Owens 4, Diggs 2, Waters, Bush, Moffe, Banna, Allen. Total fouls–Villa Maria 24, Jamestown CC 13. Technical fouls–None.

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