Roxbury, MA (February 4, 2023) – Five scorers in double figures carried the #3 nationally ranked Northern Essex Community College men's basketball team to their 19th consecutive victory on Saturday afternoon as they took down Roxbury Community College by a 86-66 final. The Knights now sit at 23-1 on the season and 18-0 in league play.
The win also secured the Knights their second consecutive Massachusetts Community College Athletic Conference (MCCAC) championship which is determined by regular season competition among the nine state community colleges in Region 21.
NECC jumped out to an early 11-point lead in the opening minutes and never looked back as they took a 47-31 lead to locker room at halftime. The lead would grow to as much as 27 points at the midway point of the second half.
For the second consecutive game the Lawrence duo of Luis Reynoso and Jeremiah Melendez lead the Knights as they both poured in a team high 17 points. They were joined in double figures by Mehmet Asik (Istanbul, Turkey), Jonathan Lingisi (Hamilton, ON) and Metin Yavuz (Ankara, Turkey) as the trio recorded 12, 10 and 10 respectively. The game marks the first time this season five different scorers recorded double figures.
The Knights will stay on the road Tuesday as they take on MassBay Community College. Opening tip is set for 7:00pm on the campus of the former Mt. Ida College. NECC will return home on Thursday to host Bunker Hill at 6:00pm