BROOKLYN, N.Y. - The third-seeded Hostos Community College men's basketball team exploded for 52 points on 52.8-percent shooting from the field (19-for-36) in the first half and held off a ferocious second-half rally to upset top-seed and defending Region XV Champion Dutchess Community College 92-84 in the 2024 Region XV Men's Basketball Championship at Kingsborough Community College.
The Caimans captured their first Region XV Championship since 2020. Hostos is dancing for the first time in four years and will head to the 2024 NJCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship at Herkimer College from March 13-16 in Herkimer, New York.
The Caimans had four of their five starters and five overall register double-digit scoring efforts in the contest. TeAmo Ebron, named the 2024 Region XV Most Outstanding Player, posted a double-double and spearheaded the Caiman's offensive effort with a team-high 17 points while dishing out a game-high 13 assists for his seventh double-digit assist game of the season. Ebron also ripped down a team-best nine rebounds.
Xavier Riullano, also named to the Region XV All-Tournament Team, had 14 points, while Evan Douglas-Vasquez and Justice Carrington had 12 points apiece. Hostos had massive contributions off the bench, with 31 points total in the contest and 16 coming from Justin Umunakwe.
The Caimans utilized the deep ball all afternoon, knocking down 10 three-pointers in the contest, including eight in the first half, shooting 43.5 percent from behind the arc (10-for-23). Ebron, Douglas-Vasquez, and Umunakwe posted a team-best two treys each.
The Falcons raced out of the gate with six of the first seven points of the contest to lead 6-1 at 18:22 on a three-pointer from Raesean Greer. The Caimans outscored the Falcons 12-6 over the next four minutes to grab their first lead 13-12 on an Ebron jumper at 14:49, then Prince Kamate laid it up 21 seconds later to give Dutchess back the lead 14-13.
After a Nyhem Garret layup at 13:35 gave Hostos back the lead 15-14 at 13:35, Dutchess responded with a 6-2 run to go back in front 17-15 on a Joselito Rosario three-pointer at 13:29 and 20-17 on a Joseph Battle trey at the 12:59 mark. Hostos responded with a 10-3 run to retake the lead 21-20 on a pair of Ebron free throws and built it to a four-point advantage when Ebron went a perfect 2-for-2 at the line to make it 27-23 at 9:13.
Dutchess scored the following three points to get within one, 27-26, when Kamate went 1-of-2 at the charity stripe at 8:11 before Hostos exploded for an 11-2 run to get the lead to double digits for the first time on the afternoon 10, 38-28 on an Evan Douglas-Vasquez at 5:35. The Caimans kept the pedal to the medal, getting the advantage to as large as 16, 52-36 with 1:22 remaining on a Douglas-Vasquez three-pointer and carrying that ledger into the halftime break.
Hostos Community College continued to impose its will in the second half, building its lead to its largest of the afternoon, 20, 63-43, at 16:26 on a Tyrese Conway three-pointer. Dutchess Community College would not go away, mounting an impressive rally and outscoring Hostos 32-13 over the next 10:25 to get the deficit down to two, 76-75, on a Kamate layup at 6:01. Two Greer free throws got the Falcons within one, 79-78 with 5:10 to go but the Caimans would take it from there with a 7-0 run capped by a Francis Garcia layup with 3:38 remaining to make it 86-78 and not let Dutchess get any closer en route to a 91-84 victory.
Dutchess Community College had three players in double figures, with Prince Kamate leading the way with a double-double, scoring a game-high 37 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Nashaun Johnson and Seiray Sinerna chipped in with 12 and 10 points in the game. Raesean Greer distributed a game-best nine assists, and Malhiki Raymond uncorked a game-high three blocks.
Kamate and Joselito Rosario were also named to the Region XV All-Tournament Team.
Story and Photo Courtesy of Region 15 SID, John Kelly Jr.