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Suffolk CC's Streak Reaches 40

This was a night to recognize Maurice Manning. The flamboyant guard has guided the Suffolk CC-Selden men's basketball team to the nation's longest current winning streak. His presence has lifted Suffolk into the national spotlight as the top-ranked team in NJCAA Division III.

Manning has produced so many memorable performances. He has poise and charisma. He has a shooter's touch. And now he has 1,000 career points.

He reached the milestone when he took an inbounds pass from forward Amiel Thomas and converted an easy layup with 5:12 left in the first half last night. Manning finished with 18 points as Suffolk cruised to its 40th straight victory, a 92-59 decision over the Teikyo Post JV before a crowd of 200 at Brookhaven Gymnasium.

The Clippers (22-0, 12-0) will host Westchester CC tomorrow at 3 p.m. The Teikyo Post JV fell to 0-8.

Play was halted to honor Manning's achievement. He was given the game ball, which he promptly hustled over to his father, David Manning, in the second row of the bleachers.

"I'm happy about the milestone but I'm glad it's out of the way," said Manning, who has 1,014 career points. "Only the wins really matter."

Suffolk used a 27-0 run in the first seven minutes to open a 29-2 lead. The Clippers produced something rarely seen - three dunks in a 17-second span. And all three came in succession by one man, forward Marcele Street.

While the crowd waited to celebrate Manning's achievement, Street amazed the crowd. Two of those dunks came five seconds apart. He turned an alley-oop pass from Aaron Cummings into a one-handed circus dunk. Five seconds later, he revved up the crowd when he took Vernon Alonzo's pass on the break and finished it with a two-handed reverse slam.

"We were having fun, and it's good to have some nights like that," said Street, who had 15 points and nine rebounds. "But I've never had three dunks in a row like that - never - not even on the playground. It was great."

Teikyo Post was overmatched from the start. But guard Chris Bethune turned it up a notch in the second half. He scored the Eagles' first 18 points of the half and finished with a game-high 28. Alonzo and Cummings each scored 11 points for Suffolk.

"It was a very good night all the way around for our guys," Suffolk coach Rich Wrase said. "And it was special for Maurice."

SCC-SELDEN 92
TEIKYO POST JV 59

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