Suffolk CC's Streak Reaches 49

Selden still Suffolk's best

Cummings is named MVP
Clippers top Brentwood to take Region XV tourney

BY TOM ROCK
NEWSDAY STAFF CORRESPONDENT
March 1, 2004

LOCH SHELDRAKE, N.Y. - Aaron Cummings was a bit surprised by the recognition. No one else on the Suffolk CC-Selden team seemed to be.

The point guard was named MVP of the Region XV men's basketball tournament yesterday after guiding the Clippers to their 49th straight victory, 70-58, over scholastic sibling Suffolk CC- Brentwood at Sullivan CC.

"Everyone figures we only have two people who can play," Selden's Maurice Manning said, referring to defenses' tendencies to focus on him and Marcele Street. "But I see [Cummings] in practice. I know he can play. They may not know, but I know."

Cummings showed everyone yesterday, scoring a game-high 17 points and dishing out eight assists. The 5-9 sophomore even grabbed eight rebounds and controlled the tempo of a game that could have spun away from the Clippers.

After Saturday's semifinal battle with Sullivan, it would have been easy for No. 1 Selden to look weary and winded. Cummings avoided that.

"I'm ready to play again right now," he said, his smile reflected in his trophies.

Selden (31-0) will defend its national title and try to keep its streak alive in the NJCAA Tournament, which begins at 1 p.m. March 11 at SUNY-Delhi.

"This was very, very draining," Selden coach Rich Wrase said. "But I loved it."

Last year Selden was the underdog. This year there was the burden of the winning streak and the year-long top ranking in the country. Selden didn't buckle and never trailed in three games. "This was just as much fun [as last year's tournament], but a lot more work," Wrase said.

No. 2 Brentwood (17-9) thought it had a chance, especially after taking the Clippers to overtime in a Feb. 12 loss, but Selden showed it is still the big brother. The Longhorns missed their first 10 shots but fought back to tie the score at 12. After a 7-0 run by Selden, the gap was never less than three.

"We didn't get off to our usual good start," Brentwood freshman Jonelle Jones said, lamenting that although his team kept Manning (13 points) and Street (11) under wraps, Cummings and Vern Alonzo (11 points, seven rebounds) were able to carry the Clippers. "We let the 'non-factors' become factors," he said.

Jermaine Russell scored 17 and Jean Louis had 13 for Brentwood. Jones, who got into early foul trouble, had seven.

"I came into the season with the mindset that we were going to win," Cummings said. Now he and the Clippers are three wins away from perfection.

Copyright © 2004, Newsday, Inc.

2004 DIVISION III MEN'S BASKETBALL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
March 11-13, 2004
State University of New York at Delhi
Delhi, N.Y.
Updated information can be found at
http://www.championships-delhi.org/

  
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