Daquain Towns – 2012 Tournament MVP

Congratulations to the Sandhills Flyers’ Daquain Towns on being named the 2012 Tournament MVP!

The six foot tall sophomore went to Sandhills after being a star at Pinecrest High School. For the Sandhills Flyers, Daquain averaged 14 points and 5 boards per game in the 2012 regular season.

Were it not for Daquain’s dramatic, buzzer-beating layup on opening night, the Sandhills Flyers would have been very different. That play kept the Flyers in the running for the title. On day two, as the Flyers played another nail-biter, Daquain posted 14 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists in another 1-point win – this one in overtime against the Bronx Community College Broncos.

Day Three, Game Three: SUNY Delhi Broncos vs. Bronx CC Broncos

March 17, 2012

The #5 team in the nation coming into tournament play split their first two games. With their campus relatively close to that of tournament host school SUNY Sullivan, SUNY Delhi brought not just a great team to the tournament, but a great crowd of supporters as well. That large entourage went crazy on day one as a final second 4-point play catapulted the Broncos to an exciting win over the Central Lakes Raiders. On day two, however, they ran into a hot Cedar Valley team. Although they battled back with a strong second half to tie the game, the Suns opened a ten point lead in overtime to win. Jonathan Annan has been a leader for the Broncos, posting 31 points and 9 rebounds for the tournament.

Day Three, Game 4: The 2012 NJCAA D-III National Championship Game

The Sandhills Flyers vs. The Cedar Valley Suns

March 17, 2012

Ladies and gentlemen, your 2012 NJCAA D-III National Tournament Champion The Sandhills Community College Flyers!

Congratulations to the victors on their accomplishment, and to all of the student athletes and coaches whose efforts brought them to the final of this year's tournament. Let's take a look at how these two teams got here.

Tournament Director, Christopher DePew, referred to 2012 as "the year of the upset." He was, of course, referring to the fact that the first, second, third, seventh, and eighth nationally ranked teams heading into Regional Tournament play were eliminated from National Tournament contention. So, it is no surprise that following suit, two teams who were unranked prior to the season ending March 6 poll would play for the National Title!

Day Three, Game Two: Brookdale Jersey Blues vs. Central Lakes Raiders

March 17, 2012

Were it not for the high-flying heroics of Sandhills' Daquain Towns, the Brookdale Jersey Blues role in day three might have been very different. The Jersey Blues, who came into tourney play as the #1 team on the D-III national poll, lost an opening night nail biter to the Sandhills Flyers. They came back Saturday with a convincing 10 point win over Roxbury. The duo of Kahlil Bennett and Tunell Polk has been particularly potent for Brookdale, as the pair has posted a total of 77 points. Polk has also pulled down 12 total boards.

The Central Lakes Raiders entered the tournament as the #2 team on the D-III poll, and met with similar opposition to their day three opponents. SUNY Delhi pulled off an upset over the Raiders on day one with a last second 4 point play, but handed a day two loss to the Milwaukee Area Tech team. Ronnie Kornbaum and Brandon Davis have led the Raiders' scoring attack so far in the tournament. For a team with multiple players pulling good rebounding numbers, Kwamaine Johnson and Maurice Hernandez have both made their presence felt under the rim.