Cecil College
North East, MD
2009-2010 Men's Basketball
News & Headlines
March 2010
03/16 - Men’s Basketball Advances at Nationals The men’s basketball team reached the quarterfinals of the NJCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Tournament with an 85-60 victory over Bismarck State College on Tuesday, March 16. Harold Washington and Donn Hill scored 13 and 12 points, respectively for the Seahawks who will take on Louis and Clark Community College at 9.p.m ET on Wednesday, March 17. -- cecil.edu
03/02 - Cecil’s season now a success It was the season where the ridiculously long streaks all ended. Cecil College didn’t go undefeated, there was no perfect Maryland JUCO campaign, the Seahawks didn’t advance to the conference tournament final and they even failed to move past fifth in a single NJCAA Division II Men’s Basketball poll for the first time since the 1996-97 season. None of that maters, though. With Sunday’s 76-73 victory over Baltimore City in the Region XX Championship, Cecil advanced to its sixth appearance in the national tournament in eight years. “This is one of the best feelings in the world,” tournament MVP Harold Washington said. “It’s indescribable.” Washington took the game over in the second half, but it was point guard Gabe McNeal that set the tone. The Seahawks have been known as a lethal 3-point shooting team for years. That aspect has been missing for a large part of this season. However, on Sunday, McNeal made all five of his 3-point attempts, bringing back memories of recent stars such as Omar Strong, Tim Magowan (Elkton) and Eddie Miller. Behind McNeal’s 17 points, Cecil grabbed a 46-23 lead with less than one minute left in the first half. “He gave us a great lift,” Washington said. “He helped stretch the defense out with the 3-point threat. They usually sit back in a loose zone or loose man outside to stop penetraters, and Gabe stretched the defense out.” It was the kind of performance the Seahawks need if they are to make a deep run in Danville, Ill. This year’s unit needs to take a look at the 2006 National Championship squad. That group, led by Miller and point guard Kyle Camper, played stingy defense, shared the ball well, accumulating assists on nearly every field goal, and possessed clutch scoring. There is no player with Miller’s ability on this squad, no athlete who can score with ease by driving to the basket and from beyond the arc. However, Washington can slash to the hoop with almost anybody at the NJCAA Division II level. To win, though, he needs help, such as the performance McNeal turned in on Sunday. “All we were doing in the first half was sharing the ball and having fun,” McNeal said of Sunday’s first half. “We wanted it more than them.” With those words, McNeal described the philosophy Cecil must take to Illinois in two weeks. When they play as a team, the Seahawks possess the ability to compete into the weekend, and Washington knows it. “We just have to come out and play hard,” he said. “We just have to do what we do best. We have to practice our defense a little bit more, but I think we have a pretty good chance if we play together and play hard.” -- cecilwhig.com
03/01 - Men’s Basketball Headed to Nationals The men’s basketball team won the Region XX Tournament by defeating Baltimore City Community College, 76-73, in yesterday’s championship game. Cecil advances to the NJCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Championship at Danville Area Community College in Danville, Ill. March 16-20. Harold Washington was the Most Valuable Player of the tournament, and he was joined on the all-tournament team by Gabriel McNeal. Washington and McNeal were also All-Region XX selections for the season as Washington was named to the first team and McNeal was selected to third team. Rashad Brooks was chosen as the Region XX Coach of the Year. -- cecil.edu
03/01 - Washington sends Cecil to nationals With the clock winding down, Cecil College put the ball in freshman guard Harold Washington’s hands. The slasher drove to the hole and lifted a floater into the basket for a one-point lead with 8.6 seconds remaining. The Seahawks forced a turnover on Baltimore City College’s ensuing possession to hold on for a 76-73 men’s basketball victory in the Region XX Championship at Hagerstown Community College on Sunday. “Our goal at the beginning of the year was to win the regional championship and make it to nationals,” said freshman point guard Gabe McNeal, who was named to the All-Tournament Team. “It’s a blessing to make it my freshman year. It feels good to be a part of the team. This is probably the best team I’ve ever been a part of.” Washington scored 23 of the team’s final 25 points to finish with 37 for the game. He shot 7-for-13 from the field and 8-for-10 from the line in the second half, carrying Cecil (21-3) to victory. “Harold can go, man,” said McNeal, who scored 17 first-half points on 5-for-5 shooting from long range. “Harold’s going to bring it every single game. When they put two or three guys on him, other people have to step up. … He’s going to give you a good 20 every night, but we can’t just rely on him. He stepped up tonight and got the (tournament) MVP. He definitely deserved it. He’s one of the best guys I’ve ever played with.” Washington’s late-game heroics were only needed, though, because of poor second-half defense, iffy ball handling and a lack of scoring outside of the MVP. Washington’s teammates made just 3-of-11 attempts from the field and the Seahawks (21-3) turned the ball over 10 times after the break. The Panthers, meanwhile, shot 59.4 percent (19-for-32) in the second half with just five turnovers. The combination meant that Cecil’s 46-23 first-half lead quickly became a 69-66 deficit. “We came this far, we can’t lose,” Washington said of his thoughts when the large advantage evaporated. “They played hard and gave us their best shot. That’s what teams do, but we had to get back to it. In the end, we found ways to score and found a way to win.”
Notes: Baltimore City upset Cecil 80-75 on Feb. 19 in the Maryland JUCO quarterfinals, en route to the tournament championship. … Adam Johnson finished with 11 rebounds and 10 points, while Sebastian Sturgis and Sidney Evans added six points and five rebounds apiece. … The Seahawks have won six of the last eight region titles. -- cecilwhig.com
February 2010
02/22 - Baltimore City 80, Cecil 75 Baltimore City went on to win the tournament championship in the first Maryland JUCO final that didn’t involve Cecil or Allegany in more than 10 years. -- cecilwhig.com
02/17 - Cecil avoids major upset Considering no Maryland JUCO top seed had lost to a 16 seed since 2002 when the higher seeds began hosting the first round and Cecil College had beaten CCBC-Dundalk 15 straight times, Tuesday’s contest wouldn’t even be close. Right? Wrong. The Seahawks struggled to solve the Lions’ 2-3 zone, squeaking out a 54-51 overtime victory. “We weren’t aggressive enough,” sophomore guard John Bossle said. “Our guards, me included, needed to penetrate more and stop settling for so many 3s. We need to start attacking the zones these teams are playing.” Bossle scored the game’s first five points and finished with eight for a short-handed Cecil squad. “I was just trying to give us a spark,” the Rising Sun graduate said. “My teammates have confidence in me to shoot.” Bossle joined freshmen Jon Bateman, Sebastian Sturgis, Rico Winston and Gabe McNeal in the starting lineup. The group, which played without leading-scorer Harold Washington (academic suspension) and sophomore Sidney Evans (knee), never found its groove. The Seahawks, normally a high-flying offense, trailed 28-25 at the half. In fact, with time running out in regulation, reaching 50 points was in question. Had Cecil failed to hit that mark, it would have been the first time since February 1996. However, with the game tied at 49, Sturgis made a pair of free throws in the final 84 seconds to send the game to overtime. In the extra session, Winston scored on a feed from McNeal, who made a free throw, as the Seahawks outscored Dundalk 3-0 in the four-minute period. “We just took care of the ball, ran the clock down and took good shots,” said Sturgis, who finished with 15 rebounds, nine points, two blocks and two steals. Sturgis also came up with the defensive play of the game, blocking a 3-pointer at the buzzer to seal the victory. With the win, Cecil advances to the Maryland JUCO quarterfinals at 7 p.m. on Friday at Prince George’s Community College.
Notes: McNeal recorded 10 points, five rebounds and two steals, Donn Hill netted 13 points and Adam Johnson contributed seven points, seven rebounds, four steals, four assists and one block. … The Lions last beat the Seahawks in 2000 when they won the national championship. -- cecilwhig.com
02/16 - New era officially underway During the past decade, Cecil College experienced immense success under the tutelage of Bill Lewit. The Seahawks won five Maryland JUCO, four Region XX and one NJCAA Division II National Tournament titles in his last six seasons at the helm. Cecil accumulated a record of 190-15 during that time and lost just three contests to Maryland teams in the final five years. None of that success matters now. The players from those teams are no longer on the court, and the staff has completely turned over from the 2006 National Championship squad. Not only did Lewit leave prior to this season, assistant coaches Earl Piner and Jareem Dowling have also moved on. That doesn’t mean this team can’t win, though. First-year head coach Rashad Brooks is no stranger to the Green and Gold, leading Cecil to its first region crown as a player in 1999 before joining the coaching staff for last year’s run. However, this season, Brooks is in charge. He guided this group to a fifth-straight regular-season title, but legends are made with postseason success. The Seahawks host CCBC-Dundalk at 7 tonight in the Maryland JUCO play-in game. In past years, this contest has been a formality, a lopsided win that vaulted Cecil to the weekend tournament. Will tonight be the same? Or will the Seahawks struggle like they did in a 63-52 victory over Dundalk on Dec. 12? If they struggle, will they … gasp … lose? Like Lewit before him, Brooks won’t take any team for granted. He understands how important it is for his squad to begin the postseason on a good note, using the Maryland JUCO tournament as a springboard into the Region XX Championship. The tournament becomes even more critical to the Seahawks’ success after playing just one time since Feb. 3. “With these snow storms and cancellations, we need to focus on getting game ready, game tight,” Brooks said. “If we can put four games together, which is possible, that momentum could carry on to the Hagerstown tournament, also. Momentum is always very important.” Still, there’s going to be that doubt in everyone’s mind until Brooks, first-year assistant coach Chris McNeal and holdover Matt Meadows prove they can win in the postseason. That’s why tonight’s game holds such significance. Cecil can’t just win the game. After taking a step back from past seasons, the Seahawks must play flawlessly on both sides of the court, show no mercy with Dundalk and prove these Seahawks are no different than those who donned Cecil jerseys during the past five years. -- cecilwhig.com
02/16 - Cecil opens with Dundalk After suffering a season-opening loss to Harcum (Pa.) College, Cecil College has won 19 of 20 men’s basketball games. The Seahawks have earned blowouts, squeaked out close victories and watched a week’s worth of games be canceled due to snow. Now, their roller coaster of a season approaches its final ascent at 7 tonight when they host CCBC-Dundalk in the Maryland JUCO play-in game. The winner advances to this weekend’s tournament at Prince George’s Community College to face either College of Southern Maryland or Baltimore City Community College at 7 p.m. on Friday. The Seahawks, who won the Maryland JUCO regular-season title, enter as the top seed. They earned a 63-52 victory over Dundalk on Dec. 12. However, Brooks doesn’t anticipate a similar score this time around. “After that game, we knew we could improve on shot selection and rebounding,” Brooks said. We have done that, and we’re cutting down on our turnovers, too.” Assuming Cecil wins, it will face a team it defeated by double digits earlier this year. The Seahawks rolled by Southern Maryland 81-64 on Jan. 20 and Baltimore City 90-72 on Dec. 9. A sixth tournament title in seven years would be capped by a victory in Sunday’s 1 p.m. Championship game. Searching for added leadership, the Seahawks will enjoy the return of sophomore Sidney Evans, who has been out with a knee injury since Jan. 13. “He brings an inside presence, leadership, rebounding and scoring,” Brooks said. “He also has experience.” Their tournament run could also come with revenge. Frederick Community College, which defeated Cecil 67-66 on Jan. 23, earned the fifth seed and could be the Seahawks’ semifinal opponent on Saturday. Allegany College of Maryland, which upset Cecil last year, claimed the second seed and could play in this season’s final for a third straight time. “There are only two guys that remember that game from last year,” Brooks said. “I guess in the back of their minds, they know no game is guaranteed and they can’t overlook any opponent. We’re just trying not to overlook Dundalk, because right now, we do have the No. 1 seed, but that doesn’t mean anything. Every team’s trying to win, just like us.” The women, meanwhile, open at Dundalk at 6 tonight. The Seahawks lost 70-54 in the teams’ previous meeting on Dec. 12. The winner faces Allegany, which earned an 80-27 win over Cecil on Jan. 9. -- cecilwhig.com
02/14 - Cecil wins regular-season finale Gabe McNeal recorded 25 points and five assists to lead Cecil College to an 84-77 men’s basketball victory over Garrett College on Saturday. Sebastian Sturgis added 19 points and 12 rebounds, Adam Johnson contributed 12 points and seven rebounds, Rico Winston chipped in nine rebounds and five points and Donn Hill netted 12 points for the Seahawks, who trailed 38-32 at the half. Cecil hosts CCBC-Dundalk at 7 p.m. on Tuesday in the Maryland JUCO play-in game. -- cecilwhig.com
02/04 - Seahawks struggle in victory Playing in its first home game since snapping its Maryland JUCO regular-season winning streak with a loss at Frederick Community College on Jan. 23, the Cecil College men’s basketball team wanted to make a statement. “Personally, I don’t like to lose, and nobody else on this team does, either,” Seahawks freshman Sebastian Sturgis said. “They came our hard in that game. Everyone’s coming at us hard, so we have to step our game up.” Facing an improved Anne Arundel Community College squad, though, Cecil never established itself as the dominant team. The Seahawks only scored eight points in the first six minutes, but still held off the visiting Pioneers for an 84-73 victory on Wednesday. “We did OK,” Cecil freshman Adam Johnson said. “We missed a lot of assignments. We struggled a little on defense. We need to work hard in practice and get ready for the playoffs.” The postseason, specifically, the Region XX Tournament, is what the Seahawks (18-2) are always playing for. Regular-season achievements are fun to talk about, but they mean nothing when Cecil fails to win the region. That happened in 2008 when the Seahawks took a perfect record into the tournament and lost to Prince George’s Community College at the buzzer in the championship. However, this year’s team needs to start playing better than “OK” soon if it’s going to make another run to the NJCAA Division II National Tournament. Not only has it seen the aforementioned conference streak end, the Seahawks have only scored 88 points seven times this year, only reaching 100 in an overtime victory over Harford Community College. To compare that to past seasons, Cecil hasn’t averaged less than 88.7 points per game since 1999-2000, topping 100 ppg twice. One reason for the lack of scoring was evident on Wednesday when the Seahawks made just 1-of-12 attempts from beyond the arc. Freshman guard Harold Washington, who made that bucket, finished with 20 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals. He combined with Sturgis (22 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks and one steal) to lead five players in double figures. Freshmen Adam Johnson (seven rebounds) and Donn Hill (one steal) netted 11 points apiece, and Gabe McNeal (six assists and two steals) scored 10. With the lack of outside scoring, Cecil needs to make an impact in the paint, where freshman forward Rico Winston contributed six points, six rebounds and four assists. With the win, the Seahawks improve to 12-1 in Mayland JUCO and can still win their sixth straight regular season title with wins against Hagerstown Community College (Friday), Prince George’s Community College (Feb. 10) and Garrett College (Feb. 13). -- cecilwhig.com
02/01 - ASA (N.Y.) at Cecil, ppd. No make-up date has been announced. -- cecilwhig.com
January 2010
Alumni Game and Fan Appreciation Social
January 30
The ninth annual Cecil College Men's Basketball Alumni Game will be played at 3 p.m. Saturday, January 30 in the Physical Education Activities Building on Cecil's North East campus. Following the alumni game, Cecil's nationally-ranked men's squad will host ASA, NY at 7 p.m. The evening will wrap up with a fan appreciation social in Room 208 of the Technology Center. There will be a DJ, light refreshments, door prizes and a chance to mingle with the players, coaches and cheerleaders. Anybody who earned at least one men's basketball varsity letter for Cecil College is eligible to participate in the alumni event. For more information, contact Coach Rashad Brooks at 410-287-6060 ext. 398 or e-mail him at rbrooks@cecil.edu.
01/28 - Cecil 82, CCBC Essex 70 Rico Winston recorded 16 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Seahawks (17-2 overall, 11-1 Maryland JUCO), while Harold Washington netted 26 points, Donn Hill added 10 points and Gabe McNeal scored eight points. Cecil, which played without Sidney Evans, led 46-33 at the half. -- cecilwhig.com
01/17 - Cecil 100, Harford C.C. 99 OT Gabe McNeal made two free throws with four seconds remaining to seal the Seahawks’ victory. McNeal finished with 28 points and five rebounds, while Adam Johnson recorded 23 points and 21 rebounds, Sebastian Sturgis contributed 11 points and eight rebounds, Donn Hill chipped in with 12 points and seven rebounds and Rico Winston tallied nine rebounds and seven points. John Bossle scored seven points for Cecil (15-1 overall, 9-0 Maryland JUCO), which led 49-43 at halftime. -- cecilwhig.com
01/14 - Washington lifts Cecil to victory Coming off an emotional victory over Allegany College of Maryland on Saturday, Cecil College was primed for a letdown. Freshman guard Harold Washington made sure that didn’t happen, recording 11 points, five rebounds and two assists in the first eight minutes. Washington, one of the most prolific scorers in NJCAA Division II, finished with 28 points, nine rebounds, four assists and one block, as the Seahawks earned a 91-72 men’s basketball victory over visiting Montgomery College-Rockville on Wednesday. “We got off to a good start,” said Washington, whose team led 31-14 nine minutes into the contest. “We let up defensively at the end of the first half and they hit some 3s, but we put the game away early.” Those momentary lapses in defense may be the only black mark against Cecil after the win, a concern freshman point guard Gabe McNeal was quick to point out. “We played hard,” McNeal said. “We need to work on team defense to become a complete team. Tonight took a team effort, and we played with energy.” Sophomore forward Sidney Evans left the game in the fourth minute with a right-knee injury. His status going forward is unclear. In his absence, Seahawks coach Rashad Brooks rotated in numerous players with Jon Bateman drawing five fouls and John Bossle (Rising Sun) contributing two rebounds and two points. Sebastian Sturgis, who received a rare start, added 10 points and two blocks, while Adam Johnson chipped in 13 points, five rebounds and three assists. The extended playing time should prove beneficial when the Seahawks enter the postseason. “We need games like this,” Washington said. “When we get to regionals, we need to rely on our bench. It’s also good for the starters to cheer them on as they help support us.” Rico Winston tallied nine rebounds and five points, and McNeal finished with 17 points, six rebounds and five assists. “I try to share with my teammates and get them involved,” McNeal said. “As the point guard, it’s my job to share the ball first before I look for my shot.” Cecil (14-1 overall, 8-0 Maryland JUCO) returns to action at 3 p.m. on Saturday at Harford Community College. -- cecilwhig.com
01/12 - Time of Cecil game changed Harford Community College has moved the times of Saturday’s men’s and women’s basketball games against Cecil College to accommodate Baltimore Ravens fans, according to a press release. The women’s contest was moved from 5 p.m. to 1 p.m., with the men’s game to follow. The Ravens face the Indianapolis Colts at 8:15 p.m. on Saturday. -- cecilwhig.com
01/10 - Dramatic run lifts Seahawks to win The Cecil College men’s basketball team ends every practice by shooting half-court shots. The Seahawks split up into two teams for the daily competition, with the losers doing 10 pushups.
Cecil guard Harold Washington made that drill pay off against Allegany College of Maryland on Saturday, swishing a half-court shot at the end of the first half, lifting the Seahawks to an 81-70 victory. The bucket capped an eight-point spurt in the final 14 seconds, initiated by a Donn Hill 3-pointer off a feed from Washington. Adam Johnson also mixed in a steal and fastbreak dunk. “It was big momentum,” Washington said. “It swung us to that big lead in the second half. From the dunk to the half-court shot, all of it spurred everybody to pick up the pace. We realized they weren’t going to give up, so that run gave us what we needed.” The spurt came with the game tied at 39 and began a 15-0 spurt, ending any hope of a Trojan comeback. The lead grew as high as 24 on two occasions. While Cecil’s run gave the team momentum, it also emphasized a point coach Rashad Brooks has been hammering home to his squad. “In the first half, we weren’t aggressive enough until we got the momentum change at the end,” said Hill, who recorded one of the team’s 11 steals. “In the second half, we were more aggressive and came out with the win.” Washington and Sidney Evans led the Seahawks with three steals apiece, while Adam Johnson added two and Tom Sharkey and Rico Winston finished with one apiece. Cecil (13-1 overall, 7-0 Maryland JUCO) combined the pressure with a big night from beyond the arc with Hill making all four of his 3-point attempts and Gabe McNeal sinking half of his eight shots from long range. “We practice hard and work on shooting every night. We play with confidence, and we know when we shoot it it’s going to go in.” Both McNeal and Hill finished with 16 points, while Evans added 13 points, seven rebounds and two blocks, Johnson contributed 12 points and four rebounds and Washington chipped in with 11 points, six rebounds and six assists. The Seahawks, who have won 13 straight games, took sole possession of first place in Maryland JUCO, knocking off the only other unbeaten team in league play. “It was a big win for us,” Hill said. “We just have to keep playing, keep working hard and keep winning.” -- cecilwhig.com
01/07 - Cecil knocking off the rust
The Cecil College men’s basketball team hadn’t played a game in 19 days before knocking off visiting Chesapeake College 78-68 on Wednesday. For 6-foot-7 freshman Adam Abdourahamane, the layoff was much longer. Abdourahamane, from Niger, Africa, had never played a game in the United States because a stress fracture in his left femur forced him to miss his first semester. He first practiced two weeks ago and made his debut in front of the Seahawk faithful with nearly four minutes gone in the first half. Abdourahamane struggled on offense, shooting 1-for-4 from the field, and finished with five rebounds, two blocks and three points, fouling out in roughly 16 minutes. “The effort was there,” Cecil assistant coach Chris McNeal said. “He was a little rusty. We definitely can use him later in the season once he gets his legs under him. “I think for him, (it’s important to) just get acclimated to game-time situations, learning the offense and being out there with his teammates.” Along with his two blocked shots, Abdourahamane forced shooters to change their shot in mid-air, despite being just “50 percent.” “This was my first real game at Cecil with my teammates,” Abdourahamane said. “I’ll get better next game.” Abdourahamane said the most difficult part of his return is clearing the mental hurdle. “It’s not easy to do what I did before,” Abdourahamane said. While Abdourahamane regains his old form, his teammates led the Seahawks (12-1 overall, 6-0 Maryland JUCO) to their 12th straight win. Rico Winston carried the load down low, finishing with 14 rebounds and six points, helping Cecil to a 46-34 edge on the glass. Sidney Evans added eight boards, while Harold Washington hauled in six. “I made sure I had a body on someone before I jumped, went up with two hands and made sure I boxed everybody out,” Winston said. Washington (19) and fellow guards Gabe McNeal (21), Donn Hill (16) and John Bossle (eight), of Rising Sun, combined to score 64 of the team’s 78 points. “They were effective with their shooting, getting to the basket and getting fouled,” Winston said. “When they started scoring, we got momentum in the game.” To reach their team goals, the Seahawks will need continued contributions from the guards while also receiving help down low. That’s where Abdourahamane’s presence should help in February and March. “If he can get his legs about himself and can learn the offense, I think he’ll bring a positive contribution this year,” Chris McNeal said. “With his size and energy, he can definitely help us.” His next chance to hit the court will be on Saturday, when Cecil hosts Allegany College of Maryland at 7 p.m. in a battle of the conference’s last unbeaten teams. -- cecilwhig.com
December 2009
12/18 - Winter Youth Basketball Program Enrolling Now
Cecil College's Youth Basketball program will teach players the fundamentals necessary to become good basketball players. Rashad Brooks, Men's Head Basketball Coach, will be the program director. He, along with his nationally ranked men's basketball team players, will be responsible for teaching and demonstrating basketball fundamentals. Each week there will be 45 minutes of instruction and drills, followed by 45 minutes of games. Shooting, passing, dribbling, rebounding, defense, team play, and sportsmanship will be taught. The program will run from 9-10:30 a.m. during the following dates:
Week One - Saturday, January 9, 2010
Week Two - Saturday, January 16, 2010
Week Three - Saturday, January 23, 2010
Week Four - Saturday, January 30, 2010
*Make Up Date - Saturday, February 6, 2010
All fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth grade boys and girls are encouraged to sign-up. The total cost is $40.00 per player for all four weeks. As an optional special event, youth players will be given the opportunity to play during half-time at the January 30, 2010 Cecil Men's home game against ASA, NY. Call Coach Brooks at 410-287-6060, extension 309 or email him at rbrooks@cecil.edu for more information.
A registration form can be downloaded below:
Winter Youth Basketball Program Registration Form
12/09 - Seahawks improving Beginning the season with just two returners, players on the Cecil College men’s basketball team knew it would take time to learn each other’s tendencies. Following Wednesday’s 90-72 home victory over Baltimore City Community College, the Seahawks know they’re on the right track. “We’re getting to know each other’s games a lot more,” said freshman guard Harold Washington, who ranks second in Maryland JUCO with 22.4 points per game. “Everybody’s starting to compliment each other well. When we drive, we know where to kick it out. All the pieces to the puzzle are starting to come into place.” Cecil (9-1 overall, 4-0 Maryland JUCO) made nearly 50 percent of its field goal attempts on Wednesday (32 of 65), running a patient attack, looking for the open shot. Washington (five assists, two steals) and freshman forward Adam Johnson (nine rebounds, one block, one steal) led the offense with 19 points each, while freshman guard Gabiel McNeal added 12 points, five rebounds and five assists and Bel Air graduate Donn Hill netted 11 points. Freshman Sebastian Sturgis (six rebounds, one steal), sophomore forward Sidney Evans (10 rebounds, three blocks, two steals) and freshman forward Rico Washington (seven rebounds, one block) scored eight, seven and six points, respectively, for the Seahawks. “It makes it harder for the defense to zone in on one person,” Washington said of the balanced attack. “It helps us spread the floor and find more open shots.” One area Cecil did struggle was inside where Baltimore City freshman Wyatt Smith blocked four shots to go with his seven rebounds and 16 points. “(His presence) still didn’t discourage people from driving,” Washington said. “We’re taught to drive, take it to their body. We may get a few blocked shots, but it doesn’t discourage us.” Outside of Smith, NJCAA Division II Preseason All-American John Williams (17 points, eight rebounds) and Joppatowne product C.J. Townes (10 points), the Panthers struggled to solve Cecil’s defense, shooting 39 percent (29 of 74). The Seahawks also held a 51-37 edge on the glass. “We were boxing out and being more aggressive,” Johnson said. “When we were boxing out, we had the advantage because we could do whatever we wanted to them.” Cecil returns to action on Saturday when it hosts CCBC Dundalk at 7 p.m. -- cecilwhig.com
12/07 - Cecil 82, Mont. College – Germantown 71 Adam Johnson paced the Seahawks (8-1) with a 26-point, 12-rebound double-double. Harold Washington added 17 points, followed by Gabe McNeal with 12 points, including three clutch 3-pointers late in the game. Sidney Evans also reached double digits with 10 points for Cecil, which led 36-34 at halftime. -- cecilwhig.com
12/03 - Cecil men earn victory Cecil College trailed by six points with three minutes remaining, but stormed back for an 82-74 men’s basketball victory over host CCBC-Catonsville on Wednesday. Harold Washington led the Seahawks (7-1 overall, 2-0 Maryland JUCO) with 20 points, while Sebastian Sturgis added 15 points, Sidney Evans and Adam Johnson scored 12 points each and Gabe McNeal netted 11 points. Cecil has won 74 straight Maryland JUCO regular-season games and hasn’t lost a conference game on the road since February 2004. -- cecilwhig.com
November 2009
11/30 - Cecil sweeps tourney Harold Washington scored 46 points in two games to lift the Cecil College men’s basketball team to a sweep at the Jim Brown Classic at Hagerstown Community College. Washington netted 26, Rico Winston recorded 14 points and Adam Johnson finished with 12 points as the Seahawks (6-1) defeated Allegany 71-56 on Saturday. Cecil led 32-26 at the half. Johnson contributed 21 points, Washington added 20, Donn Hill chipped in 14 and Sebastian Sturgis tallied 11 points in a 93-76 victory over the host school on Sunday. -- cecilwhig.com
11/23 - Cecil 70, Manor Junior College 58
Adam Johnson scored 25 points to lead the Seahawks (3-1) to their third straight victory, while Harold Washington added 17 points and John Bossle recorded nine points. The game tied 31-31 at halftime. -- cecilwhig.com
11/19 - Seahawks toughen up
After allowing 123 points in its season opener a week ago, the Cecil College men’s basketball team once again struggled on defense, allowing 47 first-half points to Del Tech-Stanton. However, the Seahawks clamped down after intermission to pull out a 90-78 home victory on Wednesday. “We’ve got to play lock-down defense,” said freshman Donn Hill, who finished with 17 points, four assists and four rebounds. “They were getting too many wide-open shots and the middle was open. At halftime, we went in and made some adjustments, then did better in the second half.” Among the changes coach Rashad Brooks installed was extending its zone defense out further from the basket to challenge 3-pointers. Cecil then used its length to pick up two quick steals and one block to go on a 16-4 run in the first four minutes, 24 seconds of the second half. “At halftime, coach challenged us to be more physical, play tougher and impose our will,” said sophomore Sidney Evans, who recorded 16 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks and two steals. “In the second half, we made a run and pushed down their spirits a little bit, but we have to finish games better.” Brooks also changed the lineup at halftime, starting freshmen Harold Washington and Adam Johnson in place of sophomore John Bossle (Rising Sun) and freshman Rico Winston. Both players finished in double digits in scoring, as Cecil’s bench netted 60 of the team’s 90 points. “We need that every night off the bench,” Washington said. “With that spark off the bench, it gives the guys who start the game a break and we’re not missing a beat. We’re a whole team, so it’s a wonderful thing to have that.” Washington led the Seahawks with 24 points while adding nine rebounds and three assists. He said the team’s defensive mindset – it forced 10 second-half turnovers – changed the game after the break. “That’s what we needed to do,” Washington said. “We had to establish a defensive presence and let the offense come to us. In the first half, we tried too hard on offense.” Johnson contributed 12 points, eight rebounds, three blocks and two assists, while freshman Gabriel McNeal added 10 points and six assists and freshman Sebastian Sturgis chipped in seven points. Bossle dished out two assists. With the victory, Cecil’s 42nd straight at home, the Seahawks hit the road for five straight games, starting with Manor (Pa.) Junior College at 4 p.m. on Saturday. Their next home game is against Montgomery County-Germantown at 7 p.m. on Dec. 5. -- cecilwhig.com
September 2009
09/10 - Brooks tabbed interim coach
09/09 - Cecil College Names Rashad Brooks Head Men's Basketball Coach
Cecil College has named Rashad Brooks interim head men's basketball coach. Brooks replaces Bill Lewit who resigned from Cecil after 14 seasons to accept another position. As one of Lewit's first recruits, Brooks earned an associate degree from Cecil in 1999 and returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach a year ago. He served as a varsity head basketball coach at Washington High School in Princess Anne. Md., in 2003-04, and has coached in various youth leagues. Brooks takes over a team which was regularly among the nation's elite junior college programs under Lewit's guidance. In addition to winning 80 percent of their games coached by Lewit (354-89), the Seahawks have made six trips to the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II Tournament since 1999, highlighted by capturing the 2006 national championship. Brooks will serve as the interim head coach for the balance of the 2009-10 season. The college will evaluate its plans for next year at the close of the season. "We expect Coach Brooks to step in and just take the reins of the program," said Ed Durham, Cecil College athletic director. "We certainly don't want him to feel any pressure and walk in the shadows of Coach Lewit. The athletic department and the administration have the fullest confidence in Coach Brooks that he will do a fantastic job. We are going to offer him all the support that we have and help him get planted in his job and move forward." Brooks is the only player in Cecil history to surpass 1,000 points (1,067), 350 assists (363) and 300 rebounds (301) for his career. In his sophomore season, 1998-99, Brooks was selected First Team All-Maryland JUCO Athletic Conference, First Team All-Region XX, and Third Team NJCAA All-American. He and his third-year teammate, and fellow co-captain D.J. Wootson, led the 1998-99 Seahawks to a 25-8 record, their first-ever No. 1 national ranking, a region championship, and a berth in the NJCAA Division II Tournament, where they advanced to the national semifinals. Brooks scored a career-high 47 points in a 105-98 victory over the Community College of Philadelphia. Following his graduation from Cecil, Brooks transferred to the University of Louisville and played two seasons under Hall of Fame coach Denny Crum on a basketball scholarship. In his junior season, he helped the Cardinals advance to the NCAA Division I Tournament as a key reserve. As a senior, he had several double-digit scoring games, including a career-high 21 points against the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and was named the team's Most Improved Player. After earning a bachelor's degree in sociology from Louisville, Brooks played professionally in Argentina. A native of Hampton, Va., Brooks moved to Maryland's Eastern Shore during his sophomore year of high school. He graduated from Mardela Springs High School in 1996 and was an all-conference player who was picked to play in the Bayside Senior All-Star Game. Cecil has been nationally ranked in the top 10 every year from 1997-98 through 2008-09, including being No. 1 in the country at some point in eight different years. Lewit led the Seahawks to seven Maryland JUCO Athletic Conference championships in the regular season and five more in the postseason. Thirty-eight of his players have signed NCAA Division I scholarships and 30 have earned Division II scholarships. "We appreciate the 14 fabulous years that Bill Lewit has provided not only this institution and its basketball program, but the community as a whole," said Durham. "His record is impeccable and not matched by anyone I know of in our region and conference. In addition to being a basketball coach, he was our director of enrollment support services. He was an ambassador to Cecil College not only in the basketball sense, but also in the overall academic and college process. You can honestly say that Bill Lewit bled the green and gold from all aspects of the college as a whole." -- cecil.edu
09/08 - Column: Coach's departure is overdue
09/08 - Lewit lured local athletes to Cecil
09/06 - Lewit leaves Cecil College
August 2009
08/11 - Save the Date! Annual Men's Basketball Golf Tournament October 23
The annual Cecil Men's Basketball Golf Tournament will be held Friday, October 23 at 1 p.m. at Chesapeake Bay Golf Club in North East, MD. For more information, please contact William Lewit at 410-287-6060, ext. 544 or download the brochure and application below. -- cecil.edu
Link to Golf Brochure and Application Page 1
Link to Golf Brochure and Application Page 2
2009-2010 Women's Basketball
News & Headlines
February 2010
02/04 - Nathaniel scores 26 in Cecil loss
Freshman Sarai Nathaniel scored a game-high 26 points for Cecil College, but it wasn’t enough to earn the victory, as visiting Anne Arundel Community College won Wednesday’s women’s basketball contest, 69-60. The Seahawks (5-14 overall, 4-9 Maryland JUCO) were behind 29-21 at the break and trailed by as many as nine points in the first half. Nathaniel scored the first 10 points for Cecil in the contest before Ikea Russ (Elkton) connected on two 3-pointers and Abigail Planck added another. “In the first half, we didn’t move their defense around,” Seahawks coach Andrew Coston said. “We didn’t move the ball enough to create open spaces, so we were easy to defend.” Nathaniel and forward Kayla Chambers (North East) led the charge for Cecil in the second half, helping the Seahawks come back to tie the game at 39 with 10 minutes, 54 seconds to play. Cecil never took the lead, however, as the Pioneers (11-9, 8-5) went on a 19-7 run over the next seven minutes. The Seahawks closed the deficit to six with 27.8 seconds to play but were unable to come any closer. Center Ratisha Sweatt (Elkton) was held out of the majority of the second half after she picked up her fourth personal foul with 15 minutes remaining. Sweatt (six rebounds, four points) recorded four blocks in the first half, but Anne Arundel took advantage of her absence with 11 second-chance points after halftime. “When (Sweatt) is in, it is hard for teams to get anything they want in the middle,” Coston said. “ We thought some of the fouls early on could have gone either way, but we have to play through that no matter what the situation is.” Chambers finished with 10 points and five rebounds, Nathaniel added eight rebounds and three steals and Megan Brandon (Elkton Christian) contributed 11 rebounds, eight points and three steals. Russ finished with nine points, and Planck chipped in with three points off the bench. Cecil shot 5-for-12 (41.67 percent) from beyond the arc. The Seahawks travel to face Hagerstown Community College on Friday at 6 p.m.
January 2010
01/20 - Chambers paces Cecil North East graduate Kayla Chambers grabbed 17 rebounds and scored eight points to pace the Cecil College women’s basketball team, but the high-pressure defense of Burlington County College (N.J.) proved to be too much in a 65-25 defeat on Tuesday. The Seahawks (3-12) held a size advantage with Chambers and sophomore Ratisha Sweatt (Elkton) in the middle but failed to get the ball to the low post with any regularity. Chambers pulled down 12 offensive rebounds, which led to three of her four field goals. “One of our goals was to be patient enough to recognize when the post is open and to get the ball down there to score or draw a foul,” Cecil coach Andrew Coston said. “The problems were our post players sealing (off the defender) and getting open, and also trying to force it to them when it wasn’t there or not seeing them when they were open. We just didn’t execute the way we wanted to.” The Barons (13-3) were led by Ashley Hatchette (18 points, six rebounds, five steals), Aisha Vamadore (14 points, eight rebounds, three assists) and Nadirah Brown (11 rebounds, nine points). Angela VanMortar scored 11 points and added nine rebounds, while Je’naye Ware recorded five points and four steals off the bench for Burlington. “They were a good team and well-coached,” Chambers said. “They moved the ball well on offense, and they knew how to defend us regardless of our height difference, which was a big positive for them.” Point guard Sarai Nathaniel, the Seahawks’ leading scorer, missed considerable time in the second half due to an injured ankle. She finished with six points, six rebounds and two assists. “(Sarai) is still not 100 percent,” Coston said. “She sat out for the last eight or nine minutes, but she is giving us what she can. She is at the point where she can’t really hurt herself any more by playing, but she is still not fully back to normal. She can’t move the way that she is accustomed to on the court.” Freshman Megan Brandon (Elkton Christian) overcame an 0-for-6 first half to share the team high with eight points and also added two steals. Mollie McCreesh scored three points and contributed an assist, while Sweatt finished with 11 rebounds and four blocks. Cecil found itself in a 21-9 hole at the half. Then, with Nathaniel slowed or out for the majority of the second half, the Seahawks were without their best ball-handler and the deficit grew. Cecil committed 30 turnovers in the contest, 19 coming after the break when the Barons switched to their full-court, man-to-man press. “(To improve against the press) I think that we need to just click together better,” Chambers said. “We are all friends off the court, but on the court it is a different story. We seem to be on different pages when we are out there sometimes.” The Seahawks travel to face the College of Southern Maryland at 5 tonight. -- cecilwhig.com
01/17 - Harford C.C. 64, Cecil 45 Kayla Chambers recorded 18 rebounds and 14 points to pace the Seahawks (3-11 overall, 2-5 Maryland JUCO), while Ratisha Sweatt added 12 rebounds and 11 points, Sarai Nathaniel contributed 18 points, four rebounds and three assists. Cecil trailed 33-17 at the half. -- cecilwhig.com
01/14 - Seahawks struggle in 2nd half Freshman guard Sarai Nathaniel scored 20 points for Cecil College, but Montgomery College-Rockville overcame a halftime deficit to earn a 64-60 women’s basketball victory on Wednesday. “The end of the game was just like the other time we played them (an 87-85 overtime victory for the Seahawks on Nov. 21),” Cecil coach Andrew Coston said. “In the first game, we made some good decisions and they made some poor ones. Tonight, we let people shoot the ball that we didn’t want to shoot, we missed on some rebounds and didn’t box out as well. Little items like that really got us in the end. Then, offensively, we took some shots that were a little rushed.” The Seahawks (3-8 overall, 2-6 Maryland JUCO) held a 25-24 lead at the break, paced by Kayla Chambers’ nine first-half points. The intensity picked up in a second half that featured 17 fouls, six lead changes and five ties. Cecil went ahead 59-58 with 57 seconds remaining on a driving layup by Nathaniel, two of her 16 second-half points. Nathaniel was the catalyst that kept the Seahawks close in the final period, pulling down six rebounds and dishing out five assists. “That is just what (Nathaniel) has been doing all year,” Coston said. “She has been our leading scorer all season. She’s hobbling on a sprained foot, so she’s probably only 60 or 70 percent right now, and so she is just gutting it out. She isn’t using that as an excuse. She just keeps playing, and she kept us right there tonight to where we had a chance at the end. We just couldn’t quite pull it off.” Nathaniel tied the game at 60 with a free throw with 25 seconds to play, although Cecil struggled from the foul line as a team, shooting 8-for-25 in the contest and 6-for-22 in the second half. The Knights (2-11, 2-6) answered with a give-and-go inbounds pass that set guard T’aira Poole up for the game-winning shot with 13 seconds remaining. A Seahawk turnover on the ensuing possession secured the win for Rockville. Poole led the Knights with 21 points, while sophomore Tyisha Moten tallied 16 points. Chambers (North East) finished with 15 points for Cecil, while Megan Brandon (Elkton Christian) added 10 points and Mollie McCreesh and Abigail Planck each contributed five points. The Seahawks have dropped seven straight contests, but Coston believes they are not far off from the style of play that got them off to a 3-2 start to the season. “We have to limit turnovers, we have to rebound the basketball and we have got to make smart decisions on offense,” he said. “We have to play hard every night, and we have to do the basics. We are working on that, and we will get back after it tomorrow.” Cecil hosts Roxbury at 7 tonight. -- cecilwhig.com
01/12 - Time of Cecil game changed Harford Community College has moved the times of Saturday’s men’s and women’s basketball games against Cecil College to accommodate Baltimore Ravens fans, according to a press release. The women’s contest was moved from 5 p.m. to 1 p.m., with the men’s game to follow. The Ravens face the Indianapolis Colts at 8:15 p.m. on Saturday. -- cecilwhig.com
01/10 - Allegany College 80, Cecil 27
November 2009
11/25 - Present and Past Women’s Basketball Players Excel
Women’s basketball player Sarai Nathaniel was named First Team All-Maryland JUCO Conference and First Team All-Region XX. Nathaniel averaged 20.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists this season. Former Cecil College women’s basketball player Jasmine Minter will be playing in the NCAA Division II Tournament this weekend for Nyack College. Minter was the Most Valuable Player of the CACC Tournament, where her team defeated 14th-ranked Holy Family and advanced to nationals. The Lady Warriors will meet Franklin Pierce College today in Fitchburg, Mass. -- cecil.edu
11/25 - Women’s Basketball Defeats Howard
The women’s basketball team improved its record to 3-2 with a 66-51 win at Howard Community College on Tuesday, November 24. Sarai Nathaniel led the Seahawks with 28 points, while Megan Brandon scored 13 points and Kayla Chambers had 14 rebounds. -- cecil.edu
11/23 - Women’s Basketball Wins in OT The women’s basketball team evened its record at 2-2 with an 87-85 overtime win at Montgomery College Rockville on Saturday, November 21. Sarai Nathaniel led the Seahawks with 37 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, including the game-winning free throws with .7 seconds remaining. Kayla Chambers tallied 16 points and 14 rebounds, while Ikea Russ and Megan Brandon added 15 and 12 points, respectively. -- cecil.edu
11/19 - Cecil women falter against a bigger Del Tech squad
Playing against a bigger – both in numbers and size – Del Tech-Stanton squad, the Cecil College women’s basketball team struggled to keep up in an 80-70 home loss on Wednesday. The Spirits posed problems for the Lady Seahawks with their versatility. “They’re a very good rebounding team, so we had to keep them from dominating inside,” Cecil coach Andrew Coston said. “They have some good shooters, as well. They have a lot of depth, which, of course, we don’t have right now. “I’m proud of our effort. I think that this same effort and this same intelligence will get us a lot of wins in the future.” Playing with just six players, the Lady Seahawks (1-2) were forced to play zone much of the game and rarely found time to rest. Coston also sent his players back on defense when Cecil shot free throws, giving up an opportunity for an offensive rebound. That strategy, along with a lack of size and, sometimes, effort, gave Del Tech the edge in rebounding. It also didn’t help that 6-foot center Ratisha Sweatt (Elkton) fouled out with more than 12 minutes to play. “That’s one of the better rebounding teams we’ll see,” Coston said. “You’ll give up some against a good rebounding team, but I thought we gave up some where they just outworked us on a few that were very key. “She’s (Sweatt) our best rebounder, and that changed what we were trying to do. We were trying to get her out of the game when she did get a foul. We were a little small, so it made an impact.” The Seahawks also struggled with turnovers, especially late in the second half. After pulling to within one at 63-62, they turned it over five times in the final four minutes, watching the Spirits put the contest away. “I thought we turned the ball over in some situations, especially when we trailed by one, two or three points in the second half, where we didn’t make the extra pass,” Coston said. “Maybe our forwards dribbled instead of giving it to our guards. Things like that.” One bright spot for Cecil was the play of freshman Sarai Nathaniel, who demonstrated the ability to finish her drives, scoring 25 points. Of course, even the 5-5 guard wasn’t immune to turnovers, often beating her defender before finding a double team. “She’s so quick with the ball, I don’t know if anybody we’ll play against this year can stay in front of her,” Coston said. “She’s quick enough to get by the person guarding her almost every time, but the trap that’s coming, she’s got to recognize, and we have to recognize as a group, to spot up and get open so she has someone to pass to.” Ikea Russ (Elkton) added 19 points, Megan Brandon (Elkton Christian Academy) scored 14 and Sweatt and Kayla Chambers (North East) finished with six points each. -- cecilwhig.com
11/14 - Women’s Basketball Opens P.E. Complex
Playing the first game in the newly renovated Physical Education Complex on Saturday, November 14, the women’s basketball team was defeated, 84-63, by Northern Virginia Community College. Sarai Nathaniel led the Seahawks (1-1) with 25 points, while Megan Brandon had 12 points and eight rebounds and Kayla Chambers added 11 points and nine rebounds. Cecil will host Del Tech Stanton at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, November 18. The game will be followed by a men’s contest against the same opponent at approximately 7 p.m. -- cecil.edu
August 2009
08/21 - Ashley Arnold signs with Cecil Women's Basketball
Ashley Arnold of Silver Spring, Md. has signed a National Letter of Intent to play women's basketball for Cecil College. Arnold is a 2009 graduate of Montgomery Blair High School, where she averaged 15 points and 12 rebounds per game. She was an All-Montgomery County player and a team captain who played four years of varsity basketball. Arnold plans to major in general studies at Cecil. "Ashley is an all-around player who will contribute greatly to our program," said Andrew Coston, Cecil College women's basketball coach. "We are pleased to have her here." -- cecil.edu
08/12 - Sarai Nathaniel signs with Cecil Women's Basketball
Sarai Nathaniel of Philadelphia has signed a National Letter of Intent to play women's basketball for Cecil College. Nathaniel, a 2009 graduate of Roxborough High School, was an All-Public League and All-City guard who chose Cecil because she feels she can excel both on and off the court there. She plans to study business and transfer to a four-year college. "We are pleased to have Sarai in our program," said Andrew Coston, Cecil College women's basketball coach. "She will bring a lot to our backcourt. Her ability to score and her overall athleticism will fit in well with the up-tempo style of play that we prefer." -- cecil.edu