Beacon Sports
Deng Deang scored a career-high 19 points in his first career start to lead Southeastern Community College to a 75-49 victory over Snead State in the first round of the National Junior College Athletic Association men’s basketball national tournament at Hutchinson, Kan., Tuesday morning.
The 14th-seeded Blackhawks (26-8) advance to Wednesday’s 6 p.m. second-round game against No. 3 Odessa (29-3). Odessa has been idle since a 67-66 loss to Midland in the Region V championship game on March 10.
It was SCC’s seventh straight victory. Snead State, the 19 seed, bows out at 25-9.
When starter Isaiah Griffin fell sick, SCC coach Lorenzo Watkins called on Deang to make his first start. Deang responded with 6-for-11 shooting from the field and 7-for-7 from the free throw line. He added seven rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a blocked shot. His previous high game was 14 points in an 80-73 win over Triton on Dec. 10, Deang’s only other game in double figures.
Griffin is SCC’s second-leading scorer with a 13-point average.
The Blackhawks trailed only at 2-0. They then launched a 13-point run to gain control. SCC led by as much as 13 points in the first half before settling for a 35-31 edge at halftime.SCC scored 10 of the first 12 points of the second half and was never seriously threatened again. The Blackhawks took their biggest lead at 70-42 on two Davion Bailey free throws with about four minutes left to play.
Four other Blackhawks scored in double figures. Jaylen Searles scored 15 points, Bailey had 13 and Jack Wetzel and Jhonny Tovar Mendez each added 12 points. Only four points came from the SCC bench, two each by Javordo Mitchell and former Burlington High School star Amarion Davis.SCC outrebounded the Parsons, 41-34. Deang and Searles each had seven boards and Wetzel and Mendez grabbed six each. Mitchell had five in his relief role.
John Whitehead III led Snead State and all scorers with 24 points, and Ty Briscoe added 10.