Eastfield Beats Northampton by 12 in NJCAA Consolation Game

NJCAA PHOTOS 

HERKIMER, N.Y. – Dallas College Eastfield men's basketball team beat Northampton Community College 78-66 in the consolation round of the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III Tournament at Herkimer College Thursday.

The third-ranked Harvester Bees (21-10) were making their 14^th appearance in the national tournament, which is the most in NJCAA Division III history.

Eastfield's Reggie McDonald scored 20 points off the bench on 7-of-13 shooting, including 4 of 9 from downtown, and had three assists and two steals. Martez James had 19 points and a career-high 18 rebounds. He was 11 for 12 at the free throw line – also a career best. Braydon Campbell had 10 points and four rebounds, going 5 for 5 at the stripe.

The Harvester Bees were 24 for 32 at the free throw line. Northampton (26-6) went 16 of 23.

Eastfield outrebounded Northampton 57-43.

With the score tied at 42 after Northampton's Ermil Fleurinvil converted a layup, the Harvester Bees used a 6-0 run to make it a two-possession game. Following a three-pointer by McDonald that put the Bees up seven, the Spartans cut it to 53-51 midway through the second half. Campbell knocked down a 3 at the 6:41 mark to bump the lead out to 63-58 before Kevin Rucker answered with a triple for Northampton.

Following another 3 by McDonald, James sank two free throws with 4:34 to play to put Eastfield ahead 68-62. James scored on a layup 1:23 later to stretch the Bees' lead to seven. James converted a three-point play with 1:41 on the clock to put the Harvesters up 12 to put it away.

Rucker scored 22 points, and Fleurinvil and Julian Bair each had 10 for the Spartans, who went 8 of 27 from beyond the 3-point arc. Ricky Wilson had seven points, eight boards, two blocks and a steal, and Martin Nicholas finished with six points, 12 rebounds and three assists for Eastfield. Montreal Chalmers also had six points.

The Harvester Bees were 8 of 25 from long distance.

It was a game that featured eight ties and seven lead changes, but one in which Eastfield never trailed by more than three, and led by as many as 14 late.

Eastfield was making its second trip to the national tournament since 2022. It was the first under second-year head coach Byron Rimm.