PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The York College men's basketball team made school history on Thursday evening, winning their first-ever NCAA Tournament game by defeating Rhode Island College, 79-54.
The Cardinals had failed in their first five attempts to advance in the NCAA tournament, losing in the opening round each time (1995, 1996, 1997, 2006, 2007) but York finally broke the drought with a dominant performance over Rhode Island in front of the Anchormen's home crowd.
With the win, York (22-7) now advances to the second round to take on defending national champion Amherst — which received a bye into the second round — on Saturday at 3 p.m. That game will be played in Amherst, MA.
Though Michael Woods— the 2014 CUNYAC Player of the Year and second-leading scorer in Division III—has been the story for York for most of this season, it was Omar St. John who carried the team tonight. St. John netted a career-high 31 points on 10-of-17 shooting, to go along with six rebounds and five assists. Woods added 20 points and five assists, while Just Garvin chipped in 11 points off the bench. Jaron Williams was a force down low, as he grabbed 15 boards and blocked five shots.
The Anchormen, who were making their eighth straight appearance in the tournament, were led by Chris Burton with 14 points and Victor Smith with 11 points. They finish the season with a record of 20-9.
Nerves were evident for both teams in the opening minutes with each side committing a number of turnovers at the start. Three minutes into the game, the two teams only had two points apiece.
The Cardinals settled down though and quickly created some separation, after a 16-0 run put York up 16-2 with 12:34 left in the half. A three-pointer by Woods and then made jumpers by Donald Rodriguez and St. John on consecutive possessions helped spark the big run.
"I told the guys before the game," said York Head Coach Ronald St. John, "If we jump on them and get that knockout punch right from the beginning it'll be done before they realize what happened."
After Rhode Island cut the lead down to 10 points (17-7), the Cardinals followed with another big run, this time going on a 13-2 stretch, to go up 30-9 with 7:01 in the opening half. The Cardinals would continue to maintain that 21-point advantage into the locker room, leading 39-18.
Early in the second half, the Cardinals pushed their lead to 27 points, after a pair of St. John free throws made the score 45-18. But a 13-1 stretch ensued for the Anchormen and they cut the deficit to 15 points. Chris Burton helped Rhode Island get back in it with a three-point play early and Eric Alleyne capped off the run with a three-pointer.
But that would be as close as Rhode Island would get, as the Cardinals regrouped and put the game away shortly after. Six straight York points put the Cardinals back up by 21 with 13:40 left. The Cardinals then iced the game a few minutes later thanks to St. John. He drained a shot from long range and then followed that up with a pretty pass that set up Jaron Williams for an emphatic dunk on the next possession. The dunk put York up 60-37. The Anchormen could only get as close as 17 points the rest of the way.
"Our half-court trap really worked effectively tonight," added St. John. "We slow people down with it and they have to worry about getting past us first—and by that time they are rushing their offense. That's what we did well tonight."
After 26 years and 702 games at the helm, coach St. John has finally advanced in the NCAA tournament with his 371st career victory. St. John thinks of this squad as one of the best he's ever coached.
"I would rank this team among the top two or three I've ever coached," said St. John. "They just got every area covered. Not too often have I had to team like that. Even though they aren't as big as some of my teams, they have talent in every area, added St. John.
But to move on any further, York will have to get past #7 Amherst, who will begin their title defense on Saturday. However, St. John is feeling confident.
"People can't just take us for granted. I like our chances. I'm feeling good about it. If we prepare properly, I would love to leave here saying we're going to the Sweet 16. "
Live stats and streaming video are expected to be available for Saturday's game. Those links will be posted soon.