Isaac's Double-Double Leads Cougars To Victory
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
36 | 35 | 71 |
|
|
41 | 35 | 76 |
Allegany College of Maryland
| Game Statistics | Allegany College of Maryland | Frederick Community College |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (25-74) | (26-68) |
| Field Goal % | 33.8% | 38.2% |
| Rebounds | 37 | 47 |
| Assists | 14 | 6 |
| Turnovers | 10 | 12 |
By: Aaron Meekins
FREDERICK, Md. -- Frederick Community College knew that to prepare for a return to Nationals in 2017 they would need to schedule tough teams and be battle tested. This week epitomizes that mindset as the Cougars played their first of three games versus NJCAA Division I programs against conference foe Allegany College of Maryland on Wednesday night. Frederick (4-5 overall, 3-2 MD JUCO) won 76-71, leading the entire contest and starting "D1 week" strong with a record of 1-0.
The Cougars showed in the first half they were up to the challenge. After a first possession lay-up by sophomore Keith Claiborne, the Cougars jumped out to a 20-13 lead in the opening ten minutes of the game. The only crack in a disciplined Cougar defense was Allegany's Willis Ibeh who scored 14 of his team's first 16 points. Allegany was able to catch up and cut the Cougar lead to one. However, Frederick had an answer each time, and was able to push the lead to eight in the closing minutes of the first half.
After making another run to get the game within one possession, sophomore Anthony Isaac excited the crowd with a rim-rattling dunk off of a missed shot. After trading baskets in the last 30 seconds of the first-half, FCC went into the intermission up, 41-36. The Cougars got a strong first half performance from point man Keith Claiborne led the Cougars up-tempo attack by slicing through Allegany's defense for lay-ups or easy opportunities for his teammates. Claiborne finished the half with 10 points and two assists. Isaac continued his energy and output from Saturday's contest, contributing 13 points and nine rebounds.
Coming out of halftime, FCC continued to force Allegany into tough shots. With their continuing effort on the defensive end, and execution on the break, and in the half court, the Cougars pushed their lead to as high as 16 points with ten minutes remaining. Allegany refused to go quietly, and began to slowly creep their way back into the game following many Frederick miscues in the closing minutes of the game. With little over a minute to go, Allegany fought back to cut the deficit to just three points. Frederick was able to sink some late free throws and answer with some clutch baskets at the end to hold on for the victory, 76-71. Isaac continued to pour in the points and gather rebounds in the second half, finishing with a game-high 28 points and a game high 22 rebounds.
FCC's Keith Claiborne finished the contest with 14 points. Tyre Gathright added 14 points and seven rebounds. The Cougars got great minutes from sophomore Shane DeCelis who added nine rebounds and a physical presence in the paint.
Frederick continues their tough schedule this weekend at Baltimore City Community College. The Cougars play Harcum College at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday and return to the hardwood on Sunday against BCCC with a tip scheduled for 3:00 pm.
