Daily Sports Digest: Dominican’s Joe Clinton Earns 300th Win

Joe Clinton of Pearl River goes into his next game as head coach of the men’s basketball team at Dominican College flush on the heels of earning the 300th victory in a 20-year career leading the Chargers.

Dominican will look to nail down No. 301 for the veteran mentor 8 p.m. Wednesday Feb. 1 when Post University (8-12) of Waterbury, CT, comes to call at the Hennessy Center in Orangeburg for a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference North Division contest.

The women’s teams are set to tip-off at 6 p.m.

The Chargers gave Clinton his 300th victory by defeating the visiting Wildcats of Wilmington University, 74-62, in a CACC game that elevated the overall record to 11-7, and 4-6 in conference play. 

Dominican jumped to an overpowering 40-13 lead with just under a minute to play in the first half. The Chargers kept a double-digit lead for most of the second half until the 4:41 mark when a WU lay-up made it 59-50. The Chargers rebuilt the lead to 69-53 and coasted home.

Junior Cory Quimby of Otisville had the game’s only double-double with 20 points and 18 rebounds, while guard Khaleev Ginyard of Brentwood had 13 Points.

Forward Daniel Woods of Upper Marlboro, MD, also scored 13 points coming off the bench.

Guard Leon Porter of Laurel, MD, added nine points and a game-leading nine assists in the triumph.

K.C. Jentzen of Nanuet led the Lady Chargers past Wilmington, 60-52, coming off the bench to score 12 points, shooting 5-of-7 from the floor.

Dominican, which improved to 9-7 all told and an impressive 9-2 in the conference, also took an early lead behind the play of guard Shannon Lavelle of Floral Park, and led 30-18 at the break. Wilmington, which fell to 1-14, 0-10, was outscored 17-6 in the first eight minutes after the break, and never threatened.

College Notes

Spartans fall short in D.C.

The St. Thomas Aquinas College men’s and women’s basketball teams fell to their powerful counterparts at the University of the District of Columbia in Washington, D.C., but the Spartans put up strong efforts on the road in each game, with the men nearly pulling off a mighty upset.

Coach Dennis O’Donnell’s men’s team held the host Firebirds (16-3 overall, 7-2 in the East Coast Conference) to a season-low point total in a 63-62 loss, while Coach Kim Lusk’s women's squad was upended, 54-44, to stop a two-game winning streak.

“This was a good win,” said UDC coach Jeff Ruland, a former star at Iona College and NBA player, on the Firebirds’ website. “I thought we played very good defense. Our offense was not exactly stellar, but credit St. Thomas Aquinas because they played real hard.”

The Spartans (7-11, 3-6) were thwarted despite 13 points each from junior guards Justin Brown of Uniondale and Irin Stark of the Bronx.        

The Firebirds held a 32-24 halftime edge, but were unable to finish off the feisty Spartans. The Firebirds appeared to have matters in hand with a 58-50 cushion with just 1:45 left, but STAC hit four three pointers-- two by Stark, and one each by Brown and Omar Kellman of Brooklyn--in the waning seconds.

UDC needed two free throws by Dishawn Bradshaw with two seconds left to take the one-point lead, one that held up when Kellman missed a 90-foot desperation attempt at the buzzer.

Junior Nick Lopez of Jackson, NJ, had 11 points for the Spartans while Brown grabbed a team-leading nine rebounds.

The Spartans’ defensive pressure limited the powerhouse UDC squad to just 40 percent shooting (25-63), but STAC was held to 35 percent.

Brown was a force as STAC dominated the glass, with a 48-36 edge off the boards.

The Spartans, in the midst of playing six of eight games on the road, visit Queens College in Flushing on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. 

The Lady Spartans, who also visit Queens College on Wednesday night at 5 p.m., were led by senior forward Briana Sloper of Williston Park.

Sloper scored 15 points as STAC fell to 9-10, 4-5 while UDC won its sixth straight to match the men’s record at 16-3, and 7-2 in the conference.

The Lady Spartans return to Aquinas Hall in Sparkill to host Molloy College at 1 p.m. Saturday Feb. 4, as the front end of a twin-bill with the men’s teams.

Today’s Schedule:                

In boys basketball, Pearl River heads to Nanuet at 4 p.m.

In girls basketball, Pearl River will host Nanuet at 4 p.m.

in bowling, Pearl River's competittion with East Ramapo has been moved to New City Lanes and will start at 3:30 p.m.

In boys basketball, Albertus Magnus heads to Nyack at 4 p.m.

In girls basketball, Albertus Magnus will host Nyack at 5:45 p.m.