Highland gets revenge on Triton, wins Region IV title
JOLIET, ILL. - The Highland Community College men's basketball team earned a measure of revenge Monday night and returned to the top of the 2020 Region IV Division I Tournament with 65-60 victory of defending champion Triton College at Joliet Junior College. The #2-seeded Cougars, who had won back-to-back region crowns, dropped a seven-point contest to the top-seeded Trojans a year ago. Highland CC has appeared in five straight championship games and have won four of the past nine.
The Cougars controlled most of the action throughout the first half and slowly built a 33-27 halftime lead. Highland pushed the differential to ten points before Triton College, ranked #20 in the NJCAA Division I Poll, went on a 12-0 surge to gain the lead with 15:12 to play. With five minutes remaining and the Trojans ahead by four, Highland got a three-point play from sophomore guard Sam Kerr to shift the momentum. Fellow second-year guard Nick Fleming drained a long three to beat the shot clock and cap a 5-0 run that gave the Cougars the lead for good with most than two minutes to play.
Fleming was named the Region IV Tournament Most Valuable Player, and was joined on the Region IV All-Tournament Team by teammates Adam Anhold and JJ Flores. Coach Chad Boudreau took home Region IV Coach of the Year accolades for the second time in three years.
Highland Community College owns a 27-6 record and will play in the NJCAA Midwest District Championship on March 7 in Moberly, Missouri, and Region XVI winner, Moberly Area Community College (26-6). The winner advances to the 2020 NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championships (aka "The Tournament") in Hutchinson, Kansas, from March 16-21, 2020.
2020 Region IV Division I All-Region Team
Nick Fleming - Highland Community College
Vashawn Sims - Kankakee Community College
Trey Boston - Triton College
Carlos Curtis - Triton College
Adam Anhold - Highland Community College
JJ Flores - Highland Community College
Region IV Tournament MVP
Nick Fleming - Highland Community College
Coach of the Year
Chad Boudreau - Highland Community College