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CUNYAC Community College Men's Basketball Presented by Army ROTC

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The 2014-15 CUNYAC Community College Men's Basketball Semi-Finals will begin tonight, February 18th at BMCC when four teams will begin vying for this year's crown.

The #1 seed and nationally-ranked BMCC Panthers (10-0 CUNYAC, 23-3 Overall) will face the defending CUNYAC Champions and #4 ranked Hostos Caimans (5-5 CUNYAC, 14-14 Overall) in the evening's first semi-final matchup at 6PM.

The Panthers went undefeated in CUNYAC play this year and looks to uphold that run of success tonight when they face Hostos. The quest toward the CUNYAC Championship game begins on their home court, where they've gone 12-2 in 2014-15. BMCC has won ten straight games entering tonight's contest and have been climbing the national rankings all season long. Not even a factor in the pre-season NJCAA rankings, the team has played their way into the top 5 in the country, finishing up at #4. Three weeks ago, BMCC squeezed out a nail-biting 68-67 win over the Caimans, setting up a semi-final matchup that promises to be close and exciting.

"Facing Hostos is no easy task and our team needs to be ready to play and stay together," said BMCC head coach Nolan Adams. "We expect a potent defensive attack and an intense game. The CUNY tournament is always a wonderful event and we are looking forward to a great game."

Last season, Hostos defeated the Bronx Broncos 78-72 in the CUNYAC Finals. This year's path toward repeating will be much more challenging for the Caimans. In the team's ten year history, they've made it to two NJCAA Final Fours, including winning a National Championship in 2005.

At 8PM, the #2 LaGuardia Red Hawks (7-3 CUNYAC, 19-9 Overall) will take on the #3 Broncos (5-5 CUNYAC, 17-9 Overall). LaGuardia has had an impressive season, rising as high as #12 in the NJCAA National Poll. Head coach Ben Chobhaphand has his Red Hawks team ready to play in the first CUNYAC Tournament in school history.

"I feel that we are playing good basketball at this point of the season," said Chobhaphand. "I expect my team to come out and play with confidence and compete every possession." LaGuardia will face a Bronx squad that is composed entirely of freshmen. The teams split their games against each other this year, with LaGuardia winning the most recent contest 99-82.

Winners will advance to the CUNYAC Championship Game, which will be played Friday, February 20th at BMCC. That game is slated to begin at 8:30PM.