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NEW YORK, N.Y. (Feb. 16, 2018) - In a nailbiting finish, top-seeded Borough of Manhattan Community College won its first league title since 2015 with a thrilling 88-81 win over third-seeded Kingsborough Community College in the 2018 CUNYAC/Army ROTC Community College Men's Basketball Championship at BMCC Gymnasium.

Trailing 14-9 early in the first half, the Panthers ripped off an overwhelming 26-5 run in a near six-minute stretch to grab a commanding 35-20 lead with 8:06 left.

Freshman forward Viktor Kovacevic (Belgrade, Serbia) led the way for BMCC in the outburst, scoring 12 of the team's 26 points. Freshman guard Quran Dublin (Harlem, NY), the tournament's Most Valuable Player, tallied 10 points, including the three-pointer to cap it off.

Dublin led all scorers in the contest with 27 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field. He also grabbed 12 rebounds for a double-double and added five assists and five steals.

"It means a lot (to win this championship)," said Dublin. "I have been through a lot with high school and going away to college in Kansas. The coaching staff and my teammates have given me confidence. I put in extra work and extra hours for them and for moments like this. Practice makes perfect."

"We knew what to do tonight," Dublin added. "We stayed composed and stayed strong. Kingsborough really fought back, but we stayed together. Family first and stay together."

The Panthers, who shot a solid 40.0 percent (16-of-40) from the floor in the opening 20 minutes, went into halftime with a comfortable 51-35 cushion.

Though it seemed that the game was well out of reach, Kingsborough wasn't one to think so.

Down 63-46 just over five minutes into the second half, the Wave mounted a furious rally with a 19-3 run to pull the game within a single point (66-65) at the 7:40 mark.

Sophomore guard Micaiah Goosby accounted for six points in the burst. Sophomore guard Erhunosere Uwuigbe and freshman guard Edder Menos each nailed a trey to close it out.

Despite Kingsborough's best efforts to take the lead, BMCC had a response for every Wave basket that followed. That included a three-pointer by sophomore guard Anthony McClean (Brooklyn, NY) with 1:14 left to put the game away for good.

"They are champions. They are fighters. A lot of other teams would have rolled over when Kingsborough came back," said BMCC Head Coach Tommy Guerin. "We knew they wouldn't go away. I was hoping they wouldn't make it that close, but we never gave up."

"Hardest working kid I have ever coached," stated Guerin about Dublin, his star rookie. "First one in and last one out. That kid deserves everything he got."

In addition to Dublin's 27-point night, Kovacevic amassed 21 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Freshman guard Curtis Smith (Brooklyn, NY) added 13 points on 4-of-10 shooting. Fellow freshman guard Mark Morgan (Bronx, NY) had 10 points and three rebounds in 13 minutes off the bench. McClean pitched in nine points and two assists in the victory.

Meanwhile, Kingsborough was led by Goosby's 23-point finish. He also grabbed seven rebounds and allocated five assists in the contest. Sophomore center Consolo Adams registered 12 points, nine rebounds and four blocks. Freshman forward Olexandr Bartolomeyev contributed 11 points, five rebounds, three blocks, two assists and two steals. Uwuigbe totaled 10 points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals.

2018 CUNYAC/Army ROTC Community College Men's Basketball All-Tournament Team
Most Valuable Player: Quran Dublin, BMCC
Nakeem Hamilton, Hostos
Keison McIntosh, Queensborough
Salihoun Toure, Queensborough
Micaiah Goosby, Kingsborough
Consolo Adams, Kingsborough
Viktor Kovacevic, BMCC