No. 1 Richland Wraps up Share of DAC Title

LANCASTER, Texas – Dallas College Richland's top-ranked men's basketball team wrapped up a share of the Dallas Athletic Conference regular season title Wednesday night with an 80-65 win at Dallas College Cedar Valley.

The National Junior College Athletic Association Division III No. 1-ranked Thunderducks (19-6, 12-0 DAC) won their 15^th straight game. Richland needs one more win in its final three regular season games to secure an outright league championship. The Thunderducks also won the DAC championship last year.

Richland's Jase Tarver scored 24 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and had three steals and a block. He was 9 of 14 from the field and 6 for 6 at the free throw line. Andrew Huntley scored 13 points, and had five assists and three steals, while shooting 4 of 8 from the floor. Joubron Bebe had 11 points and four rebounds, and Tyler Johnson 10 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Matt Lawrence had 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting, five rebounds and four assists for the Suns (4-20, 1-11). J'Ylon Nobles went 6 of 12 from the field, finishing with 16 points and five steals. Jordyn Johnson had 11 points and three steals.

Cedar Valley held a three-point lead five minutes into the game. But Bebe came up with a steal and breakaway jam to put Richland ahead 11-8 with 11:26 remaining in the first half.

"We got off to a slow start for whatever reason," Richland head coach Jon Havens said. "We just didn't come out with a bunch of juice, and had to fight that a little bit. Then we pulled away, and I thought we relaxed a little bit. I thought we were able to do enough to get the job done, and win the game. Proud of the guys for staying in there."

With 8:41 to play in the first half, Tarver threw down a dunk on a runout, following a steal by Huntley to stretch the lead to 20-10. Nobles buried a 3-pointer at the 5:12 mark as Cedar Valley cut the deficit to five. The Thunderducks went on a 9-2 run, capped off on a 3 by Tyler Johnson to push the lead out to 12.

Richland led by 15 at halftime.

The Thunderducks were 12 for 12 at the free throw line in the first half. Tarver had 14 of his 24 points in the first half. Cedar Valley's Jeremy Taylor scored all of eight of his points in the first half. Nobles also had eight in the opening half, and Tyler Johnson had seven of his 10 by halftime.

Huntley scored on an offensive putback early in the first half to give Richland an 18-point lead. Lawrence knocked down a baseline jumper, and converted a three-point play at the 18:06 mark to bring the Suns within 15. Bebe sank a free throw midway through the second half as the Thunderducks went up 63-42. Richland maintained a double-digit lead throughout the remainder of the game to seal the win.

Richland shot 46.4 percent, going 26 of 56. The Thunderducks hit 21 of 24 free throws. Cedar Valley was 24 of 48 from the floor and 14 of 22 at the free throw line. The Thunderducks outrebounded the Suns 41-29.

"I think we've had games, we've been in battles," Havens said. "I think we've been able to find a way, get a stop on a certain possession or get a big basket. That's a credit to the guys. They work hard in practice. We try to make practice like a game. They've kind of bought into that. We've got young guys that are getting better as the season goes on. A lot of freshmen that are playing major minutes, especially like Jase Tarver. Just being able to find a way. That's the biggest thing in basketball. It doesn't have to look pretty, but you've got to find a way, and they've been able to do that."

Richland plays at Dallas College Mountain View 1 p.m. Saturday.