Richland Gets by Riverland to Meet North Lake in National Semifinals

PHOTOS

HERKIMER, N.Y. – Dallas College Richland men's basketball team advanced to the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III national semifinals for a second straight year.

The fourth-ranked Thunderducks held on to beat fifth-ranked Riverland Community College (Minn.) 67-64 in Thursday's quarterfinals at Herkimer College. Richland (22-9) will play sixth-ranked Dallas College North Lake (23-10) in Friday's 6 p.m. CT semifinals. It will be the fourth meeting between the two teams this season.

Andrew Huntley scored 20 points, and grabbed seven rebounds, and Dre Rutledge had 17 points and 10 boards for the Thunderducks. Cedric Dent scored 14 points, canning two critical three-pointers on back-to-back possessions in crunch time to help send Richland on.

Dent, who was 3 of 5 from long distance, buried a 3-pointer with 3:48 to play to break a 54-54 tie. After Rutledge pulled down a rebound on Riverland's offensive end, Dent hit a second 3 on the Thunderducks' next trip down the court to extend the lead to 60-54.

De'Vaun Suggs-Dabney hit a jump shot with 1:45 to play as the Blue Devils (29-3) pulled within two. Huntley scored on an offensive putback to make it 62-58. After Tyson Helms sank the first of two free throws for the Blue Devils with 1:02 on the clock, Huntley scored again on Richland's next trip down the court to stretch the lead out to five. Suggs-Dabney answered 10 seconds later to cut the gap to three.

After Dent sank a free throw, Helms buried a triple, pulling Riverland within 65-64 with five seconds to go. But Dent sank two free throws, and Richland held on.

The Thunderducks were 23 of 27 at the free throw line, following the consistent script they've maintained throughout the season. The Blue Devils went 7 for 12 at the stripe. Richland shot 53.3 percent from the 3-point line, going 8 for 15. Riverland was 7 of 22 for 31.8 percent.

Richland led by as many as eight 11:01 into the game when Rutledge sank a pair of free throws. The Blue Devils outscored the Thunderducks 24-14 in the paint. Riverland's bench scoring production held a 19-7 advantage.

Helms had 15 points and four assists. Joe Poyser finished with 12 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and two steals, and Tristan Coleman 10 points and six rebounds for the Blue Devils.

Rutledge was 7 for 8 at the free throw line, and hit 5 of 11 field goals. His 17 points were a season high. It was his second straight double-double in the national tournament.