The MCC Eagles punched their ticket and are headed to Hutch!

CLINTON- The MCC Eagles(20-8) have punched their ticket to the NJCAA National Tournament in Hutchinson, KS, with a 70-57 win over the Jones Bobcats(17-11).

The Eagles started slow before getting hot from downtown in the first half. MCC only managed four free throws from Chris Terrell in the first 3 minutes of play. Soon after that, he, Makeem Roberts, and Talib Ferrette would knock down 3-pointers to put the Eagles up 23-14 with 8:46 left in the half. Jones would chip away at the lead, relying on their big men and scoring 24 of their 29 points in the paint. The Eagles cooled off, and Jones went on a 12-5 run to close out the final 5:32, leaving the Eagles with a 33-29 lead.

More of the same for the Eagles out of the break as the 3-point shooting continued. Makeem Roberts opened the half with a 3- pointer, and Chris Terrell followed suit. Ashton Campbell hit a 3-pointer for Jones, then the Eagles hit three 3-pointers in a row to push the lead to 48-40. The Eagles then proceeded on a 13-6 run to hold a 61-49 lead with just 4:00 minutes to play. From that point on, it was defense and free throws as the Eagles held on to capture their first Region 23 championship since 1999.

The Eagles relied on their sophomores just like they have all season. Makeem Roberts led the way with 25 points, including 5-8 from 3-pt. Chris Terrell had 20 points, 10 of 10 at the free throw line, which was clutch for the Eagles down the stretch. The big man down low, Randarius Hughes, only had 3 points but came up big with 14 rebounds. All three players were named to the Region 23 All-region tournament team, and Chris Terrell was named tournament MVP.

The Eagles will have some time off to reflect before heading to Hutchinson, KS, for the NJCAA D1 Basketball National Tournament, which is set for March 20-25. This marks the first trip for the Eagles in 24 years.