2024 MC Holiday Basketball Tournament

Rockville, MD: This Saturday and Sunday, Montgomery College will host the annual Holiday Basketball Tournament. Six schools from all over the country will convene at the Rockville Campus for a weekend of high stakes basketball.

 

On the men's side, the 17th ranked Raptors enter the tournament on a roll. They've won four games in a row, and currently are 9-1 this season. The Raptors are known for their deep bench, with 12 players averaging 10 or more minutes. Sophomore forwards Ibrahim Abdulmateen-Robinson and Mateusz Szpin lead the charge for the Raptors. Ibrahim Abdulmateen-Robinson, a two time captain, has picked up right from where his freshman season ended, averaging 13.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.1 stocks (steals and blocks) a game. After redshirting last year, Matuesz Szpin returned to the Raptors with a vengeance. He leads the country with 12.2 rebounds a game, while also scoring 11.8 points and blocking 2.8 shots a game. Coach Jamaal Wise, head coach of the Raptors, is "pleased with the way the season has started", noting how their 9-1 record has come against a tough schedule.

However, they face some stiff competition if they want to go 2-0 this weekend, with Coach Wise saying that "all the teams in the Holiday Tournament are good D2 JuCo teams."

 

On Saturday, the Raptors host the Cuyahoga Community College Triceratops at 7:00 PM. Coming all the way from Cleveland, the Tri-C Triceratops are 7-3 this season, and are on a 3 game win streak. The Triceratops have a high octane offense, averaging 93.9 points a game. Six players are scoring 10 or more points a game, led by Xavier Vann, who is averaging 16.2 points per game. Coach Wise notes that they "play with a lot of energy" and "will be a tough opponent." On Sunday, the Raptors host the Pitt Community College Bulldogs at 5:00 PM. The Bulldogs, traveling from North Carolina, come into the tournament at 6-3, and certainly live up to their mascot. The Bulldogs are third in the country in rebounds per game, 0.1 rebounds ahead of the Raptors. They're also second in the country in blocks per game behind the Raptors, averaging 7 a game. Amarion McCrae, a 6'2 guard, leads the charge for the Bulldogs. He is averaging 17.2 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. Coach Wise also considers them a "tough opponent", and mentioned that they are a "very physical team." The fourth team in the tournament, the Middlesex College Colts, head to Rockville with something to prove. The Colts were ranked 22nd in the country, but after 2 losses this past week have fallen out of the rankings. Sitting at 10-3, the Colts are led by a guard and forward tandem. Sean Williams, a 6'3 guard, is averaging 17.8 points and 4.8 assists, while 6'6 forward Tristin Harcourt is averaging a double-double with 14.5 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. 

 

On the women's side, the Raptors are 8-3 on the season, and 3-1 in the month of December. After a few games not at full strength, the Raptors are looking forward to having their full team back on the court for the upcoming tournament. On the court, guard Litzy Lujan-Gonzales and center Kennedy Clifton form a dynamic duo. Litzy Lujan-Gonzales steers the ship as the point guard, averaging 16.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game. On the interior, center Kennedy Clifton is having a breakout sophomore season, averaging 15.4 points and 13.8 rebounds a night, in addition to deterring shots around the rim. Tarloh Gasque, head coach of the Raptors, says the holiday tournament will be "very good competition that will help us prepare for play in January."

On Saturday, the Raptors take on the Middlesex College Colts at 5:00 PM. The Colts, from New Jersey, are 4-6 on the season, and are looking to pick up a few non-conference wins after a 1-4 start to conference play. Three players average more than 10 points a game for the Colts, with 5'5 freshman Alyssa Rice leading the team with 13 points a game. On Sunday, the Raptors play the Wake Technical Community College Eagles at 3:00 PM. The Eagles are also 4-6 on the season, but have beat 2 opponents the Raptors have already faced. The Eagles trot out a tandem of freshman scoring guards, with 5'8 Jai'lun Brimmer averaging 10.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.4 assists a game, while 5'9 Alissa Yates averages 10.4 points and 5.2 rebounds a game. The fourth team in the tournament is the Howard Community College Dragons. After losing to the Raptors on December 14th, the Dragons are looking to return to the Rockville gym and pick up some wins. The Dragons are an all around team, with seven players averaging 5 or more points a game. 

 

All games will be streamed on Youtube. Please check below for the full schedule.