Catamounts Men's Basketball pawing new ground
By Michael Minnich - Mineral Daily News-Tribune Sports Editor mminnich@newstribune.info
KEYSER--The Potomac State College Catamounts enter December with momentum. PSC is off to a 6-1 start and have moved up to 11th in the latest NJCAA Division men's basketball poll. It's new ground, said coach Shawn White.
"I believe this is the first time that the men's basketball team has been ranked nationally," said White. Carlton Johnson has been the standout: the sophomore is sixth in the nation in scoring. The Catamounts opened the season by edging Howard Community College, 86-85, on November 3. Johnson led the way with 30 points, while Ishmail Sesay scored 15. Both sophomores are getting Division I interest, said White.
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| Carlton Johnson is sixth in the nation in scoring |
A few days later, PSC captured the Railey Realty Tournament at Garrett College, bouncing MC Germantown, 90-66 and upending the hosts, 98-87, in overtime. Johnson was named to the all-tournament team.
Against Germantown, he again set the tone with 21 points, with Sesay adding 12 and Michael Hatfield and Kwanis Hayes both scoring 10. In the Garrett win, Johnson fired in 30, while Sesay was close behind with 27 points. Michah Parker scored 11 and Jaron Farrell 10.
All four players are from the Woodbridge, Va. area., and that cohesion has spread to the whole team. "Team chemistry has been a positive," said White. "Everybody likes everybody." That's especially tough to do at the JUCO level, where players stay for a year, two at most, before moving on.
The Catamounts then crushed CCBC-Dundalk on November 9, 102-75. Johnson scored 23 points to lead six Cats in double figures: Mike Hatfield had 16, Hayes 12, Parker and Farrell 11, and Sesay 10.
Potomac State suffered their only defeat of the season against then-No. 3 Erie at the McDonald's Tournament at Garrett College on November 12, 96-89, before bouncing back the next day and defeating Patrick Henry, 97-75.
Versus Erie, Johnson had 30, followed by Sesay's 18. It was also the first big game for Keyser alum Peyton Hartman, who scored 16 points. "Peyton has been a pleasure to coach," said White. "He plays his role very well and has been a force in the middle defensively." Hartman is currently the team's leading rebounder, pulling down eight boards a game.
Against Patrick Henry, the two-headed monster of Johnson (34 points) and Sesay (27) were too much. Hartman added a dozen, going 6-for-6 from the line.
Potomac State played their lone home game on November 18, bouncing CCBC Essex, 93-86. Sesay and Hatfield led a balanced attack with 15 points, with Johnson and Hayes (14 each) and Parker (11) close behind.
Potomac State plays at Montgomery College-Rockville at 4 p.m. on Sunday, then continues their road swing against College of Southern Maryland on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Then, it's off to Baltimore for the Ben Williams Classic, where the Catamounts will face stiff competition in Baltimore City, CCBC Dundalk, and CCBC Catonsville. Baltimore City is the favorite to win the region this season, said White, and features three Division I prospects.
"They will give us a true test," said White. In January, Potomac State will move into WPCC play, hosting Penn Highlands Community College on January 14; the Cats' next home game is two days before, against Cecil College at 6 p.m.