Posted: Dec 01, 2023
Toms River, NJ - Ocean County College's men's basketball team traveled to Sewell, NJ to compete in RCSJ Gloucester's annual "Roadrunner Classic" last weekend, advancing to the championship round before falling to Division I opponent Manor College.
Friday, December 1
Roadrunner Classic Semifinal
Ocean CC def. RCSJ Gloucester, 87-75
Returning to the court for their 1st game in 9 days, the Vikings shook off the rust and ended the half tied at 37 with the Runners. Ocean would pull away after the break, establishing on-and-off double digit leads before the 12-point difference at the buzzer. Sophomore forward Clarence Celius was dominant in this matchup, scoring 23 points and pulling in 11 rebounds in the win, while sophomore guard Dallas Weisse's 17 2nd half points kept the game in hand for Ocean through the last 20 minutes. OCC freshman guard Dylan Hall was a key contributor as well, with a 13-point, 12-rebound, 2-steal afternoon.
"Hard fought win versus Gloucester," reflected OCC Men's Basketball Head Coach Patrick Boylan. "We were able to secure enough defensive stops down the stretch to close the game out. Clarence Celius was a force throughout the entire game. Dallas Weisse also played a crucial role for us in the 2nd half."
Saturday, December 2
Roadrunner Classic Final
Manor College def. Ocean CC, 85-76
Following Friday's semifinal win versus Gloucester, Ocean returned to Sewell to face Division I opponent Manor College for the Roadrunner Classic championship. Similar to their semifinal game, the Vikings were tied with their opponent after 20 minutes, but were dogged in this matchup by defensive issues, and shot just 39% from the field. OCC sophomore forward Clarence Celius once more led the Vikings' offense with 16 points and 4 boards on 8 for 14 shooting, while sophomore guard Brien Dunphy II scored 14 points and picked up 3 steals in his 18 minutes of action.
"Although it wasn't the outcome we were looking for, I think we're finally starting to find our identity as a team," stated OCC Men's Basketball Assistant Coach Evan Andariese. "We have a few things to work on, but we definitely saw some good things that we can build off of heading into a big week."
The Vikings return to the court on Thursday, December 7, when they welcome Union College to Toms River for a 5:30 P.M. Region 19 matchup.