Men Open up Season in NHTI Tap-off Classic

CONCORD, N.H. - The Warriors men's basketball team opened up their 2014-15 basketball season Friday, November 7, in the New Hampshire Technical Institute (NHTI) Tap-off Classic.  The team would face the University of Maine Augusta (UMA). The Warriors were led by returners Jeffrey Noel (Brooklyn, NY) and Michael Pena (Dumont, NJ). Noel finished the game scoring 19 points and grabbed four rebounds. Pena added 15 points and pulled down five boards.

The Warriors had a commanding 49-25 lead at halftime over UMA, shooting over 60 percent from the field. In the second half the Warriors continued their red hot shooting, completing over 50 percent of their field goal attempts. The Warriors increased their lead to as much as 25 points in the second half before defeating UMA by a final score of 91-72.

On Saturday, November 8, the men's basketball team squared off against NHTI. The Warriors saw a 12 point lead erased in the first half as they trailed NHTI 36-39 at the break. Isiah Reed (Brooklyn, NY) was a solid force in the middle, registering eight points and four rebounds in the first half.

The second half was a shoot-out. Both teams got up and down the court scoring over 40 points respectively. The Warriors regained the lead just underneath the 13 minutes left in the game, but NHTI quickly went back on top. Foul shots were critical in the game for both teams. The Warriors missed 10 free throws in a tight four point game helping NHTI to sneak out with an 86-82 victory.

Jeffrey Noel scored a game high 25 points to go along with eight rebounds. Michael Pena had another solid game for the Warriors finishing with 15 points and pulled down and team high nine rebounds. The Warriors also received contributions from some of the new members on the team.  Freshman Sergio Mejia (New York, NY) and Junior Henry Burch (Queens Village, NY) added 11 points apiece in the game.