Sending Off Two Sophomores As MBKB Season Concludes With Loss to BCCC

The Details

            Final Score: Riverhawks 46, Baltimore City Community College Panthers 69

            Updated Records: AACC 2-21 overall, 1-13 conference. Panthers 17-10 overall, 11-3 conference

            Location: Anne Arundel Community College – Arnold, MD

            Box Score: Found here

            Media Gallery: Game Video Sophomore Photos

Game Notes

            The Riverhawks dropped, 78-46, against 4^th ranked conference opponent Panthers from Baltimore City Community College this weekend (2/10), hosted at Anne Arundel Community College. With this loss, the 2017-18 men's basketball team has concluded their season.

            The conference action kicked off evenly for the first 10 minutes after tip-off, with a slight lead for the Riverhawks but the Panthers within reach. As the score hit 11-11, it was the Panthers who made their move. Stringing a couple baskets together and finishing on a few from beyond the arc, the Panthers were able to pull away and give themselves a 27-16 lead with just under 6 minutes remaining in the half.

            Refusing to give-up, Clinton Smith (Glen Burnie, MD/Old Mill) was able to come up with some big rebounds giving Jacoby Rojas (San Angelo, TX/Northeast) some opportunities to finish on his pull-up jumpers. Add in a late 3-point bucket by Terry Kenner (Glen Dale, MD/DuVal) and the Riverhawks had fought back, cutting the Panther lead to 30-24 at half time.

            The second half began with just a slight advantage for the Panthers, but they quickly took control. With AACC struggling to finish on shots, Baltimore City was able to pull further away. Shooting just 9-31 in the second half, the Riverhawks were unable to build momentum in their favor and ultimately lost, 78-46, to the Panthers of Baltimore City Community College.

            It has been a tough season for the Riverhawks, finishing 2-21 overall, 1-13 in the conference and not qualifying for post-season play – yet, behind every winning or losing season there is still a team who has worked hard, and this years' Riverhawks can attest to that. With a roster comparably short to most teams, these Riverhawks were often noted as a team "whose record does not reflect their level of skill."

            Early in December, the Riverhawks gave fans a head turning win as they defeated the NJCAA nationally ranked (4^th at the time) Storm of Davidson County Community College. The Riverhawks kept a solid pace for the majority of the contest – trading leads and even holding the lead at half time over the highly favored team out of North Carolina. Refusing to acknowledge pre-game expectations and predictions, they built off their first half momentum and finished strong, earning the 97-89 victory.

            The Riverhawks will be sending off two sophomores this year, as Miles Dobson and Damir Mahmutagic have finished their two seasons at AACC.

            Damir got his first start at AACC with the 2014-15 season before coming back for the present 2017-18 season. Miles finished up this season after he was with the Riverhawks last season with the 2016-17 team.

            This season, Damir played in 21 games and found himself in the starting rotation for 7 of those match ups. Averaging just under 10 points per game (9.4), Damir was quite the asset to have coming off the bench for the Riverhawk offense. Most notably, Mahmutagic dropped 28 points against Northern Virginia Community College earlier this month.

            Miles Dobson finished with 19 starts of the 23 game season, averaging 7.6 points per game. An avid starter, Dobson hit his season high with 18 points in the team's notable win over the nationally ranked Storm of Davidson County Community College.

            The Riverhawk athletic program has watched and guided Dobson and Mahmutagic as they grew as students, athletes, and individuals and wish them the best of luck with their future endeavors.

            Some notable freshman players this year were Terry Kenner (Glenn Dale, MD/DuVal), Jacoby Rojas (San Angelo, TX/Northeast), and Clinton Smith (Glen Burnie, MD/Old Mill).

            The trio would be consistent starters for the Riverhawks with Kenner leading the offense at point and Rojas stepping in at the center. The combination of Kenner and Rojas would be the reliable scorers for the Riverhawks, with Kenner finishing the season ranked 7^th in the conference with his average of 18 points per game, and Rojas ranked 11^th with his average of 16.3 points per game. Clinton Smith was a major contributor in grabbing rebounds for the Riverhawks throughout the season. Smith finished with 7 double-doubles this season and was ranked 5^th in the conference for rebounds per game with his average of 8.7.

            Accompanied by three other freshmen Keith Wyatt (Upper Marlboro, MD/Griggs International Academy), Dorian Branch (Greenbelt, MD/Eleanor Roosevelt) and Marcus Gaston (Severn, MD/North County), the Riverhawks will take the off-season to build and grow for next year.

Up Next

            The Riverhawk men's basketball team has concluded their 2017-18 season.

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