By Tennie Sumague
EBC Sports International New York Bureau
NEWARK, New Jersey (Eagle News) — Four of the nation’s elite college basketball programs participated in the second annual Never Forget Tribute Classic at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on December 9th.
In the first matchup, No. 19 Seton Hall Pirates displayed unselfish teamwork as all starting five players scored in double digits to cruise past the Virginia Commonwealth (VCU) Rams 90-67.
Desi Rodriguez led the way with 17 points and Andre Delgado contributed to a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds for the 8-1 Pirates.
“We’ve been playing so long, so everybody knows their role,” said Delgado, who led the nation in rebounds last season. “We don’t focus on one guy. The guys are doing a really good job and we play as a team. [We’re] just trying to win games and make our legacy better. We came here to make history [and] want to let people know how good is Seton Hall. So we’re working on it.”
The Pirates are off to their best start and will earn their best college ranking since the 2000-01 season.
“I talked [to the guys] about things given and things earned,” said Head Coach Kevin Willard. “[I told them] in life, you’re going to appreciate things that are earned more than things that are given.”
“We’ve earned the right to get ranked. We’ve played a tough schedule and had some big wins. Again, I’m not taking any credit. This group has worked extremely hard [and] sacrificed, [spending] three summers here. I don’t tell them they have to be here They are driven and they want it, and these young guys have been phenomenal for us.”
The second doubleheader featured No.5 Florida Gators snapping their three-game losing streak to sneak past No.17 Cincinnati Bearcats 66-62.
Egor Koulechov led Florida (6-3) with 21 points as the Gators exhaled deeply as a sigh of relief, avoiding their fourth straight loss.
“Yes [it was a] big win for us against a very good team and a really consistent program that we have a lot of respect for,” said Gators Head Coach Mike White. “[Cincinnati] is one of the toughest teams in the country in our estimation, both mentally and physically. For my guys to have endured what they have endured last week, it’s been a rough week for us to say the least . [This was a] huge bounce-back win for us [and I’m] very proud of my guys’ effort.”
The second annual Never Forget Tribute Classic tournament benefited the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund, a college education fund for disadvantaged children who lost or have permanently disabled family members that were victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks at World Trade Center.
(Eagle News Service)
