Bulldogs earn 7th place at National Tournament

3/24/2009

SOUTH HOLLAND, IL – The South Suburban College Men's Basketball Team won their final two games this weekend to earn 7th place overall at the 12-team NJCAA Division II National Championship Tournament at Danville Area College in Danville, IL. The Bulldogs defeated Morton College 71-55 on Friday, followed by a 78-70 win over Bismarck State College on Saturday. South Suburban opened the tournament on Wednesday with an 86-78 loss to Columbus State Community College. Johnson County Community College defeated Kirkwood Community College in the National Championship Game.

The Bulldogs earned a final record of 30-6 on the season along with their third consecutive top-10 finish at the National Tournament.

"We are disappointed that our game vs. the #1 team in the country [Columbus State] did not turn out the way we wanted it, but overall the season was a great success," said Head Coach John Pigatti. "Our basketball team overcame a lot of adversity this year. We had four out of our top six players out for the majority of the season, and still managed to win 30 games. The determination of this basketball team was outstanding, and I am very proud of them. I was also proud of the way we battled back at the National Tournament. Most teams would have put their basketball shoes away for the season after the heartbreaking loss to Columbus State. However, our team decided that they wanted to make history here at South Suburban and get that special total of 30 wins in a season. DeAngelo McIntosh had an outstanding tournament, and was one of the best players there."

Pigatti lauded sophomore guard Jarrell Turner (Corliss, Dolton) in addition to sophomore forward Deangelo McIntosh (Julian, Chicago) for their outstanding performances. McIntosh in particular averaged 16 points and 12 rebounds over SSC's three games. The 30 wins for the Bulldogs ties the most in school history–matching last year's 30-win total–and marks the first time the school has won back to back 30-win seasons.

Pigatti added, "This season was a great success. We went undefeated at home on our brand new hardwood floor, and ran our winning streak up to 33 games. The team also won its 3rd straight Regional Title, and did it on the opponents' home floor (Triton). I am excited for the sophomores of the program. They all will have a chance to move on to four-year schools and represent South Suburban College on the next level."

More details and video footage of the tournament can be tracked at http://www.dacc.edu/njcaa/. For more information, please contact Coach Pigatti at 708-596-2000 x2524. South Suburban College is a community college located at 15800 South State Street, South Holland, IL.

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• Press Release