Richland Falls to Herkimer in National Semifinals

HERKIMER, N.Y. – Dallas College Richland men's basketball team fell to host Herkimer College 72-59 in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III semifinals Friday evening.

Richland (22-12) will play in Saturday's 1 p.m. CT third place consolation game.

It is the second time the Thunderducks fell to the Generals (26-4) in the semifinals – the last time in 2019.

Barack Holland scored 12 points, and Trey Wright added 10 points and five assists for the Thunderducks, who shot 31 percent from the field and 36 percent from three-point range. Elijah Brown and Nehemiah Jones had nine points apiece, with Jones grabbing seven rebounds. Holland was 4 for 10 from the 3-point line.

After Brown hit a 3 with 16:24 to play, the Generals used a 13-0 run to take a 38-28 lead. Holland's 3 with 7:59 to go pulled the Thunderducks within 42-41. Jayden Norris' transition layup and successive free throw extended Herkimer's lead to nine at the 4:16 mark. Jackson Hodge's layup with 1:42 remaining pulled Richland within six, but the Generals scored the game's next eight points over a 1:16 span to put the game away.

Jayson McGhee had 25 points and eight rebounds on 10-of-22 shooting for the Generals, who shot 68 percent in the second half, going 7 for 12 from long distance. Oladele Oladitan scored seven of his 13 second half points from the free throw line. He finished with 20 points, 15 rebounds, eight assists and four blocks. Norris had 13 points and five rebounds, and Kenny Freeman added 12 points and five boards.

Richland led 22-19 at halftime, shooting 8 of 30 from the field. Herkimer went 0 for 8 from three-point range, while making 7 of 29 field goals. Both teams combined for 8-for-20 free throw shooting, with the Generals making two more from the stripe.

Richland's bench outscored Herkimer 12-2 in the first half.

Wright's 3 with 6:47 to play in the opening half gave the Thunderducks their largest lead before the break at 17-8. Norris' layup at the 3:45 mark pulled Herkimer within four. McGhee scored with 1:54 on the clock to cut it to 19-17 before Brown's 3 gave Richland its last bucket of the half with 1:35 remaining.

It was a game that featured seven lead changes and four ties.

The Thunderducks will be playing for third place for the second time since 2019.