DMACC’s men’s basketball team won both games of their home invitational in Boone last weekend. The Bears first game of the Baymont Inn & Suites Classic was against County Upper Academy on Friday evening, which the Bears won by a score of 110 to 38. The second contest for the home team was on Saturday afternoon against Metropolitan, Neb. Community College, winning by a score of 93 to 88.
Davidson and Coach Bowler talk defensive strategy. Photo courtesy DMACC Athletics.
County Upper Academy is a prep school for children ages 10 to 19 with a dedicated basketball program located in Suffolk, England and tours the United States annually. They have been invited to the Baymont Inn & Suites each of the past four seasons, losing to DMACC by an average of 110 to 36 over the past four seasons.
DeShawn Davidson led the Bears with 24 points with 4-6 from deep, also chipping in 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals in the win. Davidson was named the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference Athlete of the Week, averaging 23.7 points and 7.4 rebounds in 30 minutes per game through seven starts, shooting 49 percent from the field.
Other contributors for the Bears were freshman Tray Buchanan (22 points, 5 steals, 4 assists), freshman Zach Lester (18 points, 4 steal, 2 assist), sophomore Dyllan Robinson (12 points, 7 rebounds, 6-6 FG), sophomore Zaire Swaby (8 points, 5 rebounds, 3 blocks), and freshman Vinny Tarello had 13 points, 5 assists and 3 steals in his debut game for DMACC basketball.
Tarello had been medically cleared only earlier that day to start playing competitively with the team, he said there were some nerves before his first collegiate game.
“You always get the butterflies . . . I was just excited to get out there with my teammates.”
Tarello made 4 of 5 shots from the field, 3 for 4 from 3-point range and a perfect 2-2 from the charity stripe. He is excited for the Bears potential in this upcoming season. “I feel like if we all buy into Coach Bowler’s system, we’ll be alright . . . I’m trying to win it all.”
In the Bears game against Metropolitan, DMACC was only up by one with 39 seconds left, 87-86. The Bears didn’t miss another shot, and got out to a 93-86 lead with 11 seconds left in the game before winning 93-88.
Davidson led the team again in scoring, posting a career-high 34 points in the win, along with 9 rebounds. Robinson completed a double-double with 15 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.
Dyllan Robinson dunks over a Metropolitan defender. Photo courtesy DMACC Athletics.
Other major contributors to the win were Buchanan (16 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists), Lester (11 points), and sophomore Devonta Prince (9 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 steal).
DMACC shot 83.9 percent from the free throw line, improving from an average of only 70 percent makes this year.
Davidson talked about the progress of the team so far, saying “We’re cohesive as a team right now, everyone [now] knows each other and we’re starting to have chemistry as a team.”
DMACC has a week off before hosting Marshalltown College in Boone on Saturday. The Tigers come to Boone with a 4-4 record averaging 80 points per game compared to DMACC’s 6-2 record averaging 91 points per game.
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