Men Fought To The End To Reach Post Season Play

For the first time since the 2017-18 season, the Red Hawks are back in the conference tournament. The resilience of the 2021-22 Red Hawks has proven to be un-matched over the course of the season. At one point in the season, the Red Hawks had won six out of seven games, including a five game win-streak that clinched a spot in the playoffs.

Heading into the NJCAA Region XII Western Conference Tournament, the sixth-seeded Red Hawks traveled to Kalamazoo Valley to face the third-seeded Cougars.

For the first time since the 2015-16 season, the Red Hawks clinched a spot in the conference semifinals. In a wire-to-wire victory over Kalamazoo Valley, every Red Hawk that touched the floor scored and contributed in various ways to the 77-73 victory over the Cougars.

Jadon Williams led all Red Hawks with 15 points while Derrick Campbell added 14 points, five rebounds and two assists. JoCorian Freeman came off the bench and added 13 points while shooting 75% from the field. Brian Hunter Jr. added 10 points, two rebounds and three assists. Dewey Shannon had another great well-balanced game, scoring eight points, grabbing eight rebounds and securing two steals. Abdoulaye Ba was great on the defensive end, altering many shots at the rim while adding nine points and grabbing four rebounds.

On Thursday, March 2nd, the Red Hawks traveled to Mott Community College in Flint, Michigan to play Muskegon in the conference semifinals. The second-seeded Jayhawks jumped out to a 14-2 lead. However, just like the rest of the season, the Red Hawks' stifling defense helped them to claw back, briefly taking the lead, and went into half-time down just two points.

The remainder of the game was a dogfight to the finish. Defense proved to be the main focus for both teams in the second half, as neither team scored more than 27 points. Unfortunately, the Red Hawks' ran out of gas towards the end and fell to the eventual conference champion by a score of 60-57.

While the season didn't end the way the Red Hawks had hoped, it was historic, nonetheless. They went from a record of 1-28 to a record of 11-18 in just one full season after returning only three players and bringing in an entirely new coaching staff. To add to the accolades over the course of this season, Brian Hunter Jr. received MCCAA Western Conference Third Team honors, while Dewey Shannon received MCCAA Western Conference All-Defensive Team honors.

A true foundation has been built in Benton Harbor, which should give the community, students, and fans some hope. One thing is for sure: they'll be back.