Mustangs stifle Hawks, Improve to 3-0 on the season

By: Oliver Griffin

The Montco Men's Basketball Mustangs have jumped to 3-0 on the season, defeating Harrisburg Area Community College's Hawks in a blowout win. The Mustangs traveled to Harrisburg on Saturday, November 12, eager to keep their perfect start to the season alive, and stunned the Hawks in an 88-53 victory. While the first half of the game started as a back-and-forth between the teams, the Mustangs quickly locked in and took charge. The Mustangs' ran their sets with perfect execution in the first, driving home 52 first-half points, many of those coming off of numerous aggressive takes to the basket paired with excellent ball movement. The Mustangs' were able to ride a 26-point halftime lead into the second half, helping them cruise to a third straight victory. While the starters all did their parts against the Hawks, bringing the intensity and energy on both offense and defense, the story of the game was the Mustangs' bench production. 6 th Man Ty Jones led the Mustangs with 16 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals. Jones's defense must be highlighted, as the defensive intensity he brought off the bench for the Mustangs drove the team to make their first big run of the game, opening up a gap that the Hawks were never able to close. Montco's Anthony Carpenter, Gerald Pinkney, and Cris Dinolfi all saw their first minutes against the Hawks, and all made sure to make the most of their chance. Carpenter finished with 12 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 steals. Pinkney dumped in 5 points of his own, while Dinolfi dropped 4 of his 5 shot attempts, finishing with 11 points on the game. Overall, the Mustangs' bench accounted for 52 of the team's 88 points, shooting 46% from the field. Every Mustang was able to get on the board in this one, a team effort that displayed the chemistry and camaraderie from the players and coaching staff alike. The Mustangs will look to remain undefeated in their highly anticipated home opener, which will take place on Tuesday, November 15. Montco will face a long-time rival in the Community College of Philadelphia (0-1 – Region, 0-3 – Overall). Tip-off is at 7 p.m.