Balanced Attack Lifts Prince George's Men's Basketball Past Butler County

LARGO, Md. – Darren Rivers (District Heights, Md./DuVal) scored 11 of the first 13 points for Prince George's Community College and the Owls pulled away in the second half to take a 102-62 victory against Butler County Community College in National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region XX Division III men's basketball action on Friday.

After Moetaz Ashkar (Landover Hills, Md./Parkdale) finished up a shot by Rivers to start the game, Rivers scored the next 11 points for the Owls (10-1) to hand the hosts a 13-7 lead four minutes and 30 seconds into the game. In this stretch, the sophomore went 5-for-7 from the floor and 1 of 1 from the free throw line with five rebounds.

Rivers has scored double figures in three-straight games and four times this season. He is averaging 12.7 points per game in his last five games. In addition, the five rebounds marked the sixth time this season he has grabbed at least five boards and 10th time in his career.

Tunde Scrivner (Washington, D.C./H.D. Woodson) continues his double-figure point streak with his 11th-straight game to start his collegiate career after finishing with 16 points. The freshman also added six rebounds and three assists. It was the seventh-consecutive game that he has scored at least 15 points and the ninth time this season. He has hauled in five rebounds for the second-straight game and for the sixth time in 2018-19. Scrivner ranks second on the team with 17.8 points per game.

Alex Morales (Paterson, N.J./Manchester Regional) posted 15 points, five assists, four rebounds and three steals. The sophomore has posted double figures in all 11 games this season and 29 of the 37 games in his career. Morales leads the squad with 18.8 points and 10.1 rebounds per game.

Jordan Hicks (Largo, Md./Henry Wise) added 14 points for his first double-figure point game in seven games and his fourth game with at least 14 points. He registered a career-high 16 points in his collegiate debut against Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology on Nov. 16 and also had 14 points against Harford Community College on Nov. 13.

Dexter Turner (Washington, D.C./Idea Public Charter) recorded 12 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals. Turner, who notched his three-best scoring performances in his last three games before Friday, has scored double figures in five-straight games, eight times this season and nine times in his career. His seven rebounds marked the third time this season that he has hauled in at least five caroms in a contest. Turner ranks third on the team with 12.1 points and 7.1 assists per game.

After Rivers helped Prince George's jump out to the lead it would not relinquish, Scrivner gave the Owls its largest lead of the first half on a try at 9:12 for a 31-15 lead to cap a 12-4 run. The Pioneers closed the stanza by scoring 22 of the final 36 points to cut the Prince George's margin going into the locker room to 45-37.

In the second half with the Owls holding a 50-41 lead, the squad went on a 19-8 lead to go up 69-49 and closed the tilt by scoring 52 of the final 73 points to earn their seventh-straight victory. 

David Burriss (Washington, D.C./Woodrow Wilson) recorded a career-high eight points and eight rebounds while Kevin Chase (Hyattsville, Md./Henry Wise) added six points and five rebounds off the bench.

The Owls have scored at least 80 points in 10 of its 11 games and reached the three-digit mark three times this season.

Prince George's returns to action on Tuesday at CCAC Boyce in another NJCAA Region XX Division III tilt. Game time is 3 p.m.