Medina Powers Second-Half Surge With 20 Points To Propel Prince George's Men's Basketball Into NJCAA DIII Championship Game

LARGO, Md. – Powered by 20 points by Dariel Medina (Silver Spring, Md./James H. Blake), No. 10 Prince George's used a 42-20 second half to rally past Pennsylvania Highlands 88-68 in the NJCAA Region XX Division III Tournament Semifinals on Saturday.

With the win, the Owls will face Anne Arundel Community College in the championship game on Sunday at Novak Field House. Game time is 3 p.m. The Riverhawks advanced to the title game with an 86-60 win against Butler County Community College. Prince George's defeated Anne Arundel 72-56 on January 18.

Medina shot 6-for-9 from both the floor and 3-point land and 2 of 2 from the free throw line in the second half to notch a career high and his first career 20-point performance.  He added career-high seven rebounds along with two assists. It is the sophomore's sixth double-digit point game this season and seventh of his career.

Alex Morales (Paterson, N.J./Manchester Regional) registered 22 points, 13 rebounds and six assists. It was his eighth 20-point performance this season. Morales has posted a double-double 13 times in his last 14 games and has 18 double-doubles this season. The sophomore leads the team with 19.7 points and 11.7 rebounds per game. 

Tunde Scrivner (Washington, D.C./H.D. Woodson) added 21 points and five assists. The freshman has eight 20-point performances this season including three in his last four games and six in his last nine contests. Scrivner is averaging 20.8 points per game in his last nine tilts and 17.9 points per game this season.

Jordan Hicks (Largo, Md./Henry Wise) chipped in 10 points, six rebounds and three assists. The freshman has scored double figures eight times this season and three times in his last four contests.

The Black Bears played the first half of their lives to go into the locker room with a 48-46 lead.

Pennsylvania Highlands jumped out to a 17-10 lead seven minutes and 42 seconds into the game.

Four-straight 3-pointers helped the Owls take a 22-21 lead with 9:47 remaining in the first half. Miles Weaver (Alexandria, Va./Takoma Academy) hit two while Morales and Scrivner each drained a basket from behind the arc in the stretch.

The two teams then traded the lead back and forth for the next five minutes before the Black Bears opened up a 41-37 edge with 4:44 on the clock. Pennsylvania Highlands extended the lead to 46-40, Morales scored four points to help Prince George's close the stanza on a 6-2 run to go into the locker room trailing, 48-46.

The Black Bears battle continued in the second half until the Owls went on a 20-2 run after Pennsylvania Highlands tied the game at 55.  Medina powered the run with 12 points to give Prince George's a 75-55 lead en route to an 88-68 victory.

Weaver posted nine points on three treys. Dexter Turner (Washington, D.C./Idea Public Charter) added three points, seven assists and four rebounds while David Burriss (Washington, D.C./Woodrow Wilson) hauled in eight rebounds off the bench.