Herkimer College Men’s Basketball Wins 12th Region III Championship

The Herkimer College Men’s Basketball team defeated No. 2 seed Fulton-Montgomery Community College 90-70 to capture the program’s 12th Region III Championship and first since 2019.

The No. 1 seed Generals never trailed in the game, setting the tempo early with 18 offensive rebounds in the first half. The team led by as much as 12 with two minutes remaining in the first half, before eventually settling with a 44-33 halftime lead.

Both teams exchanged points to open the half, but the lead never got below double-digits. The Generals went on a 20-5 run in a 5:04 stretch in the second half and led by as many as 27 points before ultimately winning by 20.

Freshman Oladele Oladitan, of Staten Island, NY was named Tournament MVP after recording a game-high 20 points and 18 rebounds in the championship game. Oladitan averaged 18.7 points and 13.7 rebounds per game throughout the three-game tournament.

Sophomores Ozzy DeJesus of Amsterdam, NY, and Nick Boyce, of Queens, NY, were named to the All-Tournament Team.

DeJesus, who made his first start since January 6, scored 16 points in the championship game and averaged 12.3 points per game.

Boyce reached double-figures each game, including an 18-point, 14 rebound performance in the championship game. He averaged 13.7 points and 10 rebounds in the tournament.

“(I’m) very, very proud of these guys,” said Herkimer College Men’s Basketball Head Coach Matt Lee after the game. “Our administration here does a great job. These kids get set up for success and they take advantage of it.”

The Generals, who were ranked fourth in the country before the Region III Tournament, await their seeding in the upcoming NJCAA Division III Men’s Basketball National Championship, to be held at Herkimer College March 13-16.