(Valhalla, NY) - Freshman Kai Parris (Bronx, NY/Riverdale Kingsbridge) had a 21-point, 10 rebound double-double, and added five steals, and freshman Omar Nkonde (New York, NY/Thurgood Marshall Academy) scored 10 points, and added nine rebounds and six blocked shots, but the Westchester Community College Men's Basketball team concluded the 2021-2022 season with a 79-66 loss to #12-ranked Orange Community College during the NJCAA Region XV Semifinals on Saturday at Viking Gymnasium. With the loss, the Vikings finish the season with a 10-12 record.

The game marked the third time the teams played during the year, and while Orange (19-1) won all three meetings, none of them were easy, particularly Saturday's semifinal game. Tied 8-8 earlier, the Vikings went on an 11-3 run, and took a 19-11 lead with 12 minutes to play in the first half after an Elijah Gonzalez (Bronx, NY/Winston Salem Christian - NC) lay-up. From there, Orange CC battled back, and briefly took a 32-31 lead with 2:45 to play in the first half, but Westchester scored the final four points of the opening half for a 35-32 halftime lead.

Westchester led for most of the second half, extending the advantage to as many as 10 points with 14:43 to play, but Orange gradually chipped away, and a late 9-0 run by the Colts put Orange ahead 64-59 with 4:32 remaining in the game. A Parris jump shot a minute later tied the game at 64, but the Colts ended the game on a 15-2 run for the 13-point win. Westchester went 0 for 6 from the floor during the final four minutes of play, and committed four turnovers, allowing Orange CC to pull away.

Gonzalez finished with 10 points, while Jonathan Blumrick (Houston, TX/Heights HS) ended the game with seven points, 13 rebounds, and six steals. Also for Westchester, freshman Nokio Kennedy (Yonkers, NY/Palisade Prep) had nine points, and six rebounds.

The Vikings had a 50-42 edge on the boards, but Orange hit 46% of their shots, compared to 36% for the Vikings. The Colts were also 8 for 22 from three-point range, compared to 4 for 18 for Westchester.

Orange Community College will face top-seeded Sullivan Community College for the 2022 NJCAA Region XV Division II Championship on Sunday, Feb. 27 at 3:30 pm in Viking Gymnasium.