Gaston College returns to postseason play for the first time in 51 years on Thursday

The Rhinos will play host Cape Fear Community College on Thursday at 2 p.m. in the 2023 National Junior College Athletic Association Division I Region 10 tournament quarterfinals.

Gaston College (17-11 overall, 4-8 Region 10) are the No. 5 seed in the 7-team tournament and it plays in the opening game against the No. 4 seed Sea Devils (12-13, 6-6). That winner advances to play regular season champion and No. 1 seed Caldwell Tech (22-4, 10-2) on Friday at 2 p.m.

Thursday's other first round pairings are No. 2 Brunswick Community (17-12, 8-4) against No. 7 Denmark Tech (12-16, 3-9) at 4 p.m. and No. 3 Spartanburg Methodist (20-10, 7-5) against No. 6 Richard Bland (12-17, 4-8) at 6 p.m.

The tournament championship game is March 11 at 1 p.m. with the winner advancing to the National Junior College Athletic Association championships in Hutchinson, Kansas.

Last season, the Rhinos finished 18-10 overall and 8-6 and one game out of first place in Region 10. Since Gaston College was in its first season of restart its athletic program since 1972, the Rhinos were ineligible for postseason competition.

"It was unfortunate that we couldn't go to Regionals last year because of the inaugural year rule; we had a really good team that we could have taken to the tournament," said Rhinos head coach Jamie Rosser, who was associate head coach to David "Dickey" Nutt last year. "This season we have the opportunity to go and we have to take full advantage of it by giving it our all and putting forth 100 percent of our effort."

History offers mixed results as for how Gaston College may do this week.

In the school's eight-season history from 1965 to 1972, it was an impressive 10-7 in postseason play, highlighted by a 1970 championship in the old North Carolina Community College Conference and a 1971 Region 10 runner-up finish to Ferrum.

In Region 10's history of crowning champions since 1949, seven schools won the region title in their first try - Campbell in 1949, Wingate in 1950, North Greenville in 1956, Ferrum in 1965, Aiken Tech in 2003, Clinton College in 2004 and Brunswick Community College in 2005. However, 27 teams have lost in their initial Region 10 playoff games.

Gaston College has five sophomores who were on last year's team that weren't able to play in national postseason action - Dedrick Givens, Joshua Johnson, Dee Merriweather, Kirk Scoggins and DaMarco Watson.

"We're definitely excited and have a whole lot of energy because we weren't able to go last year," Johnson said. "I'm looking forward to my first time in the Region 10 and hope it'll be one of my best experiences in basketball."

Merriweather (11.2 scoring average), Watson (10.4), sophomore Jordan Guthrie (9.5), freshman Tyree Bracey (8.8) and Asil Hoyle (8.8), sophomore Caleb McCarty (8.5), freshman Jamal Ukaegbu (8.3), Givens (7.0), freshmen Michael Smith (6.6) and Yarayah Evans (6.5), Johnson (6.3), freshman Chaundre Bratcher (5.1), Scoggins (5.0) and freshman Ajaden Gray (3.5) give the 14-player roster extraordinary balance.

It's a balance borne out injuries causing Rosser to use 13 of his 14 players as starters for at least one game with only Watson (21) getting 20 or more starts in the 28-game season.

"There have been a whole lot of ups and downs but I still feel like we can be the best team in the region," Watson said. "We've just got to click together as a team. It's been tough. But we also have 14 guys who can play. So we've developed a 'next man up' mentality."

Rosser over the weekend texted his team highlights of surprise Ohio Valley Conference winner Southeast Missouri. A No. 5 seed like Gaston College, Southeast Missouri knocked off top-seeded Morehead State in the semifinals before winning the tournament title over second-seeded Tennessee Tech.

"It's crazy what can happen in conference tournaments," Rosser said. "Anything can happen in March. That's why they call it March Madness and we're happy to be a part of it this season."