Northern Essex to Host NJCAA East District/Region 21 Basketball Championships

by Dan Blair

Haverhill, MA (02/29/2024) — For the first time, Northern Essex Community College is set to the host the men's and women's NJCAA East District/Region 21 Championships Tournament Semi-Finals and Finals this coming weekend Saturday March 2nd and Sunday March 3rd. The 2024 tournament will mark the first time both the men's and women's championships have been held at the same site since 2020.

The Knights men's basketball team has earned the tournament's top seed for the second consecutive season and advanced to the tournament's final four by virtue of Wednesday evenings 93-61 quarterfinal victory over Roxbury. Luis Reynoso (Lawrence) led the Knights with a 29-point, 15 rebound performance in the quarterfinal.

NECC will be looking to become the first back to back Region 21/East District Champion since Springfield Tech accomplished the feat in 2003 and 2004.

Going into the tournament, NECC leads the nation in scoring defense, holding the opponent to 61.5 points per game on the season while ranking second in rebounding with 57.7 rebounds per game.

On the women's side, Northern Essex will be making their first postseason appearance since 2010 as the program returned this season after a 13-year hiatus.

The Knights will be the second seed and are led by the due of Mirelys Morales (Dracut) and McKayla Dingle (Haverhill) who are averaging 16.8 and 13.6 points per game respectively.

All games will be played at the Sport and Fitness on the Haverhill Campus and Admission is free throughout the weekend.

Tournament Schedule:

Women's Semi-Finals Saturday March 2nd