On Feb. 22, in the season finale for the DVC Men’s basketball team, the Vikings dominated American River College from start to finish in a 75-61 victory. It was Sophomore Night, a night in which sophomores Damon ‘Doc’ Jones and Mike Harris were recognized in a special pregame ceremony marking the end of their DVC careers.

“I just really wanted to get a win for our sophomores. We had a long season, a real up and down season. We all just wanted to get a win for Mike and Doc and let them go out on a good note,” said freshman guard Connor Jean.

Connor certainly contributed his fair share in bringing home a big win for the sophomores. At times, his offensive play was electrifying and virtually unstoppable in the second half. Raining in six three-point field goals and getting to the rim with ease, Jean totaled a game-high 30 points.

“Last game I couldn’t hit a shot, so I was hoping that this game I could hit some shots. Tonight, the basket looked a little bigger than it has been and I was just feeling it. My teammates were getting me some good looks,” Jean added.

The Vikings as a cohesive unit set the tone early in the game by jumping out to a 10-2 lead and led by at least 15 points for most of the game. Centers John Ocon and Kunle Fashola were bullies inside the paint, leaving no opportunity for second chance points due to their consistent production on the defensive glass. The Vikings controlled the tempo with a strong physical intensity, superb attention to detail on defense, and a half court motion offense that gave American River trouble all night.

Mike Harris reaffirmed why he was such a special player for the Vikings all season long by demonstrating strong leadership qualities and attacking the basket relentlessly. “They (American River) really pressured the ball well so there were lanes open all over the place. Big John (Ocon) takes up a lot of space and occupies a lot of bodies so the basket was open for me pretty much all night once I got passed the first defender,” Harris said.

It was a bittersweet ending to a roller-coaster season for the DVC Vikings. They failed to make playoffs this season and will see two starters leave, but have seen plenty of promise from their freshman players. While his career as a Viking is over, Mike Harris will certainly move on to a four year college to continue his basketball career.

“I do have some offers, but I’m not really sure where I’ll be playing yet. I’ll definitely take the toughness that Coach Coccimiglio taught me here at DVC when I move onto the next level,” said Harris.

The Vikings hope to return to excellence next season and re-establish themselves as a playoff team. We wish sophomores Damon Jones and Mike Harris the best in their future endeavors.