Published on: Thursday, January 10, 2013

By Brandy L. Simms

ROCKVILLE – The Montgomery College Raptors rallied in the final minute Saturday for a 68-65 home victory over the College of Southern Maryland.

Richard Montgomery graduate Alex Chike converted a pair of free throws and then scored a layup with 16 seconds remaining to put the Raptors ahead to stay.

“We just came together,” said Chike, who finished with 13 points, “and just strapped down on defense.”

Phoenix Butler-Poole, a Springbrook alum, added a pair of free throws to account for the final margin of victory.

Andre Gaines and Butler-Poole finished with a team-high 14 points to lead five Raptors in double figures. Timmy Christian and David Broddie each finished with 10 points.

Meanwhile, CSM was led by Juwan Cole, Devon Brown and Sigourney Jackson who combined for 44 points in the loss; Cole scored a game-high 16 points and Brown added 15 points. Jackson finished with 13 points for the Hawks.

Chike, Butler-Poole, Gaines and Christian are among a group of seven former Montgomery County Public School student-athletes on the Raptors roster this season.

Gaines, the Raptors’ leading scorer and rebounder, is a Quince Orchard graduate and former All-Sentinel player. The Montgomery College roster also boasts Springbrook graduates Ronald Ferguson and Christian along with Kennedy alum Dewitt Wood III and Richard Montgomery graduate Jonathan Mensah.

Christian played high school basketball and Butler-Poole played high school football at Springbrook but were never teammates until they arrived at Montgomery College. Christian said he knew some of his college teammates before he joined the Raptors so he enjoys playing alongside them.

“It’s fun because we used to play at the park together and stuff so it’s fun,” said Christian.

Chike and Mensah have been reunited in college after playing together at Richard Montgomery.

“It’s weird,” said Chike, “because I played with him in high school. My senior year I tore my ACL so that was really tough but it’s cool. That’s my man, that’s like my brother