The Montgomery County Community College Mustangs Men’s Basketball Team finished the season 22-5, including a trip to the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III tournament for the second time in three years. Photo by Veda Gadziala
For the second time in three years, Montgomery County Community College’s Mustangs Men’s Basketball Team capped a strong regular season performance with trip to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division III tournament.
The Mustangs finished the season ranked eighth in the country with a 22-5 overall record, after capturing the North Atlantic District Championship with a win over no. 1 ranked Salem Community College and punching a ticket to the national tournament in Herkimer, N.Y. as the sixth seed.
The team’s goal of a long tournament run was short lived though, following a disappointing 83-66 loss to Ridgewater College in the first round. Due to a power outage, the March 11 game was suspended with 6:33 remaining in the second half with Ridgewater up 64-61. It resumed the following morning. The Mustangs did finish the season on a high note, however, defeating Dutchess Community College 84-74 in the tournament’s consolation bracket game.
Other season accomplishments include sophomore guard Matthew Williams and sophomore
guard/forward Tariq Jennings each being named to the Eastern Pennsylvania Athletic
Conference (EPAC) All Conference Team. Williams was also named to the All-Region second
team, while Jennings was named to the All-Region third team. Additionally, Head Coach
Koran Prince, ’14, was named Region XIX and North Atlantic District A Coach of the
Year for the second time in three years.
Kelly Dunbar, Director of Athletics and Campus Recreation, said she was incredibly proud of the team’s performance and congratulated them on a successful season.
“Hats off to the entire team for finishing eighth nationally,” she said. “It’s a remarkable
achievement, especially considering these student-athletes are balancing the important
work they have to do both in the classroom and on the court. Congratulations again
to the Men’s Basketball Team, we couldn’t be prouder.”
Prince, likewise, said he was very proud of the team for its hard work this season. He said it was a huge accomplishment to get back to the tournament for the second time in three years.
“Getting to the tournament last time was surreal. This time it felt more like we did it again,” he said. “There’s a passion in me to keep going until we come home with a national championship.”
Similarly, Prince said he appreciated receiving the coach of the year award for the
second time in three years, because it showed his children that with hard work their
dreams can come true. Prince now has a career record of 71-14 as the Mustangs’ head
coach. Prince, a 2014 alumnus of the College, led the Mustangs to the national tournament in 2024 during his first
season at the helm. Prior to that he played for the Mustangs as a student and served
as the team’s assistant coach from 2013 to 2023.
The bigger accomplishment, he said, is seeing his student-athletes achieve success both on and off the court.
“Our guys are getting it done in the classroom,” he said, recognizing guards Ryan Holmburg, Tariq Jennings and Julius Marshall for each being named to the fall 2025 EPAC All-Academic Team. “They are combining winning on the court while earning degrees. What else can you ask for?”
While the season didn’t end the way the team had hoped, Prince said he was impressed by the effort his players gave this year and thought there was a lot to build on for next year. His goal is to continue to improve and get back to the national tournament.
“I want to be able to compete and put Montco on the map. I want to continue to push the message that Montco is here,” he said. “The last three years, we’ve reached the Region XIX championship. I want to continue that. This was a very special group of guys who came together and showed what you can do when you work as a team.”