Hostos Community College Men’s Basketball team emerged victorious in the 2024 NJCAA Region XV Championship on Sunday, March 3. The Caimans defeated top seed and defending champion, the Falcons, from Dutchess Community College. The triumph marks a historic achievement for the South Bronx college team, securing their first region title since 2020.

 

Hostos officials said the victory not only brought the championship trophy back to the College but also earned them the region’s automatic bid to the prestigious NJCAA Division III Men’s Basketball National Tournament, which is set to take place from March 13–16 at Herkimer Community College in Herkimer, New York.

 

“We are immensely proud of our coed basketball program, and the men’s team is a remarkable ensemble of excellent athletes who exemplify the best in sportsmanship and academic achievement!” said Hostos President Daisy Cocco De Filippis. “They are responsible, dedicated student scholars hailing from every corner of this city, embodying our community’s diverse spirit and resilience. Bravi!”

 

According to Hostos officials, the significance of the latest win cannot be overstated. They said it reflects the hard work of the players, the coaching staff, and everyone involved in the Hostos Athletics program. They said the Caimans have once again demonstrated their prowess on the basketball court and have reestablished themselves as a formidable force in NJCAA basketball.

 

“This has been rewarding,” said assistant director of Athletics and Head Men’s Team Coach Marquee Poole. “When confronted with the challenges of being a coach at a two-year institution, I am happy to see my players believe in themselves. They commute from all over the city and New Jersey, and they still show up to the task and their studies.”

 

He added, “We proudly represented the CUNY Athletic Conference and Hostos. Our players showed what it’s like to be a Caiman, the smallest alligator with the biggest bite.”

 

Hostos officials said the men’s team qualified for the NJCAA Region XV Championship after their victory in a nail-biting, historic double overtime marked by 17 ties on February 16 at Kingsborough Community College. At that moment, the team emerged victorious to secure a second CUNYAC league title in three seasons and their seventh in history.

 

Meanwhile, the Hostos Women’s Basketball team missed out on automatic qualification on Sunday. Still, they remain in contention for an at-large bid in the National Tournament in Rochester, Minnesota. Hostos officials said their fate will now be decided during the NJCAA Selection Show on Wednesday, March 6, at 3 p.m., where they will find out if they are among the four teams chosen.

 

Hostos Community College officials said the college is an educational agent for change that has been transforming and improving the quality of life in the South Bronx and neighboring communities for over half a century. They said since 1968, Hostos has been “a gateway to intellectual growth and socioeconomic mobility, as well as a point of departure for lifelong learning, success in professional careers, and transfer to advanced higher education programs.”

 

The college offers 28 associate degree programs and two certificate programs that facilitate secure transfer to The City University of New York’s (CUNY) four-year colleges or baccalaureate studies at other institutions. A two-time Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence finalist, Hostos officials said the College has an award-winning division of continuing education & workforce development that offers professional development courses and certificate-bearing workforce training programs.

 

They said Hostos also boasts both men’s and women’s basketball teams, which have won multiple CUNY Athletic Conference championships, with the women’s team making history in 2024 as the only team ever to secure seven consecutive titles in the conference’s history. The college is part of the City University of New York (CUNY), described as the nation’s leading, urban, public university, which serves more than 500,000 students at 25 colleges.