Haverhill, MA (March 1, 2026) – The Northern Essex Community College men’s basketball team is heading back to the National Junior College Athletic Association’s national tournament for the fourth year in a row. On Sunday, they won their fourth straight NJCAA Region 21/East District Championship by defeating perennial rival Quincy College. That ties the Region 21 and New England record for consecutive men’s basketball championships.

Alex Johnson’s (Worcester) layup with 3.8 seconds remaining in the game gave the top-seeded and #2 nationally ranked Northern Essex Community College men’s basketball team their first lead of the game since the 19:00 mark of the first half and sent the Knights to their fourth straight NJCAA Region 21/East District Championship. With a 68-66 final score, the Knights picked up their 30th win of the season.

In front of a standing room only crowd at the Sport and Fitness Center, Johnson finished with a game-high 23 points, matching the output of Quincy’s Karmari James. For the Knights, Jacob Mercedes (Salem) scored a career high 14 points off the bench.

Trailing for all but 19 seconds in the game and by as many as 10 points at the 10-minute mark of the second half, NECC’s high-pressure defense turned up the volume and forced four Quincy turnovers in the game’s final two minutes.

The Knights’ frontcourt of Christian Sanders (Boston) and Alejandro Delgado (Haverhill) scored eight points apiece in the game.

With a 30-3 overall record, the Knights are likely to receive an opening round bye in the NJCAA National Tournament scheduled for March 11-14th in Herkimer, NY, on the campus of Herkimer College. The 12-team tournament field will be announced on Wednesday at 6:00 pm live on the NJCAA Network.

Alex Johnson was named the Region 21/East District Tournaments’ most outstanding player.

Learn more about athletics at NECC by visiting the webpage.