Christopher Parker and Millinda Marigliano were honored.
Atlantic Cape Community College honored two basketball standouts this week.
Christopher Parker and Millinda Marigliano were presented with resolutions by the Board of Trustees on Tuesday at the Charles D. Worthington Campus in Atlantic City.
Marigliano, an Atlantic City High School graduate, was named to the All-Garden State Athletic Conference Division III First Team and National Junior College Athletic Association Region 19 Division III Second Team.
Margliano took on the role of co-captain in her freshman year, sharing duties with Angelina Bell, as the Buccaneers were rebuilding.
From left, trustees the Rev. Dr. Thomas Dawson and Daniel Money, Mrs. Marigliano, Millinda Marigliano, Atlantic Cape President Dr. Barbara Gaba, Athletic Director Jamal Edwards and women's basketball Head Coach John Miller. (Atlantic Cape Community College)On a team playing its first full season since the 2019-20 campaign, Marigliano and her fellow Lady Buccaneers finished as the eighth seed and earned a trip to the NJCAA Region 19 Division III playoffs where they were defeated by the top-seeded Montgomery County Community College Mustangs.
“In the beginning of the year, it was definitely difficult because we were running low on players," Marigliano said. "Then we had a couple of girls join and I really appreciate them so much because without them we wouldn’t have had a team. It was a really fun year. The girls put so much time and effort into this. We definitely made the best of it.”
The center and forward was second on the team averaging 17.1 points-per-game along with 11.4 rebounds-per-game.
Marigliano, who lives in Absecon, finished the season first overall in the GSAC with 65 blocks, third in field goals with 133, fourth with 212 rebounds, fifth with 140 defensive rebounds and sixth with 329 points.
“It is so awesome for Millinda," said first-year head coach, John Miller. "She works so hard. It is also great for the women’s basketball program and Atlantic Cape Community College."
Marigliano has set lofty expectations for both herself and the team next season.
“I am very excited for next year. I think we could go very far," she said. "For those who hadn’t played before they now have the experience and I think we are all going to be prepared for next year. We know what we have to do.
"We are going to be more committed and we definitely have high expectations," she continued. "My goal is to win our region and a championship, and personally make First Team All-Region. I think we can do it, so we have to set the bar high.”
Men's basketball Head Coach Allen Ragland, Atlantic Cape President Dr. Barbara Gaba, Christopher Parker, and Trustees Daniel Money and the Rev. Dr. Thomas Dawson. (Atlantic Cape Community College)Parker, a 6-foot-5 sophomore originally from Columbia, S.C., was determined to put in the extra work required to take his game to the next level.
Throughout the summer, in the stifling heat and humidity on the outdoor basketball court blacktop, Parker and his father spent numerous hours taking jump shot after jump shot.
Meanwhile, Head Coach Allen Ragland was sending workout videos to Parker for additional training and development in advance of his second season as a Buccaneer.
That dedication and perseverance paid off as Parker scored his 1,000th career point Feb. 15, and helped lead his Buccaneers to the second round of the NJCAA Region 19 Division III playoffs. For his efforts, Parker was named All-GSAC Division III Player of the Year and All-GSAC Region 19 Division III First Team.
Parker, who recently earned a full scholarship to play men’s basketball for Division I South Carolina State University in the fall, had plenty of motivation going into his final season at Atlantic Cape.
“A lot of people put their trust in me and they believed in me, in what I can do and what I can accomplish,” said Parker, who admitted that Coach Ragland convinced him to return for his sophomore season. “I was just going off of that as motivation all year.”
Ragland touted Parker’s commitment to his game over the past two years.
“Chris came in as a hard worker. When I recruited him, I told him that we were going to develop his talent and skills to play more of a guard instead of a big man. He just came in and worked hard,” Ragland said. “This summer we took him to the showcase where he was with other top junior college players and that’s where he saw that he had to take his game to another higher level. This year he took his game to another level and he still has levels to go.
“His hard work and dedication paid off, and I am happy to see his accolades coming," Ragland said. "To me, I think he really can be a draft pick. That’s what we talk about all of the time.”
