In March of 1973, the 1972 – 1973 Vikings men’s basketball team put Mercer County Community College on the map when they became the first East Coast team in history to win the NJCAA title – an record that, almost 50 years later, remains undefeated.
When asked about their success on the court, the teammates attribute their winning ways to what many of us fondly refer to as “becoming part of the Mercer family.” Although a couple of the team members were born and raised in Mercer county, most found themselves away from home for the very first time. As early as a month and half before their first game, the team members – many of whom lived together - took care of one another by cooking meals together, carpooling to classes and practice, studying together, and taking one another home to visit their respective families on the weekends. By the time they played their first game against Delta College, the Vikings knew how to look out for each other in more ways than one.
Under the leadership of Head Coach, Howie Landa, and Assistant Coach, Bob Pugh, this team was the first to practice and compete on MCCC’s newly constructed West Windsor campus court. Howie had over 80 different plays that his players had to learn, but the payoff was that his team’s defense was better than any other junior college team’s was at that time. It was no surprise, then, that the team held a 34-3 record leading up to the National Championship game.
In front of a crowd of over 10,000 people - with all but six in the stands rooting for the home team - the Vikings faced Hutchinson Community Junior College (who ranked No. 5 in the nation that year) in the NJCAA Championship game. As the team members looked up and out into the stands, Coach Landa told them, “pretend that they’re cheering for you!” The Hutchinson team was sure that the championship was theirs for the taking. The facts were overwhelming: The Vikings were from the East and no other Eastern team had ever won the title; Hutchinson owned at least an inch advantage at every position; and most importantly, Hutchinson was playing at home. When the final score was posted, however, the Vikings had slain the Hutchinson Dragons, 80-61. Richie Freda was the high-scorer for this record-breaking game, scoring a total of 23 points. Mel Weldon, who was the Team Captain, was named Most Valuable Player of the year. Together, the team brought home MCCC’s first National Championship title.
Members of the 1972-1973 Championship Team:
Howie Landa – Head Coach
Bob Pugh – Assistant Coach
Jim Ramm – Statistician
Larry Davis, #34
John Ford, #24
Richie Freda, #14
Bill Kauffman, #32
Michael Leaphart, #44
Richie Pace, #12
Martin Prendergast, #22
Mike Richbow, #40
Steve Shearer, #50
Mel Weldon, #10
Connie White, #20
Jerome Young, #30
