RCSJ guard Daniel Wellington is usually the smallest guy on the court when his Roadrunner men's basketball team tips off against any NJCAA opponent.

But as he displayed Saturday against No. 10 nationally ranked Brookdale, the 5-foot-7 guard can be a giant killer. Wellington was all over the court on both the offensive and defensive fronts to lift the Runners to a dramatic 71-70 triumph over the Jersey Blues.

Jeremy Young and Wellington paved the way with 26 and 19 points respectively. Wellington's presence could not be overstated as he collected 3 steals and 2 defensive rebounds, including the game clincher with 0.7 second remaining to seal the victory. With seconds remaining he also set up teammate Young beautifully with a lead pass off the boards that Young slam dunked to the roaring approval of the large crowd.

So how does Welliington use his lack of size to his advantage?

"For me it's all about my speed and never letting up," said Wellington, a freshman out of Bridgeport, CT who averages 11.5 points per game. "I always make my presence known, especially on defense. Good defense leads to great opportunities on the offensive end of the court."

The Runners, who improved to 12-12 overall, trailed by 35-31 at halftime but rallied to open up a 63-54 lead with under 3 minutes remaining. The Jersey Blues (17-2) attempted a comeback of their own and narrowed the lead down to 71-70 when they gained possession with 20.8 seconds remaining. But great defense from Wellington and guards Nick Sambour and Khayri Ransom forced Brookdale to miss two last-second attempts before Wellington grabbed the game's final rebound to settle the outcome.

Sambour also finished in twin figures with 10 points while Ransom added 9. The Jersey Blues' Fres Cabrera led all scorers with 30 points.

Next up for the Roadrunners, who are pursuing a Region 19 playoff berth, will be a home game against Bergen CCC on Tuesday evening, Feb. 8, in an 8 pm start.