Press Releases

Feb 14, 2000
Runnin' Colonials' Top Scorer Sees His Number Retired

Contact:
Darren Johnson
(631) 287 8313
Fax: (631) 283 4081

At a special halftime ceremony Saturday night, Southampton College basketball fans saluted the Runnin' Colonials' greatest player. Ron Cargill, now 47 and dean of students at a Brooklyn public school, saw his No. 22 jersey retired at the halftime of the men's home game vs. Adelphi before 250 fans.

No Runnin' Colonial has come close to Cargill's scoring prowess. Cargill, who played from 1969-1972, poured in 2014 points. And this was in the era before the three-pointer. Cargill's shooting percentage was almost 50 percent.

An All-American, Cargill led the Runnin' Colonials to their only NCAA tournament berth in 1972. That was when Ken Hunter, who still resides in Southampton, coached the Colonials to the Div. II National Championship vs. Tennessee State - a team that boasted two future NBA stars. The only other Colonial number retired was also for men's basketball: Daryl Cambrelen, after leading the nation in scoring in 1987-88 with 686 points, saw his No. 15 retired. But Cargill's 27.7 points per game, set in 1969-70, still are the Southampton College single-season record.

Before the game, Runnin' Colonial alumni and coach Hunter gathered for a dinner. Attending were past players like Junie Wingfield, Kevin O'Halloran, Joe Morone, Monge Kodio, Charlie Tutt and Leon Parks.

In the first game Saturday, the Lady Colonials avenged a loss earlier in the season by shutting down Adelphi 81-60. Rita Breivaite scored 18 points as the women upped their record to 18-5, 16-3 in the NYCAC. They hope to make the NCAA Div. II tournament. The men fell to No. 1 Adelphi 99-80. The Runnin' Colonials, though, are a lock for the playoffs with an 11-8 NYCAC record.