Chesapeake College basketball players react Tuesday while watching the NJCAA Division II selection show. The Skipjacks are the No. 9 seed and face No. 8 Macomb (Michigan) in next Tuesday’s first round.

WYE MILLS — It’s been a history-making season for Chesapeake College’s men’s basketball team.

The Skipjacks set a new school single-season record for wins this season with 29. Saturday they put another entry in the history book when they defeated Montgomery College, 79-59, to win the Region XX Division II championship and earn their first berth to the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II tournament.

Tuesday afternoon, the Skipjacks (29-4) gathered inside a classroom not far from their gymnasium to watch the NJCAA Division II selection show and learned they would be the No. 9 seed and face No. 8 seed Macomb (Michigan) Community College (25-7) in next Tuesday’s first round at Danville Area Community College in Danville, Illinois.

“Honestly this whole entire thing, it’s mind-blowing,” said DJ Earl, the Appoquinimink (Delaware) High graduate who led Chesapeake in scoring this season with a 15.9 points per game average. “It took a lot for us to get here. And for us to be in this position, it’s truly just a blessing. It’s a surreal moment for us.”

Chesapeake, which has won 24 of its last 25 games, reached the national stage at last weekend’s Region XX Division II tournament in Frederick, as it defeated Cecil, 88-83, in the semifinals, then rolled past Montgomery for the title.

The Skipjacks now prepare to face a Macomb team that led Division II in scoring defense this season.

“It will be a low-scoring game maybe, I don’t know,” Chesapeake head coach Andrew Sachs said. “Their region is really good I do know that just from recruiting, ‘cause there’s three bids that come out of that (Great Lakes) region. Henry Ford was in that region which is also a top-four team. Mott’s always been really, really good. So we’ll have our work cut out for us. I’m sure it will be a physical game. But we’re a top-five defensive team too.”

“I don’t think we fear anybody,” Sachs continued. “To me it’s just how you look at them on film and you figure out what you can do against them and what we need to shut down. And then we’ll prepare from there.”

In addition to Earl, the Skipjacks are led in scoring by Kent County High graduate JayShaun Freeman (14.5 ppg.), who was named first-team all-tournament last weekend, Justin DeMaria (11.8 ppg.), Izaiah Credle (11.5) and Easton High graduate Lamont Powell (10.8), who was named player of the tournament.

Chesapeaks suffered a huge blow during last Friday’s semifinal victory over Cecil, when freshman Elisha Gregory (8.9 ppg.) suffered a season-ending elbow injury.