Box Score
New York, N.Y.— Late game blunders and turnovers cost the Bloodhounds a late game comeback against CCNY as the Beavers held on to defeat the John Jay men’s basketball team 59-54 at Nat Holman Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon.
The Bloodhounds, who never had the lead in the contest but tied the game on three occasions in the second half (most recent 52-52 with 2:02 to play), rallied back from a 10-point deficit early in the second half to get back into it.
Still trailing by three (57-54) with under a minute to go, John Jay developed a fastbreak off a CCNY missed three point attempt. But John Jay’s Alex Valerio’s (Flushing, NY/ Francis Lewis) breakaway lay-up, which would have cut the lead to one, missed the target.
CCNY would get the rebound before John Jay fouled immediately with 14 seconds remaining. The Bloodhounds would get a break though as CCNY would miss both attempts giving the Bloodhounds one final shot.
But with four seconds remaining Godfrey Mascall (Brooklyn, NY/ Paul Roberson) dribbled the ball off his foot out of bounds, his ninth turnover of the game. After another immediate foul by John Jay, the host Beavers capitalized at the charity stripe to win the game.
The loss drops the Bloodhounds to 6-16 (5-5 CUNYAC) on the season.
John Jay fell behind by as much as nine in the first half before penetrating into the Beaver lead. They closed out the final two minutes on a 6-2 run (including a 4-0 run in the final five seconds capped by a lay-up by Vaughn Mason (Bronx, NY/ Alfred E Smith) at the buzzer) to go into the locker room down 26-21.
CCNY opened the second half on a 5-0 run to take a 31-21 lead with 18:37 to play. But the Bloodhounds could never quite get over the hump. They would go on a 5-0 run of their own to get the lead back to five (31-26) before CCNY would go back up by eight.
John Jay got the lead to within two twice before CCNY would go back up by two possessions.
The Bloodhounds eventually tied the game (44-44) with 6:27 to play on a lay-up by Emilio Gomez (Moca, Dominican Republic/ William H Taft) only to see the Beavers reclaim the lead.
A Mascall lay-up on the next possession would tie the game again (46-46). But CCNY went on a 6-0 run to take a 52-46 lead with 4:43 remaining.
But John Jay crawled back and tied the game for the final time at the 2:02 mark on a pair of free throws by Mason.
But a key turnover by Valerio on the next possession would lead to a fast break unconventional three point play by CCNY. John Jay then committed another turnover on the inbounds play resulting in another Beaver lay-up to give CCNY a 57-52 lead with 1:13 to play.
On the next possession Mascall got the Bloodhounds back to within three on a jumper with 56 seconds remaining.
But it was as close as John Jay would get as the key missed lay-up and critical turnover in the final 14 seconds prevented any Bloodhound comeback.
Mascall, who had a combined 10 assists and turnovers against Baruch on Wednesday (10 assists, no turnovers), had another combined 10 assists and turnovers (one assist, nine turnovers). He led the team with 19 points on 8-for-12 shooting to go along with five steals.
Valerio recorded 12 points and six rebounds for the Bloodhounds, while Kelvin Luna (Corona, NY/ Flushing) had a team-high eight rebounds.
John Jay will return to action on Fri. Feb. 2 against Lehman College, 7 p.m. at the Doghouse.
