Bronx, N.Y.--- Vaughn Mason (Bronx, NY/ Alfred E Smith) drilled a game-tying three point field goal with 1.7 seconds remaining in regulation, and followed up with two more three-pointers in overtime to cap a career-high 23 point effort as John Jay snaps their losing skid with an 86-79 overtime thriller at Lehman College on Saturday.

 

In a real team effort, Mason led a surge off the bench, as the non-starters recorded 59 of the team’s season best 86 points. Alex Valerio (Flushing, NY/ Francis Lewis) came off the bench for 18 points, nine rebounds, and four steals, while Godfrey Mascall (Brooklyn, NY/ Paul Roberson) contributed off the bench with his first career double-double (11 points and a career-high 10 assists) in the win. Yuri Babayev (Fresh Meadows, NY/ John Bowne) was the lone John Jay starter to crack double figures recording 12 first half points.

 

“I told the guys before the game that we are playing for our playoff lives,” said head coach Charles Jackson. “They knew it was a big game coming in, and they knew that if we win we would be right back in the thick of things. It was a win we needed in so many ways. It helps the confidence of the guys, and it’s the best they have felt all season.”

 

John Jay led by as much as eight early on as they led most of the way in the opening stanza. But Lehman went on a 10-2 run late in the first half to take a 29-25 deficit and turn it into a 35-31 lead before going into halftime with a 35-33 advantage.

 

The Lightning then led for the first 15:05 of the second half, and opened the stanza on a 9-4 run to take a 44-37 lead with 15:38 to play.

 

But the Bloodhounds would not go away, and would get to within one possession of the lead six times over the next several minutes. John Jay would finally grab the lead (63-62) with 4:55 to play on a lay-up by Mason, who scored all of his game-high 23 points in the second half and overtime.

 

Lehman would reclaim the lead moments later, and the teams would go back-and-forth the rest of the way. John Jay would lead by as much as two, while Lehman led by as much as three over the final five minutes before the half ended with the teams knotted at 71.

Lehman had a chance to put the game out of reach in the final 10 seconds but failed to. With Lehman up by two, the Lightning's Lenny Gonzalez (Tuckahoe, NY/ Tuckahoe) missed the second of two free throws that would have put Lehman up by four.

 

After a John Jay timeout Mascall raced up the court dribbling between defenders found Mason on the left baseline corner who drilled the triple to tie the game.

 

The Bloodhounds then opened the extra session with a 9-0 run two minutes into overtime to take an 80-71 lead, which included two more Mason treys.

 

But the Lightning answered with an 8-0 run of their own to get the lead to within one (80-79) with 57 seconds remaining.

 

But John Jay closed out the final minute on a 6-0 run to claim the win. A Mascall jumper followed by a pair of free-throws by Daniel Desir (Jamaica, NY/ Jamaica), and two more foul shots by Mason would ice it. Desir, making his John Jay debut, recorded seven points and a team-high 10 rebounds in the win.

 

The win improves John Jay to 2-11 (1-3 CUNYAC), while Lehman is now 4-10 (1-3 CUNYAC).

The Bloodhounds returns to action on Mon. Jan. 8 against New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) representative Kean University, 7 p.m. at the Doghouse.