New York, N.Y.— The John Jay women’s basketball team wrapped up its 2007-08 season with a loss as the Bloodhounds were defeated by Manhattanville College, 70-56, at the Doghouse Monday evening. John Jay’s season ends at 5-20 (3-10 CUNYAC).
The Bloodhounds were held to 13 points in the first half and shot 15 percent (5-for-34) from the floor in the opening stanza en route to trailing 33-13 after 20 minutes of basketball.
The visiting Valiants opened the game on a 9-2 run to take a lead they would not relinquish. Manhattanville gradually built its lead and led by as much as 22 (33-11) late in the first half before going into halftime with a 33-13 lead.
The Bloodhounds however turned the game around in the second half and ultimately outscored Manhattanville.
John Jay fell behind by 23 early in the second half and trailed 42-19 with 16:37 to go. Manhattanville was still coasting along through the early stages of the second stanza and led by as much as 26 on two occasions, most recently with 9:06 to go when the Valiants led 60-34.
But the Bloodhounds made a game of it and chipped away at the lead in the final minutes. After falling into the 26 point cushion the Bloodhounds outscored Manhattanville 18-2 and cut the deficit to 10 (62-52) with 4:15 to play on a pair of free throws by Dominique Grice (North Babylon, NY / North Babylon). John Jay connected on 19 of 28 free throws, including 16-of-22 in the second half to the Valiants’ 7-for-12 from the stripe.
But Manhattanville, who shot 52 percent from the field (29-for-56), including 58 percent in the second half (15-for-26) managed to keep the Bloodhounds at arms length distance and John Jay never got closer.
The Valiants spurted away with a 6-1 run to lead by 15 (68-53) with 2:36 to play capped by pair of free throws by Nina Johnson (White Plains, NY / White Plains) before leaving the Doghouse with a 14 point win. Johnson had 10 points and 12 rebounds for the Valiants, while Jess Delagrange (Canton, Oh / Glen Oak) added 20 points on 9-for-15 shooting.
The Bloodhounds were paced by Grice with a game-high 21 points and six rebounds. Maxine Jenkins (Astoria, NY / Bishop Louglin) added nine points for the Bloodhounds, while Jessica Lirio (Bronx, NY / St. Barnabas) and Ganimete Ukperaj (Bellmore, NY / John F. Kennedy), playing her final career game, had eight points each.
