By: Michael L. Damon
mdamon@jjay.cuny.edu
(212) 237-8322
Box Score Box Score
New York, N.Y.— The new look John Jay men's basketball team will go into its conference opener against Hunter College on homecoming night undefeated, as the Bloodhounds improved to 4-0 on the season after an exciting 84-83 overtime win over St. Joseph's-Brooklyn in front of a rocking Doghouse crowd on Tuesday night.
The vastly improved Bloodhounds were led by
Isaiah Holman with a career-high 26 points (including six three point field goals) and seven rebounds, while fellow teammate Jerone Alexander added 21 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
Jamar Harry, last week's conference Rookie of the Week, netted 16 points and a game-high 17 rebounds.
The two high octane offenses were nip and tuck from the opening tip. John Jay raced to a 10-4 lead to start the contest before the visiting Bears countered back with a 22-6 spurt to take a 10-point lead of 26-16 with 10:35 to play.
But the two teams would remain close the rest of the contest. St. Joseph's-Brooklyn would lead by as much as twelve in the first half and led by that amount with 2:57 to go in the opening stanza as the Bears led 40-28.
John Jay closed out the half on a 5-0 run to pull to within four before going into halftime down 40-36.
St. Joseph's-Brooklyn kept the Bloodhounds arms length for most of the early stages of the second half. The Bloodhounds got the lead to within one possession on several occasions. But St. Joseph's-Brooklyn answered the call several times to maintain a tenuous lead. John Jay had a couple of balls rim out preventing from grabbing a lead.
The Bloodhounds, who never led in the second half, finally came all the way back to tie with 5:21 to play on a jumper by
Kevin Philius to knot the score at 59-59.
St. Joseph's-Brooklyn answered immediately and spurted off a 6-0 run to go up 65-59 with 3:41 to play.
But a jumper by Alexander and a lay-up by Harry got the Bloodhounds back to within two.
The Bloodhounds still trailed by four in the final minute and were down 69-65 with 1:03 to play.
But on the ensuing possession, Alexander knocked down a trifecta with forty-seven seconds left to pull to within one.
After a steal by Harry with twenty-six seconds remaining, John Jay was down by a point with a shot clock turned off. Alexander fired up a three pointer that missed, but a monster rebound by
Lionel Lorquet kept the Bloodhounds with possession.
Eventually Harry was fouled and went to the line and made one of two. Despite missing the second of two, Holman grabbed the offensive rebound keeping the possession with the Bloodhounds.
Holman took the final shot of regulation that rimmed out forcing overtime.
In the extra session, John Jay led by as much as six and had an 80-74 lead with just under a minute to play. But the Bears could not get over the hump. Clutch shooting by the Bloodhounds in the final moments ensued John Jay's undefeated record to stay in tack.
The Bloodhounds had 19 assists on 29 baskets.
St. Joseph's-Brooklyn was led by Donald Coleman with 29 points on 12-for-24 shooting.
A standing room only crowd is expected for homecoming against Hunter, fans are encouraged to arrive early.
