By: Michael L. Damon
mdamon@jjay.cuny.edu
(212) 237-8322
Box Score Box Score
New York, N.Y.— The 2010-11 women's basketball season came to an end on Tuesday evening as the Bloodhounds, the No. 4 seed, were defeated by top seeded Baruch College 91-59 in the semifinal round of the City University of New York Athletic Conference / Con Edison women's basketball championships at Nat Holman Gymnasium on the campus of the City College of New York.
With the loss, John Jay's season ends with an 11-16 overall record and a fourth place finish in the conference standings. They made a CUNYAC playoff appearance for the first time in three seasons and finished with 10 more wins this season than the previous.
For the game, John Jay was led by freshman forward
Jamecia Forsythe who closed out her rookie season with game highs of 21 points and 20 rebounds. Meanwhile the four year senior duo of
Dominique Grice and
Jessica Lirio combined for 34 points, as Grice closed out a marvelous career with 19 points, six assists and six steals. Lirio netted 15 and added seven rebounds. Both also end their careers as 1,000 point scorers, Grice netted 1,527 and Lirio 1,122.
Baruch was led by Regina Washington and Megan Bouwens with 17 points each, while Trista Thomas came off the bench and added 15 points. Shamika Boyce led the Bearcats with 15 rebounds as Baruch outrebounded John Jay 63-57.
The Bloodhounds failed to connect on their first five possessions and spotted the Bearcats a 9-0 lead to start the contest en route to leading the entire way.
The Bearcats started on an 18-5 total run to set the pace, before John Jay cut into the lead with a 7-0 run to pull to within six with 13:12 left.
But that was as close as the Bloodhounds would get the remainder of the contest. Baruch gradually pulled away and grabbed a 21 point lead with just over five minutes remaining as the Bearcats led 43-22.
Baruch held sway over the final five minutes and went into halftime with a 49-28 lead.
The Bloodhounds never got any closer than 19 points the remainder of the contest. They were down 51-32 with 18:22 to go before Baruch proceeded to outscore John Jay 25-6 over an eight minute span that gave them a 76-38 lead with 10:17 to go.
John Jay sliced into the lead a few points and got the deficit to 29 with just under two minutes remaining before the final buzzer.
Baruch held a 34-2 edge on points off the bench and held a 44-32 edge on points in the paint.
The win by Baruch solidifies the Bearcats sixth consecutive trip to the conference finals.
