By: Michael L. Damon
mdamon@jjay.cuny.edu
(212) 237-8322
Box Score
New York, N.Y.—The John Jay women's basketball team wrapped up its 2011-12 regular season on Monday and lost at home as the Bloodhounds lost to St. Joseph's-Brooklyn 69-61 at the Doghouse.
With the loss, the Bloodhounds' regular season ends at 7-17 overall, while St. Joseph's-Brooklyn improves to 12-11.
John Jay will now set its sights ahead for the 2012 CUNYAC / Con Edison women's basketball championship which starts this Sunday. The Bloodhounds, after a 3-9 record in conference play this season, have drawn the No. 6 seed for the eight team tournament and will play at No. 3 Hunter College at a time to be announced.
In Monday's game, the Bloodhounds were led by
Danielle Eagan with 17 points (15 of which came in the first half), while
Jamecia Forsythe had a double-double of 12 points and 15 rebounds.
Shantel Rodriguez scored 12 points and registered five steals in the contest.
The visiting Bears were led by Ashley McQuillan with 23 points, four assists and four steals. Janine Doran had 13 points, while Megan Moran had 10.
John Jay took the early lead and led by as much as 10 in the first half. The Bloodhounds went up 18-8 with 13:55 to go on a three point field goal by Eagan to cap a 7-0 run.
But the Bears fought right back and countered John Jay's lead by using a 17-2 run to go ahead 25-20 with 8:29 to go.
The remainder first half proved to be a half of runs. With the Bears still leading by five, holding onto a 27-22 lead, the Bloodhounds answered with a 10-0 run to take their own five point lead at 32-27 with 3:37 to play. Then the Bears closed out the half on a 9-0 spurt over the final three and a half minutes to go into halftime up 36-32.
St. Joseph's-Brooklyn opened the second half scoring the first six points to complete an overall run of 15-0, and the Bears had a 42-32 lead in the opening moments of the second half.
The Bloodhounds and Bears played a relatively even second half from there. In contrast to the first half which saw the teams trade runs, the second half saw the teams trade baskets. For a ten minute span, the Bears led only by as much as 13 and as little as eight.
But John Jay managed to cut into the lead in the latter minutes, making it a tight game. After the Bears took a 13 point second half lead, for the second time in the half (up 55-42 with 6:48 to play), the Bloodhounds rallied off 10 in a row to get the deficit to just three with 3:39 to play.
John Jay looked poised to cut the deficit further. But after playing stellar defense for 29 plus seconds during the Bears' next possession, McQuillan had the ball and threw up a three point prayer, her only option, as the shot clock was expiring. She connected off the backboard on the desperation heave to end the scoreless drought and put her team back up by a half dozen with just over three minutes to go.
John Jay never got closer. The Bloodhounds got as close as four points of the lead after a Rodriguez lay-up with two minutes remaining to make the score 60-56.
But in the closing moments, the Bears shot excellent from the free throw line to deny a Bloodhound comeback.
