The men's basketball team suffered a tough defeat to Green Mountain College, 72-71, on Saturday evening at the Doghouse. The Bloodhounds drop to 0-3 on the year. The Eagles improve to 3-1 overall. 

Freshman Essien Epps led the Bloodhounds with his first collegiate double-double. The Bloomfield, NJ native recorded a game-high 19 points, shooting 3-for-6 from behind the arc, a game-high 14 rebounds, four steals, and one assist. Junior Jesse Higgins registered 12 points, a team-high five assists, and a game-high five steals. Freshman David Morris picked up seven points and nine rebounds off the bench. Junior Geno Ware finished with nine points, four rebounds, two assists, and one steal. Freshman Jerome Petty added eight points and senior Calvin Ingram had five rebounds. 

The Eagles scored the first six points of the game but the Bloodhounds responded to tie it with three-pointers by Epps and Petty. Down 11-7, John Jay went on a 5-0 run to take their first lead of the game. With 8:47 left in the first half, the game was tied at 19 apiece. Two minutes later and the visitors up by two, jumpers by Morris and freshman Jordan Aiken gave John Jay a 30-28 lead. 

In their next possession, Green Mountain tied the game but Bloodhounds responded on a 5-0 run, capped off by a three-pointer by Morris. The Eagles ended the half on a 6-0 run to take a 36-35 advantage heading into halftime. Epps had nine points and seven rebounds in the first twenty minutes. 

Higgins registered the first four points of the second half to give John Jay a three-point lead. The next few minutes went back-and-forth as the score was tied 45-45 with 14:24 left to go. One minute later, the guests went on a 7-0 run to lead 55-48. 

With 6:43 on the clock, Green Mountain had their largest lead of the game, 66-55. Once again John Jay responded on a 10-0 run to cut the deficit to one-point. With three minutes remaining, the Eagles increased its lead to four but a three-pointer by Epps made it 70-69. 

The Eagles executed on a jumper to increase the lead to three with less than two minutes remaining. The Bloodhounds closed the cap on free-throws by Petty but were unable to tie the game. 

John Jay went 22-for-67 (32.8%) from the field, 7-for-22 (31.8%) from behind the arc, and 20-for-31 (64.5%) from the free-throw line. 

The Bloodhounds enter conference play on Tuesday, November 24, when they host Lehman College at 8:00 pm at the Doghouse.