Madison, NJ – Despite a pair of 22-point performances from
Aidony Nivar and
Tiziah Spears, the John Jay College men's basketball team couldn't complete a spirited second-half comeback, falling to FDU-Florham, 77-71, on Tuesday evening at the Ferguson Recreation Center.
The Bloodhounds (0-2) outscored the Devils (1-2), 42-37, over the final 20 minutes and erased an 11-point halftime deficit to tie the contest midway through the second half. However, timely three-point shooting from the hosts proved to be the difference as FDU-Florham held on for its first victory of the season.
Nivar finished with 22 points, connecting on three triples while going 7-of-8 from the free-throw line. The senior guard also recorded a game-high five steals. Spears matched Nivar with 22 points, shooting 6-of-13 from the field and 9-of-11 from the charity stripe while pulling down a team-high eight rebounds and dishing out three assists.
Dakari Thomas provided a strong all-around performance, finishing with 17 points on 5-of-10 shooting, including 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. Thomas added four steals and two assists.
Alsseny Diallo contributed eight rebounds, including five on the offensive glass, while
Rayan Meguie chipped in three points and four boards.
FDU-Florham was paced by Gino Romano, who finished with 21 points on 6-of-12 shooting, including five three-pointers. Frankie Denvir added 17 points and three assists, while Noah Pagan contributed 14 points and six rebounds.
John Jay came out aggressively, with Nivar connecting on two early three-pointers before consecutive layups from Spears gave the Bloodhounds a 10-7 advantage with 16:21 remaining in the opening half.
The Devils responded with a 14-2 run, highlighted by a three-pointer from Romano and baskets from Pagan, to take a 21-12 lead with 8:46 left before halftime.
FDU-Florham extended its advantage to 30-18 following consecutive three-pointers from Micah Moore. However, John Jay answered with a 7-0 spurt, sparked by Nivar's third three-pointer of the half and a transition layup following his steal, trimming the deficit to 30-25 with 3:56 remaining. The hosts closed the period with a 10-4 run, capped by Logan Kanicki's three-pointer in the final minute, to carry a 40-29 advantage into the locker room.
John Jay emerged from halftime with renewed energy, opening the second stanza with a layup from Spears and a three-pointer from Thomas. After a basket from
Amare Jordan and a triple from
Ronnie McIntyre, Thomas converted a transition layup to bring the Bloodhounds within four, 45-41, with 15:43 remaining.
The Bloodhounds continued to chip away at the deficit. Spears converted a pair of free throws before adding a jumper and a three-pointer, bringing John Jay within 54-52 at the 11:42 mark. Following another defensive stop, Nivar knocked down two free throws with 10:31 remaining, completing the comeback and tying the contest at 54-54.
FDU-Florham answered immediately, as Romano connected from beyond the arc to reclaim a three-point advantage. Thomas responded with a layup to make it a one-point game, 57-56, with 9:02 remaining.
The Bloodhounds stayed within striking distance, as Diallo's second-chance layup brought John Jay within 59-58 with 7:30 to play. The Devils, however, delivered the decisive stretch of the contest, using a 7-0 run capped by Denvir's three-pointer and Pagan's jumper to extend their advantage to 66-58 with 4:28 remaining.
John Jay refused to go away, as Spears knocked down two free throws, Thomas added another from the line and Meguie converted a free throw to cut the deficit to 66-62 with 2:31 left. FDU-Florham answered with a layup from Pagan before converting nine free throws over the final 1:05 to preserve the victory. Thomas connected on a three-pointer in the closing seconds to account for the 77-71 final.
John Jay finished the evening shooting 35.6 percent (21-of-59) from the field and 24.1 percent (7-of-29) from three-point range. The Bloodhounds were effective at the free-throw line, converting 22-of-29 attempts (75.9 percent). FDU-Florham shot 44.6 percent (25-of-56) overall and 44.4 percent (12-of-27) from beyond the arc, with its 12 three-pointers proving pivotal.
The Bloodhounds held a 28-26 advantage in points in the paint and forced 17 turnovers, recording 11 steals. John Jay also committed just 12 turnovers while generating 14 points off FDU-Florham miscues. The Devils held a 38-31 rebounding advantage and outscored the Bloodhounds, 16-5, in bench production.
John Jay will look to bounce back as the Bloodhounds continue their early-season non-conference schedule at the Oneonta Classic, beginning Saturday, November 14, against St. John Fisher. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.
