Allentown, PA – Sophomore guard
Bryan Bascones delivered a game-winning jumper with four seconds remaining in double overtime as the John Jay College women's basketball team erased a 16-point second-half deficit to defeat Cedar Crest College, 85-83, on Wednesday evening at Lees Gymnasium.
Bascones turned in a stellar all-around performance, finishing with a game and career-high 26 points and 10 rebounds for her first double-double of the season. She shot an efficient 9-of-14 from the field and was perfect from the free-throw line, converting all eight attempts while playing 47 of the game's 50 minutes.
Michaela Lattimore added 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting to go along with eight rebounds, which ended a streak of 21 consecutive games notching a double-double. Junior guard
Alexis Jones chipped in 12 points, six rebounds and two three-pointers.
Miah Crockett provided a spark off the bench with nine points and four rebounds, while
Kailani Galan orchestrated the offense with seven points, seven assists and five rebounds.
The Bloodhounds faced an uphill battle early as Cedar Crest built a 21-15 advantage after the opening quarter before extending its lead to 36-25 at halftime. John Jay struggled to establish an offensive rhythm in the first half, shooting 7-of-22 from the field, but remained within striking distance behind the play of Bascones and Lattimore.
The Falcons continued to apply pressure after intermission, stretching their advantage to 45-29 with 7:34 remaining in the third quarter. Rather than allowing the deficit to grow, the Bloodhounds began chipping away, finding success attacking the basket and generating defensive stops. John Jay outscored Cedar Crest, 16-11, in the third quarter to trim the deficit to 47-41 entering the final period.
The Bloodhounds carried that momentum into the fourth quarter, where Jones connected on a crucial three-pointer with 6:44 remaining to bring John Jay within two, 48-46. Despite Cedar Crest maintaining a narrow advantage for much of the period, John Jay continued to battle, setting the stage for an extended finish. With eight seconds remaining in regulation, Jones converted a fast-break layup to even the score at 60-60, forcing overtime after Cedar Crest was unable to answer.
The first extra session featured several momentum swings. Cedar Crest grabbed a 64-62 lead before Crockett knocked down a jumper with 2:58 remaining to give John Jay its first lead of overtime, 65-64. Galan followed with a fast-break layup, and Bascones converted four free throws down the stretch to help the Bloodhounds build a 71-69 advantage.
Galan added two free throws with 18 seconds remaining, pushing John Jay's lead to 73-69. However, Cedar Crest's Ella Bincarosky connected on a three-pointer with four seconds left and completed a four-point play after drawing a foul, tying the contest at 73-73 and forcing a second overtime. Trailing 76-73 early in the second overtime,
Manuela Muneton buried a three-pointer with 4:06 remaining to even the score. She followed with a layup 43 seconds later, giving John Jay a 78-76 advantage.
After Cedar Crest regained a one-point lead, Jones answered with a clutch three-pointer at the 2:20 mark to put the Bloodhounds ahead, 81-79. The Falcons responded with four consecutive points to take an 83-81 lead with 1:46 remaining.
Bascones tied the game with a fast-break layup off an assist from Crockett with 48 seconds remaining. Following a Cedar Crest turnover, the Bloodhounds had an opportunity to take the lead in the closing seconds. With just four seconds left, Galan found Bascones, who knocked down the go-ahead jumper to give John Jay an 85-83 advantage. Cedar Crest's desperation three-point attempt with one second remaining missed the mark, sealing the thrilling comeback victory.
John Jay finished the contest shooting 43.5 percent (30-of-69) from the floor while converting an impressive 87.5 percent (21-of-24) of its free throws. The Bloodhounds also held a commanding 57-rebound total and distributed 19 assists. Muneton contributed seven points off the bench, including five critical points in the second overtime, while
Briana Minick added five points, five rebounds and five assists.
Bincarosky was one of four Falcons to finish in double-figures, as she led the way with a team-high 23 points on 7 of 19 shooting while hitting 6 of 17 from the outside. Samora Merchant went for 19 points on 8 of 18 shooting while corralling seven rebounds and recording four blocks. Analyse Rios chipped in 17 points, seven rebounds, five steals, and four assists in 41 minutes of play for the Falcons. Ginger Kerdock notched ten points and a team-leading eight rebounds and six assists.
The Bloodhounds will embark on a four-game homestand, beginning on Saturday, November 14 as they welcome the St. Joseph's University – Brooklyn Bears at the Doghouse.
Tip-off is slated for 1:00 p.m.
