Brooklyn, NY - The John Jay College men's basketball team opened its 2026-27 campaign on Friday evening, falling to Pratt Institute, 73-62, at the Pratt Institute Athletic and Recreation Center (ARC).
The Bloodhounds (0-1) were led by newcomer
Tiziah Spears, who poured in a team-high 19 points on 5-of-10 shooting while connecting on nine free throws. Spears added four rebounds, two assists and a steal in 34 minutes of action.
Aidony Nivar followed with 18 points, connecting on three shots from beyond the arc while pulling down a team-high six rebounds and recording two steals.
Ronnie McIntyre rounded out the double-figure scorers with 11 points, knocking down three three-pointers and dishing out a team-best three assists.
Alsseny Diallo provided a spark off the bench, finishing with eight points on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting performance while grabbing five rebounds.
Amare Jordan contributed six points and five boards.
John Jay came out firing, scoring the game's first four points on baskets from Nivar and Jordan before McIntyre connected from long distance to give the visitors an early 7-2 advantage.
After Pratt responded to take an 8-7 lead, Nivar caught fire from beyond the arc, connecting on three first-half triples. His third three-pointer put the Bloodhounds ahead, 16-13, with 12:22 remaining in the opening stanza.
The Cannoneers (1-0) answered with a decisive 12-0 run, holding John Jay scoreless for nearly seven minutes while building a 25-16 advantage with 5:43 left before halftime.
The Bloodhounds trimmed the deficit to four, 25-21, following a pair of baskets from Diallo, but Pratt closed the half on a 12-6 stretch to take a 37-27 lead into the locker room.
Despite the deficit, John Jay shot an efficient 50.0 percent (9-of-18) from the field in the opening 20 minutes, including 45.5 percent (5-of-11) from three-point range.
John Jay mounted a spirited second-half comeback, using an aggressive offensive attack to cut into Pratt's advantage.
Trailing 44-35 with 17:22 remaining, Spears took control, scoring six consecutive points for the Bloodhounds to trim the deficit to 44-41 at the 15:16 mark.
Following a Pratt basket, Diallo converted a putback with 12 minutes remaining, bringing John Jay within three once again at 46-43.
The Cannoneers responded with five unanswered points, but the Bloodhounds continued to battle. Spears converted a three-point play before Jordan finished inside, cutting Pratt's advantage to 53-50 with 8:36 remaining.
That would be as close as John Jay would get. Pratt answered with an 8-0 run, highlighted by six points from Kurt Thomas, extending its lead to 61-50 with 6:17 left in regulation.
The Bloodhounds managed to pull within eight, 63-55, following another three-point play from Spears with 4:21 remaining, but the Cannoneers maintained their advantage down the stretch to secure the 73-62 victory.
Thomas paced Pratt with a game-high 23 points, shooting 11-of-18 from the floor, while Elijah Fermaint added 13 points, seven rebounds and nine assists.
John Jay finished the contest shooting 43.8 percent (21-of-48) from the field and 30.0 percent (6-of-20) from beyond the arc. The Cannoneers shot 44.2 percent (23-of-52) from the field and capitalized on John Jay's 27 turnovers, converting them into 31 points. Pratt also held a 38-26 advantage in points in the paint and a narrow 32-31 edge on the glass.
John Jay continues its early-season nonconference schedule on Tuesday, November 10, when the Bloodhounds travel to Madison, N.J., to face FDU-Florham. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
