Box Score
JAMAICA, NY— In a match-up of two unbeaten teams in CUNY Athletic Conference play, the York College men's basketball team came out on top, defeating Baruch College 89-85 in an exciting contest Monday Evening.
The game was fast-paced and well played for the first half of play. Only 11 fouls were committed combined in the first half and both teams were shooting on all cylinders. The Cardinals shot 57 percent in the first half, while the Bearcats converted 54 percent of their field goals. The game was back-and-forth in the early going with both team exchanging leads. With 5:23 to play before halftime, Nicholas Hamilton-Lopez drained a three-pointer to put York up by five (35-30). The Cardinals would extend their lead to nine before Baruch's Tamir Farid connected on a three-pointer just before halftime to make it 48-42. Hamilton-Lopez was on fire for York in the first half, netting 17 points, including four three-pointers.
The second half saw the pace slow down dramatically as both teams were in the bonus with more than eight minutes remaining. The Cardinals still looked to be in control of the game, however, when Hamilton-Lopez made a lay-up to by York up by 14 points (65-51) with 12:44 to play.
Trailing by ten points (76-66), with 8:19 to play, the Bearcats came roaring back. A 9-2 run, capped off by a Chris Beauchamp three-pointer brought the Bearcats to within three points (78-75) with 6:37 to play. The game would remain close till the very last minute of play. With 58 seconds to play, Baruch trailed by three points (86-83) and had possession with a chance to tie the game. Tamir Farid missed a three-pointer and Beauchamp came up with the board. However, York's Marcel Esonwune stole the ball and Baruch was forced to foul. The Cardinals were able to hit their free throws in the final minute to seal the victory.
Hamilton-Lopez finished with a game-high 30 points on 10-16 shooting. Esonwune added 19 points, 16 boards and four blocks, while Elijah Evelyn added 16 points. #Ryan Exum# paced York with 13 points, five boards and seven assists. Lionel Hilaire led the Bearcats with 27 points, while Beauchamp finished with 22 points.
With the win, York wins its sixth straight game and improves to 10-5, 4-0 in the CUNYAC. Baruch falls to 11-2, 3-1 in the CUNYAC with the loss. The Cardinals will return to action on Wednesday when they host City Tech at 8:00 p.m.
