NEW YORK --- (www.YORKATHLETICS.com) York College men's basketball opened their 2024 portion of the schedule Wednesday evening by producing a quartet of double-digit scorers but were unable to come away with the CUNYAC decision as the John Jay College Bloodhounds (5-8, 1-1 CUNYAC) grabbed the 69-66 win inside The Doghouse.

How it Happened

• Trailing 7-3, John Jay utilized a 16-6 run to lead 19-13 at the 11:36 mark of the first half.
• York responded with a 12-5 charge to take a one-point (25-24) edge with 6:17 remaining in the half after Olawale Kila converted a layup.
• A layup by Garrison Watkins punctuated a 10-0 burst for the Bloodhounds as they went up 35-25 with 2:05 showing on the clock.
• Rohan Singh's jumper with 32 seconds left closed the first half scoring to pull York within eight (37-29).
• The Cardinals raced out of the second-half gates with an 8-0 charge to level the score at 37.
• John Jay regained composure with a 12-4 extended run capped off by a triple from Jamir Stewart to take an eight-point (49-41) advantage.
• Singh's 3-pointer put York back up 51-50 following a 10-1 blitz.
• A downtown connection by Tafari Jerome with 7:20 remaining in the game gave the Cardinals a team-high three-point (57-54) advantage in the second frame.
• With both teams trading baskets, Jerome's jumper tied the score at 65 at the 2:12 mark.
• Watkins drilled a jumper to push the Bloodhounds ahead by two (67-65), giving them the lead for good.
• Behind 67-66, the Cardinals had two chances to take the lead, but Aidony Nivar and Kila could not get their layups to drop.
• Watkins went down the other end and finished a tough layup to give John Jay a 69-66 lead.
• Singh gave away a costly turnover in the closing seconds to seal the 69-66 scoreline.

Leading the Cardinals

• Nivar shot an efficient 7-of-13 from the field to net a team-high 17 points on 3-of-6 from 3-point land to go along with six assists (zero turnovers), three steals and two blocks. 
• Kila played 40 minutes to produce his fourth double-double of the season (13th career) with 16 points (8-of-18 FG) and 17 rebounds (six offensive), adding a pair of blocks, steals and assists to his stat line. 
• Singh went for 13 points (3-of-7 3FG) and seven rebounds while Jerome totaled 11 points and seven assists. 
• Tyres Desinor provided a presence in the paint by contributing seven points, eight rebounds and two blocks. 

For John Jay

• Watkins totaled 20 points (10-of-20 FG), 14 rebounds and two steals to lead John Jay to victory. 
• Stewart scored 16 points as Jordan Evelyn followed with 13 points (6-of-9 FT), six rebounds, four assists and three steals. 
• TJ Chisolm added 11 points (3-of-6 3FG) and dished out five assists to run the Bloodhound offense.

Inside the Box Score
The Cardinals shot 38.6 percent (37-of-70) from the floor, 29.2 percent (7-of-24) from downtown, and 50 percent (5-of-10) from the charity stripe. The Bloodhounds shot 37.5 percent (24-of-64) from the floor, 29.2 percent (7-of-24) from beyond the arc, and 66.7 percent (14-of-21) from the free-throw line.

A competitive battle, York grabbed a season-high 48 pulldowns to own a +6 edge in rebounds. The Cardinals swatted a season-best seven shots in a +5 advantage in blocks.  York also outplayed the Bloodhounds in assists (20-16) while John Jay got the upper hand in steals (10-6).  

Up Next 
The Cardinals (2-10, 0-2 CUNYAC) pick up CUNYAC home play Friday (Jan. 7) with a showdown against the Medgar Evers College Cougars (2-10, 0-1 CUNYAC) starting at 7 p.m. inside York College Gymnasium. Tune in with live stats and video by visiting yorkathletics.com/live.

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