NEW YORK --- (www.YORKATHLETICS.com) York College men's basketball started off strong with a 38-33 halftime lead against the Baruch College Bearcats (15-8, 11-1 CUNYAC), but could not keep up their hot stretch in the final 20 minutes, dropping an 85-68 CUNYAC matchup inside ARC Arena.

How it Happened

• A 3-pointer by Aidony Nivar gave York a quick 7-4 start.
• Devin Nicholson's triple capped off a 12-5 burst to give the Bearcats 1 16-12 lead at the 12:06 mark of the first half.
• A downtown bomb by Rohan Singh finalized a 7-0 burst to give the Cardinals a 19-16 edge.
• Leading 19-18, an 11-3 scoring spree gave the Cardinals a first-half high nine-point advantage (30-21) with 7:14 remaining.
• Buckling down on defense, Baruch held York scoreless in the next 4:23, trimming the deficit to one (30-29). 
• The Cardinals maintained a 38-31 lead after Nivar's 3-point play with four seconds on the clock, but Sayeed Osorio's last second layup for the Bearcats made it a 38-33 scoreline at intermission.
• Baruch retook the lead (42-40) following a Nicholson at the 16:33 point of the second stanza.
• Singh's two freebies made York retake the lead at 46-44.
• Akil Vaughn's lay-in with 14:05 remaining in the game gave the Bearcats the lead for good (47-46).
• Ahead 51-50, Baruch took control of the game with a 13-0 sprint to lead 64-50 with 8:57 left.
• A basket from York's Austinson Cooke cut the deficit to 12 (64-52) with 8:09 on the clock.
• The Bearcats maintained an 13+ point advantage for the final 8:07, ultimately claiming an 85-68 victory.

Leading the Cardinals

• Nivar recorded his second consecutive 20+ point outburst, dropping a game-high 23 points (9-of-16 FG, 4-of-6 FT).
• Olawale Kila contributed 13 points and 12 rebounds for his 13th double-double of the season (21st career).
• Tyres Desinor added eight points (4-of-9 FG) and eight boards.
• Cooke scored a career-high nine points (3-of-3 FG, 3-of-4 FT) in only eight minutes.
• Singh totaled a team-best three steals. Tafari Jerome chipped in with eight points, six rebounds, and five assists off the bench. 

For Baruch

• Osioro paced the Bearcats with 22 points (8-of-13 FG, 4-of-7 3FG, 2-of-3 FT), five rebounds, and four assists off the bench.
• Devin Nicholson added 19 points (3-of-8 3FG, 4-of-4 FT).
• Emil Purisic chipped in with 15 points (6-of-8 FG, 3-of-4 FT) and eight boards.
• Gerard Nicholson dished out a game-best six dimes.
• Vaughn hauled in 10 rebounds. 

Inside the Box Score
York shot 40.9 percent (27-of-66) from the floor, 14.3 percent (2-of-14) from beyond the arc, and 66.7 percent (12-of-18) from the charity stripe. The Bearcats shot 44.4 percent (32-of-72) from the field, 8.6 percent (8-of-28) from 3-point territory, and 76.5 percent (13-of-17) from the free-throw line.

Additionally, Baruch maintained an edge in rebounds (50-37) and assists (23-15). Utilizing their size, the Bearcats outscored York 46-34 in the paint and 14-8 in second-chance points.

Up Next 
The Cardinals (5-18, 3-10 CUNYAC) take home court Tuesday (Feb. 13) for their regular-season finale with a CUNYAC showdown against the Hunter College Hawks (10-14, 7-6 CUNYAC) at 7 p.m. inside York College Gymnasium.  Prior to the start of the game, York's four-member Men's Basketball Senior Class consisting of Austinson Cooke (2021-), Tyres Desinor (2022-), Micaiah Goosby (2022-) and Olawale Kila (2019-20, 2021-) will be recognized for the dedication to York Athletics with the annual Senior Day Ceremony.  Tune in with live stats and video by visiting yorkathletics.com/live.

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