JAMAICA, NY--- (www.YORKATHLETICS.com) York College men's basketball continued their CUNYAC slate Friday (Jan. 24) with a home matchup against the Hunter College Hawks (4-14, 2-5 CUNYAC). In a competitive affair that featured 12 ties and 10 lead changes, Hunter emerged victorious 81-77 inside York College Gymnasium.
 
How it Happened

• Deadlocked at five, York went on an extended 18-4 burst to take a game-best 14-point advantage (23-9) with 10:54 remaining in the first half.
• Rohan Singh's two free throws to make the score 29-19 was the last instance where a team led by double-digits.
• Clawing back, Donovan Cola's three-point play finalized a 14-2 charge for the Hawks to put them up 33-31 at the 4:04 mark. 
• Casey Meyers' downtown connection with one minute left closed out a 40-37 lead for Hunter.
• York came out of intermission with a spark, as Michael Litchfield's three-pointer capped off a 10-2 spurt, putting the scoreline at 47-42.
• An extended 12-4 run by the Hawks gave them a 54-51 edge with 12:55 remaining.
• Going back and forth, a triple by Elie Mondelus gave the Cardinals a 56-54 advantage, but Hunter with a small 6-0 scoring spree to push the margin to four points (60-56).
• Trading buckets, Aidony Nivar retook the lead (70-69) for York with a tough jumper at the 5:31 mark of the period.
• With tough defense and timely shotmaking, the Hawks managed a team-high seven-point margin (77-70) after Jack Meyers' three-pointer with 1:57 showing on the clock. 
• Hustling back into the game, Nivar's layup got the Cardinals within two (79-77) with 31 seconds to go. 
• Following a missed Jack Meyers free throw, Nivar just lipped out on a go-ahead triple, with Jack Meyers settling an 81-77 decision at the free-throw line.

Leading the Cardinals

• Nivar finished with a season-best 23 points (6-of-15 FG, 2-of-6 3FG, 9-of-10 FT). The sophomore also added five rebounds and four assists (zero turnovers).
• Malakai Clark demonstrated a strong inside presence with his first-career double-double. The forward notched career-highs with 14 points (6-of-11 FG, 2-of-2 FT) and 14 rebounds.
• Brandon Barrett recorded his ninth double-double of the campaign, scoring 12 points and hauling in a game-leading 15 rebounds. 
• Litchfield and Demitrius Gould both totaled seven points.

For Hunter

• Jack Meyers poured in a game-high 31 points (11-of-24 FG, 6-of-11 3FG, 3-of-5 FT) to go along with 11 rebounds and four assists.
• Sal Saputo gave the Hawks a bench boost, adding 23 points (8-of-17 FG, 4-of-9 3FG, 3-of-5 FT) and nine rebounds.  
• Cola chipped in 12 points and eight rebounds. 
• Jack Meyers tallied 11 points (4-of-8 FG, 3-of-5 3FG), four rebounds, and three assists.

Inside the Box Score
York shot 35.1 percent (26-of-74) from the floor, 27.3 percent (6-of-22) from downtown, and 76 percent (19-of-25) from the free-throw line. The Hawks shot slightly better, making 40.3 percent (29-of-72) of their field goals and 48.3 percent (14-of-29) of their triples. Both squads struck even on the rebound aspect (44-44), while Hunter totaled 13 assists to York's 11. In a low turnover contest, the Hawks turned Cardinal follies into eight points, and York converted 11 turnovers into nine points. Inside, York scored more points in the paint (36-28), while Hunter had an edge in fast break scoring (14-7).

Up Next
The Cardinals (2-14, 0-7 CUNYAC) hit the road Tuesday (Jan. 28) for a CUNYAC road fixture against the John Jay College Bloodhounds (13-5, 6-1 CUNYAC) starting at 8 p.m. inside The Doghouse.

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