NEW YORK-- (www.YORKATHLETICS.com) York College men's basketball battled back to erase an 11-point halftime deficit on the road Wednesday but fell short in the comeback, dropping a 77-72 CUNYAC decision to the Baruch College Bearcats (10-13, 7-5 CUNYAC) inside ARC Arena.

How it Happened

• Mussa Kone's jumper at 15:33 capped off Baruch's 13-0 start.
• York responded with an extended 14-4 burst to trim the deficit to three (17-14). Jonte Wallace scored seven points during the rally.
• The Bearcats replied with a 9-2 stretch, as Peter Douvres' jumper at 5:30 pushed the advantage back to double-digits (27-16).
• The margin stayed between 8-12 points the rest of the half, with Malakai Clark's free throws ending the first-half scoring with the Cardinals down 37-26. 
• Four points each from Clark and Joshua Jackman buoyed a 12-7 spurt for York to make it a two-possession game (44-38) 4:47 into the second frame.
• Closing the gap, another Clark layup cut the margin to three (53-50) with 10:47 showing on the clock.
• Keeping on the pressure, the Cardinals leveled the score at 57 following a pair of Clark free throws at the 7:59 mark. This was the first time the game was tied since the start of the game.
• York's barrage did not stop there, as tip-ins by Jackman and Gozie Chinegwundoh gave the squad four-point advantages on two occasions.  Chinegwundoh's basket (67-63) came with 3:44 remaining.
• The lead did not last long, as Leyi Adebayo's triple capped off a quick 5-0 blitz to give Baruch a 69-68 edge.
• A further 6-2 stretch extended the Bearcats' advantage to five (75-70) with only 1:14 left.
• Down three (75-72) and needing a stop, the Cardinals could not secure an offensive rebound, and Douvres' two free throws sealed a 77-72 outcome. 

Leading the Cardinals

• Clark poured home a career-high 29 points (8-of-16 FG, 12-of-16 FT) to go along with four rebounds and two steals.
• Christopher Smith had an all-around performance with 16 points (5-of-9 FG, 6-of-10 FT), six rebounds, four steals (team-high), and three dimes.
• Chinegwundoh added 12 points and seven rebounds.
• Wallace was on triple-double watch with seven points, nine rebounds, and a team-leading six assists.

For Baruch

• Jack Gordon tallied a team-leading 21 points and contributed to the rebounding effort (8) and assist party (5).
• Adebayo accumulated 20 points (7-of-14 FG, 2-of-4 3FG, 4-of-6 FT), grabbed seven rebounds, and distributed a team-high six assists.
• Douvres netted 14 points (3-of-9 3FG, 4-of-4 FT) and generated two steals.
• Trevor Coppin recorded a double-double with 14 points (5-of-10 FG, 4-of-5 FT) and a game-best 10 rebounds. 

Inside the Box Score
York shot 41.4 percent (24-of-58) from the floor and swished home a season-best 23 free throws on 32 attempts (71.9 percent). The Bearcats connected on 39.7 percent (25-of-63) of their shots, made eight triples, and netted 19 clutch extra points. Baruch also had an edge in rebounds (43-36) and assists (19-14), while both teams both pickpocketed each other nine times.

Up Next 
The Cardinals (7-12,7-5 CUNYAC) will close out their CUNYAC road slate on Friday (Feb. 13), with a matchup against the Brooklyn College Bulldogs (9-14, 7-5 CUNYAC) at 7:15 p.m. inside West Quad Center Gymnasium. York will aim to complete a season series sweep after securing an 81-74 home victory over the Bulldogs on January 21.

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