Box Score NEW YORK, N.Y. –  The Medgar Evers men's basketball recovered from being down in the first half to close out strong with help from their bench, and pulled away in the second as they defeated John Jay College, 89-73, Wednesday night at the Doghouse.

The win for the Cougars (7-8, 4-3 CUNYAC) is their third win in the last four games against conference opponents, which helps them move into a three-way tie for fourth place in the CUNYAC with CCNY and Baruch.

Matthew Lee (Bloomfield, N.J.) paced four players in double figures with a team-high 30 points to go with seven rebounds, four assists and three steals. This was the guard's ninth game this season with 30-plus points and also connected 11-of-12 from the charity stripe.

Freshman Justin Sutton (Brooklyn, N.Y.) continues his strong start with the team, contributing 17 points and nine boards in the victory. Maurice Swaby II (Brooklyn, N.Y.) chipped in with 11 points of his own, while senior Zavier Coston (Brooklyn, N.Y.) added 12 points and four rebounds.

Essien Epps led the Bloodhounds (2-13, 1-5 CUNYAC) in a losing effort with 24 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Jesse Higgins added 19 points and five assists, while Kiernan Hayes grabbed 10 boards along with seven points.

The usually high-scoring Cougars started out slow to begin the game, scoring just two points in the first six minutes of play and would trail the entire way until 6:44 remaining in the first half. Falling behind again by six points, they would compile nine straight points as they took a 43-37 lead into intermission.

In the second half, Sutton and Lee would combine for 12 of the first 14 points scored for Medgar Evers as they would continue to build on their lead. Up 52-46 with 13:45 remaining, the Cougars would erupt on a 12-2 run over the next six minutes of play to put the game out of reach.

The Cougars shot 48.3% from the field, including connecting at a 51.7% clip (15-for-29) in the second half. On the glass, they earned a 37-33 edge against the Bloodhounds while converting 21 John Jay turnovers into 29 points. The team also dominated with the second group, pouring in 55 bench points and added 10 fast break points in the victory.

Up next for the team is a home matchup against CUNYAC foe the College of Staten Island Friday night as part of a doubleheader. Tip time is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. at the Cougars Cave, following the women's game at 6. Follow this game and all game recaps and stats all season on MECAthletics.com, MEC Athletics on Facebook and @MECCougars on Twitter.