Box Score BROOKLYN, N.Y. -- Matthew Lee (Bloomfield, N.J.) led all scorers with 36 points, including six three-pointers, as the Medgar Evers men's basketball team kicked off 2016 by outlasting CUNYAC opponent Baruch College in overtime, 97-95, Sunday afternoon at the Cougars Cave.
 
The senior Lee secured his eighth game of 30-plus points and his fourth double-double of the season to lead five Cougars (5-7, 2-2 CUNYAC) in double figures, grabbing 12 rebounds and distributing four assists in the win.

Medgar Evers got 16 points and five boards off the bench from Steve Shivers II (Brooklyn, N.Y.), while Maurice Swaby II (Brooklyn, N.Y.) added 12 points and four assists. Both Zavier Coston (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Pablo Segura (Flushing, N.Y.) each poured in 11 points as the team earned their second win in three games.

The Bearcats (6-5, 2-2 CUNYAC) were paced by Chimaechi Ekekeugbor who scored 24 points, including 20 second-half points, to go with seven rebounds and five assists. Raymond De La Cruz poured in 19 points, including shooting 5-for-5 from three-point range, and grabbed a team-high nine boards. Ryan Markoe added 17 points in a losing effort.

In the first half, the Cougars led for the first nine minutes of the contest but a 17-2 Baruch run helped them gain the advantage and would take a 39-37 lead at intermission. The second half was more of the same, with six lead changes in the stanza.Tied with 2:47 remaining in the second half, Lee's long two and two free throws helped move the Cougars ahead. A Coston three-point play from Shivers put them up 81-77 with 55 seconds left in regulation. But Baruch would not give up as Markoe hit a three with 26.4 seconds to cut it to 81-80. Justin Sutton (Brooklyn, N.Y.) would hit both free throws with 19.7 seconds, but a William Sixsmith triple from deep evened the score for the Bearcats to send the game into overtime.

In the extra frame, Lee would connect on his sixth three of the game, then would go to the line and sink both free throws with 11.7 seconds remaining to go up 96-93. Sutton would split two free throws and put the Cougars up 97-95 and a last-second heave was short as they sealed the win.

The Cougars shot 49.3% from the field and connected on 12 three-pointers on the day as well. Baruch earned the slight edge on assists (19-18), while Medgar Evers controlled the rebounding front with 41 boards to 38 from the Bearcats.

Up next for the team is the second of five straight CUNYAC conference contests, facing off with Hunter College Tuesday night as part of a home doubleheader with the women's team. Tip time is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. at the Cougars Cave.