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63
Medgar Evers MEDGAR 2-6, 0-1 CUNYAC
72
Winner York (NY) YORKM 2-4, 1-0 CUNYAC
Medgar Evers MEDGAR
2-6, 0-1 CUNYAC
63
Final
72
York (NY) YORKM
2-4, 1-0 CUNYAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Medgar Evers MEDGAR 28 35 63
York (NY) YORKM 37 35 72

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Cougars drop CUNYAC opener to York College, 72-63

Box Score

The Medgar Evers men's basketball team suffered a frustrating defeat on Friday evening, falling to the Cardinals of York College by a score of 72-63 in the 2021-2022 CUNYAC opener for both squads. The contest took place at the York College Gymnasium in Jamaica, NY. With the defeat, the Cougars dipped to 2-6 overall on the year (0-1 CUNYAC), while the Cardinals snapped a four game losing skid, improving to 2-4 overall (1-0 CUNYAC).

Despite the defeat for the Cougars, reigning CUNYAC Rookie of the Week Dante Simmons posted a double-double, scoring a team-high 16 points while also snatching 10 rebounds. Junior Mousa Sinera continued to collect double-doubles this season, as the junior netted 14 points while snatching a game-high 19 caroms. Prince-Malachi Reid notched a double-double, contributing 11 points while grabbing 10 boards, and Andre Evans Jr. finished with 11 points, four steals, and four assists.

For the Cardinals, it was Quran Dublin registering game-highs of 19 points and eight assists. He also collected six boards and swiped three steals. Devin Chisholm registered 18 points, snatched eight rebounds, and added seven assists, while Mert Zor netted 14 points while collecting seven rebounds off the bench.  Donald Hartley Jr. grabbed 11 rebounds while netting eight points and registering three assists, and finally, it was Olawele Kila snatching a team-high 12 boards.

Things looked promising for the Cougars in the early stages of the evening, as Medgar Evers raced out to a 7-1 edge in the opening minutes. That red-hot start featured a converted trifecta by Simmons and a pair of made layups by Sinera. York College responded with a 12-0 run as Dublin and Chisholm each recorded five points to catapult the Cardinals to a 13-7 advantage. The CUNY foes then traded leads, and Medgar Evers held a 26-23 advantage with 4:32 to go in the half, but a 12-0 run over a span of 2:19 put York ahead 35-26. The Cardinals would eventually take a 37-28 lead into the locker room at halftime.

York College held the lead the entire second half, though Medgar Evers kept things close. The Cougars used a 17-9 run during the opening 8:02 of the second session to pull to within one (46-45). York College answered that with a 17-9 run of its own to grab a 65-56 edge with 2:19 remaining in the game. Later, a James Julien triple with 21 seconds left pulled Medgar to within six at 68-62, but the Cougars wouldn't hit a shot the rest of the way, as the Cardinals went on to win the game by nine (72-63).

Having five days off was either going to help the Cougars or show their rust, and that early-season layoff produced the latter, as Medgar Evers was ice cold shooting the basketball all over the court. The Cougars converted on just 28.1 percent of their attempts from the floor (25-89), including a seven-for-27 clip from downtown (25.9 percent). Perhaps the most eye-opening inefficiency for Medgar Evers came from the charity stripe, where the Cougars sank just six of their 23 attempts at the line (26.1 percent).

The Cardinals, who came into the evening allowing 90 points per game, yielded just 63 points and 25 field goals in this one. York College didn't exactly put on a shooting clinic themselves, but the Cardinals were the more efficient team. They hit on 37.3 percent of their attempts from the floor (25-67). York mirrored Medgar by shooting 25.9 percent from downtown (seven-for-27), and hit on 15 of 24 freebees (62.5 percent).

York held a 69-55 advantage in the rebounding department, while also compiling 19 assists to the Cougars 14. The Cardinals remarkably won the game despite eclipsing 30 turnovers on the night (31 total), while Medgar took good care of the basketball, committing just 15 miscues on the evening. The Cougars held a slight edge in the swatted shots category (6-5), while also swiping 14 steals to eight for the Cardinals.

For the Cougars, they lost their second consecutive CUNYAC opener, while the Cardinals snapped a five game losing skid in games that served as their conference opener. The two teams are slated to meet again late in the season, as the Cougars and Cardinals will link up on Friday, February 4 at the Cougars Cave in a contest that could very well have playoff implications for both squads.

Medgar Evers will next return to action against the No. 1 ranked team in all of Division III basketball, as the Cougars will travel to the Max Stern Athletic Center to take on the Maccabees of Yeshiva University on Saturday evening, December 11, at 8:30pm. The Maccabees currently have a ridiculous winning streak of 45 games, but Yeshiva will play three more games (against SUNY Old Westbury, Brooklyn College, and Washington College) prior to playing the Cougars.

Injury update: Cougars senior guard Keison McIntosh did not play in this evening's game. He is currently rehabbing his injury and will hope to play in the December 11 clash with the Maccabees
 
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