Top 10 Moments: #3 – Men's Basketball Shocks Patchogue in Double OT; Caps Campaign With USCAA Berth

Every team has high hopes for the upcoming season and the 2012-13 season for the St. Joseph’s College (Brooklyn) men’s basketball team was no different and the Bears delivered as they defeated sister campus St. Joseph’s (L.I.) in double overtime before hitting a bump in the road but they would recover with a birth into the USCAA Tournament for the fifth time in school history.

The Bears came into their annual matchup with the rival Golden Eagles playing good basketball as they entered the night 6-3 with one of those wins coming against USCAA powerhouse The Apprentice School.  St. Joseph’s performance that night was one for the ages as three Bears recorded double-doubles led by freshman Michael Megafu who produced the first-ever 30-and-20 game with his 31-point, 20-rebound performance as St. Joseph’s stunned their sibling rivals on their home court, 90-87.

The contest was a tight battle that saw 15 ties and nine lead changes over the 50-minute affair. Neither team was able to build more than a six-point advantage in the opening stanza and entered the lockers deadlocked at 30-30.

The Bears built a 14-point lead with just over five minutes remaining in regulation but the offense would stall, unable to produce a field goal for three minutes allowing the Golden Eagles to assemble a 19-2 run putting them up 66-63. Brooklyn would level the game on a Megafu layup and David Louison free throw to send the game into overtime.

The Bears led for almost the entirety of the first extra session but struggles from the charity stripe would give Long Island extra life and send the game into a second overtime period.

In the second overtime, a Megafu layup put the Bears up four with 22 seconds remaining before a trey by Long Island cut the deficit to one. However, sophomore Vernon Maddox would come through with a pair of free throws and the Golden Eagles missed a game-tying three-point attempt giving Brooklyn their first win of the series in over ten years and first under the guidance of Head Coach Joseph Cocozello.

The Bears would use that win as a building block on their way to the HVMAC Tournament Championship Game losing a tight contest to Berkeley College. St. Joseph’s waited anxiously as the seedings were announced for the USCAA National Tournament and were rewarded for their successful season as they were awarded the No. 8 seed and would play No. 1 seed Rochester (Mich.) in their first USCAA Tournament appearance since 2007.

The Bears faced a tall task drawing a Rochester team that finished the regular season 26-3 with their only losses coming to NCAA Division I schools while also notching a victory over Division I school Eastern Illinois earlier in the season. St. Joseph’s stayed close with the Warriors as they only trailed 24-19 at 8:41 but Rochester would go on a 19-4 run to close the half heading into the lockers up 43-23.

The Bears played the Warriors nearly even in the second half with Rochester holding a 32-30 advantage in the period. St. Joseph’s ended up losing 75-53 in an admirable performance considering the competition they were up against. The Bears were led by senior Jan Rogowski who dropped in 12 points shooting 5-of-12 from the field and brought down five rebounds.

In the consolation bracket the Bears would face Lindenwood University Belleville and fell 81-74 concluding their season with a 16-13 mark, their most victories since their 2006-07 campaign. 

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Our summer feature on www.SJCBears.com, we look back at the highlights from the 2012-2013 season in St. Joseph’s College Brooklyn Athletics. We will reveal a new moment on the list every Wednesday throughout the summer ending in August right before the start of the new season. 

#10 – Mangan Captures First Cross Country Win in Lady Bears History
#9 – Diamonds Sparkle on the Dance Floor and in the Classroom
#8 – Softball Rallies From Eight Down, Caps Season With HVWAC Crown
#7 – Former Bears and Lady Bears Shine in Professional Spotlight
#6 – Bears and Lady Bears Athletes Recognized for Outstanding Seasons
#5 – A Gym Still Grows in Brooklyn... Project Crosses 1-Year Mark
#4 – Women's Basketball Stuns USCAA Champs En Route to HVWAC Title
#3 – Men's Basketball Shocks Patchogue in Double OT; Caps Campaign With USCAA Berth
#2 – Check back on August 14th!