Bears Edge Berkeley For Share of First Place in HVMAC

NEW YORK, NY – Junior Justin Gist (Newsome, FL/Newsome) netted a season-high 25 points, helping the Bears erase two double-digit deficits and overtake perennial rival Berkeley College in the final minute for a 70-69 victory and remain undefeated in the Hudson Valley Men's Athletic Conference.

The two schools have met in the last four HVMAC championship games with Berkeley capturing three titles, despite St. Joseph's  entering as the regular season champion.  The Bears sought to maintain their perfect 11-0 record in regular season meetings against the Knights dating back to 2003.

With the game tied at 13-13, Berkeley scored 13 unanswered points to break the game open with just under five minutes left to play.  St. Joseph's closed the half on a 15-2 run, with junior forward Jon Matzelle (Maspeth, NY/St. Francis Prep) scoring seven of his 11 first-half points, to enter the lockers deadlocked at 28-28.

Neither squad could build more than a four point lead early in the second stanza until Berkeley went on a 9-1 run capped by an Isaiah Didier three-pointer pushed the Knights lead to 10 points at the midway point of the frame.  The Bears would cut the deficit to five on multiple occasions only to have Berkeley extend their advantage back to nine.  With 3:45 remaining, Berkeley maintained a nine point lead, 64-55, before St. Joseph's started their final push which would be successful.

Over the final minutes, St. Joseph's outscored Berkeley 15-5 with Gist contributing seven points during the run.  A three-pointer from sophomore Antoine Forehand (New York, NY/Rice) brought the deficit down to two with another triple from senior Lew Monaco (Staten Island, NY/Msgr. Farrell) with 37 seconds left giving St. Joseph's the lead for good.

Gist amassed 20 of his points in the second half and shot 8-for-18 from the field and 7-for-10 from the charity stripe with four rebounds and trio of steals and assists.  Matzelle finished with 16 points and grabbed six rebounds.  Forehand chipped in nine points and senior Wilkerson Exantus (Brooklyn, NY/Nazareth) pulled down a team-high seven rebounds.

For Berkeley (4-8, 2-1 HVMAC), Joshua Witsell had 17 points and nine rebounds, both game highs.  Jonathan Dorismond had 15 points.  Kaseem Williams scored 14 points while dishing out a game-high five assists.

St. Joseph's (3-11, 2-0 HVMAC) will face Culinary Institute of America on Sunday, January 24 at SUNY New Paltz at 1 p.m.  The game will determine first place in the conference as both teams are currently undefeated with identical 2-0 records.