Bears Stung by Yellow Jackets

BROOKLYN, NY – Junior Antoine Forehand (New York, NY/Rice) scored a career high 25 points, but it wasn't enough as St. Joseph's fell to the previously winless City Tech Yellow Jackets, 83-64. The loss is the Bears eight consecutive and drops their record to 2-12 (1-0 HVMAC).

The Bears struggled out of the gates and trailed the Yellow Jackets early, 15-4. St. Joseph's was able to pull within nine with just over three minutes before the break, but City Tech outscored them 15-8 to close out the first half in front, 44-28. Yellow Jackets forward Fitzgerald Charles had already recorded a double-double, heading into the lockers with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

The second half was evenly contested, but trailing 16 at halftime, the Bears couldn't afford to make baskets without cutting into the Yellow Jacket lead. City Tech kept St. Joseph's at arm's length extending the lead to as high as 22 and never allowing the Bears to get within 16.

St. Joseph's wasn't able to handle the size of the Yellow Jackets under the glass. The Bears got outrebounded 58-35. Of City Tech's 58 rebounds, 26 came on the offensive end and accounted for 23 second chance points.

The Bears were also done in with their inability to shoot and defend the three ball. One-third of the team's shots were from behind the arc (24 of 72), but they were only able to connect on five for a 20.8% success rate. Comparatively, the Yellow Jackets hit 6 of 13 from three, including some daggers that killed any chance of a Bears rally.

Forehand cracked 20 points for just the second time in his career at St. Joseph's. The last time was in his first game as a freshman, November 15, 2008, at Mount Aloysius, when he scored 21. Senior Donald Coleman (Brooklyn, NY/Nazareth) nearly recorded a double-double in just 17 minutes of action, scoring 13 and grabbing a team high nine boards.

City Tech was led by Nathaniel Young who put up 31 points and hit four of the Yellow Jackets six three-pointers. Charles finished with a game high 19 rebounds and added 14 points.

St. Joseph's has another inner city battle as they head to the Bronx to take on City College of New York on Friday, January 14th. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00.