Bears Snap Eight-Game Skid Defeating CCNY, 73-68

NEW YORK, NY – Sophomore forward Jan Rogowski (Woodside, NY/St. John's Prep) recorded a 30 point, 14 rebound double-double and the St. Joseph's College men's basketball team shot a season-best 48 percent as the Bears defeated CCNY, 73-68, on the road at Nat Holman Gymnasium on Friday night.

The win snaps an eight-game skid for the Bears (3-12, 1-0 HVMAC) who were winless for over six weeks.  

Rogowski opened the scoring for St. Joseph's with a layup that triggered a 7-0 run to start the game. CCNY came back and took the lead, 11-9, on a three-point play from Hector Hernandez, but that would be the only lead the Beavers would hold. St. Joseph's responded with a 19-3 run, capped by a Rogowski trifecta, giving the Bears their largest lead of the half at 14, before carrying a 34-23 advantage into the lockers.

After shooting just 24 percent in the opening frame, CCNY came out firing in the second half connecting on 50 percent of their attempts in an effort to cut the deficit. The Bears were up to the task as they matched the Beavers, improving their output to 59 percent and managed to keep the lead in double-digits for most of the half.

In the final two minutes, CCNY jumped back into contention cutting the Bears lead to three points after connecting on three of their four triples in the half. The Bears managed to hold off the surge despite shooting a season-worst 27 percent from the charity stripe and connecting on 3-of-6 from the free throw line in the final minute.

St. Joseph's captures the second straight meeting between the two schools after a thrilling, double overtime 89-88 win at Brooklyn Technical High School last season.

Rogowski shot 75 percent from the floor (12-for-16) and knocked down four three-pointers en route to his first career double-double. Ten of his game-high 14 rebounds game on the defensive glass. Rogowski's 30 point effort is just the fifth 30-plus point game by a Bear in the Coach Cocozello era.

Senior forward Donald Coleman (Brooklyn, NY/Nazareth) also turned in his third double-double of the season, netting 16 points and 12 rebounds on 7-for-14 shooting. Two other Bears finished in double-figures with the starting backcourt duo of Antoine Forehand (New York, NY/Rice) adding 11 and David Ortiz (Brooklyn, NY/Christ the King) chipping in 10.

CCNY (2-13, 0-4 CUNYAC) was led by Kenny Rubenstein's 16 points and Vincent Roberts's 14 points. Both grabbed eight rebounds to share team-high honors.

St. Joseph's returns to the hardwood hosting NJAC foe Rutgers-Camden in an afternoon tilt on Martin Luther King Day. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.