Medgar Evers Holds Off Last Minute Bears Comeback Bid

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – After trailing by 12 with four minutes to play, the Bears managed to get within one possession in the final minute, but couldn't complete the comeback as the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) men's basketball team suffered a 75-70 setback to Medgar Evers College on Monday evening at Brooklyn Technical High School.

The Bears (9-6) drop their third game out of the last four to open the new year, while the Cougars (6-9) end a four-game skid. For the second straight meeting, Medgar Evers used a strong second half to overtake St. Joseph's.

Senior Jan Rogowski (Woodside, NY/St. John's Prep) led three Bears in double figures pouring in a season-high 20 points, shooting 7-of-16 from the field. Sophomore David Louison (Brooklyn, NY/St. Edmund Prep) posted his 10th double-double of the season with 18 points and 11 rebounds, while freshman Michael Megafu (Brooklyn, NY/Nazareth Regional) fell one point shy of a double-double, finishing with a game-high 17 rebounds and nine points. Freshman Matt O'Neill (Brooklyn, NY/St. Edmund Prep) netted 15 points in his third straight start, draining 4-of-8 from three-point land.

The Cougars were paced by sophomore Michael Turner who dropped a game-high 29 points on 11-of-24 shooting. Senior Jovan Deare added a 24-point, 14-rebound double-double, also dishing out a team-high four assists. Senior Winston Douglas, tied for the national lead in double-doubles, was denied his 12th of the season finishing with eight points and 12 rebounds.

St. Joseph's took control of the game early and led by as many as 13 points in the first half, but Medgar Evers shrunk the Bears lead to only two at the break, 34-32.

An 8-0 Cougar run early in the second half opened a 42-36 lead and St. Joseph's would play from behind until the final buzzer. Medgar Evers shot 44 percent (14-of-32) in the stanza while the Bears managed only 36 percent (11-of-31) and the Cougars built their largest lead of the game, 71-59, on a Taylor layup at the 4:18 mark.

With the Bears still down 11 with 3:48 to play, Rogowski scored six straight points and O'Neill sank two from the stripe for an 8-0 run that cut the deficit to three, 72-69, with 37 seconds left.

The momentum remained strongly in the Bears favor as they drew an offensive foul in the backcourt on Deare, which fouled him out of the game. But on the ensuing inbounds play from underneath their basket with a chance to pull within one or tie, the Bears made a costly turnover and fouled Medgar in the bonus, Ricco Oliver sinking both from the line to spoil the Bears comeback hopes.

St. Joseph's returns to the hardwood on Thursday, January 17th with a non-conference road tilt against NYU-Poly, who is coached by Bear alum and former coach Nolan Adams '04. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.