Men's Basketball Suffers Loss in Final Seconds to Trinity (Conn.) in Season Opener

RIVERDALE, N.Y. – The St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) men's basketball team dropped a heartbreaking 63-62 decision to Trinity College (Conn.) on a layup by George Papadeas with eight seconds remaining in their 2013-14 season opener on Friday night in the opening game of the College of Mount Saint Vincent Tip-Off Tournament held at the Peter Jay Sharp Center.

Eight players contributed to the offensive cause for Trinity (1-0) led by last year's leading scorer Jaquann Starks who led the Bantams with 15 points while Shay Ajayi and Edward Ogundeko each contributed 12 points. Papadeas nearly recorded a double-double finishing with nine points to go along with a game-high 10 rebounds.

St. Joseph's (0-1) was led by junior David Louison (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) who poured in a game-high 17 points while corralling five boards. Sophomore Michael Megafu (Brooklyn, N.Y./Nazareth Regional) dropped in 12 points while securing a team-high seven rebounds. Senior Ian Duff (Jamaica, N.Y./Christ the King) chipped in 12 points off the bench going 4-for-7 from the field including 2-for-2 from beyond the arc. Junior Vernon Maddox (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Peter's) helped orchestrate the Bears offense with his game-high eight assists.

TURNING POINT

St. Joseph's built a 59-55 lead with 4:36 remaining following a Louison jump shot. Trinity would respond with a 5-0 run to take their first lead since the 18:25 mark of the second half at 60-59 after Ajayi drained one of his two treys on the night. On the ensuing possession for St. Joseph's sophomore Matt O'Neill (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) came down the court and answered with a three of his own to put the Bears back up 62-60 with 2:19 left.

The Bantams cut the deficit to 62-61 with 1:57 remaining on a free throw by Papadeas. The action would go back and forth with neither team having a good look at the basket until there was 13 seconds left in the contest when the Bears were called for a foul. Ogundeko went to the line for the one-and-one but missed the front end. However, in the ensuing scramble for the rebound the ball deflected off a Bear giving the Bantams one last hope. Following a Trinity timeout, Papadeas took the inbounds pass and drove across the lane laying the ball into the basket to give the Bantams a 63-62 lead with eight seconds left on the clock.

On the ensuing St. Joseph's possession, Ajayi committed a foul after the Bears passed half-court with two seconds left forcing St. Joseph's to inbound the ball from the sideline. Megafu ended up with the ball in the corner and had a good look at the basket but his potential game-winning jumper rimmed in and out.

NEWS AND NOTES

• Seven different Bears recorded at least two points including freshman Greg Beehler (Breezy Point, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) who nailed a jump shot in the first half for his first collegiate points.
• Game had six ties and 20 lead changes.
• Bears shot 42.4 percent from field (25-59) and 38.9 percent (7-18) from beyond the arc
• Largest Trinity lead of the night was three points.
• St. Joseph's was out-rebounded 43-28.
• Trinity now leads the all-time series 2-0 having won the schools' previous meeting in 2010.

NEXT UP FOR THE BEARS

St. Joseph's will play Centenary (N.J.) in the consolation game tomorrow at 2 p.m. at the Peter Jay Sharp Center.