Men’s Basketball Denied First Win by Mount Saint Vincent in Overtime

Men’s Basketball Denied First Win by Mount Saint Vincent in Overtime

RIVERDALE, N.Y. — Stephane Etheart's (Hollis, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) career-high 28 points and Sebastien Etheart's (Hollis, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) near triple-double that led five Bears scoring in double figures wasn't enough for the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) men's basketball team (0-5, 0-3 Skyline) to notch their first win of the season as they fell in an overtime thriller to the College of Mount Saint Vincent (2-3, 1-0 Skyline), 92-85, on Thursday evening on the road.

How It Happened

After a back-and-forth start to the first half that included two ties and five lead changes, the Bears went on a 14-2 run with Sebastien Etheart scoring seven points in a six-minute span pushing SJC on top, 26-16, at the 7:36 mark of the opening period.

After finding themselves down by double digits, the Dolphins caught fire, shooting 6-for-7 with two three-pointers in a 22-8 run to jump ahead by four, 38-34. The last three minutes were played neck-and-neck and the first half ended with Frank Reali (Staten Island, N.Y./Susan Wagner) knocking down 3-of-3 free throws just before the intermission to cut the deficit to one, 41-40, at the first break.

A Reali triple opened the scoring in the second to put the Bears on top, where they remained for nearly the entire period. SJC built an advantage that grew to as large as 11, 64-53, on a Sebastien Etheart three-point play at 11:28, but Mount Saint Vincent gradually cut into the Bears lead. Stephane Etheart had an offensive board and putback that forced a two-possession game with 21 ticks left, 80-76, but the Dolphins forced overtime with a pair of free throws and forcing a turnover and converting a layup with five seconds left by Kalos Evans to tie the game at 80-80.

In overtime, the Dolphins scored the first five points and never let the Bears back to a one-possession game. SJC was held to five points in the extra period—all scored by freshman Tyler Holness (Boston, Mass./Malden).


For the Bears

  • Stephane Etheart led the attack for the Bears, scoring a career-high 28 points, with season-high nine rebounds, four assists, and three steals.
  • Sebastien Etheart posted a near triple-double, stuffing the stat sheet with 16 points, 13 rebounds, a career-high eight assists, and a pair of blocks.
  • Reali scored 17 points and pulled down five rebounds.
  • Dimitri Sirakis (Hollis, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) added nine points with six boards.

Next Up for the Bears

The Bears welcome Mount Saint Mary (3-0, 1-0 Skyline) in the second game of a Skyline doubleheader on Saturday (Dec. 1) on Alumni and Family Day at The Hill Center. Tip-off is set for 4 pm. Links to live stats and video with Michael Kerr calling the action will be available at SJCBears.com.