Mikos’ Big Effort, Simon’s Double-Double Not Enough as Men’s Basketball Outlasted by Medgar Evers

BROOKLYN, N.Y. —  Senior Chris Mikos (Freehold, N.J./St. John Vianney) scored a game-high 27 and classmate Richie Simon (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) had a career game recording his first double-double, but the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) men's basketball team fell at home to Medgar Evers College, 89-86, in high-scoring, non-conference affair from The Hill Center on Saturday afternoon.

How It Happened

Mikos scored six straight points to jump start an 8-0 run for the Bears that built an early 11-3 advantage five minutes in. It would be the largest lead for either team in the half, but the visitors responded with a 16-2 spurt of their own to move ahead, 19-13, with 11:07 before the intermission. Chris Tracy (Glendale, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy) then bookended a pair of triples around a Simon three-point play that put the Bears back on top 24-19 and they maintained a 37-35 lead going into intermission. 

The Cougars stormed out of the lockers hitting a triple on their opening possession to regain the lead and SJC responded with a four straight after a Joe Sheehan (Staten Island, N.Y./Gaynor McCown) layup and a pair of Simon free throws to move ahead 41-38. But the visitors would use a 12-4 spurt to take the lead for good. Medgar Evers led by as many as eight on several occasions and by seven with 30 seconds remaining before a final comeback bid pulled the Bears within one, 87-86, with 4.1 to play. After sending the Cougars to the line in the double bonus, SJC found themselves still down a possession needing a three to tie, but couldn't get off a game-tying shot.

For the Bears

• Mikos played all 40 minutes and recorded his third 20-plus point game of the season on 9-of-20 shooting. He flirted with a triple-double filling up the stat sheet with eight boards, a game-high eight assists, two steals, and two blocks.
• Simon reached double-figure points and rebounds for the first time in his career, scoring 14 points with a game-high-tying 17 boards. He also dished out four dimes and swiped three steals.
• Evan Sirakis (Hollis Hills, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) rounded out three Bears in double figures with 13 points, four boards, four assists, two steals, and a block.
• Tracy, Emmanuel Coffy (Marlboro, N.J./Marlboro), and Jalen Gist (Brooklyn, N.Y./Medgar Evers Prep) added six points each, combining for four three-pointers off the bench.
• SJC shot 41 percent (29-of-71) from the field and won the battle of the boards 51-37.

Next Up

The Bears resume Skyline Conference play and head to sibling rivals SJC Long Island on Wednesday, December 1. Tip-off from Patchogue, N.Y. is set for 7:30 with live stats and video on SJCBears.com/live.