Men’s Basketball’s Second-Half Surge Halted by Mount Saint Vincent

RIVERDALE, N.Y. — The St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) men's basketball team rallied from a 28-point deficit against the College of Mount Saint Vincent, reducing it to as little as five in the waning moments of the contest. However, the Bears (3-19, 2-11 Skyline) came up short, falling to the Dolphins (9-11, 7-6 Skyline), 76-70, on Wednesday night.

Following up on his 49-point showing on Monday night, senior Chris Mikos (Freehold, N.J./St. John Vianney) dropped 27 points on 13-of-26 shooting to lead a trio of Bears in double figures. Evan Sirakis (Hollis Hills, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) scored 12 points while Anderson Beltre (East Elmhurst, N.Y./Holy Cross) finished with 11 points.

How it Happened

The Dolphins' hot start to the contest saw them lead 14-4 after five minutes. Sirakis converted a three-point play to bring SJC to within single digits before the hosts restored a double-figure margin. Picking at CMSV's advantage, the Bears would trail by no fewer than eight throughout the remainder of the period. However, Dan Porsic and Aaron Darab combined to shoot 14-of-20 from beyond the arc, contributing to their 48-28 lead at the intermission.

Mount Saint Vincent's lead ballooned to 28 at the 12:57 mark of the second half. A mid-range jumper by Samil Melo (Brooklyn, N.Y./Adams Street) on the Bears' next possession began an 11-minute stretch in which they outscored the Dolphins, 30-10, to climb out of their double-digit hole; trailing 73-65 with 96 seconds remaining. Sirakis' corner trey with 35.6 left in regulation trimmed the Bears' deficit to five, 75-70 before a CMSV free-throw with 23 seconds left confirmed the six-point result for the hosts.

For the Bears

• Mikos pulled a season-high 17 rebounds and led the team in assists (5) and steals (3).

• Beltre shot 4-of-7 from the floor and shot at a 50-percent clip from beyond the arc. He added five rebounds to his stat line.

• Beltre's 11 bench points contributed to the Bears blowing the Dolphins away in the department, 23-7.

• Nine of Sirakis' 12 points came from three-point land; dishing out three dimes, collecting a pair of caroms, and forcing as many steals.

• Richie Simon (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) pulled 10 rebounds and totaled three distributions.

• Melo grabbed four boards and was one of four Bears with four points on the night.

• All nine Bears to see playing time scored at least two points.

Up Next

The Bears welcome the SUNY College at Old Westbury to The Hill Center on Saturday, February 12 in the second game of an Alumni Day doubleheader. Tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. with live stats and video available on sjcbears.com/live