Men’s Basketball’s Two-Game Win Streak Snapped at Old Westbury

OLD WESTBURY, N.Y. — Sophomore forward Stephane Etheart (Hollis, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) poured in 20 points and 15 rebounds, but the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) men's basketball team failed to overcome SUNY Old Westbury on Saturday afternoon. The Bears were down by as much as 24 halfway through the second half but picked up steam too late as they couldn't extend their two-game win streak.

The Basics

• Final Score: Old Westbury 73, St. Joseph's 64
• Records: Old Westbury (5-8, 4-4), St. Joseph's (7-9, 6-5)
• Location: Old Westbury, N.Y. — Clark Athletic Center
• SJC Starters: Sirakis (G), McQuillen (G), Etheart (F), Etheart (F), Meiner (F)

Turning Point

• After falling behind by 20-plus points in the second the Bears mounted a 13-0 run (4:14), but it proved too little too late as the hosts held on for victory.

How It Happened

• Neither side could completely pull away in the first half, as guard Matt McQuillen (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Peter's) kept SJC in the game with a triple just under the eight-minute mark pulling them within five (18-13).
• Old Westbury put together a 16-7 spurt over the next six minutes to go up 34-20 (2:23), but the Bears won the last two minutes of the half 9-4, capped off by a Sebastien Etheart (Hollis, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) layup to close the gap to single-digits (38-29) at the break.
• A perfect trip to the line completed an 11-2 Panthers' run over the first six minutes of the second to give them a convincing 19-point lead (14:07), and their advantage swelled to 24 (65-41) after an Alan McDonald bucket at 10:57.
• St. Joseph's subsequently picked up their play en route to their 13-0 stretch, but St. Etheart's 12 points after intermission could not carry his squad all the way back and their winning streak ended at two games.

For the Bears

• Stephane had a busy day with 20 points (10-20 FG), 15 rebounds (nine offensive), three blocks, and two steals.
• Sebastien dropped nine points (seven rebounds), and the backcourt of Dimitri Sirakis (Hollis, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) (nine points) and McQuillen (seven) totaled 15, but the trio struggled mightily from deep on the day (combined 3-23 3FG).
• Sophomore big man Kavan Meiner (Staten Island, N.Y./Susan Wagner) rounded out SJC's starters with eight points and eight boards.

Inside the Box Score

• Despite the loss, St. Joseph's (16 turnovers) took care of the ball better than Old Westbury (22 turnovers).
• Cold long-range shooting plagued the Bears throughout as they shot just 4-38 from three compared to the hosts 39.1% (9-23) clip.

The Bear Facts

• Even with the loss, the Bears remain the fifth-best team in the Skyline with a 6-5 league mark.
• Stephane's double-double was his team-leading seventh of the season.

Next Up for the Bears

• The start of a three-game homestand hosting SUNY Maritime on Tuesday (Jan. 16) at 7 p.m. with live stats and video streaming at SJCBears.com.