Men's Basketball Closes Out 2018 With Convincing Home Win Over CCNY

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — The St Joseph's College (Brooklyn) men's basketball squad ended their 2018 on a high note closing on a two-game win streak, defeating City College of New York (1-9), 103-71, on Saturday afternoon at The Hill Center.

Ten different Bears chipped in at least a point to the most lopsided victory since the 2014-15 season led by Stephane Etheart's (Hollis, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) near double-double effort of 20 points and nine rebounds and newcomer Bryan Medy's (Brooklyn, N.Y./Nazareth Regional) game-high 22 points off the bench.

How It Happened

After both teams felt each other out in the early moments and the Bears struggled to find a groove after a three-week layoff, a deep Sebastien Etheart (Hollis, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) three-pointer sparked a 12-1 run for the Bears over three minutes to take a commanding double-digit lead with 10 minutes until halftime and the Bears held a double-digit advantage for nearly the remainder of the contest.

The Etheart twins would combine for 30 points (15 points apiece) in the first half en route to a 46-33 lead at the break. The Beavers would shoot 54 percent in the half, but SJC maintained a 13-5 turnover advantage that they converted to a +11 points off turnover differential.

SJC opened the second stanza on a 16-4 spurt in the first five minutes to push the cushion to 25 and the Bears cruised the rest of the way, building as large as a 36-point lead. The 57-point second half included 20 points from the charity stripe and all 11 Bears logging at least six minutes of action.

Playing his first collegiate game, Medy scored 16 points in the second half. highlighted by a pair of and-one layups, including one that would put the Bears over the century mark with just under a minute left in the game

For the Bears

• Bryan Medy scored a game-high 22 points (7-11 FG, 8-11 FT) with five rebounds in his Bears debut.
• Stephane Etheart (8-16 FG) posted a near double-double with 20 points, nine boards, four steals, and three assists.
• Sebastien Etheart recorded 19 points, six rebounds, and four assists.
• Zach MacDonnell (Howard Beach, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy) notched a career-high 11 points to round out four in double figures.
• Kavan Meiner (Staten Island, N.Y./Susan Wagner) chipped in nine points and eight rebounds.
• The 32-point victory was the largest margin of victory since a 109-62 victory over The King's College on February 7, 2015 at The Hill Center.

Next Up for the Bears

The Bears return to Skyline Conference play on Saturday (Jan. 5) heading to Purchase College for a 5 pm tip-off in the nightcap of a doubleheader with the women.