MBB Escapes with Win at John Jay

NEW YORK -- The Mitchell College men's basketball team held on for a 72-69 victory at John Jay College on Tuesday night in non-conference action at The Doghouse.

Hasani Williams finished with game highs of 22 points and 17 rebounds while Brayvon Young added a season-high 21 points to lead the Mariners. Mack Bertram-Gregory also came up with a key bucket down the stretch that put Mitchell in front for good. 

The Bloodhounds looked to be in control in the first half, leading 27-14 with 9:03 to go in the period. However, the Mariners closed the half with 22 unanswered points to take a 36-27 lead into the break. Six different players scored during the run, with Young leading the way with eight points that included a pair of three-pointers.

Mitchell piled on the first 10 points of the second half to extend the run to 32 straight points. John Jay finally got a shot to go down at the 16:21 mark, ending a scoreless streak that encompassed 12:42 of game time.

The Mariners soon ran into shooting woes of their own and had trouble holding the lead. John Jay trailed 50-36 with 13:39 remaining before clawing back into the game behind a 16-1 run, taking the lead at 52-51 on a pair of free throws by Doug Levy with 8:10 to play.

Mitchell quickly snatched back the lead and later built the margin to six with 4:25 to go. However, the Bloodhounds responded with eight straight points to claim the lead once more. A pair of free throws by Young tied the game at 64-64 with under two minutes left, setting the stage for a wild finish.

Eric Pujols put John Jay back on top with a three, but Young answered back on the next Mitchell possession with a trey from the wing to knot the game at 67-67. The Mariners then forced a shot-clock violation on the defensive end, and on the ensuing possession, Bertram-Gregory came up with a big offensive rebound and putback to give the visitors the lead. 

Young canned a pair of clutch free throws with four seconds remaining to bump the Mitchell lead to three. John Jay's Matt Hudzik ended up getting a good look at the potential game-tying three at the buzzer but came up short. 

Williams, who recorded his third double-double of the season and tied his career mark for rebounds, shot 8-for-17 from the floor. Young went 5-for-10 from long range and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the line. Domenico Santiago contributed seven points and nine rebounds in 24 minutes. Levy paced the Bloodhounds with 20 points and 13 rebounds.

Mitchell (2-3 overall) will next host Western Connecticut State University on Tuesday, December 5 at 6 p.m.