Nov 13, 2015
Jamaica, NY| Despite big nights from juniors Andy Laurent (Amityville, N.Y./ Amityville) andFernando Vazquez (Babylon, N.Y./ Babylon), the St. Joseph's College (L.I.) men's basketball team (0-1) dropped its first match of the season in thrilling fashion losing 94-82 in overtime to the York College Cardinals in a non-conference battle at York College Gym on Friday night.
Laurent led the Golden Eagles with 27 points, adding nine rebounds, five assists, and three steals, while Vazquez connected on 8-for-16 shooting for 24 points with eight boards, and three dishes.
The Golden Eagles had to play catch-up early; overcoming a nine-point deficit after senior forwardJoseph Savaglio (Harborfields, N.Y./ Harborfields) splashed a three-pointer that sparked a 13-6 run.
At 8:03, newly transferred senior forward from Dowling College, Dominique Spann, made his mark, scoring a layup to give St. Joseph's their first lead of the evening.
The Eagles and the Cardinals continued to exchange buckets, finishing the first period notched at 31 apiece, when York's Anthony Mason floated a layup in with 11-seconds left.
Like the first period, the Cardinals came out of the gates hot, jumping to a quick 12-3 run over St. Joseph's.
Vazquez and junior guard Stephen Cohen (Selden, N.Y./ Newfield) regained momentum for the Eagles, combining for the next 15 points to cut the Cardinals lead down to 52-48.
With a minute left in the game and down by three, Laurent came in the clutch to score back-to-back free throws and nailing a jump shot to force extra time tied 69-69.
Spann scored the first bucket in added time off a pass from Cohen, but it wasn't enough as the home team responded with quick with a three ball.
The Cardinals refused to relinquish the lead for the rest of the period to cap off the victory.
St. Joseph's returns to action on Tuesday, taking on another non-conference opponent against the Medgar Evers Cougars (0-0) at 8:00 p.m. away in Brooklyn, N.Y