Big second half lifts Brooklyn College over New Paltz

NEW PALTZ, NY- The SUNY New Paltz men’s basketball team fell to visiting Brooklyn College 70-50, Monday afternoon in the Hawk Center.  Richard Jean-Baptiste leads with 18 points and scores his 1,000 career point for the Bridges. 

With 7:11 remaining in the game, the Hawks trailed 49-46 and threatening a comeback, Brooklyn quickly shut the Hawks down and finished the game on a 21-4 run for the victory.  The Hawks held Richard Jean-Baptiste to just five points for the first 33 minutes of the game, but Baptiste scored 13 points in the seven minutes to pace the Bridges to victory, Baptiste finished with a game high 18 points and four rebounds.  Thomas Guerin scored 12 and Daniel Nisbett chipped in with ten points.

The Hawks were led by junior forward Connor Cornine (Warwick, NY/Don Bosco Prep) with 12 points and a game high 13 rebounds, for his second straight double-double.  Junior forward Lee Bertram (Bayport, NY/Bayport Blue-Point) had 12 points and four rebounds and freshman guard Harris Wichard (Merrick, NY/Bellmore JFK) had ten points and a career high nine rebounds.

In the first half, neither teams were able to pull away from each other for the first 18 minutes, before a 8-2 run to close out the half gave the Bridges a 32-24 half-time lead. 

The Bridges Guerin led with six points and three players (Darnell Cudjoe, Enes Purisic and Nisbett) all chipped in with five points.

The Hawks were led by senior guard Matt Hauser (East Williston, NY/Chaminade) with eight points and five rebounds and three players (Bertram, Cornine and Wichard) all added four points.

Brooklyn improves to 13-3 overall and 6-0 in the CUNYAC conference.

With the loss, the Hawks fall to 7-9 overall and 4-3 in the SUNYAC conference.

The Hawks return to the court January 30 against conference opponent Geneseo at 8 p.m. on the campus of SUNY Geneseo in the Carl Schrader Gymnasium.