Bulldogs Will Meet Bearcats In The CUNYAC Finals

The history between Brooklyn College and College of Staten Island is no secret. They both had lots of battles in the past. CSI is 4-0 all-time against Brooklyn in the CUNYAC Tournament. CSI has won the last 11 of the last 13 meeting. Tonight, there was a different story. The Brooklyn College Bulldogs came to the Nat Holman Gymnasium with a chip on their shoulder. They did not let stats define them for this particular game.

CSI started the game with a 6-2 lead. Bulldogs had already 3 fouls in under 5 minutes into the game. Brooklyn then grabbed their first lead of the game, 11-10. CSI would bounce back to tie the game at 18-18. Bulldogs regain the lead with 20-18. This would be a back and forth battle between the two teams throughout the entire first half. However, things started to get out a little out of hand for CSI. Baum Khaleeq committed a hard foul on fastbreak, which the referees called it a technical foul. Later, during the bulldogs possession, Baum grew angrily and frustrated at the referees for calling a charge on Baum and not a blocking foul. This resulted a second technical foul and Baum was no longer part of the action. Brooklyn finished the half leading CSI, 29-28.

Lorenzo Williams led the Bulldogs with 11 points and 6 rebounds. Frank Schettino, Will Fonseca and Edin Bracic combined for 23 points out of CSIs 28 points. Bulldogs and CSI shot equally .35% from the field.

The Bulldogs started the second half on a 11-3 run. CSI looked out of sync. They couldn’t get anything to go in. Bulldogs went up as many as 13 points leading 47-34. After coming out of timeout, CSI went on a 7-0 run. They tried to keep the battle going, but they weren’t able to stop the Bulldogs. CSIs struggled all night with free throws and perimeter jump shots. Bulldogs went on to defeat CSI, 78-69. Lorenzo Williams finishes with 23 points and 11 boards leading the Bulldogs. Egzon Gjonbalaj added 20 points. Jamel Gist added 15 points. CSIs Frank Schettino finished with 19 points and 10 boards. Will Fonseca added 19 points with 13 boards.

CSI shot a very poor .227% from downtown and .429% from the free throw line. Two key areas that mainly cost CSI the game and season. Brooklyn scored 17 points off turnovers.

Bulldogs move on to the CUNYAC Finals and meet the No. 5 Baruch College Bearcats, whom they defeated the No. 1 Lehman College team earlier today.

 

 

 

Miguel’s Friday Thoughts

It’s another edition of Miguel’s Friday Thoughts. I will give my intake about Monty Williams powerful speech at his wife’s funeral and about the NBA Trade scenario.

It is never easy to lose a loved one. It is never easy to see the day to come when someone you have known for a long time makes their journey to heaven. However, when you see a man like Monty Williams to speak in front of many guests after losing his wife in a tragic car accident, it is tremendously powerful and inspiring.

Ingrid died on Feb. 10 from injuries sustained the previous day when a car driven by 52-year-old Susannah Donaldson crossed over the median and hit Ingrid’s SUV. The accident report said Donaldson, who was traveling at 92 miles per hour in a 40-mile zone, swerved to avoid another vehicle and hit 44-year-old Ingrid’s car head-on. Donaldson was pronounced dead at the scene and Ingrid died after being transported to a hospital. Three of the Williams’ five children were in the car at the time. All were taken to a hospital with serious injuries.

Monty Williams, assistant coach for Oklahoma City Thunder, delivered words that touched all of us around the world. “That family didn’t wake up wanting to hurt my wife. Life is hard. It is very hard, and that was tough, but we hold no ill will toward the Donaldson family,” Monty continued. “And we, as a group, brothers united in unity, should be praying for that family because they grieve as well.”

Wow! I have been to many funerals in my life, but this had to be one of the most touching and best speeches I ever heard. It is amazing how strong and brave Monty Williams is as a man and father. It teaches me to be more brave as a man whenever I face with an adversity or difficult moment in my life. When you lose someone in such a tragedy, you don’t often think the way Monty Williams thinks. You are in denial, shocked and frustrated. I absolutely admired the way Monty carried himself. I admired his courage and optimism. I believe that with time, him and his family will find peace.

Monty had been married to his wife for 20 years and they had 5 children.

The trade deadline is over. I admit that I’m disappointed that a “big” trade didn’t happen. Dwight Howard and Blake Griffin remained with their current teams. In my opinion, I thought Howard was going to be the one to get traded. He can’t seem to stay healthy and he is not quite the same player he was with the Orlando Magic. The Rockets are not looking good this season and seems to me that there’s problems between Harden and Howard. Rockets finished in second place in the Western Conference last season. It’s hard to believe that they are in the .500 mark this season. The biggest mistake the Rockets made was to let go of Kevin McHale. Ever since McHale was fired, the team looked more broken and lost.

Blake Griffin is having a good year putting up sensational numbers in points and rebounds. However, he has gotten into problems with the trainer that resulted him getting suspended for four games. He’s also have been battling with injuries. Clippers have been winning games without Griffin, but I’m not sure it would be the same in a seven game series. Doc Rivers lately said that they were not going to trade Griffin and that’s how it remained.

I’m just wondering how Griffin will respond down the stretch of the season or coming into playoff time. I will say this: things will not look good for the Clippers if they do not make it to the Western Conference Finals. With the addition of Jeff Green, it elevates their chances of going far in the playoffs, but clearly Chris Paul can’t do it all by himself.

 

 

 

 

Beavers Eliminated By The Cardinals After Missing A Game-Tying Shot

The City College of New York Beavers lost a heartbreaker and was eliminated in the first round of the CUNYAC tournament with the score of 74-71 to York College. With the loss, CCNY is eliminated and they end their 2015-16 season 13-13, while the victory moves York onto the second round to face Brooklyn College on Saturday, February 20.

City struck first, but it would not be that easy for the Beavers to keep that lead. York kept the score close early in the first half. York was dominating in offensive rebounds early in the game. The Cardinals went on a 6-0 run to take a 12-11 lead with just under 12 minutes left in the half. CCNY would not let the Cardinals get away with the lead for long as they fought hard and took control. It would be a close couple of minutes for the teams looking to advance to the second round. It would be City to lead 37-31 as the first half wound down.

Sharpshooter David Solano led the Beavers with 15 points. Cardinals Anthony Mason and Ryan Smart combined for 10 rebounds. City shot an impressive .636 from the field and held York to just a .371 field goal percentage. They also shot an astonishing .714% from the three point line.

The Beavers were up by eight points to start the second half, but the Cardinals took control. Once York was able to tie the game, they knew they could take the lead. It would be City remaining in control until a big surge that put the Cardinals up 63-54 with just over four minutes left in the game. This game would come down to the wire though as CCNY trailed 71-69 with 34 seconds remaining. Then with 16 seconds in the game the Beavers were still down 73-71. It was a close game, but the Cardinals came out on top with a 74-71 victory.

Four Cardinal players finished with double figures; two of them in double doubles. Mason led the Cardinals with 17 points, 11 boards. Smart added 16 points with 15 boards (12 came from defense). Rashaan Bailey added 13. Chad Coachman added 13. As for the Beavers, Solano led the Beavers with 17 points, while Khalil Hamer added 16. Mark Richards and Robert Dionisio both added 12. Blake Borysewicz grabbed 11 boards on the game. City shot .444, while York shot .394 from the field.

 

Miguel’s Friday Thoughts

It’s time for Miguel’s Friday Thoughts. I will give my own thoughts about the Caribbean Series, Yankees Bullpen and Kobe’s last All-Star.

The Caribbean Series concluded with Mexico winning it all on a walk-off homer. Mexico played their tales off in the Caribbean Series and deserve all the acclaim they are receiving. I’m more disappointed with the Dominican Republic team. My country, my nationality. For the first time in Caribbean Series history, a team finishes the tournament with no wins. What? Dominican Republic with zero wins? It just kills me even more to learn about that statistic. I guess I have to wait until next year to see if they can rebound from this embarrassment.

The addition of Aroldis Chapman gives the Yankees the recognition of becoming a potential threat from a bullpen standpoint. Teams don’t want to come across Betances, Miller and Chapman. Betances reminds me of Mariano Rivera from 1996. Rivera was a setup man for John Wetteland, but his performance in the 1996 season is one of the most important reasons for the Yankees success. Betances, on the other hand, will most likely be a 7th inning guy. It all depends how the Yankees will handle it. One of the things I love between the similarity of Rivera and Betances is their confidence in their pitching. They make it look so comfortable.

As many of you know, this will be Kobe’s last All-Star Game. He’s entering his 18th All-Star appearance and this one will be a night to remember. It’s going to be emotional and inspiring for everyone around the world. This night will be nothing but love and respect to the Black Mamba.

Beavers Fall Into .500 Mark After A Horrendous Loss to Baruch

In a must win game, it turned very cloudy in Beaver nation as they lost a big game against Baruch College Bearcats, 79-59. Bearcats sweep the season series against the Beavers.

Despite of the results, the game started off exciting with both teams keeping the game close and playing with a chip on their shoulder as the season is winding down. It was a competitive battle for the two rivals for the first 9 minutes of the game. City began to turn the ball over in the middle of the first half, which began Bearcats to take advantage of those turnovers and turned them into points. Beavers turnover fest played a huge factor in the first half and continued throughout the whole game. The turnovers had to do with the Beavers being careless with the ball. In addition to, the Wildcats defense also played a huge role in forcing those turnovers. Beavers were also not shooting the ball with confidence. Too much hesitation, too much frustration. Baruch led the half as many as 15. They finish the half leading 39-29.

City had an unbelievable 15 turnovers in the first half. They shot 22% from downtown and none of their players were in double figures. Bearcats scored 20 points off turnovers.

In the second half, the punishment continued. City weren’t even close to getting back into the game. Bearcats defense was there all night. Their offense was clicking. City just didn’t have an answer for them. Their body language was no good and they just looked completely powerless and fatigued.

There were four Bearcats with double figures. Chimaechi Ekekeugbor led the Bearcats with 23 points. Raymond De La Cruz finished with 19 points. Doyin Isaac with 13 points, and Edward Roscigno with 10 points. Baruch stays ahead of City in the CUNY Athletic Conference.

Baruch improves to 13-10. City drops to 11-11. The Beavers last two games of the season will be against John Jay and Medgar Evers. They must win both to keep their season alive.

#ccnybeavers #ccnyvsbaruch #ccnybasketball #cunybasketball #sports #sportsnewsflash524 #miguelmedinasportswriter #basketball #collegebasketball #wordpress

Bears Defeated Columbia Lions In An Inspiring Breast Cancer Awareness Game

A second-half surge behind 59.3 percent shooting by the Bears led Brown to a 73-63 win over Columbia on Saturday night.

Despite the loss, it was an inspirational night for all members in attendance as Columbia hosted its ninth-annual Play4Kay game on Saturday night, honoring those who have battled women’s cancers and all those who were affected by it.

With the Lions came out dresed in their pink uniforms to support the fight against women’s cancer, Columbia honored those survivors of breast cancer during a special halftime ceremony on the court. Half of the proceeds from Saturday’s game went towards the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center while the other half went towards the Kay Yow Cancer Fund to help the fight against breast cancer and all other women’s cancer. On-site donations made by fans throughout the game were also matched by the Fairway Community Foundation.

While Brown got on the board first to open the game after two and a half minutes of scoreless action, it was first-year Josie Little who answered immediately back with a bucket of her own to tie things up at 2-2.

The Columbia defense stepped up throughout the first quarter, holding the Bears to two of their last 13 from the field to end the period, and with the help of a big three from rookie Emily Surloff, the Lions were able to take a 12-8 lead into the second.

The Bears came out attacking in the second quarter on a 6-0 run, but Camille Zimmerman was able to respond back for the Lions with a transition three to give Columbia back a 15-14 lead with 7:52 to play.

With the Lions on top, 20-18, Brown came back with yet another six unanswered points before Alexa Giuliano and Emily Surloff were able to drain a pair of 3-pointers and knot things up at 26-26 with 2:17 to go in the half.

While the Bears tied the game back up with a layup by Jordin Alexander, the Lions would not relinquish their lead as Devon Roeper capitalized on an and-one to give Columbia a 31-29 lead heading into the locker rooms.

Brown finished the first half without a bucket from beyond the arc, shooting 0-for-9 from downtown while the Lions were 5-of-14.

Unfortunately the Bears came out of the half attacking, opening the third quarter on a 9-1 run and never looked back as they held the lead the entire quarter to take a 53-48 advantage into the final 10 minutes of play.

Trailing, 55-48, with 9:33 to go, the Lions were able to rally back with a 7-2 run of their own thanks to yet another three by Abby Lee, getting Columbia to within a pair, 57-55, with 8:13 remaining.

The Bears were able to close out the game shooting 63.6 percent (7-of-11) in the final 10 minutes, however, sealing a 73-63 victory over Columbia as the Lions went on to hit only two of their final 13 shots from the field.

Camille Zimmerman was able to pick up her fifth double-double of the season, posting up 14 points and 10 rebounds while Tori Oliver (11 points) and Devon Roeper (10 points) each added double-figures for the Lions.

Columbia was able to hold the Brown perimeter shooting at bay the entire game, however, keeping the Bears to 7.7 percent (1-of-13) from beyond the arc.

Photo by: Miguel Medina

Miguel’s Friday Thoughts

It’s Friday and it’s time for Miguel’s Friday Thoughts. The biggest topic we will cover on is about no other than Super Bowl 50 featuring the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos.

The Broncos are the No. 1 defense in football this season. The Panthers have the highest-scoring offense. Many people are picking the Panthers to win the Super Bowl. It’s not even a close vote. Many think that the Broncos have no chance against the Panthers.

Two years ago, a lot of folks picked the Broncos to win the Super Bowl against the Seattle Seahawks. What happened? They got smoked.

One of the most interesting matchups we are gonna see is the Panthers pass offense against the Broncos pass defense. Linebackers Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware are the key components of the Broncos defense. Panthers have a good offensive lineman though. Therefore, this should be fun to watch.

We will probably see Peyton Manning one last time on the football field. Does he have enough to win one more game and win his 2nd Super Bowl? This is the game where Manning should show us one more time of the vintage Peyton Manning that we have seen for all of these years.

Cam Newton has been on the headlines lately about the comments he made towards race and dealing with criticism about his style of play and touchdown celebrations. Regardless, it’s not gonna change who he is and he will use this as motivation for the Super Bowl.

Let’s not hope we get to see a one-sided game. Both teams should make this Super Bowl one of the best ones ever.

#superbowl50 #panthersvsbroncos #football #Sports #SportsNewsFlash524 #MiguelMedinaSportsWriter #peytonmanning #camnewton

CSI’s Revenge!!!

The City College of New York men’s basketball team was defeated 82-63 by CSI on Tuesday evening in Nat Holman Gymnasium. The Beavers and Dolphins split their matchups this year, and CSI now has eight wins in their last nine games.

College of Staten Island (16-5, 9-3 CUNYAC) started the game with an 8-5 lead and continued to add to that lead for most of the first half. City (11-10, 6-7 CUNYAC) called a timeout with CSI leading 14-8. Right after the timeout the Beavers went on a huge 11-2 run that put them in the lead 19-16. Both teams battled back-and-forth the the first half as they searched the conference victory. The lead changed five times and the score was tied four times during the intense first half between the conference foes. City held a one-point lead as they entered the locker room 31-30.

City held onto the lead until 15:30 when CSI first tied the game at 38 and then took a 40-38 lead. The next couple of minutes contained a lot of back-and-forth action between the two teams, but CSI eventually took a big 51-46 lead. After that the Dolphins went on a 13-5 run to take a 13-point lead.

CCNY could not contain the Dolphins as they continued to run up the score. Staten Island outscored the Beavers 52-32 in the second half, which is the most points scored by an opponent in the second half this season. The Beavers fought a hard battle, but fell 82-63 to CSI. CSI shot .534% from the field. They outscored the Beavers 52-32 in the 2nd half.

CSI’s forward Will Fonseca led the team with 17 points. Hamer finished with a game-high 24 points, 12 of which came from free-throws. He dished out five assists in the loss. Hamer also led the team with seven rebounds.

City will play their final home game of the regular season on Saturday, February 6 against non-conference opponent USMMA. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m

NYU’s Second Half Performance Overpowers Case Western

NYU’s men’s basketball team dismantles Case Western Reverse University, 100-82, after a powerful second half performance.

The game started it off with great defense by Case Western. They began to double team NYU during inbound possessions and in half court. NYU had 7 turnovers in the first 9 minutes of the game. Case led 19-14 at one points. Coming out of timeout, NYU got their head back in the game and began to redeem themselves. They got more aggressive against Case Western’s defense. They attacked the basket more often and didn’t let their double team affect their rhythm. NYU took the lead 25-22 during the middle of the first half. Both teams began to go back and forth. Case Western and NYU were playing at a very high fast pace from the beginning of tip-off. The game was at 35-35 until NYU went on a 6-0 run. NYU led 46-40 at the end of the first half. NYU shot 61% from the field and going perfect from downtown. Costis Gontikas led NYU with 11 points at the half.

At the beginning of the second half, Case Western started the half with a 6-0 run with back to back threes. They trailed NYU by just one point. However, that’s the closest they will ever game. NYU hypnotized themselves and decided to give Case Western the business of a lifetime. NYU’s defense was tenacious as they forced 8 turnovers from Case Western. They absolutely punish Case Western in the paint and were drawing fouls. NYU made Case Western play their game in the second half.

Four NYU players finish with double doubles. Forward Evan Kupferberg had the game-high 25 points, shooting 10-for-12 from the field. Forward Patrick Evans collected 18 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists. Center Costis Gontikas finished with 17 points and guard Ross Udine finished with 14 points, 10 assists and went 2-for-2 from downtown.

NYU outscored Case Western 62-31 in the paint, 20-9 points off turnovers and 14-5 in fastbreak points. NYU improves to 14-3. They are 11-2 at home. Case Western Reserve drops to 9-9.

Photo by: Miguel Medina

Video by: Miguel Medina

#nyubasketball #nyu #jeromescolessportscenter #casewesternreserveuniversity #sports #sportsnewsflash524 #miguelmedinasportswriter