The Berkeley College men's basketball team registered its first victory of the 2019-2020 season, holding off the Bobcats of Bryant & Stratton-Syracuse by a score of 83-78. The game served as the home opener for the Knights, and the contest took place at the Borough of Manhattan Community College in New York, NY. With the victory, Berkeley improved to 1-2, while the Bobcats fell to 3-3.
Dominance at home continued for the Knights, as Berkeley College has now won 38 consecutive contests in front of its fans. The Knights haven't suffered a setback at home since the 2014-2015 season, when Berkeley lost to Valley Forge University 74-68 back on January 30, 2015.
In today's triumph for the Knights, Berkeley was paced by Daquan Jackson, as he posted game-highs of 16 points and 14 rebounds (including seven on the offensive end). He also swatted a pair of shots. All of that aforementioned production was accomplished in just 20 minutes. Veteran Deylon Bovell scored 13 points while snatching five boards, and Robert Soriano's versatility saw him score 12 points and grab four rebounds, while contributing game-highs of six steals and four assists.
Despite the loss for the Bobcats, Bryant & Stratton-Syracuse standout Aaron Burton finalized his afternoon with a team-high 14 points. He also collected five rebounds, and tied for team-highs of three steals and three assists. Hakeem Ali registered a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Quantae Elijah finished with nine points.
Berkeley, which struggled in its two games in Ohio, fed off the energy of its home crowd, racing out to an 11-4 edge over the game's first 4:26. The Bobcats would battle back, going on a 12-5 run to tie the contest at 16 apiece with 12:34 remaining in the first half. For the remainder of the opening session, neither team took greater than a five-point advantage, and Berkeley would close out the half on a 9-2 run to take a 38-34 lead into the locker room at halftime.
In the second half, with 5:12 remaining, Cheikh Dieng's tip-in gave Bryant & Stratton-Syracuse its first lead in 10:55. 10 seconds later, however, Berkeley's Amir Assani would split a pair of free throw to tie the game, and Jackson's dunk with 4:41 remaining gave the Knights a 73-71 advantage.
Berkeley eventually led by five, 80-75, but the Bobcats pulled to within three points (81-78), and had possession with 26 seconds remaining. Ali would then commit a turnover, however, with Soriano coming up with a huge steal. Daquan Jackson then knocked down a pair of free throws with seven seconds remaining, essentially icing the game for the Knights.
The Bobcats converted on 46.6 percent of their shots on the afternoon (27-58), while the Knights connected on 43.1 percent of their attempts from the floor (31-72). Berkeley held a slight edge in the rebounding department, snatching 44 rebounds compared to 40 for the opposition. The Knights forced 24 Bryant & Stratton-Syracuse turnovers, while committing just 18 of their own.
Berkeley will look to reach the .500 mark tomorrow afternoon, as the Knights will aim for their second consecutive victory when they welcome Penn State Brandywine to the Borough of Manhattan Community College. Start-time is scheduled for 1:00pm.
