New York, NY— Xavier Gonzalez (Brooklyn, NY) scored a team-high 25 points, connecting on four three-pointers as The City College of New York men’s basketball team lost by a score of 73-91 against the York College Cardinals in the quarterfinals of the 2010 CUNYAC / Con Edison Men’s Basketball Championships.
Both teams went on big runs as they traded leads in the first few minutes of the game. The Cadinals jumped out to an 11-0 lead thanks in large to three three-pointers by Nick Hamilton-Lopez. However, the Beavers responded by scoring 14 straight to take a 14-11 lead after a three-pointer by Gonzalez. CCNY extended its lead to 22-14 after a pair of free throws by Gonzalez with 11:26 to play in the first half. York once again responded with another run, as they regained the lead after Player of the Year, Marcel Esownune, converted a three-point play to put the Cardinals up 26-24 with 8:07 to play in the first half. The Cardinals kept pushing on and eventually finished the half with a 42-34 lead.
York came out very strong in the second half going on a 20-11 run to start the half, as their lead increased to 62-45 with 12:02 left on the clock. CCNY chipped away at the Cardinals lead, but could not overcome the large deficit, as York achieved victory and moved on to the semifinals.
For the Cardinals, Nick Hamilton-Lopez finished with a game high 27 points as he sunk 9 three-pointers in the game. Marcel Esonwune finished the game with a triple-double scoring 24 points, grabbing 18 rebounds and blocking 11 shots.
Xavier Gonzalez (Brooklyn, NY) led the offense for the Beavers as he finished with a season high 25 points. Brendan Barile (New City, NY) added 22 points and 3 steals, while Israel Vickers (Queens, NY) added 8 points and a team high 4 assists. Matas Rascius (Queens, NY) grabbed a team high 9 rebounds for the Beavers.
The City College of New York men’s basketball team finalized its season at 7-18 (3-10 CUNYAC). With no seniors graduating, the team looks to have a strong core of players to build on for next season, as they make a push towards a championship.