New York, New York | Hostos Community College drained 14 three-point field goals, including 10 in the second half, to break open a five-point halftime lead and cruise past BMCC men's basketball, 102-81, in CUNYAC action on Tuesday Night at BMCC Gymnasium. With the loss, the Panthers have dropped back-to-back contests falling to 10-12 (4-4 CUNYAC), while the Caimans swept the season series and improved to 19-6 (7-1 CUNYAC) with the win.

Hostos shot 10-of-21 from three-point distance in the second half—47.6-percent— and an astounding 14-for-34 overall, connecting on 41.2-percent from long range. The 14 made threes by the Caimans is the second biggest total by an opponent against BMCC this season. Hostos was 47.3-percent from the field on the night (35-for-74), including 52.6-percent (20-for-38) in the second half while holding BMCC to 36.5-percent shooting (27-for-74).

The Caimans had a slight advantage in rebounds, 47-42, and scored 30 points off 20 Panther Turnovers, including 17 points off of 12 BMCC turnovers in the second half. 

Three of the Panthers five starters finished the evening in double-figures, as freshman Malik Bentinck (Queens, New York) led the pack with his team-leading 15th double-double of the season, with a game-high 29 points, 23 of them coming in the second half, and 13 rebounds. Sophomore Curtis Smith (Brooklyn, New York) had 17 points in the contest, while classmate Terrance McBride (Brooklyn, New York) contributed 10 to go along with a game-best five steals and team-high four assists. Freshman Elvys Ceballos (New York City, New York) also chipped in with seven points, all of them coming in the second half.

It was a tale of two halves for both squads, as the first half was very back-and-forth. There were a total of 10 lead changes and five ties in the first 20 minutes. 

After the score was tied up on four separate occasions in the first seven and a half minutes, BMCC went on a 9-3 run - 8 of those points coming from a Bentinck and McBride - to get the Panther advantage to as high as six, 22-16, at 10:25 of the first. Hostos countered with a 9-2 run to retake the lead 25-24 at 7:42 on a three-pointer, then both teams exchanged their leads six times over the next 6:24 with neither team leading by more than two, before Hostos scored the final six points to take a 36-31 lead into the locker room at halftime.

The Panthers came out strong to start the second half, scoring four of the first six points to get back within three, 38-35 at 18:58 on a Bentinck layup. That was as close as BMCC would get for the rest of the game, as Hostos used an 8-0 run to get the lead to double-digits for the first time, 11, 46-35 at 17:23, and built it to as large as 23, 80-57 at 8:22. The Caimans barely broke a sweat down the stretch outscoring the Panthers 66-50 overall in the final stanza en route to 102-81 victory.  

Hostos Community College had four players score in double-figures, with three of them reaching the 20-point plateau on the night despite foul trouble in the first half. Sophomore guard Korey William spearheaded the offensive effort with a team-high 25 points, 19 of them in the second half, while dishing out a game-high six assists and snatching a team-high three steals. Freshman Reggie Quezada dropped 20 of his 24 points and buried a team-high tied four three-points all in the second half, while classmate Admir Redzic scored 20 points and grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds. Fellow underclassman Kai Holland chipped in with 12 points on a team-best tied four threes.    

Notables:  

• Terrance McBride (Brooklyn, New York) finished his fifth consecutive game in double-figures and his team-leading 21st in 22 contests this season. Malik Bentinck (Queens, New York) recorded his seventh straight game in double-figures and is second on the team with 20 double-figure games.
• Sophomore Curtis Smith (Brooklyn, New York) scored in double-figures for the sixth time this season. 
• Bentinck posted his team-best tenth 20-point performance of the year, including his third straight.
• Bentinck also recorded his team-leading 15th double-double on the year and his third in his last four games.
• The Panthers have allowed 10-plus three-pointers in three straight games and nine times overall this season.

The Panthers will close out the 2019-20 season this Thursday, Feb. 13, against Regional foe Suffolk Community College. The opening jump is scheduled for 8 p.m. at BMCC Gymnasium. For more information, please visit the BMCC Men's Basketball Schedule Page.
 

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The athletic program at Borough of Manhattan Community College encompasses a total of six varsity teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level. For the latest news on the Panthers, please visit us at https://bmccathletics.com - The official site of BMCC Athletics. Follow the Panthers on Instagram (@bmcc_athletics) and Twitter (@BMCCAthletics), and Like Us on Facebook (BMCC Athletics).