New York, New York | The BMCC men's basketball team was defeated by Rockland Community College, 95-86, in non-conference play on Saturday afternoon at BMCC Gymnasium. With the loss, the Panthers fall to 10-11 overall, while the Hawks improve to 8-11 with the victory.

Sophomore Terrance McBride (Brooklyn, New York) dropped a new career- and game-high 33 points, 22 of them in the second half, on 13-for-27 shooting. McBride also knocked down a game- and season-best seven three-pointers to go along with six rebounds and two steals and assists apiece. Freshman Malik Bentinck (Queens, New York) recorded his team-leading 14th double-double of the season, scoring 28 points, 12 of them in the first-half while ripping down a game-high 16 rebounds. Sophomore Damonie Askew (Brooklyn, New York) dished out a game-high six assists on the afternoon.

After a McBride three-pointer 18 seconds into the first half gave the Panthers an early 3-0 lead, the Hawks took over with a 19-6 run to open up a 12-point advantage, 21-9 at 12:37 and get it back to that mark 28-16 at 8:42. BMCC stood tough and got the deficit down to five, 31-26, on a McBride layup at 6:46 before Rockland controlled the narrative for the remainder of the first half to head into the halftime break leading 43-35.

The Hawks brought their lead back up to 12, 49-37 over a minute into the second half, before a 10-0 run by the Panthers made it a one-possession game with 14:55 left, 49-47 on a Bentinck layup. However, Rockland exploded with a 15-5 run to get the lead back to double-digits and then opened up their biggest lead of the night, 17 with 7:57 to go in the second half. BMCC was only able to come back to win six, 86-80, on a Bentinck three-pointer at 1:12, as Rockland kept the Panthers at a safe distance for the rest of the afternoon. 

The Panthers knocked down 13 three-pointers, including eight in the second half, to match a season-high. However, they allowed 11 three-pointers and 55-percent from behind the arc and struggled to also defend against Rockland's 52.6-percent shooting from the field (30-for-57). The Hawks also had 26 more free-throw attempts on the afternoon as they shot 75-percent (24-for-32) compared to 50-percent (3-for-6) by the Panthers.  

Four of the five starters scored in double figures, and three recorded 20-point games for Rockland Community College, with Cameron McGrath heading the pack with 26 points. McGrath also tied for a team-high with four assists. Devan Lawson finished with a double-double, scoring 21 points and taking down a team-high 13 rebounds while tying with Jacob Garrison with a team-best with four assists. Connor Parahus and Xavier Kistoo-Miles rounded out the scoring with 20 and 13, respectively.

Notables:  

• Terrance McBride (Brooklyn, New York) finished his fourth consecutive game in double-figures and his team-high 20th in 21 games this season. Malik Bentinck (Queens, New York) recorded his sixth straight game in double-figures and is second on the team with 19 double-figure games. 
• McBride registered his team-high fourth 30-point game of the year, while Bentinck tied a team-best with his ninth 20-point game.
• Bentinck recorded his team-leading 14th double-double on the year and his third in his last four games.
• BMCC has outrebounded its opponents two straight contests and in three of their last four.
• The Panthers knocked down ten or more three-pointers for the fourth time this year and matched their season-high for the third time as they knocked down 13 three-pointers. They have also allowed 10-plus three-pointers in back-to-back games and eight times this year.

The Panthers will look to get back on track Tuesday, Feb. 11, in a rematch of last year's CUNYAC Championship game against Nationally ranked Hostos Community College. The game is a makeup for the Jan. 25th matchup that was canceled, and the opening tip is scheduled for 7 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).