Suffern, New York - The BMCC men's basketball team fought back from a 19-point halftime deficit but just came up a bit short, 88-83 in their season opener against Rockland Community College. The Hawks improve to 3-2 with the victory.
Freshman Leverson Tulien (Roslyn Heights, New York) had an outstanding debut for the Panthers, posting a double-double with a game-high 29 points and 18 rebounds, and led the defense with a game-best five steals. Ysaia Marte (Bronx, New York) contributed to the offense with 14 points.
Rockland quickly got out of the gate with a 7-0 lead and built it to 17, 24-7 at the 10:02 mark. BMCC fought back to get the deficit down to 10, 36-26 on a Laffertee three-pointer before the Hawks closed out the first half on a 12-3 run to lead 48-29 at the half.
Rockland Community College kept the advantage at 19, with both teams playing even through the first 30 points of the half, with a Emmanuel Barkor jumper making it 65-46 at the 12:46 mark. However, the Panthers would mount a furious comeback outscoring the Hawks 37-25 down the stretch but got held off 88-83.
Rockland Community College had six players score in double figures, with Kion Hill posting a double-double with a team-high 17 points and 12 rebounds, while Leon Simon had 13 and Tayejon Lynch and Barker had 12. Jaiden Dunn and Jayden Austin also had 11 and 10 points, while Lynch dished out a game-high five assists, and Austin gobbled up a team-best four steals.
The Panthers will look to get to .500 in their Region 15 opener on the road on November 12 against Nassau Community College at 3 p.m. in Garden City, New York. For more information, 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 eight 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).
