Poughkeepsie, New York – The NJCAA Division III No. 7 ranked Dutchess Community College was able to withstand a strong second-half surge from the BMCC men's basketball team pulling away from them down the stretch 72-57 in Region 15 action on Saturday afternoon in Poughkeepsie, New York. The loss drops the Panthers to 3-3 (3-2 Region XV), while the Falcons remain perfect at 6-0 (4-0 Region XV).

Three Panthers registered double-figure scoring performances, and one posted a double-double. Freshman Khalil Black (Queens, New York) led the offense for a second straight game with a game-high 19 points, his fourth consecutive double-figure game. Classmate Isah Mohammed (Lagos, Nigeria) posted his second straight and team-leading third double-double, hauling down a game-high 16 rebounds and scoring 13 points. Freshman Ja'Lyn Griffin (Ithaca, New York) dished out a game-best six assists and contributed 13 points in the contest.
 
Sophomore Jayden Jarrett (Bronx, New York) recorded his second double-digit rebounding game of the season with 10 boards on the afternoon. Classmate Ysaia Marte (Bronx, New York) and Mohammed led the Panthers on defense with a game-best four steals and four blocks.

Dutchess started fast, jumping out to an 8-0 lead on a Nashaun Johnson layup at the 17:15 mark, then BMCC countered with a 9-2 run capped by Mohammed and Black both going 1-for-2 at the free throw line at the 1344 and 13:04 mark to get the deficit down to two, 11-9. The Falcons went right back to work responding with a 10-4 run of their own with a Seiray Sinerna offensive rebound and layup, stretching their lead back to six, 17-11, and then back to eight, 21-13 at 7:31 on a Tykim Mansaray three-pointer.
 
After the Panthers got the deficit down to six, 23-17, on a Marte layup at 6:10, the Falcons stretched their lead to 11, 31-20, with an 8-3 run capped by a Joseph Battle layup at the 3:15 mark. The Panthers finished the first half on a 6-2 run with a pair of Black free throws cutting the deficit down to seven, 33-26 at halftime.
 
The Panthers battled hard to start the second half, getting the Falcon deficit down to five, 37-32, on two Mohammed free throws at 14:51, and four, 42-38, at the 12:12 mark on a layin from Black. Dutchess exploded for a 14-0 run to get their lead to 14, 52-38 at 9:28 on a pair of Joselito Rosario free throws.
 
BMCC roared back with a 13-2 run as Black went 2-for-2 at the charity stripe to bring the Panthers within three, 54-51 at the 7:12 mark. That was as close as the Panthers could get as Dutchess pulled away using a 9-1 run to get their lead back to double digits 63-52 on a Battle three-pointer and coast the rest of the way to a 72-57 victory.

Dutchess Community College had three players finish the afternoon in double figures, with Prince Kamate leading the way with a team-high 13 points, while Qunicey Platt contributed 12 points and a team-high nine rebounds and three blocks. Joseph Battle came off the bench and scored 11 points for the Falcons, while Raesean Greer dished out a team-best five assists.
 
The Panthers will look to bounce back with another stiff test this Tuesday, November 21, against NJCAA Division II nationally ranked No. 15 Orange County Community College at 7 p.m. in Middletown, New York. The Colts currently have won 32 of their last 34 games coming into their matchup with the Panthers, the first one between the two squads since January 10, 2019. For more information, visit the BMCC Men's Basketball Schedule Page.
 
Notables –
- Isah Mohammed (Lagos, Nigeria) is third in the country with 4.8 blocks per game and tied 5th nationally in rebounding average at 14.5 rebounds per game. He has registered five straight double-digit rebound games, tops on the team, and recorded three or more blocks in all six games.
- Ja'Lyn Griffin (Ithaca, New York) is fifth in the country with 6.2 assists per game.
- Khalil Black (Queens, New York) has scored in double figures the last four games and is averaging 18.8 points per game.


ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
The athletic program at Borough of Manhattan Community College encompasses a total of 13 varsity teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level. For the latest news on the Panthers, please visit us a https://bmccathletics.com - the official site of BMCC Athletics. Also, become a follower of the Panthers on Instagram (@bmcc_athletics) and Twitter (@BMCCAthletics), and "LIKE" Us on Facebook (BMCC Athletics).