New York, New York – After a heartwrenching loss Saturday, the BMCC men's basketball team was given a major opportunity to rebound on Tuesday night against Laguardia Community College and pick up crucial CUNYAC and Region 15 victories with the postseason month away. The Panthers answered the call with a dominant 82-59 win over the Red Hawks in conference action at BMCC Gymnasium in New York, New York. BMCC ends a two-game skid, improving to 7-12 (4-3 CUNYAC), while Laguardia Community College drops to 2-14 (2-6 CUNYAC).

The Panthers are currently third in the CUNYAC standings behind Queensborough Community College and Hostos Community College. BMCC also has seven Region victories with a 7-5 record overall, holding the fourth spot behind the Caimans.

Sophomore Ysaia Marte (Bronx, New York) and freshman Khalil Black (Queens, New York) spearheaded the offensive effort for the Panthers as both recorded their team-leading tied 15 double-figure scoring efforts, with Marte recording back-to-back 20-point games and his team-leading fifth on the season with a team-high 25 points, 15 coming in the first half, and 10-for-19 from the field (52.6 percent). Black drained 19 points, 11 of his points coming in the second half, and a career-best four three-pointers. 

Sophomore Jayden Jarrett (Bronx, New York) ripped down a team-best eight boards and had a block while Marte dished out a team-high five assists, and Black snatched four steals, which was also a team-best.
 
The Panthers spread the wealth again on the hardwood, distributing double-digit assists for a fifth consecutive game and 17th time this season with 14 helpers on the night, the second most of the season with five different players handing out a dime with freshman Ja'Lyn Griffin (Ithaca, New York) dishing out four and sophomore Elijah Paul (Brooklyn, New York) giving out two. Freshman Kimmeo Dixson (Bronx, New York), Nick Baksh (Brooklyn, New York), and Black also had one each.
 
The Panthers outscored the Red Hawks 36-18 in the paint and 28 points off of 17 LaGuardia Community College turnovers while registering their seventh double-digit steal effort with 11 on the night and five different players recording one. Griffin had three steals, freshman Marques Jones (Bronx, New York) had two, and his classmate Dixson had one.
 
The Panthers got out to a fast start, leading the game outright for 40 minutes, scoring nine of the first 12 points of the contest to lead 9-3 at 16:25 with a Griffin layup. The Red Hawks scored eight of the following 12 points to get the game within two, 13-11, at 12:54 on an Arthur Dukes jumper. The Panthers kept the nation's top scorer, coming in at 32 points per game, quiet on the night, drawing three fouls on him in the first half, limiting him to just 10 points while taking control with him out of the contest outscoring the Red Hawks 25-11 over the next 11:55 to get their lead to its largest of the first half 16, 38-22 at the 4:10 mark and finish the period up by 12, 40-28 at the halfway point.

BMCC kept their foot on the gas the entire second half, hit the 20-point lead plateau by 21, 56-35 at the 13:25 mark, then got the advantage to 30, their biggest of the evening on a Black three-pointer at 10:38 and never looking back en route to an 82-59 victory.

The Panthers will look to keep their momentum going as they head to Garden City, New York, for a Region 15 battle against Nassau Community College at 3 p.m. For more information, visit the BMCC Men's Basketball Schedule Page.
 
 Notables –
- Ysaia Marte (Bronx, New York) leads the Panthers with 44 steals, is second all-time in program history with 96 career steals, and is five away from tying the top spot with Joseph Ariel with 100 career steals. He also has grabbed two or more steals in 12 straight games and 15 times in 17 games. 
- Marte has registered double figures, a team-best tied 15 times this season and 31 times total in his career, and is sixth all-time in program history with 627 career points.
- Marte leads the Panthers in eight different categories in total points (351), scoring average (19.5), field goals made (140), field goals attempted (250), free throws made (62), free throws attempted (82), steals (44), and steals per game (2.4). His 351 total points and 19.5 points per game are season-bests.
- Jarrett is fifth all-time with 321 career rebounds.
- Khalil Black (Queens, New York) has recorded 11 straight double-figure games and a team-best tied 15 overall on the season. Black leads the Panthers in three-pointers made (38) and three-pointers attempted (95), connecting on two or more three-pointers in 12 of his 19 games this season and three or more in two of his last three games.
- Black is also second on the Panthers in total points (272), scoring average (14.3), field goals attempted (231), free throws made (50), free throws attempted (66), and steals (29).
- Ja'Lyn Griffin (Ithaca, New York) has dished out a team-best 91 assists, which is also good for ninth in the nation. Griffin has also handed out three or more assists in 16 of 19 games this season.


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