The victory was the fifth in their last seven games for the surging Bearcats. They now own a 6-2 record in conference play and 8-10 overall mark with about two-thirds of the season in the books.
The exciting action was all created in the second half, as the Bearcats built a 44-31 lead with 16:06 left.
That advantage slowly dissipated, as the Cougars made a comeback and eventually took a six-point lead (64-58) with 3:15 left.
The Bearcats clawed their way back with a clutch three-pointer by freshman Arki Wisnu (New York, N.Y./Newtown) to tie the game at 64 with one minute remaining.
Layups by Medgar’s Clovis Essis (Brooklyn, N.Y./Boys & Girls) and Baruch’s Phil Schatz (Middle Village, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy) kept the score tied at 66 with about 20 seconds remaining.
The Cougars had the final shot opportunity and the clock on their side, but Travis Kennedy was called for an elbow foul at mid-court, as he tried to evade the defense with a run to the basket.
After calm was restored, Smith went to the free throw line to clinch the victory. He led the Bearcats this evening with 16 points and seven rebounds.
Schatz finished with 12 points and seven rebounds, while Carl Emengo (Brooklyn, N.Y./Canarsie) had 11 points, four assists, and three steals. Wisnu had nine points, and Brian Forrestal (New York, N.Y./St. Agnes Boys) and Ben Crane (Spring Valley, N.Y./Spring Valley) each added eight points.
The Bearcats will return to action on Wednesday, January 24th, with a conference road game at John Jay College. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 pm.