News Release

COLLEGEVILLE, PA — Shacun Malave (DeWitt Clinton/Bronx, NY) led four players in double figures with a game-high 25 points and 14 rebounds to lead NYC College of Technology (22-5) over Ursinus College, 68-66 in the first round of the NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Tournament on Thursday evening at Ursinus’ campus in Collegeville, Pennsylvania.

Jason Senior (Satellite Academy/Brooklyn, NY) scored 15 points and dished out five assists, while Otis Saylee (Seward Park / New York, NY) recorded a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds to help the Yellow Jackets collect their 12th straight win and advance to the second round against Ramapo in Mahwah, New Jersey on Saturday at 7:00 pm. Tickets will be available at the door, $4 for general admission, $3 for Students.

City Tech took advantage of their height, scoring 50 out of 68 points in the paint and outrebounding Ursinus 55-36, to keep their season alive. In the school's first NCAA appearance, the Yellow Jackets keep extending the season of long-time head coach Ray Amalbert, who announced his retirement following the season. It also marks the first NCAA Tournament victory for a CUNYAC team since 1998 and gives Amalbert his third career victory in the NCAA Championships, the previous two coming at Hunter in the early 1990’s.

Brian McEvily (Red Bank Regional/Interlaken, NJ) led Ursinus (18-10), who had their eight-game winning streak come to an end; with 22 points and freshman Nick Shattuck (LaSalle/Ardsley, PA) tallied 16 points on 8-for-13 shooting.

The Bears battled back from a 12-point deficit to take their first lead of the second half at 49-48, but the Yellow Jackets regained a 63-61 edge with 2:14 remaining and held on for the win.

Malave’s layup and two free throws from Senior put the visitors up by four with only a minute, 28 seconds on the clock. Clyde Forteau (St. Raymond’s/Bronx, NY) made 1 of 2 from the line to make it seem out of reach for Ursinus with 48 seconds left.

Mike McGarvey (Penn Charter/Lower Gwynedd, PA) connected on his second three-point attempt to get within 66-64, calling the quick time out. After the break, Saylee missed a free throw and got fouled after grabbing his own offensive rebound. He made both shots to make it 68-64 with seven seconds showing.

Shattuck only needed four seconds to take the ball down the court and drive down the middle for the layup. The Bears needed to either foul or get a steal to get the ball back and Tim Smith (Cardinal Dougherty/Philadelphia, PA) snagged the inbounds pass and threw up the quick jumper. Malave was there to make his third block of the night and McEvily put up a last-effort jumper but couldn’t get it to fall.

In the first half, a 20-15 Bear lead turned into a 34-24 City Tech lead on a late run by the Yellow Jackets for a seven-point halftime advantage. The final score marks the second consecutive NCAA tournament that Ursinus has fallen by a two-point margin.