Brooklyn Edges Richard Stockton, 57-53; Advances to ECAC Metro Championship Game

Galloway, NJ --- The #3 Brooklyn College Men's Basketball team upset the #2 Richard Stockton College Ospreys, 57-53, in the Semifinals Round of the 2012 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Metro Division III Men's Basketball Tournament. The Bulldogs improve to 19-9 overall on the season and will play in the championship game tomorrow, Sunday, March 4th at 4:00 pm at host Richard Stockton.

BC will face the winner of the other semifinals round game between #1 Stevens Institute of Technology and #4 Mount Saint Mary College.

The first half featured a tight battle as the teams headed into the halftime break knotted up at 26-26. BC was led by its all-conference senior backcourt tandem of Amil John and Tyshawn Russell, who scored eight points each in the half. Classmate Wade Kornegay chipped in with six points. 

The Ospreys would hold an early 8-4 lead at the 17:20 mark of the opening period; however, the Bulldogs would score the next seven points to take an 11-8 advantage with 15:54 left before the intermission break. Brooklyn would later take its largest lead of the half, 24-14, on a bucket from Kavon Baker with 10:17 remaining in the half. From there on out, Stockton would outscore BC 12-2 to close out the half and tie the game for the fourth time at 26 all.

The second half featured much of the same, as neither team was able to pull away. After a layup from Stockton's Ibn Moye tied the game for the sixth and final time at 35-35 with 15:26 left in the game, the Bulldogs used a 7-0 run to take a, 42-35, with 12:07 remaining before the final buzzer.

Following a jumper from senior Keiran Halton put Brooklyn back up by seven, 48-41, minutes later at the 5:48 mark, the Ospreys quickly answered with a 5-0 run to make it a two-point game, 48-46, with just 4:33 left. Stockton would be unable to regain the lead, as the Bulldogs held off the Ospreys to escape with the 57-53 victory and advance to Sunday's championship game.

Russell led all scorers for BC with a game-high 26 points on 9-for-16 shooting from the field, while going 7-for-9 from the free throw line. John added 12 points, seven rebounds and four steals, while Halton chipped in with seven points and three assists. Baker grabbed seven rebounds, to go with six points and three steals.

For Stockton, DiAndre Brown recorded a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Darnell McCargo finished with 11 points.

BC shot 42.3% (22-52) from the field for the game, while converting on just 3-for-15 (20%) from three. The Bulldogs also shot 71.4% (10-14) from the line.

Stockton was held to 36.1% (22-61) shooting from the field for the game, including 21.1% (4-19) from downtown. The Ospreys hit just 5-for-9 (55.6%) from the charity stripe. Stockton held the rebounding edge, 41-32, and was forced into 21 turnovers by the pressuring Brooklyn defense, which recorded 13 steals.