Box Score
OLD WESTBURY, N.Y. – The York College men’s basketball team won a hard fought game in the semi-finals of the 2010 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Metro Division Men’s Basketball Championships, defeating New York University 68-61 on Saturday afternoon.
York will now face off with a familiar foe, conference-rival Baruch College, who defeated SUNY Old Westbury in the other semi-final match-up. The championship game will tip-off at 1 pm at SUNY Old Westbury.
The Cardinals led for most of the game but saw their lead evaporate midway through the second half. Trailing 54-52 with 9:18 to play, York was held to just one point over the next four minutes of play. However, the Cardinals managed to stay in the game due to some strong defense and trailed just 57-53 with 5:03 remaining.
The Cardinals tied the game up on a lay-ups by Marcel Esonwune and David Simon on consecutive possessions, making the score 57-57 with 4:18 to play. After NYU’s Carl Yaffe drained a jumper with 3:44 to play, York’s Elijah Evelyn hit a three-pointer that gave York the lead (60-59) and shifted the momentum in its favor. York stifled NYU on offense for the remainder of the game, holding them to just two points over the final three minutes. The Cardinals hit key free throws down the stretch and sealed the victory.
Evelyn led York with 19 points to go along with six boards, while Nicholas Hamilton-Lopez netted 16 points. Esowune recorded a double-double, scoring 13 points, grabbing 13 rebounds and blocking five shots. Ryan Exum finished with six points, six rebounds, eight assists and five steals. Two of the steals came during key possessions in the final minutes of play.
With the win, the Cardinals improved to 23-7 and have set a new school record for wins in a season. The previous record of 22 was set during the 2007-08 school year. NYU finishes its season with a record of 17-10.
The Cardinals defeated Baruch College earlier in the season by a score of 89-85 on January 11. York will be looking for its second ECAC title. Their first came back in 1998.