The Berkeley College men's basketball team picked up a hard-fought victory on Wednesday evening, defeating the Shock of Washington Adventist University by a score of 92-89. The game took place at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY. With the win, the Knights won their third consecutive contest and improved to a mark of 10-4 on the 2018-2019 campaign. Washington Adventist dipped to 10-8 with the loss.
It was yet another nail-biting win for Berkeley, as the Knights improved to a mark of 6-1 in games decided by seven points or less. For a team that boasts nine new players, that is positive sign that the Knights are able to buckle down and win the games that come down to the wire.
Berkeley led by as many as 17 points with 4:05 remaining in the first half before taking a 48-37 lead into the locker room at halftime. In the second session, the Shock battled back to grab a 68-66 advantage with 8:37 remaining in the game, but a 9-0 run by the Knights over a span of 1:46 put Berkeley back ahead by a score of 75-68.
The Knights later held a 91-86 edge with five seconds remaining when Washington Adventist's Desmond Stanback nailed a three-point basket to pull his team to within two points – 91-89. Bovell would split a pair of free throws for the Knights to give Berkeley a three-point edge. On the Shock's final possession, Jimmy Smith would turn the ball over, solidifying the big victory for the Knights.
In the win for the Knights, Ricardo Ayuso continued his recent tear with a team-high 25 points. He connected on six of his 11 shots from the field, including five of his eight attempts from downtown, while also converting on eight of his 10 attempts from the charity stripe. The senior added dive assists and three steals, as well. Deylon Bovell contributed 20 points, seven rebounds, and four assists, and Nigel Hemingway netted 13 points and grabbed four caroms.
Washington Adventist was paced by Therence Mayimba, as he finished with game-highs of 26 points and nine rebounds. He also contributed five assists on the night. Desmond Stanback and Charles Vines recorded 23 points apiece, as well.
The teams' shooting percentages were nearly even, with Berkeley connecting on 46.7 percent of its attempts (28-60) compared to 45.3 percent for Washington Adventist (29-64). The Knights held a slight edge in the rebounding department, snatching 40 caroms compared to 36 for the Shock. Berkeley recorded 19 assists, while the opposition tallied 17. Washington Adventist won the turnover battle, committing 19 miscues while forcing 17 Knights mistakes.
Berkeley will return to action on Saturday, January 19, as the Knights will host HVIAC foe Albany College of Pharmacy at the Borough of Manhattan Community College. Start-time for that contest is scheduled for 1:00pm.