New Jersey men's basketball team rallies past Valley Forge Christian College for thrilling 66-58 win

The Berkeley College of New Jersey men’s basketball team rallied from a 10-point deficit on Tuesday evening to defeat the Patriots of Valley Forge Christian College by a score of 66-58 at the Fleisher Athletic Center on the campus of New Jersey Institute of Technology. This marked the first time that the Knights ever defeated the Patriots in the regular season. With the win, Berkeley improved their record to 13-9 on the season, while Valley Forge Christian College dipped to 10-7 on the 2013-2014 campaign.

In what was a wildly fast-paced opening session, the Knights battled back from deficits of 16-10 and 27-22 to take a 30-29 lead with 4:44 remaining in the half. The Patriots closed-out the first stanza strong though, putting together a 9-0 run to take an eight point (38-30) into the locker room at halftime.

Patriots freshman guard Jerome Staley opened up the scoring in the second half by hitting a jumper to give his team a 40-30 lead. Over the next 13 minutes, the Knights put forth an incredible 23-4 run to take a 53-44 lead with 6:15 remaining in regulation. During that spirited spurt, Berkeley College allowed just one field goal for their opponent. Following a Patriots timeout, Valley Forge Christian College refused to go quietly, as the Patriots used back-to-back three point baskets by senior guard Lance Harris and junior guard Kevin Mack to pull to within three points at 53-50 with 5:18 to play.

From there, the Knights put together to a 9-0 run to take a 62-50 lead and essentially ice the game. The run included two converted layups by freshman center Vince Richmond, a pair of free throws by freshman guard William Morton, and an emphatic dunk by sophomore guard Dukens Germain.

After allowing the Patriots to shoot a staggering 56 percent from the floor in the first half (14-25), Berkeley College’s defense was exceptional in the second session, holding Valley Forge Christian College to just six field goals in the game’s final 20 minutes en route to nailing-down the come-from-behind eight point victory.

Three players scored in double figures for an amped-up Knights team, including Germain who netted a team-high 15 points to go along with four rebounds and four assists. Richmond nailed seven of his 11 shots from the floor and dropped in 14 points to go along with five boards, and junior forward Carl O’Neil had a fine all-around performance, finalizing his evening with 10 points, nine rebounds, eight assists, and four steals.

Berkeley College held edges in many primary categories, as the Knights shot 50.9 percent from the floor for the evening (27-53) compared to 34.5 percent for Valley Forge Christian College (20-58). The Knights held a 39-31 edge in the rebounding department, and also dished 18 assists’ to the Patriots’ 11. Berkeley also converted on 11 of their 13 attempts from the charity stripe (84.6 percent) compared to just 56.3 percent for V.F.C.C. (9-16). The Patriots tallied 11 steals to the Knights’ nine, while also committing fewer turnovers than Berkeley (17 to the Knights’ 21).

Despite the loss for Valley Forge Christian College, the Patriots were paced by Mack who posted game-highs in points with 17 and steals with six. He also snatched six caroms and dished two assists. Senior guard Lance Harris contributed 11 points, five rebounds, five assists, and two steals, and junior guard Jean LeBlanc added 10 points.

The Knights will now enjoy six days off before returning to action on February 4 when they take to the road to battle Central Penn College. Start-time is scheduled for 8:00pm.

Pair of Berkeley College basketball standouts receive HVIAC praise

The Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference announced its weekly award winners on Tuesday morning, and Berkeley College was represented by New York women’s basketball standout Milan Germany who was tabbed as the conference’s Player of the Week. On the men’s side, Jovan Bovell was named to the Honor Roll.

Germany earned the recognition after two spirited performances last week against the College of Mount Saint Vincent and St. Joseph’s College of Brooklyn. In the Knights’ 88-75 defeat at the hands of the Dolphins, the Notre Dame Prep High School product posted team-highs in points with 26 and rebounds with 13. She also dished six assists and tallied five steals as well. Then – two days later in a victory over the defending HVIAC champions, the Bears, Germany paced her squad as Berkeley picked up its first-ever win over St. Joe’s (Brooklyn) in the regular season. In that 57-54 victory, the junior forward posted a double-double with 14 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, and four blocks. Knights Head Coach Sharod Tomlin spoke volumes about his game-changing veteran.

“Milan has consistently given us terrific efforts night in and night out, and she has been a big part of our success this season,” Tomlinson said. “She played her heart out in our game against Mount Saint Vincent, and then she had a terrific all-around in our contest against St. Joseph’s. I’m very proud of her work ethic, and it’s very gratifying to see her hard work in practice pay off on the court.”

On the men’s side, Bovell has named to the Honor Roll this week thanks to his performances in Berkeley’s convincing victories over Albany College of Pharmacy (back on January 19) and Penn State DuBois (January 25). In the Knights’ 96-53 win over ACP, Bovell netted 13 points while pulling down five rebounds, dishing two assists and collecting two steals. He then posted totals of 23 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and four steals in Berkeley’s 99-64 victory over Penn State DuBois. Head Coach Chris Christanen praised Bovell for being named to the Honor Roll.

“Jovan Bovell is an energetic young man who brings a lot of pride with him to the basketball court,” Christiansen said. “He exemplifies the word effort, and he was a big part of two victories for us last week. Now a senior, I’m looking forward to seeing him finish out his career strong this final month.”

Berkeley College’s men’s basketball team will return to action Friday evening as the Knights take to the road to battle Valley Forge Christian College at 7:00pm, while the women’s basketball team hits the court again on Saturday evening against Briarcliffe at the College of New Rochelle at 4:00pm.

New York women's basketball team uses hearty effort to get past York College, 64-55 in Queens

The Berkeley College of New York women’s basketball team picked up a hard-fought victory Monday evening, defeating the Cardinals of York College by a score of 64-55 in a non-conference contest played at the York College Gymnasium in Jamaica, Queens. With the victory, the Knights improved to 11-3 on the 2013-2014 season, while York slid to 2-15 on the year.

The first half of action saw both teams battle back-and-forth, with neither team taking more than a five point advantage (York led 7-2 with 16:13 remaining in the opening session). The squads combined for just 50 points in the first 20 minutes of play, with the Cardinals taking a slim 26-24 edge into the locker room at halftime.

Berkeley came out hitting on all cylinders in the second half, as the Knights began the session on an 12-2 run to take a 36-28 lead with 15:11 remaining in the contest. Berkeley did a tremendous job of controlling the tempo from there, never relinquishing the lead the rest of the game. The Cardinals kept things close, pulling to within a basket twice, but an 8-0 Knights run put Berkeley ahead comfortably – 52-42 – with just over 4:30 to play. The Cardinals would not recover from that spurt, and the Knights eventually held on for an impressive nine-point win.

Three players scored in double figures for Berkeley, including senior guard Aiyesha Brown who scored a game-high 24 points to go along with seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Thomas dropped in 13 points while collecting a game-high seven steals and dishing three helpers and Germany knocked-down seven of her eight attempts from the charity stripe while finalizing her evening with 12 points, five steals, and four assists.

The Cardinals held a staggering 51-28 edge on the glass, but the Knights prevailed in two crucial categories by a large margin – free-throw percentage and turnovers. Berkeley College made the most of its chances at the line, nailing 19 of their 21 attempts from the charity stripe (90.5 percent), while the Cardinals struggled all evening with their free throws, hitting just 11 of 22 (50 percent). The Knights also committed just 16 turnovers compared to 23 for York College.

Despite the loss for the Cardinals, it was junior center Stayce Kay Muirhead posting a double-double with 15 points to go along with a game-high 25 rebounds (including 12 on the offensive glass). Sophomore guard Angelika Ruggiano posted team-highs in points with 16 and assists with seven while also grabbing two rebounds.

The Knights will return to action on Saturday evening as Berkeley College will host Briarcliffe at the College of New Rochelle. Start-time for that contest is scheduled for 4:00pm.

Men's Basketball team wins fourth consecutive game with convincing 99-64 victory over Penn State DuBois

The Berkeley College of New York men’s basketball team’s seesaw season continued on Saturday evening as the Knights defeated the Nittany Lions of Penn State DuBois by a score of 99-64 in DuBois, Pennsylvania. With the victory, the Knights improved to a record of 9-7 on the 2013-2014 campaign, while Penn State DuBois dipped to 4-13 on the season.

It certainly has been an interesting series of stretches for the Knights, as Berkeley College began the season winning five of their first six games, then dropped six straight contests, before winning their last four.

The Knights – who controlled the tempo of the game and were in control from the opening tap – found themselves up by six points – 28-22 – with 6:59 remaining in the opening half. Berkeley College would put together a strong 23-3 run to end the session, taking a 51-25 advantage into the locker room at halftime. The second half was much of the same for Berkeley, as the Knights gradually built their lead, eventually going up by as many as 42 points en route to a 35-point win.

In the victory over the Nittany Lions, the Knights were paced by senior guard Jovan Bovell who scored a game-high 23 points to go along with seven rebounds, five assists, and four steals. Sophomore guard Keenan Langston added 19 points, and senior center Elijah Craig connected on all six of his attempts from the floor to finalize his evening with 12 points.

Despite the loss for Penn State DuBois, the Nittany Lions were led by sophomore guard Tanner Gooden who scored a team-high 16 points, as he nailed five of his six attempts from the floor, and all four of his shots from the charity stripe. Sophomore guard Kyle Mills also contributed with 13 points, as well.

The Knights will return to action on Friday evening as Berkeley College takes to the road to battle Valley Forge Christian College. Start-time for that contest is scheduled for 7:00pm.

New York women's basketball team outlasts St. Joseph's College of Brooklyn, 57-54 in thriller

The Berkeley College women’s basketball team picked up a hard-fought victory on Saturday evening, turning back the Bears of St. Joseph’s College (Brooklyn) in a Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game by a score of 57-54 at the Borough of Manhattan Community College in Lower Manhattan. The win marked the first time in program history that the Knights defeated the Bears during the regular season – and with that – the Knights improved their overall record to 10-3, while staying perfect with a 4-0 unblemished mark in HVIAC play. St. Joseph’s fell to 9-8 on the 2013-2014 campaign, and 1-1 in conference action.

 In what turned out to be a roller coaster evening for the Knights, Berkeley College took a 13-point first half lead, relinquished that lead late in the second session, and then scoring the final seven points of regulation to hold on for a thrilling three-point win.

The Knights appeared to be in full control of the contest in the early stages, leading 21-8 with 6:30 remaining in the first half. The Bears spent a good portion of the game battling back, eventually taking the lead – 49-48 – thanks to a layup by senior forward Megan Moran with 4:11 left in the game. Following a converted jump shot by sophomore guard Tierra Williams that gave Berkeley the lead, St. Joseph’s scored five straight points, thanks to a layup and a free throw by Moran, and a layup by senior guard Kelly McNamee. With 2:52 remaining in regulation, the Bears held a 54-50 lead.

From there, it was all Knights, as Berkeley College scored the next seven points of the game (including a three-point basket by senior guard Aiyesha Brown, a jumper by junior forward Patricia Patterson, and a pair of free throws by junior guard Janay Thomas) and didn’t allow a Bears field goal the rest of the way. St. Joseph’s College had one final chance to tie the game, but junior forward Samantha Retas misfired on a three-point basket as time expired.

Leading the way for Berkeley College in its victory was Thomas, as she scored a team-high 16 points to go along with six assists and four rebounds. Junior forward Milan Germany added a double-double with 14 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, and four blocks, and Brown netted 13 points and snatched six boards.

Despite the loss for St. Joseph’s College, it was Moran putting forth a strong effort as she scored a game-high 20 points to go along with four rebounds. Junior forward Taylor Raccuglia netted 14 points and grabbed nine boards, and Retas added nine points, 14 caroms, six assists, four steals, and two blocks.

The teams shot identically from the floor, as both squads connected on 34.5 percent of their shots (Berkeley 19-55, St. Joseph’s 20-58). The Knights held a slight 42-41 edge on the glass, while also tallying 10 steals to the Bears’ eight. St. Joseph’s dished 15 assists to Berkeley’s 12, and the Bears also won the turnover battle, committing 19 miscues to the Knights’ 20.

The Knights will return to action on Monday evening as they take to the road to battle the Cardinals of York College in a non-conference contest. Start-time is scheduled for 6:00pm.

Women's Basketball team puts forth valiant effort, but falls to Dolphins, 88-75

The Berkeley College women’s basketball team had its five-game winning streak snapped on Thursday evening, falling to the Dolphins of the College of Mount Saint Vincent by a score of 88-75 at the Peter Jay Sharp Center in Riverdale, NY. With the loss, the Knights dipped to 9-3 on the 2013-2014 campaign, while the Dolphins won their fifth straight tilt, improving to 11-3 on the year.

Mount Saint Vincent appeared to be in complete control of this one, leading by a score of 42-33 at the half, and then holding a 16 point advantage – 57-41 – with 14:18 remaining in the game. Berkeley College – just as it did this past Sunday – exemplified a fighting spirit – battling back by outscoring the Dolphins 28-14 over the ensuing 10:21 to pull to within two points at 71-69. Trailing by only two, the Knights had a chance to tie the game, but junior guard Janay Thomas’ 10-foot jump shot was off the mark, and Mount Saint Vincent scored six straight points after that to increase their lead back up to eight points (77-69) with 2:12 left on the clock.

Berkeley College refused to go away quietly, pulling to within four points at 79-75 with just over a minute remaining. The Dolphins, however, would nail three more field goals and two free throws in the final 69 seconds to ice the game.

Despite the loss for the Knights, junior forward Milan Germany posted team-highs in points with 26 and rebounds with 13. She also dished six assists as well, and tallied five steals. Thomas posted a double-double with 18 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds, and four steals, and junior forward Patricia Patterson added 18 points and eight rebounds as well. Despite posting a solid shooting percentage from the floor (41.9 percent, 31-74), inconsistency from the charity stripe likely cost Berkeley, as the Knights drained just eight of their 19 attempts from the line.

Mount Saint Vincent was paced by junior center Kelly Fraser, as she posted game-highs in points with 28 (while connecting on 12 of her 21 shots from the floor) and rebounds with 15. The Staten Island, NY native also collected three assists and swatted three shots. Freshman Brittany Carroll contributed 17 points and three steals, and freshman guard Brittany Lee posted a double-double with 15 points and 12 caroms.

The Dolphins showed impressive efficiency shooting the basketball, nailing 50.7 percent of their attempts from the floor (35-69) and 14 of their 19 shots from the free throw line (73.7 percent). Mount Saint Vincent held a 46-39 edge on the glass, and Berkeley College owned the assist category, dishing 19 to the Dolphins’ 17. The teams tallied 10 steals apiece.

The Knights will return to action Saturday evening, as Berkeley will battle St. Joseph’s College (Brooklyn) at the Borough of Manhattan Community College in a Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference contest. Start-time is scheduled for 5:30pm.