Swimming and Diving Teams Struggle After Season Delay
By Owen Russell
The swimming and diving season got off to a rocky start for the Bulldogs. The season, which was supposed to start on Oct. 30, did not officially get underway until Jan. 11 for the women and Jan. 18 for the men. From there, it was tough sledding for both teams.
The women split their first two matches of the season, losing their first meet in two years to Hunter College. After a resounding loss to Hunter, the Bulldogs battled back and defeated Lehman College for their first and only win of the season. Despite strong individual performances throughout the winter, the Bulldogs would go on to lose five straight matches against CUNYAC rivals.
The men’s swim team suffered a similar fate as the women. The Bulldogs only competed in three team competitions, losing all three. The Bulldogs would start and end their season with losses to Lehman, dropping a match to Baruch along the way. Much like the women, though, there were impressive individual performances along the way despite the tough team competitions.
After wrapping up their regular seasons, both the men and the women competed in the CUNYAC Championships hosted by Lehman College. Both teams finished last in their respective championships, but there were strong efforts all around. Senior Christian Hoyek of the men’s swim team earned two silver medals, one in the 100-meter butterfly and the other in the 200-meter butterfly. For the women, senior Emily Yang swam her way to a bronze in the 200-meter breaststroke. Despite early struggles, the Brooklyn College swim teams battled through adversity and were able to string together a solid end to the season.
Men’s Basketball Suffers From Losing Streak
By Owen Russell
Since last semester, the Bulldogs secured their second win of the season. The victory came in thrilling fashion against conference rival CCNY as the two teams battled tooth and nail throughout regulation, but when the buzzer sounded, the game was tied at 76. In overtime, the lead continued to flip back and forth, but in the end, Brooklyn held strong and earned an impressive victory against a longtime rival.
Sophomore forward Elisha Park grabbed 12 rebounds and dropped 24 points for the Bulldogs, leading the team in scoring. Along with Park, senior guard Noah Shy also scored 20 points, giving Brooklyn two players at or above the 20 point mark. The win was a bright spot for the Bulldogs in a season where those have been hard to come by.
Since then, however, the Bulldogs have gone 1-8, including a 0-3 record, since last week. Brooklyn’s first loss of the week came against Medgar Evers on Jan. 25 in a relatively close game. Brooklyn had an awful first half, shooting 21 percent from the field and only six percent behind the arch.
After halftime though, the Bulldogs found a bit of life. The team scored 52 points in the second half, compared to the mere 22 they scored in the first. Despite the rejuvenated effort, Brooklyn could not make up for their rough first half, losing to Medgar Evers 85-74.
On Jan. 28, Brooklyn lost in a much more lopsided game against Baruch. The Cougars from Baruch outclassed the Bulldogs in practically every category, earning 20 attempts from the free throw line compared to Brooklyn’s eight. The real difference, however, came in points scored off the bench. The Bulldogs only received 15 points from players off the bench. Compare that to the 43 points Baruch got from reserves, and the rest speaks for itself. By the end of the game, Baruch had secured a 91-64 victory, and the Bulldogs fell to yet another conference rival.
Soon after, Jan. 30 saw Brooklyn lose their third straight game as the Bulldogs lost 63-56 against John Jay. It was a low-scoring game for both teams, but Brooklyn’s 30 percent shooting from the field gave the Bloodhounds a decisive edge. Despite the loss, sophomore Elisha Park notched another double-double, scoring 18 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.
The Bulldogs will look to turn their luck around this month as they march towards the CUNYAC Tournament. Their next game, as of press time, is Feb. 1 against John Jay.
Women’s Basketball Dominates CUNYAC, Hopes For Repeat Championship
By Owen Russell
Since last semester, the women’s basketball team has been on a roll. The Bulldogs played nine games, losing only once. Their sole loss came against the nationally-ranked NYU Bobcats on Dec. 12. After that, the Bulldogs have been on a tear, winning seven straight games, including two this past week.
The first win of the week came against Pratt Institute on Jan. 25. The Pratt Cannoneers were no match for Brooklyn, scoring only 46 points against the Bulldogs’ staunch defense. As for Brooklyn, the Bulldogs trounced Pratt’s defense, scoring 89 points on 57 percent shooting from the field. Junior guard Ericka James led the team in scoring, dropping 21 points in only 10 shots. Brooklyn had five women score double-digit points, whereas Pratt had one.
Brooklyn’s second win of the week came against conference rival Baruch on Jan. 28. All season long, Brooklyn has been stellar in the CUNYAC competition, and this was no exception. The Bulldogs won by 25 points in a 77-52 contest. It was yet another team effort by the Bulldogs as four players scored double-digit points, including forward Chanel Jemmott, who scored 12 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. Baruch couldn’t get anything going as they shot 29 percent from the field and scored only two points off the bench.
The Bulldogs are in fantastic form heading into the regular season’s final month. They hold a commanding lead over the rest of the CUNYAC and look poised to repeat as regular season champions. Their next game, as of press time, is Feb. 1 against the Bloodhounds from John Jay.