Women’s Basketball Ends Week With Statement Victory
By Oscar Docavo
The Bulldogs lost their final game in November against Centenary University 58-60 on Monday, Nov. 27.
The 4-1 Cyclones proved to be a stern test for Brooklyn, snatching a 13-5 lead in the first quarter. At one point, the Cyclones had a 13-point lead over the Bulldogs. Towards the middle of the second quarter, however, Brooklyn regained the composure fans associate with the three-time consecutive CUNYAC champions. Senior forward Sarah James was key to getting the ball back in Brooklyn’s hands, battling her opposition for steals and rebounds. Her twin sister, guard Ericka James, and junior guard Alina Estrella helped to restore the Bulldogs’ bite. Estrella scored a crucial three as Brooklyn went on a 12-2 run.
Brooklyn took their very first lead of the game in the third quarter, coming back from 32-21 to take the lead with 5:37 left to play. The game ended with a thrilling fourth quarter. Brooklyn started the fourth quarter trailing 35-39. Estrella and the James sisters went on to cut the lead bit by bit for Brooklyn. With a little more than a minute left to play, sophomore Anna Kitch drained a three to bring the Bulldogs within one point. Unfortunately, it was not enough to stop the game from ending 60-58 in the favor of the home team, even though the Cyclones received some favorable fouls down the stretch.
Ericka James finished the game with 13 points, four assists, and eight rebounds. Her sister Sarah finished with six points, two assists, and a team-high 18 rebounds. Estrella had 20 points, three assists, and four rebounds. Another standout performer was senior forward Ayomide Adeoye. In only 11 minutes of action, Adeoye put up eight points, one rebound, and a block.
On Friday, Dec. 1, Bulldogs fans filled the West Quad gym to see their beloved women’s basketball team beat John Jay 74-60.
Prior to tip-off, senior guard Ericka James was honored as the newest member of the Bulldogs’ 1,000-point club. The former James Madison High School Knight hit the 1,000-point mark on Tuesday, Nov. 21, after an away game victory against Saint Joseph University.
As CUNYAC play kicked off, so did Brooklyn’s quest to keep their invincible record in CUNYAC play. The Bulldogs have been seemingly bulletproof to all CUNY opposition since 2019, winning 47 games in a row with their victory against their Manhattan rival John Jay. It was a rematch of last season’s CUNYAC final.
The dogfight between the Bloodhounds and Bulldogs looked like it was going to be an extremely tight affair in the first quarter. The lead was exchanged before Adeoye sank a buzzer-beater at the end of the first quarter 18-17. Brooklyn did not surrender the lead for the rest of the game.
The second quarter was the Bulldog show. The James twins and Estrella kept up their good form from Monday night. Sophomore guard Dior Dorsey popped up with a jumper, and junior guard Suliat Afolabi sank some clutch free throws as Brooklyn established their dominance. From there, Brooklyn simply outworked John Jay, playing with the intensity of a three-time champion basketball team.
Brooklyn out-rebounded John Jay 50-40 and stole the ball 17 times compared to the paltry eight for the Bloodhounds. John Jay had no answer for Sarah James or Kitch as the pair bullied their opposition in the paint with 12 total rebounds each. James went on to record a double-double with 11 points, 12 rebounds, and five steals. James imposed her will on John Jay without much resistance from the Bloodhounds. The James family was well-represented as Ericka added 17 points, five rebounds, and four steals to her still-growing legendary legacy.
John Jay did not trouble Brooklyn at all until the very end of the game. The Bloodhounds coaxed some trips to the free throw line from the Bulldogs to cut the lead down. It did not matter as Ericka James and Kitch went on to close out the game for the hosts. Although John Jay tried to throw Brooklyn off their game with rough fouls, the three-time defending champs never wavered.
Brooklyn College’s supporters cheered for their triumphant Bulldogs as rain poured down outside of the West Quad. Once again, it was newcomer Estrella leading the way in scoring as the first-year Bulldog put up 21 points, seven assists, and eight rebounds.
Bulldogs Secure Their First Win Of The Season
By Sean Markisic
The Bulldogs won their first game of the season against John Jay College in a CUNYAC game with a final score of 70-62 on Friday, Dec. 1.
Stephon McGill was the standout performer for the Bulldogs in this game, scoring 11 points on 4-9 from the field to go along with 11 rebounds. Serge Tharysbule also had a big game, scoring 12 points on 5-9 from the field to go along with 10 rebounds. Brooklyn started off with a score of 7-0 and held small leads over the course of the game, with John Jay having to play from behind.
Brooklyn took a 61-53 lead with just over four minutes to go in the game. John Jay was to cut the lead to four with just under a minute left, but they were forced to foul the Bulldogs who put the game away at the free throw line.
Even though the Bulldogs have had a slow start to the season, it is a positive sign to see them win their first conference game of the season. Fans hope the Bulldogs can build off of this win and keep the momentum going.
The Bulldogs will close out the month of December with a three-game road trip, with games against Pratt Institute, New York University, and Kean University. All three games are going to be a big test for the Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs are now 1-7 in the season, so they’ll have to go out on the road and win big to get themselves back on track. Friday night’s win was a step in the right direction for them.