CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
NEW YORK - Road teams prevailed in the opening round of the 2026 CUNY Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Championship on Saturday afternoon. Defending champion No. 5 John Jay edged fourth-seeded York 86-84, while sixth-seeded CCNY topped No. 3 Baruch 72-70.
The Bloodhounds travel to No. 1 Lehman for one semifinal on Tuesday, February 24 at 6 pm, while the Beavers head to second-seeded Brooklyn for a 7:15 pm semifinal Tuesday night.
No. 5 John Jay 86, No. 4 York 84 | BOX SCORE
John Jay earned its second straight CUNYAC semifinal trip with an 86-84 victory over York on Saturday. The Bloodhounds improved to 10-16 overall, while York finishes its season 8-14 overall. The game featured nine ties and 25 lead changes, with John Jay taking the lead for good with 8:42 left on a Alsseny Diallo basket. The Bloodhounds led by as many as six down the stretch before the Cardinals cut it to one with 14 seconds left. A potential game-tying layup at the buzzer by York's Jonte Wallace was blocked by Aidony Nivar.
John Jay shot 53.6 percent (30-56) from the field and 47.4 percent (9-19) from three-point range. Jamir Stewart led all scorers with 25 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including five three-pointers. Keyshawn Miller added 18 points, 11 rebounds, six steals, and five assists, while Nivar contributed 15 points. The Bloodhounds had seven steals, and scored 17 points off turnovers.
York shot 47.0 percent (31-66) from the field and 56.3 percent (9-16) from beyond the arc. Joshua Jackman recorded 24 points and 13 rebounds, and Wallace added 16 points, nine rebounds, and six steals. York held a 40-34 advantage in points in the paint and 15-6 edge in second-chance points and outrebounded the Bloodhounds 38-32.
No. 6 CCNY 72, No. 3 Baruch 70 | BOX SCORE
CCNY posted a 72-70 victory over Baruch Saturday to earn its first trip to the semifinals since 2024. The Beavers improved to 7-18 overall, while Baruch closes out its season 11-15. Baruch led 44-33 at halftime, but CCNY outscored the Bearcats 17-4 in the first 5:26 of the second half, taking the lead for good on a Michael Bowman three with 14:34 left that made it 50-48 in favor of CCNY.
CCNY shot 42.9 percent (27-63) from the field and 38.1 percent (8-21) from three-point range. Bowman led the Beavers with 19 points, while Chris Popotte recorded 16 points and 10 rebounds. Olabanjo Aborisade and Camryn Reyes each added 12 points, and Abdias Carcamo finished with 11 points and a team-high eight assists. CCNY edged the Bearcats 34-33 on the glass.
Baruch shot 48.0 percent (24-50) from the field but was held to 20.0 percent (3-15) from beyond the arc, including 0-for-9 in the second half. Jack Gordon led all scorers with 24 points, and Leyi Adebayo added 17 points and 14 rebounds. Trevon Coppin contributed 13 points.
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