Jonathan Winns Netted 13 points, Three of Which Came on a Crucial Three in the Second-Half (Photo Verity Rollins)

Despite playing without two of their starters, the York College men’s basketball team edged New Jersey City University (NJCU), 70-67, in the quarterfinals of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Metro Region Championship on Wednesday night, March 5. With the Cardinals leading by three points and 16 seconds remaining, NJCU’s Dana John brought the ball upcourt and fired a three as time expired, but the shot hit off the rim and out, giving the Cardinals the narrow victory.
 The game was tight throughout the contest, with seven ties and 10 lead changes. With 13:15 to play in the game, NJCU looked to be gaining some momentum. Trailing by six points, 43-37, Derek Miller connected on a three-pointer. John then stole the ball in the back court and dished it to Josh Lopez, who drained another three-pointer to tie the game at 43-43.  Five minutes later, at the 9:47 mark, a lay-up by John gave the Gothic Knights their biggest lead of the game, 53-48.  However, York rebounded to tie the game once again. A lay-up by Chris Roberts, followed by a three-pointer by Jonathan Winns (two possessions later tied the game at 53-53.
 After NJCU took a brief two-point lead, York took the lead for good after Mark Hill netted a three-pointer to give the Cardinals a 56-55, advantage with 7:33 to play.  York extended their lead to eight points with just 2:32 to play, but the Gothic Knights rallied to set up the late-game drama.
Roberts led York with a team-high 21 points and eight boards.  Winns added 13 points and eight rebounds, and Rodney Bennett, Michael Salamanca  and Omari Phipps each chipped in with 10 points apiece. NJCU’s John led all scorers with 23 points, while Josh Lopez added 15 points. 
 The Gothic Knights end their season with a record of 14-12, while York improves to 21-8.  The 21 wins for York match the most wins in franchise history, which they last recorded in the 1996-97 season.
The Cardinals now advance to the semi-finals. On Saturday at 8 p.m. at the York College gymnasium, York will host NYU, who defeated St. Joseph’s (Long Island), 83-79, earlier on March 5.