CUNYAC Championship Game CCNY---"Brooklyn, Brooklyn, Brooklyn!...." was the final chant of the Bulldog faithful as the senior-laden #3-seed Brooklyn College men's basketball team celebrated their 76-67 victory over #5-seed Baruch in the CUNYAC Championship, earning an automatic bid to the Division III NCAA Tournament beginning March 3-4. The evening was chock full of milestones for Brooklyn including the 1982 BC Final Four men's basketball team being honored at halftime, senior forward Lorenzo Williams scoring his 1,000th Brooklyn College career point, and capped off by the Bulldogs' first CUNYAC Championship under second-year head coach, Rich Micallef, who was a member of the 1982 Final Four team. It is the Bulldogs' first CUNYAC championship since the 2009-2010 season.

"I'm just so proud of these guys," exclaimed Head Coach, Rich Micallef, following BC's championship victory. "They worked so hard. That was their goal all year long and they got here and they did it."

Leading 34-31 with 14:28 to go in the game, the Bulldogs hit four unanswered three-point field goals to take a commanding fifteen-point lead with just under eight minutes to play. BC continued to pour it on extending their lead to as many as 20 points with a little over five minutes left in the game.

A rematch of last year's title game, the defending champion Bearcats did not go away easily, cutting the Brooklyn lead down to nine with 1:25 remaining in the contest. However, the Bulldogs were able to convert on enough free throws down the stretch to seal the championship victory.

"I'm overwhelmed with how our team performed," added junior guard Chris McIllhatton who provided a huge spark off of the bench the entire tournament. "We are just so happy for the championship win."

With both teams off to a slow start offensively in the first few minutes of the game, Brooklyn senior forward Lorenzo Williams would knock down a couple of three-point field goals to give the Bulldogs a 6-2 lead with 13:46 remaining in the first half. Both teams would get it going in the next couple of minutes, and BC would keep a two possession lead. A Chris McIllhatton three with a chance for a four-point play pushed the lead to eight points.

Baruch clawed their way back, tying the game 18-18 at the seven-minute mark in the first half. Jamel Gist would then knock down back-to-back three-point field goals to take a six-point lead with just under six minutes to play in the opening half.

The Bearcats responded by taking their first lead of the contest, 25-24, on three-point make with just over a minute remaining in the half. BC would retake the lead on the ensuing possession. However, the Bearcats answered again to retake the lead. An Egzon Gjonbalaj free throw tied the game, 27-27, at the half.

Lorenzo Williams scored the Bulldogs' first five points of the second half, to help BC jump out to 32-27 lead. Baruch responded, cutting the lead back to one with just over 15 minutes remaining in he game. Leading by three, the Bulldogs' Chris McIllhatton banged a three to give BC a six-point lead with 13 minutes to go in regulation. Lorenzo Williams' three-pointer gave the Bulldogs their largest lead of the game at that moment with 12:06 left.

Senior forward Dennis Balsam helped extend the Brooklyn lead to 12 with a straight away three point make with 10:23 left in the contest.

Tournament MVP, Lorenzo Williams, led all scorers with 25 points including 4-8 from beyond the arc. Senior captain Jamel Gist capped an outstanding tournament off with 17 points, six assists and no turnovers, and four steals. Senior swingman Egzon Gjonbalaj recorded the game's only double-double finishing with 13 points and 17 rebounds.

The Bulldogs will find out who they play in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament on Monday.